Signing my Three-book Scholastic Contract!!!

At last - it's signed and in the mail and I'm getting around to posting pictures!

It's a strange and wonderful feeling after so many years and years and years . . . I still can't *quite* believe it.

Maybe when the check gets here and I make that trip to the bank, ha, ha!

First Page . . . I know, I'm such a tease on those Advance details on Item #2.


Don't forget to put your Jane Hancock on all 4 copies!!!


Don't look at the dying Valentin's Day roses . . . or the messy house background, ahem.


Feelin' the Contract Love, people.



My Purple Contract Signing Shoes! I've always wanted purple shoes - and I splurged.
Feels good, baby! But I can hardly walk in 'em. ;-D


If I had three thumbs I would have used them, hee, hee!




Look what I found underneath my pillow!

Dreams can come true . . .

I'm havin' LUNCH with Publisher's Marketplace!

Here is the official announcement!!! YAY!!!

CHILDREN'S: MIDDLE GRADE/YA

Kimberley Little's THE HEALING SPELL, a story of faith and redemption as a Cajun girl copes with secret guilt over her mother's coma, SECRET RITES OF THE GODDESS, pitched as the YA The Red Tent, a story of mysticism and the ancient desert, in which a girl's faith helps her stay alive, even as the world around her falls apart, and TRAITEUR, in which a new member of the popular clique at school discovers her friends are using voodoo to target her folk healer mother, and she must overcome her own desire for beauty and popularity to stop the black magic and save her mother, to Lisa Sandell at Scholastic, for publication in Summer 2010, Fall 2010 and Summer 2011, by Tracey Adams at Adams Literary (US).


My byline is actually Kimberley Griffiths Little - just in case anybody's wonderin' . . .

AND

They left out part of the title of the third book - it's THE TRAITEUR'S DAUGHTER

But titles often change . . .

It looks kind of odd and strange to see it though - MY ideas there on the page for the whole world to see. I'm just hoping they sound intriguing . . .

Hilarious Writer Jokes

These cracked me up! Stolen from Agent Rachel Gardner.

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell. She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."

A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes."Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"

"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."


***
There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!" He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.


***
A screenwriter comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing and slightly-singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man asks. “Oh, John, it was terrible,” she weeps. “I was cooking, the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is--”

“Wait, wait. Back up a minute,” The man says. “My agent called?”

Soul Sisters!

My agent called yesterday and the actual, real live CONTRACT arrived from Scholastic and is sitting on her desk!!!

It was delayed the past couple of months due to the publishing/economic shake-out and the Contracts Department is short-handed, but both my agent and editor kept assuring me ALL WAS FINE AND NOT TO WORRY. (I have a date with them for a *divine manicure* when we all get together in New York because my nails are bitten to the quick!)

What a great gift to arrive this weekend - AND THEN EVEN COOLER - in the course of our email conversation via Blackberry and IPhone, Tracey and I learned that we have birthdays on the VERY SAME DAY - TODAY!!! We're both Valentine baby's!

How cool is that?!?

I LOVE these sort of *coincidences*.

Stay tuned for CONTRACT SIGNING PICTURES next week!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, EVERYONE!!!

Friday What???

1. It's already Friday and tomorrow is a birthday I've been dreading my whole life. 'Nuf said. But a dozen gorgeous roses just got delivered! Although I better have my heart-shaped box of chocolates at the ready to drown my sorrows . . . no worries, my darling hubby never forgets.

2. HIGH CONCEPT BOOKS AND PLOTS - What is it, How do you get it, Write it, Sell it? Go here for some good discussion and explanations: Waxman Agent's Recipe for Success Post

3. Stacy Whitman just posted this: What a line-up of authors - and it's Freakin' FREE!!! I'm sending my son who is going to school there to listen to all the panels and take notes for me. I'll tell him its homework and he can't come home for spring break without it. I'm such a mean Mom.

4. I SPENT THE ENTIRE WEEK REVISING ONE STINKIN' CHAPTER OF MY EGYPT NOVEL!!!

This is not fun. I feel like I forgot how to write.

There are 34 more chapers to go.

I'm sweating.

At this rate I'll be done next Halloween.

But I'm supposed to write a screenplay and another book this year!!!

And go on a research trip in April.

And, And, And . . .

Brenda Bowen, Bowen Press, Harpercollins

Brenda Bowen's new imprint at Harpercollins, Bowen Press is GONE. Just like that. GONE. Brenda FIRED, before her first books are even published this spring. Brenda must be reeling in shock. She was one of the great editors of the last 15 years when her authors started winning BIG publishing awards like Newbery winner Karen Hesse for OUT OF THE DUST which Karen dedicated to Brenda. And now she's out of work? Yikes! (And she's probably only in her 40s).

I'm in shock and yet I never actually worked with her.

I met Brenda for the first time at SCBWI LA in 2007. I was very excited to actually meet her in person and see what she was like and chat because Brenda was the very first editor to write me a personal letter with a rejection way back in the Dark Ages (AKA - "Before computers, email, blogs, blue boards,") She was so sweet and encouraging and that letter helped keep me going in the face of hundreds of rejections which followed over the next decade. I told her that in person a year ago and it felt really good to convey that to her even though she couldn't remember me from Eve. I mean, it's been like 20 years. Okay, we are *not* going to think about THAT.

I also feel like a just dodged a publishing bullet. In November Brenda Bowen came very close to acquiring my novel THE HEALING SPELL when Scholastic came through with a three book deal and we went with them instead. How crazy is that?!

Just when we thought the layoffs and firings and closings were mostly over . . .

Don't Miss the Contest of the Month!!!

The prize packages are FANTASTIC!!! Cyn is one generous chick-a-dee, cutie-pie!

You only have until tomorrow at midnight (Monday) so hurry!!!

Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway Package: in celebration of the Feb. 10 release of Eternal (Candlewick), author Cynthia Leitich Smith is giving away several prize packages, some including signed copies of the novel, tie-in T-shirts, finger puppets, stickers, guardian-angel tokens, and more! See details here.

Deadline midnight CST Feb. 9! All Cynsational readers are eligible to win!

Don't you lurrrve this book? Don't you WANT it???

Wednesday Wanderings

It's an appropo Subject Title since my blog is called Kimberley's Wanderings - so I get to do just that - wander like crazy, ha!

My good friend Cynthia Leitich Smith's new book, ETERNAL is out in FIVE DAYS!!!! JUST FIVE DAYS!!!! I cannot wait to read it!

Here is the delicious and "tantalizing" trailer:



The book cover for EXPLORE WITHIN A MEDIEVAL CASTLE is fantastic. And it's just the kind of book my boys devoured when growing up. Heck, I still buy them all sorts of kid's books, even though they're much older now. Ahem. And even though they are not SUPPOSED to be much older!




Last but not least:

If you want to feel good about yourself as a writer, here is a tidbit from Rachel Gardner whose blog is always uplifting, fun and full of writing and publishing information.

Quote: "It's truly an embarrassment of riches. Every single query that gets to my inbox represents someone's passion, their heart and soul, their hard work, often years of their life. Each one could possibly change lives or inspire or entertain or teach... or all of the above. There is unlimited potential to change the world in my inbox everyday! I am humbled and awed at the privilege of being the recipient of such treasure.

Thank you to all of you writers who put yourselves out there, make the effort, follow your passion, and pursue that publishing dream. I admire and salute you."

Isn't she darling sweet? Go here to read the full post: Rachel Gardner, Rants and Ramblings of a Literary Agent

Friday Five

1. I started taking belly dance classes again. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it! SO MUCH FUN!

2. I'm doing the 60-day Free Trial of Microsoft OneNote 2007 for organizing my new book. Does anybody out there use it??? I have questions and would love to pick someone's brain! Meanwhile, I got a character sketch done and did Plot Planning. Whoo hoo!!! I have tabs for EVERYTHING from Setting to Research to Photos to Interviews to Synopses to Editorial Correspondece to Reviews, School Visits - and Book Tours. YAY!

3. I'm still waiting for a Christmas Gift I ordered on December 13!!! Sheesh!!!

4. I was a proctor this morning for my piano student for a BYU entrance music exam. I have no doubt she will get in AND get a scholarship! She's not only an excellent pianist but a dynamite violinst. First chair in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and has a huge 30 minute solo in a Concerto this Sunday at Popejoy Hall on UNM campus. Can't wait to hear her.

5. Last Friday I had a very fun day - lunch with the wonderful YA novelist Alexandra Flinn who was visiting Albuquerque from Miami. Here we are at Pars Cuisine, a Persian restaurant. At night they have belly dancers to accompany your meal. Ooh, lala! We also met up with two other terrific novelists from Albuquerque. Here we are by the fountain.


Me, Alexandra Flinn, Carolee Dean, Kersten Hamilton
We're so glamorous!

Posting The Forgotten Recipe

Here it is!

They are SOOOO yummy! I can eat, like 4 of them in a row, without blinking. I have such a sweet tooth.

I do a lot of aerobics.

Cinnamon Rolls that will Melt in your mouth

Don't forget: Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting are meant to be eaten WARM.

It's like, a commandment, or something.

Savoring Life

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners yesterday at ALA!!! Love the awards week!

Every year as the award announcements get closer, I get so excited to hear who the winners are going to be. I was partly surprised and partly not. Like every year. Hope everyone is celebrating!!!

My itsy bitsy, teeny, weeny good news: Carolee Dean and Kersten Hamliton and Lois Ruby and I had our Panel Proposal for the New Mexico Library Association accepted. Look for us at the Convention center in Albuquerque on April 23rd. I think we've been invited to the evening reception, too. And book signings, but I need to double check. More info as it comes down the pipeline . . .

I finished reading the adult novel, THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER, last weekend. It's told from the POV of a 10 year old girl in 1692 during the Salem Witch trials. The author, Kathleen Kent, spent 5 years researching and writing the novel - and it's based on the life of her great, great, great grandmother Martha Carrier who was hung for witchcraft. WOW. I've never read such a raw, detailed book about those times and the things that led up to the witch trials. I felt like I WAS THERE, experiencing and living it myself. Chilling and beautifully wrought. (And I had no idea they actually arrested children and they were in prison for months at a time! Horrible.)

One of my girlfriend's mother died unexpectedly a few days ago (even at the age of 86) and after taking care of her mother for more than 10 years, she is very lost and feeling alone. R. isn't married, has no children and it was a "Mom and me" situation for the two of them for a very long time. The house is empty, she can't sleep, and the memorial is now over. Her siblings are scattered and the sister closet by geography is a bit, um, crazy, vindictive, and an alcoholic - so not much comfort. So I'm making awesome cinnamon rolls (a new fab recipe I recently acquired) and picking up Sobe drinks and taking them down to her house. We're going to eat, drink, get fat, hug, cry, talk and laugh. Like usual.

Savor life's moments. Savor your writing today. Savor your family and friends.

I survived!

A computer crash. Took hubby about 15 hours this weekend to restore things.

Loading pages is a little slow still, but I didn't lose anything permanently. Thank goodness for big 500 gig external hard drives for saving everything. (I borrowed one.)

Now I HAVE TO GET BACK TO WORK ON THIS MOVIE TREATMENT before I go ballistic or explode or give up permanently. I'm running around (figuratively speaking because actually my brain feels like mush) trying to fill in plot holes and make it all work. Feels like I'm on sinking ship with only a drinking cup for bailing water.

The producer who wants to see it is in the Bahamas right now on vacation after wrapping up and editing his last film this fall - and he's looking for his next project. Hopefully it will be mine! My mentor, Brian, says we have a really, really good shot at selling my idea but I have to make it dynamite and powerful and TERRIFIC.

No pressure.

LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

The characters felt so incredibly real I started thinking I could actually get on a boat to the Island of Guernsey and meet them all in the local Pub. I want to have tea with Juliet and Dawsey. Gosh, I want to meet that guy!

You know you love a book when you hold it close to your chest and weep a few tears because the experience is over. (I admit to slowing down a little just so I could make it last longer. Does anyone else do that?)

But one of the great things about books is that you can open it up and start all over again . . . and I ran straight to my local Amazon and bought copies to give away.

I also think it's so sad that the author, Mary Ann Shaffer, never got to see the great success and popularity of her novel, especially when she spent YEARS and YEARS researching and working on this wonderfully special book.

Friday Five

My New Year's Goals!

1. Sign my Scholastic Contract with flourish.

2. Deposit my Six Figure Advance and SPEND, SPEND, SPEND!

3. Travel the World in Style.

4. Appear on the Bestseller List 52 weeks in a row.

5. Write the "Best Book Ever" like Barbara O'Connor did.


So . . . back to my PBJ, laundry, and revisions . . .

Egypt Novel: Murdering the Dead

This past Fall was so crazy that it took me 4 months (!) to do a first-pass clean-up of my ancient Egyptian novel, MURDERING THE DEAD. I drafted the book in the winter and spring of 2007! 18 months ago! It sat, waiting patiently for me while I revised THE HEALING SPELL, SECRET RITES OF THE GODDESS, IN A PARIS MINUTE, and wrote two screenplay treatments while conducting my nearly two year, nation-wide search for an agent. So it's not like I wasn't a teency bit busy, but still. I was so anxious to actually read the thing and see what I had.

After I painstakingly got through the massive 380 page thing, I sent it off in batches to my first critiquer, the fabulous Carolee Dean.

A few days later, when she got to the halfway point of the manuscript, Carolee emailed and said:

"I'm thoroughly enjoying your book! I think it is your best one yet. It's so intriguing and beautifully written."

What?!? Really?!?

I'd been dreading anyone reading it because I just knew that they would say it totally sucked - That it was BORING, SLOW, AND CONTRIVED.

But my BEST ONE YET? I'm psyched.

Here's a snippet of my main character, 17 year old Imarus, who is an apprentice mummifier:

Imarus tied a piece of leather through the hole punched into the wooden tag, then knotted the leather around the dead man's big toe. Kuni. 21 years old. Farmer.

Imarus performed a quick inspection of the corpse. For a simple farming man, the embalming contract would be quick and inexpensive. No carved alabaster canopic jars and only three linen layers of wrapping instead of the usual eight or ten, but that was preferable to leaving the man to dry out in the desert in a hand-dug hole.

Kuni’s chest had been badly trampled by his oxen. The hyenas that had launched the attack had probably come down in search of food. They often did at harvest time. The wild animals were probably rabid, too. One of the other corpses waiting in line for Imarus’ embalming knife had died of rabies. Another from lung disease, a fourth from a bar-room brawl; knifed in the seedy part of town where wine flowed more freely than the Nile’s banks during Isis' tears of Inundation. Heart attacks, chariot accidents, swamp fevers. Imarus saw it all.

He stared at the sun-browned face of Kuni, the young man’s dark hair a damp tangle of sweat. A fistful of grass and seeds was still clenched in his fist. Imarus felt a tug in his gut as he loosened the man’s grip. Tiny white flax seeds and crumbles of drying mud fell into Imarus’ palm. The dead man’s fingers involuntarily curled again.

The farmer’s chest was a mess. It was going to take some skill to fix the crushed ribs and remove the organs in the chest cavity where blood had pooled in a dark stain under the skin. Kuni had been a handsome man, sinewy muscles etched from hard work, only a few years older than Imarus himself. A life gone too soon. This could be me, Imarus thought, feeling a sudden shiver. The moment between life and death was so fleeting it was frightening. Imarus’ thoughts suddenly turned morbid. When would he die—and how?

My Top Ten Favorites of 2008

Make that my top TWELVE favorite books of 2008 because I can't narrow it down more than that. It's just too hard! I LOVED most of what I read this year.

So I rounded 'em up, whipped 'em into shape and here's my grand total: I read 75 books during 2008 - a great mix of middle-grade, YA and adult novels and nonfiction.

Here's my list, but in NO particular order. I refuse to pick any sort of *winner*. These were all fabulous books by fabulous writers, and I loved reading them!


1. RED GLASS


2. OPHELIA: A NOVEL


3. ONE WHOLE AND PERFECT DAY


4. REPOSSESSED


5. SEER OF SHADOWS


6. SONG OF THE SPARROW


7. MY ONE HUNDRED ADVENTURES


8. MOXY MAXWELL


9. HUNGER GAMES


10. IVY


11. UNDERCOVER


12. THE ADORATION OF JENNA FOX



An OH, MY GOSH, P.S.

I forgot one of the best books I read this last year!!!

In my hurry, I did not check all my stacks of books . . .

But this is WONDERFUL and by one of the best writers and women I know!




It's tough when many of my favorites for the year were read 9 months ago . . .

I really need to clean up my desk and bookcases and shelves and files . . .

It's on the TO DO list for 2009.

What I've been doing since Christmas Eve

Cooking and eating and doing dishes and cooking and eating and doing dishes and running around with the kids and hubby and trying to have my long winter's nap as well as do some READING of my huge stack of books!!!

There is lots to post about but I'm not home long enough to do anything but - cook and eat and clean up! Oh - and grocery shopping. I swear I'm at Albertson's practically every day of the week. I should get an award for Best Customer. And then I almost forgot to pay the bills.

Christmas gifts and photos, the 2008 wrap-up, and my New Year's Goals are comiiiiiiiiing . . . . .

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In which I will cook and eat and do dishes once again.

A Beautiful Christmas Video

I just wanted to share some of the spirit of our Savior's birth with all of you - the reason for everything. He actually did live - and He still lives and directs God's Plan of Salvation and happiness for us. We can become anything we want to become because of Him and His love for us. He gave us this world, the lives we enjoy, our agency, our talents and blessings and families and friends. Come unto Christ this year. The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, tells the story of his birth. Snuggle up with your family on Christmas Eve and enjoy the story together.

If you don't own a copy of The New Testament you can find the story here: The Birth of Jesus Christ

Wishing you a peaceful, warm and loving Christmas!

With much love,
Kimberley

P. S. Donny Osmond sings the music on the video and it's gorgeous.

Great Author, Great Book, Great Contest!!!

FAR FROM YOU release celebration and contest!

Lisa Schroeder, author of I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME, is celebrating the release of her upcoming YA novel, FAR FROM YOU, and hosting a contest with LOTS of great prizes!

For three days leading up to the book’s release date of December 23rd, you can watch VLOGs and hear some excerpts read from the book. The VLOG schedule is as follows:

Sunday, December 21st – Liv’s Book Reviews - http://livsbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 22nd – What Vanessa Reads - http://whatvanessareads.wordpress.com/

Tuesday, December 23rd – Lisa Schroeder, author - http://lisa-schroeder.livejournal.com/ AND http://myspace.com/writerlisa

Help spread the word, and you might win a fabulous prize!

Copy and paste THIS entire blog entry into your blog between now and December 21st, then come back to Lisa’s blog at either Livejournal OR Myspace and leave a comment with the link to your blog and you will get TWO enteries to win a number of prizes.

Wondering what you might win? Here is the list (there will be multiple winners):

~ An Advanced Review Copy of THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, by Carrie Ryan

~ An Advanced Review Copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE, by Elizabeth Scott

~ Young adult novel GIRL, HERO by Carrie Jones

~ Young adult novel, THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD by Donna Freitas

~ Young adult novel, UGLIES by Scott Westerfield

~ Pair of YA fairy tale retellings by Cameron Dokey (BELLE and BEFORE MIDNIGHT)

~ TWILIGHT movie soundtrack

~ $15.00 Barnes and Noble gift card along with some Harry & David’s chocolate moose munch

~ And of course, a signed copy of FAR FROM YOU

For more chances to win, watch one or all of the VLOGs and leave a comment on that vlogger’s page, and you get another entry. That means if you post the schedule on your blog AND comment on all three VLOGs, you can have FIVE entries for the contest!

A live drawing with winners announced will be done by Lisa Thursday morning, December 24th, in a special holiday VLOG.

Buy Books!!!

So far I've bought these for Christmas gifts and I'm so excited to give them out!

Book buying is way fun. And keeps us all in business!