An Introvert's Happy--and Peaceful--Hour

Dear Friends,

Robin and I want to wish all of our mothers a belated Happy Mother's Day! We hope you enjoyed your particular version of a perfect, restful day. And speaking of perfect things, we are happy to have Laurie Helgoe with us today as our guest blogger to share some of her thoughts about introvert-friendly spaces. Thanks, Laurie!

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A Special Guest Post by Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D.

You've had a tough day at work, and when your favorite extrovert suggests happy hour at a local club, it sounds like fun. You go, and you have fun – for the requisite 45 minutes. But as more and more people stop to greet your extrovert, as your mouth tires of smiling, and as the crowd and the noise and the lighted bar signs make your head spin, you long for space, quiet and comfort. But your extrovert is your ride, and the only place to hide is a small grungy bathroom with a line of people waiting outside the door.

So you find a wall to lean against, and – whoa! It isn't a wall, but a door. As you push it open, you behold a room set up to answer your longing: couches strewn with soft pillows and throws, lamps providing warm lighting, oversized chairs with ottomans, well-stocked bookcases, cozy nooks and comfortable crannies. 

Kathleen Duey Takes Center Stage

Please join Robin and I in welcoming the generous, multi-talented, masterful and enviably prolific author for Young Adults and Children, KATHLEEN DUEY. After letting her dream of becoming a writer germinate for twenty years, she has burst into bloom, and leaves most of us gasping at her drive and full frontal embrace of social media.

Kathleen and I met last month in the dazzling dowtown Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles in its revolving skytop restaurant. We both looked extremely glamorous drinking Pisco Sours, and had to work to keep the paparazzi at bay.

Interviewer's note: Para 1 is completely true. Para 2 has been embellished a tad. We were both in the state of California at the time of the interview. And, I'm certain wherever she was, she was looking completely glamorous.

And without further ado, one of the most unforgettable voices in dark fantasy, Kathleen Duey--

Ready? Set? It's the Countdown to Buy Indie Day!

Greetings, Violets and Vins--

This Saturday, May 1st, has been declared Buy Indie Day. The concept is marvelously simple! Just buy one book—a paperback, hardcover, audiobook, whatever you want at an independent bookstore near you. Indulge yourself in that book you've been lusting for! Or, buy a gift for a a family member, a friend, a friend's child, a public library, a school library, an inmate, an absolute stranger. But make haste on Friday to your nearest indie! And if you can't get out, hop over to the Indie Bound website, click here and let your keyboard do your shopping! They even have a seriously handy store locator for you if you're not yet familiar with what's in your own neighborhood. If you're not, now is the perfect time to find out.

So, why shop at an independent when you can pick up books at any one of the chains at a discounted price? Well, according to our experts over at Indie Bound, when you shop at independently owned businesses, your entire community benefits. Here's how: 

Stay tuned for Monday's Post

It's coming! Just a bit behind today--

In the meantime, think about the book you would most like to add to your bookshelf this week. Hold that thought and come back after 5pm, will you?

Thanks!

Pax,

Mary

Donna Gephart Knocks Number Two Right Out of the Park!

It must be Spring-- new books are popping up everywhere! Robin and I could not be happier to be hosting a book launch for Miss Hysterical Pants Herself, our friend and Shrinking Violet tribeswoman, Donna Gephart. Way to go, Donna!

HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL

by Donna Gephart

Delacourte Books for Young Readers/Random House

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Hardcover, 256 pages

Eleven-year-old David Greenberg dreams of becoming a TV superstar like his idol, Jon Stewart. But in real life, David is just another kid terrified of starting his first year at Harman Middle School. With a wacky sense of humor and hilarious Top 6½ Lists, David spends his free time making Talk Time videos, which he posts on YouTube. But before he can get famous, he has to figure out a way to deal with:

6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)

5. His best friend gone girl-crazy

4. A runaway mom who has no phone!

3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday

2. A terrifying cousin

1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)

1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart?

It's a Launch Day Party! Here Comes Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus

Congratulations to our very own R. L. LaFevers!

THEODOSIA AND THE EYES OF HORUS

R. L. LaFevers

Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Ages 9-12

Hardcover, 374 pages

April 12, 2010

Being able to detect black magic isn’t all tea and crumpets—and for Theodosia Throckmorton, it can be a decidedly tricky business! When Sticky Will drags Theo to a magic show featuring the Great Awi Bubu, she quickly senses there is more to the magician than he lets on, setting in motion a chain of events she never could have bargained for.

Meanwhile, back at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities, Henry is home for the spring holidays and makes an accidental discovery of an artifact that alchemists have been hunting for centuries. Soon, every black-cloaked occultist in London is trying to get their hands on it . . . (excerpt from jacketflap)

"Theodosia Throckmorton, first appearing in Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (2007), returns in another fantastical romp, steeped in ancient Egyptian lore and set in Edwardian England. With villains from previous series installments still at large, a new threat is added to the mix: the Arcane Order of the Black Sun, a secret society focused on the occult. Once again, supernaturally talented Theodosia navigates around her etiquette-obsessed grandmother and absentminded parents in a suspenseful, satisfying fantasy that’s filled with the specifics of magical ritual sure to delight readers who miss the goings-on at Hogwarts-"-Booklist

At the risk of sending her running to the nearest draperies to bury herself in embarrassment, I must tell you what a rousing success this series has been! The first Theodosia book garnered a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Booksense Summer Pick, was an Agatha Award Nominee, a West Virginia Children's Book Award nominee, and a Michigan Library Association Mitten Award Honor Title. School Library Journal described the her Theodosia as a "...combination of Nancy Drew and Indiana Jones." Theo II landed her on the Indie Kids What's Next List. And the Eyes of Horus throbs with promise and excitement! And don't even get me started on her Beastologist series. The girl is taking off!

An Interview with Deanna Raybourn: In Which She Discusses Balance and Boundaries

Two years ago when I was attending RWA's National Conference in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to receive in my goody bag a copy of a book called Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn. It was just the sort of book that hit all my hot spots; great voice, great characters, dripping with atmosphere and historical detail, and an intriguing plot. I was hooked. Unfortunately, she'd written only one other book, but I inhaled that one immediately and then had to wait impatiently for the third book to come out. She's recently come out with a fourth book, a stand alone gothic, The Dead Travel Fast. Color me happy!

While I was waiting, I stumbled across her blog and was delighted to find that it was every bit as witty and charming as her books. However, the more I got to know her through her blog, the more I began to suspect she was an introvert--a charming one, to be sure, and one with killer social skills, but an introvert, nonetheless. This was confirmed for me when in response to a reader's question, she mentioned how much she loved talking with booksellers and readers, but even with as much as she adored it, she usually had to recharge in her hotel room after that. I was also hugely impressed with the boundaries she'd drawn in her life and how well she balanced all the elements of her writing life. I thought she had a lot of wisdom to share, so I invited her to pay a visit to SVP and share it with all of us!