tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76773629600725202902024-03-12T19:17:47.792-07:00Tom LlewellynIt's all about the struggles of a writer in Tacoma.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-72020358611490686862023-12-20T19:36:00.000-08:002023-12-20T19:36:35.346-08:00My primary writing soundtrack<p> I don't ALWAYS listen to the album Everybody Digs Bill Evans when I write, but I bet I do 50% of the time. I listen to it over and over again, then listen to it over and over and over again. <br /><br />I don't really know why, other than it has a sort of Pavlovian effect on me. I now associate the opening measures with the <i>sound of writing. </i> This album is what writing sounds like to me. So it gets me in the mood. In fact, if I listen to it outside of the context of writing--in a car or coffeeshop or a a party--I feel the urge to write. Like some sort of drug addict. <br /><br />I think this is a really good thing. For me.</p><p>Oh, and Peace Piece may be the most beautiful song ever made.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYUVqqPquRUd1UufqiSdFvItPx52w1wqb-ZpaeZZYdS1ssYN6Xf74eZZz4vGADlInBh8fpLJZ9L2LOhAyF4-WpmwcTv5iSDCvca2pS-EAmZ5jy-Lk5xJdkjAniA3ky5wlDRQSMqHMVzbtBs6yl75EAnQkCKtav8cMBJ69bpnCEWjIlwHuW_i2FkE5n8oU/s640/image1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheYUVqqPquRUd1UufqiSdFvItPx52w1wqb-ZpaeZZYdS1ssYN6Xf74eZZz4vGADlInBh8fpLJZ9L2LOhAyF4-WpmwcTv5iSDCvca2pS-EAmZ5jy-Lk5xJdkjAniA3ky5wlDRQSMqHMVzbtBs6yl75EAnQkCKtav8cMBJ69bpnCEWjIlwHuW_i2FkE5n8oU/s320/image1.png" width="148" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-49522386406665022582023-12-20T19:09:00.000-08:002023-12-20T19:09:48.489-08:00Review from Project Muse: The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith<p> <span class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3" style="background-color: black; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e7e9ea; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I dig this review from Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, from Project Muse: "It is a dangerous and wonderful place that Eden realizes she has always longed for, and readers will likely agree." </span><a class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/i8WrllF0wW" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" role="link" style="background-color: black; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d9bf0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank"><span aria-hidden="true" class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-hiw28u r-qvk6io" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space: inherit;">https://</span>muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/<span aria-hidden="true" class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-hiw28u r-qvk6io" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space: inherit;">9</span></a></p><p><br /></p><p>A lot of the reviews so far focus on the world in this book. I'm mostly happy about this, as this was really my first ambitious attempt at world-building. I guess I built a world people like.</p><p><a class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-1loqt21" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/i8WrllF0wW" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" role="link" style="background-color: black; border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d9bf0; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-overflow: unset; white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank"><span aria-hidden="true" class="css-1qaijid r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-hiw28u r-qvk6io" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px solid black; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 0px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-overflow: unset; white-space: inherit;">15144</span></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-7378694257416910082023-12-06T04:21:00.000-08:002023-12-06T04:22:47.800-08:00Got a box of books!<p> One of my favorite movies ever is Back To The Future. At the end of the movie, when Marty returns to the now-idealized present, his once-loser-now-winner dad opens a box containing copies of his new novel. When I first saw that movie in the 1980s, I thought, “Yeah, that would be the best feeling…opening a box of your own book.”</p><p><br /></p><p>Guess what? IT IS! It’s amazing. So fun. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68p7ToJx2hXEopKUnQRrTx1wo1Ed4ZdxYMn6ZvWwXApT9B4HWL1E6WWpYtYOGZxLPUHIMzjVMmbVLSGFS5JQ0CvC_CI0b5XAtXqFDg7VhE-oUmaWT36Vzi_SLHhWtqvzcVfua-ZZZkt7vj5_9LGB_nb3SE_cLrbCLLpAMRzNoS4pAScTULGgrvkFKFdXI/s4032/IMG_5810.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68p7ToJx2hXEopKUnQRrTx1wo1Ed4ZdxYMn6ZvWwXApT9B4HWL1E6WWpYtYOGZxLPUHIMzjVMmbVLSGFS5JQ0CvC_CI0b5XAtXqFDg7VhE-oUmaWT36Vzi_SLHhWtqvzcVfua-ZZZkt7vj5_9LGB_nb3SE_cLrbCLLpAMRzNoS4pAScTULGgrvkFKFdXI/s320/IMG_5810.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-4277006708191502292023-11-29T10:51:00.000-08:002023-11-30T09:00:39.693-08:00Pre-order The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith <p> My latest book is officially available for pre-order. Early reviews are awesome! Order it today and put a picture of it under your Christmas tree. It comes to bookstores on January 2, 2024. <br /><br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.booksense.com/images/122/453/9780823453122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="400" src="https://images.booksense.com/images/122/453/9780823453122.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Support my local Tacoma bookstore and buy it from Kings Books.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9780823453122">https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9780823453122</a></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-79295978944161606302023-08-09T16:43:00.003-07:002023-08-09T16:44:23.480-07:00Just received the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of THE FIVE IMPOSSIBLE TASKS OF EDEN SMITH<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfTe21wnLJQqVUHqBE7IulJq5j4ZxV1dSm2l1q_OYH5--4GWTP0kqHaujfocRT_twCL8G7lBCTBfbF1pJQGPRtIYDAD7n6cqU56hYRaa1xEnMd7q8IIfQy73LlGtJoYWCeUn3xhzpMHAiTFxqorHSsLG7u8m10SZfyqlLu-YcNhSDw3il_evrhoSi3Eu_/s2637/IMG_5189.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2637" data-original-width="2167" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfTe21wnLJQqVUHqBE7IulJq5j4ZxV1dSm2l1q_OYH5--4GWTP0kqHaujfocRT_twCL8G7lBCTBfbF1pJQGPRtIYDAD7n6cqU56hYRaa1xEnMd7q8IIfQy73LlGtJoYWCeUn3xhzpMHAiTFxqorHSsLG7u8m10SZfyqlLu-YcNhSDw3il_evrhoSi3Eu_/w449-h547/IMG_5189.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Deb and I came back from Philly and saw a package waiting on the porch. It was from Holiday House. Inside were two Advanced Reader Copies of THE FIVE IMPOSSIBLE TASKS OF EDEN SMITH. Eden stared back at me from the cover, courtesy of the beautiful illustration by Irwin Madrid. <br /><br />If you want to pre-order, you can do so <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082345312X?tag=randohouseinc7986-20&fbclid=IwAR07jufBtrGPe3c_bn5AHZJkdb-I96bjpB7XNrnWuqJ65u76Be07rW7RW-k">RIGHT HERE.</a><br /><br /><p></p><p>The hardcover version comes out from Holiday House in January 2024, distributed by Penguin Random House. <br /><br />Big shout out to my HH editor, the amazing Kelly Loughman and to my agent, the esteemed Abigail Samoun.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-67877633343340988332021-09-15T10:34:00.001-07:002021-09-15T11:10:00.385-07:00Just accepted an offer for my next book.<p> I'm excited. So excited that later on in this blog post, I actually use two exclamation points.</p><p>This book is by far the biggest, most ambitious thing I've ever written. After three entire years of writing and editing, many months of pitching, and one final month of negotiation, my agent, the esteemed Abigal Samoun of Red Fox Literary, has accepted an offer from my dear friends at Holiday House. The offer is for my next book, which has a working title of...<br /><br /><br /><b>The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith</b></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BkstD92v4Kg/YUIrr3mmhiI/AAAAAAAABdA/-hlJ1ppTVYwJArZLA4Y-XK4JyXkfUdxPQCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="1200" height="247" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BkstD92v4Kg/YUIrr3mmhiI/AAAAAAAABdA/-hlJ1ppTVYwJArZLA4Y-XK4JyXkfUdxPQCNcBGAsYHQ/w472-h247/image.png" width="472" /></a></b></div><b><br /><br /></b><p></p><p>That title definitely may change along the way, but it will likely be something close-ish to that.</p><p>The likely publication date is fall of 2022, which is an entire year from now. That may sound like a long way off, but by publishing-standards is actually pretty speedy. Lots of stars need to align to get a book edited, illustrated, designed, marketed, reviewed, and distributed. I'm fine with that schedule.</p><p>Holiday House published my last middle-grade novel, The Bottle Imp of Bright House. That means I get to work with one of my favorite editors, Kelly Loughman. Kelly is smart, demanding, and delightful. I like that combo in an editor.</p><p>The elevator pitch for this book is basically this:</p><p>Eden Smith, a young teen girl, loses both her parents when a meteor crushes them while visiting the conservatory at Wright Park in Tacoma. After years in foster care, her grandfather is finally located and she moves in with him. But her grandfather, Vulcan Smith, lives in an old folks home for master metalworkers, The Guild Hall of Smiths. Eden is the only child in the place. And Vulcan, a legendary master smith, has just been stripped of his standing and imprisoned in a basement room. The only way Eden can restore her grandfather to his former glory is to complete the Five Impossible Tasks. But surviving them may be the hardest task of all!!<br /></p><p>There's lots of adventure, lots of fascinating elderly characters, a few mechanical birds, lots of smithing, and many servings of pudding. <br /><br />Add it to your 2022 Christmas shopping list now!</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-26148191944243932362021-03-09T08:50:00.003-08:002021-03-09T08:50:49.738-08:00A few sample goodreads reviews of A is for Apple, Unless...<p>I'm always a bit terrified of reading reviews of my own books. I've generally gotten strong reviews, with a few daggers to the heart here and there. Here is a sample of the mostly great (and one not-so-great) reader reviews from <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51075350-a-is-for-apple-unless#other_reviews">goodreads</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1lc06n_2WU/YEelMbPxA8I/AAAAAAAABLk/qtR7vnP43B0G6ie-pdMZ3XG_dJdKF6PrACNcBGAsYHQ/s1366/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-03-09%2Bat%2B8.39.22%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1270" height="401" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D1lc06n_2WU/YEelMbPxA8I/AAAAAAAABLk/qtR7vnP43B0G6ie-pdMZ3XG_dJdKF6PrACNcBGAsYHQ/w373-h401/Screen%2BShot%2B2021-03-09%2Bat%2B8.39.22%2BAM.png" width="373" /></a></div><br /><p>I obviously enjoyed the "funniest book I've ever read comment." I like knowing "kids will love this one," because I write for kids, not for their parents. But I also liked the negative review, because it shows who my audience is NOT. Mama Bearian is clearly not my sweet spot. She is probably a nice mama bear, and clearly cares for her kids. But I do like to believe that her bear cubs would probably find this book to be hilarious.<br /><br />My own dear old mother was also very careful of the media I consumed, but really only when it came to movies and TV. She pretty much let me read whatever I wanted, because she believed reading itself was good for me. I'm grateful for that. Thanks, Mom.<br /><br />Oh, and you have to love any review that uses the word <i>abecedarian. </i></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-64486142843610329402020-10-06T16:05:00.006-07:002020-10-06T16:06:01.135-07:00Read-thru video of A is For Apple...Unless<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Check out my read-thru video of A is for Apple...Unless. Watch this for your kids for nearly 13 minutes of free virtual babysitting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="395" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q6zbJUgeWfw" width="476" youtube-src-id="q6zbJUgeWfw"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-46228653245999848522020-09-30T15:54:00.007-07:002020-09-30T16:40:57.672-07:00This is why I write funny books<p> I don't really do Big Message books. I don't ever expect to win a Newberry Medal. I'm OK with that. I write escapism. I write adventure stories. I write funny. I like spooky tales that you want to read out loud around a campfire. And I rarely write a book that doesn't have at least one poop joke in it. </p><p>I think my books are important.</p><p>When I was five years old and just starting to learn to read, my dad died. I was the youngest of five kids, so Mom's hands weren't just full. They were overflowing with housework, schoolwork, actual work, and her own grieving. Each of my older siblings was processing their own grief in their own ways. Me, too. </p><p>I turned to books. I was a naturally quiet kid and as soon as I learned to read, I started blazing through whatever I could get my hands on. But I sure as hell wasn't looking to read about the five stages of grief. I didn't want to read about Old Yeller dying or find out Where The Red Fern Grows. Those books are amazing, but they weren't what I needed right then. I was starving for comfort and I needed mac and cheese more than I needed broccoli.</p><p>So I read Roald Dahl. I read Spider-Man comics. And I read Mad Magazine. I escaped. I laughed. I felt better. I read those books, comics, and magazines over and over so many times that I nearly memorized them. Quotes from them still rattle around in my head today. I can still recite the entire Augustus Gloop song. I still know the plots of many movies only from the Mad satires, and I still want to end my paragraphs with "'Nuff said," just like Stan Lee did.</p><p>My latest book is a picture book--A Is For Apple, Unless... It's a very irreverent ABC book, full of references to poop, farts, barfing, and other bathroom humor. Some reviewers are sure to find it wholly lacking in merit. So why write it?</p><p>Today, I received a note from a woman named Kelcey, who said she was ordering "quite a few" copies of this book for the <b><a href="https://www.rachellynnhenleyfoundation.org/">Rachel Lynn Henly Foundation</a></b>, a local organization that "strives to help children and young adults live with a cancer diagnosis while also working toward finding cures." They plan to get the books to some of the kids in the hematology and oncology department at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital here in Tacoma. Because those kids need comfort. They need mac and cheese. They need jokes.</p><p>Sometimes, when the world is painful and when we're all hurting, we all need a joke.</p><p>What do I need? Every now and then, I need a note like this, to remind me why I write what I write.</p><p>Oh, and here's a picture of the beautiful Rachel, a local hero, and a powerful wordsmith in her own right. Rachel, your power lives on.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H3ULJa7buAE/X3UF00gFstI/AAAAAAAAAqg/ZorEpGbT2XEy2GtPFIKFBVmMTLHq8-_6wCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="535" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H3ULJa7buAE/X3UF00gFstI/AAAAAAAAAqg/ZorEpGbT2XEy2GtPFIKFBVmMTLHq8-_6wCNcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-54474407936339183172020-09-16T13:48:00.003-07:002020-09-16T13:49:50.448-07:00Book signing - A is for Apple, Unless...<p> I've been busy signing books locally here. Apparently, my worldwide tour was cancelled due to COVID.</p><p>But I appreciate all the fat stacks of books here at my beloved indie Tacoma bookstore, Kings Books. You can order a copy right there at <a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://www.kingsbookstore.com/search/site/A%20is%20for%20apple%20unless?fbclid=IwAR2wwjiYC0D4fLBbFHJEfupURpawXGarkcHYG6Mmz_-dqqczbWIfPlepLd8" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, system-ui, ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.kingsbookstore.com/search/site/A%20is%20for%20apple%20unless</a>.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xApUzxQ41SE/X2J6FTvzGGI/AAAAAAAAAqI/127iQQosjQUWHhcURmr04pMu5y9JkzPIACNcBGAsYHQ/s960/signing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xApUzxQ41SE/X2J6FTvzGGI/AAAAAAAAAqI/127iQQosjQUWHhcURmr04pMu5y9JkzPIACNcBGAsYHQ/s320/signing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-83216651040977492662020-09-03T11:08:00.003-07:002020-09-03T13:57:19.963-07:00It's alive! A IS FOR APPLE UNLESS...<p> September 1 was a book birthday for me. A is for Apple Unless is alive and available and already in the hands of many readers. It's exciting to get to this stage of the journey and to hear from parents, kids and kids at heart. I've had a few comments like, "I was cracking up at every page." Or "I can hear my husband giggling to himself in the next room as he reads this to himself."<br /><br />So yes, I'm excited. And yes, you can buy this lovely thing right now. And yes, I would love you to also post your reviews on whatever site you choose to buy it.</p><p>If you're outside of Tacoma <a href="https://cameronbooks.com/product/a-is-for-apple-unless/">https://cameronbooks.com/product/a-is-for-apple-unless/</a></p><p>If you're a Tacoma local <a href="https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9781944903978">https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9781944903978</a></p><p><img height="320" src="https://scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/s1080x1080/118772885_725684521330879_7642020811470379002_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=107&_nc_ohc=KYR3swoHk3wAX8VOGUm&_nc_tp=15&oh=b4b667cc5cd9f597c2c8712621e7df2a&oe=5F7B54FA" width="320" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-67762621672420346922020-07-31T14:33:00.003-07:002020-07-31T14:33:41.870-07:00A IS FOR APPLE UNLESS...Coming this August. Order it now right here: <a href="https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9781944903978">https://www.kingsbookstore.com/book/9781944903978</a><div><br /></div><div>A IS FOR APPLE UNLESS is an ABC book written for kids. It's not a book designed to provide deep social insight or a message for our time or any of that crap. It's meant to provide a great time reading it. It's meant to make kids and adults laugh. Heck, someone might even learn their ABCs along the way, but even that is not the main intent. A IS FOR APPLE UNLESS... is really a collection of irreverent jokes molded into an alphabet book. <br /><br />I'll come back and share more about it. Really I will. But if you know a small child who thinks farts are funny, this is the book for them. <br /><br />Oh, and a shout out to <a href="https://www.studiohoffmann.com/books">Mark Hoffman</a>, the illustrator who ties all this together in a delightful, interconnected way.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSG2wZO5jmk/XySMZg_eXFI/AAAAAAAAApE/2e5YurkwTbsAFX83Q5-b85LH1ls6AwcoACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_7100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSG2wZO5jmk/XySMZg_eXFI/AAAAAAAAApE/2e5YurkwTbsAFX83Q5-b85LH1ls6AwcoACNcBGAsYHQ/s0/IMG_7100.jpg" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-21035932044622641462018-06-17T21:12:00.001-07:002018-06-17T21:16:47.897-07:00Another book contract offered. Not one I expected.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My agent, the esteemed <a href="http://redfoxliterary.com/aboutus.html">Abigail Samoun</a>, emailed me a few days ago with a contract. It was for a manuscript I sent her about four years ago for a picture book (just the text, no illustrations) called <i>The Unless Alphabet.</i></div>
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I'd never written for a picture book before and never imagined I would. But Abi encouraged me. We tried it. And bing, bang, (insert four-year wait here) bong--a contract, just like that.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xPDrtg4bSU/WycivHOZeII/AAAAAAAAAiE/M_UQxDi-6RIFdEKks-tryaL4lJ5WQU1UACLcBGAs/s1600/UQwhy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="309" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xPDrtg4bSU/WycivHOZeII/AAAAAAAAAiE/M_UQxDi-6RIFdEKks-tryaL4lJ5WQU1UACLcBGAs/s400/UQwhy.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
The contract is from <a href="http://cameronbooks.com/">Cameron & Co</a>., which is a small-but-cool publisher. The book is an ABC book, but, frankly, full of lots of fart and barf jokes. No lie. It fits well with my sense of humor, which stopped developing at about 8th grade.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>D is for Dog<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>unless you have a dog and it’s your job to clean up after him,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<i>then D is for doo-doo.</i><br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
The <b>UNLESS</b> Alphabet. Get it?<br />
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Not that I do a lot of interviews, but if anyone were to ever ask me for my inspirations for this one, it would be fifty percent <a href="https://www.madmagazine.com/">Mad Magazine</a> and fifty percent <a href="http://www.shelsilverstein.com/">Shel Silverstein</a>.<br />
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By the way, writing picture books is a weird deal. It takes me about two years to write a <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Bottle_Imp_of_Bright_House.html?id=IBjsswEACAAJ">middle-grade novel</a>. Two years. I wrote this manuscript, plus about ten other ones, in two weeks. Because I'm not an illustrator, I'll have to split the pay, so it's half as much. But still. Nice work if you can get it.<br />
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Of course, that waiting around for four years is kind of a drag. But that's publishing.<br /><br />I am excited. Besides, the world needs more fart jokes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-40992830140533201812018-04-24T14:50:00.000-07:002018-04-24T14:51:36.778-07:00Story ARC: The Advance Reader Copy arrives.Just nerding out a bit on the publishing process. I love getting the ARC - the advance reader copy - of an upcoming book. This one arrived yesterday. And keep in mind that the actual for-sale version still doesn't come out until October of 2018.<br />
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I flipped through it and giggled out loud at nearly every Gris Grimly illustration. It's so surreal to see how someone that talented interprets a character I created. Mr. Grimly did a damn fine job.<br />
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I'll post some of those illustrations in coming days.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCaYYTnJDHI/Wt-mfTVhJtI/AAAAAAAAAho/e_80aQzCSIwTCtXsKwbxi_cZBAqluIdcACLcBGAs/s1600/31206364_10216401195409629_8317881433714579754_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="678" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pCaYYTnJDHI/Wt-mfTVhJtI/AAAAAAAAAho/e_80aQzCSIwTCtXsKwbxi_cZBAqluIdcACLcBGAs/s400/31206364_10216401195409629_8317881433714579754_n.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-24899181622691043462018-03-30T17:00:00.001-07:002018-03-30T17:00:37.603-07:00The Bottle Imp of Bright House by Tom Llewellyn - Coming to a bookstore near you in October 2018 Been a long time coming—and still a long time to come—but check out this link to see the front cover by Gris Grimley and read the back cover blurb.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7VlVlv5A8fs/Wr7PaMaW-5I/AAAAAAAAAhM/n9TTh7KgBD04I1zDBanf33ydyzt3_o9bgCLcBGAs/s1600/imp%2Bcover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7VlVlv5A8fs/Wr7PaMaW-5I/AAAAAAAAAhM/n9TTh7KgBD04I1zDBanf33ydyzt3_o9bgCLcBGAs/s400/imp%2Bcover.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div>
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The Bottle Imp of Bright House</h1>
<div class="book-author" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.11111em; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 1.77778em 0px; padding: 0em 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="label" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BY</span> <span class="author" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0em 0px 0.44444em; padding: 0em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="author-name 2188712 ga ga-lab-authorlink_2188712_click" href="https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/2188712/tom-llewellyn" style="border: 0px; color: #107a8e; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.175s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank" title="Tom Llewellyn">TOM LLEWELLYN</a></span></div>
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<span class="label" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ILLUSTRATED BY </span><span class="name" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/authors/2181644/gris-grimly" style="border: 0px; color: #107a8e; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.175s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;">GRIS GRIMLY</a></span></div>
<div class="book-imprint" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="label" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Publisher: </span><span class="imprint" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Holiday House</span></div>
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<b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A delightfully dark middle-grade novel reminiscent of the Newbery-winning classic, </b><b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Westing Game</i></b><b style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</b></b><br /><br />When thirteen-year-old Gabe Silver's dad is laid off from his job, his family is forced to move to the run-down Bright House Apartments. Gabe's bummed--but maybe there's a way out of this mess. In a strange encounter with a stressed-out millionaire, Gabe becomes the owner of an old, glass bottle with an imp inside who can grant wishes. But there's a catch: for everything the wisher gains, someone, somewhere loses something. Each wish is an ethical dilemma, but as Gabe scores a Ferrari, gets his dad's old job back, and more, he's certain a guilty conscience is worth it . . . isn't it? Meanwhile, his bizarre neighbors at Bright House have caught wind that something strange is afoot. As the bottle imp's power weaves its way through Bright House and beyond, it reveals unseen connections, ambitions, and desires, provoking questions about the way our actions affect others.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-65461974143885910002018-02-21T16:05:00.001-08:002018-02-21T16:05:13.631-08:00I love book reports, especially from Germany<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2hdYdc-vuM/Wo4JGU-rVzI/AAAAAAAAAgw/abc0qB0L7c0nT2PQH7T29xsIl5kRdlemgCLcBGAs/s1600/poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g2hdYdc-vuM/Wo4JGU-rVzI/AAAAAAAAAgw/abc0qB0L7c0nT2PQH7T29xsIl5kRdlemgCLcBGAs/s400/poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Check out this amazing book report poster from Lilli in Germany. She clearly has remarkable taste in children's literature.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-5722509318684116852017-09-05T13:42:00.001-07:002017-09-05T13:42:48.447-07:00Czech out this cover for Black String--in the Czech RepublicCzech it out. Other than the slight misspelling of my last name, I'm kind of excited to have this sitting on my bookshelf. Also excited to have it sitting in Prague bookstores.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eAZuew47xFY/Wa8L5eGgxfI/AAAAAAAAAeo/RBrlNgKb8_kqIe1Tvi7CWdvfUL_zEFmDgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-09-05%2Bat%2B1.39.20%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1124" height="272" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eAZuew47xFY/Wa8L5eGgxfI/AAAAAAAAAeo/RBrlNgKb8_kqIe1Tvi7CWdvfUL_zEFmDgCLcBGAs/s400/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-09-05%2Bat%2B1.39.20%2BPM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-65893171037438724142017-08-09T16:57:00.002-07:002017-08-09T16:57:51.984-07:00Der Magische Faden ist jetzt verfügbar!Yes, I know the post title is in German.<br />
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But so is my book.<br />
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Only in German.<br />
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Only in Germany.<br />
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Big thanks to <a href="http://www.thienemann-esslinger.de/thienemann/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff9933; font-family: ScalaSansWebPro-Bold, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">THIENEMANN</a> for publishing it.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PsYSzqA1RU/WYuhKvyt3dI/AAAAAAAAAeM/8uCrjiNaL1MewANmYVqDKLFqpk9pL0SdACLcBGAs/s1600/cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2PsYSzqA1RU/WYuhKvyt3dI/AAAAAAAAAeM/8uCrjiNaL1MewANmYVqDKLFqpk9pL0SdACLcBGAs/s400/cover.jpeg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.de/dp/3522184491">https://www.amazon.de/dp/3522184491</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-27096810166492549932017-03-27T08:46:00.000-07:002017-03-27T08:46:16.782-07:00A short film on Beautiful Angle, a street art project I cofounded with Lance Kagey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x2ItCBx2YtY/WNkx4_CRmEI/AAAAAAAAAdk/EiQ2gxcB21sOMuNvHMiDzoOcS0qB06MDgCLcB/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x2ItCBx2YtY/WNkx4_CRmEI/AAAAAAAAAdk/EiQ2gxcB21sOMuNvHMiDzoOcS0qB06MDgCLcB/s400/hqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The talented <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwW_lD-ytH6Rl4Z2DYj1rLg">Paul Cross Blanchard</a> recently created a short film about <a href="http://beautifulangle.com/">Beautiful Angle</a>, the street art project I cofounded 14 years ago with my dear friend, Lance Kagey. Check it out.<br />
<br />
This film focuses on the creation and distribution of a poster we made with guest artist <a href="http://drawstanley.com/drawstanley/Illustration.html">Stan Shaw</a>, an illustrator with serious chops. It features the camerawork of photographer <a href="http://www.owenphoto.com/">Tom Owen</a> and filmmaker <a href="https://vimeo.com/69347293">Nathan Blanchard</a>.<br />
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Be sure to pay attention to the musicality of the piece--how Paul uses sounds and editing to create such a tight story.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-81867993439361082572017-03-23T19:53:00.001-07:002017-03-23T19:54:15.473-07:00An official contract for The Bottle Imp of Bright HouseContracts are signed. Publication scheduled. Deal announced in Children's Bookshelf.<br />
<br />
Check it out:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jihHfPFbdDQ/WNSJiC74HOI/AAAAAAAAAdE/ncuzSaggjRghJnlu9Lz6SR2MR5smi3oXACLcB/s1600/17492417_10154661071783402_4981690191698462762_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jihHfPFbdDQ/WNSJiC74HOI/AAAAAAAAAdE/ncuzSaggjRghJnlu9Lz6SR2MR5smi3oXACLcB/s640/17492417_10154661071783402_4981690191698462762_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
On her Facebook page, my agent, the esteemed Abigail Samoun said,<br />
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"<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px; outline: none; width: auto;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption" style="font-family: inherit;">So happy to see this deal announced in Children's Bookshelf. Big congrats to our <a data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1448066372&extragetparams=%7B%22directed_target_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/tommyllew" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Tom Llewellyn</a>. This was one of those delicious manuscripts I couldn't stop reading until I got to the very last page--and this while I was eight months pregnant with Rowan and prone to long mid-day naps.</span></span><span class="fbPhotoTagList" id="fbPhotoSnowliftTagList" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: #90949c; font-family: inherit;"> — with <span class="fbPhotoTagListTag tagItem" style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="taggee" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/hovercard.php?id=1448066372&type=mediatag&media_info=6.10154661071783402" data-tag="1448066372" href="https://www.facebook.com/tommyllew" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;">Tom Llewellyn</a></span>."</span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotoTagList" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: #90949c; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotoTagList" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: #90949c; font-family: inherit;">I'm pretty happy, too. Thanks Abi. Thanks Kelly Loughman. Thanks Holiday House.</span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotoTagList" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "san francisco" , , , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="fcg" style="color: #90949c; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-42646179446665420652017-01-11T04:20:00.000-08:002017-01-11T04:20:09.970-08:00Black String is coming out in the Czech Republic.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh_RZuJIkEs/WHV6M4uaYNI/AAAAAAAAAcU/yL7Fa2ddCCwdxIOH1hnX04D8KXqNSqBFgCLcB/s1600/prague_banner%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wh_RZuJIkEs/WHV6M4uaYNI/AAAAAAAAAcU/yL7Fa2ddCCwdxIOH1hnX04D8KXqNSqBFgCLcB/s320/prague_banner%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An offer from the Czech Republic<o:p></o:p></div>
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My kid’s novel, Black String, has yet to find an American
Publisher. It’s already scheduled to come out in Germany in the fall of 2017.
And just today, we received an offer from the Czech Republic. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Publisher is called <a href="http://www.fragment.cz/">Fragment</a>.
Our foreign rights people tell us they’re supposed to be quite good. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I trust them. What do I know about Czech publishers? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nula.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s Czech for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">zero</i>.
Because I know nothing about Czech publishers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who wants to go with me to Prague to visit some local bookstores?</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-37190598206020785032017-01-10T16:10:00.003-08:002017-01-10T16:10:33.326-08:00The illustrator for my novel, Black String, coming out in GermanyI'm so happy to announce that my German publisher, Thienemann-Esslinger Verlag, has chosen a great illustrator for the cover of Black String, my beloved kid's novel that is so-far only coming out in Germany.<br />
<br />
The illustrator is none other than Nina Dulleck.<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="" style="background-color: white;">The book "Brilli, das Küken", illustrated by her, was awarded the International Dyslexia Quality Award in 2010. </span><span style="background-color: white;">2011 became "Glück gesucht" in Austria to the "Bücherliebling 2011". </span><span style="background-color: white;">The cover of "The Little Lady" was chosen by Librikon as one of the five most beautiful covers of the year 2010. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out some of her work <a href="http://www.ninadulleck.de/freies/freies">here. </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Or here:</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1241721064PG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1241721064PG.jpg" height="172" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1235059004PG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1235059004PG.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1308597692PG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1308597692PG.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1358864061PG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ninadulleck.de/images/PICTURE_1358864061PG.jpg" height="320" width="226" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-91854252685405309252016-12-21T09:53:00.002-08:002016-12-21T09:53:47.819-08:00In final contract negotiations for The Bottle Imp of Bright HouseMany of my favorite emails come from my agent, the esteemed Abigail Samoun of Red Fox Literary. One of her most recent ones was one of the best. Why?<br />
<br />
Because it was an offer.<br />
<br />
Now she's doing her magic with the publisher and The Bottle Imp of Bright House is that much closer to seeing the light of day, getting into the hands of readers, and finding a place on my bookshelf.<br />
<br />
I'm happy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Xacm7M3bsY/WFrBlYgBkjI/AAAAAAAAAbw/lTn4x3JBkdkmn1IKtBOXThWPrtFFgkoywCLcB/s1600/imp%2Bimage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0Xacm7M3bsY/WFrBlYgBkjI/AAAAAAAAAbw/lTn4x3JBkdkmn1IKtBOXThWPrtFFgkoywCLcB/s400/imp%2Bimage.png" width="268" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The basic pitch for the book is this:<br />
<br />
The story is a modern-day retelling of a Robert Louis Stevenson short story, The Bottle Imp.<br />
<br />
Our hero, Gabe, gets his hands on a bottle with a tiny imp inside. A djinn. The bottle grants wishes to whomever owns it. But for every good wish granted, the scales need to balance out somehow. If you wish for a million dollars, then someone else loses a million. If you wish for a job, then someone else gets fired. And if you wish to save a life, well, then things can get deadly.<br />
<br />
The bottle comes with another price, too. If you die with the bottle in your possession, then the devil gets your soul.<br />
<br />
The story is set in a funky old apartment building full of quirky mysterious characters--a landlady who likes to set fires, an astrologer who can't sleep nights, the studio of a famous painter whose paintings have never been seen, and a girl who wants Gabe dead.<br />
<br />
I like this book. But I like all my books. I'm a biased parent. But I do like this one a lot. Don't tell the others.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-57379144909609100802016-06-22T16:13:00.000-07:002016-06-22T16:13:40.017-07:00A five star review, translated from the original GermanI took a couple of years of high school German, from a bitter woman named Mrs. Harmoning. We didn't get along. It might have something to do with the Ex-Lax Marty Lange and I baked into the cookies for the cookie contest. Mrs. Harmoning was one of the judges.<br />
<br />
I can still stumble through a bit of German conversation. I can order a beer and find a bathroom. But when it comes to reading reviews of my books that have come out in Germany, I am fully dependent on the nonsense spewed out by Google Translate.<br />
<br />
Take the following five-star review for "Tick Tack Tot," the German version of "The Shadow of Seth." This review comes from some kind and insightful reader named R. Manthey. Keep in mind: Five stars. So I'm assuming it is positive.<br />
<br />
<b>In German, the closing paragraph says:</b><br />
<br />
Diese Geschichte bleibt natürlich eine Geschichte. Aber sie wirkt keineswegs erfunden oder konstruiert. Ganz im Gegenteil: Seth ist ein Typ, den man sympathisch finden muss und den man gerne zum Kumpel hätte. Ein gelungenes Jugendbuch, schnörkellos, unterhaltend und ohne pädagogischen Hintergrund.<br />
<br />
<b>Google Translate tells me this means:</b><br />
<br />
Of course, this story is a story. But it seems not invented or constructed. On the contrary, Seth is a type that must be found sympathetic and one would like to mate. A successful youth book, straightforward, entertaining and without educational background.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lovelybooks.de/autor/Tom-Llewellyn/Tick-Tack-Tot-1206838491-w/">Read the entire review (in German!) here.</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tr4MPauJvDs/V2sbWSG4K3I/AAAAAAAAAaw/AaUflwsIMMc3vaR8r9lz-4TF7XrGVdKhgCLcB/s1600/ticktacktot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tr4MPauJvDs/V2sbWSG4K3I/AAAAAAAAAaw/AaUflwsIMMc3vaR8r9lz-4TF7XrGVdKhgCLcB/s320/ticktacktot.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7677362960072520290.post-87107236839327773002016-06-17T17:30:00.001-07:002016-06-17T17:31:19.049-07:00Tick Tack Tot<div>My German publisher must know how much I like big letterpressy type. </div><div><br></div><div>By the way, this is the German version of my American book, "The Shadow of Seth." The translation is "Tick Tock Dead."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u8T7cB0gevU/V2SWKENT9NI/AAAAAAAAAaY/-Iid2K8Jpwo/s640/blogger-image-1448614119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u8T7cB0gevU/V2SWKENT9NI/AAAAAAAAAaY/-Iid2K8Jpwo/s640/blogger-image-1448614119.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0