Eleven Favorite Albert Einstein Quotes for 2011

Kim’s 2011

Eleven Favorite Albert Einstein Quotes:

1. If you want to be part of the future, you have to be part of writing it.


2. Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.


3. A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.


4. It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.


5. I never think of the future, it comes soon enough.


6. Imagination is more important than knowledge


7. If you’re out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.


8. An important thing is to not stop questioning.


9. We should take care not to make intellect our God; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.


10. Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.


11. Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.


And a bonus quote, because it’s my favorite (drum roll please):

The definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

BOOK REVIEW: Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading

CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald (Roaring Brook Press/July 2011 ) for middle grade readers is about Charlie Joe, a reluctant reader, whose cool-dude reputation is centered around the fact that he’s never read an entire book from cover to cover.



An advanced copy of CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING arrived in my mailbox along with a towering pile of vacation mail. As I scattered bills and letters across the kitchen counter, I realized I couldn’t start a new book—I had several pieces of luggage to unload, stacks of laundry to wash, children to feed, and pets to attend. I was also 85% (Kindlespeak) into another book. With a cluster of beckoning priorities, a guide to NOT reading seemed safe in my hands. I knew itwould be harmless to peruse the first few pages of the “guide” as I walked from the kitchen to my upstairs bedroom. My intention was to set the ARC on my nightstand and save it for another day. But in the 47 steps it took to travel the distance from room to room, I had read to chapter four. It was quick. It was easy. Another few pages wouldn’t hurt. Yep, I was hooked.


The combination of short chapters, fun fonts, and a breezy/amusing plot suckered me into flipping page after page with a sense of accomplishment. Charlie Joe should be ashamed if his intention is to get people to not read, because read I did. He packs the book with humor and he stuffs it with tips like, “don’t care about the main character” but then compels you to worry what will happen to him following utter humiliation, dire consequences, and yet another crazy scheme.


Author Tommy Greenwald nails the middle school voice in CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING. His tip lists are hilarious (helpful oxymorons-- “good book” “nice library”) and his descriptions are spot-on middle school: i.e. The Amish: “[People who] deny themselves basic necessities like cars, electricity, and Game Boy.”


CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING cannot be discussed without making a Wimpy Kid reference. Fans of one story will be fans of the other. There was also a little High School Musical drama moment in the story, but as Charlie Joe’s sister would say, I’ll leave that for you to read and discover.


With lists, tips, plot points, and good intentions, Charlie Joe attempts to stay true to his premise: to deliver a guide to not reading. He did his best, but I read cover to cover and rate this book a 4 out of 5. It was not preachy or teachy, but instead light, fun, creative and (dare I use a Charlie Joe oxymoron) one fun read!  Available in July 2011 from Roaring Brook Press (an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) $14.99. ISBN 978-1 59643 691-6 .

2011 "I Can't Wait" YA/Middle Grade Reading List

2011 is looking book-sweet and I can't wait to read these titles: 

1. NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT by Gennifer Choldenko (Dial/ February 2011). I only had to see the author’s name, Gennifer Choldenko, to know that I can't wait to get my hands on this. Not only am I a huge fan of the Newbery winner, AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS (a “five” lollipoper), but I’m also a huge fan of the lady behind the words. Ms. Choldenko spoke at an SCBWI conference I attended. She was gracious, lovely, funny, and encouraging...mirrors to her work which is absolutely entertaining.

2.  Crystal Allen’s middle grade novel, HOW LAMAR’S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY (release date: Feb. 2011).  This book is about a thirteen-year-old who vows to spend his summer changing his image from dud to stud. The manuscript gained a lot of attention and ended up selling to Kristin Daly-Rens at Balzer and Bray/ Harper in a six-figure, two book deal.  Behind Crystal Allen's debut novel are talented, respected people:  editor(Kristin Daly-Rens) and agent (Jen Rofe).  The writer/agent/editor trifecta combined with the buzz about this exciting book make it number two on my 2011 "can't wait" list. 

3.  PEARL(Candlewick Press/July 2011) by Jo Knowles.  Again, I base my interest in this book on past performance.  She delivered JUMPING OFF SWINGS as well as LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL.  Both are riveting Young Adult books that each have received an entire shelf worth of awards.

4. FORGOTTEN (Little Brown/Spring 2011). "Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future."  Could this really be the teen version of When You Reach Me?  Not only do I trust work represented by Cat Patrick's agent, Dan Lazar, but I also seem to relate to the protagonist...now wait, what was I doing?

5.  LEMONADE AND OTHER POEMS SQUEEZED FROM A SINGLE WORD (May 2011/ Roaring Brook Press) a quirky poetry book by Bob Raczka and Illustrated by Nancy Doniger.  This Middle Grade poetry book is described as "part anagram, part rebus, part riddle--these poems capture scenes from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve.  Sometimes sweet, sometimes funny, but always cleaver..."

6.  LEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. Henry (Crown Books/February 2011) made my list when I discovered review after review written by those lucky enough to have ARCs.  Publisher's Weekly calls it, "an impressive first novel."  Meg Clayton on Twitter says, "Mystery readers are in for a treat."  Northshire Bookstore says, "I will hand-sell "Learning to Swim" until my fingers bleed."  And award-winning author, Daniel Woodrell, says "from the grabber beginning to the heartfelt conclusion, Sara J. Henry's Learning to Swim is an auspicious debut. Fresh setting, well-realized characters, cleanly written, with a mysterious and suspenseful story - just what I was looking for."  Daniel Woodrell is the author of The Death of Sweet Mister and Winter's Bone

7.  VILLAIN SCHOOL: GOOD CURSES EVIL by Stephanie S. Sanders (Fall 2011/ Bloomsbury kids)
The title alone makes me want to crack it open. 

When Rune is caught doodling in class at Master Dreadthorn's School for Wayward Villains, the last thing he expects is a reward. However, when he reports to the Dread Master's office for detention, instead of scrubbing slug slime, Rune gets awarded his very own villainous Plot! Rune is overjoyed until he discovers that he must steal a baby, find a henchman, kidnap a princess and overthrow a kingdom. And he only has one week! He embarks on a journey with his Conspirators, the lovely and lethal Countess Jezebel and the furry and slightly slobbery Wolf Junior. Along the way, Rune encounters unlikely friends and even more unlikely villains and learns what it takes to be truly Villainous.

8.  CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald (Roaring Brook/Spring 2011).  Based on  information provided by my good friend, Google, there seems to be something very Gordon Korman-ish about Tommy Greenwald.  Translation--the book promises to be hilarious.  Review to follow.  UPDATE:  THIS BOOK HAS BEEN READ AND REVIEWED...PLEASE SEE LINK http://t.co/xTsHHry




 

9.  NOTES FROM THE BLENDER (Egmont/May 2011) by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin has been promised as one of 2011's most hilarious books.  It's a YA story of when the loser-dude's widowed father marries the popular-girl's mother. A little Brady Bunch/Meet the Fockers/Modern Family rolled up into one funny story. 

10.  PLAYING HURT (Flux, March 8, 2011)written by fellow SCBWI member Holly Schindler.  Holly's debut novel, A BLUE SO DARK, received the following review: "Breathtakingly, gut-wrenchingly authentic...A haunting, realistic view of the melding of art, creativity, and mental illness and their collective impact on a young person’s life."—Booklist, starred review.   PLAYING HURT naturally landed on my "can't wait" list.   

 

Book Review: MOCKINGBIRD

MOCKINGBIRD by Kathryn Erskine is about the quest for Closure told  from the voice of ten-year-old Catlin, a girl with Asperger's Syndrome. 

Catlin and her community are forced to deal with a tragedy that is beyond nightmare quality:  a school shooting.  Because the story is told from Catlin's point of view, the tale is is painful and beautiful as well as funny and quirky.  One side of Catlin's Asperger's is that she  is legalistic with words and behaviors.  This adds a delightful element of comic relief to a difficult subject.  For example, every day cliches like "keep your pants on" take on a literal connotation.   Another example of Catlin's need for literal behavior comes after a kid succeeds at bullying and dons an evil "grinny" smile.  Catlin says, "You shouldn't smile when you do something bad because a smile is supposed to mean you're being nice.  I wish people would follow the Facial Expressions Chart like they're supposed to."

I haven't seen the Facial Expressions Chart, but throughout my read of MOCKINGBIRD, I laughed and cried in all the right places.  This is a fantastic story with brilliant writing and voice.  MOCKINGBIRD easily earns a five out of five lollipop rating.

On November 18, 2010, MOCKINGBIRD won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature.  It was published by Philomel (a division of Penguin) in April 2010 and can be purchased for $15.99 at a bookstore near you (Boulder Books or Tattered Cover in Colorado).  For more about the author, Kathryn Erskine, you can visit her bio page.

Room: A Novel vs. the 1998 Best Foreign Film (directed by Benigni)

Book Review
Room:  A Novel by Emma Donoghue 

Where to buy in Colorado:
Boulder Book Store  1107 Pearl
Tatter Cover   on Colfax, Highland Ranch, or Lodo in Denver

There's been a pile of press surrounding Emma Donoghue's book ROOM.  It's certainly a "ripped from the headlines" type of tale, reminding me of the California tragedy when a girl was held hostage in a couple's backyard shack for several years.

ROOM is told from the POV of Jack, a five-year-old boy who was born the second year of his ma's seven year captivity. Jack has never seen anything beyond the eleven-by-eleven room where they are held, but he is none too bothered by the the living situation; it's all he knows and his mother has gently framed the circumstances. 

Somehow, the sweet way ROOM is told (and Jack's innocent understanding) reminds me of one of my favorite movies:  Life is Beautiful by director Roberto Benigni.  This 1998 Academy Award winning foreign film depicts an Italian Jewish father who is forced with his son into a German concentration camp.  The son is young and does not speak German, so instead of relaying the terrifying situation accurately, the father purposefully mis-translates the German guards' scary threats. He tells his son they are on an adventure and everything is a games.  He invents inaccurate and hilarious translations to replace the vile things that are truly said.  Although the subject matter is dark and bleak, I found myself laughing throughout the film.  ROOM is handled in a similar manner.

ROOM offers much to enjoy.  There is a certain sweetness to the book as well as fantastic moments of tension and excitement.

ROOM was released September 13, 2010 by Little Brown and Company.  It is available hardback with a list price of $24.99.

Top Twenty Texting Terms by Teens

SLANG

Are you in the know?  Here are the top twenty texting terms teens use.  If twenty is not enough, visit the website Internet Slang Dictionary Translator 

BF / GF Boyfriend / Girlfriend

BRB Be Right Back

CD9 Code 9 - means parents are around

GNOC Get Naked on Cam (webcam)

GTG Got to Go

IDK I don't know

(L)MIRL (Lets) meet in real life

LOL Laugh Out Loud

MOS Mom Over Shoulder

NIFOC Naked in Front of Computer

Noob Newbie

NMU Not much, you?

P911 Parent Emergency

PAW Parents are Watching

PIR Parent In Room

POS Parent Over Shoulder

PRON Porn

PRW Parents Are Watching

S2R Send To Recieve (pictures)

TDTM Talk Dirty To Me

Warez Pirated Software

W/E Whatever

WTF What the F@*x?

Holiday Urban Legends

For those who missed the Today show, I'm here to recap the top four holiday urban legends.

1.  You'll save on heating bills if your fireplace is burning--False.  The popular Discovery Channel show MYTHBUSTERS proved that corners of your house actually get cooler when you burn a fire.  A doctor featured on the TODAY show said when you burn a fire, warm air is sucked out of your living room and up the chimney.  She also advised for better results to have a glass door in front of the fire; also for fewer issues with smoke, burn ash or beech.

2.  Poinsettias have killed pets and children--False.  There has never been a single confirmed death associated with poinsettias.  That's not to say they can't make you sick.  If you discover that your toddler has eaten a poinsettia leaf, have her/him drink a glass of milk...and what the heck, it's your baby, go ahead and call poison control.  **Side note, Christmas Lilies can kill cats.  If you are a cat owner, please keep the Christmas Lily out of your home.

TRUE= KEEP AWAY FROM CATS!

3.  Allergies are over in the winter--False.  Allergens such as dust and mold are very prevalent during the cold months.  In fact, Christmas trees harbor mold spores.  If you buy a tree, have it cut fresh, on the spot.  The mold spores take a week to grow so that will give you extra time.  Furthermore, ask the tree farm if they have a tree shaker so you can remove mold spores.  If they don't have a tree shaker, use your leaf blower (or borrow one from a neighbor or rent one from Home Depot).

4. Wet hair causes colds--False.  Germs cause colds.  I would, however like to point out with this myth that although wet hair does not cause the cold, if your body is using energy units to try to stay warm, it will have less energy to fight a cold you may be getting...don't go out with wet hair!

 

The Kill Zone: The Great F-Bomb Debate

The Kill Zone: The Great F-Bomb Debate: " James Scott Bell In John G's Friday post, he gave us clips of his most recent editorial letter. One of the admonition..."

Book Review: PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A. S. King

Book review by the Bookshelf Detective, Kim Tomsic
PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A. S. King

Five Lollipop Rating


The dramatic tale of high school senior Vera and the confusing mind game following the death of her best friend Charlie. Charlie and Vera’s friendship started at age four. When they were five and ten and twelve, their friendship was about sleepovers, a tree house, and keeping secrets (like the one about Charlie’s missing underwear or the other about Vera’s mom). When Vera and Charlie enter high school, their friendship is tainted by unspoken crushes, lies, betrayal, and addiction. While Vera tries to compartmentalize the dirty secret behind Charlie’s death, she is forced to confront the truth about other relationships in her life. Author A.S. King is a master of voice. She makes the reader easily believe that an eighteen year old girl, a dead boy, and even a pagoda are narrating. Hard issues are dealt with in an authentic and even funny manner, but it’s the hopefulness that keeps the pages swiftly turning.
Genre:  Y.A.  (Knopf books for Young Readers October 12, 2010 ISBN 978-0-375-86586-2 Hardcover $16.99)

Oprah's No Phone Zone to NO HOME ZONE

Escalating No Phone Zone Pledge to a No Home Zone Crusade by Kim Tomsic

The influence Oprah harnesses by speaking a few words is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s like watching the wind whip a flock of moths on a new course. People don’t complain about the infectious sway her opinion holds over the majority because Oprah has proven to be a brilliant steward of her powerful gust. Currently, Oprah is using her persuasive energy to encourage people to give up a wide spread addiction: cell phone use while driving. Her campaign is called No Phone Zone.

Forfeiting phone use in the car is a sandy pill to choke down—many of us have become accustomed to the convenience of getting our to-do list done on the road. It’s handy to respond to emails at red lights, search movie listings while waiting for trains to pass, and make quick return calls at toll booths.

Many Internet users are on the No Phone Zone campaign trail; a shocking email blast is currently filling in boxes. It shows graphic images of a decapitated person and what’s left of his mangled car after an accident—one which was allegedly caused by a texting driver. Oprah may be on to something with her No Phone Zone campaign, but I wonder if the crusade should be on a broader spectrum…something on the magnitude of No Home Zone.

No Home Zone

Driving down the road feeling traumatized by the above mentioned email blast, I was on the lookout for dangerous cell phone users. As I arrived at a red light, I took an anxious peek to my right and sure enough, a teen was chatting on her Hubba Bubba pink phone; to my left, there was a business man with a phone, no wait, not a phone but an electric razor clutched in his hand.

I looked in my mirrors for an escape route from these dangerous drivers only to discover the car behind me was powered by a college student. She was brushing her teeth and spiting into an empty water bottle. When the light turned green, the shaver pulled away as he gave his chin a clean mowing.

I continued driving, nervous now of cell phone users and of people seeking to complete their morning hygiene while blazing down the road. Slowing to a safe distance from the shaver, talker, and brusher, I decided to change lanes. I signaled and glanced to my blind spot only to discover a thirty-something man holding a magazine on his steering wheel. Really? Reading while driving! My heart now bumping hard in my chest made me think I’d be guilty of heart attack while driving. I safely made a left turn, but felt overwhelmed with the amount of passing drivers toting Big Gulps and coffee mugs (I’ve heard the dangers of driving with hot coffee is equal to drunk driving).

Oprah’s campaign, No Phone Zone, invites people to “pledge to make [their] car a No Phone Zone.” I urge you to make it a No Home Zone—leave your novel, tooth brush, coffee mug, and coupon clipping at home. Oprah’s commitment states, “Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by pledging the safest driving behavior I can commit to.” For more information, visit http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html.

National Book Award Winners

National Book Award Winners were announced on November 17, 2010
and the winners are...

Attention Writers: 60 Agents at One Conference!

Writer's Digest Conference

THIS EVENT DATE HAS PASSED; WATCH AGAIN FOR LIST OF ATTENDING AGENTS IN 2012
New post for the conference January 20-22, 2012

(YOU MISSED IT   :0(    January 21-23, 2011)

LIST OF AGENTS WHO TOOK PITCHES:

Andrée Abecassis (Ann Elmo Agency, Inc.)

Jason Allen Ashlock (Movable Type Literary Group)

Bernadette Baker-Baughman (Victoria Sanders & Associates)

George Bick (Doug Grad Literary Agency)

Brandi Bowles (Foundry Literary + Media)

Jamie Brenner (Artists and Artisans)

Regina Brooks (Serendipity Literary Agency)

Ann Collette's (Rees Literary Agency)

Marisa Corvisiero, Esq. (L. Perkins Agency)

Jennifer DeChiara (Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency)

April Eberhardt (Kimberley Cameron & Associates)

Diana Fox (Fox Literary Agency)

Diane Freed (FinePrint Literary Management)

Adam Friedstein (Anderson Literary)

Mollie Glick (Foundry Literary + Media)

Doug Grad (Doug Grad Literary Agency)

Katie Grimm (Don Congdon Associates)

Naomi Hackenberg (The Elaine English Literary Agency)

Molly Jaffa (Folio Literary Management)

Meredith Kaffel (Charlotte Sheedy Literary)

Mary Kole (Andrea Brown Literary Agency)

Katie Kotchman (Don Congdon Associates)

Jud Laghi (The Jud Laghi Agency)

Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown, Ltd.)

Sandy Lu (L. Perkins Agency)

Donald Maass (Donald Maass Literary Agency)

Alexandra Machinist (Linda Chester Literary Agency)

Victoria Marini (Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents)

Jim McCarthy (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management)

Kate McKean (Howard Morhaim Literary)

Peter Miller (PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc.)

Robin Mizell (Robin Mizell Ltd.)

Shawna Morey (Folio Literary Management)

Emmanuelle Morgen (Judith Ehrlich Literary Management)

Dana Newman (Dana Newman Literary)

Kathleen Ortiz (Lowenstein Associates)

Lori Perkins (L. Perkins Agency)

Adriann Ranta (Wolf Literary Services)

Janet Reid (FinePrint Literary Management)

Chris Richman (Upstart Crow Literary)

Rita Rosenkranz (Rita Rosenkranz Literary)

Elizabeth Winick Rubinstein (McIntosh & Otis)

Katharine Sands (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary)

Katie Shea (Caren Johnson Literary)

Jessica Sinsheimer (Sarah Jane Freymann Literary)

Michael Strong (Regal Literary)

Becca Stumpf (Prospect Agency)

Emily Sylvan Kim (Prospect Agency)

Suzie Townsend (FinePrint Literary Management)

Joanna Volpe (Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation)

Marissa Walsh (FinePrint Literary Management)

Elisabeth Weed (Weed Literary)

Roseanne Wells (Marianne Strong Literary Agency)

Natanya Wheeler (Nancy Yost Literary Agency)

John Willig (Literary Services, Inc.)

Christine Witthohn (Book Cents Literary Agency)

Michelle Wolfson (Wolfson Literary Agency)

Don't let this ship sail without you!! (your choice...fishing boat or cruiseliner :0)

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE AGENTS AND THEIR SPECIFIC INTERESTS

Writing Wars: And then he saw...Blah, Blah, Blah

Writing Wars: And then he saw...Blah, Blah, Blah: "They should make more of these. Brevity is Key Shorter is always better when it comes to writing. Makes things less redundant, faster to ..."

Current Top Sellers on Kindle

This Week's Kindle Bestsellers (updated December 20, 2010 )

The Confession:  A Novel by john Grisham

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (Knopf)

4-Hour-Body:  An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex, and Being Super Human by Timothy Ferriss

Cross Fire by James Patterson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson (Knopf)

Decision Points by George W. Bush

Dead or Alive by Tom Clancy

The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson (Knopf)

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Room:  A Novel by Emma Donaghue (see review on this blog)

The New York Times

Hell's Corner - David Baldacci (Grand Central)

The Wall Street Journal

Mahjong Solitaire by Mobigloo

Heir by Grace Burrowes

Free Kindle Books

Freedom:  A Novel (Oprah's Book Club) by Jonathan Franzen

The Emperor's Tomb by Steve Berry

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber

J.K. Rowling, Rejection, and Lucky Number Thirteen

J.K. Rowling is known as the billionaire author of the Harry Potter series. But in a less fruitful period of

her life, her agent informed her that she’d never make any money writing for children. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was rejected by twelve publishers—they said the story wasn’t commercial enough. However, Bloomsbury, the thirteenth publisher that she queried with the story, took a chance and rode the Harry Potter train all the way to Gringotts.


The author of the seven-book phenomenon (or eight if you count the play) is so well known today that "J.K. Rowling" is included in Microsoft’s spellcheck. The writer’s real full name is  Joanne Rowling, no middle initial. The K comes from the name of her favorite grandmother, Kathleen. She chose to go by the penname J.K. because her publisher advised that her boy readers may not want to read a work by a female author. Unprecedented sales prove that nobody is bothered by her gender.

Rowling said she finally knew she was successful when she arrived in America for a book signing tour promoting her second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She rode in a car in downtown New York City and noticed an enormous line trailing down the street and wrapping around the block. She turned to her publisher and said something like, “What’s going on? Is there a big sale?” But the car pulled in front of Barnes & Noble and she realized the line was for her.

The idea to write the Philosopher's Stone (which happened to be the original title of her first book), came to Rowling when she was a broke twenty-five-year old, freshly divorced from a thirteen-month marriage, and the mother of a tiny baby. She was penless (and penniless), riding a train from Manchester to London, and the ideas swirled in her head: I can write about a boy wizard, and this will be how the school will look, and there will be four houses, and these will be the classes he can take.

Rowling wrote her first book by hand in noisy cafes while baby Jessica slept in a carriage by her side. By the time Rowling completed her seventh and final book (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), she sat it in the peaceful quiet offered at The Balmoral, a beautiful hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. She says when she completed the seventh book, she was initially elated, but in an interview with Oprah she said, “it was a bereavement.” Harry Potter was her escape and when she was done, she cried in a way that she had only cried one other time in her life—the time when she lost her mother.

She says that if her mother had not died, there would probably not be a Harry Potter. She says her experience with knowing death appears on every other page in what Harry has to deal with. Other life events, such as her experience with clinical depression, have inspired characters such as the Dementors. Although Mrs. Rowling said she could write an eighth, ninth, or tenth Harry Potter book, she probably won’t. She doesn’t commit either way, but she feels number seven was it.

However, there's an update since this blog post was written - 2016 saw the release of  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. According to Toyzk "Although it wasn’t part of the original 7-book series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a widely popular addition to the Harry Potter series. It begins where the Deathly Hallows epilogue left off, with Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger-Weasley, and Draco Malfoy sending their children off to the magical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." 

Ms. Rolwing says she will go on to write other things and she gives herself permission to not feel compelled to replicate the phenomena that occurred with the Harry Potter series. The last words in her seventh Harry Potter book say, “all is well” and it seems for Ms. Rowling, all is well,too.

My two brushes with Harry Potter fame:

1. I had breakfast with Arthur Levine (he was the American publisher of the Harry Potter series when he headed Arthur A. Levine Books). Okay, we were at separate tables, but we were inches apart. I could have reached over and borrowed his salt shaker. ☺ Ms. Rowling says that Arthur Levine is one of her two best friends.



2. At the lake in front of my house in Boulder, Colorado, I bumped into actor Devon Murray, the star who plays Seamus Finnigan. He was carrying a fishing pole as we passed one another on the path. When I saw him, I said hello while my brain tried to catch up. I knew that I knew him…but from where? I thought perhaps he was a waiter at one of the restaurants I frequented. But when we spoke, and I heard his thick accent, the cobwebs cleared from my mind. 

Author Buzz...it has nothing to do with Merlot

This came from an ad in Publisher's Marketplace (today's Publisher's Lunch)
"'Even if a publisher is on board, Authorbuzz.com is a great complement to their efforts. With my novel The Last Ember, Authorbuzz.com was able to use the great early reviews to push my debut thriller out. I was thrilled to wind up on the NYT bestseller list, which then led to extended co-op.' -- Daniel Levin
Reach 3,000 booksellers, 10,000 librarians, over a half million readers. And if it's a bookclub book - 25,000 bookclubs.

Write to them at Authorbuzzco@gmail.com for a menu and ideas. They're booking now for January – May. Including a special holiday month long effort.

Nerd, Origin of the Word, And Proof that I am One

I can't help myself...I love knowing interesting facts.  But what if my so-called fun facts are only interesting to me?  Does anyone else smile when they learn things like where the word "nerd" came from, or am I the only wordnerd who cares (well, me and David Cook...remember, he called himself a wordnerd). 
The first documented use of the word Nerd is in 1950 in the Dr. Seuss story, If I Ran the Zoo.  One blogger who goes by the name Bron has used his engineering brain to track the origin of the word "nerd" and he points out its first use was by Dr. Seuss.  "A boy named Gerald McGrew made a large number of delightfully extravagant claims as to what he would do, if he were in charge at the zoo. Among these was that he would bring a creature known as a Nerd from the land of Ka-Troo."  So a nerd (per the illustrator) equaled this grumpy character pictured below (oh the power of illustrators).
After Dr. Seuss, Newsweek used the word in an October 1951 issue to mean a person who is "a drip or a scurve." The St. Joseph, Michigan, Herald-Press used the word again in June 1952, again with a negative connotation.  For deeper study (and argument) into the origin of the word, visit the nerd expert's blog



There's No Place Like Gnome

I went to the mall yesterday and sure as sherbet, they were already piping in the Christmas tunes.  My blood pressure climbed as I worried about what to purchase for my sister and her husband (they've already purchased Segways; if that doesn't say it all, I'll provide a TRANSLATION-they have everything found in a mall including the mall cop's transportation). More worries...what to buy for  Dad...another grilling gift? And what am I going to buy to bring to my crazy white-elephant-party? 
Instead of taking a dose of Caduet, I lowered my blood pressure (and please check with your doctor to determine if this is the proper course for you) by reading a review of Chuck Sambuchino's book How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack: Defend Yourself When the Lawn Warriors Strike (And They Will).   It was the perfect answer to my gift giving concerns.

Preparation is the key to success.  How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is the only manual of its kind and your loved ones (especially those who have everything) will appreciate this hilarious book at Christmas (or sooner!). 



How to Find a Literary Agent by Kim Tomsic

Would you like to find that perfect literary agent for your project?  This article is packed with useful advice like please don't use glitter and rainbows to get their attention.

Start your quest for an agent by researching sources like The Guide to Literary Agents (GLA). Your goal is to search the pages and find an agent who is reputable and fits the type of book you are writing (picture book,young adult novel, romance novel, biography, historical fiction, cookbook, etc.). 

In the GLA, you will find a wealth of useful information including: agents name and email address; information about the agency for which they work; the agent's client list; their website/blogsite; if they're a member of various associations (i.e. SCBWI); how the agent prefers to receive submissions (i.e. snail mail or email/ query and first five pages/query only/attachments or no attachments/ etc.) and **vitally important** the type of projects the individual agent prefers (i.e. Middle Grade or YA or Picture Book, etc.) . You can also research agents and their specific taste on their agency website and on #MSWL which stands for Manuscript Wish List.

Once you find the agents who you believe would be a great advocate for your project, you begin by writing that agent a query letter. Remember, it's crucial that your research was precise and you learned about the agent prior to submitting. If your project is a cookbook, you shouldn't send a query letter asking for representation to an agent who is looking for YA dystopian material. If you are pitching a picture book, you shouldn't write to agents who only want to represent memoirs. All your research should be complete prior to writing that query. 

Your query letter is the first impression you'll make, and agents want to deal with smart and informed people. They want to know that you’ve selected them for a specific reason vs. throwing darts. You can be sure that if your query reads like you’ve queried them and every agent on the planet, they won't waste their time with a further look.

Do:  Craft your winning query letter by telling the agent:
1. Why you chose to query them (a simple one-line sentence);
2. The logline, working title, genre, and word count of your manuscript;
3. What your manuscript is about in one interesting paragraph;
4. What's in bookstores now that is similar to your manuscript (so they can decide if it's a money maker) OR what books your book would be shelved next to (and please don’t say it’s the next Harry Potter);
5. If you've been previously published;
6. Your education, affiliations (i.e. SCBWI), or special credentials as it might pertain to this manuscript;
7. A courteous closing and how to contact you.

It's ideal to break your query letter down into three paragraphs: the hook, the book, and the cook.

Don'ts

Here are a few things not to do—no matter how tempted you are—if you want to stay professional:

Don’t tell the agent that your mom, sister, classroom, and priest LOVED your book.
Don’t call your manuscript a fiction novel (that’s like calling it a story story or a book story).
Don’t submit to multiple agents WITHIN the same agency.
Don’t pack an envelope and mail a query to a "green" office IF that agent only accepts email submissions.
Don’t add attachments UNLESS the agent says they prefer submissions that way.
Don’t have your email filtered to their trash by adding attachments, submitting to multiple addressees, or by adding special stationary and do-dads to your email…these gadgets often land your masterpiece in a SPAM folder, and the agent never has the opportunity to see your brilliant work.
Don’t address your letter "Dear Agent." Remember, address to their name and spell it correctly. The agent needs to know you’ve selected them.
Don’t add glitter and rainbows to your submission; be professional and let your writing do the talking.

For a peek at  How to Write a Query Letter, 

http://kimscritiquingcorner.blogspot.com/2013/06/ive-seen-lot-of-query-letter-posts-but.html

For more information on writing query letters, I think Nathan Bransford's award winning blog is excellent (by the way, he just left Curtis Brown, so don't query him).

p.s. Make sure you check out predators and editors to avoid disreputable agents.

What to Take When You Must Evacuate

Two times in two months, I was almost evacuated from my home due fires that threatened my neighborhood.  On one of the occasions, my family and I were actually hosting another family that had been evacuated; if we had to leave, it would have been round two for them.

As the fire edged closer and we waited for word from the rangers, we watched two CH54 helicopters and another smaller helicopter gather water from the lake across the street.  The two CH54s dipped their huge tube in the lake, sucked up water, and flew off to douse the fire.  It would take eight minutes for them to return.  The smaller helicopter dunked a dangling bucket as it's water gathering method.  

The helicopters were my cue that this was serious business and I needed to kick into gear.  With help from my already-evacuated friends, we made a pile of the important things to take in case we needed to abandon our home. 

Here's our list of things to put into your car if you have been given a warning (and time) that an evacuation is pending.  All the rules change if danger is eminent...if there's a fire in your home, forget all and get the heck out!

Irreplaceable pictures
medications
pets stuff (food, cages, liter boxes, leashes, pet bed, medications)
Passports
checks
Financial Paperwork
Insurance Policies
Wills
Deeds
social security cards
birth certificates
Jewelry (especially personal pieces)
computer
heirlooms
a suitcase of clothes

what am I forgetting?
  

Nathan Bransford

Wow! I can't believe he's leaving the industry! Today is Nathan Bransford's last day as a literary agent for Curtis Brown.  He is also the creator of one of THE best blogs regarding the do's and don't's in publishing (i.e. good query advice, etc.) Fortunately, his blog will still be active at http://blog.nathanbransford.com/.  I just hope it's still packed with publishing tidbits and not tech-y stuff.



Today, the blog reads:

Nathan Bransford

San Francisco, CA

United States

Nathan Bransford is the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, a middle grade novel about three kids who blast off into space, break the universe, and have to find their way back home, which will be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in May 2011. He was a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. from 2002 to 2010, but is now a publishing civilian working in the tech industry. He lives in San Francisco with his wife Alison Presley.

Personality Test by Kim Tomsic

As the bookshelf detective, I love anything with the title SNOOP.  Dr. Sam Gosling, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, has a new book Snoop:  What Your Stuff Says About You.  He says that we express our self (deliberately as well as accidentally) by our things, so what you have in your desk, on your wall, on your counter all speak about your personality.  I wonder what my tin Wrigley's gum container, snow tubing photo, pink retro mouse pad, harmonica, and Vic's espresso frequent punch card (all sitting on my desk)say. Snoop is a fascinating read on its own merits.  I think it could also serve as a great tool for writers who want to develop believable characters.  Whatever your purpose, have fun snooping.