Hello Again …

The last five weeks have been an insane grind for Team Auxier.   I was planning to do several posts announcing various things as they came up, but time got away from me.  Instead, I'm just going down the list …

BOOK TOUR

I've been touring schools and bookstores all over California — about thirty events in the last month.  (Click here to see pictures from a recent event … and video of me doing a favorite YO-YO trick!)  I also managed to sneak out to Wordstock in Portland and the Miami Book Fair International.1

I OPTIONED A MOVIE

To real producers!  With real money!  The story is one I've been working on for a while — a period ghost tale in the tradition of Washington Irving about a haunted tree.  The one problem was that selling the movie meant I had to completely  re-write the last half while on book tour.  I finished last night! 

WE MOVED!

This month, Mary and I packed up all our dishes and made the 3000 mile trek to Pittsburgh, PA!2  The 'Burgh is a wonderful city that has topped virtually every "most livable" list for the last decade.  Also, we met there. 

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

One great thing about Pittsburgh is an abundance of amazing old homes.  Coming from the West Coast, I thrill at the idea of living in something not covered in stucco.  As of last night, Mary and I are the owners of this hundred year-old gem on a tree-lined street in Regent Square.  How's that for a black Friday purchase?

AND THE LAST THING …

You might be asking yourself why a young couple might leave sunny Los Angeles for snowy Pittsburgh?  Well, Mary grew up here, and we want to be near family when we have our baby in May.  Did I mention we're having a baby?  Because we so totally are.

Where I had a fantastic time hanging out with the likes of Tom Angleberger, Dan Santat, Grace Lin, Gene Yang, and Matt Phelan! Even better, I got Dan to promise to put me into his next picture book! ↩
Actually Mary packed our house; I was too busy hanging out at schools and bookstores. ↩