By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Congratulations to Dianna Hutts Aston on the release of A Rock is Lively, illustrated by Sylvia Long (Chronicle, 2012). From the promotional copy:

From the award-winning creators of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Butterfly Is Patient comes a gorgeous and informative introduction to the fascinating world of rocks. 

From dazzling blue lapis lazuli to volcanic snowflake obsidian, an incredible variety of rocks are showcased in all their splendor. 

Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this book introduces an array of facts, making it equally perfect for classroom sharing and family reading.

Meet the Creators of A Rock is Lively by Laura Starr from Chronicle Books Blog.

More News & Giveaways

Agents and Publishers Aren’t Knocking at My Door by Alvina Ling from Blue Rose Girls. Peek: “It can be heart-breaking, frustrating, and soul sucking, and not
everyone is going to make it–in fact, very few people are going to be
successful in this industry. But this business can also be joyful,
inspiring, and full of supportive, collaborative people.”

Writing the Fear Away by Kristi Holl from Writer’s First Aid. Peek: “If award-winning, mega-selling writers feel this way when creating
fiction (and how I bless her for her honesty!), then it should come as
no surprise if you and I also feel this way.”

Throwing My Own Party: Why and Is It Worth It? by Grace Lin from Blue Rose Girls. Peek: “The point of a book party is to celebrate the book with perhaps some promotional benefits–not the other way around.”

Physical Attributes: Knees by Angela Ackerman from The Bookshelf Muse. Peek: “Can a unique feature, clothing choice or way they carry themselves help to hint at their personality?”

Book Trailers: Situation vs. Synopsis by Gail Gauthier from Original Content. Peek: “These trailers simply expose the basic situation the book deals with.
They seem to move faster, maybe because they aren’t trying to do as
much.”

Starting in the Present Moment by Mary Kole from Kidlit.com. Peek: “Not only do you want to start strong and grabby, but you also want to
get away from the vague, get away from the general, get away from the
philosophy, stop writing bumper sticker expressions of your theme, and
go toward the specific and the well-defined.”

Gender Balance in YA Award Winners Since 2000 by Ana from Lady Business. Peek: “I believe that boys’ reluctance to read stories by or about girls and
women is not inevitable and should be challenged, but I realise that
this is not something that can be achieved overnight.” Source: Gwenda Bond. Note: Imagine how the figures would look like if you started with, say, unpublished writers, broken down by gender, who’re associate members of SCBWI.

Nominees include Maira Kalman

Nominees for the 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award:
207 candidates from 67 countries are nominated. The nominees were
revealed at the international Frankfurt Book Fair on Oct. 11, 2012.

The Emotional Query by Lorin Oberweger from Literary Rambles. Peek: “…the emphasis is less on the setting and more on the machinations of the protagonist’s psychology.”

Agent Spotlight: Molly Ker Hawn of the Bent Agency from Literary Rambles. Peek: “I live in London and I work with authors and publishers both in the U.K. and the U.S.”

The Gut Shot: Hitting Readers Where It Counts by Kelly Bennett from Janet S. Fox at Through the Wardrobe. Peek: “If it speaks; it eats. Therefore, as plot, character, description, or emotion, there’s room for food in every story.”


2012 National Book Award Finalists
(Young People’s Literature)

• William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (McElderry Books) 
• Carrie Arcos, Out of Reach (Simon Pulse) 
• Patricia McCormick, Never Fall Down (Balzer + Bray) 
• Eliot Schrefer, Endangered (Scholastic) 
• Steve Sheinkin, Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon (Flash Point/Roaring Brook)

Cynsational Screening Room

The theme song for the Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung (Arthur A. Levine, 2012) launch party on Oct. 6. Sorry video is wobbly–but funny and well worth a watch/listen!

Cynsational Giveaways

• New! Twelve signed novels by Anna Myers (MG & YA)
• New! Dino-Football by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott (CarolRhoda, 2012)(PB)
• New! Three author-signed picture books by Tammi Sauer: Oh, Nuts!, illustrated by Dan Krall (Bloomsbury), Princess in Training, illustrated by Joe Berger (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oklahoma, illustrated by Victoria Hutto (Sterling)(PBs)
• Signed copy of Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (Angry Robot, 2012)(YA)
• Two signed copies of On the Road to Mr. Mineo by Barbara O’Connor (FSG, 2012)(MG)  
• One of three copies of The Infects by Sean Beaudoin (Candlewick, 2012)(YA)

The winner of a signed copy of Forget Me Not by Carolee Dean (Simon Pulse, Oct. 2012) has been contacted. Check your email!

Don’t miss the giveaway at Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing. See also Five Tips for Writing Brilliant Characters by Nicole from AIYACP.

This Week at Cynsations

• Career Builder: Anna Myers
• Career Builder: Lisa Wheeler
• Tammi Sauer on “This One Time…at a Book Signing” (tips for author/illustrator bookstore signings)
• Author Video: Lois Lowry on Son 
• New Voice: Katherine Catmull on Summer and Bird
• Lisa Bullard and Laura Purdie Salas on How to Query an Editor or Agent

More Personally

Last weekend, I road-tripped to the Gulf Coast.

And visited these wonderful people.

Greg Leitich Smith checks the tech.

Refreshments are served.

The crowd gathers.

The crowd settles in.

Books are given away!

See also Greg’s photo report.

Even More Personally

Fall TV season is upon us! My regular shows are “Big Bang Theory,” “Glee,” “Supernatural,” “Bones,” and a new one — “Arrow” (see trailer below). How about you?

Personal Links

• Austin Police Department & LGPOA – Austin: It Gets Better
• The International Day of the Girl — “To My Fifteen-year-old Self” 
• Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk from CNN 
• Spotlight on Don Tate 

From Greg Leitich Smith

• 2012 Tweens Read Book Festival (Oct. 20, Houston)

Cynsational Events

Cynthia Leitich Smith will speak about author PR on a panel at the monthly meeting of the Writers’ League of Texas at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at BookPeople in Austin.

Greg Leitich Smith will be a featured author at Tweens Read Oct. 20 at Bobby Shaw Middle School, 1201 Houston Avenue, Pasadena, Texas and at the Texas Book Festival Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 at the state capitol building in Austin. See also Texas Book Festival 2012 Youth Literature Programming.

The Writing Barn (Austin) Presents 2013 Advanced Writing Workshops, featuring editor Alexandra Penfolds (January), YA author Sara Zarr (April), and Francisco X. Stork (November).  See details.