Party for Maria Virginia!

pic of Maria Virginia as a teen

Hello all!

My friend and co-author Maria Virginia Farinango is back in town for two months.... and we had a brunch party today to celebrate! Our book, The Queen of Water, is coming out with Delacorte in Spring 2011... here's the blurb:

Co-written with Maria Virginia Farinango, this amazing true story begins in an impoverished community in the Ecuadorian Andes. As a seven-year-old, Virginia is taken from her indigenous family to be an unpaid servant in a mestizo household, where she struggles to hold on to her spirit. Eight years later, she escapes ... but discovers that freedom holds its own set of challenges. She must overcome obstacles to rebuild a life for herself, and ultimately, to figure out who she truly is.

I am SO excited about this book!! Here's a tiny clip from an article that I found in an Otavalo newspaper as I was researching her story there. She was a teen at the time, and had recently been crowned The Queen of Water (one of the three indigenous queens of the town). She was responding to questions for an interview... here's my favorite answer of hers!

Oh, um, if you don't read Spanish, here's a loose translation (I say loose because there's no good English translation for superacion...)




Your family?




That's a story that one day I'd like to make into a book. That's my big dream. A dream of overcoming struggles-- overcoming my own struggles -- and something which any girl my age could do, if she has the courage to learn how to make her dream a reality.

One thing that comes out in Maria's story is the idea that in order to make your dream a reality, you need to not only find strength within yourself, but also form friendships with people who feel passionate about helping you make your dream a reality. Our friends at the party today all played a part in making this book a reality!

Julie and Andrea (above) are ESL teachers in town. Andrea teaches at the community college where I taught ESL for many years -- I met Maria through her. She was a student of Andrea's in the classroom next to mine. Before I'd met Maria, Andrea told me a bit about her story. I was fascinated and soon got to know Maria better... and that winter, we began working on the book!


Kay and Marylou and Flora (above) have been like family for Maria here in Fort Collins, offering her places to stay and help with her crafts business and other endeavors. (I'm in the pink jeans and Maria's the one next to me in the long black skirt.)


Martha (above) is the librarian at Harris Bilingual Elementary here in town, and she was one of the bilingual educators in the focus group that helped Maria and me with our latest revision of The Queen of Water. She and the others gave incredibly helpful feedback! Muchisimas gracias!

Hopefully most of you got my most recent e-newsletter, which is chock full of my upcoming events in Colorado. You can see the latest newsletter here... and then you can sign up for future ones here!

I'll also be doing a *blog tour*... my first one ever! See the sidebar for a link to the first stop on my blog tour-- Marjolein's Young Adult Book Blog.) My next stop is around Sept 27 or 28 at the Through the Tollbooth blog, with all new, really interesting interview questions! Please check it out! (If you're a writer, esp a writer of teen fiction, I highly recommend you read this blog-- it's overflowing with great insights from respected YA authors.)

Thanks for reading! I'm going to make another cup of tea to enjoy before Toddler wakes up from his nap. It's a cool, rainy day here, and it feels cozy to be inside writing and sipping tea...

xoxo
Laura

Day 1 of The Indigo NoteBook Blog Tour!

Hi all,

Just a quick note to say my first stop on *The Indigo Notebook Blog Tour* is Marjolein Balm's blog... and what a perfect place to start! Each of the books in the Notebooks series is set in a different country... and Marjolein is based in the Netherlands (at least that's what I deduced from her blog-- hopefully I'm not mistaken). Don't worry-- her blog is in perfect English (which makes me want to learn Dutch!) Isn't the Netherlands a great hopping-off point for this blog journey?! Anyway, her blog is great-- I hope you enjoy the interview!

I'll have about ten more stops on the tour over the next couple months... and I'll try to give new and different info in each interview. Check back soon for the next interview link (and in the meantime, I'll try to put together an itinerary with what's to come!)

On a different note, here I am with two ladies in my writing group-- Sarah Ryan and Carrie Visintainer-- at the Tour de Fat-- a gigantic bike parade here in Fort Collins last Saturday. We dressed up as different genres of literature. Sarah was romance (though you can't tell here-- she's missing her swash-buckling pirate lover) and Carrie was Western, and can you guess what I was? (I'm the one with the black wings and pink boa.)


Magical realism. With a bit of sci-fi thrown in (thus the alien hat-mask-thing). Loads of fun!

Cheers,
Laura

Kirkus Review for Indigo! Editor's Corner!

Hello and happy September, everyone!

This'll be a quick post to let you know the first major review of The Indigo Notebook is in... and it's a good one! Phew! *BIG sigh of relief* ... *Ear-to-ear grin* Here it is:

"Upon arriving in Ecuador with Layla, her flaky, globe-trotting mom, 15-year-old Zeeta has no idea that this latest move will prove any different from the whirlwind to which she has become accustomed. Then she meets Wendell, an Otavaleño boy her age adopted at birth by a white couple from Colorado, and agrees to help search for his biological parents. Descending into a mystery rife with small-town secrets, Zeeta struggles to control her feelings for Wendell. At the same time, her mom has a freak accident that results in some serious self-examination and begins acting responsibly, observing social norms and, much to Zeeta’s distress, spacing out in front of the television. The characters fairly brim with life in this thoughtful, poignant novel filled with cultural details. The writing is simple but evocative—“Far above, the gray peaks wear long, green robes, swirling into valleys, rippling into smooth mounds.” The story’s too-neat ending may strain believability for some readers, but this is a minor detraction to an otherwise remarkably engrossing, layered work. (Fiction. 12 & up)" -- Kirkus

Yay! Thanks, Kirkus!!

Stephanie and me

This is the third book that I've published on with Stephanie Lane Elliott, my editor at Delacorte. We're in the process of working on four more, which will be released over the next two years. I'm so grateful for this wonderful editor-author relationship! I'm often asked how I ended up getting my first book (What the Moon Saw) published. I talk about it a bit in the Q&A section of my website (scroll down and click on the "path to publication" question). You can read Stephanie's perspective here -- she's the featured editor for September on the Editor's Corner page in the librarian/teacher section of the Random House website. I'm hugely honored that she chose to talk about my books-- starting from how she pulled What the Moon Saw from the slush pile. Thank you, Stephanie!!!

I'm in the midst of some blog interviews at the moment... they'll be posted over the next couple months to celebrate The Indigo Notebook release. Come back soon to see what great blogs are on the agenda for my book blog tour. And be sure to check out the growing list of Red Glass and The Indigo Notebook events happening this fall. (My husband and I will post some new ones this weekend.)

Thanks for reading!
Laura

Book Club in Denver!

Hey everyone!

For those of you going back to school, I hope your year is off to a great start! I had an amazing time at a mother-daughter book club meeting in Denver on Sunday afternoon. It was a cool, overcast afternoon, and seven girls (ages 13-15, I think) and their moms were gathered in a cozy living room... to talk about Red Glass!


They've been meeting for over five years, and most of the girls come from different schools. Books are their bond! For refreshments, they always make food from the book they're discussing at that meeting... I love this idea.


At their first meeting ever, they talked about Because of WinnDixie while feasting on a jar of pickles... and since then, they've made a tradition of having a jar of pickles at every meeting. (They're hard-core... when they read The Higher Power of Lucky, they ate SPAM.) So, for Red Glass, the most stunning part of the feast was this GORGEOUS cake!


Sally, who is also a writer of books for kids/teens, made the cake (during time she should have been writing... Sally, thanks for blowing off your writing for the day to create this scrumptious masterpiece! ;) Check out the red glass... she made the glass out of fruit roll ups! How creative is that?! Here I am with Sally, masterful cake-maker:


There was yummy mango salsa and guacamole and, of course, two big bowls of key limes that we squeezed all over everything, a la Limegirl!


And then, just when I thought things couldn't get any more delicious, Susan's husband waltzed into the living room with a tray of cinnamon hot chocolate in little crystal dessert glasses. Mmmmm...

Everyone asked really great questions about the characters and my writing process and all kinds of other things... what a fun discussion! Some of the girls and their moms are writers themselves, so they had some wonderful insights into the book-- really made me think.


I wonder if there are any mother-son book clubs out there? My son is two, and I would LOVE to be in a book club with him (well, once he starts reading, of course). I have enough writer/reader friends who have boys my son's age that I bet we could make it work in about five years. There probably wouldn't be as much squealing and giggling, though... ah well...

Muchisimas gracias, Maddie, Kaila, Smiley, Bessana, Dylan, Ellie, Natalie, and your moms!

On a different note, you'll be happy to know I finally send my draft of The Ruby Notebook into my editor, and am anxiously awaiting (and sort of dreading!) her comments... (let's just say that the manuscript was in a *very rough* form.)


Lately, I've been planning more release events for The Indigo Notebook this fall. If you're in Colorado, be sure to check out the Events page of my website and mark your calendars. I still haven't confirmed the Tattered Cover reading date, but I'll post it as soon as I know. Hope to see you at the festivities this fall!

Cheers,
Laura

Dreaming of a massage and tamales...

Hi, everyone!

I'm happy-- I just finished the latest revision of The Ruby Notebook, and spent the morning orchestrating book events to celebrate the release of The Indigo Notebook this fall-- October 13 to be exact-- less than 2 months away! (You can check out the events section of my website to see what's coming up... and I still have more events that I haven't posted yet (Boulder Bookstore and Tattered Cover in Denver. They're joint events with Victoria Hanley, and I'm excited because our book titles both involve purply colors in the rainbow:


I'm also happy because I'm getting a MUCH-needed massage this afternoon. The revision has wreaked havoc on my neck and shoulders... that's what happens when I'm writing under pressure, I've discovered.

Some good news! Red Glass was just selected as an Honorable Book for the Ohio James Cook Book Award for diversity in teen literature. Thank you, library lovers of Ohio!!! It's cool-- Red Glass is right alongside Sherman Alexie's book, which I absolutely loved (and which won the National Book Award for Young People's Lit-- very well-deservevd):


Here's an excerpt of a new review of Red Glass that I really love, posted by Minne of Athena's YA Book Review.

"... what I really enjoyed the most was all the cultural flavor...the description of boys selling tiny packs of chicles, the sounds of the cumbia, and the assembly line of tamale making. Now, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about...chicles refer to gum, the cumbia is a rythmic style of music, and tamales....mmmmm...you've got to eat them! Tamale making is a Mexican tradition still alive here in South Texas. Of course, many of us buy them by the dozen, but even I know exactly what the tamale assembly line is all about. Basically, a bunch of women (the grandmas, aunts, etc.) get together, especially during the holidays, and make loads of tamales for all to share and take home. It's quite an elaborate process of kneading, spreading, and boiling, but it does provide a pleasant time of sisterhood, laughter, and fellowship with all the comadres (close, female friends and relatives). Ok. l'll admit a little gossip probably takes place, too, but it's all in good fun. And, Laura describes it right on. It's been a while since I've done the whole tamale thing...I have to plan better this Christmas and get over to my Mom's whenever she gets the tamale making bug!

Read it! It'll get you in the mood for some awesome, home-made Mexican food. A road trip, yummy food, romance, true-to-life descriptions, and Laura's beautiful imagery...can't go wrong with it. You'll love it! Hmmm...I think I'll make some real tortillas sometime this week."

-- Minerva Vasquez, Athena's YA Book Review

Thanks, Minnie!!! I love reviews that have a personal touch like this one... and I REALLY love reviews that talk about food like tamales and make my mouth water. And the best news: I'll be visiting Minnie's school in south Texas next year! Can't wait... I'm already dreaming of tamales... Check out her blog-- Minnie gives really thorough reviews that give you a distinct *flavor* of the book.

Finally, another piece of good news: My fellow Old Town Writers Group member, Molly Reid, WON the NPR Three-minute story contest!!! This is huge-- there were over 5000 entries, and they picked HERS! I was alone in the car on the way home from the Denver airport when I heard them announce it on NPR. I was screaming and smiling and laughing and nearly had to pull over to calm down. You can listen to it here.

Okay, time to walk Luli-- she's making all kinds of weird noises and pacing the floor, giving me some not-so-subtle hints.

Thanks for reading!

Laura

Portland Retreat with the Gang of Erin!

Hello everyone!

Sit back and relax... because I have a feeling this will be a ridiculously long post. Last week for four blissful days, I was at McMenamins in Edgefield (just outside of Portland) with my phenomenal agent, Erin Murphy, and some of the Gang of Erin -- about fifteen of her phenomenal authors (including one author-agent, who you'll hear more about soon!)

Oh, where to begin... first, the grounds, which more than made up for the 105 DEGREE WEATHER!!!

Outside view of a magical nook-tree in one of their gardens:


Inside the magical tree-nook! I really, really want one of these for my yard... I'd spend hours reading inside it.


Vineyards galore!


Zillions of sun-warmed blackberries to munch on during strolls around the grounds (which is what I did during afternoon breaks from my seemingly endless revisions of The Ruby Notebook.)


And now, for the artwork! Murals cover the three-story lodge, which used to be a poorhouse, and later an old folks' home, and now a hotel.

Tributes to the old-timers abound:


This mermaid was in the "Ladies' Lounge", and it makes me think of Ammi-Joan Paquette, who is now working on a novel involving mermaids! I've heard a bit of it, and it's fantastic...

My room featured the "Waltz King", who-- according to the story painted on the wall-- was a beloved resident of the old folks' home who loved to dance and is now waltzing in heaven... (A sidenote: this lodge is supposedly haunted, and although our breakfasts were abuzz with ghost reports from the previous nights, the Waltz King must have been perfectly content waltzing away up there, because he didn't bother me once...)

Even the exit signs and exposed pipes were decorated:

It felt like you could walk right into some of the paintings, like this pathway through a forest.


And now for the very best part of all... my fellow retreaters! We spent a lot of time hanging out and talking and eating and trying to stay cool. In the mornings, we met in the library and had semi-structured conversations about stuff like the intersection of market and craft, school visits, and permission to make desperate phone calls to Erin when we're overflowing with angst for one reason or another... (I haven't done this yet, but now that I know I can, don't be surprised if Erin gets a 3 a.m. phone call about my revision woes...) We also read aloud from our works-in-progress, and I was FLOORED. Every single person's work is extraordinary... completely riveting. We laughed, we cried, we bonded in a big way...

Back row, from left: me, Kathy Duval, Susan Hampton, Cynthia Levinson, Dawn Dixon, Zu Vincent, Erin Murphy, Colin McMucray
Front Row: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Tamara Ellis Smith, Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ruth Barshaw was having an outdoor adventure of some sort (a big rock? a dam? Washington state? can't remember...) when the above pic was taken. So was Conrad, but somehow, I don't have a pic of him. Sorry, Conrad! Anyway, here is Ruth, in all her artistic glory:

She carries a little sketchpad around everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE, like even in the hot soaking pool at 10 pm. Hardcore. She writes the funny and wildly creative middle grade series starring Ellie McDoodle, her alter ego:

Here I am with Ammi-Joan Paquette (the one I associate with mermaids) at dinner. Just behind Joan is Tam-- an amazing pre-published young adult author. So talented and smart... we had great conversations in the back seat while car-pooling to Powells to oggle at the gigantic selection of kids' and teens' books (and of course, getting giddy to see our fellow Gang of Erinites' books featured.)


Joan has just joined Erin Murphy Litereary Agency as a new agent on board, which we're all super-excited about. Interestingly, her globe-trotting girlhood has much in common with Zeeta's, the star of my Notebooks series. Joan wrote this gorgeous picturebook that entices the imagination... I'll have to pull Toddler son away from his trucks and trains and construction vehicles and enlist him to go fairy-tracking with me in our yard... I think he'll get into it!


Here is the hilarious Dawn Dixon (left) and yoga master Zu Vincent (right) at the wine-tasting place.


Zu Vincent is the lovely author of The Lucky Place, a young adult novel I can't wait to read! Beautiful cover, isn't it?

Here are the brilliant and fun Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Kathy Duval, Ruth Barshaw, and Colin McMurcray (our tireless Portland retreat organizer)

Kathy Duval has written a bunch of wonderful picture books, including this one:

Needless to say, Toddler is in heaven with the new books I brought home for him.

Speaking of Toddler, he'll be up from his nap any minute now, so I'll sign off now... Thanks for reading!

Laura