AScattergood

Great Company

2012-02-15T17:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I head north to O'Hare.
That's Chicago.
Where it's cold.

Although I try not to share photos this time of year, for fear of repercussions from my Yankee friends, they've had such a nice winter up there, I think I can show just these teensy pics.

Looking outside-

MY BACK DOOR:

MY FRONT DOOR:

Actually, the Chicago weather forecast says sunny and low 40s on Friday and Saturday. I'll take it. Especially when this note appeared at the bottom of the weather.com forecast:

Notorious February Snowstorms
It may not seem like it now, but February is notorious for some of the worst snowstorms of the year.

If you're wondering what's taking me from my sunny clime, you can read all about it on this terrific blog: WATCH, CONNECT, READ: Exploring Children's Literature Through Book Trailers.

I'm way at the bottom. Scroll through some amazing talent and you'll see me. I'm excited and honored that GLORY BE is in such good company. My bags are packed. My Junk Poker box is carefully wrapped. I even have photos loaded onto a PowerPoint presentation.

Naperville, Illinois- here I come! Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast!
Can't wait!

Judging Book Covers

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hustle on over to Elizabeth Bird's blog for a fascinating look at book cover art. British v. American.

I know little about the topic other than what I've heard authors relate over the years about their own likes and hates, terrible experiences and not-so-bad. Authors who were astounded when the artist got something simple like Hair Color wrong.

On that blogpost, Ms. Bird (librarian extraordinaire at the New York Public Library) is sharing books from the current year's BATTLE OF THE BOOKS.

This year I think I'll follow along with the game. I've actually read a few choices.
Reading Dead End in Norvelt right now. Laughing a lot.

Now click on over to Fuse#8's book jackets. British v. American, you can judge.

What else I'm Reading Now:

May B., The One and Only Ivan, Bossypants (NOT a kids' book, for a change!), The Chick Palace (ditto, not kids') and Bestest Ramadan Ever

Glory Gets Around

2012-02-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

Since the launch of GLORY BE, the book's had quite a few sightings.

Just this weekend, she turned up at the brand new Los Gatos, California public library. I do love to see her hanging out at libraries.

And somehow, the book mysteriously found its way to a Massachusetts cranberry bog???

Bookstores, all over the place, from NYC to Tampa. Here we are at the Sarasota Barnes & Noble, where my writer buddy Janet and I popped into last week. I followed the sage advice of writers who've come before me (Thanks Christina, Greg and Minrose), introduced myself and signed the copies on the shelves. (Note the little sticker- "signed copy"= yay!)

And this one from
Lemuria in Jackson, Mississippi.

I'll be signing and chatting there on March 8 at 4 PM. (Can't wait!) Come say hello, please.

Head On Over!

2012-02-10T07:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, I love to talk. Especially about writing.
And now I'm inviting you to click over and listen, or as my great Irish friend Edel always says,

"Come on over for a chinwag and a cup of tea!"

I'm at my friend Barbara O'Connor's blog this morning. If you want to join us, there's even a prize involved.

CLICK HERE for a bit of conversation.☜

Bring your own tea!

If that link's not clickable on your first try, here it is again.
http://www.greetings-from-nowhere.blogspot.com/2012/02/augusta-scattergood-is-in-house.html
Paste it in. Try again.
(We had a whole lot of fun talking Southern and all.)

Come on by!

2012-02-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

And check out the treehouse. AKA The Chick Palace.

This morning, Leslie Davis Guccione is over at A GOOD BLOG, my group blog of very esteemed Southern writers.

Here's the link:

http://southernauthors.blogspot.com/2012/02/augusta-scattergood-welcomes-celebrity.html

Click on over there for some excellent writing advice and the inside scoop on writing THE CHICK PALACE.

Related posts: Favorite Quote on a Thing I Love

Learning to SEE

I love blog reviews!

2012-02-07T07:36:00.000-05:00

Seriously, fellow bloggers. If you review books, writers appreciate it. So much.
You have no idea how amazing it is when somebody really understands what you were trying to say with all those characters, words, chapters.
All the difficult edits, the hard work, the gazillion hours.

And when I get a review like this,

(Click to read!)

it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

"This is a book that could be shared in the classroom, but I think it would read best on a blazing hot day near a swimming pool to remind everyone of what human rights are. This is one strong, dazzling debut."

Free! Free! GLORY BE!

2012-02-06T09:06:00.002-05:00

If you don't know the amazing writer Barbara O'Connor yet, here's a perfect excuse. We teamed up for a fun interview.

Check out Barbara O'Connor's blog.

In the meantime, pick up a couple of her award-winning, funny, southern, middle-grade novels. (That's Barbara's The Small Adventure of Popeye and Elvis, hanging out close to my first "real" copy of Glory Be!)

Dog lovers, adventure story readers, kids who like books that make them laugh--Really, there's something for everybody.

And this weekend, there also me and Glory sipping sweet tea on her front porch.
(Okay, she lives in Massachusetts now and it's too cold for sweet tea, but once I climbed, sat, and sipped in her Tree House. Now that was a treat!)

Click these links for possible Related Posts:
Book Reviewing and Editing
The Weather

Great quotes

2012-02-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

on this ADVENTURES IN YA AND CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING website:

☛ http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/p/quotes-on-writing.html

Two of my favorites:

Be obscure clearly. E.B. White

And another by E.B. White:

Write about it by day, and dream about it by night.

(and there's a whole lot more on that blog, for writers and readers. Check it out.)

Thank you, Kidsreads!

2012-02-03T07:30:00.007-05:00

Click right here for a review that makes my heart sing.

Or swoon.

Here's just a little taste:

Author Augusta Scattergood tells the story from Glory’s point of view. This is very effective in conveying the thoughts, feelings and emotions of this young girl who is living in such volatile times.

And it even gets better, if that's possible.

FAVORITE fonts, anyone?

2012-02-01T09:22:00.000-05:00

If you aren't already a follower of my friend Leslie Davis Guccione's blog, you must read today's post. Not only is Leslie a writer, she's an artist. So when she writes about FONTS, she knows what she's talking about.

Her CUT AND PASTE zinger put me in mind of Eudora Welty. Cutting and pasting her typewritten pages. Literally.

So click on over to Leslie's post today. A real treat.
(yes, that's it, right here.☚ )

Here's a teaser, though it doesn't do her blog justice without the pictures and font examples:

I went through a dozen hard covers, from the life of Churchill to The Cider House Rules. 1 from the library, 5 or 6 from the book exchange at the dump, a few Christmas gifts, and another bought for my NJ book club.
To my surprise, I only found 3 with font information & each was: A Note on the Type. Disparate titles...

Now, I just looked at the title page of the first two books on my huge pile of potential review books and found font info on each. And the title page of GLORY BE says text set in Adobe Caslon. I don't know what that is, but I know it looks great!
(But my examples are kids' books, so maybe it matters more. Or maybe because my books are all brand new, and book designers are now sharing more.)

Now click on over and follow all of Leslie's links and have fun thinking about how your book is, or might be, designed.

My Quote for the Day

2012-01-30T11:34:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Kirby Larson's blog.

"Do not go where the path may lead.

Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Hooray for Connections!

2012-01-26T18:16:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about how important the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has been for my book.

Today I'm sharing another really nice connection. My Tampa SCBWI friend Shannon Hitchcock is a transplanted Southerner, but we also have a New Jersey tie. I totally thank her for some excellent interview questions, link below.

Those inviting chairs I'm "borrowing" today are from Shannon's website.

The quote on her site says

Front yards are boring. Backyards tell stories.

James Stevenson.

(Although I always loved what I could learn observing the neighbors from my front porch, if not my front yards!)

CLICK HERE to read my interview about Glory Be's writing and publishing history.

The interview was published on both Shannon's blog and the NJ/SCBWI newsletter/ blog written by Kathy Temean.

Thanks, Kathy and Shannon!

SCBWI, I love you!

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

This seems like the perfect day for saying thank you to a terrific organization. The Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has been with me on every step of my writing journey. And now, as I write, a whole bunch of lucky writers are convening in New York for the annual conference.

A couple of years ago, I met my amazing agent at the Maryland/ Delaware/ West Virginia summer conference. They've just announced a March one-day workshop. If you're looking for a truly informational, connected, encouraging group, check it out:

http://aseraserburns.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/registration-for-our-march-31-2012-workshop-now-open/

And of course, there's my current family of connected writers, the Florida SCBWI. What a treat to be on my very first writers' panel at the Miami conference this month. Here we are being introduced by Florida RA Linda Bernfeld:

Today I got to relive the weekend when website guru Curtis Sponsler posted a ton of pictures from the event. Click here to view the slideshow and see some articulate and bright writers/ editors/ agents/ illustrators dressed like Kings, Queens and White Rabbits. Thanks, Curtis!

Click here if you missed my earlier post on the event.

What I'm reading now, via my local library:

Trent Reedy's Into the Dust, as recommended by so many people, especially Cheryl Klein, presenter and dancer ☺, and Sue Laneve, critiquer extraordinaire. More SCBWI connections. It just never ends!

Wow.

2012-01-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

I do love it when a fellow reader/ libarian/ book lover understands what GLORY BE is all about.
I really, totally, completely appreciate this review.

(And I understand the compulsion to get up in the middle of the night and read!)

Click HERE for Sal's Fiction Addition blog.

Newberys!

2012-01-23T18:39:00.001-05:00

Today was a big day in the library world. Prizes were awarded! Shiny stickers are being attached to books. Much phoning, emailing and Facebooking in the librarian world. I do love a good award season.

Click here for the complete list of winners, from the American Library Association's announcement this morning.

If you'd like to read my review from the Christian Science Monitor, click here for INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN.
Loved that book. So happy it was chosen as an Honor Book this year.

And I couldn't have said it better than fellow Florida writer, Donna Gephart did on her blog today, so I'll let you click over there for a great rundown of all the awards. (Way to go, Greg Neri!)

Great Library Quotes

2012-01-19T12:07:00.001-05:00

In the non-stop tsunami of global information, librarians provide us the floaties and teach us how to swim. - Linton Weeks, Washington Post

And more:
http://www.laughinglibrarian.com/siglibn.htm

Did you see

2012-01-18T07:22:00.002-05:00

the Google Doodle for Martin Luther King Day?

From picture book / quilt/ phenomenal artist and writer, Faith Ringgold,
whose books are quite amazing.

Glory was in good company this weekend.

2012-01-17T07:11:00.001-05:00

This time last year, I shared a quote and a story about Dr. Martin Luther King. Here's the quote:

“Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.”

And here's the link to that post if you care to go back and read it:

Martin Luther King Day

Now a book I wrote is appearing on lists suggested for students studying Dr. King, the Civil Rights movement, Freedom Summer. I truly appreciate my book appearing next to the likes of
One Crazy Summer and
The Watsons Go to Birmingham in this

blogpost about the Top Ten Books Kids Can Relate to on the Civil Rights Movement.

And this newspaper article from the Winston-Salem Journal.

Feeling very proud and very humble this morning!

SCBWI Miami

2012-01-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

My first Florida SCBWI event. Books everywhere. Famous authors. Old friends and new.
So many terrific presenters.

And I got to be one. Except that I don't have a picture of me on the First Books panel Friday night. Four presenters spoke of their publication journey. Each of us had a very different story to share.

I was so excited to be there that all I snapped were pics of my book for sale. (yes, I know, total nerd.)

Like this one, at Friday night's event held at the amazing bookstore in Coral Gables, BOOKS & BOOKS.

GLORY BE was in very good company. And yes, we rearranged a bit for the photo, but we put things back and did not cover up Greg Neri's book, YUMMY.

Books & Books is what all bookstores should look like. A Courtyard wine bar. Music. And tons and tons of books, beautifully arranged.

Books & Books sold our books at the conference hotel, all weekend.

(Close-up of the sticker they put on our books.)

During the breaks, the authors sat at tables with our names in big letters so that anyone who bought our book could have us autograph them. (Big sigh here...)

Here are just a very few of the people sitting at nearby tables:
Christina Diaz Conzalez, Lin Oliver, Greg Neri, Donna Jo Napoli, Cheryl Klein. I could go on and on.

Nancy, one of my Tampa writer friends, presented me with a little notebook of encouragement and congrats on my first Miami SCBWI conference. (Can you tell she's a teacher/ librarian?)

And on my last morning, sitting in Jill Corcoran's VOICE workshop, another writer slipped me this note. She'd bought my book the day before.
My first "charming note"! Wow!
Thanks, Aimee.

And now I get to sit with my note-filled pages and take it all in. The great advice. New books to add to my reading list. New friends. All the makings of a very good conference.

Congrats to the Florida SCBWI team!

Thank You

2012-01-10T09:48:00.001-05:00

This has nothing much to do with writing for publication.
It is not intended to open the Thank-You-Note can of worms.

Though I will relate it to a book I read when I first called myself a writer. (And please click the title for a terrific take on that book, MAKING A LITERARY LIFE.)

In that book, Carolyn See talked about writing notes to authors you admire. This was pre-Facebook. Pre any kind of social media. Even pre-blogging really. She meant Old School notes. The kind our mothers and grandmothers encouraged/ forced us to write. After I read her book, I wrote to her.

Lately, I don't care too much about the beautiful stationery (though I did get a laugh when a great Southern friend just emailed me a nice note and attached a picture of her mostly unused, engraved notecards). But I do appreciate an acknowledgment, either verbal or penned or emailed, that a gift I labored over-- maybe even wrongly chose but I tried-- made it through the vagaries of a delivery system and arrived safe and sound.

This one made my day. My first thank you from my Nephew Dog. He liked my holiday chew toy.

(What I've just read: Joan Bauer's Close to Famous)

A Thing I Love: Happy birthday, Elvis

2012-01-08T08:05:00.005-05:00

In my past life, I adored Elvis Presley. I've mostly grown out of that, but there are moments when it comes back to me.

Like when this Christmas a gift arrived from Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi.
(FYI: I'll actually be there signing books on March 1! Click here for the link!)

I suspected something exciting when I saw the wrapping.

When I was MUCH younger, I had a Plaster-of-Paris Elvis statue. Maybe it's my imagination, but I remember the bust as being almost as large as a basketball. Other than that, it looked exactly like this one. My mother loved to discard unnecessary things. I'm sure she ditched my Elvis statue as soon as I left for college. Yes, it was a dust-catcher. But thank goodness she didn't get her hands on my Elvis scrapbook. Because now I've finally found the perfect spot for my new statue and my old Elvis wallpaper: Glory's Junk Poker box.

So, on Elvis's birthday, I want to share my newest Thing I Love. Thanks to my niece Amy who sent it from Square Books for Christmas.

Elvis on my Christmas Table-

Or maybe you prefer Elvis the King? He has outfits!

Not as large as a basketball, but small enough to fit into a shoebox. Perfect!

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

Absolutely must know more? Click away!

Possibly Related Blog Post:

My Junk Poker Box

One of my Elvis Essays

Whoa! NPR!

2012-01-07T14:47:00.000-05:00

Pretty exciting day here in WUSF land (Tampa public radio).
Here's the link to my 7-minute interview on Weekend Edition.

Pinching myself on an hourly basis now.

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/07/144829261/glory-be-a-tale-of-the-south-for-young-adults

Launch Party Recap: It was fun!

2012-01-06T14:59:00.000-05:00

Sharing GLORY BE's big day, in pictures.

My day started off in the best way. Doorbell rings.
Truly beautiful flowers from my amazing agent,
Linda Pratt, wishing me well and wishing she were here.

(Note: autographing pen at the ready)

We drove to the adorable, fabulous INKWOOD BOOKS in Tampa. Lots of unloading to do.

And there she is! Right in the front of the store!

Inkwood Books sold almost all of their books. I signed the leftover ones.

(I'm sure if you'd love your own autographed copy, you can call them and they'll ship. ☺)

The table: What's a party without food? Nothing!
Red velvet cupcakes, pimento cheese, drinks.
And note the bookmarks in their Elvis mug.

Closeup of the Red Velvet Cupcakes. Remarkably, they survived the drive intact.

(the napkins- HIP HIP Hooray, not just HIP. Though we are certainly that...)

We schmoozed a bit. Celebrated with a toast. Then my writer friend Sue Laneve introduced me. She said a lot of very nice things.

Thanks, Sue!

As you can see, the room is quite tiny. Seating for 25. Extras sat on the floor, stood in the back, and one special guest sat at the table, offering moral support, guarding the books and the food.

(Thanks, Evie!)

I read a bit, talked maybe too much, answered questions.

I think I may have said something funny...

That's my writer friend Greg Neri holding up my book. And new Scholastic friend Ed Masessa.

Ed is a really funny guy. Also very nice.

We're just going to have to do something about his basketball preference. (Duke? Really, Ed?)

Thanks to everyone who came and those of you who were with us in spirit.

A truly great beginning for GLORY BE.

More Sightings-- This girl gets around!

2012-01-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

On GLORY BE's official launch date, folks have emailed photos from everywhere.

What fun!

Don't mean to go all Flat Stanley on you. But I can't resist sharing more Glory Sightings.

Thanks, people!

Hanging out with the Original Shelf Elf (b. 1950),
currently residing in Lutherville, MD.

With her own bookmark, on Christmas Eve.
Somewhere near Atlanta:

Enjoying the beautiful view, while her owners ski in Colorado:

In sunny Florida, relaxing by the pool!

Thanks, Fellow Bloggers

2012-01-03T07:56:00.004-05:00

Two truly appreciated blog posts about GLORY BE. Click on these links and check them out.

An interview on
Caroline Starr Rose's CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS blog.
Especially for teachers, this is a recurring series Caroline does and I was delighted she invited me along.

Then there's this review by a FIVE MINUTES FOR BOOKS blogger is pretty much what I hoped for when I wrote the book. Actually, it's exactly what I hoped for.

Thanks, everybody. What an exciting week this is!

And don't forget the giveaway on Carol Baldwin's post from yesterday. You have all week to enter, but hurry on over and comment.

Happy Launch Day!

2012-01-02T09:06:00.000-05:00

Or launch week. Or Official Launch Month, or whatever we are calling this exciting time.

To kick things off with a bang, fellow blogger Carol Baldwin is giving away an autographed copy of GLORY BE!

Click on over there. Contest ends January 7th.

RIGHT HERE! THIS IS THE LINK.

Follow the instructions at the bottom of my interview and you, too, could be the proud owner of a hot-off-the-press, autographed copy of GLORY BE.

Thanks, Carol!

Happy 2012! No Resolutions!

2012-01-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Taking down decorations and thinking of all the exciting things to come in 2012!

Today marks the beginning of a new year, and I'm inspired by writer friends, Kimberley Griffiths Little and Caroline Starr Rose --and probably a ton more of you who make these lists-- to start keeping track of what I'm reading. Their lists are impressive. But I'd have to dig deep to recall The Books I Read in 2011.

So from now on, I resolve (whoops, I used the R word!) to keep better track of what I read.

What I'm Reading Now:

1. Review copy, via Kindle, of Elizabeth George's forthcoming mystery: BELIEVING THE LIE

2. A Teen/ YA novel I can't put down, a page-turner, that is nothing like anything I normally read:

UNLEASHED by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

3. Rereading The Liberation of Gabriel King and also When You Reach Me. Because I love the voices so much.

(These notes will be at the bottom of some blog posts. Feel free to ignore. If I keep up with this task, I will be able to remember what I read come next December. Or at least, that's my goal. And everybody knows goals are way better than resolutions, right?)

Revision Techniques, anyone?

2011-12-30T11:24:00.000-05:00

Now this is interesting. In a scary kind of way.
Via Cheryl Klein's very thorough book: SECOND SIGHT.
(p. 295, if you're looking it up)

http://writewords.org.uk/phrase_count.asp

Paste your entire manuscript into this word counter and see how often you've used a word. Cheryl recommends it as potentially revealing a hidden theme or image to expand on during revision.

I, of course, used it to show how many times I've OVER-used a word.

The Phrase Counter tab was particularly revealing...

74 uses of THE FRONT

60 of NEXT TO

I've got a lot of fronts going on. Steps, porches, sidewalks.
And those were just 2-word phrases.
When I changed it to 3?
I mean, really? Sixteen IN FRONT OFs?

Yikes. Off to revise. Thanks, Cheryl...

Possibly related posts:

Still Revising

With Help From a Pro

Launch Party: A friendly reminder

2011-12-28T16:27:00.000-05:00

One week from tomorrow

Thursday, January 5, 6:00.

INKWOOD BOOKS, Tampa

Hope to see you there!

The Chick Palace Has Arrived!

2011-12-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

For all you Nook people. And for those of you with iPad Nook apps, too.
I am about to offer you the best present you will receive during the holidays. Well, certainly the best book present.

Go immediately to the Barnes and Noble store and
download THE CHICK PALACE.

You will love it as much as I do.
Terrific story.
Great characters.
Writing that will make you go Oh Wow.
Over and over again.

A Very Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T07:49:00.005-05:00

Just when I thought there were no surprises under the tree, for reasons unbeknownst to me, Amazon decided to ship GLORY BE before Christmas. A week EARLY!

What a joy to hear from friends, family and even strangers, near and far.
Merry Christmas, everybody!

GLORY BE- From your UPS delivery trucks, all the way to...

Atlanta, sipping a glass of chardonnay with Christopher.

Being watched over by a very busy Shelf Elf.

In a stocking- or two!

Under the Tree in New Jersey!

And being "re-read" by some Very Important People...

Glory Be is out there!

2011-12-21T06:16:00.002-05:00

Look what turned up early this morning.

Besides saying really nice things that will be forever engraved on the back of my book, now I get front and center on Barbara O'Connor's blog.

Since she writes some of the most amazing books, well-loved by kids, this is high praise:

Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood is Southern through and through. But so much more:
an important story about race, friendships, small town life, and sisterly love.

Plus a great big picture of the book for all her loyal followers to see. Eternal gratitude!

More holiday humor from a napkin

2011-12-19T13:28:00.000-05:00

As we head into a week of celebration, here's one last glimpse at my gift-giving humor. And a possible life lesson.

What often starts out as good intentions:

Might just turn around and surprise you:

My Quote for the Day

2011-12-16T07:47:00.003-05:00

"...writing from a place of fear and concern guarantees only one result: mediocrity.”

Alex Gansa, the creator (with Howard Gordon) of “Homeland”

from the New York Times article on the show's season finale

Shopping for Writers

2011-12-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

Sharing my favorite Gifts for Writers today.
(Keep in mind that this blog is not written by a shopper, a crafter or even much of a cook these days.)

If that last person on your shopping list falls into a category considered Creative-- Friend or Family-- check this out.

Starting with one of my favorite things. Previously blogged about as Things I Love So Much.

This wristlet can be made in the image of almost anything. (Maybe not in time for Christmas, but think ahead!)

My friend Leslie also has one for her forthcoming book:

Both are from this website:

http://www.torynicole.com/wristlet.html

Neat, no?

Or if you are really feeling generous and have something to celebrate, how about a CAKE made from the cover image of your/ your friend's book. Wow, will this ever impress!

(Yes, that's a cake. A delicious cake. Thanks again, Kate.)

How about this tee-shirt? All sorts of neat things in the Signals catalog. Click here for Writerly stuff.

And here I am, wearing mine, after a long morning of critiquing with some of my Writing Buddies at Panera. It was chilly in there. We worked hard. We deserve gifts. (Thanks, Henry and Celia!)

And last, if you really want to get creative. Here's my niece's take on the little red towels I tucked into her Christmas box:

Which is about how I was feeling when I sent off my last box of goodies into Santaland yesterday.

But of course, here's what I really and truly meant:

Happy reading/writing/shopping/ celebrating to all!

(Any other book or writer-related gift ideas? Leave me a message and I'll expand this post.)

True Confessions

2011-12-12T17:17:00.001-05:00

I'm feeling more Bah Humbuggish than HoHoHoing.
Still waiting for the Christmas music to kick in.
More interested in reading and writing than shopping and wrapping.

But hats off to the Pottery Barn catalog that arrived in my mail this week.
Page 15, right there with all the ads for picture frames and the Free Shipping note.
Love this:

"A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away."

Eudora Welty, author

Book Food: Pimento Cheese in particular...

2011-12-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Thinking this morning about Food. Especially food in books.
Specifically, my book: GLORY BE.

Since Glory's caretaker, Emma, is a fabulous cook and the two spend a lot of time talking over the kitchen table, food appears frequently in my book. Maybe not as often as it did pre-edits, but it's there. Red Velvet Cake, bacon frying, ditto chicken. So when I think Wine and Cheese for Glory Be's launch party, I'm thinking Wine and (Pimento!) Cheese.

Then I have to worry if I'm spelling it right. A few years ago, a good portion of one of my New Jersey critique group meetings focused on pimento v. pimiento. Two Southerners and one writing about college in the South fought it out. With no satisfactory conclusion.

Now I have it on Good Authority that either is correct.

I'm going with PIMENTO.
My favorite professional foodie told me so. Well, actually he gave me a GREAT book called The New Food Lover's Companion. And did you know that much of the pimento crop is used for Paprika? Or that Pimento is the name of the tree from which ALLSPICE comes.

Chris, my foodie kissing cousin, knew I'd love this book, and I do. His mother, my sister's mother-in-law (are you still with me? I just did that thing we Southerners do: mention three relatives in one sentence) was an all-time great cook. I have longed a jar of Mrs. Carlson's Jerusalem Artichokes for all the years since she stopped making them (picking them from her garden, scrubbing and pickling those little things).

Back to Pimento Cheese. I think I'll make it the way I've always done it. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal calls it Classic Pimento Cheese. They suggest crudite. Not sure about this. White bread was always on my menu. And I doubt I'll roast and seed my own peppers. They do still sell them in the little jars, you know.

(From the Wall Street Journal:)

The Classic
For 25 years, chef Frank Stitt's Highlands Bar and Grill in Birmingham, Ala., has served a platter of pimento cheese and crudité to regulars who know to ask for it (it's not the menu).

The recipe: Shred 1 pound sharp yellow cheddar, then blend it with ¼ pound cream cheese, 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, 3 large red bell peppers (roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped), ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon sugar, a splash of hot sauce (such as Tabasco or Cholula), several splashes of Worcestershire and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Serve chilled.

Mark Your Calendars! Glory Be is having a PARTY!

2011-12-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

Please join me for my Launch Party.

Thursday, January 5

at INKWOOD BOOKS,

216 South Armenia, Tampa.

6:00 PM

Wine and (Pimento) Cheese! Cake, Lemonade, Door Prizes!

And hot off the press, Glory Be, the book.

I'll read, talk about writing, and of course autograph as many copies as you need.

Every day's my birthday!

2011-12-02T07:06:00.001-05:00

Or at least it seems so. In a good way, like when you were a kid and the packages kept coming.

This is the latest doorstep treat my friend the UPS guy just left.

Gorgeous bookmarks, designed by my artist friend Eileen Harrell!

And here's the back, with a quote from GLORY BE and a mimosa bloom. Mimosas kept cropping up on my pages. Maybe it was the big mimosa tree we climbed in my childhood side yard.

I couldn't resist putting Glory and her friend Frankie under that tree a few times.

Thank you, Eileen!

And if anybody needs some amazingly designed bookmarks, I know just who to ask.

(Not actual size, and photography by moi does not do these justice. I will be happy to send a few to any of you. Just send your mailing address to me via facebook message, or scroll down to the "contact me" button on this blog, found on the right side.)

Could this be more fun?

2011-11-29T16:24:00.003-05:00

The first hardcover of GLORY BE has arrived!

It took a bit of a detour on its way to St. Petersburg, FL.

First it stopped off in Madison, NJ where my nice neighbor rescued it from potential drowning on my front doorstep.

Then my great friend Al retrieved it and sent it my way. Triple bagged!

Now, here it is. TaDa!

Front!

And beautiful back cover, with all my lovely quotes.

Sigh.

Please note I used my extensive librarian skills to open the book properly. No cracking this baby's spine.

Oh wow. Look at that image on the spine. Love.

She's sharing the shelf with some pretty special books. I still can't quite believe this.
Won't be long before Glory's out in the world. Exciting times!

Fall Books for Kids

2011-11-28T17:01:00.000-05:00

I loved having an assignment from the Books Editor at the Christian Science Monitor. She sent me a stack of great new books. She tied them together around the theme of Friendship. I got to write just enough to entice readers to buy or check them out from the library.

I guess I have to confess that my favorite among the group was HOUND DOG TRUE.
How I love that book! The wisdom, the characters, the writing. So good.

Click here for the list.

All are terrific, for different reasons.

Anybody out there with a great new fall book to recommend?

Sunshine State Awards

2011-11-26T11:57:00.000-05:00

My Florida writing friend, Shannon Hancock, frequently blogs about the winners of our state's Best Books award. Until I met Shannon, I didn't know much about the list. I was a newcomer to Florida. But there are some terrific books, divided by reading levels, on these lists.

This week I stumbled upon THE MAILBOX at our public library. I knew nothing abut it, but it was on the Sunshine shelf so I checked it out.

Wow is about all I can say. The writing is so accomplished, the descriptions so beautiful--I can see it reaching a very large audience. Not just the middle-grade kids, ages 9-14, that it's supposedly aimed at.

A unique story about a boy who somehow manages to survive a horrendous childhood, foster homes, and now is living with his Vietnam Vet, crusty bachelor uncle. But that's just the beginning. Cryptic notes left in his mailbox, a very loyal dog, a caring teacher. Oh, and did I mention topnotch writing?

So much to commend about this terrific book for middle schoolers. I think boys would especially like this one.

Grownups, too.

Sisters

2011-11-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

“A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very much not ourselves - a special kind of double.” —Toni Morrison

When I first submitted my about-to-be-published middle grade novel, GLORY BE, I assured my hoped for agent that it was a book about sisters. I still think the story is about Glory and her sister Jeslyn. Of course, now I know it's about sisters and a whole lot more. But sisters are complicated. And that's why I love this quote. And that's why I still think my book is about sisters.

Here's a picture of my inspiration for my novel. My sister, Jane, and me. Oh, and my brother somehow squeezed in between us. Since he and my sister are twins, he managed to do that a lot.

But it was Jane I remember playing Junk Poker with. Jane I remember those afternoons at the park. Me tormenting her, mostly. My tomboy sister!

Happy thanksgiving to all my family, and to yours.

Debut Author Thanhha Lai Nabs National Book Award for YA Lit

2011-11-19T07:54:00.000-05:00

Delighted this book was the winner. Although I also liked Okay for Now and Chime, two other finalists for the National Book Award.

I reviewed this one for the Christian Science Monitor earlier this year.

Click here if you'd like to read my 2-cents worth.

And here's School Library Journal's take:

Debut Author Thanhha Lai Nabs National Book Award for YA Lit

Check it out!

2011-11-17T17:00:00.003-05:00

My new website's up! And yes, that's me with the skinny pigtails.

http://www.augustascattergood.com/

Elvis and I

2011-11-14T07:44:00.002-05:00

I won't go into my elusive career as an 11-year-old Elvis impersonator again. Everything you might want to know, but probably don't, is right here.

Because of my early fascination with The King, I knew I'd love Shelley Pearsall's book: ALL SHOOK UP. Only peripherally is it about Elvis, however.

Here's the story.
Josh must stay with his divorced dad while his mom takes care of his grandmother. Dad lives in Illinois. Boy resides in Boston. Dad is the disorganized type. Mom super organized. Dad just lost his job. Mom knew nothing about this. Dad is now an Elvis impersonator. Josh is mortified.

That may be the story in a very small nutshell. It says nothing about the funny writing, the terrific voice, emotions, experiences of a 13-year-old boy thrown into complete disarray by something he has no control over. Or the wise, clever Ivory. And her friend Digger, the tree-hugging artist wearing a spiked dog collar. And Gladys. What a fabulous secondary character. Small part, large role.

Some of the things I adored about ALL SHOOK UP.
1. The use of Elvis appropriate tunes/ lyrics, as between-chapter breaks.
2. The tiny Elvises decorating the (bottom) page numbers.
3. The way Josh changes in the book.
4. Funny lines: ex. "As we headed down the hall, I could tell people were noticing that I was walking beside a girl who looked like an unraveling brown carpet..."

Thank you to the Cynsations blog where I first read about ALL SHOOK UP.

How had I missed this book and this writer? Now I'm looking forward to dipping into a few more by Shelley Pearsall. Another great boy voice, in a book with appeal to a wide age span and multiple reading types. Kids who loved Al Capone Does My Shirts, The Absolute Value of Mike, or Okay for Now should be handed this one for sure.

Movie Time

2011-11-13T13:21:00.001-05:00

I'm so honored by the support Scholastic has given my book, GLORY BE. These snippets of upcoming books were created for librarians, which makes them even more special to me.

(Click here to go there.) That's me on the Middle Grade tab, not too far into the clip.

Note the carefully arranged backdrop. (Except for the view of my kitchen through the open door. Whoops.) The fig my friend Marge gave me. The books I was reviewing at the time.

And I loved sharing one treasure from my Junk Poker box: wallpaper from Elvis's house. Details shall remain secret but I unearthed the wallpaper from a scrapbook buried deep into an old footlocker. Thank you, sophomore college roommate Lyn Martin, who lived in Tupelo.

Also inside this box is a real skate key- courtesy of Christine and Jane. And postcards and crackerjack prizes from Glory's secret life as a gambler.

Dreaming up things that Glory and her big sister Jesslyn kept in their boxes was a special way of creating their personalities.

What tricks do you have for seeing your characters as real people?
What's in your character's special box?

Writers Most Wanted List: Revision Technique

2011-11-06T13:10:00.001-05:00

I was sent a copy of REAL REVISION: Authors' Strategies to Share with Student Writers by the publisher.

There are so many things to love about Kate Messner's terrific new book.

Here's just one tiny thing that I must share:

Words (As in Seen on the Post Office Wall: Most Wanted) we should avoid (like the plague- whoops! We should also avoid overused poetic devises and cliches.)

There's an entire section titled CUT! CUT! CUT! and this is just a small part, but easy to consider.

In the later stages of revision, have you used these a zillion times too many?

Looked like/ seemed like

Just

And

Rather

Began to

As though

Then

But

Always

Glanced

In that moment

A bit

I guess

Maybe

That

Very

Really

A Thing I Love

2011-11-04T06:36:00.001-04:00

This is what I'm looking at on my counter this morning. A gift from a friend's tree. It's still dark outside so the picture doesn't do the grapefruit justice. But I can't resist sharing my morning's writing inspiration. Cute leaves, no?

My Day Job

2011-11-03T09:55:00.000-04:00

This week it was my turn at A Good Blog is Hard to Find, my group blog filled with a whole bunch of amazing Southern writers. CLICK HERE if you want to go there. The theme was What Would You Be if You Weren't a Writer: Tell us about your day job.

I shared one of my favorite recent Facebook finds. If you have no time/ interest in clicking over there and reading about How I Became a Librarian, enjoy my illustration for the day.

A little break to dance.

2011-11-02T14:54:00.000-04:00

(Not breakdance.)

“The only way to enjoy anything in this life is to earn it first.”

“Part of the joy of dancing is conversation. Trouble is, some men can't talk and dance at the same time.”
Ginger Rogers

Yep, I've been googling. It's research. Dancers. Dog names. Now back to writing.

Part 2 on Previous Post, re: BOY BOOKS

2011-10-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

If you haven't had an opportunity to read my previous post and click on the link about writing books for boys, here's another teaser from David Elzey's interesting take on writing books for boys.

There are readers, many of them boys, who will pick up that book and judge it by its girth, by its font size, by the amount of white on the page. As a former bookseller, if I had a dollar for every boy I ever witnessed fan a book’s pages as a method for deciding whether or not to read it, I’d have enough money today to buy a small publishing house.
Thomas Newkirk in Misreading Masculinity notes that, for many boy readers, “unless you are reading fluently in late elementary school, getting an assignment to read a two-hundred page book will just defeat you.”
Mind you, that’s not two-hundred manuscript pages, that’s two hundred final printed pages. With middle grade boys that means hewing closer to the 20,000 word range as opposed to the 30,000 or 40,000 words that has been typical for middle grade books.

I know writers wring their hands about word count/ page count/ size.

I like what I've heard writer Greg Neri say more than once: "A book needs to be what it needs to be." Or something close to that. Meaning, you can't force a YA novel into a picture book format. Or a long fantasy into a short adventure? The book will tell you what it wants to be. Eventually. That's a key word. It may take a while. You may have to wait.

But when you start the revision part, whittling down, getting rid of the excess, does that 20,000 word range surprise you? Do you even notice? Or is it all about writing the book that needs to be, not worrying about the size.

(And just a note from somebody--me-- who knows a lot more girl readers, up close and personal, than I do boy readers: I've seen a fair number of girls fan books, check for page numbers, and put them aside.)

Thoughts on size, and whether it matters, anyone?

Off the top of your head, recommendations for short boy books?

Most of the books by Barbara O'Connor?

The Liberation of Gabriel King, by K.L. Going?

What else?

Boy Books

2011-10-29T07:54:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's long. But anybody interested in creating a boy character, a boy-preferred novel, or in cultivating boy readers needs to read this post. Seriously good stuff.

Originally written as part of his Vermont College thesis, this is David Elzey's expanded version.
Click this link for his blog.

(This is what happens when I decide to clean out emails, straighten file cabinets, tidy my desktop. I find amazing stuff I might have overlooked. Don't you just love when that happens?)

My rainy Saturday gift to fellow writers. Here's a bit of what he says about boy readers. If this doesn't make you click that link, you may be missing a whole segment of your reading population:

They’ll say they hate books and reading, and the next thing you know they’re driving books like Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series onto the bestsellers list.

They’ll ask for something exactly like what they just finished reading, a beginning reader series like the Time Warp Trio or Geronimo Stilton, and then quickly lose interest because they’ve discovered and become bored with the formula.

They’ll read a page of grade-level text aloud in a halting stammer, then read the sports section of the newspaper as smoothly as professional television announcers.

The conundrum that is a boy reader is enough to drive any adult mad.

Meet Your Characters: Refrigerator Doors

2011-10-28T07:35:00.019-04:00

Remember all those Getting to Know Your Characters exercises. Fact Sheets.
What did he eat for breakfast?
What's her favorite color? Music? Relative?

I mostly hate doing that.

One question I sometimes think about is what's in your character's fridge? Bacon? Organic food? Leftovers from Whole Foods.

But here's another thing I'm pondering: What's on your character's fridge?

(Unless your character has a stainless steel refrigerator. That may just ruin my theory of getting to know people from the interesting things posted on refrigerators.)

My own always had pictures of my kids, my pets, emergency phone numbers, quotes and funny pictures.
What do you think? Can you learn about a character from a refrigerator door?
One I recently visited was filled with emergency numbers, pictures, all the usual. But it also told me another thing or two:

She collects these great Snoopy comics.

For sure, she's dog lover.

And a character begins to take shape.

(Note to friend: Don't worry. You are not becoming a character in my novel.☺)

More Thoughts on Book Reviews: The Art of Fielding

2011-10-26T07:13:00.000-04:00

It seemed like a perfect book. Baseball, but literary fiction. High praises from every single reviewer. The New York Times review was long, intriguing, and included the phrase: slow, precious and altogether excellent first novel.

A baseball book that really wasn't about baseball.

So last night when I finally finished all my Required Reading (6 YA/Middle grade novels for review, 2 grown-up Southern books), I grabbed my Kindle (at over 500 words, The Art of Fielding seemed like the perfect e-book).

I read two sample chapters and liked it. I was poised to hit the "buy" button, but it was quite late and the book's still $12.99. Buy or wait? I scrolled through the 40+ reader reviews.

Okay. I know I've come close to blasting reader reviews on this very blog. But these were not only mostly articulate, they were signed! And almost all really slammed the pre-pub hype surrounding this novel.

I decided to wait. Maybe give it a try from the library. Anybody else read The Art of Fielding?
And I wonder if a lot of those reader reviews were from disappointed baseball fans. I suspect this book is about a whole lot more than sports.

Happy birthday, Dr. Jack!

2011-10-19T16:48:00.000-04:00

If ever there were a real character in my life, my daddy was it. I could write a book about him: his colorful language, his love of animals, his musical talents, his amazing medical education and skill.

Recently I re-read a funny story Eudora Welty, a woman of his generation, told about herself. As a young child, she loved to sit in the backseat of the family car, her mother and her mother's friend on each side, for drives around Jackson. "Now talk," she'd say, and of course, she'd listen.

That's the way I felt about Sunday dinners around our family table: "Now talk!"
All I wanted to do was listen.

I still have people I don't even know tell me how much they loved Dr. Jack. Maybe he'd set a broken arm, perhaps he'd delivered them (for a while, he was the only doctor in our little town who delivered babies), stitched up a cut, charmed off a wart (yes, he did). His medical talent was legend. His training was as a chest physician; he considered himself a country doctor.

He married late by today's standards, and sadly, died young. Today would be his100th birthday. In honor of this momentous occasion, I'll share some memories.

Once he brought a pet monkey into our family. Our mother refused to let it into the house. A patient of his took it and raised it, naming it "Jackie." In fact, he frequently claimed to find exotic pets on the side of the road. We had rabbits, parakeets, Dobermans, a chihuahua (supposedly good for my allergies, justification for owning this tiny canine even before they became celebrity pets), a very large long-haired Persian cat. He adored four-legged things so much that once he anesthetized an injured fawn and set her broken leg, in the same office where he treated his human patients.

Besides the colorful language, my dad had a few other questionable traits. He smoked White Owl cigars. This was before the Surgeon General's report came out and physicians collectively chose to oppose smoking. After that, Daddy stopped, and encouraged his patients to follow suit.

The only time I've ever really written about my father was a Christian Science Monitor essay a few years ago. It was mostly about Elvis, but I did write this about my dad:

Music was in my blood. My father had lived in New Orleans before settling into the life of a small town country doctor. With him, I sang along with Louis Armstrong’s “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?” on the radio. Before I could walk, I danced on the tops of my father’s polished shoes to the beat of Fats Waller’s band. I thought Blue-Room-of-the-Roosevelt-Hotel, where my dad had worked as a ticket taker to earn college spending money and free admission, was an elaborately exotic word for a place I longed to visit.

In the picture below, that's Dr. Jack, back row, middle, the handsome young man hanging with his college friends, all dressed up for dancing at the Blue Room.

(I wrote this blogpost originally for a different birthday but since I've been thinking a lot about Daddy today, I'm replaying it. Just rereading it makes me smile.)

SOUTHERN LITERARY TRAIL

2011-10-18T10:59:00.002-04:00

Without even realizing I was on a literary tour, I've visited several of the spots:

Eudora Welty's house in Jackson
Faulkner's in Oxford
And now Flannery O'Connor's last family home in Milledgeville, GA.

Having reread THE HABIT OF BEING last winter, I set my sights on visiting Flannery O'Connor's hometown. Fortunately we have gracious friends who grew up in Milledgeville. Our host had even spent time sitting on the front porch of Andalusia as a young boy fascinated/ freaked by the peacocks a while back. Great tour guides. I hope we get invited back to explore via the trolley and poke around inside the church where the evil General Sherman stabled his horses. (Oh, the horror!)

Call me a southern author groupie if you must, but something about seeing how O'Connor faced her typewriter to the wall so as not to be tempted by the beauty of nature outside her first floor window spoke to me. Though how she plotted to the tune of peacocks remains a mystery.

Eudora Welty's garden and home are must-see spots in Jackson.
Oxford, MS, sports a statue of Faulkner on the Square, though he was not universally loved by his home state.
A great way to travel the south. I plan to check out a few more spots on the Southern Literary Trail.

Who out there's visited some of the many author birthplaces, homes, gardens open to the public?
Inspiration? Voyeurism? An excuse to eat fried okra and turnip greens at your author's favorite cafe?

Here's a post from my reading of The Habit of Being.
And another, here- random thoughts about writing like Flannery.

Tales from School, Part 1.

2011-10-10T12:09:00.000-04:00

Remember the class I visited last month to present the Glory Be ARC their teacher had won on my blog giveaway?

I now have fan letters.

Which is completely amazing and a little weird. Having been on the other end of Author Visits for my almost twenty years of school librarianing, it's quite eye-opening to sit in the interviewee chair. Since they hadn't read the book, I shared my road to publication, my writing advice, and answered their very inquisitive questions.

I can't resist sharing a couple of the kids' wise comments. More to come, of course.

I think your book is going to be really popular. You helped me when you said you kept trying and didn't give up. Now when I get frustrated I don't rip up the paper. I punch my pillow and keep on trying.

It has been nice to actually meet the woman that Mrs. C. has been going on and on about for the last few weeks. I really wonder if the book Glory Be is as good as you said it was.

and one more for today:

Thank you for coming to the class... I am glad that you are giving our teacher the first copy of Glory Be. Being an author must be great.

Your #1 Fan

PS I like your hair cut.

Out of the mouths of babes and all that.

Great Book Reviewing

2011-10-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Since I kind of trashed reviewers with an ax to grind in this recent post, I'd like to take my hat off to the professional writers and the lovers of reading who know good books and know how to write about them.

Here's one fine example, in my recent UNC alumni publication, ENDEAVORS. Click here for their review of Minrose Gwin's book, Queen of Palmyra.

My favorite line:

"Some stories burn hot, cooking down quick and clean to a tidy, well-timed end. And some, like this one of Gwin's, smolder like a pot forgotten on the back of the stove."

Seen on a bumper sticker...

2011-10-05T06:34:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of The Drive:

And this one, from a friend in Atlanta:

You don't have to go fast, you just have to go.

Related posts: Bumper stickers

More Periods, Less Conjunctions?

2011-10-01T17:04:00.000-04:00

Although this writing coach doesn't specialize in writing fiction, Ann Wylie's advice frequently makes me sit up and take notice. I also love some of the less well-known quotes she digs up. Like this one, from one of the many writing books next to my desk:

“There’s not much to be said about the period, except that most writers don’t reach it soon enough.”

William Zinsser, author of On Writing Well

If you write for business, you may already know about her writing newsletter, but this one caught my attention. Click here to read what she says about Shorter Sentences.
(You may need to scroll around a bit, but her site is worth it.)

Now, excuse me while I depart the blog. I believe I have some conjunctions to "search and destroy."

Click here for my older post about Ann Wylie's newsletter, with a link to another website where I just wasted quite a few precious minutes. But totally fun minutes.

Just another ordinary day...

2011-09-29T18:03:00.000-04:00

(I wish!)

Lunch with my editor today, a special treat. I got there early and popped in the Scholastic bookstore downstairs. Kids everywhere! Loving the books!
Now keep in mind, I'm trying to be Cool Author Lady. Not starstruck tourist.

But it does kind of take your breath away.

First stop? I'm drooling over Brian Selznick's new fabulous book, WONDERSTRUCK --smack dab in front. Which by the way I'm totally dying to read.

(Sorry about the photos. As I said above, trying to be C.A.L. and didn't want to be so obvious in my photo-snapping.)

Then I moseyed over to another enticing shelf. All sorts of familiar faces and names on these books.

Yep! There you are Kimberley! Front and center!

And then I had to pinch myself. Will my very own book be in the S section come January?!
Swooned all the way upstairs. Awestruck, starstruck, AND Thunderstruck.

Celebrity Guest

2011-09-28T15:52:00.001-04:00

That would be me. At least, if you take the word of Ms. Casey's 4th graders. She was a winner of a GLORY BE Advanced Readers Copy. I popped in yesterday to say hello to her brilliant students.
They don't know me. They didn't know I was going to be there. They have not read the book. But I felt like a celebrity when I presented them with the book.

Here is why I think they are brilliant:

1. I packaged the book with ribbon, stars, and stickers. I showed them the stickers (guitars) and told them the book takes place in 1964. I asked if they had a guess about why I'd given them shiny guitar stickers. About 5 hands shot up, all with the right answer: ELVIS!

2. We talked about the cover art. One bright boy nailed it. "Maybe it's about a swimming pool that wouldn't let black people and white people swim at the same time."
Wow.

3. They know a lot about history. They can define historical fiction.
4. They asked amazing questions, and not just whether my name was really mine or not. Though we did talk about pseudonyms and they know the word.

Impressive bunch. This is the huge poster right at the front door. No wonder they are so brilliant.

Book Reviewing, or whatever you want to call it

2011-09-27T07:45:00.001-04:00

I love Eudora Welty's short stories. But I know not everybody "gets" her. Just now I was trying to decide which edition to pick as a gift for someone, and I was rambling around the Barnes and Noble and Amazon sites.

This is what bugs me about random commenters, whether it be rating restaurants, TVs or news stories on websites. You don't know whom to trust. Is what you are reading coming from somebody who has a clue as to what they are saying? A reputable voice? A furious customer? Does it matter?

Eudora Welty is arguably one of our most esteemed writers. I could go on forever listing her awards and accolades. Yet, not everyone cares for her stories as much as I. (Though how could anybody resist her famous photographs? This lady looks exactly like my grandmother...)

My point? If you don't know what you are talking about and you really don't "get" something, should you just stay-the-heck off the review sites?

Am I being snarky? Does anybody agree with me? Can any good come from this review? Other than maybe giving us something to chuckle about at our Book Group discussion? True confessions- The 15-word description of a favorite story of mine, Why I Live at the P.O., did make me smile. For about a second.

This is what some random Amazon reviewer person says about the most famous of Welty's stories. At least he adds a disclaimer: "Everyone's taste is different."
I'll say.

What do you think? Helpful or mildly humorous? And what's the point,

(:

Do not read this book unless you like short stories or are required to do so. Each story is like reading the exposition of a novel, which is the most uninteresting part. Here are some of what the stories are about: 1) A woman who lives at the post office and has male relatives who wear dresses 2) A man who's wife said she drowned herself because he came home late, so the man went to look for here body in the river AND 3) Two mentally challenged people who want to get married and one is a xylophone player If these sound interesting to you get the book. They certainly weren't for me. Yet everyone's taste is different.

Great Beginnings

2011-09-24T15:59:00.000-04:00

Today I re-read a truly terrific piece of advice from a blog all Middle-grade writers should have on their radar:
FROM THE MIXED UP FILES. Click this link and you'll be taken there in a blink!

In the numerous comments to Sarah Aronson's fun-to-read, helpful post about beginning sentences, one writer quoted Richard Peck:

He claims he always throws away his first chapter when he finishes his first draft and then
“writes the chapter that goes at the beginning. Because the first chapter is the last chapter in disguise.”

Richard Peck may be onto something. But now that I've re-written a first paragraph, oh maybe FIFTY times, I don't think I'll throw it out just yet.

But you never know.

Hearing Voices

2011-09-22T07:08:00.000-04:00

It's my turn over at my Southern Writers group blog. I'm pondering voice, big-bosomed English teachers, bug men, Louisiana bayous, nabs, New Jersey lady preachers. You name it, they are speaking to me. Much as I'm trying to shut a whole lot of them out.

Click here if you want to go there.

We Have a Winner!

2011-09-20T09:07:00.000-04:00

Because so many of you entered my Giveaway for the GLORY BE Advanced Reader Copy, I decided to part with two of them. I'm saving one forever and have one to share with my Tampa Bay critique group who guided me through most of the revisions. (Thanks, Teddie, Sue and Melissa!)

It's drizzling outside so I didn't photograph the drawing this morning. But I tapped into my completely unbiased neighbor's goodwill and the lucky winners are...

PAT CASEY

and

CHRISTINA DIAZ GONZALEZ

I know how to find Pat. Christina, I'll look for a message on Facebook with your mailing address, please.

Thanks, everybody, for your enthusiasm. Pat and Christina, I hope you like GLORY BE!

Free! Free! GLORY BE!

2011-09-13T10:50:00.000-04:00

As promised, I'm starting the week with a giveaway of a GLORY BE Advanced Reader Copy.

I'll make this simple. Just leave me a comment on the blog or on the Facebook update.

I'll give everybody a week, and the completely-unbiased-by-a-neighborhood-kid drawing will be next Tuesday.

Thanks for entering and GOOD LUCK.

Things I Love, for a special reason

2011-09-11T19:07:00.000-04:00

I'm not the kind of cook who needs expensive kitchen tools.

This one wouldn't be a Thing I Love, except for the story. I love it for a special reason. It came from Paris.

My friend Kay and I bought garlic presses on the trip we made after our first stay together in Paris during the weeks around September 11, 2001.

There's a long story attached to that experience, too long for a blog. Involving family and friends in airplanes, in Washington DC, in New York. All petrified when they couldn't get in touch with me or my husband. Finally finding me, finally sending emails, cheering us up with reminders to have Berthillon ice cream and long, beautiful walks.

That story had a happy ending. But Kay and I had sad memories. So as soon as we could, we went back to Paris. We revisited our apartment and our internet cafe, the museums, the patisseries. We found garlic presses. They are pretty amazing, for a kitchen tool.

Now, every time I use this, I think of Paris. The memories are very happy now.
This may seem like a frivolous post about a garlic press. Really, it's about more than gadgets, or even Paris.

Related Post: September 11

Circle of Secrets

2011-09-08T20:20:00.000-04:00

Since Kimberley Griffiths Little and I now share a publisher (Scholastic), I was able to score an advanced reader copy of her new middle-grade novel,
CIRCLE OF SECRETS,
coming in October.

Once again, she's nailed the Louisiana bayou setting. This time, in addition to the magic surrounding the story, there's time travel, or is it a ghost? Or maybe it's just the imagination of a young girl who's trying to figure out why her life is falling apart.

Shelby Jayne's mother walked out on her and her dad, but when Dad is sent overseas for work and Grandmother is not well enough to care for the 11-year-old, she must move to her mom's house on the bayou.

There were many things I loved about this story.
I can never resist a mysterious bottle tree. And a new girl in school who's figuring out how to put the class bullies in their place? Good for her!
I predict this companion book will garner as many fans as The Healing Spell.

Related Post: The Healing Spell

ARCs!!!!

2011-09-07T19:41:00.000-04:00

The UPS guy's working late tonight! Look what just landed on my doorstep. Oh, wow.

ARC= Advanced Reader Copies.

The Real Deal.

R My Name is Rachel

2011-09-06T07:31:00.003-04:00

I'm using Darcy Pattison's Random Acts of Publicity Week to catch up on my blog book reviewing. One suggestion is to publicize a friend's book, and I'll do that later in the week. But Darcy also suggests we use our Acts on books we love. I love this book.

Patricia Reilly Giff is no stranger to book love, let me just say. And she doesn't really need my random act, I'm sure. But last night I picked up this book (sent from Random House) thinking I'd skim a bit. I couldn't put it down.

Oh, you might say, do we need another book set during the Depression?
(For the record, I also loved Turtle in Paradise, for the same middle-grade audience.)
Yes, we do. If it's R My Name is Rachel.

This new novel of Giff's is a love story, a survival story, a family story. The writing is exquisite. Like this, from Rachel, digging the garden:

Overhead, the sun is strong. It's much too hot for the hat. I toss it over my shoulder and hack some more. And then I start to get into the rhythm of it. Dig, dig deeper, turn the weeds up, the soil up.
And after a while, I throw myself on the warm earth. I grab a long brown weed and yank it. And then another.

A lot of things happen in this story. Bad things you'd expect from a family struggling during a time that sounds sadly like today in many ways.

And talk about flawed characters- Rachel and her sister are not exactly shining examples of sisterly love.

I love to see intriguing, amazing facts tucked into novels-- things kids take away from a book quite innocently. Edible ferns. Goats who digest curtains. Snow so high it plugs up the chinks in a house.

It's also quite short. Very easy to read. A page turner. And includes a big shout-out for kids who love to read, as Rachel does in the story.

If you want to join the fun and publicize a friend's book or a book you love, you can check out that link up there to Darcy's FAQs on the topic. Or you can just head to your Facebook account, your Amazon reviews, Goodreads or wherever you like to share book thoughts and give them a holler!

Who's in?

Quote of the Day

2011-09-03T08:23:00.002-04:00

Did you ever stop to think... and then forget to start again?
A.A. Milne

Jay's birthday card, from Barbara and Al...

Things I Love- so much!

2011-09-01T07:35:00.000-04:00

How I love my friends! Especially the ones who just sent me this amazing gift.

It's an adorable satiny bag, large enough for my iPhone and a few other necessities. With a swingy little cord that fits around my wrist, if need be. And a cute black and white checked ribbon on the zipper.

Oh, I adore everything about it. So I guess today's Things I Love would be Leslie and Barbara this bag they sent.

Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve friends like this!

Here's the website info, from inside the bag. Click on that link to see all the neat things from Tory Nicole.

I see it's called a wristlet, which makes me love it all the more. It sounds like something Pooh would carry his honey jar in.

I hope every time I reach for my bag someone will ask me about it. I can tell them about my book and about my writer friends.

Oh, wow. I've been smiling all day.

Related posts: Life and Art
My Meme
Another Thing I Love

What I'm Reading During Hurricane Watch

2011-08-28T11:06:00.000-04:00

A few years ago-- okay a long time ago-- I started married life with a Navy Hurricane Hunter in Weather Reconnaissance Squadron 4, based as NAS Jacksonville, Florida. Back then, we were totally tuned in to hurricane season. And this was before the Weather Channel.

But while living in the northeast, I kind of ignored hurricanes. We worried more about blizzards.

When we moved to Florida, it all came back to me. Especially during 2004, a Big Season for storms. We normally aren't in Florida during hurricane season. We button our little house up, move everything out of harm's way, and head back to New Jersey. But that summer of 2004, we were in St. Petersburg and passed the storm hunkered down with our dog and our family. I seem to recall learning how to play Texas Hold 'em in that storm.

Hurricane Irene, through a strange set of crazy circumstances, found me in Florida, and the hurricane barreling toward my New Jersey condo. Go figure.

Thanks to nice neighbors who popped over there yesterday, the plants were secured, the flag removed, the packages left on the doorstep safely put away. My New Jersey basement, maybe not. I'm keeping a weather eye out, as they say.

But today, I'm saturated with this post-hurricane 24/7 coverage. So I decided to re-read Jennifer Holm's TURTLE IN PARADISE. Remember the hurricane? The Florida Keys, 1935.

Here's a little bit of it, from Turtle's point-of-view:

Raindrops belt the shack like spitballs. The storm is scarier than anything I've ever been in before because the shack is so flimsy. I keep waiting for it to blow away- and us with it.

Then the rats crawl over their feet. What kid wouldn't just love hearing that scene read aloud? The roof cracks and the boys are crying. Turtle starts singing that stupid Shirley Temple song.
About the Good Ship Lollipop. And the boys join in.

The wind howls, but the Diaper Gang of Key West belts out a song as the angry storm washes everything away.
It has a happy ending for the kids. I think it would be a perfect book to share with young readers, post hurricane.

I'm reading it again to see how that gifted writer put it all together. How funny I think Turtle is. How well Holm pulls the history in, the details, the music, the language.

I love what the Story Sleuths said about the book in their postings. (Click here to go there. Note to Story Sleuths- come back! I loved your in-depth looks at books!)

I already blogged a bit about TURTLE IN PARADISE when it first came out. I reviewed it on my friend Joyce's "history" blog. If you go to my earlier blog entry about the book, you can read my review.

I was inspired to write this post by Kate Messner's blog invitation.
Maybe you were too? Hurricane thoughts anyone?

Back-to-work Supplies

2011-08-25T10:46:00.000-04:00

I spent most of my career living life on a September to June schedule. Yes, I was a school librarian.

So even now, September seems like a new beginning. When I see moms with those lists and kids gleefully choosing notebooks, pencil boxes, just the right markers and themed binders, I feel an overwhelming need to purchase some paperclips. Or at least a new red pen.

Today's post from a Facebook friend about her Top Ten Writing Tools of the Trade inspired me. Since I agree with many of her top ten, I'll let you click over there and won't repeat. HOWEVER, one of her top ten may be something the rest of the writing world hasn't discovered. So I'll share right here.

And since I can't say it any better than she did, I'll just quote her word for word:

FLIP DICTIONARY. It’s not a thesaurus—exactly—but it’s similar, kinda. It will help you find the term or word that’s eluding you. It might even get you thinking of a whole new story to tell. I just can’t emphasize how totally awesome it is.

I found out about this Flip Dictionary from another writer.
Sometimes a writer friend gives you a gift and never realizes how much you appreciate it. So all these years after she told me about this book, I'd like to say thank you to Selene Castrovilla.

I met Selene at a New School class we took together and again at a terrific Highlights Founders weekend. I still remember her holding up her very obviously loved Flip Dictionary and sharing it with the Highlights group.

So my Top Ten Tools of the Trade would include my trusty Flip Dictionary, my absolute favorite colored paperclips (Thanks, Teddie!), my Office Depot black pens (cheap and good- often oxymorons), my collection of writing books (though I'm thinking I should move away from the craft books and just start revising already?).

And one more writing tool that I don't think I could live without. Truly. And anybody who reads my blog knows what I'm about to say. Yeah, that's it. SCRIVENER. Yes, I'm a broken record (does anybody even say that anymore??) on this one. But I'm not sure I can write another novel without my trusty Scrivener software. I know I don't want to try.

Does September seem like a new beginning? Are you ready with your writing tools?

The Name Game

2011-08-19T09:59:00.012-04:00

1965? Hand jive? Man, could we dance. (Or not.)

Okay, now that you're inspired-

I usually don't have trouble coming up with a character's name. In fact, that's where I start. With a name or two, definitely a place and a time.

But unlike some of my fellow writers who shall remain nameless, for me all that can change in a heartbeat.

Take Cletus, for example. Cletus, you say? Yes, a real boy from my past, going into a story kind of from my past. Missing May, one of my favorite middle grade novels of all times, featured a boy named Cletus. I thought it was a perfect name.

But then a few teachers and young moms perused the manuscript. Cletus was deemed unsuitable. So I named him after two "Franks"--one is a favorite life-long friend, the other a new little boy in our extended family. Both really nice people! And I like his new name even better: Franklin (Franklin Cletus Smith, in my mind's eye), Frankie, AKA Frankfurter when teased. A character I love a lot.

Problem solved.

Move on to the next. Now mind you, naming characters can totally change their personality. Glory's big sister in my forthcoming novel GLORY BE was originally called Virginia. Not for long. A very wise writer in my critique group pointed out that naming characters after states, in children's books, can be confusing. I thought about that name and it seemed way too milktoasty for this big sister. She became Jesslyn. She became more daring. An aspiring fire baton twirler, sneaking away to visit Elvis's house in Tupelo, standing up to Old Lady Simpson who wants to close her public pool.

If you're stuck on a name, or a place name, there are websites that will generate a name for you.

If you love Scrivener as much as I do, perhaps you've tried their very own Name Generator? I've never actually chosen a name this way, but I did play around with Scrivener on this and see how it might actually work.

And if you care to know more, I attached more links in this post I wrote about Character Names.

Do It Yourself?

2011-08-16T06:49:00.003-04:00

Have you ever thought of publishing your book yourself? Have the stigmas attached to the process disappeared? Is this true of every genre?

A few years ago, I was part of a committee who published a book of oral histories for our local historical society. TEN ON A TOBOGGAN had an easy distribution system (the historical society, our local library, area giftshops).
There were three of us and a whole organization behind this book. It took a year to gather all the oral histories and ready them for book-making.
It was a fun experience. We hired two professionals to guide us. We used a company (IUniverse) experienced in the business.
Most importantly, we were all sticklers for the English language and proof-readers to a fault.

That's my biggest complaint with the self-published books I've read so far. I just reviewed one this month for Delta Magazine-- a more or less fictionalized memoir/ short story collection. Could that guy have ever used a good editor!
For somebody who mostly reviews commercially published books (that would be me!), it's painful to read blatant grammar, punctuation, and even literary faux pas on the printed page.

But DOT TO DOT is a middle-grade novel, written by an author whose first book was traditionally published. I seriously doubt any of these amateurish mistakes have been made on this one. The cover is fabulous, don't you think? The topic is interesting and age-appropriate.

Now she's sharing her secrets- good and bad.
Kit Bakke's article should be read by anyone who's thinking of self-publishing a book. All the details, right there for the clicking.

A few disclaimers. She's a friend of a friend, though I haven't met Kit. We have corresponded some during her road to publication. I haven't read this book, but now I'm intrigued. Here's an excellent review of the book, quite complete.

Her first book is titled Miss Alcott's E-mail. Here's Kit's website, for info about both books.

Scrivener, again...

2011-08-13T16:25:00.000-04:00

I'm beginning (yet again) a new/ old project. Just writing that makes me realize why I love to write in Scrivener. There's only one way to tame a New/Old Project.

Here's what I love about Scrivener.

1. I like order (hey, I was a librarian for a long time, and a mostly organized person even before that). I like putting all my notes, research, chapters, thoughts in one place. I'd dread delving into this if I didn't think Scrivener could tame the notebooks, notecards, ripped out newspaper articles, and false-start chapters I have.

2. One thing I love best about the software is how I can make document notes, all the words I've cut, all my wanderings and musings, right on the side of the chapter I'm writing. Yet, if they get unruly, I can make them disappear with one click.

3. If I mess up, all is not lost. If I remember to take a SNAPSHOT of the previous version, it is there for the asking later.

This morning I followed a link from Facebook and stumbled on this, from a thesis writer.
To to read the entire blog, click here.

Her blogpost is titled Is Your Computer Domesticating You?

It’s hard to be messy in a clean way
As I write I have ideas – some of them don’t relate to the bit I am writing at that specific moment, so I often ‘jot notes’ on my documents as I go. At the moment I use the comments function in Word to do this, which makes my documents look messy. In fact, so messy that I often turn the comments off just so I can see what I am doing.
But – out of sight is out of mind and the ideas can easily get lost when they are invisible. In addition, the format of the comments is uncomfortable to read. By contrast each of the Scrivener fragments I write has metadata attached to it where I can jot to my heart’s content.

My thoughts exactly.

And that cute little button at the top of this blog? Arranging words is a nice thought. But that's not all it takes. I've arranged these new/old words before. This time, I need all the help I can get- Scrivener is just the beginning, but what an excellent place to re-start.

Now, back to work- all of us!

Related post (with picture and another Scrivener link!): I Love Scrivener, another reason

Glory Be Birthday

2011-08-11T07:00:00.005-04:00

My upcoming novel's main character, Gloriana June Hemphill, and I share a summer birthday. As a kid, I didn't like having my birthday when school was out and nobody was around. Glory doesn't look forward to her birthday unless there's an open swimming pool nearby. She and I also share a love of water and swimming parties.

This past weekend, it was MY birthday. No pool party, but a cake.

Not just any cake! This amazing cake.

Look closely and you'll see that even the edges of the pages look real.
It was a delicious marble cake with buttercream icing.

Here's what it looked like by the end of the day...

Sad.

POCKET MUSE #2

2011-08-10T10:46:00.000-04:00

I've spent the morning with my new book: THE POCKET MUSE: Endless Inspiration, by Monica Wood. I wrote about these books last week on my group blog, A Good Blog is Hard to Find. I called that post Write Like a Hummingbird

because-- well, click on over there and find out why.

Check out all the places I've marked already. And I'm only about a third of the way through.

A few sample quotes, from the author (there are also quotes from famous writers, though perhaps not as many as in Book #1. Then again, that's not what these little books are all about):

In a writing life, things are always about to happen.

If you keep your hat in the ring, sooner or later somebody's going to need a hat.

There's also one of the best pieces of advice about choosing titles I've ever read-- on p. 97. Perhaps more to come on that topic later.

Or you could just buy the book. It's really a bargain. The perfect size for travelers.

And if you aren't a writer? I'd recommend it just for thinkers.

Peaches!

2011-08-06T09:50:00.000-04:00

In honor of the delicious summer peaches at all our NJ Farmers' Markets-- not to mention the end of the blueberries-- here's the article from the Christian Science Monitor I wrote a couple of summers ago. Includes an easy "mock" cobbler recipe that's so easy to make I could do it on a tiny kitchen table with a questionable oven.

(However, mine didn't rival Aunt Lynn's cobbler topping, made with real cream, butter, sugar. I need that recipe from our family dinner last week!)

(Photo from Morguefile, thanks to Jeremy Wrenn)

Writing Quote of the Day

2011-08-02T15:14:00.001-04:00

"When there's no wind, row."
Judith Viorst.

(Writing advice via Geraldine Brooks. Now, I need to take that advice and get moving. How about you?)

Writing Thought for the Day

2011-07-30T08:53:00.000-04:00

"The only way I can write is to shut out all those guide book suggestions about through-lines and character arcs and theme and let my subconscious do its wild, unpredictable thing. Rules are for revisions."

from Linda Urban, whose new book HOUND DOG TRUE sounds like just my kind of story.

(Related Post: Practicing to Be Perfect)

Things I Love

2011-07-28T07:14:00.001-04:00

Figs!

For so many reasons.

And when I can't get to my sister's to pick her figs and the New Jersey Farmers' Markets just sold their only basket, I have these ceramic beauties my daughter brought me from her summer studying in Florence.

Her cousin showed us the shop. I bought two. But they are heavy-ish, and we pack light in our family. So imagine my surprise when my daughter came home with more figs--and even two peaches-- for my birthday that year.

They live in the bowl I gave my mother the spring my husband and I lived in California.
It's mine now.

Many things to love in this picture.

Here's a funny (I hope) blast from the past about My Great Fig Fiasco, my first blog post ever on the Southern Writers Blog: A Good Blog is Hard to Find.

Random Tidbit from the back of a bookmark

2011-07-26T11:56:00.000-04:00

The word "clue" originally meant "ball of twine."

That's why you unravel clues to solve a mystery...

Word Origin & History

clue

phonetic variant of clew (q.v.) "a ball of thread or yarn," with reference to the one Theseus used as a guide out of the Labyrinth. The purely figurative sense of "that which points the way" is from 1620s.

How's your summer reading coming along?

2011-07-24T17:22:00.000-04:00

A few days ago-- okay it was a few weeks ago-- a friend asked what I'd recommend for her to read. She had some surprising time on her hands and was looking for something wonderful. I promised I'd think about it, but I let her down. I never made that list.

Now the summer's halfway over. (Sorry, Sally!)

All I've been reading this summer so far is kids' books. Really good ones.

My friend has kids and she reads to them a lot. But that's not what she wanted.

So instead, I've been thinking about books I WISH I WERE READING. From what others have recommended to me.

And here goes:

1. Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning

Another friend loved it. Here's a bit of what they say about it on Book Page:

... 2005 novel about an American group whose Asian excursion goes horribly, horribly wrong. Reading along as the travelers experience increasingly alarming misadventures will make any bumps in your own travel plans pale by comparison. ..Saving Fish from Drowning was a departure for Tan, and one that struck a discordant note for some of her fans, but I enjoyed every stop on this multicultural itinerary. —Lynn Green, Editor

2. Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad

Almost embarrassed to admit I have yet to read this. And it's even downloaded on my Kindle. Oh, dear.

3. Ann Pachett The State of Wonder

If I had to list a Top 10 Favorite Books of all Time, BEL CANTO would make the cut.

4. Geraldine Brook's Caleb's Crossing.

At least half my reading friends have said this is a terrific summer book.

5. The list is already overwhelming me just writing it, but I really think I'll like this. It reminds me of my own grandmother's daring and my husband's grandmother's Wyoming adventures.

Nothing Daunted, a new book by Dorothy Wickenden.

6. Come to think of it, I have started my summer reading.

I read Shanghai Girls on an airplane trip because Book Club diva Kathy Patrick interviewed Lisa See about the sequel and it sounded like a perfect summer book. And because it was on my shelf as I dashed out the door to the airport. I liked it enough to read the sequel now.

7. And I'm reading Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. Because I needed a little eccentric in my summer, I also downloaded this one to my Kindle. I'm actually enjoying it, in a weird and wacky way.

So I guess I can say I've officially tackled my Summer Reading list. And it's not even August yet.

Hope this helps, Sally and all my friends who've asked. I know it's late- but better July than December?

Anything that's an absolutely Not To Be Missed book that I've overlooked?

CANICULE

2011-07-23T07:37:00.001-04:00

Heatwave Word of the Day... in French.

C'est la canicule ! - It's a scorcher!

We get our dog days from the Roman theory that the star Sirius caused heat waves from end of July through August. Canicula means little dog.

(If this makes you enjoy the heat any better, my gift to you.
Still, it's better than snowstorms, right?)

THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson

2011-07-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

I love it when Joyce Moyer Hostetter lets me pop over to her truly interesting blog to share a book with her and her followers. Her blog is All About History so this new novel by Kirby Larson fits right in.

Click here to get to the review, and while you're dropping by Joyce's place, spend a little time reading some of the interesting things she turns up to share.

And just a spoiler on the review- Larson's book revealed a tiny slice of history that was new to me. And it was fun to read. Great book! Loved it.

Related posts: Rules for Writers
Historical Fiction

Another "Pinch Me!" moment...

2011-07-20T06:54:00.002-04:00

In a million years, I would not have pictured me doing this, but my new friends at Scholastic thought it would be fun for me to record a chapter and a few words about writing GLORY BE, and off I went, on the train to Manhattan. I worried for a half minute that they might want to actually see me, you know as in video type recording. But no. My editor said I could show up in my jammies. I didn't.

Here's a quick visual tour of the day. Quality of the photos does not reflect the importance of the day. I was trying to be my cool New York self, not my geeky, excited is-this-really-happening-to-me self.

I enjoyed an iced tea and going over my writing, while waiting for my Big Moment. I did not read aloud inside the teashop. Promise.

Note: Though the tea place was dimly lit-- a nice touch on a hot day--can you see my Good Luck Paperclips? Critique group friend Teddie returns our pages, clipped with these festive clips. They always make me smile.

I was still early, so I sat next to one of my favorite buildings to do one of my favorite NYC things: People Watching!

For some really good photos of the art inside that Sprint store inside the Flatiron Building, click here. They are so worth that click! Seriously worth it. The art was amazing. Go ahead, click that link now!

This was my view, while waiting in the shade, next to the flowers, in the Flatiron Building's plaza. Note the lack of the normal NYC black clothing, an obvious bow to the summer heat. Flip-flops were everywhere! Did I say it was hot?

And I finally made it to BEATSTREET STUDIOS.

Yep, that's the recording studio. Picture me in that room, headsets on, just like a rock star. Interesting drums in there. My new Scholastic friend Adrienne Vrettos and I considered playing them, but wised up.

I finished my session (see how quickly I pick up the lingo) in record time and was off to meet my agent, Linda Pratt, for tea and chocolates. We met in another of my favorite spots: Grand Central Station. And truly, this is a terrible photo, but it's hard to get a shot of that gorgeous ceiling with my iPhone, especially when I'm trying to appear cool and rock-star-ish. With a big emphasis on the ish part of that word...

More than just a great day- an amazing, fantastic day! And I didn't even mention one of the other surprising, terrific moments. All the way in to the city, my unexpected trainmates were two of my favorite people-- a former student I've known since her kindergarten days and her mom who was a loyal "library mom" in my many years at Kent Place School. Happy to say, Annie still loves to read.

Quote of the Day, while creating story from mishmash

2011-07-16T07:17:00.000-04:00

"That's what stories do. They connect the random dots of life into a picture. But it's all an illusion. Just try to connect the dots of life. You'll end up with a lunatic scribble."

Briony, in CHIME by Franny Billingsley

Particularly helpful to know others feel the same way I do about stories some days...

(I also like "I may be wicked. But I'm not bad." Same character. No relevance to my writing today. Just thought I'd share.)

And if you're interested, CHIME was just named an Honor Book in this years Horn Book Awards. Click here for the entire list.

Food from The Help

2011-07-13T21:10:00.000-04:00

What could be more fun? Check out this article in the August issue of Food and Wine magazine about all the food in the movie, The Help.

As of yesterday, my local bookstore didn't have the August issue yet. But soon!

Tomato aspic, collard greens, black-eyed peas. No thank you on the pie recipe, however.

Here's a little taste (excuse the pun) from the article:

In The Help, the character Minny reveres Crisco, calling it "the most important invention in the kitchen since jarred mayonnaise." She uses Crisco to fry chicken to perfection, admiring the way the vegetable shortening "bubbles up like a song" as it cooks.

I am feeling a sudden craving for fried chicken.

But you know, I wonder about that line from the book, about jarred mayonnaise. True Southern cooks still pride themselves on making homemade mayo. Just seems like an odd thing...

Related posts: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about The Help

Glory Be, as read by some very important people...

2011-07-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

This just bowled me over. Flattering, humbling, and amazing quotes from three truly remarkable authors. If I had a personal Most Admired Middle Grade Writers list, these three would be the stars.

My editor just sent me these quotes, which will appear on the back of GLORY BE when it's released in January.
(Pinching myself on a daily basis now...)

“There's a whiff of Carson McCullers in Augusta Scattergood's story of a sultry Southern summer long ago when the outside world moved all the markers of Gloriana Hemphill's growing up. It's a summer of bigotry and beehive hairdos, of sit-ins and dangerous boys. All mixed together and beautifully recalled."
              --Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author of A Year Down Yonder

Glory Be is a lovely debut novel for younger readers, akin to Kathryn Stockett's The Help -- an important read that raises powerful racial issues of the 1960s American South.
               -- Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award-winning author of Mockingbird

Glory Be weaves a seamless story of sisterly love, broken friendships, and the strength that it takes to stand up for the right thing. Augusta Scattergood is at the top of my debut-authors-to-watch list.
             -- Barbara O'Connor, Parents’ Choice Award-winning author of How to Steal a Dog

(Random, totally unnecessary addendum: One of my favorite things to talk to kids about in my days as school librarian were BLURBS. First of all, they loved the word. But I never thought of TO BLURB as a verb until recently. And in my librarian days, it often meant the summary of the book, what I now think of as flap copy. Now, I have these amazing authors, blurbing my book...   ♡♡♡
Ah, the things you learn from the other side of the writing fence.)

Masterpiece Mystery

2011-07-10T09:07:00.004-04:00

Check it out!
According to the Sunday New York Times, my favorite new mystery series is coming to Masterpiece Mystery on PBS next fall.

I love the books, but I'll definitely be tuning in my TV come October.

Related post: Kate Atkinson

GLORY BE cover revealed!

2011-07-08T06:14:00.001-04:00

Imagine my delight and surprise when (very) late last night I popped over to Amazon in search of a book review I'd written. And there it was! MY book, available for pre-order. Also on Barnes and Noble's site.

Now I know a lot of readers will prefer to wait and see it in January, at an actual bookstore, and of course I hope you'll order or buy it. But just seeing the book jacket and the description on Amazon made me realize: Holy Moly! This is for real!

And a little librarian geekiness: It even has its own ISBN NUMBER!!

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Product Description

A Mississippi town in 1964 gets riled when tempers flare at the segregated public pool.

As much as Gloriana June Hemphill, or Glory as everyone knows her, wants to turn twelve, there are times when Glory wishes she could turn back the clock a year. Jesslyn, her sister and former confidante, no longer has the time of day for her now that she’ll be entering high school. Then there’s her best friend, Frankie. Things have always been so easy with Frankie, and now suddenly they aren’t. Maybe it’s the new girl from the North that’s got everyone out of sorts. Or maybe it’s the debate about whether or not the town should keep the segregated public pool open.

Augusta Scattergood has drawn on real-life events to create a memorable novel about family, friendship, and choices that aren’t always easy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545331803
ISBN-13: 978-0545331807

Book review: Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

2011-07-07T08:36:00.001-04:00

Perhaps the reason this new novel for young readers resonated so strongly was that the entire time I was reading it, I remembered the story of King, a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese ancestry who also escaped his country after the war. Our friend Hal had served with him as a doctor during the Vietnamese War and became his sponsor. King cooked fabulous dishes, introduced the neighbors to his culture and intrigued us all. Until I read this, I don't think I truly grasped how strange we must have seemed.

Book review: Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

Life Imitating Art (or I love a parade!)

2011-07-05T12:30:00.000-04:00

Writers are always asked "Is it real?" "What part of it is based on your life?" "Did you actually DO all the stuff in your book?"

Yes. And no.

A lot of my forthcoming novel for young readers, GLORY BE, is based on things I know about. Since it's historical fiction (the kind that has a central historic event attached to it, as opposed to the kind that just happened in the past...Click here for that discussion.), much of it is also based on research.

Yes, I grew up in a little town in Mississippi, and I was in the Pep Squad.
I worked in libraries most of my professional life and know a lot about them.
I once knew a heart-breaker named Robert.
My town flooded and we thought that was fun.

Every Friday when we had a home football game, there was a parade right through the middle of town.

In the town in New Jersey where I lived for a long time and still frequent whenever I can, we still have a July 4th Parade.

In my book, the July 4th parade is a major plot point. The whole time I was writing that section, I thought of parades I'd actually watched, marched in, decorated floats for, and enjoyed. Here are a few pictures from my most recent parade experience. July 4th.

Unlike in GLORY BE, there were no mean boys picking a fight I had to break up. No homecoming queen in a scratchy skirt. I love bagpipers, but believe me, there were none in Cleveland, Mississippi's parades in 1964...

The scene in front of the library, just before the parade marched by.

Lots of old cars. Always.

This picture says it all. Or at least more than I could ever say.

A first for our local parade-goers... Roller Derby comes to Chatham, NJ!

It wouldn't be a parade without Old Soldiers. And happy policemen.

And of course, the Fire Engines.

Reading All Day... but first a writing tip

2011-07-01T14:21:00.000-04:00

Today I promised myself to read, all day long. I meant books. Catching up with that pile that's gotten away from me this summer. This is what I was looking forward to:

G. Neri's GHETTO COWBOY, sent to me by the publisher. FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson, also sent by publisher. A book I'm reviewing for Delta Magazine which is turning out to be quite fun: YANKEE DOODLE DIXIE. And Franny Billingsly's CHIME, from the library, renewed once already, loving it but need to finish.

Then I got distracted by reading Cheryl Klein's Brooklyn Arden blog. I'm filing this on a stickie note for next week, when I promise myself to write all day long. In the words of Ray Bradbury (via Cheryl), in answer to a question about discovering the middle of your story,

“Find out what your hero or heroine wants, and when he or she wakes up in the morning, just follow him or her all day.”

It's getting late. The books still sit on my deck, waiting. But we've washed windows and I've been to the grocery store and of course I had to share via my blog.

Now, off to read.
Hope your weekend is book and fun-filled! Happy July 4th, everybody.

Learn From the Best

2011-06-30T10:16:00.000-04:00

Wendy Mass writes books kids love to read. I've followed her progress since she first stepped into the library where I worked with a reference question (she's a fellow Jersey Girl). I've have seen her books grow in popularity--Jeremy Fink= Major Motion Picture?--and I've been a fan since the very beginning.

While writing this blog, I clicked over to her blog and discovered the most fun thing! Wendy from A to Z.
One of these days I may have to do this myself. I love her L thought, in particular.

Here's a bit of advice she gives to beginning writers, via the always interesting and helpful Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog:

Besides the usual advice to read, take classes, keep a notebook for story ideas, go to conferences, network with other writers, I'd say to tell the story you want to tell, the story that only you can tell. Don't give up unless it's not fun anymore.

Related post: Outlining or Not?

Thoughts from Home

2011-06-27T14:04:00.000-04:00

Mississippi, that is. Bolivar County, to be exact.

Thank you to my friend Ivy for pointing out the Mississippi Museum of Art's blog. I love this thought:

"...while you can get lost on any corner of the globe, when you take a wrong turn out of Yazoo City or cut through the little town of Shaw, in Bolivar County, it ceases to be a detour and becomes part of the destination. Things will spring out from the world around you, whether sunken cypress knees, deserted churchyard cemeteries, or, most often, manifestations of art in all its many forms."

Related post: Mississippi Summer Re-Reading