Fan Mail Friday!

Hello there, Friday-ers! 

Some of you may know that I sell the charm bracelet from my book CIRCLE OF SECRETS on my website. Here are a couple of pictures:

This is a replica of the mysterious charm bracelet that Shelby Jayne, my main character, finds hidden behind an antique wardrobe when she's forced to go live with her mamma in the bayou.

Before the book came out, I thought how fun it would be to create the actual  bracelet from the story. It was a challenge finding charms that matched the charms I "made up" for the story, but it was a lot of fun to see it come to life. Now I get orders from kids and Moms and Grandmas and Aunts - and even a couple of Dads have bought bracelets for their daughters - GO DAD! 

This last week I put together a bracelet for a woman's daughter (many buy them as b-day gifts or as a surprise) and I received a beautiful, poignant letter that overwhelmed me. I can't stop thinking about it, and about the power of books in *my* life, and the power that writing is, too. I've changed the names in the letter for privacy. 

Dear Mrs. Little:

Jessica would like the purple stone (good choice I told her! ;-)) for the locket. 

I have to thank you for writing your book. My daughter Anna has dyslexia and has never taken interest in any book before. She was so excited while reading your book. While reading, she would run tell me what was happening. Now she is rereading the book to me out loud. Again, thanks so much. 

Leslie B. 

When I wrote her back, I found it difficult to find the right words to express how much it honored and humbled me - a well as made me cry. What a gift - given on both ends. I'm so proud and thrilled to have been a part of Jessica's and her mother's life.

A thousand thank you's to all my readers. A thousand thank you's to all the Mom's and Dad's out there. Keep up the good work! 

Happy Weekend!
xo, 
Kimberley

Fan Mail Friday - a budding Artist's rendition

Last week I went to our local SCBWI chapter's monthly schmooze (which are always fantastic, inspiring, and so much fun) and one of the gals there brought a book her daughter created that was inspired by my recent novel, Circle of Secrets.

Last year this Mom and daughter came to my book launch for Circle of Secrets and I got to meet them, chat a bit, and sign a book for them. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the girl's mother much at our local writer's events in the past year so I was completely overwhelmed when she brought this book her daughter had made - and gave it to me to keep! 

This very talented 3rd grader wrote a synopsis for each page of art, telling the story in her own words. I love seeing it come to life in her mind - so much like it is in my own head.

Isn't it gorgeous? I was so stunned and thrilled and amazed. What an absolute treat!

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

xo,

Kimberley

Fan Mail Friday - the Grown-Up Version

First, thank you all so much for your wonderful notes of support and comfort and strength in this time of great trial and suffering in my family.  I truly can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

A little bit of success: I got another chapter written (very short, but who's counting, right?!) I also finished reading a novel and a research book. And I got a massage!!! 

All I need now is a good night's sleep so I can stop yawning so much. Or falling asleep at my desk. 

Fan Mail Friday from an adult - which completely surprised me. Well, I've actually had several emails and messages in the past, but it's always such a delight and a great thrill. 

1. From a woman named Lila: "Wow, this book (CIRCLE OF SECRETS) is AWESOME! I wish it was around when I was eleven! Just had to give you a major compliment on this. Very cool! I'm about a hundred pages through and I hope to finish it today.  When I picked it up, I could not put it down. There is so much emotion to Shelby (MC). I was so much like that at that age. I look back and laugh now but your story brought it back so much. I have no idea how you got so much into your characters thoughts, but it just floored me. And I read a lot of books!"  

Wow, thank you, Lila!!! 

Here's some wild and interesting backstory: CIRCLE OF SECRETS is actually a book that I wrote twice over from start to finish - full 200+ page stories that are completely different from each other. 

Here's how it happened: I wrote a full draft of a manuscript based on a proposal (a two-page detailed synopsis), revised it for several months, turned it into my editor with excitement, but the manuscript that I was so proud of with some great twists and turns was NOT what she'd been hoping from me. She didn't think the character was very likable. My character was whiny and treated her mother (they've been estranged for a year) badly. She also had trouble with some of the plot, and thought it was too old for a middle-grade novel.

After an in-depth talk with both my editor and agent discussing many aspects of the manuscript I knew it wasn't salvageable in its present plot form. I knew I had to start over. The voice was all wrong. The plot was complicated and all the pieces too tightly interwoven so I decided to start completely over from Page One. SCARY!!!  

There was one piece of advice that I wrote down from my editor that kept resonating in my mind as I began all over again. She wanted Shelby Jayne to be more like a 10-11 year old. Scared, hurting and vulnerable. After much pondering and daydreaming and thinking about her, I was able to go to that place with her and I'm so glad I did. I wrote the next draft in less than 3 weeks and Shelby was there on the page. Her voice came pouring out. And my editor loved the new manuscript! But I knew that the only way I was able to get to that 11-year-old true voice was keeping my editor's words in my head all through the new draft as I wrote every day: "Scared, hurting, and vulnerable."

I revised once, added another 15,000 words (the first draft was a bit spare) and cleaning up, moving some scenes around, etc. Then my editor and I revised together, went through copy edits and were doing First Pass Pages 4 months later. It was a whirlwind! I was terrified the whole thing stunk. I was sure there were huge holes in the plot, things I'd missed. It was all too fast, but my editor kept assuring me it was a beautiful book, and that she'd cried.

CIRCLE OF SECRETS ended up with fabulous reviews in all the review journals, a starred review in School Library Journal, and so many wonderful blogger and online reviews. 

Sometimes writing can be magical - even with a ton of hard work! :-)  

*Sometimes our readers confirm that, too. This message is really meaningful to hear if the story takes adults back to their childhood and brings the growing up experience rushing back in a flood of remembrance.*

Which is exactly what writing does for me. 

xo, 

~Kimberley

Fan Mail Friday - The Artistic Version

It's Friday evening and I'm just now posting. Busy day buying my new Apple iPad - my first Apple product ever! So, yeah, monumental day - ha, ha. (I celebrated by working on editorial revisions in the afternoon as well as paperwork and a trip to the fax store for a student loan for my son).

Every first weekend of August New Mexico has a tax-free weekend for people to purchase school clothes, school supplies and electronics for students and families - and save a little money. Really helps the retail businesses. Believe me, the stores are BUSY! Best Buy was packed and they had pallets of iPads and all kinds of electronic goodies.

 

If only it came in *purple* I would be the happiest girl, 

but pink is the next best thing!

I've been thinking about making this purchase for awhile and I am excited by all the wonderful things an iPad can do. It will be especially handy for when I'm traveling (which has been increasing the past year or two personally as well as with my life as an author) and next year with two books launching with both Scholastic and Harpercollins, I have a feeling travel is about to go into overdrive. I'm already booked for a Houston Author Teen Event in February, I'm a presenter at SCBWI Niagara Falls in May, a Whitney Award judge for LDStorymakers in May AND Book Expo America the end of May/early June - and that doesn't include any book launch events to be scheduled or school visits. And it doesn't include my 3 week trip to the Middle East (Jordan/Israel) in November.

Before I'm off to play with my nifty new toy while I watch all my hours of recorded Olympics, here are some terrific pieces of artwork sent to me by some of my new friends who've read my books. I *love* them! I feel so honored and thrilled that they took the time to draw or create something inspired by The Healing Spell. Here is a link to the book trailer I made for The Healing Spell - it's already received nearly 5200 hits, and for a middle-grade book by an unknown author I think that's pretty darn good! Yay!


Here is Livie and her baby gator and family and house.

And here is the swamp created out of tissue paper and some very cool yarn. See the hanging moss? Feels like we're right there! 
 

Thank you so much to my wonderful artist and reader friends! I will treasure these!

Happy Weekend, everyone!
~Kimberley

P.S. So what have been your favorite Olympic moments so far? I confess I sit and cry through all the women's gymnastics.

Fan Mail Friday & Obsessions

Some of my obsessions lately . . . 

And these secret keys . . . 

And because these kids are just SO adorable! I get giddy every time a fan email pops into my Inbox. They make me laugh and they make me teary-eyed. Hopefully they'll put a smile on your face, too.

Hello Kimberley Griffiths Little,

Hi my name is Megan and I am 10. I just finished your book called Circle Of Secrets.

I loved it. I loved it. I loved it.

How did you get your great ideas?

The mystery type, adventure is my type of book. And you mastered it.

Can you tell me a little bit about your self for me?

Regards,

Megan 

Now I'm off to revise a chapter. And I'm talkin' DEEP revision on all levels. I'm scared and I'm excited.

Have a great weekend, dear friends. Cloudy and hopefully cooler today! My little writing cottage is getting a few minor things completed on it, too. At last the hubby is home and isn't fixing a car or a toilet. :-)

xo,

~Kimberley

P.S. Go to my Facebook Pictures to see the building of "The Writing Cottage" in my backyard. 

http://www.facebook.com/kimberleygriffithslittle