Here we go 2013...

A Winter's Day in 1939 is nearly here - releasing in March. I will do a give-away here on my blog closer to release, and I am also doing one here on Goodreads. Book launch details will be revealed soon.

I was thrilled to see this the other day - page 14 in Scholastic Australia's April Catalogue. My book is a staff pick!!!

Happy days :) I hope readers like it.

March is also New Zealand Book Month and I am part of a fabulous exhibition taking place at the National Library in Parnell and Takapuna Library over the whole month, showcasing the background work that goes into books. The exhibition includes titles by Margaret Mahy and David Elliott, Gavin Bishop, Fifi Colston and David Hill, Maria Gill and Heather Arnold, Jennifer Beck and Lindy Fisher, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley, and of course me. We are having a gala opening with myself, Maria, Heather, David Elliot, Donovan, Fifi, Kyle and Lindy Fisher on March the 4th at the National Library at 6pm if you are interested in coming along  (RSVP to the National Library at : Simon.Vincent@dia.govt.nz). 

I have been reading more books - finished Ian Rankin's Standing in Another Man's Grave (terrific writing although one or two plot points left me a little unsatisfied), and The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (ditto, although I wanted to marry the writing and have its children, it was brilliant). Now I'm working my way through The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (jury's out so far).

The bi-annual NZ Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference is due this year in Christchurch Queen's Birthday Weekend and I am making plans to head down. I'm keen to see what they have on their programme. I hope to visit Canterbury University while I'm down there. I'm all signed up for this year's paper - Young Adult Fiction - cannot wait for the study guides to arrive.

Because I have a novel to complete I polished up a picture book I wrote a little while back and sent it off to a publisher. Its something quite different to my other picture books (which is probably a statement you can apply to every picture book I've ever written) - somewhat like a Maori myth/legend, and inspired by a film short I saw at the movies some years back. I also recently signed the contract on my picture book due out later this year, While You Are Sleeping.  The year seems to be gathering some momentum. Here we go 2013.

It said haute cuisine on the wrapper - why is there a cheeseburger inside?

Been ploughing through a whole bunch of new books recently which has been rather nice, but I'm beginning to feel a desire to go read an old favourite. Not sure what yet. Its not an old favourite because its not old and it has yet to reach my 'favourite' status (although it might be a contender) but I might start with Coraline because I saw the movie on the way back from Oz. I loved the movie but I can't help feeling that I loved the book differently. Now I have to check, so a re-read is in order. Then maybe I'll re-read The Time Travellers Wife (again inspired by the movie which was good but not as good as the book) and then some books from Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series (definitely a childhood favourite). Since turning my writing ambitions into reality I find I read differently and these differences aren't necessarily an improvement. Sure they probably help me with my writing skills but they do tend to cut into the raw enjoyment of a book. There's too much assessment going on up front now. Still can't take that away now, even if I tried. But I'm wondering if its this change in my reading that has resulted in me finding less gems amongst the books I've been consuming? I wonder what I will find when I do some re-reading? Will the old favourites stand the test of time and my personal metamorphosis? I know The Wizard of Earthsea books still rock, as do the Little House on the Prairie series. I guess I grew up on a diet of confirmed classics, so now I have to eat a little more junk food in between the amazing stuff. I don't mind junk food but I would like a little more fine dining than I'm getting. Its especially disappointing when it says 'haute cuisine' on the wrapper but its still cheeseburger and fries inside (or something too sugary or insubstantial). A million customers can be wrong.

I had a scary thought last night while watching the movie "He's Just Not That in to You". I enjoyed it. Some of it is cheesy and a bit hokey in places but some of it really hit the mark and it was an interesting ensemble of actors. But the aspect that disturbed me was the general notion that if a guy doesn't ring you it clearly means he's just not interested. Is that how publishers really feel when they don't get in touch?

And here's an interesting factoid - I would spend more than 99% of my life waiting on submissions. That means less than 1% of my life is about hearing back from publishers or in discussions with publishers. Sure I don't spend that 99%+ twiddling my thumbs while I wait and a good proportion of that time will include promoting myself as a writer or my books, or creating new work, but my mind is always waiting, often impatiently or on tenterhooks. Is this constant ooze of adrenaline, this continual underlying stressor, good for my health?

In praise of intuition...

What inspired my 'magic of reading' post? Excellent question! I have just finished The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, and while this is a ripping read, with an extremely thought provoking plot (although I can't quite get my head around teenagers quoting Thoreau at will) it wasn't that, that did it. It was an excerpt of Leon Garfield's The Wedding Ghost in my study guide for the university paper I am doing. It is the kind of writing I would give my left arm to be capable of. It is dreamy and poetic and cunning and witty. It is the kind of writing that makes me pause and think 'should I just give up now?' because it is sooooooo good and so far away from where I am now. That kind of brilliance can be a bit overwhelming. I should avoid reading this kind of thing when I am in limbo, in that no-mans-land of being past due dates to hear back about things, when all I can do is look for distractions to keep my mind off all the waiting it is doing. Yes of course I should be writing, writing, writing but my writing brain is sulking.

So while it sulks I thought I'd give a plug for intuition. Intuition has played a big part in my writing career so far. And yes my writing career goes up and down like a well oiled yoyo and some might question whether those gut feelings contribute more to the up than the down. But even if the jury is still out on that one I feel good about using my intuition. I apply it to my plot development, to my character names, to the nuts and bolts of sentence structure and word choice. I apply it to the question, is this story finished? and, has this received enough editing? I apply it to my dealings with publishers and other industry professionals. In this business, one learns the ropes as one goes. Even when I've learned something new, 9 times out of 10 I am already moving on to a different phase, a different set of circumstances, a new,untried experience where I can't draw on everything I've learnt before. So I have to trust my intuition. I always try to throw in honesty and politeness as well - these three are a potent brew. If in doubt, check in with your intuition. After all its an offshoot of the sum of all your knowledge, wrapped in who you are as an individual. If you can't trust yourself who can you trust!

Still giddy...

Still feeling all thrilled and squeeful on the inside about being a finalist in the NZ Post Book Awards. I'm not sure what it all means yet but I do know it means an author tour to Westport in May which I am very excited about. I have never been to this part of New Zealand before so its already feeling like a really big adventure and i love talking books and writing with children.

I can't get my head to stop doing mental cartwheels so writing is off the agenda this week but reading has been wonderful. Stopped in at a bookshop yesterday and was happy to see near the front entrance of the shop a big stand dedicated to the NZ Post Book Awards. Yay this was fabulous although the stand only had about three of the listed books on it. I guess its early days yet. I hope they are planning to fill up the stand. The only picture book finalist they had was Duck's Stuck (Kyle Mewburn, Ali Teo and John O'Reilly) so I got to read that and loved it. I reckon its guaranteed to make any child fall in love with words, its such a fun read. And I'm now reading The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner. Only just started though as I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer last night. After successfully luring me in with the fun title and the light humorous beginning, this book takes twists and turns, describing the German occupation of Guernsey during the Second World War which was not at all light or humourous. I like a book that's smart without being too tricky and I'm a bit of a sucker for history without a text book feel so thoroughly enjoyed this. Now I have quite a bit of reading ahead of me to cover all the other finalists so I'd better get on with it...

Our reading makes us world savvy...

I has been reading lots over the past few days. Day before yesterday I finished The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. What a haunting story. And such a devastating conclusion. It is a simple tale that lays out the horrors of a terrible time in our history and is an excellent way to keep knowledge of these injustices alive and understandable for future generations - we should never forget.

Yesterday I needed to read something completely different (and was grateful that perhaps the way history played out enabled me to). I consumed, in a day, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. Cool read. Now I wanna see the movie. Nick and Norah's contains a lot of geographical, cultural and product references specific to the US. Only one product had me confused but it didn't hold my enjoyment or understanding of the story back. I wish NZ books travelled to the US like their books travel here. Are kiwis more world savvy or has our wide reading about different cultures over the years made us so. One of the benefits of reading is escaping to and learning about new places, cultures and people. I could never be a teenage jewish New Jersey girl having one crazy night in Manhatten but now i know how it might feel. How cool would it be if some new jersey youngster caught a glimpse of how kids live here. I do wonder why our books don't travel and theirs do?

This morning I'm on to Kate Summerscale's The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. I hardly ever read non-fiction except the newspapers which stretch that definition somewhat at times. Its compelling so far but its a fat book and I am not sure I have the reading stamina for the whole thing. Especially since school holidays are nearly over and I will have peace and quiet, the house and the computer to myself again come monday to get back in to my writing. I can't complain too much tho'. I have been enjoying the books, and all the movies I have been to with my children. I have seen at least one movie alone with each of them which is extra nice.