Nancy J. Cavanaugh's Blog, page 2
February 3, 2014
SCBWI PAJAMA PARTY SCHMOOZE in TAMPA BAY, FL
Because we authors work at home, we sometimes find ourselves wearing our pajamas much longer than the average person. Some writers get up early to write, not even taking the time to get dressed, and then find themselves so inspired they don’t want to stop to get dressed. Other writers, like me, find themselves being inspired to write very late at night, and so when morning comes (and on some days even afternoon) we’re just too tired to ditch the pj’s for “real” clothes.
Some SCBWI members in the Tampa Bay area decided to take their love for lingering in their pj’s to a new level. On Sat., Feb. 1, we had a Pajama Party Schmooze. At 9 a.m. authors began arriving at my home in Palm Harbor, Florida in their pajamas and slippers. But we didn’t just get together to hang out in our pj’s and talk shop, we had another purpose in mind – something called the Pajama Program. http://florida.scbwi.org
The Pajama Program is an organization committed to delivering warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need. Their goal is to give children, even those who don’t have many advantages, the bedtime-book experience so many children enjoy. So the Tampa Bay SCBWI members didn’t just show up to the Pajama Party Schmooze in their pajamas, but they brought pajamas to donate and lots of books too. www.pajamaprogram.org
We hope the children who receive our donations enjoy their new pj’s and books as much as we enjoyed hanging out in our pajamas.
Happy Reading,
Nancy
January 28, 2014
SCBWI MIAMI CONFERENCE 2014
SCBWI-Florida (http://florida.scbwi.org) always puts on a great conference, but this year’s was especially wonderful!
FIRST BOOK PANEL
I had the privilege of being on the First Book Panel (a conference tradition in which debut authors share highlights of their journey to publication) with Steve DosSantos THE CULLING – THE TORCH KEEPER BOOK ONE (http://stevendossantos.com) , Cristin Bishara RELATIVITY (http://www.cristinbishara.com), and Vivi Barnes OLIVIA TWISTED (http://vivibarnes.com). We all did our best to entertain and inspire!
SOURCEBOOKS EDITOR/AUBREY POOLE
I was lucky to have my editor, Aubrey Poole, (http://www.sourcebooks.com) at the conference this year. So glad she could share her expertise with everyone and so happy to have the chance just to hang out with her.
ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN
Because there were such amazing speakers this year, I have many favorite moments, but it was Sara Pennypacker (http://sarapennypacker.com) whose session really resonated with me. She said so many things I really needed to hear as she shared many of her own personal writing habits and methods.
I came home exhilarated and exhausted! That’s spells conference success for me!
Happy Reading,
January 24, 2014
ALWAYS, ABIGAIL – Advanced Copies Arrive!
Nothing is better than seeing the FedEx truck stop in front of your house and having the driver come to your door with a box of your own books.
That’s what happened Wednesday afternoon – a boxful of Advanced Reader Copies of ALWAYS, ABIGAIL showed up!
The book is even cuter than I ever imagined it could be!
Girls are going to go crazy for this book, and I can’t wait!
Abigail and her two best friends are poised for a life of pom-poms and popularity. But not only does Abigail end up in a different homeroom, she doesn’t make the squad. Then everyone’s least favorite teacher pairs Abigail up with the school’s biggest outcast for the year-long “Friendly Letter” assignment. Abigail can hardly believe her bad luck! As her so-called best friends and dreams of pom pom fame start to slip away, Abigail has to choose between the little bit of popularity she has left or letting it go to be a true friend.
We’ll all have to wait until next October when ALWAYS, ABIGAIL makes its entrance into the world.
For now, I’ll go back to carrying an advanced reader copy with me wherever I go.
Happy Reading,
Nancy
January 10, 2014
THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET – Paperback Cover Reveal
Though RATCHET’S debut year of 2013 is officially over, there are still exciting things happening. Already THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET, with its original cover, is available in paperback through Scholastic Book Clubs, but in May 2014, Sourcebooks will publish RATCHET with a brand new cover.
A HUGE thank you to Jeanine Henderson for such a creative, fantastic new look for RATCHET!
I love RATCHET’S first cover and love this new paperback cover just as much! Can’t wait to hold one in my hands!
Happy Reading,
Nancy
December 4, 2013
Skype Visits with Green Bay, WI
Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful teachers and students from Green Bay, WI. You might be wondering why a girl who grew up in the Windy City watching the Chicago Bears play football would make friends with so many Green Bay Packer fans? Well, here’s the answer, as well as the reason why I LOVE Green Bay, WI.
This is the poster showing how many RATCHET fans I have in Green Bay.
All the sixth grade teachers in the Green Bay school district are reading THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET to their students.
They are also using it as a mentor text to help teach their students about writing.
I couldn’t be more thrilled if I were a football player (on the Bears OR the Packers) who kicked a game-winning field goal with two-seconds left in the Super Bowl.
The Green Bay students are the kind of readers authors dream about.
During our Skype visits they’ve asked thought-provoking questions and made extremely insightful comments about my book.
Thirty minutes with these readers and I feel like a million bucks!
Here are posters made by some of the Green Bay students I’ve Skyped with.
Thank you Green Bay for giving me and RATCHET such a warm welcome!
Happy Reading!
Nancy
November 15, 2013
Sourcebooks Offers Virtual Visits
How about a Q&A with Marissa Moss author of the Mira’s Diary series?
Would you like to have your students meet UK author Holly Webb author of ROSE?
Maybe you’d like to find out how Geoff Herbach comes up with the ideas for his Felton Reinstein series.
Ever wonder where Nancy J. Cavanaugh author of
THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET gets the ideas for her characters?
Check out the Virtual Visits link on the
Sourcebooks website to get information
about scheduling a Virtual Visit with one of these authors.
You and your students will be glad you did!
Happy Reading,
November 8, 2013
ALWAYS, ABIGAIL – Cover Reveal
second middle grade novel.
They always say you can’t just a book by its cover,
but I sure hope you can judge this one by it’s cover
because I LOVE the cover and hope readers will love Abigail’s story too!
Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky will publish
Always, Abigail
October 2014.
Always, Abigail begins with Abigail and her two best friends, Alli and Cami, (aka AlliCam) poised for a long life of pom poms and popularity. But for Abigail, her own insecurities and lack of confidence coupled with her bad luck at being assigned to a different homeroom than AlliCam make for a rough start to sixth grade. Abigail uses her list writing to calm herself down and keep her anxiety at bay which is why she tells her story through lists and letters. But will her lists and letters help when she’s forced to choose between hanging on to the little bit of popularity she has left or being the kind of friend she knows she wants to be?
Happy Reading,
November 1, 2013
Tampa Bay Times Reading Festival
Last weekend I had the pleasure of participating in the Tampa Bay Times Reading Festival. Here are a few photos and highlights of my absolutely, gorgeous, exceptionally wonderful day. (Can you tell I had a great time?)
You can’t beat having a parking pass that allows you to park in the Gold Permit section.
Such a nice perk!
My day began at the Williams House.
Kaya Van Beynen was assigned to be my escort for the day, and she took wonderful care of me!
Always fun to see your own name on a poster with other great writers’ names.
I enjoyed signing copies of THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET in Author’s Alley.
What an awesome view on one of those glorious fall days in Florida!
Happy Reading,
October 30, 2013
Author Interview in Tampa Bay Times
A week or so ago, in preparation for the Tampa Bay Times Reading Festival, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Irina Trenkova. Irina is a high school student at St. Petersburg High who writes for the high school edition of the Tampa Bay Times. She is an excellent writer and did a wonderful job with my interview. Check it out in Tampa Bay Times tb-two.
Nancy
October 10, 2013
Scholastic Book Club’s Book of the Month – THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET
I grew up eagerly waiting for the Scholastic Book Club Flyer to be passed out each month by my elementary school teachers. I couldn’t wait to take a marker and circle all the books I wanted to buy. Well, okay, not actually buy. I circled all the books I wanted to beg my parents to give me money to buy. 
As you can see, I must have been very persuasive with my parents because I got plenty of books. And as you can see, these books were well-loved and have stood the test of time. I’ve had these books since I was in grade school, and THAT was a long time ago. (You may not be able to notice the prices, but some of the books are as inexpensive as 50 cents. That should give you an idea of how long ago it was.) 
Later when I grew up and became a teacher, I had fun passing out the Scholastic Book Club Flyer to my students. I loved to see what they ordered, and it always made me smile when an envelope, bulging with change, was turned in because I knew that probably meant one thing – this student had raided his/her piggy bank to pay for their book order. 
Years later, I had the opportunity as a library media specialist to coordinate the Scholastic Book Fair at my school. Talk about being a kid in a candy store! It was my chance to pretend, for a week, that I owned and operated my own book store, and the chaos that came with each new class coming in to do their shopping made for an exhausting, yet exhilarating week.
And now, I’m finally a published author, and though I thought that having my first book published was a dream that exceeded all other dreams, I think with the help of Scholastic Book Clubs, my dream just surpassed my wildest imagination. My book, THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET, is not only in the November Scholastic Book Club Flyer, it is the “Book of the Month.” It’s proudly displayed on the very first page of the flyer as part of a big promotion with the Pajama Program. I truly am blown away! (The Pajama Program is an organization which provides new pajamas and new books to children in need.)
To know that kids will be rushing home with their Scholastic Book Club Flyer and using their favorite pen or marker to circle the books they want, and that THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET might be one of the books they circle is like a pot of gold at the end of my author’s debut rainbow. I am so thankful for the books that Scholastic Book Clubs has brought into my life and, over the years, the lives of all my students; and I am so proud to have the opportunity to be part of what they do.
Happy Reading,
