Just so you know, the #1 thrill moment when you're an author is when your author copies arrive from the publisher and you open the box, then turn those pages for the first time. I had a great week: both of my sets of author's copies came at once! That would be Hans My Hedgehog, due out 1/24, and Water Sings Blue, due out mid-March.I took some photos so you can get a feel for what it's like. (Pride, joy, bliss, disbelief...)
First I'll show you the box of Hans books, above right.
Here's one of the spreads, with Hans up in a tree playing his fiddle. That's King #1 down at the bottom, yelling.
I really like the spot art.
The ocean poems came Fed Ex. I think my favorite spread is the jellyfish.
But the title page is also really pretty.
So yes, I've been semi-delirious the last couple of days. (I won't show you a photo of that.)
Oh, and the #2 thrill? When a kid likes your book and tells you so, or sends you an illustrated fan letter. Then again, maybe I should call it a tie!
34 comments:
Congratulations! I will definitely look for both of these!
P.S. I had dinner with my nephew the other night and was telling him about the title for your blog. He just kind of shook his head and said, "Too bad she beat you to it." But then he asked if he could borrow my copy of UNBROKEN, so I guess I did something right!
It must just be the best to open those boxes. Congratulations to you for both books. I'll keep a lookout for them!
Oh Wow! They both look lovely. Congratulations!
I’m looking forward to reading both your new books. Congratulations!
Congratulations,Kate! How exciting. Can't wait to see these. Looks like 2012 is a banner year for you :).
Beautiful! Both of them. : ) So excited for you, and looking forward to getting my hands on them both,
I have fantasized about getting a box like that for years! Congrats!
Thanks, you guys!
How exciting! Congratulations! Thank you for sharing the experience the way you did. Your books are beautiful!
Congratulations! Looking forward to them both!
Congrats on the new book! It must be like Christmas when that box arrives.
Congrats on those books arriving. Both events must be equally thrilling, I think :)
Congrats! I LOVE seeing the "book in the box" pictures on author/illustrator blogs so thanks for sharing! Next stop, the shelves of the bookstore (or the warehouse from which all internet orders will be shipped...) Can't wait to read it at story time at the bookstore where I work.
Congratulations! The jellyfish spread is truly beautiful.
BTW, I don't know if I've told you how much I liked 'Runaway Princess'. I gave it 5 star reviews all over! Thanks again for sending it to me.
So I've been blog lurking for a while because I love your blog title ... I'm a book aunt, too! It was ... a little while before I figured out that you wrote books, as well. These look awesome. Can't wait to check them out.
Laurie, I'm so glad you liked RP! And thanks for the support.
Ms. O--Yes, I try to keep the focus on book reviews, but every so often I do give my books a little post time. As for being a book aunt, you, me, Carol, and all the other BAs out there need to stick together. :)
Thank you, everyone, for being excited with me!
Thanks for sharing, Kate! I've got both books on my order lists. :)
Those look gorgeous, congratulations
Congratulations on the books! I'll add them to my queue. They look like great read aloud books for my daughter's kindergarten class.
Ali B.
Both books look fabulous. Books themselves are great presents, but getting that first look at your own book: priceless!
Hold it! "Water Sings Blue" is you? I was looking through the Chronicle catalog and thinking that the only book I was interested in requesting was that one! And here I was thinking about the blogger and not the author.
Anyway, enough rambling for one comment. Congratulations!
MotherReader--Hooray! That was such a nice comment.
All--I will just point out the obvious: I really lucked out on my illustrators for both books. I'm so glad you like them, too!
Oh wow. That must be unbelievably exciting! Congratulations -- and I can't wait to read them! Love the jelly-fish!
I'm so glad I discovered your blog through the comment challenge! Just glancing through the "favorite posts" list lets me know I've found a kindred spirit.
Thanks, Beth! Isn't the comment challenge great? It's such a friendly event! Kindred spirits are especially welcome, of course. :)
Congratulations, Kate on the releases of your new picture books! Must be so exciting to finally see them in person. I love discovering new blogs, and Comment Challenge has made it possible.
I dream of opening just such a box someday...congratulations!
Your box looks amazing! I've never really wanted to be an author, but I do imagine me in Anne of Green Gables, opening up a box of books I dedicated to Gilbert Blythe and saving his life with them. ;)
Blissey--Thank you! Isn't the Comment Challenge great?
Tara--I hope that day comes for you!
Medea--Heehee. Now THERE'S a nice thought! (My girlfriends and I once stayed up all night watching all of the Anne of Green Gables DVDs. And we were in our 30's!)
I commented earlier but it didn't come through... Congratulations on your books! Do you know who's going to illustrate your books beforehand?
Thank you, Adriana! The author doesn't pick the illustrator; the editor and the design team do. I have waited as long as 3 years just to have a illustrator assigned to a project. From there on out I do get to see the sketches and check the galleys. This is mostly to make sure there aren't any discrepancies between the writing and the art. And if there are, it is most often the writing that will be changed! My next book, The Tooth Fairy Wars, is a picture book that will be illustrated by Jake Parker. It will be out in late 2013 or early 2014.
Congratulations, Kate; what a thrill indeed! I've had my eye on Water Sings Blue as I've been researching Water books for our upcoming theme on PaperTigers - and I also love Meilo So's illustrations. Can't wait to get my hands on it!
Marjorie, thank you! Meilo So's illustrations are just wonderful. I will tell you that I have a poem called "What the Waves Say" that's very watery. Then there are a bunch about ocean animals, but we do hear from sand, driftwood, and the entire ocean. Plus there's a boat song.
I hopped over here because of a connection... On Wednesday I listened to a podcast of "On Point" radio from last December in which they recapped the best books of 2011. One of the callers was "The Book Aunt." Maybe she was you?
I'm glad I landed here. "Water Sings Blue" especially appeals to me. I'll watch for it's release.
Congratulations!
Different Book Aunt, apparently! (I know there's an Aunt Book out there, but she doesn't do children's books.) Glad you like the looks of Water Sings Blue--I'm so happy with how it turned out!
Post a Comment