Laura Resau's Blog, page 15
February 15, 2011
You're invited...
Hello dear readers,
Lil Dude is home sick today, so I'm grabbing a few minutes here and there to work (I couldn't for the life of me get him to take a nap... argh!) Anyway, real quick, I'll let you know about two upcoming book release events for THE QUEEN OF WATER here in Ft. Collins.
March 12, Saturday, 6 pm, Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut St., Fort Collins, CO
Chatting, signing, reading, music, food, fun... (I bought a popcorn popper for this event! My co-author, Maria Virginia, serves popcorn (or some variety of popped/toasted corn) at every meal...mmm...)
April 9, Saturday, 2 pm, Barnes and Noble, 4045 S. College Ave, Fort Collins, CO
Chatting, signing, reading, fun (I'll see if I can serve freshly popped popcorn at this event, too!)
Mark your calendars! Bring friends and family! Thanks for spreading the word.... I hope to see you there!
And before I bid you farewell and cuddle with Lil Dude and watch Wall-E for the 20th time, here's something cool: Random House put together a "Books of Laura Resau Readers Guide"! So pretty... you can see it here. (My mom and I are in the midst of writing a longer, detailed discussion guide specifically for The Queen of Water... I hope to post that next month, so stay tuned!
Okay, Wall-E awaits...
xo,
Laura
February 8, 2011
Teatime and *Stars*!
Hi dear readers!
I'm here in winter wonderland, having a spot o' tea (as Lil Dude calls it) and feeling happy about *more* good Queen of Water news... a second starred review, this one from Booklist!
* "A moving, lyrical novel that will particularly resonate with teens caught between cultures."
-- ALA Booklist
And we have official word that Queen is a Junior Library Guild selection... hooray! Maria Virginia and I are so, so grateful that all these nice things are happening with Queen... each bit of recognition helps get the book into the hands of more readers.
In the midst of this excitement of preparing for the book's release, I'm also waiting (nervously) for revision notes from my editor on The Jade Notebook. And I'm still trying desperately to catch up with all the (very patient) friends I neglected over the last few months of being completely absorbed in finishing the manuscript. (Sorry!) Tea n cake times with Lil Dude have become more frequent... bright, warm spots in wintertime...
Mmmm....
Yummm....
Hip hip cheerio! (as Lil Dude says...)
Wherever you are, I hope you're staying warm and cozy...
xo
Laura
January 30, 2011
*Starred* Kirkus review for THE QUEEN OF WATER!
Hey guys,
So, after seven years (I started this book in 2004!), The Queen of Water will soon become a reality.... on March 8th, just over a month away! Maria Virginia (my co-author) and I have been doing lots of happy-dancing (her in Ecuador, me here in Colorado)... not to mention LOTS of happy squealing over the phone... The reviews have been lovely, lovely, lovely! This book is very special to me for so many reasons (which I'm going to write about and add to my website soon). For now I'll just say that Maria Virginia and I are incredibly grateful that the story feels special to readers, too.
Here's an excerpt of the ***starred*** review from Kirkus Reviews, which calls the book "riveting.":
"Bright spots of humor and warmth are woven throughout, and readers will agonize for Virginia while seething at her tormentors. The complexities of class and ethnicity within Ecuadorian society are explained seamlessly within the context of the first-person narrative, and a glossary and pronunciation guide further help to plunge readers into the novel's world. By turns heartbreaking, infuriating and ultimately inspiring. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
Thank you thank you thank you!!! (You can read the whole review here.)
And there's more! VOYA calls the book "a richly described coming-of-age story set in a culture both foreign and familiar... by turns, shocking and funny."
I'm so glad these reviews mention the humor... I really love this aspect of Maria Virginia's story, too. She was an incredibly spunky girl (and still is!), and she found all kinds of creative and funny ways to resist her oppressors. And although she went through very rough times, she wasn't a victim, not at all... her girlhood was indeed inspiring.
In case you're curious what I've been up to since I handed in my manuscript a couple weeks ago... I've been doing all the fun, relaxing things that I put on hold during that final push to finish: long walks by the river, NIA dancing and yoga (very helpful, since those long hours in front of the computer wreaked havoc on my neck and shoulders), tea parties with my Lil Dude, reading books, watching movies with girlfriends (saw I Love You Phillip Morris (weird and funny) on Friday and plan to see The King's Speech, Black Swan, and Blue Valentine soon). And, the ultimate in fun-creative-inspiring entertainment... went to the Cirque du Soleil show "Allegria"! Wow, wow, wow! Breath-taking and so worth the money (er, pretty pricey).
If you've read The Ruby Notebook, you know I love this stuff... fire dancing...
whimsical acrobatics...
and clowns, of course...
Lil Dude was enamored of this "beautiful lady" (singer)... and insisted that we try to talk with her after the show (no go)...
Okay, now to work on updating the website... Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Laura
So, after seven years (I started this book in 2004!), The Queen of Water will soon become a reality.... on March 8th, just over a month away! Maria Virginia (my co-author) and I have been doing lots of happy-dancing (her in Ecuador, me here in Colorado)... not to mention LOTS of happy squealing over the phone... The reviews have been lovely, lovely, lovely! This book is very special to me for so many reasons (which I'm going to write about and add to my website soon). For now I'll just say that Maria Virginia and I are incredibly grateful that the story feels special to readers, too.
Here's an excerpt of the ***starred*** review from Kirkus Reviews, which calls the book "riveting.":
"Bright spots of humor and warmth are woven throughout, and readers will agonize for Virginia while seething at her tormentors. The complexities of class and ethnicity within Ecuadorian society are explained seamlessly within the context of the first-person narrative, and a glossary and pronunciation guide further help to plunge readers into the novel's world. By turns heartbreaking, infuriating and ultimately inspiring. (Fiction. 13 & up)"
Thank you thank you thank you!!! (You can read the whole review here.)
And there's more! VOYA calls the book "a richly described coming-of-age story set in a culture both foreign and familiar... by turns, shocking and funny."
I'm so glad these reviews mention the humor... I really love this aspect of Maria Virginia's story, too. She was an incredibly spunky girl (and still is!), and she found all kinds of creative and funny ways to resist her oppressors. And although she went through very rough times, she wasn't a victim, not at all... her girlhood was indeed inspiring.
In case you're curious what I've been up to since I handed in my manuscript a couple weeks ago... I've been doing all the fun, relaxing things that I put on hold during that final push to finish: long walks by the river, NIA dancing and yoga (very helpful, since those long hours in front of the computer wreaked havoc on my neck and shoulders), tea parties with my Lil Dude, reading books, watching movies with girlfriends (saw I Love You Phillip Morris (weird and funny) on Friday and plan to see The King's Speech, Black Swan, and Blue Valentine soon). And, the ultimate in fun-creative-inspiring entertainment... went to the Cirque du Soleil show "Allegria"! Wow, wow, wow! Breath-taking and so worth the money (er, pretty pricey).
If you've read The Ruby Notebook, you know I love this stuff... fire dancing...
whimsical acrobatics...
and clowns, of course...
Lil Dude was enamored of this "beautiful lady" (singer)... and insisted that we try to talk with her after the show (no go)...
Okay, now to work on updating the website... Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Laura
January 26, 2011
Sayulita, Mexico!
Hello dear friends and readers!
First, a little warning-- if you're expecting to read about the kind of off-the-tourist-track adventures that you saw in Red Glass, What the Moon Saw, and The Indigo Notebook... read no further! On the other hand, if you'd like to see a realistic glimpse of what my traveling life has become with 3-year-old and hubbie in tow-- chugging right along the well-worn tourist track, then read on, beloved reader (unless you're scared of a little vomit... er, a lot of vomit. (Am I grossing you out already? Sorry. I'll start with the happy parts...)
We went to Sayulita, Mexico (a small beach town near Puerto Vallarta) for a week with Carrie and Sarah of my writing group and their families... couldn't have asked for better company!
There was much-needed girl time...
There was surfing. (Doesn't Ian look cute here? Funny-- I knew him in high school-- and back then he had that exact same pair of swim trunks! They must be 20 years old!)
It took us a couple days to find the part of the beach where the waves don't beat and batter you. (Poor Carrie and Ian discovered this the hard way...)
There were feasts...
There were walks by a colorful graveyard on the way to the scenic yoga palapa (!)
There was dancing (to little kids' music, of course... I still can't get the Buzz Buzz Buzz song out of my head....)
There was a disconcerting circus in town...
I say disconcerting because their main promotional tool was this rickety tiny cage of tigers, right on one of the main dirt roads. As much as I try to be a non-judgmental traveler, I have to say this really, really bothered me. It was painful to pass by them about ten times a day. In fact, the only reason I've even included this picture is because oddly enough, in the manuscript I just finished, The Jade Notebook (set in another Mexican beach town), there is a large feline (I won't give away what kind of feline-- don't want to spoil anything...). During my research, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos of large felines prowling and growling and whatnot, and I wished I could be in proximity to a real one. And then, my wish was realized... in this disconcerting way... It did motivate me to learn more about a wild animal sanctuary just a 45 min drive from my house that has rescued many large felines in similar situations to these tigers.
Okay, on to prettier things... like *butterflies*...
... and luna moths...
There were dips in the pool... (the kiddie pool was so perfect for the three-year-olds-- Lil Dude played in there until he was blue-lipped and shivering like crazy and we had to drag him out...) (And oh how I wish I could include photos of him here-- sooo cute with his goggles and boogie board).
The house we rented was ideal for three families traveling together, especially families of *writer ladies*... little patios and nooks galore...
Now you're probably wondering about that vomit I mentioned earlier... well, there was LOTS of it. Lil Dude caught a stomach virus from his preschool buddies, and started feeling sick on the plane on the way there. Ugh. Middle and window seats for us-- the poor lady in the aisle seat was getting up and down every few minutes to let us race to the bathroom. And then, for the next few days (although Lil Dude *did* have a blast playing in the pool and sea and sand), there were countless bathroom trips, including in the middle of the night. The vomiting stopped after a few days, but his gastrointestinal tract was -- shall we say-- tender-- for the whole week. And then, then... I caught it. Ugh. And then, Ian caught it. Ugh, ugh.
Enough complaining. Other than that, it was a very lovely trip! Okay, to get the vomit out of your mind and leave you on a nicer note, here's a goofy pic of me. Ian really loves these pictures of me that capture how I probably look most of the time-- kind of spacing out and daydreaming... he actually has a collection of these dorky pics of me in a photo cube in his office, hehehe.
I'll leave you on that note! I have more news to tell you (good stuff!), but it's time for my NIA (dance) class now! Thanks for reading!
xoxo,
Laura
January 13, 2011
My Omi's review of THE RUBY NOTEBOOK
Speaking of gratitude (which I did in my last post) I want to tell you about Omi, my German grandmother-in-law, who I actually started to adore long before I was married to her grandson.
When I was twenty years old and traveling around Europe, I took a train to her little town of Langenselbold (Ian was supposed to be there, too, but he wasn't— *ahem*-- that's another story). Anyway, I visited her once in winter, and once in summer. Both times were magical--- I stayed in her hundred-year-old stone house, sipped coffee in her gorgeous old rose garden, visited castles and ruins with her... Omi was such a beautiful, poetic, artistic creative soul then (17 years ago) and she still is now, well into her nineties! She's so open-hearted and delightful-- the kind of person who slips pressed flowers and other little treasures into her letters.
She's read all my books, and I LOVE reading her reviews of them… here's her latest one, tucked into our Frohe Weihnacht und ein Guten Neues Jahr card. (She writes beautifully in English—it's her second language—I think the little idiosyncrisies that come with writing in a different language make her letter extra charming and poetic).:
Hello Laura,
It's been quite some time now that I forgot the world around me and was transformed into the mysterious person of Z vacationing in the lovely city of Aix-en-Provence, waiting for Wendell to arrive.
In the meantime strange things happened to me. I was partly living with and in a group of French young people, a band, people that became my friends and were in some mysterious way attached to me- and-maybe- could become the solution of my search for father unknown.
And there is the charming Madame Chevalier and Vincent the shy lover of days gone by but never forgotten. I love to be with them from time to time—enjoying a pot of of tea, listening to stories of my story.
I indulge into their atmosphere of shadows, of shadows which make light appear.
And then- the feared end- fin- and closing of the book!
The dream remains and haunts me for days.
Thank you for a wonderful gift for hours outside of reality.
Omi
If you've read my books, you know that there's almost always a wise, kind, creative older lady that the narrator bonds with. These characters are combinations of real-life kind, wise, creative older ladies who've been essential in my life, embracing me as a granddaughter. Omi is one of these inspirational ladies. Danke shoen, Omi! Frohe Weihnacht und ein guten neues Jahr!
Love and Liebe to Omi, my family, friends, and readers!
Laura
PS I just got back from *Mexico* yesterday! More about that soon...
PPS I'm pretty much finished with THE JADE NOTEBOOK manuscript, at least this draft, which I'll soon send to my editor. Whew! Sorry if you were one of the people I neglected during this final push to the finish line... thanks for your patience!
When I was twenty years old and traveling around Europe, I took a train to her little town of Langenselbold (Ian was supposed to be there, too, but he wasn't— *ahem*-- that's another story). Anyway, I visited her once in winter, and once in summer. Both times were magical--- I stayed in her hundred-year-old stone house, sipped coffee in her gorgeous old rose garden, visited castles and ruins with her... Omi was such a beautiful, poetic, artistic creative soul then (17 years ago) and she still is now, well into her nineties! She's so open-hearted and delightful-- the kind of person who slips pressed flowers and other little treasures into her letters.
She's read all my books, and I LOVE reading her reviews of them… here's her latest one, tucked into our Frohe Weihnacht und ein Guten Neues Jahr card. (She writes beautifully in English—it's her second language—I think the little idiosyncrisies that come with writing in a different language make her letter extra charming and poetic).:
Hello Laura,
It's been quite some time now that I forgot the world around me and was transformed into the mysterious person of Z vacationing in the lovely city of Aix-en-Provence, waiting for Wendell to arrive.
In the meantime strange things happened to me. I was partly living with and in a group of French young people, a band, people that became my friends and were in some mysterious way attached to me- and-maybe- could become the solution of my search for father unknown.
And there is the charming Madame Chevalier and Vincent the shy lover of days gone by but never forgotten. I love to be with them from time to time—enjoying a pot of of tea, listening to stories of my story.
I indulge into their atmosphere of shadows, of shadows which make light appear.
And then- the feared end- fin- and closing of the book!
The dream remains and haunts me for days.
Thank you for a wonderful gift for hours outside of reality.
Omi
If you've read my books, you know that there's almost always a wise, kind, creative older lady that the narrator bonds with. These characters are combinations of real-life kind, wise, creative older ladies who've been essential in my life, embracing me as a granddaughter. Omi is one of these inspirational ladies. Danke shoen, Omi! Frohe Weihnacht und ein guten neues Jahr!
Love and Liebe to Omi, my family, friends, and readers!
Laura
PS I just got back from *Mexico* yesterday! More about that soon...
PPS I'm pretty much finished with THE JADE NOTEBOOK manuscript, at least this draft, which I'll soon send to my editor. Whew! Sorry if you were one of the people I neglected during this final push to the finish line... thanks for your patience!
December 24, 2010
Happy New Year, from my trailer to yours...
photo from stolkholms stadsmissionOr, at least, to your metaphorical trailer... whatever your creative space happens to be!
Speaking of creativity, look what my writer friend Laura Pritchett gave me (and our other writing group members) for Christmas...
It's a writer's snow globe! I LOVE snowglobes... and this is the first homemade one I've gotten. Laura's the author of some wonderful fiction (Hell's Bottom, Colorado and Sky Bridge) and she's edited a bunch of great environmentally-themed anthologies, one of which is Going Green-- it's all about cool ways of gleaning new uses for junk.
Her card was made by a friend of ours, Libby, who makes art from old teabags! You can read an excerpt from her essay about her teabag art in Going Green here. As a tea fiend, I really appreciate her work.... so pretty! I love the color of tea.
And here's Laura's sweet message inside... a sentiment I wish for you who are writers, too.
I'm so grateful for Laura and the other amazing writers (and readers!) in my life. Around this time of year, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. This month marks the *three year anniversary* of my Lil Dude's arrival from Guatemala. He was eight months old when he came, just scooting around and belting out "Da!" and clapping, his mouth wide open in delight. Now that he's here, I love how our home feels so full, spilling over with his exuberant energy (not to mention, lots of toy firetrucks, trains, stuffed animals...)
And I'm grateful for my mom who has, once again, dropped everything to help me finish the next of the Notebooks series-- in this case, THE JADE NOTEBOOK-- so I can meet my January deadline to hand the manuscript in to my editor. Thank you, Mom!
And I'm grateful for the little everyday joys that come with living where I do, at the foot of the Rockies... There are rainbows galore here. We saw this full rainbow arc at the end of our street one morning last week. It took our breath away. Lil Dude and I stood in the middle of our street for a while, in a state of wonder. "That's so cool, Mommy!" he kept saying. Of course, he wanted to follow the rainbow, find where it touched down...
Much love and many happy winter wishes to you and yours!
xoxo,Laura
December 3, 2010
Fort Collins Author Friends!
Hello dear readers!
Books make such fantastic presents. Some of my all-time favorite presents during my childhood and teen years were books. The love I developed for these books (The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, books by Mary Stewart, Roald Dahl, Scott O'Dell, and many, many more...) was an essential part of my journey as a writer. Thank you to all my wonderful relatives who supported me early on in my writing journey by giving me books!
I'm lucky enough to live in a community with loads of talented (not to mention extremely *nice*) authors who write for young people. We decided to support each other this holiday season by encouraging people to buy each other's books as gifts. So.... I encourage you to shop local authors if you're in Fort Collins, and if you're somewhere else, shop local authors in your community! (Remember that you can always buy books to donate to your local school library or a Toys for Tots drive.)
Okay, here goes:
By acclaimed novelist, Todd Mitchell
A teenage boy takes advantage of being the new student at school and reinvents himself. Things get out of control in a sharp, funny, poignant, and compulsively readable novel that gives a coming-of-age theme a surprising twist. Selected by the Texas Library Association for the 2011 Teen Reading List.
You've heard me rave about this book before on my blog! I LOVE it! One of my all-time favorite teen books.
By WWII author, Teresa Funke
The Home-Front Heroes Series are books inspired by the stories of real people during WWII. Ideal for history buffs and teachers, too!
My favorite way of learning about history is through stories... and Teresa does a fantastic job of this with her novels!
By praised teen author, Amy Kathleen Ryan
Zen is the "good" sister with a black belt in karate and a newfound penchant for kicking heads. Xander is a wild scientific genius with a self-destructive streak. They have three things in common: they're brown-eyed blondes, they've noticed the boy next door has turned into a hottie, and they miss their deceased mom. Xander spirals into a vortex of late-night parties, scary men, and drugs. She's about to ruin her chance at college. Should Zen keep trying to protect Xander, or finally let her go?
Amy Ryan creates such distinctive voices and characters and storylines-- she's a captivating storyteller! (And I've had the privilege of reading a sneak preview of her speculative fiction series that will come out in a year or so-- spectacular!)
By national best-selling author, Natasha Wing
For dinosaur lovers: a tongue-in-cheek guide to caring for a pet dinosaur with wild illustrations and fun lift-the-flaps.
My three-year old loves this book! It's SO much fun to read together!
****The above is just a sampling of the great books coming out of Fort Collins... Other fantastic local authors to check out include:
Victoria Hanley (Violet Wings-- wonderful middle grade fantasy), Lauren Myracle (Violet in Bloom-- fabulous middle grade realistic fiction), Karla Oceanak (Artsy-Fartsy books-- middle-grade graphic novel series along the lines of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (but better!), Nathan Kumar Scott (multi-cultural picture books)... I'm sure I'm missing some authors (sorry!), but I have to stop here so I can bring Lil Dude to preschool now... ;)
Happy Book-Giving!
xo,Laura
* In Fort Collins, you can find most of these books at: Old Firehouse Books, Bookends, Clothes Pony and Dandelion Toys, Reader's Cove, and Barnes & Noble on So. College. Nature's Own also carries How to Raise a Dinosaur. Or, if you're not in the area, you can go to indiebound.org to order the books from an indie store near you.
Books make such fantastic presents. Some of my all-time favorite presents during my childhood and teen years were books. The love I developed for these books (The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, books by Mary Stewart, Roald Dahl, Scott O'Dell, and many, many more...) was an essential part of my journey as a writer. Thank you to all my wonderful relatives who supported me early on in my writing journey by giving me books!
I'm lucky enough to live in a community with loads of talented (not to mention extremely *nice*) authors who write for young people. We decided to support each other this holiday season by encouraging people to buy each other's books as gifts. So.... I encourage you to shop local authors if you're in Fort Collins, and if you're somewhere else, shop local authors in your community! (Remember that you can always buy books to donate to your local school library or a Toys for Tots drive.)
Okay, here goes:
By acclaimed novelist, Todd Mitchell
A teenage boy takes advantage of being the new student at school and reinvents himself. Things get out of control in a sharp, funny, poignant, and compulsively readable novel that gives a coming-of-age theme a surprising twist. Selected by the Texas Library Association for the 2011 Teen Reading List.
You've heard me rave about this book before on my blog! I LOVE it! One of my all-time favorite teen books.
By WWII author, Teresa Funke
The Home-Front Heroes Series are books inspired by the stories of real people during WWII. Ideal for history buffs and teachers, too!
My favorite way of learning about history is through stories... and Teresa does a fantastic job of this with her novels!
By praised teen author, Amy Kathleen Ryan
Zen is the "good" sister with a black belt in karate and a newfound penchant for kicking heads. Xander is a wild scientific genius with a self-destructive streak. They have three things in common: they're brown-eyed blondes, they've noticed the boy next door has turned into a hottie, and they miss their deceased mom. Xander spirals into a vortex of late-night parties, scary men, and drugs. She's about to ruin her chance at college. Should Zen keep trying to protect Xander, or finally let her go?
Amy Ryan creates such distinctive voices and characters and storylines-- she's a captivating storyteller! (And I've had the privilege of reading a sneak preview of her speculative fiction series that will come out in a year or so-- spectacular!)
By national best-selling author, Natasha Wing
For dinosaur lovers: a tongue-in-cheek guide to caring for a pet dinosaur with wild illustrations and fun lift-the-flaps.
My three-year old loves this book! It's SO much fun to read together!
****The above is just a sampling of the great books coming out of Fort Collins... Other fantastic local authors to check out include:
Victoria Hanley (Violet Wings-- wonderful middle grade fantasy), Lauren Myracle (Violet in Bloom-- fabulous middle grade realistic fiction), Karla Oceanak (Artsy-Fartsy books-- middle-grade graphic novel series along the lines of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (but better!), Nathan Kumar Scott (multi-cultural picture books)... I'm sure I'm missing some authors (sorry!), but I have to stop here so I can bring Lil Dude to preschool now... ;)
Happy Book-Giving!
xo,Laura
* In Fort Collins, you can find most of these books at: Old Firehouse Books, Bookends, Clothes Pony and Dandelion Toys, Reader's Cove, and Barnes & Noble on So. College. Nature's Own also carries How to Raise a Dinosaur. Or, if you're not in the area, you can go to indiebound.org to order the books from an indie store near you.
November 26, 2010
Literary Weavings
Hello dear readers!
Hope your Thanksgiving was full of good company and good food-- ours was! I just got back from an action-packed trip to Madison, WI, and then Orlando for two fun conferences... more about those later.... Now, I want to share this very cool literary weaving activity that superstar reading specialist Sandra Kowalczyk used with her middle schoolers while reading Red Glass.
Me with the weaving on display:
Here's Sandy's description:
Inspired by woven textiles and carpets from Oaxaca, Mexico, where the novel Red Glass takes place, students collaboratively created a literary weaving. Each student designed a strip of repeated symbols, colors, and quotes from Red Glass to capture significant images and themes from the book. Then students wove the strips together.
Close up:
Pics of Oaxacan women weaving (photos taken by Sandy on a trip she took to Oaxaca) along with a photo of the students actually weaving their strips together:
Sandy and me in front of another amazingly creative display she made with her class (this one features all my books!):
Here's another shot so you can see the parts covered up in the last pic. Some of the absolutely delightful touches include The Indigo Notebook and The Ruby Notebook in spiral bound notebook form, plane tickets with Zeeta's flight info, first from Thailand to Ecuador, then from Ecuador to France!), a little pretend Rumi book (with a Rumi quote inside!), maps galore, Zeeta's passport, an Andean alpaca sweater, photos from Ecucador... Needless to say, I was completely blown away!
*Remember, you can click on the images to enlarge them!*I love, love, love, when teachers and librarians do such creative things with my books. It's such a joy for me! Sandy's enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone at the school (Patrick Marsh Middle School in Wisconsin)... Her wonderful colleagues and students were bursting with great energy. During the two (!) delicious Mexican-themed lunches they served me, I heard kids' and teachers' great comments and questions on Red Glass, The Indigo Notebook, and Star in the Forest. Thank you guys! I loved hearing about your connections to my books!
xoxo
Laura
November 15, 2010
My Horoscope...
Hello dearest readers!
I wanted to share with you my uncannily accurate horoscope from the Lincoln Journal Star that my parents picked up as they were driving here (Colorado) from Michigan last week:
Cancer (June 22-July 22)-- You almost see the finish line for a writing project. The editing process presents difficulties. Enlist the help of an older, more objective person.
Hehehe! Needless to say, the writing project is THE JADE NOTEBOOK, which I must finish by Jan 1. And um, yes... "presents difficulties" is a nice way of saying "is utterly grueling at the moment." And the older person? My mom, of course. In my NaNoWriMo-esque plan, I'm trying to get this latest revision to her by the end of November.
Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who came to my novel-writing tips event at Barnes and Noble yesterday-- you guys were great! I have to say, you probably inspired me more than I inspired you. (And as you probably saw on the handout, I meant to hold a fun little contest to come up with a snazzier title for the workshop, but I got caught up in the excitement of talking to you all, and it completely slipped my mind... sorry!)
A nice bit o' news: THE RUBY NOTEBOOK just got a Flamingnet Top Choices Award! This is a really cool teen blogger award... all the reviews are done by teens, who designate their favorites as Top Choices.
Here's a piece of the review:
"The Ruby Notebook is a lovely tale of a girl who is lost in her own world, as most of us are. The reader follows Zeeta on her path to finding herself, perhaps learning more about themselves as well. The concept of the book lies in the mysteries of the fountain of eternal youth, which I find interesting. It was very easy for me to get immersed in the book and not want to stop reading. There were many plots and subplots that were all very well tied up by the end of the novel, but they kept you guessing the entire way through. I would recommend it to anyone who loves both mystery and romance genres." -- a 17-year-old Flamingnet Reviewer
Thanks-- I'm honored-- it's always extra-meaningful to get a good review from a teen reviewer!
Speaking of reviews, the Denver Post featured THE RUBY NOTEBOOK in the Sunday book section. Here's a quote from reviewer Claire Martin: "As always, Resau's narrative is lush, evoking Provence with grace and precision." (Merci, Claire!) She also reviewed my friend Lauren Myracle's latest book, Violet in Bloom.... it sounds really good-- I'm eager to read it.
On a side note, Lauren and I will be at the NCTE conference (ALAN workshops) in *Orlando* next week, along with a bunch of breath-takingly amazing authors. So thrilling to be in their midst... Just before that conference, I'll be at the International Children's Literature Festival in Madison, also in the midst of fabulous authors.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I must do some laundry so I have something to wear on these upcoming adventures. (When I walked out the door with Lil Dude to go to preschool this morning, he said, "Mommy, you can't leave the house in your pajamas." I ushered him out, assuring him that it's our secret... if I wear a big coat, no one has to know I slept in these clothes...)
Okay, thanks for reading!
xo
Laura
I wanted to share with you my uncannily accurate horoscope from the Lincoln Journal Star that my parents picked up as they were driving here (Colorado) from Michigan last week:
Cancer (June 22-July 22)-- You almost see the finish line for a writing project. The editing process presents difficulties. Enlist the help of an older, more objective person.
Hehehe! Needless to say, the writing project is THE JADE NOTEBOOK, which I must finish by Jan 1. And um, yes... "presents difficulties" is a nice way of saying "is utterly grueling at the moment." And the older person? My mom, of course. In my NaNoWriMo-esque plan, I'm trying to get this latest revision to her by the end of November.
Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who came to my novel-writing tips event at Barnes and Noble yesterday-- you guys were great! I have to say, you probably inspired me more than I inspired you. (And as you probably saw on the handout, I meant to hold a fun little contest to come up with a snazzier title for the workshop, but I got caught up in the excitement of talking to you all, and it completely slipped my mind... sorry!)
A nice bit o' news: THE RUBY NOTEBOOK just got a Flamingnet Top Choices Award! This is a really cool teen blogger award... all the reviews are done by teens, who designate their favorites as Top Choices.
Here's a piece of the review:
"The Ruby Notebook is a lovely tale of a girl who is lost in her own world, as most of us are. The reader follows Zeeta on her path to finding herself, perhaps learning more about themselves as well. The concept of the book lies in the mysteries of the fountain of eternal youth, which I find interesting. It was very easy for me to get immersed in the book and not want to stop reading. There were many plots and subplots that were all very well tied up by the end of the novel, but they kept you guessing the entire way through. I would recommend it to anyone who loves both mystery and romance genres." -- a 17-year-old Flamingnet Reviewer
Thanks-- I'm honored-- it's always extra-meaningful to get a good review from a teen reviewer!
Speaking of reviews, the Denver Post featured THE RUBY NOTEBOOK in the Sunday book section. Here's a quote from reviewer Claire Martin: "As always, Resau's narrative is lush, evoking Provence with grace and precision." (Merci, Claire!) She also reviewed my friend Lauren Myracle's latest book, Violet in Bloom.... it sounds really good-- I'm eager to read it.
On a side note, Lauren and I will be at the NCTE conference (ALAN workshops) in *Orlando* next week, along with a bunch of breath-takingly amazing authors. So thrilling to be in their midst... Just before that conference, I'll be at the International Children's Literature Festival in Madison, also in the midst of fabulous authors.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I must do some laundry so I have something to wear on these upcoming adventures. (When I walked out the door with Lil Dude to go to preschool this morning, he said, "Mommy, you can't leave the house in your pajamas." I ushered him out, assuring him that it's our secret... if I wear a big coat, no one has to know I slept in these clothes...)
Okay, thanks for reading!
xo
Laura
November 1, 2010
Internet-less Interlude
Hello everyone!
Our DSL was down from Fri through this morning (Monday), which was interesting... on one hand, it was liberating, and made me really productive-- revising more of The Jade Notebook, playing more with Lil Dude, cleaning my fridge, scrubbing the floors, organizing our basement... Periodically, I thought, hmmm, if we had Internet access at the moment, I wouldn't be doing any of this stuff-- I'd be twiddling my time away online instead. And mentally, I felt calmer, more focused-- just a relaxed state of mind.
On the other hand, our Internet-less state was pretty darn inconvenient-- I was clueless about event schedules, like the Day of the Dead festivities and movies and things like that. But overall, it was a good thing. Ian and I decided to do more Internet fasts... maybe even every weekend (which is, I admit, a little scary to me!)
On a different note, here's a pic of me and my welcoming crew for the Telluride visit I did a couple weeks ago. These super-sweet girls made me feel very, very welcome! Thank you!
I'm guessing some of you are doing NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month), which began today. I'm doing my own version of it, as a matter of fact. I'm on a strict schedule of revising The Jade Notebook-- a chapter a day-- so I can get it critiqued by my writers group and Mom in December, and have it in reasonably decent shape (*hope hope hope*) by early January, when it's due to my editor. So far, so good-- got my chapter done!
For you Fort Collinites, I'm doing a signing/workshop in celebration of NaNoWriMo -- Ten Novel-Writing Tips. (I need to learn to come up with snazzier workshop titles, don't I?) Anyway, it's Sunday, Nov 14 at 2 pm at the Barnes and Noble on College Ave. It's the NaNoWriMo midway point, and hopefully it'll give you a nice little burst of energy to keep you going...
Hope your Halloween was spookily amusing. Ours was... Lil Dude was a cuddly, fuzzy dragon and I was a dead Victorian lady (my old standby). And today is Day of the Dead-- I didn't make an altar this year, but I saw some gorgeous ones at the library's Dia de los Muertos festivities. Lil Dude and I stuffed ourselves with sugary pan de muertos and tamales, listened to calavera (skeleton) tales, heard our friend Gloria Garcia sing and read poetry, and walked in a fun parade, complete with a guitarist and giant puppets.... all in perfectly glorious sunny fall weather.
Have a happy week,
Laura
Our DSL was down from Fri through this morning (Monday), which was interesting... on one hand, it was liberating, and made me really productive-- revising more of The Jade Notebook, playing more with Lil Dude, cleaning my fridge, scrubbing the floors, organizing our basement... Periodically, I thought, hmmm, if we had Internet access at the moment, I wouldn't be doing any of this stuff-- I'd be twiddling my time away online instead. And mentally, I felt calmer, more focused-- just a relaxed state of mind.
On the other hand, our Internet-less state was pretty darn inconvenient-- I was clueless about event schedules, like the Day of the Dead festivities and movies and things like that. But overall, it was a good thing. Ian and I decided to do more Internet fasts... maybe even every weekend (which is, I admit, a little scary to me!)
On a different note, here's a pic of me and my welcoming crew for the Telluride visit I did a couple weeks ago. These super-sweet girls made me feel very, very welcome! Thank you!
I'm guessing some of you are doing NaNoWriMo (national novel writing month), which began today. I'm doing my own version of it, as a matter of fact. I'm on a strict schedule of revising The Jade Notebook-- a chapter a day-- so I can get it critiqued by my writers group and Mom in December, and have it in reasonably decent shape (*hope hope hope*) by early January, when it's due to my editor. So far, so good-- got my chapter done!
For you Fort Collinites, I'm doing a signing/workshop in celebration of NaNoWriMo -- Ten Novel-Writing Tips. (I need to learn to come up with snazzier workshop titles, don't I?) Anyway, it's Sunday, Nov 14 at 2 pm at the Barnes and Noble on College Ave. It's the NaNoWriMo midway point, and hopefully it'll give you a nice little burst of energy to keep you going...
Hope your Halloween was spookily amusing. Ours was... Lil Dude was a cuddly, fuzzy dragon and I was a dead Victorian lady (my old standby). And today is Day of the Dead-- I didn't make an altar this year, but I saw some gorgeous ones at the library's Dia de los Muertos festivities. Lil Dude and I stuffed ourselves with sugary pan de muertos and tamales, listened to calavera (skeleton) tales, heard our friend Gloria Garcia sing and read poetry, and walked in a fun parade, complete with a guitarist and giant puppets.... all in perfectly glorious sunny fall weather.
Have a happy week,
Laura
