The entire Class of 2k8 huddles around the fancy schmancy espresso coffee machine at the back of our classroom. And, yeah, it's squishy.

Class: So, Barrie, how was your launch day?

Barrie Summy: It was so wonderful that I cried.

The class nods knowingly.

Barrie: And I just want to say thank you to the nth degree to Warwick's and especially to Susan, Event Coordinator Extraordinaire, for making my very first book signing ever so much FUN! And for making me feel welcome and comfortable. Susan was calm and organized and all over the place at the same time.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of Susan. Because I wasn't overly calm or organized or thinking about the blog.

Thank you to DH and Child #4 for coming down. Their presence was invaluable. I loved how Child #4 kept filling up my book display when it started to run low.


(left to right) Liz, Eileen, Barrie, Cindy

And yay yay for my great friends who came to offer support! They drove all the way to La Jolla, bought books and hung out with me at the bookstore. Some took me to dinner before the signing. Some took me for drinks and Mexican afterwards until late. Even though it was a school night.

Barrie and fellow blogger San Diego Momma who is incredibly cool!

Thank you to all the shoppers who stopped to chat and buy books. They were beyond friendly.

And thank you to Fellow Classmate, Nancy Viau, author of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head. Nancy sent a mystery visitor to buy her a copy of I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES.


Barrie and Rick, Nancy Viau's wonderful son

Here he is. He's Nancy's adorable, interesting, amiable, fun son Rick. Thank you, Rick.

Guess what, guys? I'm exhausted. I didn't get any homework done. My house is a mess. My dog wants a walk.

So....

See ya!

I'm playing hooky for the rest of the day!

I'll get notes from somebody tomorrow.

Bye!

Class of 2k8: Join us tomorrow when Barrie shows us where she writes. And can we just say "non-traditional"?

Shameless Saturday

(left to right) Jennifer Bradbury (SHIFT), Jody Feldman (THE GOLLYWHOPPER GAMES), P.J. Hoover (THE EMERALD TABLET), Nancy Viau (SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD), Brooke Taylor (UNDONE), Stacy Nyikos (DRAGON WISHES)

These awesome 2k8 classmates rocked at the National Council of Teachers of English conference with their panel: New Voices for a New Generation. They shared the scoop on how to grab reader interest in a technological world. San Antonio, Texas may never be the same again!





More accolades this week for Ellen Booraem's middle-grade THE UNNAMEABLES!

School Library Journal says THE UNNAMEABLES has "a style and charm all its own," and the American Library Association's Booklist says "Patient readers who like a little quirk in their fantasy will enjoy this stick-it-to-the-status-quo romp."

Go, Ellen!





And...you can catch up with Ellen on a couple of blogs! Here she is on the ever-popular Cynsations, talking about her writing life. And then there's a really fun interview on Laura Bowers' Shop Talk








And...Happy Birthday, Jonathan Swift! (November 30, 1667)

Shameless Saturday

It's November on the Class of 2k8's blog. And we're starting the month off with a Shameless Saturday.

So, take a deep breath and jump in. Lots of good news blew in this week.

A couple of 2k8ers have signed new book contracts. Wow!

Jennifer Bradbury, author of Shift, recently sold two more books to Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Wrapped features seventeen year old Agnes Wilkins on the eve of her debut in 1815 London. The young adult adventure/mystery features mummies, espionage, and plenty of Jane Austen references. Wrapped will come out in Summer 2010, and its sequel will be available the following year.

From Publishers Weekly: Marissa Doyle's Waterloo Plot, the third book set in the same world as Bewitching Season, in which a young witch must overcome physical and emotional scars while investigating who is attempting to assassinate members of the British War Cabinet, including her father, in 1814-1815, to Kate Farrell at Holt, by Emily Sylvan Kim at Prospect Agency (NA).

The Sierra Magazine took notice of three 2k8 classmates:

"Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte Books for Young Readers), by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, introduces a headstrong girl who discovers, among other things, an ingenious method of thwarting a stinky flock of geese from eating the family garden. Luka, the 13-year-old hero of Bringing the Boy Home (HarperCollins), by N.A. Nelson,longs to return to the Amazon's Takunami tribe in a journey of self-discovery and courage. Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head (Abrams), by Nancy Viau, is a tale of a fourth-grader with a white-hot temper and a love of rocks and science."

Kudos from Confessions of a Bibliovore for Swimming with Sharks by Debbie Reid Fischer:

Fischer walks a delicate line in Peyton, managing to keep her sympathetic while making it clear that she is in it as much as the rest of the cheer squad. At the same time, she is victim of a far more subtle bullying pattern than Ellika. Her redemption toward the end feels like our own. Pick this book up for a thoughtful and all-too-probable story about how anybody can bully, or be bullied.


And The Book Muncher said this about Stacy Nyikos' Dragon Wishes:

I was very impressed with Nyikos’ debut middle grade novel and hope she plans to write more in the future. Dragon Wishes can be enjoyed by both younger and older readers, particularly fans of books with Chinese culture or novels with dragons.

For those of you participating in NaNoWriMo, (National Novel Writing Month), we wish you the very best of luck. Not to mention incredibly fleet fingers!

Be sure to check back Monday as we begin our week-long launch for P.J. Hoover's The Emerald Tablet.

Day 2: Now and Later

Today is day two of our now and later series when classmates share what their greatest accomplishments were from 2008 and what they hope to achieve by 2018.

LISA SCHROEDER

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. Writing and finishing a mid-grade novel that is fun and marketable. I've always wanted to sell a MG - my agent thinks we're getting close!
2. Selling my second YA novel, FAR FROM YOU, to Simon Pulse. It comes out in just a couple of months.
3. Presenting at the Oregon conference in May, and at three different conferences this fall with members of the class of 2k8/2k9! So much fun!!
4. Watching I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME go into its fifth printing in eight months time.
5. Being a part of the amazing and successful class of 2k8!

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. more time to write as well as do fun things like travel
2. more money to do fun things like travel
3. more books on the shelf with my name on it
4. sold lots of those books with my name on it
5. a 10-year reunion somewhere fun with the class of 2k8

NANCY VIAU

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. deciphering copyediting notes, and realizing how much I love revision

2. signing arcs at national conferences like BEA and ALA, while (hopefully) not making a fool of myself.

3. overcoming my fear of being a debut novelist

4. publication of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head

5. personally "rehabing" a major shoulder injury that froze due to Butt-in-Chair-When-It-Should've-Been-At-The-Gym/Physical Therapist Syndrome

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. at least one more MG novel published
2. at least one picture book under contract
3. several chapters of a memoir completed4. gone to the high school or college graduation of each one of my kids, and I hope I'm thoroughly enjoying being an empty-nester
5. enough long term memory loss to forget how long (and hard) it was to get where I am today; enough long term memory to remember how fun it was

ELLEN BOOREAM

In 2008, my greatest accomplishments were:

1. Managing to sleep occasionally and maintain a portion of my stomach lining even though I have an actual book coming out with my name actually on the cover.

2. Writing a second book even though I have a book coming out with my name on the cover.
3. 2k8!

4. Creating a web site and a blog, which I never thought I'd do.

5. Getting ideas for third and fourth books, and maybe a fifth.

By 2018 I hope to have:

1. Figured out how to write better novels.

2. Made at least one reader shout at the page, "No! No! Don't do it!"

3. Heard from a kid that he/she read something of mine under the covers with a flashlight.

4. Figured out how to write a decent short story.

5. Published five-to-seven additional books with my name on the cover.

Are you reviewing where you've been and where you're going?

Shameless Saturday

We've got lots to celebrate here at 2k8 with contests and rave reviews. Please give us a woot!

SLEEPLESS author, Terri Clark, is giving away an authentic Navajo dream catcher on her blog. For your chance at sweet dreams and for a sneak peek of her paranormal thriller, click here.

Also, Terri is pleased to announce that her essay in FLIRTING WITH THE MONSTER, an anthology about Ellen Hopkins and her work, will be published by BenBella books in May of '09.

PJ Hoover celebrated the launch of her middle grade science-fiction novel THE EMERALD TABLET! THE EMERALD TABLET received a great review from Brianna over at Balanced Steps. Brianna compares THE EMERALD TABLET to Harry Potter and says this: "Anyone who enjoyed discovering the world of magic with Harry Potter will enjoy diving into a different magical world with Benjamin Holt and his friends...for you Potter fans, the experience is TOTALLY different from Harry's." Thanks, Brianna!

Tasha at And Another Book Read gave THE EMERALD TABLET a fantastic review! She had this to say: "I loved every minute that I was reading it, and I feel like I want to reread the book over and over again. ... While reading the book I kept thinking that in a way it was almost like a myth that was being told and how cool it would be if it was actually true... Fans of Rick Riordanʼs PERCY JACKSON series will particularly enjoy this book."
Thanks, Tasha!

And Book Chic also gave THE EMERALD TABLET an awesome review including this tasty morsel: "This is a wonderful beginning to a fantasy middle-grade trilogy. Hoover's writing is extremely compelling and makes the book hard to put down." Thanks, Book Chic!

And speaking of Book Chic, this has been one busy reviewer. He's also written a great review for THE OPPOSITE OF INVISIBLE by Liz Gallagher and plans to feature Courtney Sheinmel as November's Fresh New Voice in YA and Barrie Summy as December's Fresh New Voice in YA!

Cynthea Liu posted a fun interview with Nancy Viau, author of SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD.

Publisher's Weekly gave Courtney Sheinmel's MY SO-CALLED FAMILY a starred review and called it "smart, original and full of vitality."

Nancy gives us the answers...

So what's the truth and what's a lie, Nancy? SPILL!

TRUE!
There is a teacher in Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head named Mrs. Montemore. She promoted science in every aspect of her classroom, but most importantly, she turned a smart, awkward kid into the science-lover she is today.

That kid is my (now) 12 year-old, not-so-awkward daughter.

TRUE!
Every character name in my book is found in my real life, although their personalities have been changed to protect the innocent.

Someone once told me that if I included the names of people I knew, they would certainly buy the book to see how I twisted their personalities, and that's true! And this has been a huge, very fun part of my launch!

LIE!
When I visited the canyon a few years ago, I found that the best part was the hike down Bright Angel Trail. I’ll never forget that—especially the look of surprise, awe, and exhaustion on my children’s faces when we reached the bottom.

Well...um...I imagined those looks, folks. We only walked about 2 miles down the trail because it was November and we were freezing! We promised each other that someday we would go back, and this time we'd do exactly what Sam has done in the book--make it ALL the way to the bottom and camp.
*****
NEWS FLASH!
One more question before we say good-bye, Nancy. What's the final amount for the Nat'l Park Foundation?

I added up all the comments from my week, including my own, rounded up, and the bottom line is that I'll be sending the Nat'l Park Foundation a check for 50 bucks. Thanks so much for helping me save the parks, everybody!
: )

Two Truths and a Lie

We end our time with Nancy Viau this week with a 2k8 favorite... Two Truths and a Lie. See if you can figure out which is which!



1. There is a teacher in Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head named Mrs. Montemore. Mrs. Montemore loves science in my book, and this is ab-so-lutely the truth. She promoted science in every aspect of her classroom, but most importantly, she turned a smart, awkward kid into the science-lover she is today.

2. It’s so hard to choose names for characters, isn’t it? Every character name in my book is found in my real life, although their personalities have been changed to protect the innocent.

3. Most of you know that the story is based on a family trip to the canyon, but how much is truth and how much is fiction? When I visited the canyon a few years ago, I found that the best part was the hike down Bright Angel Trail. I’ll never forget that—especially the look of surprise, awe, and exhaustion on my children’s faces when we reached the bottom.

That’s it for Nancy’s week. Look for Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head in bookstores everywhere!



“…a terrific read for any 8-12 year old.” ~Teens Read Too

“Sam shares many qualities with Junie B.—the obligatory spunk, a chattily ingenuous voice—but her passion for science distinguishes her from other franchise heroines.” ~Kirkus Reviews

“(Sam is) lovable and full of the kind of spirit that makes for a lasting character. Nancy Viau weaves in seamless science lessons, sure to slide by young readers as casual plot, until they pop up and help them during science tests.” ~Young Adult (and Kids Books) Central

“A fantastic middle-grade novel…” ~Book Chic

Nancy Viau Doesn't have Rocks in her Head!

Samantha Hansen May Have Rocks in Her Head, but Nancy Viau doesn't! Let's get to know this amazing author even better!

2k8: Imagine you have an offer from your dream press to publish your dream book, no matter how insane or unmarketable it might be (though of course it might *not* be). What story do you want to write next/someday and why?

Nancy: Is it weird to believe that I am already at my dream press? Abrams is made up of some very special people. From my editor who is lovely, quiet, and intelligent to the super-charged publicity director, and detailed oriented assistant managing editor, everyone has one thing in common—other than the fact they worked together on my book—they like each other, and it shows. I feel extremely fortunate. My dream would be to publish many books with them.

I have a ton of ideas for kids’ books, including picture books. I just love picture books. I’ll never outgrow them! Oh, and somewhere way back in my brain is a memoir floating around. Its working title is Bent Out of Shape and it’s both “insane” and (possibly) “unmarketable.” But...I’ll need to outlive plenty of relatives before I'm brave enough to put those thoughts on paper. And that’s all I’ll say about that!

2k8:What question won't most people know to ask you? What is your answer?
Do you wish you had begun a writing career sooner?

Nancy: And of course, the answer is YES…
and um…NO.

Yes, I wish I’d discovered my love of writing in college. I was one of those students who “aced” every writing assignment, no matter how large or small. I stayed up late “helping” the football team write research papers. (Shhhhh!) I also typed and edited reports for friends, and created fun stories for assignments for my elementary education major. Not once did anyone suggest I should look at writing as a career. Back then—at least in my little neck of the woods—women became teachers, nurses, or secretaries. My parents were simply thrilled that I was going college for I was the first in the family. So, I graduated, taught kids, had a few of my own, and did other things

No, not really. My best years and my best ideas come from the life I’ve lived. I wouldn’t trade those years for a second.

Remember to stop by tomorrow to play two truths and a lie!

More About Nancy Viau!

Today, we get to know Nancy a little better! (Of course, after finding out she has rocks in her bathroom, we feel like we know her pretty well!)

2k8: So, where do you do most of your writing? What does it look like?

Nancy: As much as I’d love to be one of those cool writers who tote a laptop around town and write in interesting places, I’m not. I do my best writing at home, in my office. I like having access to my files, resource books, a huge desk, lots of floor space, and…um…food, coffee, wine, and the laundry room. This picture shows the neat side. The messy side is well...messy. Some days I have so much stuff spread all over that I can't get out the door.

Recently, I've discovered a cozy coffee shop, and found I can sit there for a bit. But the more pages I fill, the more my wallet empties. When did coffee get so expensive? When did I start having trouble sleeping at night?


2k8: Many writers claim they don’t sleep much. What keeps YOU awake?

Nancy: Aside from one or two mondo-jumbo, skinny mocha lattes, you mean? It’s this whole bit about how the worrying never ends. The italicized part below is what goes on in my head when I SHOULD be snoring away.

Month one: Oh, I have an agent—hurray! My work means something to somebody. How long will it be till my book sells? Will my book sell?)(!!@#? What’s my advance? What about that option clause?

The next three months: Ah ha! My agent has found a great publisher. This is my big break. Whoo hoo! I’ve accomplished my goal. I have Sold. A. Book. WHAT? Only A. Book? I’ve gotta write another. Right NOW. What should I write about? Should it be a sequel, a prequel. Heck, what I need is NyQuil.

The editorial letter arrives: I seriously need a manicure. I’ve chewed off all my nails doing this revision. Can I schedule one in between the kids’ band practice and the dance lessons? Who am I kidding? I don’t have time for this revision stuff. Plus, it’s too hard! Besides…what if my editor hates what I’ve done to my precious manuscript? Can I get fired? Will this book ever be published? SOMEthing is gonna go wrong. I just know it.

Final editorial letters come: Who needs to sleep? I am on a deadline here. The house is quiet. Too quiet. I can’t work with all this quiet! I am WIDE awake. What’s on TV? Is the Disney channel on at 2 AM? Would my book work as a Disney movie? Who would I cast in it? Will my book even end up as funny as it started?

Launch Day: Have I done ANYTHING right?

We think you have, Nancy! Samantha Hanson Has Rocks in Her Head...Rocks!

Shameless Saturday

It's the weekend and for many of us that means school finally starts on Monday. Yahoo! In addition to celebrating our kids return to school we have a lot of good news to party over.

"Young Adult (and Kids Books) Central thinks that Samantha is "lovable and full of the kind of spirit that makes for a lasting character. Nancy Viau weaves in seamless science lessons, sure to slide by young readers as casual plot, until they pop up and help them during science tests." Check out the rest of this rockin' review of SAMANTHA HANSEN HAS ROCKS IN HER HEAD.

And Book Review Maniac and Jessica Burkhart have been busy interviewing Nancy. Visit their blogs to read some fun facts about her writing life.

M.P. Barker's A DIFFICULT BOY (which inspired by her experiencestime-traveling back to the 1830s as a historical interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village) will be featured in the fall issue of the museum's Old Sturbridge Village Visitor magazine--with three great photos of Michele in costume!

Daphne Grab's ALIVE AND WELL IN PRAGUE, NEW YORK got a review from the lovely Liv of Liv's Book Reviews who says, "I'd definitely recommend this book to everyone. It is sure to warm your heart and leave you wanting to read more of Daphne Grab's smooth and clear writing." You can read more here.

Ellen Booraem found out this week that THE UNNAMEABLES will have a big fat star next to its name in the September 1 issue of Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus described Ellen's middle-grade fantasy as "an ever-surprising, genre-defying page-turner," and cited realistic characters who "deal with philosophical problems in vivid, flowing prose that is evocative and often funny."

Terri Clark is the Awesome Author on Tasha's AndAnotherBookRead blog. Check out her interview and watch for Tasha's review of SLEEPLESS.

Wowzer! Congrats to all our classmates. Please come back on Monday when we'll introduce you to MG author, Laurel Snyder. It's her launch week and you don't want to miss it!

Shameless Saturday!

Ellen Booraem’s The Unnameables is a Junior Library Guild premiere selection for Fall 2008!! Congrats, Ellen!

Catch an interview with Brooke Taylor and a review of Undone at In Bed with Books. Also check out her guest blog at And Another Book Read to find out what is real and what is fake in Undone.

Bewitching Season got a great review in the July issue of Locus magazine (and it just happened to be their YA issue!) and the 2009 Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, published yearly by Writers' Digest, is out...and has an interview with Marissa Doyle about Bewitching Season and writing historical fiction.

Nancy Viau’s Samantha Hansen has Rocks in her Head reviewed by TeensReadToo!

Shameless Saturday!

On this Saturday's agenda we have a couple quick notable mentions and then a little recap of ALA! Enjoy!

Reviews and Interviews!

M.P. Barker, author of A Difficult Boy, was interviewed about her summer reading plans for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette has a feature article about M.P. Barker's return to her old stomping grounds at Old Sturbridge Village.

TeensReadToo awarded Regina Scott's La Petite Four their Gold Star Award for Excellence! "This award is reserved for books you want to read over and over again,because they're great!" Wow! Thanks!

BookReviewManic reviewed Brooke Taylor's Undone! "This book and I were inseparable! It was amazing, staggering, and very much so tremendous! ... would recommend this book to every teen out there, it is not one of those books that are “girly”. Actually I would recommend this book to adults too."

And now on to ALA!

For several days at precisely 9 AM, thousands of librarians and booksellers hit the Anaheim Convention Center floor in order to mingle and choose their favorite new books. So it wasn't quite as dramatic (or dangerous!) as Spain's famous bull-running fiesta, but the energy that these book-lovers brought to the conference was electric. Throughout the event, attendees toted heavy bags filled with hardcover books, ARCS, and promotional materials, then hailed cabs and buses to gather off-site at awards dinners, luncheons, and even early breakfasts. And we just wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING!

Two class members signed at their publishers' booths: Zu Vincent/The Lucky Place (Front Street Press) and Nancy Viau/Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head (Abrams Books for Young Readers)..

And quite a few other 2k8 books were spotted, as well, including:

Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different
I So Don't Do Mysteries
My So-Called Family
The Unnameables
The Possibilities of Sainthood
Undone

Happy reading, everybody! See you at the Mid-Year ALA Conference in Denver! (Unless, of course, we do find you next week...hanging out with the bulls in Santo Domingo).

More from The Class of 2K8 at NJSCWBI!

Class of 2K8 & 2K9 at NJSCBWI

Marissa Doyle, Daphne Grab, Albert Borris (2k9 Co-Pres), Nancy Viau, Nina Nelson

Editors! Agents! And Authors, Oh My!

New Jersey has one of the largest SCBWI chapters on the East coast, and writers from Maine to Maryland sign-up early to attend the annual conference in lovely Princeton. This year top editors like Cheryl Klein, Robin Tordini, Jessica Dandino Garrison, Samantha McFerrin, Stacy Cantor, Nick Eliopulos, and came ready to dish out advice, provide critiques, and give workshops. Approachable agents were in the mix, as well, and the line-up included Dan Lazar of Writers House, Stephen Barbara of Donald Maass Literary, and Linda Pratt of the Sheldon Fogelman Agency.

Author Daphne Grab and Agent Stephen Barbara

Author Marissa Doyle signs her book Bewitching Season for fellow author Susan Steen

Agent Stephen Barbara, Hallee Adleman, Daphen Grab

Nina Nelson and Bringing Home the Boy

Nancy Viau and conference organizer Kathy Temean

Class of 2K8 at NJSCBWI

The Class of 2K8 panel at NJSCBWI:

Daphne Grab, Nina Nelson, Marissa Doyle, & Nancy Viau

Members from the Class presented an afternoon workshop on guerrilla marketing called 28 Great Marketing Ideas from the Class of 2k8. Nina Nelson, Marissa Doyle, Daphne Grab, and Nancy Viau spoke about marketing their debut novels, individually and as part of a group, to a packed room full of energetic attendees.

They began with the basics—have a signature line for every email that includes your information, create a professional-looking website that reflects not only your book, but you as an author. People nodded and smiled, and scribbled notes in the spaces left on the handout. Press kits were discussed, along with publisher/author communication, tie-ins to national organizations, and what can be done to create consistent buzz. People scribbled harder!

Nancy, Daphne, And Marissa

Half way through the presentation, Nina, Marissa, Daphne, and Nancy addressed the nitty-gritty of marketing and had a little show-and-tell of popular swag like posters, tote bags, pins, candy, and bookmarks. Library visits, school workshops, signings, movie trailers, and blogging were discussed as ways to spread the word about books. A topic that got a lot of interest was that of social networking, and numerous attendees had questions about the usefulness and safety of promotion through MySpace, Facebook, JacketFlap, etc.

Daphne, Nina,Marissa, and Nancy

The panel was a hit! Questions kept coming long after everyone filtered out into the hallway.

Check the Class website for more 2k8 presentations coming to local, regional, and national conferences this year.

Stay tuned: more pics from the NJSCBWI conference coming tomorrow!

BEA with Courtney Sheinmel

This was my first time at BEA. I'm somewhat of a camera addict, which drives my family crazy, but at least we have all the important events in our lives for posterity (as well as some not-so-important ones). My 2k8 classmates Donna Freitas and Nancy Viau were at BEA with me, and they didn't seem at all annoyed that I was following them around with my camera . . . but maybe they were just being nice.

Here are a few pictures from the first day at BEA, Friday May 30th (which also happened to be my grandmother's 93rd birthday -- Happy Birthday, Grandma!):

Nancy holding up a copy of our friend Debbie Reed Fischer's book, Swimming With Sharks, which was prominently displayed in the Flux booth.

Donna and me, posing in front of the poster for her excellent book, Possibilities of Sainthood, in the FSG booth, and later Donna signing in the autographing area (the guy in the yellow shirt in the far right is Cheech Marin).

Children's book ambassador Jon Scieszka holds up a copy of my book, My So-Called Family, right after I finished signing copies of my ARC.

Donna met me in the autographing section of the convention hall right after my signing. We went to Nancy's signing for Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head -- I can't wait to read it! Then we walked back to our hotel together. We meant to take a cab, but there were no cabs, so we carried ALL the books and galleys we had collected over the course of the day. I mean, bags and bags of books. It was about a mile to our hotel, but it seemed like 10 miles. The whole not getting a cab thing was kind of my fault because I made Donna leave through a different exit than the one she wanted to use. But she says she forgives me and that we're still friends. Anyway, it was a great workout.

BEA with Nancy Viau

Nancy Viau and Jeff Kinney (author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid)

Thanks for the great BEA pic, Nancy! Tell us more:

I attended the ABC "Not a Dinner and (Mostly) Silent Auction" in Hollywood. 2k8 classmates Laurel Snyder and Donna Freitas were there, too, although we didn't get a chance to chat much during all the fun. I got to meet wonderful librarians like Ilene Abramson, Director of Children's Services/L.A. Public Library System and authors/speakers like Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson series of books, including his latest, The Battle of the Labyrinth). Nikki Giovanni's spirited talk brought tears to my eyes, and she received a standing ovation. Jeff and Rick were so funny, my cheeks hurt from ear-to-ear grinning. Here's a bit more about the award-winners that night:

The Association of Booksellers for Children (ABC) announced the recipients of its fifth annual E.B. White Read Aloud Awards.

The winner of the 2008 award for Picture Books is When Dinosaurs Came With Everything, written by Elise Broach, and illustrated by David Small (S&S). In a statement, ABC said of this most-nominated picture book, the selection committee loved "the perfect combination of wonderful writing, whimsical illustration, and imaginative premise."

The winner of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers is The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers). "The committee loved the appeal of [this] story for a wide ranges of ages, and felt it was destined 'to become a classic,'" said the ABC statement.

Stay tuned this week for more summer conference stories--BEA, NJSCBWI, and RWA!

BEA Up Close & Personal

Who signed in the autograph area?

Forget the TV/movie stars like Brooke Shields, Cheech Marin, and Barbara Walters. The real stars were our debut authors! Signing in the autograph area were:

Nancy Viau, author of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head

Courtney Sheinmel, author of My So-Called Family
and
Donna Freitas, author of The Possibilities of Sainthood

That's Donna!

What Class of 2k8 books were spotted?

The Unnameables by Ellen Booraem, The Lucky Place by Zu Vincent, & Swimming With The Sharks by Debbie Reed Fischer

Thousands of terrific books were up for grabs for anyone brave enough to weave through the crowd, stand in line, or fight for floor space. What a great day!

Stay tuned tomorrow we have more from the floor of BEA!

For the Love of Rocks!

Today, we have Nancy Viau, author of, Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head. Trust Nancy to talk about a vacation that is focused on, well, rocks!

Nancy: “I am not cooking this year!” I told my family. I was talking about Thanksgiving dinner, and three pair of eyes gazed at me as if I had gone completely insane. I explained that after so many years of being the “good mom” who prepared all the traditional favorites, I was ready for a change. (Besides, the big eaters—the grown “boys”—would not make it home, and I felt that the pigeon eaters—the girls—wouldn’t do my Turkey Day meal justice.) My family agreed, and one hour later, I had the four of us booked on a flight to Vegas. The Grand Canyon would be our destination.

We flew out to Vegas Thanksgiving day, ate a hot turkey buffet on the strip, and bunked in a cheap hotel outside of town. The next morning, we traveled to the Hoover Dam, got lost and ended up in a teeny bit of California (don’t ask), and then finally made it to the canyon. For two days, we hiked in freezing temperatures while listening to the complaints of our girls who would have preferred visiting their brothers in sunny, warm Florida. But we soaked up the awesome wonder of the park, and were forever changed by its beauty. Following that, we headed for Sedona. We drooled over guided backcountry tours and realized that none were in our budget. When we came to our senses, we realized we had been riding in a four-wheel drive vehicle for the last few days, and could easily take on the back roads ourselves. Duh.

What I didn’t know until months later was that this trip, with all its drama, would inspire a novel. Sure, Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head is just a story, but there’s a lot of truth in there, as well. Guess, it’ll be up to you to decide which is fact and which is fiction.


Now that's a Thanksgiving vacation!

Unforgettable heroes

Quick T.I.P.:
Little Willow/Slayground has interviewed Daphne Grab!
Read it now, then cruise on back for more about heroes.

To sum up this week's hero theme, we take a more serious turn and talk with Nancy Viau. Nancy is the author of Samantha Hansen Has Rocks In Her Head, a middle-grade novel that explores the heart and soul of a ten-year-old who loves rocks, and hates the fact she can’t keep her temper under control.

Who’s your hero, Nancy?

Well, when I first think of heroes, I think of the men and women who give up their comfortable lives to fight overseas. They do this unselfishly, and I am so grateful. It’s because of them that I (quite selfishly) get to do what I do—write. Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

On a personal note, my dad is my hero. And it’s not just because he served in the U.S. Army for 26 years. (I’m an Army brat, can you tell?) There was never a day that my dad did not believe in me. In fourth grade, when I told him I wanted to be an astronaut, he said, “You can do anything you set your mind to.” In high school, when I longed to be a Broadway dancer, he said, “That’s great!” And in college, when I told him I was planning to be an elementary school teacher, he looked at me kind of relieved, and replied, “Perfect.” Years later, as I worked toward getting published, his encouragement kept me going. He dealt with the death of a wife, son, and most of his good friends, and lived in extreme pain, yet this “Energizer Bunny” met each day with a positive attitude, a twinkle in his eye, and a sense of humor. I hope to honor him by doing the same.

Nancy has written a special tribute to her dad that can be found in the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology: Chicken Soup for the Soul Celebrating People Who Make a Difference. Pick up this book in a store near you, and read her heartfelt essay: “Save the Best for Last.”

Think you’d like to try your hand at writing a personal essay? Click HERE for the “Recipe For A Winning Chicken Soup for the Soul Story.”

Stay tuned next week for a list you can’t miss:
28+ Reasons Why You Need a Web Site.