David Macinnis Gill's Blog: Thunderchikin Reads, page 40

Wiki While You Work

Once upon a time, and for a very long time, I kept note cards around. When I got those sudden bolts of inspiration we all get, I would grab a note card and hastily jot down the new idea for a story, a character, a line of dialogue, etc. Then, being perpetually and grotesquely unorganized, I would promptly lose the card. Poof! Inspiration was gone into the ether.

My latest work in progress requires world-building, both metaphorical and physical. The story, even though it is set in the future, has

Whole Enchilada Micro Tour

Title: Whole Enchilada Micro Tour

Location: Holland, MI

Description: April 20-22, I will visit Holland, Michigan for a whirlwind tour chock full of talks, walks, and something else that rhymes with \’alk\’ but I can\’t think of at the moment. Caulk? Chalk? Anyway, if you\’re in the area, come on by. A detailed list of events will be posted closer to the date.

Start Date: 2009-04-20

End Date: 2009-04-22

Wonder Twins Micro Tour for Soul Enchilada

[image error]April 20-22, I will visit Holland, Michigan for a whirlwind tour cock full of talks, walks, and something else that rhymes with ‘alk’ but I can’t think of at the moment. Caulk? Chalk? Anyway, if you’re in the area, come on by. A detailed list of events will be posted closer to the date.

 

 

Follow Me on Twitter

I’ve been on Twitter for awhile. I didn’t embrace it at first because it seemed a hassle to log in just to add a status update. Then I realized that it’s a great way to chronicle events, as well as kibitz. Chronicle AND kibitz? That’s my cuppa tea!

Please feel free to follow me on Twitter for a little C-K action: http://twitter.com/thunderchikin

The First Star of Tejas

Kirkus has given Soul Enchilada a starred review (woot!):

"Broke-down pizza-delivery heroine Eunice “Bug” Smoot’s snake of a granddad sold his soul to the devil for a 1958 Cadillac Biarritz. When he flies the coop, Satan—aka Scratch—and his crony Beals (short for Beelzebub) chase Bug down for her soul faster than she can say “repo.” Before she knows it, Bug is trapped in a satanic smackdown to save herself, her friends and her Cadillac. Convoluted? Completely. Bizarre? Absolutely. Hilarious and a

Wintergirls

Last November, when we were less than a week from the ALAN workshop, a galley arrived while I was packing. The book was sent by the very generous Kim Lauber of Penguin Putnam so that I could have something to read on the plane :-) (if you could see the stacks of books my desk, you would be cracking up along with me).

As I settled in for the flight out of RDU (we commonly have to drive two hours north to get decent flights) to San Antonio, I pulled the book from my carry-on, where it had been snuggling next to a Glad bag with clear plastic bottles full of two ounces of liquids. We were still in pre-flight when I read the first page. A few minutes later, the flight attendant had to ask me to buckle up because we were about to take off, and my nose was stuck in the book.

I came up for air when we switched planes in Atlanta (or was it Charlotte? Maybe Dallas? I dunno) but then immediately returned to the book. I reached the last chapter as we were de-planning in San Antonio. After visiting the luggage carousel, I sat down on my bags and read until I reached the last page.

The story of a young woman destroying her life and her future as she struggles with a horrendous eating disorder clung to me the rest of the evening. It was still with me Saturday morning as I donned a paper letter A to tease the same author of that book (she doesn't like the Scarlet Letter *gasp*!). It's still with me now, even as the book is about to go on sale. Others have become starry-eyed about Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I suspect you will, too.

The Actress Who Will Voice Bug

Brilliance Audio has posted a bio of Michelle Carmen Gomez, who had signed on to read the audiobook of Soul Enchilada:

“Michelle Carmen Gomez, a former television news reporter from Texas, crossed over into audio when award-winning narrator Scott Brick recognized her “unique sound” and encouraged her to pursue a career in voiceover/narration. She has also performed on film, television and radio, and is an accomplished artist whose work has been exhibited around the world. She lives in Los Angele

Themes Fighting Words

Just the other day, Laurie Halse Anderson blogged about a recent uptick in homework requests. On her web site, as she confirms, there is a strongly worded post about not sending her homework questions. I’m sure this is very effective for students who actually read, but as a former high school teacher, I know that there are many students who do not follow instructions. Instead, they email the author and ask for help directly. This is pretty common, and I’m sure a bunch of you have experienced the

Printz Award Official Announcement

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for
young adults. Melina Marchetta, author of Jellicoe Road, is the
2009 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTeen, an
imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named:

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II, The Kingdom on
the Waves, by M.T. Anderson, published by Candlewick Press;
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart,
published b