Carolee Dean's Blog, page 35
July 7, 2010
Interview with Simon Pulse Executite Editor - Anica Rissi
Read about my interview with Simon Pulse Executive Editor - Anica Rissi at the Crowe's Nest Blog. acrowesnest.blogspot.com/2010/07/carolee-interview-with-simon-pulse.html. Anica talks about what got her interested in publishing and the types of books she's interested in acquiring.
Anica is the editor for my upcoming book, Take Me There, to be released July 20th and Sara Crowe is my agent. It has been a fabulous experience working with both of these women.
June 29, 2010
The Healing Spell
Kimberley Griffiths Little has an amazing new novel coming out in TWO DAYS! It's called THE HEALING SPELL and I'm very lucky to have already read it. It's a wonderful story of the conflict between a mother and a daughter and the terrible secrets that threaten to undo a family living on the Louisiana bayou. Kimberley does an excellent job of depicting the mother/daughter/sister tension against the backdrop of Cajun culture. Check out her amazing book trailer and enter her contest for free...
June 25, 2010
SPINNING TALES: THE HERO'S JOURNEY
Since I've been trying to get into shape this summer, I've been spending a lot of time in spin class. There is a mural on the back wall of the class depicting the Sandia Mountain Range, so that as you look in the mirror on the opposite wall, it gives the impression that you are riding through the mountains, and not stuck inside in the gym.
It took me a few days to notice the mural. At first I was just trying to keep up with the instructor and trying not to fall off of the bike, or pass out. Wh...
June 16, 2010
Writing Workshops
Last week I taught a writing workshop for teens at Sandia Prep and it was a fantastic experience. I love meeting high school kids who already have the writing bug. It's amazing how many teens are already writing novels and fantasies. I hope they keep in touch so I can follow their illustrious careers. They're inspiring.
June 9, 2010
Has It Really Been A Year?
I just looked at the date of my last post and it was a year ago. Ugh! I knew it had been a crazy busy year, but I didn't realize it had been that crazy. Well, now school is out and I'm determined to make a summer's resolution to post at least... once in a blue moon. My new book TAKE ME THERE is coming out July 20, so it's likely to be a crazy busy summer.
December 29, 2009
Christmas Stockings - Then and Now
THEN
When I was a little girl we spent every Christmas with my grandparents in California. They didn't have a fireplace (Didn't need one -- it was sunny California after all). We also didn't have Christmas stockings. Instead of stockings, my grandmother put three of my grandfather's athletic socks on the back of the couch -- one for me and one for each of my brothers. On Christmas morning the socks would be filled with fruit; apples, bananas, and oranges. We didn't even get to eat the fruit. As soon as we "opened" our stockings (ur, um) socks, my grandmother snatched away the fruit and made a salad to go with Christmas dinner. I didn't mind, though. I was much more interested in the presents under the tree. I did love that fruit salad, though, especially when I covered it in whipped cream.
NOW
Now that I live in New Mexico it seems like everyone has a fireplace. It gets darn cold here. My mother-in-law lives in Texas, but she has a fireplace, too. She made beautiful embroidered stockings for each of my children when they were born and every year they hang on the mantle. One thing I hated about Christmas when I was young was having to wait for all of the grown ups to get out of bed. I decided that when I had children of my own I would do something about that. I created the Christmas Stocking Rule. As soon as my kids wake up they are allowed to open their stockings. Nothing else, just stockings. There is always cool stuff inside (and never any fruit), There is always a DVD for each of the kids. They set their alarm clocks for three in the morning, go get their stockings, and then watch movies. Then they go back to sleep and are zonked out until 9 a.m. which allows my husband and I and their grandparents to drink a cup of coffee and put the turkey in the oven.
Remember this-- if there is something about your family's traditions that you don't like, you get the chance to do it over your way when you have children of your own.
Get more on Carolee Dean at SimonandSchuster.com
When I was a little girl we spent every Christmas with my grandparents in California. They didn't have a fireplace (Didn't need one -- it was sunny California after all). We also didn't have Christmas stockings. Instead of stockings, my grandmother put three of my grandfather's athletic socks on the back of the couch -- one for me and one for each of my brothers. On Christmas morning the socks would be filled with fruit; apples, bananas, and oranges. We didn't even get to eat the fruit. As soon as we "opened" our stockings (ur, um) socks, my grandmother snatched away the fruit and made a salad to go with Christmas dinner. I didn't mind, though. I was much more interested in the presents under the tree. I did love that fruit salad, though, especially when I covered it in whipped cream.
NOW
Now that I live in New Mexico it seems like everyone has a fireplace. It gets darn cold here. My mother-in-law lives in Texas, but she has a fireplace, too. She made beautiful embroidered stockings for each of my children when they were born and every year they hang on the mantle. One thing I hated about Christmas when I was young was having to wait for all of the grown ups to get out of bed. I decided that when I had children of my own I would do something about that. I created the Christmas Stocking Rule. As soon as my kids wake up they are allowed to open their stockings. Nothing else, just stockings. There is always cool stuff inside (and never any fruit), There is always a DVD for each of the kids. They set their alarm clocks for three in the morning, go get their stockings, and then watch movies. Then they go back to sleep and are zonked out until 9 a.m. which allows my husband and I and their grandparents to drink a cup of coffee and put the turkey in the oven.
Remember this-- if there is something about your family's traditions that you don't like, you get the chance to do it over your way when you have children of your own.
Get more on Carolee Dean at SimonandSchuster.com
June 3, 2009
Family Road Trip
We just got back from our 2009 Dean Family Road Trip. We visited the Grand Canyon, Disneyland and various S.Cal beaches. All went well. Much better than the 2008 Memorial Weekend road trip to Carlsbad Caverns. That one was so disastrous I spent the rest of the summer writing a book about it called THE ROAD TRIP DIARIES.
April 19, 2009
SCBWI-NM
I just got home from a great weekend at SCBWI-NM. I gave a presentation on NOVEL SETTINGS: CREATING UNFORGETTABLE PLACES.
Here I am below showing my power point presentation. Yay Power Point, I love you! 
I also got to see Kersten Hamilton's presentation on CHARACTERS ALIVE! CREATING UNFORGETTABLE PEOPLE. Here is a picture of Kersten showing off her tennis shoes. Hmm. Those shoelaces weren't glowing during her presentation. Must be the flash. She told us she promised to buy herself new shoes f...
