Charging Up with Joy
Every time I do an event for kids, I'm reminded of why I want to keep writing kids' books forever. Last Wednesday, I got on the train to Oswestry, a lovely town just across the border into England, where I got to hang out in my hotel with fab authors Sibéal Pounder and Andy Griffiths, along with our wonderful publicists (Lizz from Bloomsbury for me and Sibéal; Catherine from MacMillan for Andy) and Carrie and Tim, the owners of Booka Bookshop, who had organised an amazing World Book Day Event for Thursday.
Thursday morning, Sibéal, Andy and I talked to 500 students from the local schools about World Book Day and of course our books. Sibéal - with the kids' enthusiastic direction! - dressed two teachers up as fabulous witches. I found out about some of the secret creatures hidden behind the kids' own exteriors (just like my ferocious heroine Aventurine is secretly a dragon inside her harmless-looking human form). Andy had the kids literally screaming with laughter as he showed them through the treehouses of his books and played a balloon symphony for them.
Afterwards, as we signed our books, I got to talk individually to so many interesting, creative kids - who ranged from secret dragons to wizards, warriors, and even bats. It was so much fun...and it left me absolutely buzzing with inspiration. As I took the train home that afternoon, I felt charged full of happiness and wonder that I get to do this amazing job and connect with such enthusiastic, generous kid-readers.
Of course, the M.E./CFS always demands a physical payback after I make any big trip, so I spent the next few days resting instead of writing...but today I finished the new Chapter Two of my MG work-in-progress (veeeery tentatively titled A Grumpy Princess's Guide to Ice Giants and Other Catastrophes), and I'm hoping to finish Chapter Three by the end of this week. I've also been in touch with a fabulous artist who may be doing cover art for my upcoming adult novella, Snowspelled, later this year. I can't wait to share more details as I figure them out!
And if you're a longtime reader and have ever wondered what my first heroine's parents were like when they were young...I'm sending out my next newsletter on Wednesday with a brand-new short story all about Kat's parents. If you'd like to read it, just sign up here!
Now it's time for me to dive back into my new novel before the kids get home from school, but I can't close out without talking about two things I've really loved over this past week.
I read Renée Watson's Piecing Me Together on the train rides back and forth from Oswestry, and oh, I devoured it! It's so gorgeously written, so intensely compelling, and so uplifting. It's one of my very favorite books I've read in a long time, and you can read my full Goodreads review here.
And - although I know I'm very late to the party here! - my kids and I watched My Neighbor Totoro yesterday and looooooooooved it. There was one point halfway through when I realized I'd just been grinning steadily for ages, and I kept on helplessly beaming at the screen for the rest of the film. It was so joyful and full of such a sense of wonder and love. If you haven't seen it yet (is there anyone else who hasn't seen it by now?): do it! You won't regret it. :)
What about you guys? What's one thing (book/movie/life event/whatever!) that's made you happy lately? I would really love to hear about it!
Thursday morning, Sibéal, Andy and I talked to 500 students from the local schools about World Book Day and of course our books. Sibéal - with the kids' enthusiastic direction! - dressed two teachers up as fabulous witches. I found out about some of the secret creatures hidden behind the kids' own exteriors (just like my ferocious heroine Aventurine is secretly a dragon inside her harmless-looking human form). Andy had the kids literally screaming with laughter as he showed them through the treehouses of his books and played a balloon symphony for them.
Afterwards, as we signed our books, I got to talk individually to so many interesting, creative kids - who ranged from secret dragons to wizards, warriors, and even bats. It was so much fun...and it left me absolutely buzzing with inspiration. As I took the train home that afternoon, I felt charged full of happiness and wonder that I get to do this amazing job and connect with such enthusiastic, generous kid-readers.
Of course, the M.E./CFS always demands a physical payback after I make any big trip, so I spent the next few days resting instead of writing...but today I finished the new Chapter Two of my MG work-in-progress (veeeery tentatively titled A Grumpy Princess's Guide to Ice Giants and Other Catastrophes), and I'm hoping to finish Chapter Three by the end of this week. I've also been in touch with a fabulous artist who may be doing cover art for my upcoming adult novella, Snowspelled, later this year. I can't wait to share more details as I figure them out!
And if you're a longtime reader and have ever wondered what my first heroine's parents were like when they were young...I'm sending out my next newsletter on Wednesday with a brand-new short story all about Kat's parents. If you'd like to read it, just sign up here!
Now it's time for me to dive back into my new novel before the kids get home from school, but I can't close out without talking about two things I've really loved over this past week.
I read Renée Watson's Piecing Me Together on the train rides back and forth from Oswestry, and oh, I devoured it! It's so gorgeously written, so intensely compelling, and so uplifting. It's one of my very favorite books I've read in a long time, and you can read my full Goodreads review here.
And - although I know I'm very late to the party here! - my kids and I watched My Neighbor Totoro yesterday and looooooooooved it. There was one point halfway through when I realized I'd just been grinning steadily for ages, and I kept on helplessly beaming at the screen for the rest of the film. It was so joyful and full of such a sense of wonder and love. If you haven't seen it yet (is there anyone else who hasn't seen it by now?): do it! You won't regret it. :)
What about you guys? What's one thing (book/movie/life event/whatever!) that's made you happy lately? I would really love to hear about it!