Post BEA / Pre Summer Book Challenge

I'm fresh from the BEA, which was a terrific experience. I didn't get to do nearly as much as I wanted to in NYC - I'm sure that calls for another trip back. And here I am, late for my blog post again.

I was ga-ga at the size of the Book Expo (and I'm told this was a scaled down year)and I came back with a suitcase full of books to read and a cherished copy of Mo Willem's new book, signed for my nephew. The story makes me want to gather a group of preschoolers for storytime - right now.

So, I'm going to include all these books on my list for the "48 Hour Book Challenge", the wonderful beginning of summer reading and blogging challenge posted by Mother Reader. When I stumbled across this, I thought, what a great way to start summer reading! Then I looked at the dates, first weekend in June, my household will be down to one child – husband and two other children will be otherwise engaged. The luscious possibility of spending an entire weekend reading has given me goosebumps. I’m in, definitely. It doesn’t matter how much I actually get done, just devoting the whole weekend to reading will make me feel like a winner.

Thanks, Mother Reader, for coming up with this. It might be the fifth year but it’s new to me – and I’m pumped! Click HERE for all the details. Anybody else going to play?

New covers, BEA, and other random thoughts

I'm taking my maiden voyage on our grads blog today. I owe a big "thanks" to all my 2k9 classmates who've kept this going since the calendar rolled on into 2010. I've mostly been keeping my nose to the grindstone on several writing and nonwriting related tasks and slacking in the virtual community-love department. Consequently, I missed my first post and was determined to get this one in and on time.

So, my editor's been gracing my in-box with a couple of surprises and an invitation. Surprise 1: B&N decided to carry The Secrets of the Cheese Syndicate in select stores. YAY! I was thrilled because my tiny, independent publisher doesn't have the marketing resources of the big boys and my distribution has been somewhat limited.

Invitation: Would I come to BEA and sign books at the distributor's booth? YOU BET! I've never been to the big apple and how could I possibly say no? Most of my 2k9 classmates went to BEA last year but my book was coming out in the latter portion of the calendar year, with the small publisher, so I passed.

A few weeks passed and VOILA! surprise #2 makes its way to my in-box: my editor has an illustrator redesigning my cover in anticipation of the sequel, so we can get a more uniform look to what will (hopefully) be a series. I've got three good stories with these characters, at least. I can't say much past that. So now I'm pumped to get the revision work finished on the sequel, which we're currently calling The Manticore's Revenge.

Currently, however, I'm being distracted by making a top ten list of things to do in NYC and at BEA. Help me out here, guys. If you've been to either of these strings of letters, tell me what I must ABSOLUTELY do. This wide-eyed southern girl wants to pack in as much as possible while she's there!

Peace
Donna St. Cyr

Eric Clapton and/or Strength in Numbers

I feel the need to quote Eric Clapton here: "What'll you do when you get lonely..."
The thing is, I have not felt that lonely-writer-in-a-cold-deserted-corner-of-a-coffee-shop rainy day grayness in the last two years, because I have had my Class of 2k9 friends. The 22 of us connected in a way that might have seemed impossible, since we are scattered across the United States and Canada.
I have been a teacher since the eighties. If I need to brainstorm about a project or a lesson plan, or I have to discuss the needs of a student, I can merely step next door or across the hall.

Could I really do that as a writer? My 2k9 friends

feel as if they are in the next cubicle sometimes. (And not in the dysfunctional Office kind of way! ...But it could prove interesting to throw a "Dwight" or "Angela" into the mix...) If I just want to vent in an insecure writerly way, they are there to listen and talk me down from the window ledge.

Why has this worked so well for us? Hmmm...If you think back to your college dorm or summer camp cabin, you know that throwing assorted strangers into a close living space can be a clear recipe for disaster. But I think what has worked for us, is that we all realize that there is room for ALL of our books on the bookshelf. We have also always appreciated the rare opportunity we have; where else would we find people who were going through the same things at virtually the same times in our lives?

My 2k9 friends knew how it felt to wake up on the morning that my first book would finally appear on the bookshelf. They had the stomach butterflies and sweaty palms right along with me. Although, I'd have to say, so did one of my first graders. Last May, I had discussed the fact with my first graders that I would have a book coming out at the end of the month. There didn't seem to be a whole lot of excitement on their part at first. Most looked up at me with mild interest, then went back to watching the clock for snack time.

But not one boy. Our conversation went like this:

Mrs. Leal? I have to tell you something.

(I give him my best teacher eye-contact, because he sounds serious.)

I have a book coming out this week, he says.

Really?! I say. That's great!

(He nods, enthusiastically.) All I have to do is finish the cover and staple it on and I'm all done!

...And that's why I love my 2k9 friends--because they understand all those things that happen between putting down the words and stapling on the cover.

-Ann Haywood Leal