This winter has been full of cuteness, because we got two new adorable feline family members for Christmas:
The black and white one is Gruntle, named by my son because she is almost always content and never disgruntled – get it? The grey and white one is Mary, named after NASA engineer Mary Winston Jackson because she is independent and determined and loves to explore.
As you can imagine, this much cuteness in one household can be distracting, especially when you’re trying to get your writing done! Fortunately we still have our wise elder cat, Pancake, to keep the little ones in line:
Pancake in her Ewok costume.
On the writing front, I have been working on preliminary promotion for Dagger and Coin, which comes out November 20 from HarperTeen. If you haven’t seen the cover reveal, go check it out and enter to win a copy of the ARC and a bookmark with your name in the language of the gods!
I also just got word that my upcoming board book, Nita’s First Signs, which was due out April 3 from Familius Press, has been pushed back to June 16. The book has a unique slide-open design and lots of moving parts, so I guess the engineering required more time. I so excited about how the design and artwork and story came together for this book, and I can’t wait to share it with you! In the meantime, you can see some of the artwork in the sign demonstration video here.
Upcoming Appearances:
FREE Webinar! A Conversation with Young Adult Authors – Saturday, March 3 at 3 PM Eastern time
The MD/DE/WV Region is pleased to host a FREE webinar, open to everyone, featuring young adult authors Kathy MacMillan, Linda Budzinski, Meg Eden, Pintip Dunn, and Christina June! This webinar is presented as part of the Read Local Challenge, which gives you the chance to win prizes by reading books by featured authors from Maryland, Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Virginia! Join us as these authors discuss their inspirations and challenges and answer your questions! A recording of the webinar will be available after the event. Please register below to receive access information for the live event or recording. Register at https://mddewv.scbwi.org/events/free-webinar-a-conversation-with-young-adult-authors/
MD/DE/WV Region SCBWI Conference March 17, 2018 – March 18, 2018 at the Maritime Conference Center, Linthicum Heights, Maryland
2-day conference featuring keynotes, breakouts, and intensive workshops for creators of children’s books. Opening Keynote: James Ransome. Closing Keynote: Hena Khan. I will be facilitating the Marketing Forum as well as serving as co-chair for the conference. Find the complete schedule and registration information at https://mddewv.scbwi.org/events/2018-annual-conference/
Nerd Girl Books at AwesomeCon in Washington, D.C March 30-April 1, 2018
I am so excited to be a part of Nerd Girl Books, promoting female speculative fiction and nerdy authors, as well as female protagonists in new and familiar worlds. Authors include: Beth Woodward, Lynn Almengor, Mary Fan, Leigh Goff, Meg Eden, and me! We will also be offering a discount bundle deal with all of our books for a special price. Our books include genres of: magical realism, fantasy, urban fantasy, and contemporary.
nErDCamp NJ (Chatham, NJ), Sat, April 21, 8:00am – 3:30pm
This is a FREE EdCamp “unconference” with an exclusive focus on literacy instruction. More information and registration at http://nerdcampnj.weebly.com/ I’ll be presenting “Creating a Calmer Classroom With American Sign Language” and participating in a panel on “Author Visits Using Skype and Google Hangouts”.
Washington Writers Conference 2018, May 4-5, 2018 at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in College Park, MD.
Plenary sessions on craft, agent pitch sessions, panels and more! I will be participating in the panel “Through the Wormhole: Debut Sci-Fi Authors Tell All” on Saturday afternoon at 3 PM with authors Tara Campbell, Nik Korpon, and Meg Eden. More information and registration at http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/page/washington-writers-conference-2018
Kathy MacMillan 