I’ve been getting that question a lot lately — how are you doing? I had surgery in October and it takes about six weeks to heal. I’m on week four. I was on the way to better, but then I did this:
That’s me onstage with Renée Watson and Jenn Reese at the Portland Book Festival in a photo By Shawnte Sims. We had the best time! But OY! I was TIRED after a weekend of talking about books and writing and books (and books!). But, I got to talk about the best books:
Jenn Reese’s new book, Every Bird a Prince, is fabulous. Like her last book, she melds fantasy and reality and possibility and magic. She challenges you to find your own truth. It a wonderful read for 5-8th graders struggling to find their place (and adults searching for belonging too!).
I flew through Renée Watson’s Ryan Hart stories, like Ways to Share Joy. They follow Ryan through Portland (she’s like a modern day Ramona Quimby). They are sweet, sensitive, realistic, and ultimately, uplifting. Great books for young readers — 2nd grade and up.
Talking with these two amazing authors reminded me of the power of a book. The kids in the audience looked up in wonder, hung on their every word, and even responded to our questions. They talked about birds and asked about books and listed their favorite desserts. It was a wonderful day, and wonderful to see so many writers I know and love.
Except Curtis Chen. I didn’t get to see his panel. Or Fonda Lee. Sigh.
I actually didn’t get out to see many panels — I mostly spent my time at the Willamette Writers table, connecting with other writers. My friend, Remy Nakamura, in the picture above, helped staff the table too. He’s on the board of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association, and is great (for writers – check out the SFWA section below).
For now, I’m back to my easy chair, wrapped up in an electric blanket, sharing the joy with you. Here’s the view from my face:
Plus there’s this other thing!
The Mythwakers Kickstarter has 8 more days to go! We are almost 1/3 of the way there (eek!), so please share the love. This is my first foray (foray apparently only has one R) into nonfiction, and has been a fantastic way to share my love for mythology, folklore, and stories (in a kid-friendly way!).
We also added a way for you to donate a book to a library or school instead, if reading awesome books is not your thing. I’m so excited to share this new series with you! Check it out!
For Writers
I am helping produce the Nebula Awards again this year, and just recently joined the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association as a full member. I wasn’t a full member yet because my recent books have been too short to qualify! However, they recently changed their membership requirements, opening up to more indie, kid, and small press writers. I think this is a very good thing. SFWA is a professional organization for speculative fiction writers that gives help on so many things, from contracts to community. You can find out more about membership here: https://www.sfwa.org/about/join-us/why-join-sfwa/.
If you’re not writing speculative fiction, there are other professional organizations you can check out too! Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, Authors Guild, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators — that’s just to name a few.
Here’s a long list to get you started. These organizations are a great way to find out what’s happening in your community. Go out and make new friends!