Austin SCBWI offers a great line-up for its April 26th conference. Speakers include: author and editor Deborah Noyes Wayshak from Candlewick Press (author-editor interview); Alvina Ling from Little Brown (personal blog); agent Erin Murphy (interview from Olswanger.com)(interview by Pam Mingle from Kite Tales, Rocky Mountain chapter, SCBWI); artist’s agent Christina Tugeau; and writing professor Peter Jacobi. According to RA Tim Crow, “Not only will critiques and pitches be available for an additional fee, but we are expanding the number of slots available this year, so you can have a second or third manuscript critiqued.” See details at Austin SCBWI (scroll to the bottom of the page); registration opens Nov. 1.
More News & Links
A Children’s Classic ‘Toots’ Back to Bookshelves: Listen to this story… by Daniel Pinkwater and Scott Simon from NPR.
Author Interview: Marta Acosta on Happy Hour at Casa Dracula and Midnight Brunch from my Gothic-fantasy-and-writing-life blog, Spookycyn. This interview is half of a discussion that the two of us are having vamp to vamp, blog to blog. See also her brand new interview with me, and leave a comment at Cynsations LJ to win a prize. Winners will be chosen on Friday!
More Personally
I was greatly touched by the thank you at Becky Levine’s Blog. Note: I carry much of my grandparents with me, too.
It was an honor to be featured Oct. 29 as one of 31 Flavorite Authors by the Readergirlz! I enjoyed chatting about Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007). Thank you to YALSA and Readergirlz!
Attending the Texas Book Festival Nov. 3 and Nov. 4 in Austin? I will be among the YA authors featured at the Not-For-Required Reading Event from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (1120 S. Lamar). Authors also will include: Sherman Alexie, Jacques Couvillon, Adrienne Kress, April Lurie (author interview), Perry Moore, Neal Shusterman, and Brian Yansky (author interview). Note: I’ll be a little late as I’m driving in from Huntsville that evening with Greg and Mo. I’ll also participate with authors Adrienne Kress and April Lurie on the “Tough Girls” panel, moderated by author Julie Lake, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in Capitol Extension Room E2.012. See schedules for Saturday and Sunday.
Whom I’m looking forward to seeing at the festival: Don’t miss the writer who reinvented Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Special to the Austin American-Statesman. Read a Cynsations interview with Gail Carson Levine.
Attention, Oklahomans! I’ll be speaking at the Norman Public Library Nov. 11. More details to come!
Attention, Austinites! Greg and I will be reading Santa Knows, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman (Dutton, 2006) at 1 p.m. Dec. 2 at Barnes & Noble Westlake. From the flap copy: “Who knows if you’ve been naughty or nice? Santa knows, that’s who! But not everyone believes in Santa Claus. Consider Alfie F. Snorklepuss. He thinks he’s proven that Santa Claus doesn’t exist. Alfie thinks there is no way that Santa could do all the things he’s supposed to, like deliver billions of presents all over the world in one night or know what every little kid wants. When Alfie starts spreading the word that there is no Santa Claus, he makes someone very unhappy: his little sister Noelle. And so Noelle turns to the only person who can help her. The one person Alfie thinks doesn’t exist: Santa Claus. Ho, ho, ho!” Visit www.santa-knows.com!