Back to the Birthplace of 13RW

My family recently returned from a week's vacation in Wyoming. Why Wyoming? (No, that isn't one of their rejected state mottos.) For one, it's absolutely beautiful. For another, we lived there ten years ago for six months. Ten years is a long time to wait to see your good friends again. Those friends have all had children since we lived there, and our li'l one couldn't wait to meet his new friends!



Instead of flying straight to what we still consider our second home, we spent a few days in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Ten years ago, when JoanMarie and I drove from Cali to Wyo, we could only spend a few hours in Jackson Hole. And it was great to spend more time there.

In the middle of downtown is a park, and at each corner is a huge arch created with elk antlers. Thankfully, and I hope this is true, the antlers were shed naturally and then collected from the nearby Elk Refuge.

I'm sure Isaiah would love a stroller pulled by horses, but his ride is probably a lot more comfy than a stagecoach.

Don't worry, no bison were harmed to keep Izzy's head warm. (I can't say the same for the bison heads hanging in hotels and restaurants around town.)

We spent many hours in and around Grand Teton National Park. We rode a tram over 4,100 feet up to the top of Rendezvous Mountain. Waiting for us was a lot of wind, beautiful scenery, and a restaurant that served waffles. Mine had melted butter and brown sugar!

We wanted to take a horseback ride, but when we tried sitting Isaiah on a saddle, he repeated, "All done! All done!" It's been twenty years since I last rode a horse, and it wasn't the best experience, so I was feeling a bit All Done! All Done! before Isaiah let me off the hook.

He also took his first bicycle ride, which he absolutely loved.

We rode six miles toward a market to grab sandwiches and ice cream. When we left the market, we bumped into Josh Holloway (Sawyer from Lost). I do consider myself 100% hetero, but when he flashed that dimple...

I'm sorry, but you would've giggled, too!

Then we spent some time in a little place called...

And I do wish the National Park Service would change a certain word on some of their signs. (Or is the common definition of that word really a problem?)

Isaiah the Daredevil loved balancing on a log in the water (as long as Daddy didn't let go).

A few feet away, we found another log ride in the forest. Nature sure knows how to have fun!

On our way back to the hotel, we passed the Grand Tetons from a distance. Just opening my eyes in this part of the country fills my soul.

From Jackson Hole, we flew to Sheridan, Wyoming. Ten years ago, JoanMarie and I moved to Sheridan so she could do her college internship. In those six months we formed friendships that fell right back into place the moment we returned.

Here we are with Andy and Denise Brown and their children, and Klay and Melissa Condos and their children. It was nice to see Isaiah bond so well with the other kids.

Sheridan has a 3rd Thursday festival where they block off several downtown streets once a month. The blocks are full of musicians, yummy food, vendors, and tractors!

The Condos family took us on their boat to a cove on a lake where we had a beach all to ourselves.

Klay is a firefighter, which came with perks Isaiah is still talking about.

Ten years ago, when we left Sheridan, they were just beginning to plan the Whitney Commons. It's a beautiful area now, and it was great to see so many people enjoying it.

We stopped at Sheridan Stationery Books & Gallery, which was my first bookstore job. Here we are with Robby (the owner) behind a display of my books. This was to promote my signing later in the week. (And I couldn't leave without buying a couple books: Where the Rivers Run North and Images of America: Sheridan.)

Preparing for my signing in Sheridan felt like coming full-circle. It was during my six-month stay that I came up with the idea for Thirteen Reasons Why. The parking lot of this gas station is where I scribbled several pages of notes that turned into the first several pages of the book.

It was either at the end of 2002 or the beginning of 2003, but I do know it was snowing and the road was iced. It was very early in the morning, still dark, when the premise hit me. I couldn't drive any further or I knew I''d forget important details, so I pulled into a parking space, cranked my heater, and took notes as fast as I could.

When I got home later in the day, I wrote the first ten pages of what became my first published novel. The left and middle sections of the house below, attached to the two-story main house, are where JoanMarie and I lived. While someone is renting "our house" now, we remain friends with the person who owns the property. Stacie even invited us to stay in the main house with her for a night while in town.

It was odd to picture myself sitting in that gas station, and then at the kitchen table, having no idea how that idea and those words would change my life. (And yes, I got the main character Clay's name from my Sheridan friend Klay.)

Stacie works at the Wyoming Girls School, so on our last day in town I gave a presentation there. The students asked some of the best questions, and made some of the best observations, of any school visit I've done.

While I worked at Sheridan Stationery, I also worked part-time as an Assistant Children's Librarian (my first library job). I spoke at the Fulmer Public Library later that same day, and my one-time boss delayed a trip to the mountains to see me.

Thanks, Michelle!

The most touching part of the week was watching my 20-month-old son feel right at home among the same bookshelves where I used to watch other children feel right at home.

But Isaiah's favorite part of the week probably came later that afternoon. We took him to walk amongst the construction equipment parked a couple blocks from the library. Doesn't this look like he's standing in front of the right foot of a Transformer?

Thank you, Wyoming. You inspired me ten years ago. And you inspire me still.

SCBWI 2012

If you've followed my blog for over a year, you may recall that I head to L.A. each summer for the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators conference. Why has this been an annual pilgrimage for me since 2000? I attended this conference for eight years before my first book came out for the inspiration, advice, and community. And now I get to return the favor from the other side of the podium. Here are the writers who attended my workshop on adding suspense to any novel.

For that presentation, titled No Bookmarks Allowed!, I used this photo of Lisa Yee being terrified by M&Ms. (Yes, it makes sense within the context of my talk. At least, I hope it does!) For the rest of the conference, she had people asking her about this rather unusual phobia.

I gave a second presentation with fellow Class of 2k7 classmates Greg Neri and Greg Fishbone (The Gregs) on using social media to promote your books. This photo was taken at the faculty afterparty, not during our workshop (in case you thought this was one of those conference where no one's actually there to learn, they just come to party).

Speaking of parties, yes, that's definitely a part of it. They had DJs! They had dancin'! And since the theme was the Hippie Hop, they even had a cocktail called Purple Haze!

Here I am with Tammi Sauer and Sue Fliess. Peace!

There was a limbo contest. And just because Lin Oliver is SCBWI's Executive Director, she didn't receive any special treatment.

I met Pamela Wells, whoseHeartbreakers novel is being developed as a movie called Hot Mess with Selena Gomez. Though we initially connected because of the Selena connection, we also left as friends.

For those of you on Twitter begging for daily updates on the Thirteen Reasons Why movie, I did have lunch with two of the movie's producers while in L.A. Unfortunately, I can't tell you any of the cool details we discussed. Oh, you're still going to ask? Well, that's part of why I love you! I met Sara Shepard, who wrote a little series called Pretty Little Liars. (During our conversation, I didn't get the feeling she was lying about anything!)

Nikki Grimes attended our 2k7 workshop, which was kind of intimidating because she's kind of completely awesome.

Dan Gutman wrote one of my favorite middle grade books, The Kid Who Ran For President.

This conference is a great chance to hang out with author friends you rarely get to see, such as Jennifer Bosworth whose book Struck received a great blurb from a guy named Me. (That's not his real name, but it's what I call him.)

The autograph party is always crazy, hectic, and fun. For the past few years, I've been lucky enough to sign beside Jim Averbeck. Getting to chat with him between autograph duties has become a nice way to end this annual conference experience.

Of course, I get plenty of books signed, too! I still have most middle grade and teen novels personalized to me, but Isaiah's building quite a collection, as well. The first book I had signed to both of us is The Great and Only Barnum by Candace Fleming.

Here are all of the signed books I brought home for Izzy:

I'll begin reading them to him tonight!

The French Edition!

The Swedish Paperback Edition!

JABO Camp 2012

When my wife was 16, she spent part of that summer living with her older sister, who was married and living in a different state. It was her summer of independence! Years went by, and that older sister now has a 16-year-old daughter of her own. So this summer, our niece spent a month with us!

JoanMarie and I loved spending the past month with Genevieve. We also took full advantage of every-third morning, which is when we both got to sleep in, knowing Isaiah was in great hands.

For the final week of our niece's stay, our nephew also came to live with us. Here, Genevieve greets Ellory at the train station, ending their longest stretch of time apart.

Each summer for the past 8 years, Genevieve and Ellory have spent one week with us. We call this JABO Camp, but it'd take way too long to explain that acronym (and when we do explain it, most people still don't understand).

Every day, as usual, we walked Isaiah to the garbage truck parking lot so he can spend 20 minutes examining and admiring them. This kid is obsessed with garbage trucks! (And the moon, so we won't be surprised if he ends up being the moon's first garbage man.) In this photo, with his garbage and recycling trucks behind him, Isaiah explains how the trucks grab "dumps" and lift them into the air.

Our first big outing for JABO Camp 2012 was Hearst Castle. It was probably my 7th or 8th visit, and one day I'm determined to "accidentally" fall into this pool. When that happens, I'll delete this post so no one can read into the previous sentence's Quotation Marks of Sarcasm.

Later, we went to The Ravine Waterpark. (To save your retinas from the glare off my back, I'm posting this photo in black-n-white.)

We all got airbrushed tattoos at The Ravine. Since Isaiah loves doggies, I put one on my calf. The rest of the week, I kept forgetting about the tat until Isaiah would start barking while pointing at my leg.

At a friend's house, we bounced (or bobbled) on the trampoline.

We also went to Boomers!, a miniature golf park. Since Isaiah wouldn't be able to use the putters, we first trained him on a Skee-Ball game inside the arcade.

After perfecting those skills, he knew to roll his golf ball toward the holes.

On one of the many car rides, Ellory tried reading one of his Buffy comics to Isaiah, but the humor and action went right over Izzy's head. Jamberry, by Bruce Degen, was much more toddler friendly.

For our final evening together, we went to see JoanMarie perform with her bluegrass band. Although they often practice right next door, this was the first time Isaiah and I got to enjoy an actual show!

For one final photo, I'm going to also plug a friend's book. While Genevieve and Ellory were with us, my autographed copy of Jessica Brody's 52 Reasons to Hate My Father arrived. I've always been drawn to titles that begin with a number followed by the word REASONS (especially if that number is divisible by 13). All of Jessica's books have great concepts, and if you haven't checked out the trailer for her latest, you must. Along with my copy, Jessica also sent some heiress glasses, like those worn on the cover. So Isaiah, Ellory, Genevieve, JoanMarie, and I struck some poses.

E.B. White, Josh Templeton, and Yosemite Sam

Today would’ve been E.B. White’s 113th birthday! In honor of that, I’ll tell you about a little "Ode to E.B." that was wisely cut early on from The Future of Us.

The main male character in that book is Josh Templeton. Where did I get that last name? From the rat in Charlotte’s Web. Templeton the rat collects scraps of paper that contain words. Charlotte then spins those words onto her web. As a lover of words, I always enjoyed that relationship between the rat and the spider.

In The Future of Us, Josh is a skater and an artist. I thought it’d be fun to give him a quirky and wearable art project. So each evening, he flipped open his dictionary, let a finger fall on a random word, and then airbrushed that word across a white t-shirt. That was the shirt he wore to school the next day. His classmates tried to find some deep symbolic meaning in the words Josh wore. Sometimes they thought they figured it out, some were even certain of it, unaware that there was only the literal meaning and whatever interpretation the classmate brought to that word. (This was also a personal commentary on people who read a bit too much into my own words!)

This all felt a bit too cute and totally unnecessary to the story Carolyn Mackler and I wanted to tell. So I kept the name Templeton, but Josh's art consisted mostly of Looney Tunes characters he drew on skateboards and binders.

But what was the name of the skateboard shop Mr. Templeton frequented? SkateRats, of course!

The Winner is...EVERYBODY

I'm sorry if the title of this post was misleading. Not everybody won my most recent contest. But to enter, you had to tell me (in some cases, it seemed more like admit to me) which artist you saw at your first concert. The randomly selected winner saw the Backstreet Boys in 1998, which is the tour featured in the video below.

Here they are, everybody, the Backstreet Boys singing Everybody.



And the winner of these seven autographed YA novels...

is...

Tara Lenhoff

Congratulations, Tara! To let us know where to send your books, email a shipping address to EmmaNelson4Ever@aol.com, the working email address of a character in The Future of Us. None of your books were pre-signed, so if you want to give any as gifts, let us know who each book should be made out to. And if they should all be personalized to you, that's great, too! (Personally, that's what I would do. But I'm selfish like that!)

And thank you, Kristina McBride, Elizabeth Scott, Jennifer Bosworth, and Cat Patrick, for donating  copies of your amazing novels to this contest.

If you entered but didn't win this contest, I urge you to read every one of the books pictured above. When you do, there's no need to email me your thoughts because I'll respond to you right now: You're welcome.

So Many Autographs, Just One Winner

It's time for another book giveaway! This contest involves five authors autographing books for one of you. Before I tell you how to enter the contest (it's so easy), let me tell you why I'm holding a contest for these specific books.

One of the coolest parts of being an author is being asked to offer quotes for soon-to-be released books. It's a huge honor! For this contest, we're giving away four books that I've blurbed. Three were debut releases from Jennifer Bosworth, Kristina McBride, and Cat Patrick. One is from an author who's been a favorite of mine for years: Elizabeth Scott. Each author has generously donated an autographed copy of their book that I blurbed for this contest. And since Kristina and Cat recently saw the publication of their second novels, they donated autographed copies of those as well!

Here are the covers of all the books you'll win, beginning with the author with the most recent release. How recent? One Moment's publication date is...tomorrow! (Struck, Miracle, and Revived all came out within the past two months.)

And because I'd love to see one of my books included in the same post as those above, I'll also autograph and send you a copy of The Future of Us:

So how do you win these seven autographed books? I'll randomly select one person (must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada) who comments on this blog post. In your comment, tell everyone about your first concert. Who did you see? If you haven't been to a concert yet, who would you love to see?

All comments must be submitted by 11:59pm (PST), June 27th. That's this Wednesday night. There's no need to leave your email address within your comment, just check back on Thursday to see if you've won. In that post, I'll let you know how to send me your mailing address.

My first concert? Well, I have two answers for that. The first group I actually saw perform was the cast of Kids Incorporated, back when I was a kid myself. That's right! I saw Stacy Ferguson before she was Fergie. Kids Incorporated played on a stage set up mid-field at Santa Anita Park (they race horses there when not hosting future members of The Black Eyed Peas).  But my first "big boy" concert, which I went to in high school on New Year's Eve with my friend and his sister, was Poison. It was during their Flesh & Blood tour (shown below).



That's right. Kids Incorporated and Poison. So? What's yours???

Here are the descriptions of all six books being given away in this contest.

ONE MOMENT:
Maggie remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party. She remembers climbing the trail with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below–dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES:
Two years ago Noelle disappeared. Two long years of no leads, no word, no body.

Since the abduction, Tessa, her best friend, has lived in a state of suspended animation. She has some friends, but keeps them distant. Some interests, but she won’t allow herself to become passionate about them. And guys? She can’t get close—she knows what it is like to really lose someone she cared for.

And then, one day, the telephone rings. Noelle is alive.

And maybe, just maybe, Tess can start to live again, too.

REVIVED:
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency's true goals, she realizes she's at the center of something much larger -- and more sinister -- than she ever imagined.

FORGOTTEN:
Each night at precisely 4:33 am, while sixteen-year-old London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can "remember" are events from her future. London is used to relying on reminder notes and a trusted friend to get through the day, but things get complicated when a new boy at school enters the picture. Luke Henry is not someone you'd easily forget, yet try as she might, London can't find him in her memories of things to come.

When London starts experiencing disturbing flashbacks, or flash-forwards, as the case may be, she realizes it's time to learn about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

STRUCK:
Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

MIRACLE:
Megan is a miracle. At least, that’s what everyone says. Having survived a plane crash that killed everyone else on board, Megan knows she should be grateful just to be alive. But the truth is, she doesn’t feel like a miracle. In fact, she doesn’t feel anything at all. Then memories from the crash start coming back.

Scared and alone, Megan doesn’t know whom to turn to. Her entire community seems unable—or maybe unwilling—to see her as anything but Miracle Megan. Everyone except for Joe, the beautiful boy next door with a tragic past and secrets of his own. All Megan wants is for her life to get back to normal, but the harder she tries to live up to everyone’s expectations, the worse she feels. And this time, she may be falling too fast to be saved....

THE FUTURE OF US:
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long--at least, up until last November, when everything changed. Things have been awkward ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD-ROM in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto Facebook . . . but Facebook hasn't been invented yet. Josh and Emma are looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

Their spouses, careers, homes, and status updates--it's all there. And every time they refresh their pages, their futures change. As they grapple with the ups and downs of what their lives hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right--and wrong--in the present.

(I know, that last one sounds particularly awesome!)

Ithaca, NY

This past weekend, I spoke at the first annual Teen Author Fest in Ithaca, NY.

When I announced that speaking engagement, I was bombarded with messages saying I was going to love that town. And now that I've been there, I wish I had arranged to stay an extra day. Ithaca has so many beautiful creeks and waterfalls, quirky shops, and great places to eat.

Of course, I still got to meet three great authors!

We each spoke and answered questions for about 90 minutes. First up was Elisa Ludwig...

then Madeleine George...

then Shawn Goodman.

I spoke last, but between Madeleine and Shawn, a great student band played during lunch. Introducing...Bümph!

After the Author Fest, I strolled through The Commons in downtown Ithaca. As you may already know, I'm kind of a space geek. But I didn't know Carl Sagan had been a professor at Cornell (in Ithaca). In his memory, they built a scale model of the solar system, which begins downtown with the sun, and leads to the Sciencenter.

Here I am at the sun.

The hole in the structure represents the size of the sun. Over my left shoulder, you can sort of see the structure representing Earth (Mercury and Venus are out of frame). That structure also includes a sun-size hole, with a to-scale dot representing Earth placed in the middle. The structure itself is the to-scale distance between our planet and the sun. This solar system continues out to Pluto. Thankfully, they put too much work into the installation to remove Pluto when those dang scientists decided it wasn't a planet.

Then I took a trip to the Ithaca City Cemetery as research for a possible future writing project. As with anything spooky, it looks much better photographed in black-and-white.

ToysToysToysToysToys

Have you read through the nearly 200 comments left on my last post? If not, do yourself a favor and take the time. When you all told me about your favorite childhood toys, I was reminded of so many toys I had loved but nearly forgotten about. Some of your stories and descriptions were hilarious, and some very touching.

And seriously? There was a doll you could put in light to give her a tan?

Apparently so.



And the person who won all 10 bestselling children's paperback novels is...

Going to have to wait a moment.

UPCOMING APPEARANCE ALERT

If you're near Ithaca, New York this Saturday, I'll be speaking at their library's Teen Author Fest. Check out this website for more info. It's a full day of authors speaking (as opposed to writing, which is rather boring to watch), answering questions, and signing books.

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

The winner of One Direction: Dare to Dream, Divergent, The Book Thief, The Lost Hero, Thirteen Reasons Why, Matched, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Out of My Mind, Between Shades of Gray, and Turtle in Paradise is...

Gallaghergirlxox

(hopefully not your real name)

Gallaghergirlxox (if that is your real name, I was only kidding) had a glow-in-the-dark Care Bear as her favorite toy. If she couldn't sleep, she held onto that Glow-A-Lot for protection. And Gallaghergirlxox's (I'm starting to enjoy typing that!) Care Bear loved having stories read to it.

To claim your prize, send your mailing address to EmmaNelson4Ever@aol.com (which is actually the email address of one of the main characters in The Future of Us, but she's letting me use it for this contest because she's awesome like that).

As a reminder, there will be another multi-book contest later this month. And for that contest, four authors will be autographing books for you.




Gallaghergirlxox!!! (I just had to type it one more time.)

ONE HUNDRED TH1RTEEN W3EKS

To celebrate Thirteen Reasons Why making it on the New York Times best sellers list for its 113th week (65/hardcover, 48/paperback), it's time for another giveaway!

 

 

This will be a random drawing, so there's no reason not to enter. None! Especially because the prize is something we all love...

BOOKS!!!

The winner will receive a copy of every book on the latest Children's Paperback best sellers list:

One Direction: Dare to Dream - Divergent - The Book Thief - The Lost Hero
Thirteen Reasons Why - Matched - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Out of My Mind - Between Shades of Gray -Turtle in Paradise

You may already own some of these titles (supposedly, they're all selling very well), but that makes the timing of this contest even better. Books make great gifts, and the holiday season is only six months away. I will, of course, sign your copy of Thirteen Reasons Why to whoever you'd like. And if you want me to sign any of the other books, that's cool, too. (How many people can say they have a copy of One Direction: Dare to Dream autographed by me? Those things are rare!)

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, letting me know your favorite childhood toy. Then check back Tuesday morning to see if you've won. There's no need to leave an email address, just your name. If you win, I'll give you info on how to send me your mailing address.

Entries must be posted by this Monday at 11:59pm (PST).

If you don't win, keep checking back. There will be another contest later this month involving four authors and five books...all autographed.

Good luck!

Oh, and my favorite childhood toy?

Letters About Literature

Each year, the Library of Congress runs a Letters About Literature contest, asking students in grades 4 through 12 to write letters to authors. The students are to tell the authors how one of their books affected them. For this contest, the letters aren't actually mailed to the authors (which makes sense, because the rules state that the authors can be deceased), but the winning letters are posted online.

And one letter is to me!!!

(Thankfully, I still have the ability to read my letter
due to the fact that I'm not a deceased author.)

Almost 70,000 students from across the country submitted letters this year. Two letters from each category (grades 4-6, 7-8, 9-12) were selected as winners. Each winner got a $500 giftcard to Target (which partners with the Library of Congress for the contest), and each winner also got to choose their favorite library, which will receive a $10,000 grant.

What an amazing contest!

I've already reversed the contest and written to Amber-Nicole Watty to tell her how much her letter means to me. You can read her winning letter here. And if you're anything like me, you'll be crying by the time you reach the end.