tradition

It's definitely that time of year! Things have been crazy, at least for me as I've been finding the baby + book balance a hard juggle. But I made time for what has become a little tradition--having a booth at the RISD sale!

However, I barely made it. I packed late and set up in a sleepy stupor. The booth was far from a thing of beauty-- wrinkled tablecloths, no display (I forgot to bring the hooks for the prints) and low stock. But I was so bedraggled I couldn't even complain--I was just grateful to be there!

I decided to rely on Rain Dragon to liven up the booth, anyway. She had a great time at the sale, smiling at people and looking at all the neat things:

you can still get this cute dragon onesie, though I heard that they will be gone soon...

This year, they gave my good friend Anna Alter the booth next to me which was really nice. Her beautiful booth attracted a lot of people who wandered over to mine, causing brisk sales:

I didn't purchase much from other booths like I have in years past, even though there were a plethora of amazing things. I have to save up money for our big move and I am kind of hoping that if there is an surplus I can splurge and buy this light for Rain Dragon's bedroom.

Afterwards it was the 2nd part of the tradition, meeting up with some of my blue rose girls. When you work at home, it's hard to make friends  and I feel so lucky that my little circle of friends is still intact--even as we move around and make additions:

this year with a blue rose baby!

Until next year!

Pages Booksigning

Since I don't get out to the west coast that often (and probably won't be coming again soon--Rain Dragon was an angel on the plane but I don't think I should push my luck) I thought, perhaps, I should try to do a booksigning while I was out there. I was rather doubtful about it, as attendance at booksignings can be pretty iffy. While I felt like I knew a fair amount of people on the east coast, would anyone even come on the west coast?

However, Pages Bookstore graciously offered to host so my author/illustrator friend Anna Alter, who also came over for the wedding (we shared a house together in Venice Beach) decided to risk it, leave our babies with the husbands, and squeezed in the event for our last day in LA.

Prior leaving for the bookstore we had thought,"Hey, we drive in Boston! We can drive anywhere!" However,  LA traffic and parking quickly humbled us. We were 15 minutes late to...SURPRISE! a big crowd of people:

image from Annelam's flickr album!

I quickly grabbed a book and started the reading:

image from Yucaree's flickr album

and I did the dragon-draw-along I've done hundreds of times during school visits. However, maybe because it has been a while or I still have baby brain, but I completely blanked on how to write the FU, the Chinese word for luck and a parent had to flash me an image off her iphone. My Chinese teacher would be so horrified.

image from Yucaree's flickr album

But it was lovely meeting all my readers, young and old!

image from Annelam's flickr album!

Some were very old readers-- they'd been reading my books for a long time! One girl brought this photo of herself and all my books that she owned:

It was a lovely time!

Cherish (our host at Pages), Anna Alter and me

Thanks so much Pages Bookstore and my west coast readers!

The Newbery Banquet or my Cinderella night

Once upon a time, there was a Cinderella who received an amazing invitation program to a ball banquet.
It even had her name on it!
As she sat in the ballroom banquet hall, she looked in awe all around her. She was really there! She knew it was magic that got her there. But, unlike other well-known Cinderellas who only have one, measly fairy godmother, this Cinderella had many.

First there was the Dress Fairy...
Dress Fairy Cindy Pon who is the nicest & loveliest person to dress stalk as well as being a great author! Her Silver Phoenix is kind of a Young Adult Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.
who made sure Cinderella was clothed as well as a princess:


Because I went with the Dress #2! Majority ruled, even though I had to put straps on the dress.

And the Great Friends Fairies:

The blue rose girls, my greatest friends with me through thick and thin. From L to R: Anna Alter, me, Alvina Ling (back)Libby Koponen, Meghan McCarthy, Elaine Magliaro (missing: Linda Wingerter)
The Awesome Agent Fairy:

My agent, Rebecca Sherman, who so wisely guided & guides my career & does all the biz stuff that I hate to do, all while being a friend.
The Revelation Fairy:
Janet Wong, whose wise words pushed me to finish Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. As well as being witty and warm, she is a great author whose new book looks really good!
Cinderella met some fairies for the first time:

I met Pam Coughlin (MotherReader) for the first time at ALA. We've been reading eachothers' blogs for so long, we felt like old friends! Pam was passionate advocate of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, so much so that I almost felt like I needed to send her a check at the end of the year!

While other Fairies had been there along the way:

Marketing savvy (and great author--check out all the buzz for her Bamboo People)Mitali Perkins, who helped me create the online booklaunch...she is the one who had me start my FB fanpage!

The fabulous Kirsten Cappy of Curious City who put together the the Activity Book and the Event Kit which a librarian told me she used recently to rave reviews!

Besides the many fairy godmothers (there are a lot who missing from this story, so sorry!) Cinderella, of course, had her Prince Sasquatch.

Alex, aka Squatchie, who made up for having to be on good behavior by purposely making goofy faces in all his photos!

So with friends, magic and a Prince Sasquatch, Cinderella was at the ball banquet. And, oh, how happy she was!

The King spoke his words:

Jerry Pinkney, winner of the Caldecott medal, gave a heartwarming speech. People ovated (is that a word?) him 3 times.

And, then, Cinderella had a feeling that the big dance was coming...

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon on the big screen!

Yes! Her time had come!

I jump onto the stage to receive the NEWBERY HONOR!

"Is it really for me?" I ask Newbery Chair Katie O'Dell with my psychic mind. She assures me it is.

See, it IS mine! My name's on it!

I'm just going to take this with me, okay? You don't mind, do you?

Run! Before she changes her mind! NO TAKE-BACKS!

Safely back in her seat Gracefully retired, Cinderella listened to the words of the Queen:

Newbery winner Rebecca Stead gave an inspiring speech!

And then the evening was ending...the clock was striking midnight:

The receiving line after the banquet was really, really long! Though it was nice to meet so many people.

And Cinderella had no slippers:

But my feet couldn't take my heels anymore. And neither could Alvina's!

But she didn't care, because she had a much better accessory!

But my tired feet was still able to carry this home!

So, she lived happily ever after.

The end.