Here we are.
This is it.
This is the month. And in nine and a half days, Stick will be released.
I have lots of stuff to do.
Tomorrow, I will be at the Orange County Children's Book Festival, speaking on a panel about reality (what a concept) in YA Fiction. There are going to be some really great authors there, some of whom I have not yet met, so I am really looking forward to it.
The panel is at noon, and the festival is located at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. The link is at the bottom of this post.
I am going to read from Stick, and then answer questions. This might be interesting for a number of reasons:
First, I have not yet received author copies of Stick. I have only one copy, and I am currently not sure where I put it.
Second, it is an essential element in Stick that the words have a particular cadence and isolation to them. Nobody has ever read this book aloud, but if it were to be read aloud, you would have to ask me how to do it. I can only imagine that any audiobook producer who attempts to undertake the project of recording Stick will have to stretch his capacity for interpreting the necessary truth that while all books can be read aloud, this book can only be read aloud by someone who knows what they're doing.
Is that intriguing?
Yeah... let me find my book.
I will also be signing copies of The Marbury Lens at the festival. Maybe I will talk a little bit about Passenger, which is the sequel to The Marbury Lens, too.
From the festival, I will be going directly to the airport and flying to an undisclosed secret location for the next four days. I will blog from USL (undisclosed secret location).
Later this month, I will be honored to attend the SCIBA Book Awards at the Long Beach Hilton. The Marbury Lens happens to be a finalist for their very prestigious award.
Also, I know I will be signing a massive heap of (free) copies of Stick for the folks in attendance.
There will be so many amazing authors there. Um. Like Brian Selznick. I'm like, holy shit. I am so going to video his speech and YouTube that shit if Brian Selznick actually mentions the name of my book (or its author). Honestly, if I were just a little bit more creepy, I would probably stalk Brian Selznick.
Brian.
Text me.
Seriously, for all the West Coast people who grumble sometimes about how distant the great shows like BEA and ALA are, this event is where you can get a TON of incredible (free) signed books and have a real opportunity to actually converse with authors, editors, and agents.
Seriously, book peeps should be camping on the streets trying to get tickets to this event.
I will put the link below, too.
Also, I will be heading down to San Diego for the World Fantasy Convention the following weekend.
This will give me the opportunity to get arrested for stalking Neil Gaiman.
Neil.
Text me.
You want my book. I know you do.
If I do not get arrested for stalking Neil Gaiman, the following day I will be appearing with some of my favorite dude authors at Mrs. Nelson's to talk about my BIG CAUSE:
The Why Chromosome -- Why Boys Really Do Love to Read
And I haven't even mentioned anything about Teen Read Week, which is squeezed into the middle of all this book signing/stalking/getting arrested agenda.
It will be a great month.
You can find out more about the Orange County Children's Book Festival here.
You can find out more about the SCIBA Author's Feast and Awards here.
