I’m honored to be up today at Beatrice.com, with a little essay about sexism in “traditional” children’s books. Beatrice was one of the first lit-blogs I ever read regularly, and Ron Hogan is one of those people who make the world run. Illuminati kinda guy. No joke.
Stop by?
One of my favorite people let me hijack her site! If you don’t know Lizzie Skurnick, You gotta!
Come roast me up, and win a free signed copy of Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains!
YA Novelist and all around fabulous lady, Daphne Grab, interviews me over at the Longstockings today!
Please stop by and discover my secret guilty pleasure!
So I want to take a second to say that of course my life is still my insane life– the boys and I went to Charleston on Wednesday, and found it lovely and dramatically wind-swept. There were “little boats” and “BIG WATER” (says Mose) and we all slept in one giant hotel bed and I did not get a lot of rest.
Yes, I promise I have not gotten so book-obsessed I’ve forgotten to feed my kids, or read other people’s books, or eat tacos on a daily basis. I read and loved the Willoughbys, and I read and didn’t love Peeled nearly as much. Also, 7 Imp’s Yolen interview rocked my world, and I’m currently obsessed with Fictionaut. The stuff of life.
But all that aside, for a little while it mostly *is*Â ALL ABOUT MY BOOK, because Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains comes out on Tuesday!
YIKES!
To that end, I’ll be up all week at the Class of 2k8, embarassing myself with stories about elementary school and the like. And I’d really really appreciate if you could pop on over, or maybe even link to anything you find interesting.
And I’ll also be BLOG-TOURING– visiting blogs around the web all week long. PLEASE STOP BY!
Today I’ll be lolling about with Amy Guth.
Monday I’ll be hanging with the fabulous Longstockings.
Tuesday I’ll be getting Roasted!
Wednesday I’ll be drinking a beer with Baby Got Books.
Thursday, Laini Taylor is dying my hair.
Friday I’m chatting nonstop with Lizzie Skurnick.
And next week? Well, you’ll have to wait until NEXT WEEK to find out about all of that.
And eventually, I’ll get back to pictures of babies and general ranting.
So, on Tuesday (which is the BIG DAY) I’ll be online all day at Book Roast, chatting with folks and making a general fool of myself (no surprise there I guess). And I would beg you stop by for a number of reasons.
1. I’m scared nobody will come, and I’ll look silly.
2. I’m nervous about the book and could use your love, generally.
3. Book Roast is awesome fun and you should check it out.
4. You could win a free book.
5. It benefits Reach Out and Read!!!
Pretty please, won’t you stop by, and maybe even help me spread the word?
So I’m sitting her in a big pile of books, and I’m thinking I should give a few away.
Hmmmm….
How’s about this?
You’ll post a little story to your blog, about a task/ job/situation/role for which you are thoroughly unsuitable (the FULL title of my book is “Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR the Search for a Suitable Princess”).
For instance, if I were entering the contest I might say, “I would make a thoroughly unsuitable vow-of-silence-nun, because I never shut up. Also I am Jewish.”
In addition to this little post, you’ll also ou’ also add a link to this post (by way of explanation) and the cover of the book (see above).
Then you will scramble back here and post a comment, to let me know you’ve entered the contest!
In a week’s time I’ll select the most entertaining story entered, and the winner will get a FREE signed copy of my book (in which I promise to write something REALLY unsuitable).
How’s that?
Let the games begin!
They’re HERE!!!!
The BOOKS are here! (confirmed after Mose “read” the packing slip and Lew contemplated chewing the bubble wrap) The glorious, beautiful, amazing, shiny books full of pages and words and pictures. And it only took 8 years for them to get here!!!!
LOOK!
A lot of “important” moments along the way. The initial chat with Lisa, the letters of on-spec revisions, the day it went to committee, the agent-getting, the acceptance, the first round of official edits, the second round, copyediting, last-minute fact checking, blurb hunting, contracts arriving in the mail, checks arriving in the mail, arcs arriving in the mail, the first review, etc. etc. All of them HUGE moments. And with the arrival of each, this feeling of “I’m about to be an author”.
But checks and agents and deals and reviews do NOT make you an author, whatever some people may think.
A BOOK makes you an author!!!
There is something in the actual concreteness of the thing. The THING! It is a thing, not an idea. I had an idea, and I worked at it, and now, 8 years later, the idea has become a thing. An object. It’s an incarnation. It’s CRAZY!
I can wrap it up and give it as a gift. I can burn it for firewood. I can barter it for goods and services. It is a thing. I can touch it.
MY BOOK!!!!!!
(which the boys–THING 1 and THING 2– helped me, joyfully, to unpack. I’m a lucky lady, to have such helpers.)
I feel so fancy!
But whatever the case may be…
LOOK! The new and improved Scratchy Book Trailer. Now with more MOSE (though it could still use some cowbell)!
The Fabulous/Glamorous Life of a Writer from Laurel Snyder on Vimeo.