Starred Publishers Weekly review for Queen!

 Maria Virginia Farinango (my co-author and me... happy!!)

Hey guys,

Nice news to start off my week: The Queen of Water just got its *third* starred review-- this one from Publishers Weekly!  I'm over the moon!

* This compelling collaboration between Resau (The Ruby Notebook) and Farinango--who met while Resau was teaching English at a community college--is based on Farinango's tumultuous upbringing in Ecuador as part of an indígena (indigenous) family, forced to live under the thumb of the mestizos (the Spanish upper class). As is common for indígena girls her age, Virginia is sent to live with a wealthy mestizo couple--in her case, Niño Carlitos and his wife, Doctorita--and she babysits their children and serves as their maid for eight years. While the living conditions are an improvement over her family's small farm, she endures physical and verbal abuse and is denied an education. 

Narrating in a singular, authentic voice, Virginia dreams of escape, but her broken identity leaves her directionless. Along the way, though, she employs her imagination, persistence, and hard-won wisdom to recover her strength and freedom. The authors' candid narrative richly depicts Virginia's passage from a childhood filled with demoralization to a young woman who sees her life through new eyes. Ages 12–up.

 Yay!  So happy about this... I didn't even know what starred reviews meant before my first book came out... Basically, it's a system for recognizing the book as having exceptional merit... and the happy consequence is that librarians, book sellers, teachers, and people in the publishing industry pay more attention to the book.... which ultimately gets the book into the hands of more readers... and this, as a writer, is one of my biggest goals... to connect with as many readers as I can.

Okay, I have to wade my way through the heaps of emails that have been building up since I left for Michigan.  I'm in the midst of planning lots of author visits (virtual and actual) with schools and libraries in Colorado-- Broomfield, Boulder, Fort Collins, Basalt, Grand Junction, and more...

(If I owe you an email, don't worry, it'll be coming soon... my apologies!)  Thanks for reading and keeping in touch-- I'm grateful!

xo
Laura

Back from Michigan!

Hello everyone!

Just got back from author visits to Lansing and Ann Arbor, where I had a blast with students from Haslett High, Greenhills School, the International Book club at the East Lansing Library, and the folks at Ann Arbor Library... I loved meeting so many cool teachers and students and librarians and writers and readers... such a treat! 

I also went to my dad's retirement party in Grand Rapids... Lil Dude was with me, which made things extra wild and crazy (he has so much energy he literally bounces off walls).  He was great on the plane ride, but I still feel utterly exhausted at the moment... I'd like to sleep about 20 hours...

More good news has been coming in about Star in the Forest... the latest is that it's an Americas Award Commended Book!  I love the Americas Award... Red Glass was a winner a few years ago, and What the Moon Saw was an honor book.  You can read more about the award here.

I also found out that Star in the Forest is currently a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in the Juvenile category, and The Ruby Notebook is a finalist in the Young Adult Category... yay! Thank you, Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book! 



So excited to go to Aspen again with Lil Dude and Ian for the awards ceremony in June... and the best part is that I'll get to be with my talented, fun friends who are also finalists:

Amy Kathleen Ryan for Zen and Xander (YA, another Fort Collins author and good friend!)

Todd Mitchell for The Secret to Lying (YA--  yet another Fort Collins author and good friend!)

Nancy Bo Flood  for Warriors in the Crossfire (Juvenile, she's one of the brilliant authors behind The Pirate Tree blog!)

Congrats everyone!  I can't wait to cheer each other on in Aspen...

I also wanted to let you know that The Pirate Tree (mentioned above)-- a wonderful new blog about social justice and children's literature-- is featuring The Queen of Water this week. There's a thoughtful review/article on domestic slavery and The Queen of Water and an interview with me... And next week it will be featuring Star in the Forest!  A huge thank you to Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Nancy Bo Flood for their work on this incredible blog (and for their important books)!

Hmmm... I feel like there's more news, but my brain isn't cooperating now... I'll try to remember and write more soon!  Hope everyone's enjoying springtime!

xo,
Laura

Good news

Hey everyone!

I've been busy, busy, busy!  Just got my latest revision of THE JADE NOTEBOOK into my editor-- whew!  The release date is Feb 2012 (and a giant *thank you* to all of you who've been enthusiastically asking me about it...)

I'm in Michigan now, doing author visits to libraries and schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing... fun, fun, fun!  I'm especially excited because these are the first presentations in which I'll focus on THE QUEEN OF WATER!  Speaking of Queen, here are some links to great reviews:

The Denver Post, which calls the book "tremendously potent" and told with "grace and complexity." Read more here.  I did an interview with the reviewer, Claire Martin, a few years ago, for another book.  She's actually been to the Otavalo region of Ecuador (the region the book is set)-- very cool!)

Scene Magazine-- which gives a really thoughtful analysis:

"The Queen of Water is at once depressing and inspirational, savage and innocent, and is all the more poignant since it is based on the true story of Farinango’s upbringing. The first-person narrative creates an intimacy between Virginia and the reader; it is a glimpse into the personal diary of a blossoming and resilient young woman."  Read more here.

Okay, I have to go now... my Lil Dude wants me to watch him ride his bike around the track in the school down the block.  *proud mama moment... Lil Dude just turned four and he's already a master at riding a bike without training wheels... he's actually been doing it since he was 3 1/2!*

(Okay, sorry, that's it for now....  bye!)

xo, more soon,
Laura

Roundup of pics and news

Hey everyone!

I figured I should post this little smattering of pics and news before my trip to Austin, TX, for the TLA conference and my agent's retreat. I'm sure I'll have heaps of photos to post soon...

Here's a pic from today at The Queen of Water event at Barnes and Noble with some of the lovely ladies (and baby!) who came. (Yes- that's me in the blue shirt-- I got a haircut!  It hasn't been this short since I was 14!  My head feels lighter...)


Here are a few pics from my visit to Irish a couple weeks ago for a cupcake party and Star in the Forest signing. 


The party was thrown by BookTrust, a wonderful literacy non-profit based in Ft. Collins that connects books with kids.  The celebration was in honor of Irish Elementary teacher David Autenrieth, who received the Excellence in Education Award for being a super-awesome teacher.  BookTrust gave beautifully inscribed copies of Star in the Forest to the fourth graders, which I then autographed... very exciting for everyone!


And here are a few pics from my Half Moon Bay trip that the librarians sent me...







It was great to see so many parents there with their kids... what a fun evening!

 

And now for the good news I mentioned-- Star in the Forest has been selected for some nice honors:

• Bank Street Children's Best Children's Books of the Year *Outstanding Merit*
• A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children (Washington D.C.)
• A Grand Canyon Readers Award Nominee (Arizona)
• A DCF Award Nominee (Vermont Libraries Children's Selection)

And The Queen of Water has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer Project-- a list of outstanding feminist literature from an ALA group. 

(*happy dance*)

Okay, time to get Lil Dude to bed!

Cheers,

Laura

Teatime and *Stars*!

Hi dear readers!

I'm here in winter wonderland, having a spot o' tea (as Lil Dude calls it) and feeling happy about *more* good Queen of Water news... a second starred review, this one from Booklist! 

* "A moving, lyrical novel that will particularly resonate with teens caught between cultures." 
-- ALA Booklist

And we have official word that Queen is a Junior Library Guild selection... hooray! Maria Virginia and I are so, so grateful that all these nice things are happening with Queen... each bit of recognition helps get the book into the hands of more readers.

In the midst of this excitement of preparing for the book's release, I'm also waiting (nervously) for revision notes from my editor on The Jade Notebook.  And I'm still trying desperately to catch up with all the (very patient) friends I neglected over the last few months of being completely absorbed in finishing the manuscript.  (Sorry!)  Tea n cake times with Lil Dude have become more frequent... bright, warm spots in wintertime...
 

Mmmm....

Yummm....

Hip hip cheerio! (as Lil Dude says...)

Wherever you are, I hope you're staying warm and cozy...

xo
Laura

*Starred* Kirkus review for THE QUEEN OF WATER!

Hey guys,

So, after seven years (I started this book in 2004!), The Queen of Water will soon become a reality.... on March 8th, just over a month away!  Maria Virginia (my co-author) and I have been doing lots of happy-dancing (her in Ecuador, me here in Colorado)... not to mention LOTS of happy squealing over the phone...  The reviews have been lovely, lovely, lovely!  This book is very special to me for so many reasons (which I'm going to write about and add to my website soon).  For now I'll just say that Maria Virginia and I are incredibly grateful that the story feels special to readers, too.

Here's an excerpt of the ***starred*** review from Kirkus Reviews, which calls the book "riveting.":


"Bright spots of humor and warmth are woven throughout, and readers will agonize for Virginia while seething at her tormentors. The complexities of class and ethnicity within Ecuadorian society are explained seamlessly within the context of the first-person narrative, and a glossary and pronunciation guide further help to plunge readers into the novel's world.  By turns heartbreaking, infuriating and ultimately inspiring. (Fiction. 13 & up)"

Thank you thank you thank you!!!  (You can read the whole review here.)

And there's more!  VOYA calls the book "a richly described coming-of-age story set in a culture both foreign and familiar... by turns, shocking and funny."

I'm so glad these reviews mention the humor... I really love this aspect of Maria Virginia's story, too.  She was an incredibly spunky girl (and still is!), and she found all kinds of creative and funny ways to resist her oppressors.  And although she went through very rough times, she wasn't a victim, not at all... her girlhood was indeed inspiring.

In case you're curious what I've been up to since I handed in my manuscript a couple weeks ago... I've been doing all the fun, relaxing things that I put on hold during that final push to finish: long walks by the river, NIA dancing and yoga (very helpful, since those long hours in front of the computer wreaked havoc on my neck and shoulders), tea parties with my Lil Dude, reading books, watching movies with girlfriends (saw I Love You Phillip Morris (weird and funny) on Friday and plan to see The King's Speech, Black Swan, and Blue Valentine soon).  And, the ultimate in fun-creative-inspiring entertainment... went to the Cirque du Soleil show "Allegria"! Wow, wow, wow! Breath-taking and so worth the money (er, pretty pricey).


If you've read The Ruby Notebook, you know I love this stuff... fire dancing...


 whimsical acrobatics...

and clowns, of course...

Lil Dude was enamored of this "beautiful lady" (singer)... and insisted that we try to talk with her after the show (no go)...

 Okay, now to work on updating the website... Thanks for reading!

xoxo
Laura

My Horoscope...

Hello dearest readers!
 
I wanted to share with you my uncannily accurate horoscope from the Lincoln Journal Star that my parents picked up as they were driving here (Colorado) from Michigan last week:

Cancer (June 22-July 22)-- You almost see the finish line for a writing project.  The editing process presents difficulties.  Enlist the help of an older, more objective person.

Hehehe!  Needless to say, the writing project is THE JADE NOTEBOOK, which I must finish by Jan 1.  And um, yes... "presents difficulties" is a nice way of saying "is utterly grueling at the moment."  And the older person?  My mom, of course.  In my NaNoWriMo-esque plan, I'm trying to get this latest revision to her by the end of November.

Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who came to my novel-writing tips event at Barnes and Noble yesterday-- you guys were great!  I have to say, you probably inspired me more than I inspired you.  (And as you probably saw on the handout, I meant to hold a fun little contest to come up with a snazzier title for the workshop, but I got caught up in the excitement of talking to you all, and it completely slipped my mind... sorry!)

A nice bit o' news: THE RUBY NOTEBOOK just got a Flamingnet Top Choices Award!  This is a really cool teen blogger award... all the reviews are done by teens, who designate their favorites as Top Choices.

Here's a piece of the review:

"The Ruby Notebook is a lovely tale of a girl who is lost in her own world, as most of us are. The reader follows Zeeta on her path to finding herself, perhaps learning more about themselves as well. The concept of the book lies in the mysteries of the fountain of eternal youth, which I find interesting. It was very easy for me to get immersed in the book and not want to stop reading. There were many plots and subplots that were all very well tied up by the end of the novel, but they kept you guessing the entire way through. I would recommend it to anyone who loves both mystery and romance genres." -- a 17-year-old Flamingnet Reviewer

Thanks-- I'm honored-- it's always extra-meaningful to get a good review from a teen reviewer! 

Speaking of reviews, the Denver Post featured THE RUBY NOTEBOOK in the Sunday book section.  Here's a quote from reviewer Claire Martin: "As always, Resau's narrative is lush, evoking Provence with grace and precision."  (Merci,  Claire!)  She also reviewed my friend Lauren Myracle's latest book, Violet in Bloom.... it sounds really good-- I'm eager to read it. 

On a side note, Lauren and I will be at the NCTE conference (ALAN workshops) in *Orlando* next week, along with a bunch of breath-takingly amazing authors. So thrilling to be in their midst... Just before that conference, I'll be at the International Children's Literature Festival in Madison, also in the midst of fabulous authors. 

And now, if you'll excuse me, I must do some laundry so I have something to wear on these upcoming adventures.  (When I walked out the door with Lil Dude to go to preschool this morning, he said, "Mommy, you can't leave the house in your pajamas."  I ushered him out, assuring him that it's our secret... if I wear a big coat, no one has to know I slept in these clothes...)

Okay, thanks for reading! 

xo
Laura

Ruby Notebook Review Roundup...

Hi everyone,

Just got back from a quick trip to Anaheim, California for a fun visit to Connelly School to talk about RED GLASS, which was their All School Reads book!  My hotel was on Disneyland Drive, but alas, no time to go to Disneyland or the ocean (so close yet so far...)  My Lil Dude was awaiting my return, and I was still missing him from the previous week's NYC trip.  I did go out the one night I was there... to a Greek restaurant where I ate feta cheese that had been set on fire (very dramatic!) with the lovely Lori Polydoros, an author from the area.

I've been noticing some nice blogger reviews of THE RUBY NOTEBOOK coming in, now that the book is officially released.  I thought I'd share some with you...


From Biblioholic :

"A romantic, optimistic story that reassures the reader that there is more to life than observing and spending time worrying about the “what-ifs” only serve to limit your potential.  It is an affirming novel aimed at pre-teen girls but offers reminders for us all."  (Read the entire review here.)

From Book Pleasures:


"Every page is filled with wonder and excitement in this fantastic tale of romance, mystery, and happiness.  I have to say I was completely immersed in this YA novel, and a line that this author put forth will stay with me a long, long time, ”…no matter what pain or agony, if we reach deep enough inside our souls, we can survive anything.”  A fantastic sentiment to concentrate on; I commend this author for her beautiful stories about life, and I recommend them highly to all readers." (Entire review here.)


From Sarah Laurence:

"My teenaged daughter and I agree: Laura Resau might very well be our favorite young adult author. Her lyrical prose, multi-aged characters and exotic settings would appeal to many adults as well as to teens. This globe-trotting author trained as an anthropologist, adding cultural depth to her stories."

From Sarah's teenaged daughter:


"The Ruby Notebook, the sequel, was spectacular as well! I thought it would be hard to live up to the first one, which I loved, but this one was amazing too! It had unexpected twists and turns, friendship, lovely characters, romance, and a very interesting plot." Entire mother and daughter reviews (of both THE INDIGO NOTEBOOK and THE RUBY NOTEBOOK) plus an interview here.


Thank you, wonderful and dedicated bloggers!


Okay, that's all for now!  While Lil  Dude's still napping, I'm going to read and critique some manuscripts-in-progress by my writer friends Dana and Gloria (the latter novel is in Spanish... I can only do a critique like this this when my brain is working at its best, which is a pretty narrow window of time these days.)  It's exciting-- a big perk of being a writer-- getting to see your friend's story gems while they're still in the process of being polished... 

Have a fabulous week!  


xoxo
Laura

Starred review for THE RUBY NOTEBOOK!

 Ruby got its first professional review... and it's a starred one from Kirkus!

* "Thoughtful, intense Zeeta and her free-spirited mother return in this follow-up to The Indigo Notebook  (2009). Perennial travelers, the two have now settled in the atmospheric city of Aix-en-Provence. Zeeta eagerly anticipates the arrival of her boyfriend Wendell from Colorado, but when he changes the terms of his visit, Zeeta is hurt and confused. Their relationship is further strained by her involuntary attraction to Jean-Claude, a member of a street dance troupe. At the same time, Zeeta begins to discover strange notes and items left in her bag. Weaving bits of magic, city lore and bittersweet romance into each of the many plot lines, Resau has again crafted a complex and satisfying novel that is both a mystery and a tender, wise meditation on love and self-identity. Characters are rich and vibrant, each of them bringing their own past to bear on the story at hand. Readers will want to read the first before starting this one and will likely be clamoring for the third, the groundwork for which is nicely set up here." (Fiction. 12 & up)

Thank you,  Kirkus!  I have to give you background, though, to my state of mind when I read this review for the first time. I'd been attempting to exist more in the moment, to find joy in simple, immediate sensory pleasures (Lil Dude's laugh, light through leaves, the river, sun-warmed fresh-picked cherries)... instead of fretting about the future or past or things out of my control. 

And as far as reviews specifically,  I'd been telling myself not to pay too much attention to them, because ultimately, they're out of my control.  All I can do is write the best book I can at the time, and then launch it into the world and wish it well.  I shouldn't let any review-- good or bad-- affect my mood too much. If you put too much stock in good reviews, then, when a bad (or even mediocre) one comes along, it can be crushing. 

Anyway, back to the point.  So, that was my philosophical state at the time.  I wasn't expecting Ruby reviews yet (this happened at the end of July, and Ruby comes out in mid-September).  I remember opening my email account and telling myself, okay, Laura.  You won't let any of this affect your mood.  I was thinking my inbox would be full of responsibilities I'd need to attend to... and then I open it and see an email from my editor with the subject heading STARRED REVIEW! 

And I just started laughing.  I didn't let myself open it right away.  I reminded myself that good news comes and goes, just as bad news does, and the things that give me true joy are my family and friends and nature and traveling and creative writing.  Then I opened the email and read the review... and despite myself, I smiled.  I felt happy.  Jubilant! I might have even danced a little jig. 

Ah well, I tried....

A few other newsworthy items:

I broke down and got professional author photos taken for the first time ever!  Well worth it, I think-- Tina Wood (whose studio is just a few blocks away) did a great job disguising my wrinkles and zits.  The photos have special meaning to me because they're taken at one of my favorite places-- Lee Martinez Park, which I walk through daily. I got to scramble around on some river rocks for this one...

Another bit o news: I got the hardcovers of The Ruby Notebook in the mail the other day.  They're beautiful and shiny, and THICK! It's the longest book of mine out there so far at 373 pages (The Queen of Water is a bit longer).  As you'll glean from the acknowledgments, Ruby was a doozy to write!  During one angst-filled revision, my mom came to the rescue and helped me see the big picture and showed me what to prune and expand to make the 373-page story come together. (Her advice for The Jade Notebook?  "Keep it short, Laura!"  Hehehe... I'm trying, but all these intriguing little subplots keep creeping in...)

So, Ian just updated my website with this full summary of Ruby.  I realized I'd only put the short blurb up before.  Here's the whole thing, in case you're curious:

Sixteen-year-old Zeeta and her flighty English-teaching mom, Layla, have traveled the world together, settling in a different country every year, making a whole new set of friends and adopting new customs. This year, they've chosen to live in Aix-en-Provence, France, an enchanting city full of fountains, creamy yellow light, and a fascinating group of scarlet-clad street performers.

Zeeta soon begins to receive mysterious notes and gifts from someone she calls her fantôme, or ghost. But she is expecting her boyfriend, Wendell - the love of her life, as her friends call him - to arrive in Aix for a summer program very soon. Zeeta brushes off her curiosity about her fantôme, and her simmering attraction to one of the street performers, Jean-Claude, until Wendell arrives and she begins to fear that her feelings for him have truly changed. Perhaps - like Layla - she's simply not made for long-term romance.

As Zeeta tries to draw away from Wendell, however, circumstances seem to force them together. Zeeta's friendship with a local antiques dealer and his reclusive artist friend leads to a dangerous adventure. When Zeeta and Wendell join forces to find a secret underground spring whose water is rumored to bring immortality, they are forced to reconsider their own desires, and their beliefs about true love. Yet as soon as Zeeta decides that her mind has cleared, she's confronted with the biggest shock of her life: the incredible true identity of her fantôme.

Vibrant, warmhearted, and evocative, The Ruby Notebook is a remarkable novel about learning to accept love in all of its wondrous and imperfect forms.

Thanks for reading!  Fort Collins friends-- be sure to check the events section of my website for my upcoming release party on Oct 2 and a fun library presentation on Oct 9!

xoxo
Laura

Colorado Book Award!

Hi all! 
Exciting news-- The Indigo Notebook won the Colorado Book Award in the YA category!!!  Yippee!

The awards ceremony was in Aspen on Friday, so Ian and Lil Dude and I made it a fun weekend excursion. We didn't know what to expect from Aspen-- I'd always associated it with rich people and movie stars-- but we discovered it was a really comfortable-feeling place where you could find reasonably-priced mac n cheese and mickey mouse pancakes (well, if you weave through the Lexuses, and go past the Prada shop...)  Lil Dude had a blast playing in the fountains and jumping over (and into) the narrow little creek-water-feature that winds through downtown.  A comedian-balloon-man made him a Little Mermaid balloon sculpture, and Silly Susan sang him The Farmer and the Dell while he banged on the bongos. Bliss!

But since this is my book blog, I'll move the focus back to the awards... I wish I had pics to share, but Ian's camera was acting weird. (It's funny, in the two previous Colorado Book Awards ceremonies I've attended, we had camera issues, too... in those cases, forgetting the camera altogether!  At least this one was a step in the right direction...)  Here is an exclusive, behind-the-scenes photo of me powdering my nose in the hotel bathroom before the event.  (Who knows what possessed Ian to take that pic...  ;)

You can sort of get the idea of the indigo dress I got on ebay (Mom, this is mostly for you, since you were asking about it...)  It's too bad the skirt part is cut off, since that's Lil Dude's favorite part-- he made me twirl around in the hotel room for a while in princess fashion (he's really into princess dresses, and feels they're best accessorized with his big plastic chainsaw and fireman hat, which, fortunately, were left at home.)

Here is the single photo we have of the actual event...

That's me in the middle... the one with three faces... To my right is Helen Thorpe, who wrote Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming to Age in America (she won in the nonfiction category!) Yay, Helen! (who is incidentally the mayor of Denver's wife, and brought their son along, too)  I've heard so many good things about this book, and I'm looking forward to reading it.

To my left in that picture are my friends Karla Oceanak and Kendra Spanjer, who won in the juveline category for Artsy-Fartsy: An Aldo Zelnick comic novel.  I just read this on the way home from Aspen as Lil Dude was (thankfully and finally) napping.  What a funny-yet-edu-ma-cational book!  Highly recommended for boys ages 8-12 everywhere, especially reluctant readers!

I was also thrilled that my friend Denise Vega won in the children's category for her beautiful book, Grandmother, Have the Angels Come? Sweet and moving and poetic, with gorgeous, colorful illustrations.

You can see the full list of winners by category here. Thank you, Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book for this honor! If you live in Colorado, you should swing by their website and see what they have going on, especially if you're a teacher.  They do loads of cool literature-related programs.

Let's see, other news... here's a pic of me and Lindsay Eland at our reading at The Tattered Cover a few weeks ago, showing off the pretty silver engraved bookmarks that the TC gave us in honor of our event.  TC is my absolute favorite giant indie bookstore ever!

If you ever get the chance to hear Lindsay read from her book Scones and Sensibility, do it!  She does such a great job reading her narrator's voice with this funny, snooty English accent... it'll put a smile on your face, guaranteed...

Twas a lovely wee crowd... here I am with an enthusiastic young reader.

That's all for now... but soon I'll be posting the winners of the Spring Contest, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, I'll keep doing my happy dance... join me if you'd like! ;)

photo credit m frost

Thanks for reading!

Laura

What else I've been up to...

Hey everyone,

Since the past few posts have been rather school-visit-centered, I thought I'd tell you about other stuff going on in my life this spring...

Gardening and flower-gazing-- here's a cool columbine hybrid that formed spontaneously in our back yard.

Savoring the blooms of my brand new tulips, which I planted last fall.  I love tulips (you may have noticed I mentioned them in Star in the Forest). Last year I finally remembered to plant some bulbs... and voila, they emerged last month in all their glory!

I also planted some flowers in pots by my trailer (where I've been writing more of a rough draft of The Jade Notebook-- yes, I *am* doing my job here and there, too)...

Hiking in the mountains (this stream was bone-chillingly icy)...

Riding the trolley with Lil Dude on weekends-- it runs just a few blocks from our house. We take it to City Park,  where we then get on a kiddie train, play in the playground for a bit, have a picnic, then catch a trolley back home.  (My son is really, really into this trolley-- sometimes, out of the blue, he'll say with urgency, "Mommy,  Mommy, I love the trolley SO MUCH!")

You know, sometimes (like now) I wish I didn't have the policy of not posting pics of Lil Dude online, because man-oh-man, is he an adorable 3-year old!!!  Ah well, you'll just have to take my word for it... or come to one of my readings, because he might be with me.  He was at this one at the Ellicott City, Maryland Barnes and Noble), sitting in my lap as I signed books (he got ahold of a pen and was also signing... the table cloth... oops, sorry Barnes and Noble).

Here I am with my lovely Aunt Liz, who's always given me heaps of encouragement... when she first found out I was trying my hand at children's lit, she started giving me children's books for presents.

Miss Rumphius was one of my favorite books she gave me (speaking of flowers)...

I've also been reading outside lately, which feels delicious-- it's been a while since I've indulged in outside-reading.  This was the hilarious book I read over the weekend...

It touches on all things French, existential, and amorous... and it was edited by my very own editor at Delacorte, Stephanie Elliott. Even though the main character-- a major francophile-- never quite makes it to France (just Montreal), reading it did inspire me to bring Ian and Lil Dude to La Creperie down the street for croissants and crepes on Sunday morning.

Oh, and a nice morsel of news I've been meaning to share with you-- The Indigo Notebook won the Colorado Authors League Award for YA lit!  Here I am with my good friends Denise Vega (winner in the children's category) and Gary Raham (finalist in two categories).

Have a delicieux week!

gros bisous,
Laura