Piper Reed: Navy Brat by Kimberly Willis Holt, illustrated by Christine Davenier (Henry Holt, 2007)(excerpt) is now available. From the promotional copy: “It’s not easy being the middle child, especially when your dad is a Navy Chief. Meet Piper Reed, a spunky nine-year-old who has moved more times than she can count on one hand. From Texas to Guam, wherever Piper goes, adventure follows, inspired by her active imagination, free-wheeling spirit, and a bit of sister magic. Unlike her older sister, Piper loves being part of a Navy family, and unlike her little sister, Piper is no prodigy genius. Piper is Piper—fearless and full of life. Based on her own childhood experience, Kimberly Willis Holt portrays the life of a Navy family with warmth and humor.” Download bookmark. Read the story behind the story. See intro with sample illustrations. In a September 2005 interview for Cynsations, Kimberly said, “I am currently working on a chapter book about a Navy Brat. It is lighter than any novel that I’ve ever attempted and I’m having fun writing it.”

Historically Speaking: A Blog Journal by Author Nancy Castaldo. Debut posts include an interview with author Kirby Larson. Nancy is the author of Pizza for the Queen, illustrated by Melisande Potter (Holiday House, 2005)(recommendation).

Check out “Amy Goldman Koss — My Books” at YouTube. Read a Cynsations interview with Amy.

The Brazos Valley (Texas, College Station area) SCBWI chapter will hold its fall mini conference on Sept. 22. Portfolio critiques with Joy Fisher Hein (illustrator interview) are still available, and the discounted hotel rate is good for reservations made by Sept. 1st.

Children’s and Young Adult Author Sheri Sinykin: official author site features first chapter of current book, biography, bibliography, author visit information, teacher guides, peer editing guide, links, etc. Sinykin launches a “second writing career after a lengthy period of writer’s block” with Giving Up The Ghost (Peachtree, 2007)(excerpt)(teacher’s guide) and her first picture book, Zayde Comes to Live (Peachtree, TBA). She was lead author of the Magic Attic Club series and the author of nine other books for young readers in the 1990s.

Cherry Books is a new independent bookstore in in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Guerilla Marketing and Other Secrets of the Trade: Book Marketing for Independent Publishers by Jessica Powers from NewPages. Jessica is the author of The Confessional (Knopf, 2007).

“Patricia MacLachlan sees signs of life wherever she looks” interview by Heidi Henneman from BookPage. See also Meet Jack Gantos from BookPage.

August 2007 reviews at TeensReadToo include: Blood Brothers by S.A. Harazin (Delacorte, 2007); The Confessional by J.L. Powers (Knopf, 2007); Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance (Henry Holt, 2007)(author interview); Head Case by Sarah Aronson (Roaring Brook, 2007); and Scary Beautiful by Niki Burnham (Simon Pulse, 2007)(author interview). In addition, this month’s giveaways include two copies of my novel, Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007). See the complete list.

Recommendations from Under the Radar: Romina’s Rangoli, by Malathi Michelle Iyengar: a guest column by Pooja Makhijani at Chicken Spaghetti. Source: Writing with a Broken Tusk.

Take a sneak peek at the cover art for Varian Johnson’s forthcoming YA novel, My Life as a Rhombus (Flux, 2008).

Author Brian Yansky will be signing Wonders of the World (Flux, 2007)(author interview) at the Barnes & Noble Round Rock at 2 p.m. Sept. 15.

More Personally

Listening Library/Random House has purchased audio rights to Tantalize. I’ll keep you posted on the release date and reader.

The Candlewick Press website debuts audio of a brief reading by me of Tantalize as well as additional thoughts on the novel. Click here and see the sidebar.

I look forward to presenting both this novel and my recent picture book, Santa Knows, co-authored by Greg Leitich Smith, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (Dutton, 2006), at the upcoming Kansas Book Festival in Wichita Oct. 5 and Oct. 6. Featured authors also include: J.B. Cheaney (author interview); L.D. Harkrader (author inteview); Kimberly Willis Holt (author interview); Greg Leitich Smith (author interview); and Dian Curtis Regan (author interview). Note: I am a fellow of the Kansas Center for the Book.

Congratulations to Austinite Erin Edwards on the publication of her haunted house table centerpiece craft (made out of tissue boxes with tissue ghosts) in Family Fun (pg. 91)!

Love and best wishes to my husband and sometimes co-author, Greg Leitich Smith, as today is our 13th wedding anniversary!