January 05, 2007
Hattie Big Time
Hattie's good friends have been emailing me daily to update me on her awards status. This reduces me to a mass of quivering buffalo berry jelly but no one seems to mind except me.
Her latest honor is that she is a finalist for a Cybil Award, young adult fiction. On the same list as The Book Thief -- can you believe it? My hope is that she'll get Miss Congeniality and that The Donald will overlook the fact that she's been square-dancing after hours in NYC.
In the Hattie frame of mind, MotherReader challenged her readers about the "God" issue. It seems she's noticed that no reviewer has commented on the faith references in Hattie. Aunt Ivy forced me to post a reply on MotherReader's blog but it's left my insides all wobbly. The Pope is the one who writes about such things; not me.
In the meantime, I am wrestling with whether or not I should join the team from my church to return to the South to help with Katrina clean-up. Does it boggle anyone else's mind that in the good old US of A we are STILL rebuilding, two years after the fact?
The logical part of me says - you have got to be kidding. You don't have time to go to Houma, Louisiana. My heart, of course, asks when do we leave?
February 13th, in case you want to know. If you want to make a donation, you can send it to our church, Inglewood Presbyterian. Any amount will help.
Re: MotherReader's discussion: what does it mean to be human without faith? I, for one, have absolutely no idea.
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November 20, 2006
Sunday Night Mother Daughter Book Club
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Mother Daughter Book Clubs
A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to visit a mother-daughter book club discussing Hattie Big Sky. I was thrilled. . .and nervous. So I said yes, then called in the reinforcements -- my own daughter, Quinn.
On a dark and blowy Sunday, we ventured forth. The nighttime gloom was quickly dispelled the moment we were greeted by Sheila Ferry, her daughter, Grace, and their friends. We enjoyed a Hattie-inspired meal of sandwiches, beans, Perilee's War-Time Spice Cake and coffee (the girls doctored theirs up with Caramel Praline International Delights creamer).
As with any well-oiled dinner party, there were ice breakers. Each mom was to tell what farm animal her daughter was like and each daughter what farm animal her mother was like. Though I kindly described Quinn as a cuddly barn kitten, she announced that I was most like a mother hen! Cluck.
After the food was passed, the questions began to roll. Each girl shared their favorite part of the story -- no two alike. Tori -- dressed in a bonnet Hattie might have worn -- showed tremendous insight in describing Traft Martin as a "drifter," because he drifted from being kind to Hattie to being mean to her. I delighted in the articulate insights of these terrific ten year olds; their moms did okay, too.
The night was not nearly as dreary as Quinn and I headed home, warmed by the friendship and conversation with this mother-daughter book club. I must confess that I felt bad that I'd never done anything like this with Quinn when she was ten. It not only looked like lots of fun, it looked like a great way to build lasting mother-daughter bonds. She reassured me by saying that this was one more thing I'd given her to tell her therapist.
At least I'm good for something.
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October 03, 2006
Two Cowgirls
Wouldn't you just love to buy a passel of books from this woman? Next time you're in Missoula, head in to Fact and Fiction to meet Barbara Theroux, or her partner, David Johnson (who's camera-shy).
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October 02, 2006
Montana Festival of the Book
Here I am at my favorite new independent bookstore in Missoula -- Fact and Fiction, which I visited while in town for the Montana Festival of the Book. Co-owner Barbara Theroux sought me out at Friday night's Gala to tell me how much she loved Hattie Big Sky. That made me feel as important as Ivan Doig -- and that's saying a lot, in that town.
The festival is two packed days of panels, reading and presentations. I took in everything I could, especially enjoying a movie about poet Richard Hugo. Another book fest marvel: in a genuinely wild west spirit of cooperation (sing to the tune of Oklahoma's,"Oh, the cowboy and the farmer should be friends. . ."), four local Missoula bookstores join forces to sponsor the festival bookstore: Fact and Fiction, Shakespeare & Company, Barnes and Noble and the University of Montana bookstore.
Hattie and I thoroughly enjoyed our first public appearance together. Missoulians are warm and welcoming, the food fabulous (note to self: an extra hour on the treadmill to walk off the breakfasts at the Hob Nob Cafe and The Shack and the dinners at Scotty's Table and Pearl's Cafe), and the city literally glowed in its leafy autumn garb. We had so much fun, in fact, we're hankering to be invited back. Next time, I'm definitely ordering the creme brulee at Pearl's.
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September 26, 2006
It's Hattie Big Sky Day!
If books have birthdays, today is the birthday of Hattie Big Sky. It's the official publication date -- woo-hoo! I'm so pleased, too, that Listening Library is doing an audio version of the book, also to be released today. I am especially excited about this because my mother is legally blind, so she'll have a version that fits her just right.
I'm also pleased to announce the official launch of the Hattie Big Sky Thanks to the creative efforts of marketing whiz Sara Easterly, you can read the first chapter of Hattie Big Sky, as well as tune into a "vodcast" featuring yours truly talking about how the book came to be. In addition, you can keep track of Hattie related events, the first being an appearance at the Montana Festival of the Book.
I'd love to hear what you think of Hattie's story when you read it! You can email me through the website or leave a comment here.
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March 30, 2006
Good News
Lots and lots of good news! First, I received the final cover for HATTIE BIG SKY and it is stunning. Illustrator Jonathan Barkat did a great job of evoking Hattie's physical and emotional landscape. Designer Vikki Sheatsley created wonderful fonts for the title and verso. They are nostalgic yet strong.
ARCs have gone out and I am hearing from some first readers. Bookseller legends, René Kirkpatrick and Chauni Haslett (All for Kids Books and Music, Seattle) have been button-holing everyone. Chauni says, "We love Hattie and we love this book." René called HATTIE BIG SKY "one of the best books about homesteading and bravery our staff has ever read."
The book was also introduced at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association during a session called "Pick of the Children's Book List" on March 17.
It's always an honor when a fellow writer compliments our books but I was overwhelmed when one of the writers I most admire, Karen Cushman (my favorite title of hers is MATILDA BONE), said, "I gave my heart to the brave and determined Hattie."
I'm going to enjoy every moment up here on cloud 9!
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