ESTRELLA EN EL BOSQUE!

Hello dear friends!

¡Hola queridos amigos!
¡Puedes desplazar hacia abajo para leer las noticias emocionantes en español! :-)

I have some incredibly exciting news for you, something I've been waiting a looooong time to tell you, something I've been dreaming about for many years... and it's finally a reality!

There's a Spanish translation of one of my books coming soon: 

STAR IN THE FOREST! 

¡ESTRELLA EN EL BOSQUE!

 

Release date Aug. 30, 2016

A huge gracias to my agent Erin Murphy and my Scholastic editor Andrea Davis Pinkney, whose generous enthusiasm helped get momentum going for this unusual project! And another gracias to the amazing team at Scholastic en español!

The translation process was very special and unique... here's what happened... from the very beginning.  Almost fifteen years ago, when I was teaching ESL to adult immigrants here in Fort Collins, I had a beautiful and brilliant student named Gloria García Díaz.

Gloria and me!

When we discovered we both had a passion for reading and creative writing (and dancing and music and many other things...), we became friends.  Over the years, we've grown very close and have become writing partners and collaborators. She's an immigrant from Mexico, with family connections to the Mixtec culture in Oaxaca (where several of my books are set) and she's generously given me feedback on the language and culture details in my pre-published manuscripts.

Over the past decade, as my novels have been published, I've frequently gotten requests from readers for Spanish translations.  But sadly, no Spanish publisher had shown interest in publishing any of my books, largely because they didn't want to risk losing money on translating and publishing a literary kids' book that isn't already a huge bestseller (at least that's my take on it. ;-)  (Typically, with foreign language translations, the foreign language publisher first buys rights and then orchestrates the translation themselves, without involvement of the author.) But I really, REALLY wanted to be able to offer my Spanish-speaking friends and readers a version in their own language!

 Here I am with Gloria and her adorable daughter at my most recent release party

One day, a couple years ago, Gloria and I started talking about the possibility of translating STAR IN THE FOREST *before* we had a publisher, and *then* shopping it around... and as a last resort, self-publishing. (I say a last resort because without a publisher, we'd have very limited distribution and marketing.) A week later, Gloria handed me the first several chapters, written by hand in a notebook and beautifully translated!  Over the course of the next year, she translated more chapters, and together, we went over every single word to make the translation shine. As we were devoting hundreds of hours to this project, in the back of our minds, we knew the risk: that we might not find a publisher for it....

.... so, we were *beyond thrilled* when Scholastic en español expressed interest in it!  Over the winter and early spring, we went over revisions and copy-edits, and now, we can finally officially announce it!  Hooray!

Gloria was the absolutely perfect person to translate this book because she lives in the mobile home park here in Fort Collins that inspired the setting of the book. As a Mexican immigrant, she understands the kinds of challenges faced by the main character, Zitlally, and her family. As part of this community, Gloria was able to make Zitlally's voice ring true. Gloria was involved in helping me with this book way back in the idea stages for the original English version, and it's so fitting that she's the one bringing it to the Spanish-speaking world.  I adore Gloria, and I feel so grateful and honored that we were able to bring this labor of love to fruition!

You can see details on the Scholastic website here.

It's also available for pre-order on Amazon here.
You can see a summary, reviews, and awards for STAR IN THE FOREST here.
Here is Gloria's website.

Gloria dancing at my release party for The Lightning Queen

¡Ahora, en español!

¡Mi libro ESTRELLA EN EL BOSQUE va a ser publicado 

el 30 de augosto del 2016!!!

¡Es un sueño hecho realidad para mi!!! 

¡Es mi primer libro traducido al español, y estoy muy pero MUY emocionada!

¡Y una de mis mejores amigas tradujo el libro.... la maravillosa Gloria García Díaz!  Aquí
está la nota sobre la colaboración de Gloria y yo que aparece en el libro:

La autora, Laura Resau, y la traductora, Gloria García Díaz, han sido amigas muy cercanas y compañeras de escritura por más de una década, incluso desde que Gloria era su estudiante en las clases de ESL. A través de los años, Gloria ha retroalimentado los manuscritos de Laura, basada en su valiosa perspectiva como inmigrante con familiares indígenas al sur de México. Sucesivamente, Laura ha ayudado a Gloria con su escritura y proyectos de traducción, que incluyen libros ilustrados y memorias. 

Gloria y su comunidad fueron gran inspiración para Estrella en el bosque. Desde el principio, ella trabajó con Laura para contar detalles de la vida real. La traducción de Gloria es especial porque ella vive en el parqueadero de casas móviles que inspiró el escenario de Estrella en el bosque. Como ella pasa por el tipo de luchas que Zitlally y su familia enfrentan, ella pudo hacer que la voz de Zitlally en español sonara auténtica.

Esta traducción fue un trabajo de verdadero cariño. Gloria derramó su corazón en ella y cuidadosamente repasó cada palabra con Laura, con la esperanza que después de todo, algún publicador mostrara interés. (¡Gracias, Scholastic!). Su colaboración celebra los lazos de amistad y creatividad que pueden crecer por encima de cualquier frontera o límite que construya nuestra sociedad. 

Sobre la traductora: Gloria García Díaz es una escritora bilingüe, danzante folklórica y cantante de canciones mexicanas. Escribe poesía, historias y memorias, y tradujo el libro Mamis Felices por Kathleen Pelley. Viene de la Ciudad de México y está muy orgullosa de sus raíces indígenas. Ahora vive en Colorado con su esposo y su hija pequeña. Para más información, por favor visita a Gloria en: GloriaGarciaDiaz.blogspot.com .

 ***

Un resumen del libro:

Zitlally se siente muy solita.  Papá ya no está para susurrar con ella en el lenguaje de las estrellas.  Y Mamá siempre está hablando por teléfono, preocupada.  Y las hermanas de Zitlally  sienten tanto miedo como ella.  Todos están pensando en ese día. 

     El día que detuvieron a Papá por pasarse los límites de velocidad.

     El día que la policía descubrió que Papá era un inmigrante sin papeles.

     El día que la familia de Zitlally supo que Papá sería deportado.

     Zitlally busca consuelo en el bosque de la chatarra atrás de la traila de su familia.  Allí encuentra un perro sucio y flaco con una marca de estrella en su cuello.  Pronto, ella se da cuenta que Estrella no es un perro ordinario.  Él es como los animales mágicos en los cuentos que Papá le ha contado.  El destino de Estrella está conectado al destino de un humano.

     Al destino de Papá.

     Si Zitlally puede proteger a Estrella, su papá también estará protegido.

     Cuando Estrella desaparece, le toca a Zitlally y su nueva amiga, Crystal, encontrarlo.  Es la única manera de que Zitlally puede estar segura de que Papá, también, regresará a casa… y una vez más, su familia será reunida. 

 Gloria giving a library presentation

Puedes ver mas detallos en el sitio de Scholastic aqui here.

Tambien, puedes comprarlo en Amazon aqui here.

¡Gracias! 

Thank you! 

Hugs!

¡Abrazos!

XOXO,

Laura

Family Trip to Puerto Rico!

 

Hey guys,

Ian and Lil Dude and I just got back from a 12-day spring break in Puerto Rico, and loved it.  We spent a few days in Old San Juan (for culture and history), a few days in the El Yunque rain forest (hiking and waterfalls), and a few days on the island of Culebra (beaches, snorkeling.)

There are a couple huge, cool forts in Old San Juan, complete with turrets and tunnels and dungeons and pirate history and other features perfect for a 9-year-old boy. He had a blast in the big spaces by fort and sea where he could run around like a little maniac...

The buildings in Old San Juan were deliciously candy-colored.  I'm a firm believer in painting homes cheery colors (ours is yellow)-- I wish people did this more in the U.S.! It would make wintertime less depressing, I think... and it would make houses and apartments and condos easier to find. ;-)

Can't get enough of these wrought iron, plant-filled balconies...



Pink!

 

Puerto Rico is such an easy place for overseas travel with a kid... you don't have to go through customs and immigration at the airports, you can use dollars, and you don't need any special cell phone plan (at least with Verizon we didn't.) And yet, you're in a completely different culture, immersed in a different language (well, not completely, because almost everyone seemed able to speak English here.)

 

 We took a little puddle-hopper to Culebra island-- a gorgeous ride. On the way there, I got to sit next to the pilot, and on the way back, Lil Dude did... he was over the moon!

This island was incredible-- really laid-back-- most travelers drove golf carts around rather than cars. The beaches were breath-taking, and not crowded.  There were a few we had to hike to that were particularly secluded and beautiful. We saw lots of fish and even got to swim alongside huge, graceful green sea turtles.




The hike to two of the beaches (Tamarindo 2 and Carlos Rosario) was technically off-limits because of the "unexploded ordinance", which means that there are undetonated bombs in the forest in that territory.  But everyone assured us that as long as you stay on the path, you're fine. (eek!)

 

The bombs came from the U.S. military, which did target practice on this island until about 1976.  I talked to some old-timers who remembered the constant explosions, and were relieved when they finally came to an end. Here's one of the old tanks, now a rusted work of art on Playa Flamenco.

 

We boogie boarded...

Lil Dude dug holes and built sand castles... here he made a new, local friend. He got to use some Spanish to make plans to fortify the walls. :-)

 

 We happy-danced at twilight...

We were entertained by the wild chickens who hung out with us on the beach...

 

Lil Dude really enjoys getting "battered" by waves, and enjoys it even more when I get battered. (Below, he's been knocked over and I'm about to join him...)

 We stayed at a sweet little guesthouse called Mango Fish. Our idyllic routine involved snorkeling in the mornings, having lunch in town, having relaxing siesta time (I read and wrote, Ian slept, Lil Dude read and wrote and played video games), then going for a late afternoon swim, then heading to dinner in our golf cart (aka "this bad boy.")  Lil Dude loved the golf cart-- one evening, as we were getting buckled in, he took a blissful breath and said, "A starry night, going out to dinner in this bad boy.... does life get any better?"

 

  It was so pleasant to sit on the porch and feel the breeze and hear the birds and insects (and wild chickens).  The temp was perfect-- 80 degrees and not too humid. I love these clanky old metal screen doors...

 

I truly didn't want to leave!  I'm such a beach girl at heart. In college, I lived with friends in a beach shack on the Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland. Every morning and evening I'd walk on the beach with my dog, Nut, and we'd all track sand around the house and no one cared.

 

We also stayed a few days in El Yunque rain forest less than an hour's drive from Old San Juan. We hiked to waterfalls and old towers, saw brilliant flowers, cool animals...

Trying to fly...

 

View from the tower...

Romantic moment in the rain in dorky army surplus hats (photo credit: Lil Dude)...

Lil Dude and I giving ourselves a limpia (spirit-cleaning) in the waterfall...

 Thank you for swinging by! Hope you've been having fun adventures of your own!

Heaps o' love,
Laura

The Lauras Go to Mexico

 

Hola, queridos amigos,

Just got back from a soul-filling writing retreat in Tulum with one of my closest friends, Laura Pritchett... and it was abracadabrant! In addition to sharing my name, Laura also lives in Fort Collin, also is in Old Town Writers' Group, and also gets the winter doldrums in February (and this winter's been tough-- snow on the ground since November, plenty of days in the single digits and teens) .... and we also both had airline vouchers just waiting to be used.... So we spontaneously decided to soak in some sea and sunshine and tropical greenery and warmth together last week to lift our spirits.

 SUCH a good idea!

Laura writes books for *grown-ups* although there's some crossover with older teen audiences.... her most recent novels are Red Lightning and Stars Go Blue, and they're fantastic and you should read them (along with her other 6 books)!  More that we have in common: celestial things like Lightning and Stars in our titles, and colors like Red and Blue/Indigo in our titles... and we both have 8 books out at the moment.... and we like old stuff and Mexico (and I could go on and on).  Suffice to say, she was the perfect retreat companion!

Here's where we spent most afternoons-- reading and writing ("working") on the beach and taking occasional ocean dips and beach walks.

Passion fruit ice cream!  I love this flavor so much-- perfect mix of tart and sweet-- and the crunch of the seeds is deeply satisfying.  Here, we're on the beach chairs of the Alma hotel, but our favorite evening place for food (and magical ambiance and live salsa music) was La Zebra.

 

Before this trip, I'd just finished yet another revision of my futuristic speculative fiction YA novel, which is set on a tropical island (specifically, on a a beach, in a jungle, and in a mysterious lab facility.)  So of course I was noticing all the subtle multi-sensory details of the water so I can describe it better when I do the inevitable *next* revision.

 Seaweed has some significance in the book...

I also jumped back into my new manuscript-on-progress, which is middle-grade (ages 8-12) and involves chocolate and the Amazon rain forest.  I love working on something in a new place-- I always get interesting ideas and think more outside-the-box.  I read that working in expansive places makes your mind think in a more expansive way.... and that was definitely the case sitting with my manuscript in the expanse of sea and sand and sky.

 

So, let's see... we *did* do some things beside write and read and walk and swim.  Laura visited the cool Coba Mayan ruins, where I've already been a few times, and wrote about in another post. I went to a yoga class in this studio on the beach... behold my view from the mat!

One morning, we visited a nearby cenote (a freshwater lake connected to an underground cave system, sacred to the Maya). This one was called Cenote Encantado, and was just down the road by a campground. It was surrounded by mangroves, and supposedly there were some baby crocodiles floating around nearby. We rented out a little boat and did some snorkeling and felt minorly freaked out by the baby crocodiles (which stayed hidden).

We stayed in a simple, sweet ecolodge called Las Palmas Mayas on the side of the road opposite the beach, which was just a one minute walk away.  Woulda been nice to stay right on the beach, but this place was much, much cheaper. And it had a kitchen where we could fix ourselves breakfast and tea and snacks, which made it very budget-friendly.

View from my window:

In the courtyard area:

 

Palmas!

Always fun to check out the folk art.... I got some smaller skeletons for Lil Dude-- a snorkeling skeleton, a dog skeleton, and a guitar-playing skeleton, since that's what he's into these days. :-)

It felt so good to soak in flowers and leaves and COLOR after being in the brown and white landscape of Fort Collins for the past three months.

So grateful to Ian for taking such good care of Lil Dude all week and taking time off work for sled-riding on the snow day.  (Did I mention there was a *blizzard* while we were gone?)  

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Laura