So…What Have You Been Up To?
The last three months have found some of us reveling in our books finding their way, at last, to the hands of readers. Others of us are busy planning for when our release date arrives, and many of us are diving into publicity and special projects. And did someone say sequels? This is one busy group of seniors! Here’s the lowdown on what some of our classmates have been up to in the last few months:
Class President Greg R. Fishbone, indulged in some filmmaking this spring, creating an animated (and slightly hypnotic) video for his book, The Penguins of Doom. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiQD94TblMA
Eric Luper, whose book, Big Slick, comes out in September, got in a little pre-pre publicity in a podcast interview late in February. Saturncast is among the top-100 downloaded podcasts on the web, which is almost as impressive as the fact that his book is required reading on Saturn. Linkage: http://saturncast.com/mediaplayers/player.aspx?podcastid=16848
Paula Chase had a busy month with the debut of the first of five scheduled books in the Del Rio Bay Clique series. On March 10, the signing for So Not the Drama at Borders Books in Annapolis was a hit, and she’s been getting some great comments from teen readers. She had the chance to comment back when she spoke at the Maryland Library Association on March 15th and at the Virginia Book Festival March 24.
Melissa Marr, author of Wicked Lovely, has been racking up the frequent flier miles on a five city pre-publication tour, including a sold out event in Chicago, hosted by Anderson’s Book Shop, where she got to speak with teens, librarians and teachers who read advance copies before the event. Melissa also was invited to a luncheon with BGI (Borders and Waldenbooks) Children’s Division in Ann Arbor, Michigan on April 13. Way to go, Melissa! And from June 1-3, she will be in New York City at BEA, signing books at the HarperCollins booth!
Judy Gregerson has been busy putting together presentations to raise awareness on the subject of child abuse and trauma, which is an important theme in her book, Bad Girls Club, coming out later this year. She’ll speak to schools, colleges, radio and TV, and she’s taking this spring to build her credentials and her program.
Carrie Jones (Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend) started the year as a brand new graduate of Vermont College’s MFA Program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. After a jaunt to New York where she met up for Kidlit Drink Night with Betsy Bird and fellow Class of 2k7ers, in March she traveled to Florida and New Orleans where she started work with the library there in the effort to rebuild New Orleans Public Library. For more information about that effort, go to http://www.nutrias.org. Carrie has also recently been interviewed by Little Willow - check it out at: www.slayground.livejournal.com/205410.html. In addition, she’s delved into bipolar disorder as part of her next book, and one year after winning the Maine Literary Award for adult Nonfiction was asked to write her memoirs, which she found terrifically amusing. (And - wonderful news! Carrie has sold a nonfiction picture book to David Godine at David Godine Publishing. It will be out in Spring of 2008!)
Sarah Aronson, when not slaving away on her new work-in-progress and getting ready to lecture at NE-SCBWI’s annual conference, has been learning how to tap dance. “It is NOT easy!” she reports. “But today I can finally say that I can do a ‘paddle and roll’ in real time. She’s putting the finishing touches on her new website (http://www.saraharonson.com) as well as a book trailer for Head Case, for which she stood outside and filmed traffic. (But will there be video of her tap dancing? You’ll have to check it to find out.)
Kelly Bingham’s book, Shark Girl, has been nominated by the ALA for a quick pick for reluctant readers for 2008! And more great news: Shark Girl will be featured in a special insert on debut fiction in an upcoming issue of Kirkus! Kelly has also joined the podcast revolution. She was recently interviewed on the writing of her YA Poetry novel. It will be broadcast this spring. Details to be posted on her website: http://www.kellybingham.net.
Laura Bowers (Beauty Shop for Rent) has been selected as a juror for The Scholastic Writing Awards of 2007 (http://www.artandwriting.org), which is a national contest administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. The winners are to be announced some time in April.
Julie Bowe is also serving as a national juror for the 2007 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Julie says, “As a juror, I’m reading dozens of personal essays written by teens from across the country. Their stories are an amazing mixture of heartache, humor, and hope. I feel honored to have this glimpse into so many young hearts.” She is also busy writing a sequel to My Last Best Friend, celebrating her book’s inclusion in Kirkus Reviews special issue on debut fiction, and enjoying her April book launch.
Tiffany Trent is busy revising Book Two and drafting Book Three of the Hallowmere series. In between researching Victorian fashion and stagecoach transportation and teaching creative writing at Virginia Tech, she participates in a local Children’s Literature reading circle.
Rose Kent spoke on March 30th on an author panel for CASDA, a Capital District school organization addressing school librarians in Albany, NY. The topic? Food as it connects to story. Given her book’s title, Kimchi & Calamari, she should have plenty to say. Her book also deals with adoption, and so she’s gearing up to speak at the 34th annual New England Adoption Conference in Holliston, MA, on April 28th, to giving the keynote address at Winthrop Hospital on Long Island, and a busy summer of book signings.
Sarah Beth Durst (Into the Wild) hit the fantasy/SF circuit in February, when she attended Boskone 2007 (http://www.nesfa.org/Boskone), the annual Boston fantasy and science fiction convention. She appeared on two panels, including one with Bruce Coville and Jane Yolen. She talks all about it in her blog here: http://www.sarahbethdurst.blogspot.com/search/label/Boskone. Then in March she attended Lunacon 2007 (http://www.lunacon.org), a New York area fantasy and science fiction convention. She will be appearing on four panels, including two with Tamora Pierce, and will be doing a reading from her summer release, Into The Wild.
For Joni Sensel’s book launch party for Reality Leak on April 15, friends, family, and perfect strangers braved the displeasure of a secretive government agency — other than the IRS — to visit All For Kids Books in Seattle. They were a bit tentative about the dandelion cookies and LemonMoo served as refreshments, but after enough wine and prodding, they guessed gumball counts, decoded messages in balloons, and generally had fun related to Joni’s wacky middle-grade mystery. A few lucky winners took home door prizes of authentic dandelion jelly in addition to their signed copies of the book. Official sources, however, denied any knowledge of the event.
Rosemary Clement-Moore took a break from working on the sequels to Prom Dates From Hell long enough to host a party of her own on St. Patrick’s Day. There was no green beer, but Rosemary wore her own prom dress from hell, signed lots of books, and gave away a “Prom Survival Basket” full of everything a girl needs to live through the night, if monsters attack her senior dance.
Special Mention!
Congratulations to some members of our class whose books have received special recognition:
Marlane Kennedy’s middle grade novel, Me and the Pumpkin Queen, has been named a Junior Library Guild Selection.
Julie Bowe’s middle grade book, My Last Best Friend, has been selected by the editors at Kirkus to be included in the upcoming special on debut fiction. She says: “Shazam, Batman! This feels like good news”.
Elizabeth Scott’s release, Bloom (on sale April 24th), is going to be a Borders Original Voices selection for May, and a Books-A-Million Teen Book Club selection in August.
Did You Say “Next?” Yep, some of our classmates are hard at work on their latest book deals. We can’t wait to read them!
Paula Chase (So Not The Drama) has a contract for three more Del Rio Clique books from Kensington, bringing the total to five!
Elizabeth Scott (Bloom) has sold three more novels, two to Simon Pulse and one to HarperCollins.
Ruth McNally Barshaw has sold a sequel to Ellie McDoodle, Have Pen, Will Travel, again in “sketch-diary” format, in which Ellie documents the chaos of a family move, makes new friends, explores her new neighborhood, and encounters a bully at her new school, again to Melanie Cecka at Bloomsbury USA.