Joy's first full day at Brazos Bookstore

By Joy Preble
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

Last month, I became the new Children’s Specialist at Brazos Bookstore in Houston. I hadn’t planned on it, but when you stumble into your dream job, well, you take it!

It’s a balancing act: Selling books and buying books and merchandising and creating store events, while also writing and promoting my own novels. I’m not just an author anymore, but I’m not just a bookseller either, and this hybrid from means I’ve seen behind one curtain, and now I’m peeking behind another.

What have I learned in the past few weeks the job? Lots of things, and not so much that they are new but that I’m seeing them through a different prism.

And so the responsibility of hand-selling books I love by authors whose work I admire weighs heavy—and heavier because we are a small, highly curated independent store and space is a premium, especially so in the children’s area.

Our buyer’s philosophy is: "if two copies is good, then one is better." If I order three copies or four, then I better not only adore this book, but have made it clear to my co-workers why I love it, made sure they’re reading advanced copies and come up with a plan to sell it big. If I put a book face out or make it part of a special display or grace it with a shelf-talker that choice is mine. Already, I’ve seen how store love and hand-selling can quickly turn a small book from a small press into a bestseller.

It makes me all the more appreciative for the booksellers and librarians who’ve supported my career and talked up my books and kept copies on hand. Because I know now what happens when I see that a book hasn’t sold any copies in a month or two. I purge all or most of the copies from the shelves and replace it with something new.

Booksellers channeling Dorothy Parker

Of course I knew this before… in theory. But while the author part of me—the part that knows what it takes to write a book and bring it into the world—struggles with the idea, the bookseller part of me either has to come up with a plan or put it on the return shelf.

We return a lot of books each week. Stacks and stacks of them. The author part of me will probably always feel sad about this. But that is how it works.

On the other hand, one of the grand things about working at an independent bookstore is that while we respect the Kirkus Reviews recs and the Indie Next List and all the rest of it, we are under no obligation to promote only the books that the reps have pushed when we take meetings.

Oh, we want to predict the big titles as much as the next guy, but we also revel in finding that hidden gem of a book and giving it its due. But I know now that this takes more than just keeping it on the shelf. It means moving it around the store, making it visible, putting it in customers’ hands, crowing about why we love and why they should read it.

My new job has revived and broadened my reading tastes because of this and colleagues who put translated Latin American novels in my hands or find themselves shocked that I had not read Kelly Link’s latest short story collection.

I could go on and on and tell you how our particular store is owned by a co-op or how the reps often bring pizza. Or how I still have a weird series of reactions each time I see my own books in the store. Should I write a shelf-talker? Put them face out? Force my colleagues to read the latest?

Am I author/bookseller? Or bookseller/author?

Ringing up your own book for a random customer is, well, strange.

But this is enough for now.

Cynsational Notes

Joy Preble is the author of several young adult novels including the Dreaming Anastasia series (Sourcebooks), the first book of which was named an ABC Best Book in 2009; the quirky/humorous Sweet Dead Life series (Soho Press); a contemporary road trip/family drama, Finding Paris (Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins), which School Library Journal called, "An intricate guessing game of sisterly devotion, romance, and quiet desperatio.”

Her latest release is It Wasn't Always Like This (Soho Teen), which Kirkus Reviews called "a modern Tuck Everlasting with a thriller twist."

Joy lives in Texas with her family, including a sweet but slightly unhinged basset/boxer. In between writing and working at Brazos Bookstore as bookseller/Children’s Specialist, she teaches and lectures widely on writing and literacy and is currently on faculty at Writespace Houston.

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This Saturday, May 2, we are celebrating Independent Bookstore Day all over the country, all day! If you live in or around Houston, stop by one of these local bookstores and see what’s happening. Tweet at @BookstoreDay

Houston shops participating in special events this day:

Blue Willow Bookshop
14532 Memorial Drive, Houston, 77079
Locally owned by Valerie Koehler (aka, Girl Boss). Here you’ll find an eclectic selection of books (fiction and nonfiction) for adults and children. There’s something for everyone, including puzzles, games, and gifts for the book lover. Join Blue Willow Bookshop’s Independent Bookstore Day with activities, great food, giveaways and some very cool limited edition merchandise!

Brazos Bookstore
2421 Bissonnet, Houston 77005
Locally owned by a group of twenty-seven Houstonians. Celebrate with Brazos Bookstore on Independent Bookstore Day all day, from the special edition story time at 10:00 AM to the Ultimate Literary Showdown at 6:30 PM.

Katy Budget Books
2450 Fry Rd, Houston, 77084
New and Used Books
On Independent Bookstore Day, Katy Budget Books will be celebrating with exclusive, one-day only merchandise.

If you aren’t near one of the bookstores listed above, you might find one of these locally owned shops closer to you:

Murder By The Book
2342 Bissonnet St., Houston, 77005
One of the nation’s oldest and largest mystery specialty bookstores, stocking new & used, hardbacks & paperbacks, first editions, collectibles, gift items, mystery magazines, and more.

River Oaks Bookstore
3270 Westheimer, Houston, 77098
Locally owned by Jeanne Jard.

Galveston Bookshop
317 23rd Street, Galveston, 77550
Locally owned by Sharan Zwick and Jack Schlossberg. Books Used & New, Vinyl LPs, Comics, with a monthly local authors meet and greet!

Copperfield’s Books
8220 Louetta Rd., Ste. 106, Spring,  77379
Locally owned. New and used books.

Glow Worm New and Used Books
311 Main, Spring, 77373
Locally owned by Nelda Monjure. New and used books and sundries.

Good Books in the Woods
25915 Oak Ridge Drive, Spring, 77380
Locally owned by Jay Rohfritch. New, Used, and Out of Print titles, Fine Bindings, and First Editions.

The Book Nook Sugarland
5022 Hwy 90-A, Sugar Land, 77498
Locally owned by Katrina Chapman. New and used books, plus gifts and gift cards.

The Book Nook Brenham
212 W. Alamo Street, Brenham, 77833
Locally owned by Stefani Snead Kelley. Mostly used, with a smattering of new books.

 

We also have a two-author YA event happening that day:

May 2, Saturday, 4:30 PM
Murder By The Book
Joy Preble & Meredith Moore, YA Authors

Joy Preble will sign and discuss FINDING PARIS, and Meredith Moore will sign and discuss I AM HER REVENGE.

FINDING PARIS: Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can’t trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who’s moved them all to Las Vegas. It’s just the two of them: Paris, who’s always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind–going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love. But Leo isn’t going anywhere right now, except driving around Vegas all night with her sister.

Until Paris ditches Leo at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris–a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared? When Leo reluctantly accepts Max’s offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold inside.

I AM HER REVENGE: She can be anyone you want her to be.
Vivian was raised with one purpose in life: to exact revenge on behalf of her mother. Manipulative and cruel, Mother has deprived Vivian not only of a childhood, but of an original identity. With an endless arsenal of enticing personalities at her disposal, Vivian is a veritable weapon of deception.
And she can destroy anyone.
When it’s time to strike, she enrolls in a boarding school on the English moors, where she will zero in on her target: sweet and innocent Ben, the son of the man who broke Mother’s heart twenty years ago.
Anyone…except for the woman who created her.
With every secret she uncovers, Vivian comes one step closer to learning who she really is. But the more she learns about herself, the more dangerous this cat and mouse game becomes. Because Mother will stop at nothing to make sure the truth dies with her.

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Sorry, I don’t have time to write about our SCBWI Houston conference this past weekend, but I’ve just got to shout about our keynote speaker:

KELLY LIGHT!

Along with a big thank you to everyone who helped put this conference together, I want to say a special thanks to our guests, Wendy Loggia, Annie Berger, John Cusick, Molly Jaffa, Susan Hawk, Isabel Warren Lynch, and J. Patrick Lewis, and of course, to our wonderful bookstore host, Blue Willow Bookshop. It was truly an outstanding conference.

This week’s events:

April 22- May 27, Wednesdays, 6:00 PM
Writespace
Cassandra Clarke: Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop (Hybrid)
Cost: $170-$205
Cap 12

Do you take your fiction with a side of aliens, superheroes, dragons, or witches? Then this is the workshop for you!

This course will provide an overview of the SFF genre. Together we will consider those elements of writing which are crucial to crafting compelling speculative stories, such as building our own worlds, extrapolating the fantastic from reality, and creating compelling non-human characters. In addition to discussing classic and contemporary SFF works, you will participate in writing exercises and bring in your own work for critique. Come to class prepared to write and discuss, and by the end of the six weeks, you will have completed at least one SFF short story.

Please note: This is a hybrid workshop, which means the workshop meet three Wednesdays at Writespace and three Wednesdays online, from the comfort of home. Though writers will be asked to post and read discussions on our online forum on Wednesdays, our Wednesday online meeting dates will offer more flexibility. For instance, on the days of our online “meetings,” if you need to check in at a time other than between 6-9 PM, this will work.

April 25, Saturday, 10:00 AM
Writespace
Kathy Duval: Workshop: Make it Shine! Polish Your Picture Book to Its Fullest Potential!
Cost: $75-$95
Cap 12

Five hundred words—no problem, right? Wrong!

A successful picture book is an art form combining lyrical language and dynamic images, each dependent on the other.  To compete, your work must shine, as well as follow the conventions of today’s crowded market.

In this hands-on revision workshop, we’ll take a fresh look at your characters, setting, plot, and picture book language. Participants will complete exercises to polish their prose, as well as create a dummy to see how your text fits into a picture book format. Feedback in small groups will help you take your picture book to the next level.

Participants will be asked to bring three copies of the same completed picture book manuscript. You will be notified closer to the workshop date about the other supplies you will need for making a dummy.

April 25: Saturday, 2:00 PM
Blue Willow Bookshop
Joy Preble, YA Author

Joy Preble will discuss and sign her newest novel for teens, FINDING PARIS.

Sisters Leo and Paris Hollings have only ever had each other to rely on. They can’t trust their mother, who hops from city to city and from guy to guy, or their gambler stepfather, who’s moved them all to Las Vegas. It’s just the two of them: Paris, who’s always been the dreamer, and Leo, who has a real future in mind–going to Stanford, becoming a doctor, falling in love. But Leo isn’t going anywhere right now, except driving around Vegas all night with her sister.

Until Paris ditches Leo at the Heartbreak Hotel Diner, where moments before they had been talking with physics student Max Sullivan. Outside, Leo finds a cryptic note from Paris—a clue. Is it some kind of game? Where is Paris, and why has she disappeared?

When Leo reluctantly accepts Max’s offer of help, the two find themselves following a string of clues through Vegas and beyond. But the search for the truth is not a straight line. And neither is the path to secrets Leo and Max hold inside.

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We don’t have a lot of author/illustrator events for readers this month, but for writers, it’s a windfall! In case you haven’t heard, we have a new writers’ workshop venue in town Write Space, and they are launching their events this summer with a lineup of workshops for writers of children’s and young adult books.

Also, I want to pass on the news that the Houston Writers Guild Fall Contest is open for submissions July 1 – September 1, 2014. The contest is open to all writers (regardless of publishing status) with original, unpublished work. First place in each category wins $75. Winners will be announced at the 2014 Houston Writers Guild Winter Conference (November 8; details TBA). Everyone will receive score sheets with feedback via email after the winners are announced.

Please note that the first workshop listed is for children; all others are for adults writing for children.

July 12, Saturday, 10:00–3:00 p.m.
Houston Children’s Museum
Melissa Williams, PB Author
Workshop For Kids Ages 8-14
Cost: $135.00

Exercise Your Imagination at the Houston Children’s Museum with Melissa Williams, author of the picture book series, IGGY THE IGUANA, TURTLE TOWN and LITTLE MISS MOLLY! Workshop Includes: Take Home Brainstorming Notebook; 16×20 Painted Canvas; Lunch; Goodie Bag. Register online here.

July 12, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Write Space
Jen Mathieu, YA Author
Workshop: How to Find Your Character’s Voice
Cost: $45.00

Jen Mathieu, author of the runaway hit, THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, will lead this writers’ workshop. Heart-stopping plots and detailed settings are important to any memorable story, but a character who becomes real in the heart and mind of the reader leaves a permanent mark. In this three-hour workshop, we’ll spend some time reading and dissecting examples of terrific character voice and complete several writing exercises intended to help develop a character whose story demands to be told. All levels of experience are welcome. Students will leave with a handout of exercises for uncovering a character’s personality, motivations, fears, and dreams as well as a list of suggested readings. Please bring a laptop or notepad and pen/pencil, depending on which instrument you feel most comfortable using for quick writing exercises.

July 19, 10:00-4:30 p.m.
Write Space
Kathy Duval, PB Author
Workshop: Make It Shine! Polish Your Picture Book
Cost: $85.00

Five hundred words— no problem, right? Wrong!
A successful picture book is an art form combining lyrical language and dynamic images, each dependent on the other.  To compete, your work must shine, as well as follow the conventions of today’s crowded market.

This hands-on revision workshop led by Kathy Duval, author of TAKE ME TO YOUR BBQ (Hyperion/Disney) and THE THREE BEARS’ CHRISTMAS and THE THREE BEARS’ HALLOWEEN (Holiday House), will take a fresh look at your characters, setting, plot, and picture book language. Participants will complete exercises to polish their prose, as well as create a dummy to see how your text fits into a picture book format.  Feedback in small groups will help you take your picture book to the next level. Participants will be asked to bring three copies of the same completed picture book manuscript. You will be notified closer to the workshop date about the other supplies you will need for making a dummy.

July 19, Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Houston YA/MG Regular Meeting
Community Room at the H.E.B. at 9710 Katy Freeway
Emily Evans, YA Author
Workshop: Tips, Tricks, & Secrets of the Millionaire Author
Free!

Pre-published? Traditionally published? Indie Published?

Employ millionaire-author strategies now so your future is more “party at the Capital” and less “welcome to the Hunger Games.” Houston YA/MG’s own Emily Evans will lead the discussion. Emily has made $150 K indie-publishing her YA novels. Where’d she go wrong? What’s she doing right? Emily will brush off her psych degree and analyze marketing trends, best-seller habits, and pretty much anything else you want to throw out there. So change out of those writing pajamas and join us…

Saturday, July 26, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Write Space
Workshop: The Power of Point of View
Joy Preble, YA Author
Cost: $45.00

Joy Preble, author of  the Dreaming Anastasia series (Sourcebooks) and the Sweet Dead Life series (Soho Press), will lead this workshop. Point of view is one of the most important choices an author can make because it impacts how readers see and respond to the story. Through whose eyes is the story being told? Through the eyes of a character as he experiences the story’s events (1st person present), through an unnamed narrator (3rd person omniscient), or through a narrator who shares the thoughts of just one character (3rd person limited)?

If a story doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, often the problem lies in point of view. For instance, perhaps we aren’t telling the right character’s story. Or, we are telling the right character’s story, but we aren’t telling her story in the right point of view. When the story is told (before or after events), why it is told, and who does the telling are all powerful decisions each writer must make. It’s easy to give attention to the more glamorous aspects of craft such as character arcs, plot, and tension, but profound discoveries await those willing to explore point of view.

All levels of experience are welcome in this hands-on workshop. To help free up our stories, we will read and analyze examples of point of view in successful novels, and then apply our newfound knowledge to our own writing.

Come prepared to write, revise, and experiment. Please bring the first three to five pages of a novel or short story you’re working on, as well as a laptop or a notepad and pen or pencil.

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Book Release Day!

 Kell Andrew’s

DEADWOOD

Sometimes a lucky ritual becomes a curse.

Seventh-grader Martin Cruz hates his rotten new town, Lower Brynwood, but with his mom fighting a war in Afghanistan, he has no choice but to live with his crazy aunt. Then he gets a message from a tree telling him it’s cursed—and so is he.

It’s not just any tree either, it’s the Spirit Tree, an ancient beech the football team carves for good luck before the season opener. But every year they lose. Now the Spirit Tree is dying, and the other trees in the park are toppling around it like dominoes. The town is plagued with unexplainable accidents and people begin to fade, drained of life.

Martin must team up with a know-it-all soccer star, Hannah Vaughan, if he has any chance of breaking the curse. If they fail to save the Spirit Tree, it could mean the destruction of Lower Brynwood and a permanent case of bad luck.

June 26, Thursday, 10:00 a.m.
Blue Willow Bookshop
Dee Leone, PB Author

Join author Dee Leone for a special story time/book launch for BIZZ AND BUZZ MAKE HONEY BUNS! Bizz and Buzz are two bees who want to make honey buns. So, they ask their friend Bear for his recipe. Although the directions seem simple, Bizz and Buzz make mistake after mistake, like finding a little “flower “instead of adding a little “flour.” What will “bee”-come of the honey buns?

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In celebration of the 95^th annual Children’s Book Week, authors and illustrators showed up at local indie bookstores nationwide to read stories aloud. I’m so glad I had the chance to see the four Texas authors—Crystal Allen, Nikki Loftin, Kathy Duval and Varsha Bajaj—at Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston as they shared their favorite picture books. This event was big fun! All four authors were amazing laugh-out-loud readers and the diversity of the books they selected added so much flavor to the event. Kathy Duval shared SOPHIE’S SQUASH, written by her friend Pat Z. Miller. Nikki Loftin read one of her favorite books from her own childhood, FREDERICK, while Crystal Allen chose a new favorite MY COLD PLUM LEMON PIE BLUESY MOOD and Varsha Bajaj read a book her children had loved, SIXTEEN COWS.

I barely had time to run home and get a few errands done before it was time to be back at Blue Willow for the launch of Joy Preble’s new YA novel, THE A WORD. As usual for Joy’s events, it was a packed house. I think nearly every YA author in Houston (and one from Austin!) was there. After Joy’s lively discussion and book signing, we all headed to Ooo La La for cupcakes, gelato and coffee. A yummy day!

The only downside was that with everything else that was going on, I missed the Houston YA/MG Writers meeting where Jessica Capelle was talking about world building. The good news is that this summer, Jessica will be giving a full day workshop on this topic at Houston’s new hot spot for writers, Writespace.

Coming up this week…

May 20, Tuesday, 5:00 pm
Blue Willow Bookshop
Jarrett Krosoczka, PB Author/Illustrator

Award-winning picture book creator Jarrett Krosoczka will sign his books, including PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLYFISH, his latest picture book—a funny and touching story of friendships old and new, and about being brave enough to apologize. Peanut Butter and Jellyfish are best of friends and swim up, down, around, and through their ocean home. Crabby is their neighbor. He is not their best friend. But when Crabby gets in trouble, will Peanut Butter and Jellyfish come to the rescue? You bet they will!

Wednesday, May 21, 5:00 p.m. 
Blue Willow Bookshop
Chris Gall, Author/Illustrator

Illustrator and author Chris Gall will discuss and sign his newest picture book for kids, DOG vs. CAT. Dog and Cat do not get along. But when they’re forced to share a room, they agree to be on their best behavior…until Dog won’t stop “sniffing.” Cat won’t stop “primping.” Dog won’t stop “howling.” Cat won’t stop “scratching.” And when it comes to the litter-box…sharing is “not” an option! What will it take to bring Dog and Cat together? Find out in Chris Gall’s comic clash that brings out the best (and worst) in two very different pets.

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Wow, what a turn-out debut YA author Kristin Rae had for the launch of her teen romance, WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN! Blue Willow Bookshop was packed with friends, family and YA fans. I was thrilled to see so many members of the Houston SCBWI, the Houston YA/MG Writers and the Houston Writers Guild show up for this event. I even spotted author Lindsey Lane, an author from Austin whose debut YA novel EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN comes out this September.

There’s so much going on this week, starting tonight with another event featuring Kristin! Please remember to check the sponsoring bookstore’s or organization’s website for the latest, most accurate information on these events.

May 13, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.
Three YA Authors: Lindsey Leavitt, Emery Lord and Kristin Rae

Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands
Join three exciting teen authors, Lindsey Leavitt, Emery Lord and Kristin Rae in the First Loves YA Event as they discuss and sign their books upstairs in the seating area.

May 17, Saturday, All Day
Central Library
Books Alive! 5th Annual Children’s Book Celebration

Children of all ages are invited to enjoy all the fun and exciting activities scheduled for the Houston Public Library’s Books Alive! 5th Annual Children’s Book Celebration.

The Children’s Book Celebration kicks off with a full day of exciting performances, hands-on arts and crafts activities, and special appearances. The highlight of the celebration is the appearance of Jennifer Holm, the author and illustrator of the Babymouse graphic novel series

May 17, Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
Blue Willow Bookshop
Indies First Storytime, Four Children’s Authors

Four Texas authors will help us celebrate the inaugural Indies First Storytime by reading their favorite picture books. Crystal Allen, Varsha Bajaj, Kathy Duval and Nikki Loftin will join us – you should too!

May 17, Saturday, 10:00 a.m.
Barnes & Noble, Deerbrook Mall
George Arnold, Children’s Author

Come meet local multi-genre author George Arnold, author of the Cats of the C.I.A. series. Mr. Arnold is a well-known author of young reader and mystery novels. Each title is packed with his signature humor.

May 17, Saturday, 2:00 p.m.
Blue Willow Bookshop
Joy Preble, YA Author

Joy Preble will discuss and sign her newest novel for teens, THE A-WORD. It’s been almost a year since fifteen-year-old Jenna’s stoner brother, Casey, died and returned as her guardian angel, along with his twenty-something “angel boss,” Amber Velasco. Almost a year since Casey and Amber used up their one-time-only angel power of flight to save Jenna from the evil Dr. Renfroe. Now Casey’s wonders why he’s still hanging around—not that he minds protecting Jenna, but there’s got to be a bigger picture, right? Something to distract him from his doomed relationship with cheerleader Lanie Phelps, who has no idea her boyfriend is, well, dead. After all, he can’t use his angel wings anymore. Neither can Amber. Enter Bo Shivers, Amber’s “angel boss.” Whiskey-guzzling, handsome and unpredictable, Bo lost his angel wings in an earthly flight a long time back, and he’s been a thorn in Angel Management’s side ever since. But Bo knows something big is coming. Something worth forfeiting his wings for Jenna… something that might change everything for everyone.

Saturday May 17, 5:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, College Station
J. White, MG Author

Join author J. White for a discussion of his debut novel THE THICKETY: A PATH BEGINS.  A dark, forbidden forest. Vicious beasts. Deadly plants. An evil spell book. Secrets. Mysteries. Demons and witches both fair and foul. Welcome to the world of The Thickety.

When Kara Westfall was six years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic . . . except, perhaps, the mysterious forest that covers nearly the entire island. It has many names, this place. Sometimes it is called the Dark Wood, or Sordyr’s Realm. But mostly it’s called the Thickety. Illustrated by Andrea Offermann.

May 20, Tuesday, 5:00 p.m.
Blue Willow Bookshop
Jarrett Krosoczka, PB Author/Illustrator

Award-winning picture book creator Jarrett Krosoczka will sign his books, including PEANUT BUTTER JELLYFISH, his latest picture book—a funny and touching story of friendships old and new, and about being brave enough to apologize. Peanut Butter and Jellyfish are best of friends and swim up, down, around, and through their ocean home. Crabby is their neighbor. He is not their best friend. But when Crabby gets in trouble, will Peanut Butter and Jellyfish come to the rescue? You bet they will!

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I know we are all excited about TeenBookCon and happy that next week it’s Houston’s turn to host TLA, the Texas Library Association’s annual conference. But though these are the biggest events rocking Houston’s children’s literature community, they aren’t the only events. Check out what’s happening in the next few days:

April 13, Friday 4:00 p.m.
Katy Budget Books
Laurie Knowlton, Author/Illustrator

Children’s Author/Illustrator Laurie Knowlton signs I KNOW A LIBRARIAN WHO CHEWED ON A WORD. Miss Devine, a bun-wearing bibliophile, has a passion for literacy that reaches new heights. She has actually chewed on a word, claims one small witness to this outrageous event. In the manner of “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,” she has downed a book shelf, table, chair, cart, and a copy of Peter Pan trying to chase down a savory assemblage of letters. What is that word?

April 14, Saturday, 10 a.m.-4p.m.
Alief Taylor High School
TeenBookCon

Orson Scott Card will be the keynote speaker for the 3^rd annual Houston-area TeenBookCon. TeenBookCon is FREE, though attendees may want to bring money for books and snacks. Along with Card, over 20 authors and artists of teen books from all over the U.S. will participate in author panels, signings, and activities at the free event. Authors’ works include graphic novels, paranormal and dystopian fiction, fantasy and romance. This is a great opportunity for teens and other fans of YA literature to interact with a variety of authors and graphic novelists! TeenBookCon’s major sponsor is the Blue Willow Bookshop. For details on the event schedule and other sponsors, please visit

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It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by and that it’s time again for the fabulous Houston SCBWI conference. This year our keynote speaker will be Dan Yaccarino. If you aren’t familiar with the work of this outstanding author and illustrator, take a look at this trailer for his newest book:

Dan will be having an illustrators’ intensive on Sunday and twenty-five local illustrators will have their portfolios on view throughout the conference. If you’d like a sneak peek at their work, you can watch this short video highlighting a few illustrators:

Our other guest editors this year include Heather Alexander from Dial Books for Young Readers. Heather edits middle grade and young adult novels, including the recent BEYOND LUCKY by Sarah Aronson. We’ll also have Jenne Abramowitz, of Scholastic, editor for Bill Doyle’s BEHIND ENEMY LINES , and Connie Hsu, with Little Brown Books for Young Readers, who has edited everything from board books to YA horror, includin

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If I remember correctly, author appearances in Houston got off to a slow start last January. Not so this year! I hope a lot of you got to attend the Texas YAHous’s Whim2Weird event last weekend.  If, like me, you couldn’t make it, you can see pictures of the event with local authors Sophie Jordan, Christina Mandelski, CC Hunter, Crystal Allen, Joy Preble, and Mary Lindsey, courtesy of Blue Willow Bookshop. We have another huge event coming up this weekend:

Sunday, January 15, 3:00 P.M. Doors open  2:30 P.M.
Johnston Middle School
10410 Manhattan Drive, Houston, TX.
Sponsored by Blue Willow Bookshop and
Inprint’s Cool Brain Series
Christopher Paul Curtis, Author

Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Christopher Paul Curtis comes to Houston to discuss his newest book for children, THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE.

Book:
“We are a family on a journey to a place called wonderful” is the motto of Deza Malone’s family. Deza is the smartest girl in her class in Gary, Indiana, singled out by teachers for a special path in life. But the Great Depression hit Gary hard, and there are no jobs for black men. When her beloved father leaves to find work, Deza, Mother, and her older brother Jimmie go in search of him, and end up in a Hooverville outside Flint, Michigan. Jimmie’s beautiful voice inspires him to leave the camp to be a performer, while Deza and Mother find a new home, and cling to the hope that they will find Father. The twists and turns of their story reveal the devastation of the Depression and prove that Deza truly is the Mighty Miss Malone.

Please be sure to check Blue Willow Bookshop’s website for the latest information on this special event.

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The Houston SCBWI conference The Art of Bookcraft is almost here! This year’s conference will feature two agents—Sara Megibow from Nelson Literary and Anna Webman from Curtis Brown, four editors—Leah Hultenschmidt from Sourcebooks, Kate Fletcher from Candlewick, Abby Ranger from Disney and non-fiction editor Brenda Murray from Scholastic. In addition to these great agents and editors, and our wonderful keynote speaker Ruth McNally Barshaw, author of the Ellie McDoodle series, we will have our own Houston SCBWI authors giving critiques. Houston SCBWI has been growing like a fourteen-year-old-boy and this year we will have books from twenty-one (21!) local authors available at our bookstore. Plus, these authors will be around all day to chat and autograph their works.

Although all the critique spots have been filled, don’t forget that all attendees may submit manuscripts to all of the editors after the conference—Disney! Sourcebooks! Candlewick! Scholastic! There is still time to register, so you don’t have to miss these great opportunities.

Now for this week’s Houston area events. Please remember the information here is taken from the sponsoring bookstore or organization’s websites. Plans can change, so please check their websites for the latest information.

March 24, 5:00 p.m.

Blue Willow Bookshop

Tim Green

Tim Green will discuss and sign his new novel for children, Best of the Best. Part of the proceeds from this event will help put local kids into uniforms for the upcoming Spring Branch Memorial Sports Association baseball season. Part of the proceeds from the visit will go toward FamilyPoint Resources’ sponsorship of several teams.

In Best of the Best, Josh is still flying high from his team’s tournament win at Cooperstown when his parents start talking about a divorce. Now his dad is challenging him to play the best of the best at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. But does he just want to get Josh out of the way? Two things are sure: His father’s new girlfriend, Diane, is looking to change things, and Josh is determined to get her and her terrible son out of his life.

With the help of Benji and Jaden, Josh races to get the facts that can keep his family together—but it’s ever harder to concentrate on the game and make the winning plays that will lead his team to victory.

For important information about this event, please visit Blue Willow Bookshop’s Events page.

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