Laura Resau's Blog, page 14
May 24, 2011
Austin TLA Recap (just a month late...)
Hey yall,
I've been so crazy-busy I haven't had a chance to tell you about my trip to Austin last month (for the Texas Library Association Conference), so now that I've gotten a chance to catch my breath from all the traveling, here goes!
Author buddies David Levithan, James Dashner, Lauren Myracle, Carrie Ryan, and me after a fun BBQ dinner (there were lots of those in the heart of BBQ land!)...
My new editor-- Francoise Bui! The editor I had for my first six books- Stephanie Lane Elliott-- had a beautiful baby last fall and made a career change, so Delacorte connected me with my new editor, Francoise, who I like very much and who's editing The Jade Notebook with me. (She's in the middle of this pic-- I wish I'd gotten a good one of the two of us together!)
Cool paper mache guitar centerpieces... I think that Texas teens made them for us! Lots of music, art, and tattoos in Austin, I noticed (and BBQ).
And lots of amazing librarians!! Like my fun dinner companions...
Always exciting to hang out with authors I admire... James Dashner is the author of The Maze Runner series-- incredible speculative fiction-- and he's an exceedingly nice guy, I discovered. And we're both interested in parallel universes and the like...
Here are some more great librarian at the signing I did for Star in Forest-- loved their enthusiasm! I have to say that Texas librarians just *exude* enthusiasm-- it was a real joy talking with them all.
At the Random House dinner... more friends, new and old, in the publishing industry... and super-yummy food!
So much laughing and great conversation that night... topics covered included Friday Night Lights (which I have yet to see but apparently everyone at Delacorte is obsessed with), Paul Simon (who I've loved for decades), blueberries vs blackberries (I prefer the latter), and so much more!
It's such a treat to stay in high-up rooms in fancy shmancy hotels that I'd never stay in normally... and to get picked up in a sleek black car-- the very car that Justin Bieber rode in not long before me, as a matter of fact. I'm no pop culture aficionada, but I do know that name.... my driver, apparently did not! He told me he found himself amidst squealing girls at the airport to meet Justin, and that's when he asked another driver standing next to him, "So who is this Justin Bieber guy I'm picking up, anyway?" He said Justin was quite the nice young gentleman, and gave him a $100 tip. (At which point in the story, I started feeling a little bad that regular old authors like me can't swing close to that kinda tip...)
I have more pics from the trip-- pics of my wanderings by the river/lake path and of my agent retreat, but now I have to try to get Lil Dude to understand what "quiet time" means... he's abandoned naps, to my chagrin, but I'm determined to have some kind of siesta-type hour in the day. Wish me luck (today was not successful!)
xo,
Laura
I've been so crazy-busy I haven't had a chance to tell you about my trip to Austin last month (for the Texas Library Association Conference), so now that I've gotten a chance to catch my breath from all the traveling, here goes!
Author buddies David Levithan, James Dashner, Lauren Myracle, Carrie Ryan, and me after a fun BBQ dinner (there were lots of those in the heart of BBQ land!)...
My new editor-- Francoise Bui! The editor I had for my first six books- Stephanie Lane Elliott-- had a beautiful baby last fall and made a career change, so Delacorte connected me with my new editor, Francoise, who I like very much and who's editing The Jade Notebook with me. (She's in the middle of this pic-- I wish I'd gotten a good one of the two of us together!)
Cool paper mache guitar centerpieces... I think that Texas teens made them for us! Lots of music, art, and tattoos in Austin, I noticed (and BBQ).
And lots of amazing librarians!! Like my fun dinner companions...
Always exciting to hang out with authors I admire... James Dashner is the author of The Maze Runner series-- incredible speculative fiction-- and he's an exceedingly nice guy, I discovered. And we're both interested in parallel universes and the like...
Here are some more great librarian at the signing I did for Star in Forest-- loved their enthusiasm! I have to say that Texas librarians just *exude* enthusiasm-- it was a real joy talking with them all.
At the Random House dinner... more friends, new and old, in the publishing industry... and super-yummy food!
So much laughing and great conversation that night... topics covered included Friday Night Lights (which I have yet to see but apparently everyone at Delacorte is obsessed with), Paul Simon (who I've loved for decades), blueberries vs blackberries (I prefer the latter), and so much more!
It's such a treat to stay in high-up rooms in fancy shmancy hotels that I'd never stay in normally... and to get picked up in a sleek black car-- the very car that Justin Bieber rode in not long before me, as a matter of fact. I'm no pop culture aficionada, but I do know that name.... my driver, apparently did not! He told me he found himself amidst squealing girls at the airport to meet Justin, and that's when he asked another driver standing next to him, "So who is this Justin Bieber guy I'm picking up, anyway?" He said Justin was quite the nice young gentleman, and gave him a $100 tip. (At which point in the story, I started feeling a little bad that regular old authors like me can't swing close to that kinda tip...)
I have more pics from the trip-- pics of my wanderings by the river/lake path and of my agent retreat, but now I have to try to get Lil Dude to understand what "quiet time" means... he's abandoned naps, to my chagrin, but I'm determined to have some kind of siesta-type hour in the day. Wish me luck (today was not successful!)
xo,
Laura
May 17, 2011
Bookbrowse Feature
Hey everyone,
Just want to say hi! I'm sick with a cold now (as is Lil Dude), so we're both taking it easy today. I'm feeling a little guilty for letting him watch back to back Toy Story and Toy Story 2 videos, but honestly, it's the only way I've found to keep him resting. He's this bottomless well of crazy energy, even when he's sick and coughing up a storm and needs to sit still.
I've done some fun school visits the past couple weeks-- two were focused on Star in the Forest, and if I get photos passed along, I'll post them here. I love hearing all the ways in which kids connect with that book-- it's really moving. And it's so inspiring to see the cool activities the teachers plan for the students... one of the most exciting things for an author is to see creative writing and art projects that stem from their story. Thanks, Columbine and Irish Elementary Schools!
Tamara Smith (an author and agent-mate of mine) did a wonderful feature of The Queen of Water on Book Browse. Here's an excerpt:
This book pulls no punches. It does not sugar-coat María
Virginia's experiences as a servant for a middle class
mestizo family. She is dealt a cruel hand, and Laura Resau
deftly writes about the details of her abuse - both physical
and emotional - and her dreams of escaping her situation.
Not easy stuff to read. But Laura also lyrically writes
about Virginia's courage and determination - to learn to
read, to understand science, to leave her abusive situation,
to become the person she is meant to become - and the
ways in which she slowly achieves these goals. An
amazing story.
Tamara's article also discusses the collaborative nature of this book (between me and Maria Virginia Farinango)... this was one of the most rewarding aspects of writing the book.
Thank you, Tamara!
You can read more here.
Time to check on Lil Dude and have more tea with lots of honey... wish me a speedy recovery!
xo,
Laura
Just want to say hi! I'm sick with a cold now (as is Lil Dude), so we're both taking it easy today. I'm feeling a little guilty for letting him watch back to back Toy Story and Toy Story 2 videos, but honestly, it's the only way I've found to keep him resting. He's this bottomless well of crazy energy, even when he's sick and coughing up a storm and needs to sit still.
I've done some fun school visits the past couple weeks-- two were focused on Star in the Forest, and if I get photos passed along, I'll post them here. I love hearing all the ways in which kids connect with that book-- it's really moving. And it's so inspiring to see the cool activities the teachers plan for the students... one of the most exciting things for an author is to see creative writing and art projects that stem from their story. Thanks, Columbine and Irish Elementary Schools!
Tamara Smith (an author and agent-mate of mine) did a wonderful feature of The Queen of Water on Book Browse. Here's an excerpt:
This book pulls no punches. It does not sugar-coat María
Virginia's experiences as a servant for a middle class
mestizo family. She is dealt a cruel hand, and Laura Resau
deftly writes about the details of her abuse - both physical
and emotional - and her dreams of escaping her situation.
Not easy stuff to read. But Laura also lyrically writes
about Virginia's courage and determination - to learn to
read, to understand science, to leave her abusive situation,
to become the person she is meant to become - and the
ways in which she slowly achieves these goals. An
amazing story.
Tamara's article also discusses the collaborative nature of this book (between me and Maria Virginia Farinango)... this was one of the most rewarding aspects of writing the book.
Thank you, Tamara!
You can read more here.
Time to check on Lil Dude and have more tea with lots of honey... wish me a speedy recovery!
xo,
Laura
May 9, 2011
Starred Publishers Weekly review for Queen!
Maria Virginia Farinango (my co-author and me... happy!!)
Hey guys,
Nice news to start off my week: The Queen of Water just got its *third* starred review-- this one from Publishers Weekly! I'm over the moon!
* This compelling collaboration between Resau (The Ruby Notebook) and Farinango--who met while Resau was teaching English at a community college--is based on Farinango's tumultuous upbringing in Ecuador as part of an indígena (indigenous) family, forced to live under the thumb of the mestizos (the Spanish upper class). As is common for indígena girls her age, Virginia is sent to live with a wealthy mestizo couple--in her case, Niño Carlitos and his wife, Doctorita--and she babysits their children and serves as their maid for eight years. While the living conditions are an improvement over her family's small farm, she endures physical and verbal abuse and is denied an education.
Narrating in a singular, authentic voice, Virginia dreams of escape, but her broken identity leaves her directionless. Along the way, though, she employs her imagination, persistence, and hard-won wisdom to recover her strength and freedom. The authors' candid narrative richly depicts Virginia's passage from a childhood filled with demoralization to a young woman who sees her life through new eyes. Ages 12–up.
Yay! So happy about this... I didn't even know what starred reviews meant before my first book came out... Basically, it's a system for recognizing the book as having exceptional merit... and the happy consequence is that librarians, book sellers, teachers, and people in the publishing industry pay more attention to the book.... which ultimately gets the book into the hands of more readers... and this, as a writer, is one of my biggest goals... to connect with as many readers as I can.
Okay, I have to wade my way through the heaps of emails that have been building up since I left for Michigan. I'm in the midst of planning lots of author visits (virtual and actual) with schools and libraries in Colorado-- Broomfield, Boulder, Fort Collins, Basalt, Grand Junction, and more...
(If I owe you an email, don't worry, it'll be coming soon... my apologies!) Thanks for reading and keeping in touch-- I'm grateful!
xo
Laura
May 6, 2011
Back from Michigan!
Hello everyone!
Just got back from author visits to Lansing and Ann Arbor, where I had a blast with students from Haslett High, Greenhills School, the International Book club at the East Lansing Library, and the folks at Ann Arbor Library... I loved meeting so many cool teachers and students and librarians and writers and readers... such a treat!
I also went to my dad's retirement party in Grand Rapids... Lil Dude was with me, which made things extra wild and crazy (he has so much energy he literally bounces off walls). He was great on the plane ride, but I still feel utterly exhausted at the moment... I'd like to sleep about 20 hours...
More good news has been coming in about Star in the Forest... the latest is that it's an Americas Award Commended Book! I love the Americas Award... Red Glass was a winner a few years ago, and What the Moon Saw was an honor book. You can read more about the award here.
I also found out that Star in the Forest is currently a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in the Juvenile category, and The Ruby Notebook is a finalist in the Young Adult Category... yay! Thank you, Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book!
So excited to go to Aspen again with Lil Dude and Ian for the awards ceremony in June... and the best part is that I'll get to be with my talented, fun friends who are also finalists:
Amy Kathleen Ryan for Zen and Xander (YA, another Fort Collins author and good friend!)
Todd Mitchell for The Secret to Lying (YA-- yet another Fort Collins author and good friend!)
Nancy Bo Flood for Warriors in the Crossfire (Juvenile, she's one of the brilliant authors behind The Pirate Tree blog!)
Congrats everyone! I can't wait to cheer each other on in Aspen...
I also wanted to let you know that The Pirate Tree (mentioned above)-- a wonderful new blog about social justice and children's literature-- is featuring The Queen of Water this week. There's a thoughtful review/article on domestic slavery and The Queen of Water and an interview with me... And next week it will be featuring Star in the Forest! A huge thank you to Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Nancy Bo Flood for their work on this incredible blog (and for their important books)!
Hmmm... I feel like there's more news, but my brain isn't cooperating now... I'll try to remember and write more soon! Hope everyone's enjoying springtime!
xo,
Laura
Just got back from author visits to Lansing and Ann Arbor, where I had a blast with students from Haslett High, Greenhills School, the International Book club at the East Lansing Library, and the folks at Ann Arbor Library... I loved meeting so many cool teachers and students and librarians and writers and readers... such a treat!
I also went to my dad's retirement party in Grand Rapids... Lil Dude was with me, which made things extra wild and crazy (he has so much energy he literally bounces off walls). He was great on the plane ride, but I still feel utterly exhausted at the moment... I'd like to sleep about 20 hours...
More good news has been coming in about Star in the Forest... the latest is that it's an Americas Award Commended Book! I love the Americas Award... Red Glass was a winner a few years ago, and What the Moon Saw was an honor book. You can read more about the award here.
I also found out that Star in the Forest is currently a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in the Juvenile category, and The Ruby Notebook is a finalist in the Young Adult Category... yay! Thank you, Colorado Humanities and Center for the Book!
So excited to go to Aspen again with Lil Dude and Ian for the awards ceremony in June... and the best part is that I'll get to be with my talented, fun friends who are also finalists:
Amy Kathleen Ryan for Zen and Xander (YA, another Fort Collins author and good friend!)
Todd Mitchell for The Secret to Lying (YA-- yet another Fort Collins author and good friend!)
Nancy Bo Flood for Warriors in the Crossfire (Juvenile, she's one of the brilliant authors behind The Pirate Tree blog!)
Congrats everyone! I can't wait to cheer each other on in Aspen...
I also wanted to let you know that The Pirate Tree (mentioned above)-- a wonderful new blog about social justice and children's literature-- is featuring The Queen of Water this week. There's a thoughtful review/article on domestic slavery and The Queen of Water and an interview with me... And next week it will be featuring Star in the Forest! A huge thank you to Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Nancy Bo Flood for their work on this incredible blog (and for their important books)!
Hmmm... I feel like there's more news, but my brain isn't cooperating now... I'll try to remember and write more soon! Hope everyone's enjoying springtime!
xo,
Laura
May 2, 2011
Good news
Hey everyone!
I've been busy, busy, busy! Just got my latest revision of THE JADE NOTEBOOK into my editor-- whew! The release date is Feb 2012 (and a giant *thank you* to all of you who've been enthusiastically asking me about it...)
I'm in Michigan now, doing author visits to libraries and schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing... fun, fun, fun! I'm especially excited because these are the first presentations in which I'll focus on THE QUEEN OF WATER! Speaking of Queen, here are some links to great reviews:
The Denver Post, which calls the book "tremendously potent" and told with "grace and complexity." Read more here. I did an interview with the reviewer, Claire Martin, a few years ago, for another book. She's actually been to the Otavalo region of Ecuador (the region the book is set)-- very cool!)
Scene Magazine-- which gives a really thoughtful analysis:
"The Queen of Water is at once depressing and inspirational, savage and innocent, and is all the more poignant since it is based on the true story of Farinango's upbringing. The first-person narrative creates an intimacy between Virginia and the reader; it is a glimpse into the personal diary of a blossoming and resilient young woman." Read more here.
Okay, I have to go now... my Lil Dude wants me to watch him ride his bike around the track in the school down the block. *proud mama moment... Lil Dude just turned four and he's already a master at riding a bike without training wheels... he's actually been doing it since he was 3 1/2!*
(Okay, sorry, that's it for now.... bye!)
xo, more soon,
Laura
I've been busy, busy, busy! Just got my latest revision of THE JADE NOTEBOOK into my editor-- whew! The release date is Feb 2012 (and a giant *thank you* to all of you who've been enthusiastically asking me about it...)
I'm in Michigan now, doing author visits to libraries and schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing... fun, fun, fun! I'm especially excited because these are the first presentations in which I'll focus on THE QUEEN OF WATER! Speaking of Queen, here are some links to great reviews:
The Denver Post, which calls the book "tremendously potent" and told with "grace and complexity." Read more here. I did an interview with the reviewer, Claire Martin, a few years ago, for another book. She's actually been to the Otavalo region of Ecuador (the region the book is set)-- very cool!)
Scene Magazine-- which gives a really thoughtful analysis:
"The Queen of Water is at once depressing and inspirational, savage and innocent, and is all the more poignant since it is based on the true story of Farinango's upbringing. The first-person narrative creates an intimacy between Virginia and the reader; it is a glimpse into the personal diary of a blossoming and resilient young woman." Read more here.
Okay, I have to go now... my Lil Dude wants me to watch him ride his bike around the track in the school down the block. *proud mama moment... Lil Dude just turned four and he's already a master at riding a bike without training wheels... he's actually been doing it since he was 3 1/2!*
(Okay, sorry, that's it for now.... bye!)
xo, more soon,
Laura
April 9, 2011
Roundup of pics and news
Hey everyone!
I figured I should post this little smattering of pics and news before my trip to Austin, TX, for the TLA conference and my agent's retreat. I'm sure I'll have heaps of photos to post soon...
Here's a pic from today at The Queen of Water event at Barnes and Noble with some of the lovely ladies (and baby!) who came. (Yes- that's me in the blue shirt-- I got a haircut! It hasn't been this short since I was 14! My head feels lighter...)
Here are a few pics from my visit to Irish a couple weeks ago for a cupcake party and Star in the Forest signing.
The party was thrown by BookTrust, a wonderful literacy non-profit based in Ft. Collins that connects books with kids. The celebration was in honor of Irish Elementary teacher David Autenrieth, who received the Excellence in Education Award for being a super-awesome teacher. BookTrust gave beautifully inscribed copies of Star in the Forest to the fourth graders, which I then autographed... very exciting for everyone!
And here are a few pics from my Half Moon Bay trip that the librarians sent me...
It was great to see so many parents there with their kids... what a fun evening!
And now for the good news I mentioned-- Star in the Forest has been selected for some nice honors:
Bank Street Children's Best Children's Books of the Year *Outstanding Merit*A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children (Washington D.C.)A Grand Canyon Readers Award Nominee (Arizona)A DCF Award Nominee (Vermont Libraries Children's Selection)
And The Queen of Water has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer Project-- a list of outstanding feminist literature from an ALA group.
(*happy dance*) Okay, time to get Lil Dude to bed!
Cheers,Laura
I figured I should post this little smattering of pics and news before my trip to Austin, TX, for the TLA conference and my agent's retreat. I'm sure I'll have heaps of photos to post soon...
Here's a pic from today at The Queen of Water event at Barnes and Noble with some of the lovely ladies (and baby!) who came. (Yes- that's me in the blue shirt-- I got a haircut! It hasn't been this short since I was 14! My head feels lighter...)
Here are a few pics from my visit to Irish a couple weeks ago for a cupcake party and Star in the Forest signing.
The party was thrown by BookTrust, a wonderful literacy non-profit based in Ft. Collins that connects books with kids. The celebration was in honor of Irish Elementary teacher David Autenrieth, who received the Excellence in Education Award for being a super-awesome teacher. BookTrust gave beautifully inscribed copies of Star in the Forest to the fourth graders, which I then autographed... very exciting for everyone!
And here are a few pics from my Half Moon Bay trip that the librarians sent me...
It was great to see so many parents there with their kids... what a fun evening!
And now for the good news I mentioned-- Star in the Forest has been selected for some nice honors:
Bank Street Children's Best Children's Books of the Year *Outstanding Merit*A Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children (Washington D.C.)A Grand Canyon Readers Award Nominee (Arizona)A DCF Award Nominee (Vermont Libraries Children's Selection)
And The Queen of Water has been nominated for the Amelia Bloomer Project-- a list of outstanding feminist literature from an ALA group.
(*happy dance*) Okay, time to get Lil Dude to bed!
Cheers,Laura
March 22, 2011
Half Moon Bay
Hi everyone!
Just got back from a beautiful weekend in Half Moon Bay, California! I did a library presentation for the community and met fantastic librarians, teachers, students, parents, and writers. So much fun! I'd been corresponding with one of the teachers and her students via email and snail mail, and it was wonderful to meet them all in person.
I'd always wanted to go to Half Moon Bay-- mostly because I love the name (it's right up there with Angelfire, NM)! ;) I also LOVE the coast of California, which is one reason I've read the picture book All the World hundreds of time with Lil Dude-- the breath-taking landscape-- green hills and wildflowers and clay cliffs and gardens and old beach houses and perfect trees-for-climbing and veggie stands and beaches and the big, wide ocean.
I went on long walks along the ocean-- on Saturday in the rain (delicious) and on Sunday in sunshine with my old friend Andrea (from middle school).
flotsam!
My camera wasn't working on Friday, so I didn't get pics of the great students and families (some from Oaxaca!) who came to the presentation. They were so enthusiastic-- the library had distributed hundreds of copies of What the Moon Saw for students!
I did manage to get one photo of the teacher and librarians with me at the amazing family-owned Oaxacan restaurant called Brianna's just down the block from the library. I ate the best mole oaxaqueno I've had in the U.S. Mmmmmm. Muy rico.
Lucia Gonzalez took that picture-- she's a wonderful bilingual picture book writer (and warm, kind person). She gave my Lil Dude a copy of her book The Bossy Gallito, which we're loving. (Since he turned four last week, he's been in a major Bossy Rooster stage...)
I *love* author visits to small towns where the awesome librarians and teachers get the whole community excited. Thank you, Half Moon Bay!
On a different note, more lovely reviews of The Queen of Water have been coming in. Maria Virginia and I are really glad that readers have been moved by her story. It's dream come true...
A review in The Examiner gave the book five out of five stars and calls it "Remarkable. Layered. Engrossing." You can read the full review here.
Marjolein, a wonderful YA book reviewer, also gave it five stars, and calls the book "gripping." Read the full review here.
Thanks, also, to those of you who have posted reviews on amazon here and goodreads here and other review sites. And thanks to everyone who's been spreading the word about our book through word of mouth! We're really grateful!
Happy spring!
xo,Laura
March 14, 2011
Queen Book Release Pics!
Thanks to everyone who came to my party at Old Firehouse Books on Saturday night (in body and spirit!)
So much fun to see old friends and meet new ones!
Apparently, I make lots of funny faces when I read... I'm not aware of this until I see photographic evidence...
Music and little kids are essential ingredients to any festive occasion...
So many great friends of all ages came out to celebrate... teachers, writers, readers, book clubbers, librarians, dancers, musicians, poets, computer programmers ;) ...
Old Firehouse Books is an amazing place... if you're in Ft Collins and you haven't been to this store yet, you should take an afternoon to wander the shelves, talk to the super-knowledgeable staff for book recommendations, and have tea at the Cambodian teahouse "Happy Lucky's" next door.
My NIA friend Bev won a signed book in a drawing... She had to answer a question about Queen to claim her prize. Here it is: What was the staple of Maria Virginia's diet for the first 7 years of her life? She had this food for nearly every meal, every day, usually in the form of soup. In early drafts of the book, there were so many scenes focused on this food that someone in my writers' group suggested the book be called Maria Virginia and the ________s" (fill in blank with the food in question.) Can you guess?! *See answer at end of post.*
Thanks for swinging by!
xo,
Laura
P.S. See below for answer to mystery question...
*POTATOES!* (which are native to South America... she harvested and ate potatoes of all colors and sizes, and always wished for the BIGGEST potato in the soup.)
So much fun to see old friends and meet new ones!
Apparently, I make lots of funny faces when I read... I'm not aware of this until I see photographic evidence...
Music and little kids are essential ingredients to any festive occasion...
So many great friends of all ages came out to celebrate... teachers, writers, readers, book clubbers, librarians, dancers, musicians, poets, computer programmers ;) ...
Old Firehouse Books is an amazing place... if you're in Ft Collins and you haven't been to this store yet, you should take an afternoon to wander the shelves, talk to the super-knowledgeable staff for book recommendations, and have tea at the Cambodian teahouse "Happy Lucky's" next door.
My NIA friend Bev won a signed book in a drawing... She had to answer a question about Queen to claim her prize. Here it is: What was the staple of Maria Virginia's diet for the first 7 years of her life? She had this food for nearly every meal, every day, usually in the form of soup. In early drafts of the book, there were so many scenes focused on this food that someone in my writers' group suggested the book be called Maria Virginia and the ________s" (fill in blank with the food in question.) Can you guess?! *See answer at end of post.*
Thanks for swinging by!
xo,
Laura
P.S. See below for answer to mystery question...
*POTATOES!* (which are native to South America... she harvested and ate potatoes of all colors and sizes, and always wished for the BIGGEST potato in the soup.)
March 7, 2011
Interviews and articles for Queen!
Hi dear readers!
I've been doing some interviews in anticipation of the release of THE QUEEN OF WATER (tomorrow, March 8!)
Lyn Miller-Lachmann (author of the great Gringolandia) did this interesting article and interview with me for her "Waging Peace" Column for the Times Union blog.
Here's the beginning of her article:
"For the next two weeks, my "Waging Peace" columns will focus on the plight of workers, particularly child laborers, throughout the world. This week's column takes us to Ecuador, a country where for five centuries the indigenous people have faced systematic discrimination and exploitation at the hands of large landowners and the country's political, economic, and social elite. Laura Resau, an anthropologist who lived and worked throughout Latin America before becoming an award-winning author of novels for young people, is most recently the co-author of The Queen of Water, a fictionalized account of her collaborator, María Virginia Farinango's, life as a child domestic worker..."
Read more here. In the interview, I discuss why we decided to fictionalize the book, how I met Maria Virginia, the cycle of domestic violence, and more...
Another interview is up today over at Children's Publishing Blog. (Just go to the link and scroll down a little). This interview focuses on my writing/publishing journey, with advice to writers.
And another interview focuses on my creative space-- my little silver trailer. You can read about it on Jenn Bertman's blog here.
Finally, there's a very wonderful and thoughtful blog review of Queen on the SLJ blog, A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy (don't you love the name?!) Check it out here.
Thanks for reading! Tomorrow THE QUEEN OF WATER will be officially released! Yay! Maria Virginia and I are so excited! You can get it in bookstores, or on indiebound or amazon.
And if you live near me, please come to my release party this Saturday!
Saturday, March 12, 6:00 pm, Old Firehouse Books, Fort CollinsThe Queen of Water Signing and Chatting - Come one, come all! Join me to celebrate the book release!
Hope you like our book!!!
xo,
Laura
March 1, 2011
Green Goo Supervillain!
Hi wonderful readers,
Since I usually focus on good stuff in this blog, you may not know that I was plagued by terrible headaches this winter. Here is what I looked like much of the time (um, around my house and trailer, that is...):
I'm wearing my cold headache pack full of delightfully fluorescent green goo (which makes Lil Dude compare me to his favorite supervillain from a Backyardigans episode.) And, paired with my green goo mask are my grubby hot rice pack booties:
They also function as mops, collecting dust and dirt as I shuffle around the house.
I read that heat on the feet and cold on the head is good treatment for migraines and headaches, and it actually is (for me, at least)! (And believe-you-me, I've tried nearly everything.)
Another thing that worked well was reducing my stress, which had sky-rocketed. Here's one thing that brought my stress level down to a non-headache-inducing level: the completed manuscript of THE JADE NOTEBOOK! I finished it in January, got it in to my editor, she liked it, sent it back with revision comments.... and now here it is, all ready for me to dive back into.
I'm actually really excited (and *not* stressed) about revising it! I don't even need my booties and goo mask to tackle it!
In all fairness, I should mention the other things that helped my headaches go away: this brand-spankin new ergonomic monitor that helps my neck stay stretched out; the *necksercise* my massage therapist friend Paul showed me how to do to prevent migraines; massages; biofeedback (this really works!); awareness of breathing, visualizations... Whew! That sounds like a lot of stuff, but actually, it's all pretty peacefully manageable.
I guess I'm telling you this to balance out all the good news about THE QUEEN OF WATER that I've been posting lately... so you know that despite a lot of extreme happiness, I still have struggles to deal with...
(but that you shouldn't worry about me, since it's nothing Green Goo Supervillain can't handle!)
xo,
Laura
Since I usually focus on good stuff in this blog, you may not know that I was plagued by terrible headaches this winter. Here is what I looked like much of the time (um, around my house and trailer, that is...):
I'm wearing my cold headache pack full of delightfully fluorescent green goo (which makes Lil Dude compare me to his favorite supervillain from a Backyardigans episode.) And, paired with my green goo mask are my grubby hot rice pack booties:
They also function as mops, collecting dust and dirt as I shuffle around the house.
I read that heat on the feet and cold on the head is good treatment for migraines and headaches, and it actually is (for me, at least)! (And believe-you-me, I've tried nearly everything.)
Another thing that worked well was reducing my stress, which had sky-rocketed. Here's one thing that brought my stress level down to a non-headache-inducing level: the completed manuscript of THE JADE NOTEBOOK! I finished it in January, got it in to my editor, she liked it, sent it back with revision comments.... and now here it is, all ready for me to dive back into.
I'm actually really excited (and *not* stressed) about revising it! I don't even need my booties and goo mask to tackle it!
In all fairness, I should mention the other things that helped my headaches go away: this brand-spankin new ergonomic monitor that helps my neck stay stretched out; the *necksercise* my massage therapist friend Paul showed me how to do to prevent migraines; massages; biofeedback (this really works!); awareness of breathing, visualizations... Whew! That sounds like a lot of stuff, but actually, it's all pretty peacefully manageable.
I guess I'm telling you this to balance out all the good news about THE QUEEN OF WATER that I've been posting lately... so you know that despite a lot of extreme happiness, I still have struggles to deal with...
(but that you shouldn't worry about me, since it's nothing Green Goo Supervillain can't handle!)
xo,
Laura
