Thank you Montclair Library!

Tracey and I visited with the ladies at the Mother/Daughter book club in Montclair yesterday and it was a fantastic visit! Tracey read, I sat and looked pretty, and then I was invited to someone’s house to hang out! I hope they have PBS! It’s my favorite channel!

Tracey was invited back to do a lecture  and I’m going to go too. I better work on my speaking-int0-the-mic skills.

Is this thing on?

Presentation? Check!

Tracey and I are getting ready for our Author Visit at EPCS tomorrow. We’re looking forward to meeting the 5th graders. We hope they like the slide show!

Now, what should I wear? Oh, right, I always wear the same thing!

Don’t forget, this is the last week to sign up for the Free Author Visit!

November Events

If you’re driving around Englewood, Montclair or New Brunswick this month, you might see me strapped into the passenger side of Tracey’s car, enjoying the sight of falling leaves as we go to a few events.

On November 12th, I’ll be visiting the 5th grade class at Englewood on the Palisades Charter School. That’s EPCS for the hometown crew.

On November 13th and 14th, I will be at the NJASL conference in New Brunswick. If you buy books at the conference, you can enter to win a chance a FREE Author Visit from me! (Tracey will probably come along too.)

On November 17th, I will be at the Montclair library at the Mother/Daughter book club. If you’re a mom, or a daughter, and you like books, especially books about mysterious family members, exotic tropical locales and the possibility of a little romance, come on down. We’d love to have you. I hear there will be snacks. Yum!

See you around Jersey, guys!

Kids Can Write Novels Too!

Aaargh!

Somebody sat down and wrote an entire book about me. And that’s a really hard thing to do, but it’s not impossible! I think kids like you can write books too. In just over four days, National Novel Writing Month begins. That’s NaNoWriMo for short, and during the month of November, thousands of people (maybe millions!) try to write an entire novel in thirty days. People do it every year! And even if you’re a kid, you can do it too. The folks at NaNoWriMo have novel-writing workbooks for kids that you can download for free. Click here. And you can use it to start writing your very own novel in one month. Yes, YOU!

I think you should do it. I totally do.

I’d do it, but this darn pencil is so cumbersome! Sheesh!

The Fox and the Crow

One of my favorite Aesop’s Fables is this tale of a wily fox outwittng a crow for a hunk of cheese. I never thought of any part of that story as fact. Both the fox and the crow talk in the story, after all. But just a few minutes ago I was looking out the back window, when a huge black crow swooped down frantically with a huge piece of cheese in its beak. I have no idea where a crow would find such a large hunk of cheese, but it was clearly from a large block, bright yellow like sharp cheddar and the crow looked like it couldn’t believe its good luck.

Unfortunately I wasn’t fast enough to get a picture. It flew off as suddenly as it landed in the yard. But seriously. Who sees a fable come to life ever? Well, you know, almost.

Happy Divali, Everyone!

The celebrations are starting. People are bursting bamboo all over Trinidad. It’s the Hindu festival of lights, and then everybody else’s follows.

Some advice:
1. Do not stand in front of a bamboo cannon.
2. Do not try this unless you are a Trinidadian expert.

Trinidad, here I come!

I just found out that we’re going to Trinidad for Christmas! How great is that? I’ve already circled the dates on my calendar and sent an email to Raj. This is going to be great! Black cake, pastels, souse, punch de creme! Parang!

I can hardly wait! Now I just have to get through the next two months (!) of school without bursting from excitement!

(If only we could leave Sally at home. )

Get a classroom visit for $9

Last week I learned that Angel’s Grace is about to earn out its advance. Do I wish it had happened sooner? Yes. But a poster on my other blog reminded me that 70% of books never get there. Whaa? That’s crazy talk. So I’m really happy that I’m so close to achieving that feat.

Since the book is now available on Kindle and in paperback, it’s more affordable than ever, so I’m asking you, dear readers, to help me get there. In both cases, you can get somethin’ for practically nothin’. Does that happen these days? Nuh uh.

OPTION ONE (for regular folks)

If you’ve borrowed Angel’s Grace from the library and you enjoy it, please buy a copy, and if you already have a copy and know someone who’d enjoy the book, buy a copy for them. And my eternal thanks for your support! Really. It means a lot. So if you let me know that you’ve bought a copy, I will mail you a signed bookplate.

OPTION TWO (for teachers and students)

If you’d like me to visit your school, buying a copy of the book could earn you a free classroom visit. From now until November 14th, when I will be at NJASL in New Brunswick, I am raffling off the chance for a free visit. In this economy, a free anything is good, and I promise you, I give a good visit.

To be entered you must:

1) Buy a new copy of ANGELS’ GRACE.

2) Scan a copy of the receipt.

3) Send an email with the receipt attached and the following type of information:

SUBJECT: FREE CLASSROOM VISIT RAFFLE

BODY: Attached is a copy of my receipt for __ copies of ANGEL’S GRACE

Please enter my school: Best Ever Elementary and Middle School

#1 Hope Boulevard

Heckyeahville, NJ

Teacher: Mr. Sweet

Contact number: 201-555-0000

4) I will email you back to verify and you’ll be entered into the raffle, one entry for every book purchased. That means, buying more books gives you more chances to win a free visit!

5) On November 15, I will videotape myself choosing the winner and post it here. GOOD LUCK!

———-

THE FINE PRINT! I can only realistically visit schools near my NJ home. If you live farther than I can drive in a day, I will offer you the same length visit but online. This means your class will need to have access to a computer with Internet access so that we can do the visit over Skype. Sweet huh? Know what else that means? You can enter even if you live in a different country! I’m looking at you, Sharon!

Kindle me softly

Angel’s Grace is now available for your Kindle so all you device-loving bibliophiles out there: Go nuts! Ooh look! It’s delivered wirelessly via Whispernet. Shh! Whisper the news to someone who also loves books.

2009-2010 School Visits

Fall is in full swing. The weather is getting more chilly and everyone’s well situated in their new classes. Time to plan for school visits!

If you would like Grace or me to visit your school, send an email to tracey @ traceybaptiste dot com. For more information about the kinds of visits Grace and I do, click here.

On November 12-13, I will be attending the New Jersey Association of School Librarians. I  plan on doing a raffle for a free visit there. Look for Grace and me and sign up.