I’m heading off to the woods for one of my favorite weeks of the year – Deaf Camp. But before I go, here’s a roundup of some recent excitement and upcoming events.
Reviews
Earlier this week, Dagger and Coin received its first trade review – and it’s a great one! Kirkus Review calls it a “riveting fantasy sequel…Soraya’s compelling narration makes the minutiae of management as thrilling as the betrayals, murders, and desperate gambits propelling the plot…A fine balance of political intrigue, relationship drama, and thoughtful characterization.” Read the full review.
Saturday, July 28, 2019 1pm – 2pm at Barnes & Noble, 4300 Montgomery Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Join us for a lively event with two great authors! Kathy MacMillan, author of Nita’s First Signs, shares American Sign Language stories, songs, and rhymes for the whole family, followed fractured fairy tale fun with Veronica Bartles, author of The Princess and the Frogs. Free event, for all ages. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Yesterday I got some terrific news: the publication date of Dagger and Coin has been moved earlier, to October 9. And Sword and Verse will now be released in paperback on September 4.
Of course this is exciting because it means that my ambitious, impatient, sarcastic, smart, determined heroine will be out in the world even sooner…but it’s also exciting because I get to announce that the book’s launch with be happening at the coolest place – the Maryland Renaissance Festival! I’ll be at signing at Page After Page Bookstore inside the festival village all day on October 13 and 14, with special Dagger and Coin launch festivities happening on Saturday, October 13. Mark your calendar! Details to come!
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:
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.
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/
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.
How has it been over a month since I last posted here? There’s been a lot going on.
In late May, I got to geek out at Balticon. Sword and Verse was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook Award, presented at Balticon, so it was exciting to connect with readers! I spoke on 2 panels: “SFF Resistance” and “Women in the Business”, and got to hang out with Meg Eden, author of Post-High School Reality Quest.
I spent most of May and June working furiously to finish revising the sequel to Sword and Verse. (I swear I’ll be able to announce the title soon!) It’s now turned into my editor, and it’s a big, scary, exciting book that I am truly proud of.
In mid-May, I attended Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. – it’s a great big ball of fun! I spoke on a panel about worldbuilding in fantasy and sci-fi with Meg Eden, Tobie Easton, Lisa Maxwell, and Nik Korpon. What a huge, fantastically engaged crowd!
The crowd at the Awesome Con worldbuilding panel. Wow!
More exciting stuff that happened this month:
The cover of the Spanish translation of Sword and Verse was revealed. Isn’t it a beauty?
The Spanish title, Tinta y Fuego translates to “Ink and Fire”.
I also got to see the draft cover of the first book in my “Little Hands Signing” baby board book series, Nita’s First Signs, and it is wonderful. The series comes out from Familius Press in 2018, and I can’t wait to share it with families!
It’s all been leading up to this! Sword and Verse officially releases today in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook!
Release Day Shenanigans:
Sword and Verse Blog Tour: Join me over at Once Upon a Twilight, where I’ll be sharing 5 of my favorite moments from Sword and Verse.
Launch Party: Tonight from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at Carroll County Public Library, Finksburg Branch (2265 Old Westminster Pike, Finksburg, MD 21048. Phone: 410.386.4505) Join us for a reading, signing, refreshments, and a screening of the winning entries in the SWORD AND VERSE trailer contest. Open to all! Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. For more information, see http://library.carr.org
Twitter: Join me for random exclamations, freakouts, and dances of joy all day long at @kathys_quill.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Sword and Verse on its long journey to publication!
Earlier this week, Dagger and Coin received its first trade review – and it’s a great one! Kirkus Review calls it a “riveting fantasy sequel…Soraya’s compelling narration makes the minutiae of management as thrilling as the betrayals, murders, and desperate gambits propelling the plot…A fine balance of political intrigue, relationship drama, and thoughtful characterization.” Read the full review.
Nita’s First Signs also got a great review from Vicki at Babies to Bookworms, which said that “the descriptions and the illustrations on the instructions are really easy to understand, making it easy for parents to perform the signs right away and teach them to their children. The ending to the story is absolutely adorable and will resonate with parents and kids alike!” Check out the full review along with Vicki’s post offering great suggestions for following up the book with other signing activities.
Yesterday I got some terrific news: the publication date of Dagger and Coin has been moved earlier, to October 9. And Sword and Verse will now be released in paperback on September 4.
I also just got word that my upcoming board book, 
ek out at 
Stories By Hand with Kathy MacMillan 