Last Book Signing of 2011

A boy came up to me at my book signing and said, "Did you write How to Survive Middle School?"

"Yes."

"I loved that book!" 

He went on to tell me his favorite parts. 

Awesome kid!  Meet Alex . . .

Fun at Independence Middle School and Barnes & Noble

Which response was given by 6th graders to the question:  "What might be a good place for a writer to begin her journey?"

A)  Your home
B)  School
C)  Anywhere
D)  A toaster
E)  All of the above

The answer is E) All of the above.  Middle school kids are so much fun!  The smart-aleck boy who said, "Um, a toaster" will definitely land in a novel someday.  My favorite answer, though, is C) Anywhere because thought and truth went into that answer.

Had a blast talking with 400 6th graders at Independence Middle School yesterday afternoon.

That was followed by a two-hour event at Barnes & Noble, where students played flute, wind instruments and sang.  Lots of proud parents snapping photos.

I LOVED meeting young readers and chatting with them and their parents.

Here I am with Hannah.

A big THANK YOU to Lisa Petroccia (who appears in my book How to Survive Middle School) for inviting me.  And thanks to Lauren Pfretzschner for hosting me at Barnes & Noble.

Lauren Pfretzschner, me and Lisa Petroccia

Book Signing & Fun Photos

My last book signing for 2010 will be at Barnes & Noble at Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Wednesday, December 8th from 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Big THANKS to Catherine Spinella, uber-awesome school librarian for posting these fun photos from my recent visit to West Essex Middle School.

Stay warm!

Donna

First School Visit . . . with a Twist

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of speaking to the 6th grade students at Independence Middle School -- my first school visit of the year.

Go, Eagles!

This is what the cafetorium looked like before 400 students and teachers streamed in . . .

What a great group of kids! After listening to my talk, "6-1/2 Ways to Survive and Thrive in Middle School," they all turned to our son, Jake, who was sitting in the back row. And because it was his 16th birthday, 400 exuberant voices sang "Happy Birthday." It was a blast!

That evening, the amazing Lisa Petroccia, media specialist (and a character in my novel), arranged for me to sign books at Barnes and Noble in conjunction with the school's book fair.

It was wonderful. The choir sang, students played clarinet, teachers arrived as did the principal, Ms. Bonino (also a character in my novel). And lots of friends stopped by, too. (Hey, Deborah!)

The best part was having a chance to chat with the kids while I signed books. And they got to meet Hammy the Hamster and shake his paw. (Hammy is a stuffed toy.) It was a fabulous event!

Then my favorite guys in the whole world came to pick me up.

(Jake, pretending to be me, Dan and Andrew)

We took Jake out for a late celebratory dinner at the Melting Pot. I mean, you only turn 16 once. And what better way to celebrate than with 400 6th graders singing to you, um, I mean with a plate of desserts to dip into warm chocolate?

Love you, Bud!

And now, for the obligatory cute dog photo . . .

Benji (aka Butthead)

30 Things on Launch Day

Sometimes, Launch Day is slightly less glamorous than one would imagine . . .

1. 6:25 -- Quick, take the puppies outside to . . . you know.

2. Get younger son off to school bus (after giving him moolah for lunch).

3. Feed puppies. Um, one more quick trip outside.

4. Throw on shorts and your "Be Careful or You'll End Up in My Novel" T-shirt.

5. Open card from hubby that specifically states: "Do not open until April 13th." Try not to cry at the sweet words hubby wrote about you and your special day.

6. Wish Hubby weren't away on business on Launch Day (or any other day).

7. Drive older son to school bus. (More moolah.)

8. Walk puppies . . . or let them walk you. When puppies chase squirrel, you will be reminded that yes, your back does still hurt from when you pulled it last week in weight-lifting class.

9. Back home, shove some yogurt, nuts and fruit down your gullet, grab a cup of green tea and GET TO WORK . . .

10. After one quick game of fetch with puppies.

11. Revise third novel -- deadline approacheth.

12. Take puppies out to . . . you know.

13. Practice talk for Erma Bombeck Humor Writer's Workshop this weekend.

14. Take puppies out to . . . you know.

15. Think about napping. What's that? Lawn guys arrive.

16. Uh-oh. Clean up the . . . you know . . . in the back yard. Quick!

17. Collapse in a heap, realizing how little you've accomplished so far. "Puppies, the sofa is NOT a chew toy!"

18. 11 a.m. Answer the doorbell and hush the barking puppies.

19. Allow mouth to drop down to toes because two of your best friends have incredible hamster/book-themed gifts in their arms.

Thank you so much, Carilynn and Holly!!!

20. Gush about wonderful, thoughtful, creative gifts, take photos and babble about how awful you look and how dirty your house is. But mostly gush about wonderful, thoughtful, creative gifts and your fantabulous friends.

Hamster wheel filled with delectable muffins and mini-breads all baked by Holly

Plexi-glass box filled with books to be autographed, a large cardboard cut-out of my book and a clever YouTube sticker on the front, to match my book's cover. Carilynn is the queen of presentation and clever themes.

21. Friends rush out, insisting, "We know you have a lot of work to do." And you do, but you'd rather hang out with friends (even if you are dressed like a homeless person and your house looks like it should be condemned by the Board of Health).

22. More puppy time.

23. More practice for upcoming talk and revisions for third novel.

24. 3:45 Meet your friend, Deborah, at local Barnes and Noble. Friend will greet you with hug and a dozen pink roses.

25. Discover that Barnes and Noble doesn't have a single copy of your book in stock . . . because they sold out immediately. More on the way. HOORAY!

Deborah, taking a photo of me while I was taking one of her.

Roses, from Deborah

26. Enjoy scrumptious sushi with Deborah.

27. Back home, LET THE PUPPIES OUT!

28. Read sweet note from your neighbor, who made dinner for you because she knew how busy you'd be with work and puppies and hubby out of town. (Think about how fortunate you are.)

29. Read thoughtful, encouraging e-mails, FB posts, etc. from the most lovely friends, colleagues and family you could ever hope for.

30. Relax. Finally. (Well, right after you let those puppies out.) "Puppies, the door frame is NOT a chew toy!"

12 3/4 Ways to Have a Successful Author Visit and Book Signing

Step 1: Work with a talented, dedicated media specialist like Lisa Petroccia, for example, who may or may not be mentioned in my next novel. :)



Step 2: Show up at the school's cafetorium and discover someone's forgotten lunch on the stage, along with a table displaying your books and a lovely purple orchid.




Step 3: Talk to 400 6th graders about the embarrassing things you did when you were their age. Throw in a story or two about how you sold your book. (Be sure to include all the hard parts like the, er, 9,756,832 rejections you've received.)

Step 4: Read the part of your book that includes Arnold Schwarzenegger. If your book doesn't include parts with the California governor, why not? Stop reading because the bell rings. Leave all the kids wondering what happens next so they HAVE to buy your book.

Step 5: Show up at Barnes & Noble approximately on time. Sit at a table piled high with your books. Direct people to the bathroom when they ask.

Step 7: Act a little bit like an idiot when your son's kindergarten teacher shows up.



Step 8: And when one of your besties comes to support you.



Step 9: And your husband . . . because he has to, plus he's really nice and likes hanging out in bookstores.

Step 10: Sign books for approximately 5,293,285 girls and one boy. The girls will want you to sign their books with a purple pen, if you have one. Have one. Sign the boy's book with black ink. Trust me on this.




Step 11: Have a great time talking with the kids and their parents, especially the parents who happen to be high school reading teachers or come from Philadelphia, like you. "Go, Eagles!"



Step 12: While chatting with the children, remember why you love doing this so much.

Step 12 3/4: When the books are gone, go home.