Tales from the Summer–#2

I know for many folks, summer feels like a distant memory, but I’m still relishing my experiences on book tour. Two book signings really, really stood out. The first was at Borders Express in the Exton Mall,  just down the road from my house in PA. The store manager and her co-hort, Laura and Michelle, are doing amazing work in that store. Both of these women are fanatical YA readers and their mission is to share the love. They have converted teens who go to the mall only looking to hang out into readers. They sidle up to them while they’re looking at manga and graphic novels and start a conversation, casually slipping in some reading suggestions. “Oh, if you like manga, you might like X title.” And the kids are going for it! They have kids rushing back to the store for more suggestions–kids who admit that they had never read a book before!

Michelle has a table of her special YA picks at the front of the store where kids will see it from the mall. She writes great shelf-cards to give the shoppers a sense for what each book offers. After everyone ripped through the  Twilight series, she seized the opportunity of readers looking for a new read. She came up with an “after Twilight” list. And it worked so well, she’s now on her second  or third list of suggestions! She also has a blog called Michelle’s Minionz. Here’s the link, because it is worth checking out: http://community.livejournal.com/michelesminionz . Go to the store and thank these women! Buy books! They are doing wonderful work!

Special Signing #2 was far from PA. As you know, I went to Chicago for the ALA conference (see photo of me and Neil Gaiman below — eeek!). While there, a group of us 2k9ers teamed up for a signing at Anderson’s Bookstore –a great independent bookstsore in Naperville, IL. These folks really knew how to put on a party! They had each of us — there were 9! — sitting on bar stools around little tables, grouped according to genre. As a fantasy writer, I was paired with Joy Preble (Dreaming Anastasia – I just got my copy in the mail! Can’t wait to read it!). They also provided all kinds of food — and this is where they went all out — using the recipes from the books that 2k9 put together! (You can find them on our website: www.classof2k9.com) . For example, they served Hoysta’s brownies, chocolate covered strawberries (from Kathryn Fitzmaurice’s The Year the Swallows Came Early) and Grandma’s Ultimate Root Beer Floats (from Lisa Greenwald’s My Life in Pink and Green). We had a blast! 

Here is a photo of our books at Anderson’s:

Not all nine of us who signed had books out yet…

Below is a photo of the group of us after the signing.

Susan Fine, Beverly Patt, me, Albert Borris, Joy Preble, Kathryn Fitzmaurice and Fran Cannon Slayton

So more tales to follow! It was a good summer!

Abisina is in the building

Yesterday, on p. 46 in my new manuscript, my main character finally showed up in the flesh. Undestand that she appears on p. 1 — and every page between there and p. 46. In fact, I have written 94 pages and she is on all of those too. But yesterday, I wrote a sentence that came directly from her. It’s not a good sentence. If anyone were to read it, sitting there by itself, they would say, “Huh? What makes that Abisina?” But I know it’s her. I’ve even pasted it into the first page of my MS so that it’s the first thing I read when I open the document. It reminds me that she’s arrived. 

And what a relief! I knew something was not quite right with the MS. I’ve been gutting chapters, trying new tacks, rearranging events, cutting characters to fix whatever was wrong. The fact that she’s showed up now makes me think I’m headed in the right direction. For weeks I’ve been really having to make myself write. Even when I’m at my computer with the intention of getting to work, I find myself checking facebook, checking e-mail, tidying my office. But I woke this morning, with one idea in my head. Today I get to write.  So now,back to it!

Food, Glorious Food! (or how a plate of brownies can transform a book signing!)

I expected to love book events when I became an author. I am an outgoing person who loves to meet people. It’s one of the reasons I  love teaching, and  — believe it or not — waiting table. (I waited table at Howard Johnson’s and a place called Hart’s Turkey Farm restaurant so it was all about chit-chatting with your tables.) So book signings, readings and workshops seemed like they would be  just as much fun.

It turns out I enjoy some of it. I like readings and workshops a lot. It’s the straight up signings that I find really, really difficult. Why?

One word: sales.

In a reading or a workshop I’m offering something for free: my words, my stories, my  ideas on how to write or teach. By looking at the audience’s faces, I can see that what I offer is worth something. But signings are a different story. I want something from them — I want them to buy my book. Instead of offering, I’m asking. It’s much harder to ask than to offer.

So that’s why I brought brownies to my last signing. As a member of the Class of 2k9 — a group of debut YA/MG authors – I came up with a recipe that  fit with my book. (Not easy when you consider that two foods mentioned are moldy cheese and the smoked moles the dwarves eat.) I call them Hoysta’s Root-Flour Brownies and include igredients like badger butter and quail eggs. I’ll put the recipe at the end of this post (with substitutions), but you can also find it and others at the Class of 2k9 website (www.classof2k9.com). At the King Of Prussia Borders bookstore last weekend, I showed up at my signing with a big bowl of Hoysta’s brownies. (I used a hand-carved bowl my son made – looked dwarf-ish.)

The signing was transformed. Instead of sitting there essentially saying, “Hi, do you want to buy my book?” I was saying, “Hey! Do you want a brownie?” I had something to offer. And let’s face it: who can say no?  All kinds of conversations opened. I chatted with one guy about our favorite NPR interviewers. A group of teens was amazed to learn that I was a teacher as well as a writer and (cough, cough) pastry chef. I met a girl named after Kiing Arthur’s Queen Guinevere and a guy who does a lot of fantasy writing on a game site called althanas.com/world.  I also sold a few books. 

I once had a professor who insisted on having a shared meal once per semester with her seminar classes. Sharing food together transforms a group, she said. It brings people together and opens them up to each other in new ways. People have broken bread together for centuries. A plate of brownies will do in a pinch.

Hoysta’s Root-flour Brownies with Badger-cream topping

 Ingredients:

• 1 C badger butter (substitution: 2 sticks butter)
• 2 C sugar
• 2 C root-flour (substitution: 2 C all-purpose flour)
• 2/3 C light, powdery soil (substitution: 2/3 C cocoa)
• 8-10 quail eggs (substitution: 4 chicken eggs)
• 2 dwarf-size handfuls of walnuts, chopped (2 handful equivalent: 3/4 C)
• (Hoysta’s recipe does not call for vanilla, but root-flour has a slightly different taste than all-purpose flour. To mimic Hoysta’s recipe, it is useful to add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.)

 Cooking Instructions:

1. Melt butter in 9×13 pan in 300° oven.
2. While butter melts, mix sugar, flour and soil(cocoa)
3. Add melted butter and mix well.
4. Add eggs, vanilla (if you choose to use it) and walnuts. Mix. It will be thick as cold mud!
5. Bake 1 hour in the pan you melted the butter in.

Serving:

Take warm brownies and top with Badger-cream flavored with sand (substitution: coffee ice-cream) or flavored with gravel (Rocky Road ice cream).

Eat and enjoy!

Guest blog on AuthorsNow!

Check out my guest blog at the AuthorsNow! website! And while you’re there, learn about some great new debut authors.

http://www.authorsnow.com/connect-with-ellen-jensen-abbott-the-writer-as-knitter/

Tales from the Summer–episode #1a

A quick post to share what I think is a really, really exciting photo! I told you I met Neil Gaiman at the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder dinner. Well, here is the proof! A photo of me and Neil! (On left is Fran Slayton, class of 2k9 and author of MG historical fiction novel When the Whistle Blows; on the right, Beverly Patt, class of 2k9, author of upcoming MG contemporary novel, Haven.)

How many of you folks have read The Graveyard Book? And what did you think? And how excited are you that this year’s Newbery winner writes fantasy?

Tales from the summer–episode #1

Lots happened this summer — book signings, conferences, trips, trade shows, get-togethers with the Class of 2k9. I’ll recap bits and pieces over the next few weeks. But let me start with a real highlight: The Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder dinner at the American Library Assocation Conference in Chicago. This is the big, fancy dinner when the ALA presents these awards as well as the Honor awards (the runners-up). If you remember, the winners are chosen at the ALA conference in January and then jet to make an appearance on the Today Show. But they receive the awards at this dinner, give a speech and generally get oohed and aahed over. I think of it as the Oscars of kids publishing.

And I got to go! I was at the conference to sign/sell Watersmeet and my publisher invited me to the dinner. (I even bought a new dress! Check it out in the photo below; pay close attention to the shoes. I LOVE them and swear that if I EVER win the Newbery — one can and should dream — I will wear these shoes to receive it. Even if I’m 80.)

It’s quite a scene — a real who’s who in publishing/libraries. Lots of networking, glad-handing, conversation. I was very, very flattered because my publisher, Margery Cuyler at Marshall Cavendish, has been in the business for a long time and knows lots and lots of people. She introduced me to some big names, speaking very highly of my book. (The retired head of educational programming at New York public libraries was at our table. To a writer, it’s like meeting Brad Pitt. Trust me.) I felt like Cinderella with a fairy godmother. She’s in the photo with me below. (I love her outfit; it has leaves and greenery all over it and makes me think of the Green Man in Watersmeet. He’s one of my favorite characters, but some of my readers haven’t liked him as much. Hmmmm.)

Of course, most of you know that Neil Gaiman won the Newbery this year for The Graveyard Book. If you haven’t read it, you should. It’s very, very cool. His main character, Bod, is so attractive, and the concept — a living child being raised in a graveyard by ghosts — is humorous and touching and unique. Check it out.

And Neil is a very nice guy! Yeah, I met him. (Eeek!) The authors stand in a receiving line after the dinner, late into the evening, and chat with anyone who goes through it. They were exceedingly gracious. Someone took a picture of me, Neil (notice the first name basis?) and my 2k9 BFFs; if I can track it down, I’ll post it. I  also met Jacqueline Woodson (Newbery Honor for After Tupac and D Foster), who has never written a book that has not won an award as far as I can tell; traded stories with the Caldecott winner, Beth Krommes (The House in the Night) who grew up in PA and now lives in NH, opposite of what I’ve done; and raved over Marla Frazee’s shoes (Caldecott Honor for A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever). As seems to be true for all kid authors, these folks were approachable and seemed truly interested in meeting other authors, even newbies like me. I really felt like Cinderella at the ball, but thank goodness, I still have both of my shoes!

Lame blogger reporting for duty–sort of

It’s been quite a whirlwind–book signings, conferences, workshops, readings…And lots of fun! Especially meeting folks who have read and are excited about my book. But, it’s meant that my blog has languished. I have all kinds of things to post–photos, accounts of great bookstores I’ve visted, stories of getting lost in Chicago–several times! They’re coming, I promise! Stay tuned!

WATERSMEET giveaway!

Want to win a copy of Watersmeet? Surf over to the AuthorsNow! website and check out the Author Spotlight with on Ellen Jensen Abbott! Leave a comment and you’re registered to win one of three free copies! Here’s the link:

http://www.authorsnow.com/author-spotlight-ellen-jensen-abbott-watersmeet-giveaway-alert-now-050109/

On-line Chat!

Come join me for an on-line chat on April 14,  from 8pm to 9 pm EST. Got to http://community.livejournal.com/classof2k9 to join. If you’re a technophobe, don’t worry! It’s very easy–and fun! See you there!

LAUNCH DAY!!!

At this moment, I am published author! Oh my!