Sunday, August 12, 2012

save the date for the Starry River of the Sky Booklaunch!









As I may have mentioned, I am getting very excited about the release of Starry River of the Sky! I'm so excited that I decided I must have another book launch, even though I had thought the Dumpling Days launch would be my last. But with Rain Dragon proving herself to be a nice baby and this book being so important to me, I thought I'd risk it. Also, this might very well really be the last book launch, at least at my beloved Porter Square Books, as we're thinking of moving out of the area...

 SO, save the date for the Starry River of the Sky Book Launch:

 Sunday, September 30th at 3pm
Porter Square Books
25 White Street, Cambridge MA
 617-491-2220 (reserve your copy today, which automatically reserves your goodie bag, by the way)


 As usual, I will plan the most awesomest goodie bags I can (I am thinking star-shaped cookies!) with many prizes (perhaps special edition pocket pacys?). Stay tuned for next month when I reveal all the details.

 Not local? As usual, you can pre-order you book from Porter Square and I will sign it for you on launch day plus send along some extra goodies (probably not the cookies, though). And watch for the online giveaways I'm planning, too!

Monday, August 06, 2012

baby book fail!







Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day? is one of my favorite books so I thought I would take it out to read to the Rain Dragon, though it is a kind of old for her.



 At first she was rather interested:


But she got quickly confused:

She's thinking, "Were those pigs eating bacon?"

I guess I should go and get some baby board  books for her instead! Any suggestions?

Thursday, August 02, 2012

the back and forth...



I'm just wondering: for all of you authors out there... how much back and forth do you guys do over little text things or big text things with your editor? Do you think the overall product is better or worse in the end? Was there ever an occasion where you felt that your book came out worse? Okay, okay, if there was you're not going to say anything. Well, maybe you will anonymously! Please do! A lot of times I get really frustrated and I feel that I am right. I'm sure the editor feels that she is right. But in the end what I do is come up with a better solution to the problem that pleases us both.

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Our Sixes

Awhile ago, when she was just starting the book that became Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, Grace posted about Faulkner's six -- the six things Faulker thought every novel was "about," or should be. Grace then went on to post her own six  -- to me, a much more interesting list, since it was her list about a specific book.

She said she was sure the list would change. And one of the things that makes the list interesting to read now is that one of the main themes in WTMMTM -- gratitude -- isn't on it. I love that -- and what it shows about the aliveness of the story.

I hope this novel I'm writing comes alive in that way (or is alive already, I'm REALLY trying not to judge it as I write; I haven't even read it all the way through). And if it does, maybe my list will change too. Or maybe it will come alive without the list changing -- but anyway, here are my six:

trust
coziness vs. adventure
love
courage
resourcefulness
stewardship

Even if the list changes, it's good to feel, or have the illusion, that the book is about something!