New book deal

Lots of book goodness happening around here. 

Photo credit here

First, here's the latest book deal I can share from Publishers Weekly:

Julie Bliven at Charlesbridge has bought Birds of Prey by Terry Lynn Johnson. It's a middle-grade survival story about 12-year-old Karma's quest to rescue her dad after a car accident leaves him trapped in the desert. Karma has only the help of her trained falcon and a troubled runaway boy, who may or may not be a friend. Publication is slated for 2018; Caryn Wiseman of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency did the deal for world rights. 

I'm so thrilled to finally get to share this story with you. I've had a fascination with raptors for years - seriously, look at that face, doesn't everyone?

You can check here for updates and more on my research for this project. The photo is a hint for exactly what kind of falcon is in the story. Can you guess?

Next, the paperback edition of ICE DOGS is out! I had a giveaway for my mailing list subscribers. Congrats to the following who won signed copies:

Cara Falcetti

Margaret Black

Kathleen Byrd

If you purchase a copy and want it signed, send me a self addressed envelope and I'll mail you a custom bookplate with little sled dogs on it!

I have one more thrilling bit of news that will have to wait till next month to share. I hope that you may come back to join the celebration. Thank you, everyone for sticking with this blog! 

ICE DOGS announcement

photo credit www.sleddogcentral.com

Today I finally get to spill the beans and tell you my exciting news.

I've been waiting impatiently to be able to share, but now that the day is here, I'm actually a bit lost for words.

Here's someone else's words.
Deals from Publisher's Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Terry Lynn Johnson's ICE DOGS, in which a 15-year old dogsled racer and sled dog owner loses her way on a routine daytime outing with her dogs; with food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her, to Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in Winter 2013, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world). caryn@andreabrownlit.com


My novel will be a real hardcover book in two years!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how good this feels. My dream of being published with a big publisher has come true!! And I owe much to my amazing agent Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Lit Agency.

also,

A GIGANTIC and GRATEFUL shout out to my long-suffering crit partner PAUL GRECI

who read the manuscript about 608 times without complaint.
He is beyond awesome. He is also a spectacular, uber talented writer.


Really, a writer's most important tool is her critique partners. I also have to thank

Sue Kay Quinn
Kendare Blake
Medeia Sharif
Cynthia Chapman Willis

also my good friend, and not even a writer Jackie White  who keeps me grounded with her honesty.

I also owe a debt to the good friends I have made this year at the ELEVENSIES

See the village of support I have? I am one lucky writer! And now, thanks to my support team, I am soon to be a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt author.

Interview on how I got my agent

I'm being interviewed over at the FABULOUS Adventures in Childrens Publishing blog. Come on over and check it out!

I have an AGENT!!

Yes, I've been sitting on this for the eternity that it took for the contract to come all the way from California! My spectacular news -

CARYN WISEMAN

of ANDREA BROWN LITERARY AGENCY

has offered to represent me! 

*cue sun beams shining down from the heavens and warblers singing*

She read ICE DOGS, and said she loved it! I really can't believe it -

MY DREAM AGENT!

The phone call from Caryn took the shock out of turning forty last week. (as in what the... I'm FORTY? How did that happen?) and I couldn't ask for a better way to celebrate!

celebrating with Mr. Crabby is a good way to not feel forty.

We're still celebrating over here if anyone wants to come for brownies, skinny dipping and Crabby dancing. (everyone except the dog who is deathly afraid of Mr. Crabby for some reason. I have no idea why, it's not like I've chased her around the house with it or crawled to her bed and woke her up with it.)

I'm just VIBRATING with joy to be able to share this news with all my blogging friends. I may even post a vlog in the near future involving an attempt to do a celebratory roll in my kayak.

Cold querying DOES work. Yes, you too can get discovered in the slush. If I can, so can you!