Wednesday, June 27, 2007

All in one place...


It was fun doing all those interviews last week. A form of self-analysis. I was embarrassed at how nebulous I had to be about my next project. Also was dismayed at how long it has been since I had a good, solid habit of early morning walks followed by journaling. (Which I always find to be a good way to "center" myself for the day.)

So, even if NOBODY read the interviews, I got something out of them. Have started back my early morning walks, have started a new journal and have gotten a solid start on that revision I've owed one of my editors for way too long!

Thank you thank you to everyone who hosted me, forcing me to take a look at myself.

Here's a recap of the blogs I visited last week:

Monday - Elizabeth Dulemba's blog
Tuesday - Dotti Enderle's blog
Wednesday - Kerry Madden's blog
Thursday - Barbara Johansen Newman's blog
Friday - Karen Lee's blog
Saturday - Ruth McNally Barshaw's blog

Here are some views I enjoyed on my sunrise walk this morning near the marsh, including the photo at the top...





And here's where I journaled when I got back... my new gazebo!




Got that great hanging ornament for only SIX BUCKS!

Monday, June 25, 2007

And last, but by NO means least...

My blog book tour completed over the weekend with a stop at my friend Ruth Barshaw's blog. Ruth is the author of the newly released Ellie McDoodle, Have Pen, Will Travel. She is carving her own exciting niche in the graphic novel field. My friend Ruth -- the pioneer!

Click HERE to read the interview.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Party!



My book launch party was lovely. It took place June 14th in the garden at The Smithfield Inn. The weather was perfect, (67 degrees in the summer!); the company was delightful; the crowd size was just right.

Aside from delighting in celebrating the long-awaited release of my book, it was also gratifying for me to see that people looked like they were having a really good time. Many thanks to John and Anne Edwards of The Smithfield Times for generously hosting the party. And of course, to my family and friends who came out to celebrate with me.

Here's a glimpse:

















At my friend Karen's "house!"


On Friday I visited my friend Karen Lee's blog. Karen is an author AND illustrator. She's' got a great new book called ABC SAFARI which just came out from Sylvan Dell.

Like me, Karen is fascinated by the creative process. We discuss it on her blog, Karen's News.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Today I'm at Barb's!


Barb Newman, that is, my good friend and fellow critique group member. Barb's new book, Tex and Sugar just came out. It's party time at Barb's house! (Or, it was last weekend when she hosted her western themed launch party.) Check out photos of her party on Liz Dubois' blog. Lucky Liz lives close enough that she could go and even bring the family!

Anyhoo, visit Barb's blog, Cats and Jammers Studio, to read the latest interview!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Two places at once!

As my blog book tour continues, today I'm two places at once... and I'm not even dizzy! (Kind of like doing Good Morning America at 8:30, then scooting up the street to appear on Regis by 9:15.)

Today you can find separate interviews at:

Dotti Enderle's blog
and Kerry Madden's blog

And if you can't get enough writer interviews, (I can't!) check out the great answers they gave me a few weeks back:

On May 24th, I interviewed Kerry,

and...

On May 3rd, I interviewed Dotti.

Monday, June 18, 2007

I'm on TOUR!


I've always wanted to say those words! I'm on a week-long "blog book tour" among my blogging author and/or illustrator friends. Today, (Monday) I'm visiting Elizabeth Dulemba, illustrator of such books as Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese.

To read the interview, click her name above or HERE.

See you there!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Happy birthday tooo Jaaaaack!


Well, it's our birthday. JACK OF ALL TAILS' official publication date, June 14, 2007. Sometimes I thought this day would never come. But my hair is already fixed and I'm gettin' ready to go upstairs and put on my fancy duds for my book's birthday party.

I've had 4 years to prepare for this. So how come I just picked out my outfit a few hours ago?

Anyway, as of today, I'm officially published. To borrow and paraphrase a hokey line from the old musical 110 in the Shade: "Ya been published, Kimmy. Ya don't ever have to go thru life a gal who ain't been published."

See you after the party!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Feelin' like a rock star


Enjoyed a fabulous visit to my local elementary school yesterday. What a great group of enthusiastic kids! So much for the old saying about a prophet not being accepted in his own land. (Or however that saying goes!) My hometown kids at Hardy Elementary treated me like a rock star. Because they're so nearby, I had stopped in to meet the lovely librarian some weeks ago to give her an advance CD of my song, "The Storytime Boogie." By the time my visit rolled around, the kids were familiar with the song. (A big thanks to my friend Mrs. Chapman, the music teacher, for taking the time to introduce the kids to the song.)

What a great audience! (Both groups, K & 1st and 2nd & 3rd.) The younger ones worked themselves into a cheering frenzy as I pulled stuffed "pets" from my big bag -- culminating in that huge crocodile I found in a 2nd hand store a few weeks ago. The older kids were equally entertained by my photos of my Evil Inner Editor. But they never got out of control. They'd quickly quiet with a simple "shhh" into the microphone so I could bring up the next image. You couldn't ask for a better audience!

Both groups laughed in all the right places when I read Jack of All Tails especially at David Clark's illustrations. It's important for kids to understand how much of the story is being told by the illustrator. I tell students that the illustrations do more than depict the actions described by my words. As we read, I point out humorous details in David's art that don't even show up in my text. Sometimes we guess what's going to happen next in an illustration, such as when the mom -- dressed as a cat and lying on top of a piano -- is mischievously eyeing a child's chewing gum bubble. When my sons were little, we'd see if they could name other books illustrated by that artist just by looking at the covers of our library books. It's amazing how often they could. I really admire a strong signature style like that.

I don't usually give out postcards to the entire student body, but I happened to have a batch of 1000 "free" postcards because my printer messed up my order a few weeks ago. The full-color front showing the bookcover looked fine, but the back side was unacceptably light. So they reprinted and shipped new ones, leaving me with a box of 1000 extras. So I put stickers on the back announcing my booklaunch party for any kid who can talk his/her parents into bringing them. (This, since the book isn't being released for another two weeks, so I couldn't sell them during the visit.)

I closed with "The Storytime Boogie" at both presentations as kids clapped along. Hey! Hardy Elementary has rhythm, too! All in all, a very fun afternoon.

(Jack of All Tails published by Dutton Children's Books - Illustrations copyright ©2007 by David Clark)