Good news

Hey everyone!

I've been busy, busy, busy!  Just got my latest revision of THE JADE NOTEBOOK into my editor-- whew!  The release date is Feb 2012 (and a giant *thank you* to all of you who've been enthusiastically asking me about it...)

I'm in Michigan now, doing author visits to libraries and schools in Ann Arbor and East Lansing... fun, fun, fun!  I'm especially excited because these are the first presentations in which I'll focus on THE QUEEN OF WATER!  Speaking of Queen, here are some links to great reviews:

The Denver Post, which calls the book "tremendously potent" and told with "grace and complexity." Read more here.  I did an interview with the reviewer, Claire Martin, a few years ago, for another book.  She's actually been to the Otavalo region of Ecuador (the region the book is set)-- very cool!)

Scene Magazine-- which gives a really thoughtful analysis:

"The Queen of Water is at once depressing and inspirational, savage and innocent, and is all the more poignant since it is based on the true story of Farinango’s upbringing. The first-person narrative creates an intimacy between Virginia and the reader; it is a glimpse into the personal diary of a blossoming and resilient young woman."  Read more here.

Okay, I have to go now... my Lil Dude wants me to watch him ride his bike around the track in the school down the block.  *proud mama moment... Lil Dude just turned four and he's already a master at riding a bike without training wheels... he's actually been doing it since he was 3 1/2!*

(Okay, sorry, that's it for now....  bye!)

xo, more soon,
Laura