Hints about my book-in-progress...

Hey guys,

So I just started using Pinterest to collect inspirational images for my book-in-progress.  Many of you have been asking for details about this next book (thank you for being curious!)  I've been a little mysterious about it, since my creativity seems to work better that way, at this stage at least.  Sorry about that... but I thought these Pinterest images could give you some intriguing clues to my next book.  Maybe you can imagine what the story might be...

There is chocolate.

There are jungle ruins.

There is a magical tree.

There are ancient secrets.

Here is my Pinterest link, in case you want to peruse more of these images, or if you're interested in connecting with me that way: http://pinterest.com/laureysr/ .

Thanks for swinging by.  Now I'm off to my son's preschool "Peace Party."  Apparently the kids came up with this theme on their own.  Sweet, isn't it? It made me remember when he was about two, and we rewarded him with a little sticker after we brushed his teeth.  I had a booklet of stickers, and one of the pages featured lots of tiny peace symbols.  These were his favorite. He'd let us brush his teeth, and then I'd tell him to pick out which sticker he wanted.  He'd smile big and shout, with happy abandon, "I WANT PEACE!"

Hope you're having a peaceful and joyful summer!

Oh, and Baltimore friends: I got confirmation that I'll be at the Baltimore Book Festival at the end of September.  My panel, called "Baltimore Bred"  is with some great kids and teen authors-- all of whom grew up in Baltimore!  Check my Events page soon for exact day and time. I'm so excited about this!

And another upcoming event, for my teacher and librarian friends-- the NCTE conference in Las Vegas in November.  I'll be speaking at the ALAN workshops-- yay!  More details to come soon on my Events page.

xo,
Laura

Old Town Book Fair Recap

Hello!

Thought I'd post a few pics of my panel-buddies at the first-ever Old Town Book Fair this past Saturday.  That's Amy Kathleen Ryan next to me, and Brenna Yovanoff with the supercute socks, and Becca Fitzpatrick on the other end. We're in front of the yurt where the panel was held-- my first yurt panel experience... very cozy, very hot.  (As in sweatlodge hot.) It was fun, though.  A nice crowd-- all the chairs filled-- everyone sweating profusely yet managing to appear interested in what we had to say.  (Thank you SO much to everyone who came-- I'm really glad no one passed out!)

I can't remember these guys' names, but they were a welcome addition-- not  at all shy, very cool and insightful! That's Sarah Paige Ryan on the left end, good friend, author, and former writing group member. Amy's on the right-- she's getting ready for her next book Spark to be released next week-- the sequel to Glow.  I was ecstatic that she gave me a review copy to read on Saturday... I devoured it.  I carried the book around with me everywhere Sunday, read more snatches of it whenever I could steal moments. If you thought Glow was a page-turner (it was, it was!) you have to read Spark-- it's even more heart-poundingly suspenseful.  The tension is incredible... and it just builds and builds and builds and you simply can't stop reading.  Now I have to wait another year to read the third book in the series... argh!

Here I am with Brenna Yovanoff-- the first time we met in person! She's extraordinary and fascinating in so many ways... After the panel, we hung out together (along with some other writers) at my favorite cafe-- the Little Bird Bakeshop. (Note, but don't linger on, the sweat stains on my dress in the aftermath of the steambath.)

One example of how extraordinary Brenna is: her necklace of pliers, wrenches, and an assortment of other tools... See how it evokes the deliciously creepy cover of her book The Replacement? Love it!  Then we got to see the cover of her upcoming book, Paper Valentine, which is just as gorgeous and atmospheric as her other covers.

Here I am with Becca, who also has a new book coming out soon... the last (I think) in her awesome Hush, Hush series... it's called Finale, and it looks fantastic.  This was my second panel with Becca-- she's such a great storyteller, both in her books and in real life. Plus she's warm and fun and has beautiful curly locks.

I'm hoping they do the Book Fair again next year! Lil Dude had a blast with his grandparents and Ian at the crafts area, making a fishing rod with yarn and a stick. (He enjoys any activity involving sticks.) 

Thanks for swinging by!  Oh, and if you're in the Ft Collins area, don't forget about The Queen of Water discussion with me *and my coauthor, Maria Virginia Farinango* coming up on Thurs, July 19 at 7 pm at Matter Bookstore/The Bean Cycle. Hope to see you there...

xo,
Laura