I've Fallen

Again.

I have fallen - and fallen hard - for a new middle grade. Every. Single. Line is perfect, witty, and chosen with care. It's no surprise, as the author is my hero. (The illustrations are spot-on, too.)

So, THE TROUBLE WITH CHICKENS by Doreen Cronin.

I took it to the gym and read it in a one hour stint on the elliptical. I daresay it made my workout more enjoyable. No telling what the lady in the red Lycra to my right thought about my maturity. Especially when I did one of those hiccough/laugh combos. Tears hit the corners of my eyes faster than my fingers punched "Lower Resistance". Not from the cardio burn, but from hysteria.

This book puts the unny in funny.

I'll throw a line out there. We've all seen dogs wearing the cone of shame, right?

"He had a long, skinny build, beady eyes, and a giant white funnel around his neck. He looked like a cross between a dachshund and a lamp." (Page 37.)

Hysterical.

If you have 8-12 year-olds, or even the younger set, I beg you to run, not walk, to the nearest library or bookstore and sniff this book out. This is read-aloud writing at its best.

Oh, and there's another one coming, THE LEGEND OF DIAMOND LIL.

That makes my puppy's tail wag something fierce.

Sometimes, I'm amazed by us. (And by us, I don't mean me.)

Really. That we send humans to space, have walked the surface of the moon, and can recover bits of rockets. Not in a prideful way, just awe-struck by some people's intelligence when I struggle most days to string 400 cohesive words on paper or to remember what it was I was supposed to cook for dinner.

So, NASA released a high-definition video of the booster recovery process. I'd always wondered how they did this... or if they even bothered. I cannot fathom the hugeness of the splash, and this lucky crew watches it happen in open water.

I come from a family of scuba divers, so this fascinated me. I mean, who grows up thinking, I want to be those guys? But what an awesome job it is.

Thanks to kidlit agent Michael Bourret for posting the link on twitter. My nerd quota is met for the day.

Here Comes the Sun

Life Goes On

With so much heartache in the world making headlines, I thought I'd share a happy video. This wasn't my scheduled post for today, but I hope you'll be smiling and toe-tapping before it's done.

I'm going quiet the rest of the week to pray for our friends who are hurting. In spite of all the necessary resources, monies, and aid, storming heaven with heartfelt prayer is the best gift I can give.

For a list of ways to help, see Amber's blog.

For a Japan relief T-shirt, click here.

To bid on items in the Kidlit 4 Japan auction, click here.

See you next time.

Kristin

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Fear and goals, or What the heck was I thinking?

Don't hate me. This is my view.

I'm about two minutes away from buying a warm mocha.

Snow is falling.

Yesterday, a few minutes were not so idyllic. Some background, I didn't learn to snow ski until my late twenties. I grew up on the water, have even barefoot. Where you lean back instead of all this forward business. Now, My husband took me to the top of the mountain yesterday, and although I was fine physically, my head screamed one part was crazy steep.

Enter irrational Kristin.

My voice reached that croaky high pitch. Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes. Five year olds zipped past. (Which made me feel worse, as cute as they were.) But then I realized something: The only way I was getting down the mountain was to just do it. One turn at a time.

So I took a deep breath, and I made my way down just fine. Not pretty, but fine.

Then I did it again.

That experience got me thinking about fear. Although I didn't know it, I was eating the elephant one bite, or turn, at a time.

If you're writing, or revising, or dealing with anything that seems too big, too overwhelming, remember to ask yourself, "What's the smallest step I can take?"

You can either stare at your goal and let your brain tell you it can't be done, or you can start moving, bit by bit. Movement creates inertia. Action makes momentum. If you're bogged down in procrastination (often stemming from fear), make yourself work for five minutes. You might be surprised when fifteen have flown by. Before you know it, you'll have eaten that elephant, written that novel, skied that mountain.

I'll be the one in the aqua hat at the bottom, holding out a mocha.

But for now, I'm off for re-writes.

~Kristin

Day in the Life of an Editor & Live Chat

Naomi Kirsten, Associate Editor at Chronicle Books, blogged about her day as a children's book editor.

Hint: Pastries and in-house Pilates are involved.

(Um, that would be awesome. Books, art, pastries, and Pilates... I'd need the Pilates after the pastries.)

Read all about it here.

She's also hosting a live Facebook chat tomorrow, March 10th:

Join us on Thursday, March 10, from noon-1pm PT for a live Facebook chat with Chronicle Kids editor Naomi Kirsten!

Find out everything you've wanted to know about life as an editor, Children's publishing at Chronicle Books, and what makes a stellar kid's book cover.

We'll also be giving away three of Naomi's favorite Chronicle products, including an advance copy of the latest project she can't wait to release.

Unfinished

It's been years since we gave this dog away.

Funny, I never got around to finishing.

Don't think I want to.

I loved that dog. She was horrid.

Which makes me wonder.

How can I be sure about leaving that work but not other creative efforts?

Maybe knowing when to walk away boils down to knowing when you can't.

Now, the sun is dallying. The days are longer.

Can I have a hallelujah?

Maybe I'll pick up paints. Do something crafty. Play with the kids, outdoors.

Finish a few things.

You know that I've been meaning to.

If something strikes my fancy, I'll post soon enough.

As a family, we're entering a whirlwind season. I hope to come out with my mess of hair relatively tame.

But tonight, I'm just thankful.

He's not finished with me yet.

How close we came to Seuss Dry Cleaners

instead of a Pulitzer Prize winning children's author.

Read the story here.

Happy 107th Birthday, Theodor Seuss Geisel, an inspiration to us all.

"Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!/There are points to be scored. there are games to be won./And the magical things you can do with that ball/will make you the winning-est winner of all." From Oh, The Places You'll Go.