And Now We Party...

Saturday was a whirlwind day for me. I'd had my big launch party planned for a while, but just two weeks ago, I also got invited to be on a middle grade panel at Books of Wonder.

What do you do when one of your favorite bookstores asks you to sit behind a table with Benedict Carey, Michael Northrop, R.J. Palacio, Marie Rutkoski and Maryrose Wood? You say YES, of course!

So, at noon, I inconceivably found myself in the middle of this amazing line-up. My main goal? To absorb everything these seasoned authors said and did like a sponge. My secondary goal: not to make a complete fool of myself as the noob who had been a published author all of 4 days!

There are many reasons I love being a children's book author, but somewhere very near the top is the amazing, supportive community that it affords. Maryrose, R.J., Benedict, Marie and Michael went out of their way to give me advice and make me feel like I really belonged there. And it was amazing. I really want to thank them all and Books of Wonder owner/children's books advocate extraordinaire Peter Glassman who emceed the whole thing with unbelievable panache (and a seriously impressive knowledge of all of our books -- including The Mapmaker and the Ghost!).

Panache personified.

And, guess what? I signed a good amount of stock too. So if you want a signed copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost, you can order it directly from Books of Wonder here and they will ship it to you!

All signed!

The panel was over at 2 so there was just enough time for a quick bite to eat, an outfit change, and a date with my local bakery who had made custom The Mapmaker and the Ghost cupcakes. Oh, yes.

And finally over to Brooklyn's BookCourt where I was greeted with this adorable sign.

And, eventually, over 50 of my friends, family members and publishing peeps. I wish I had taken a photo from the podium because it was rather extraordinary to look out and see people from almost every aspect of my life (including high school friends I hadn't seen in years, co-workers from my very first mall job, new writer friends and so many more!). I may have gotten a little teary-eyed.

I also talk with my hands.

When else in life does one get to make one's sister (and cousin) wait in line to get something signed by her?

With my parents. They were very smiley. It was pretty adorable.

With Stacy Cantor Abrams -- editor extraordinaire who made MAPMAKER and this whole night possible.

It was an amazing day and one I don't think I will ever forget. I felt very humbled and grateful for the whole experience.

But I gotta tell you...I slept pretty soundly that night!

All About 'The Mapmaker and the Ghost' Teaching Guide!

This post is especially dedicated to teachers, librarians and the people who know and love them!

Did you know that The Mapmaker and the Ghost has themes and subject matter that could make it a fun and informative classroom read? Lewis & Clark, mapmaking and even science play pivotal roles in the plot.

As such, the book also has a companion teaching guide which you can preview below (you can also download the pdf here). (Warning: there might be a few mild spoilers if you haven't read the book yet.)

Open publication - Free publishing - More classroom

The guide is broken up into subjects, with activities, discussion questions and suggested further reading in the following categories:

• Mapmaking/Math 
• Social Studies (Lewis and Clark) 
• Science (Tesla and Alternative Energy) 
• Language Arts 
• Art/Just for Fun 

If you are considering using The Mapmaker and the Ghost in the classroom, I hope you find it useful! And if you do end up using the guide, I'd love to know how it goes!

Release Day Recap

Yesterday felt like my birthday.

I woke up to a ton of sweet, funny, touching, wonderful messages on Facebook and Twitter. I got to post the awesome, giant giveaway I've been itching to post forever. (You should enter if you still haven't! Chances are you already qualify for at least one entry so just fill out the form at the bottom.)

And then Graig and I set out on our mini bookstore tour of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Now, I admit, I was nervous. I thought it was possible that none of the stores would have my book, either because they weren't carrying it or they just didn't have a chance to stock it yet.

Regardless, valiantly we set off. Goldenrod is nothing if not brave, and I couldn't let my girl down. I had to try and visit her in her new homes.

The first place we went to was the lovely Greenlight in Brooklyn. With bated breath, I went to the children's section and...

There it is, on the bottom shelf. My very first sighting of The Mapmaker and the Ghost in the wild!

For the most part, this bookstore only shelves one book out on the floor at a time (even books like Twilight, so I wasn't too worried that it was currently the sole copy).

Next, we headed to the fantastic BookCourt, also in Brooklyn. This is the store that is hosting my launch party on Saturday, so I figured they had to have the book!

We wandered around the children's section but couldn't find it. I figured it must be in the back somewhere. Graig asked if we should try looking further in the store. I was skeptical since I figured it wouldn't be anywhere but the children's section.

Then Graig looked behind the register.

Yup, that is four, filled stacks of them back there in a very prominent display. It rocked. (And, hey, look...Goldenrod is hanging out with Stan Lee.)

Our next stop was the Barnes & Noble in Park Slope. I'll be honest. I had checked online before we left and it had said it was out-of-stock at that particular store. But I figured, why not throw caution to the wind? Graig double parked; I ran inside.

And lo and behold:

There it was in the MG new releases section! All turned out and proud.

The bookseller told me she had just stocked them. I then asked her if I could sign them and she said of course. So they now have that cool, green little "Autographed Copy" sticker on them (not pictured). If you're in the neighborhood and want an autographed copy, you know where to go!

I had just a little time to squee before I had to get back to Graig and his double park.

After lunch and a little break, we went to the Barnes & Noble in Tribeca where I actually worked for a few months before it first opened. I actually hadn't been back since then. I had total deja vu walking in there. And it was very surreal seeing Mapmaker there.

And then I may have done just a little bit of mischievous rearranging. Goldenrod wanted to visit her friends and I can't often say no to her...

(I'm sorry, lovely booksellers. Please forgive me!)

After that, we met up with my friend Jenny and the three of us went to the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. Now, this is a particularly special store for me because, almost five years ago, we were all at Midnight Madness for Deathly Hallows there. And that is one of my favorite memories ever.

Behold us then:

We are a little bit excited.

We are a lot bit dorky.

And now...with Goldenrod!

Jenny had actually checked that store in the morning and Mapmaker hadn't been there yet, so it was particularly awesome to see it there now.

And, finally, we went to the wonderful Books of Wonder where, right outside the front door, I found a flier touting my appearance there on Saturday!

Forgive the Miss America look. Lovely Jenny bought me flowers. And my face wouldn't stop grinning as it was.

They actually didn't have books on the floor yet because they're somewhere in the back waiting for me to sign them at the event. (You can order signed books from them here.)

Then we went out to dinner and I came home to more messages of love and, even more fabulously, pictures from my friends with their copies of the book. They were busy visiting Goldenrod too...because my friends and family are awesome.

It was a perfect day and I wouldn't change a bit of it. The best part was that I didn't feel nervous leaving Goldenrod alone in her new habitats. I was just as excited as she was for her new homes and new adventures. That's my girl!

Release Day Grand Giveaway!

It is April 24, 2012.

That means that, finally, The Mapmaker and the Ghost has made its way out into the world! I have many lovely thoughts and feelings about this, some of which you can read about in my guest posts/interviews today:

Guest Posts to Explore:
Lucky 13s (where a very lucky monkey comes into play)
Class of 2K12 (all about release date shenanigans)
The O.W.L. (confessions of what I was like in middle school. Hint: not popular)
A Thousand Wrongs (with a chance to win another copy of Mapmaker simply by commenting)
The Reading Fever (where you can find out my Rock Band name and my karaoke jam)
Saundra Mitchell's 9 Spot (where I finally come clean about zombies vs. unicorns)

Take all those feelings and also add "extremely excited" about my Release Day Grand Giveaway! Update: The giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who entered! The winners can be found at the bottom of this post.

This is definitely the most special and biggest giveaway that I've done. All those feelings...I want to share them!

The Prizes:
One lucky grand prize winner will receive:

1 one-of-a-kind, hand-illustrated, annotated and signed copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost. The illustrations are done by super famous and talented artist, Graig Kreindler (who also happens to be my fiance). Graig and I will both sign it. (And Graig's artwork really is amazing: you can judge it for yourself here.)

Goldenrod's Adventure Kit featuring:
- 1 golden compass (the same one Goldenrod received for her 11th birthday and which I used for a very secret Goldenrod-related project last year)
- 1 unlined notebook (for sketches of newly discovered flora and fauna)
- 1 lined notebook (for observational notes)
- 1 notebook with gridded paper (for mapmaking, of course!)
- 3 brand new pencils
- 1 pencil sharpener
- 1 measuring tape
- 1 roll of duct tape (Goldenrod's dad would never leave home without it -- for good reason!)

Swag Pack featuring:
- 1 bookmark (which will contain a way for true explorers to find the super-secret project mentioned above)
- 1 sticker set
- 1 set of buttons

And since we've reached 300 entries, I'm throwing in an extra prize! So...

One first-place winner will receive:
A signed and personalized hardcover copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost with a hand-drawn illustration on the title page (also courtesy of Graig).

The swag pack you see above.

5 runners-up will also receive a swag pack containing a bookmark, sticker set and signed bookplate.

How to Enter:
There are loads of ways! You can do one or all of them and here they are:

- comment on this blog post (+1 entry)
- like my page on Facebook (+1 entry)
- follow me on Twitter (+1 entry)
- follow this blog (+1 entry)
- add The Mapmaker and the Ghost to your shelf on Goodreads (+1 entry)
- tweet about this giveaway (+2 entries per day)
- tweet about The Mapmaker and the Ghost Teaching Guide (+2 entries)
- post about this giveaway on Facebook (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post at Lucky 13s (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post at Class of 2K12 (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post on The O.W.L. (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post on A Thousand Wrongs (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post at The Reading Fever (+2 entries)
- comment on my guest post at Saundra Mitchell's 9 Spot (+2 entries)
- post about this giveaway on your blog (+3 entries)
- take a photo of The Mapmaker and the Ghost "in the wild" (at a bookstore, in a library, in your living room, etc.) and post it to my Facebook fan page or Tweet it to me @SarvenazTash (+5 entries)

Just remember to fill out the Rafflecopter form below indicating which of the methods of entry you did. (Otherwise your entries won't be counted!)

This contest will be open until May 1st at 11:59 PM EST. U.S. only.

Good luck! And have fun! (Goldenrod would.)

Winners:
Grand Prize: Vivien
First-Place Prize: Billy H.
Runners-Up: Mikel A., Karen D., Alicia E., Cassie F., Lori T.
All winner have 48 hours to respond with their addresses, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.

To My Book, On the Eve of Its Birthday

Dear Book,

It's hard to believe that it was over 5 years ago that I woke up from a dream about a girl named Goldenrod Moram (I know, how very Stephenie Meyer of me). There she was: spunky, spirited, annoyed with her name. I thought about her a lot that day.

I thought about her a lot over the next few months at a time when I thought it might be possible that my writing days were behind me. And yet, within a year, I had quit an important day job, signed up for a children's book writing class and started to write down Goldenrod's adventure in earnest.

And how that adventure has changed: from class feedback to SCBWI pitch sessions to real, honest-to-goodness editorial letters. We've been through a lot together, book. (About 27 drafts by my last count.)

And now it's time for you to make your way out into the world. You'll always be my story, of course. A story from my head and my heart. A story that was written in part to the kid I was and the books I loved. But now you're about to fulfill your book destiny; you are about to have readers. There'll be some who may like you, some who may not care for you, and some, even, who may love you. I hope you come across at least a few of those.

But before you go, I just want to say--from the bottom of my heart--thank you. It turns out you have been my great adventure, a fulfillment of a lifelong dream, and a rare and wondrous thing. I'm very grateful to you, book, for the past 5 years and I'm curious as to what the next 5 will hold. After all you taught me that, sometimes, it's very okay to be a dreamer.

Love,
Your author

Upcoming Event: Great Middle Grade Reads at Books of Wonder, NYC, 4/28

I am super excited to announce that on April 28th, I will be part of the Great Middle Grade Reads panel at the glorious Books of Wonder in New York City.

You should know that: Books of Wonder is one of my favorite bookstores. If you're in Manhattan and you haven't been there...go! It's a gorgeous independent bookstore dedicated to children's literature that's been around since 1980. (It's located on 18th St. between 5th and 6th Ave.)

But, wait. I haven't even told you the best part yet! I was asked to be on this panel, sitting alongside:

Maryrose Wood (author of The Incorrigible Children series)

Marie Rutkoski (author of The Jewel of the Kalderash)

And R.J. Palacio (author of Wonder)

And then little old me.

Am I honored?
Yes! Beyond...

Am I excited?
Thrilled!

Wait a minute, isn't this the same day as my launch party?
Ha! Yes, yes it is. It's actually the morning of (well, debatable whether noon is morning or not but for some of us night owls, it is) of my launch party which is also taking place on the 28th at 7 PM at another fabulous bookstore: BookCourt in Brooklyn.

So, yup, I'll be bookstore-hopping in not one, but two boroughs of NYC on Saturday, the 28th. If you're in the neighborhood, please consider dropping by to one, or, hey, both!

Now I wonder if I can set something up to do in Queens, Bronx and Staten Island between the hours of 2 and 7...

MG Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Interview with Lizzie K. Foley

Friends, I am remarkably thrilled to bring you today's interview with Lizzie K. Foley, the hilarious author of the stunning middle-grade novel, Remarkable. It's one of my very favorite reads of all time. OF ALL TIME. And you really don't have to take my word for it because...

Kirkus "The World' Toughest Book Critics" Reviews say, "Foley tightly weaves the outlandish threads into a rich, unforgettable story that’s quite simply—amazing."

And The New York Times (!) calls the book, "a cascade of intrigues that suggest a broad theme: Gifts get labeled eagerly and early on, but it’s more fun if characters can elude expectations."

You may be wondering to yourself what on earth the supremely talented Lizzie K. Foley is doing on my little ol' blog. Rest assured that I wonder the same thing. Regardless, here she is! AND to celebrate that fact I am giving away a signed copy of Remarkable. Just scroll down after the interview for the giveaway.

A wonderfully whimsical debut that proves ordinary people can do extraordinary things

In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just plain extraordinary. Everyone, that is, except Jane Doe, the most average ten-year-old who ever lived. But everything changes when the mischievous, downright criminal Grimlet twins enroll in Jane's school and a strange pirate captain appears in town.

Thus begins a series of adventures that put some of Remarkable's most infamous inhabitants and their long-held secrets in danger. It's up to Jane, in her own modest style, to come to the rescue and prove that she is capable of some rather exceptional things.

With a page-turning mystery and larger-than-life cast of characters, Lizzie K. Foley's debut is nothing short of remarkable.

Photo Credit: Ana June Creative

To borrow (and modify) a question from James Lipton, what’s your favorite middle-grade appropriate “curse word” or insult?
Lizzie K. Foley: One of the best parts of writing Remarkable was learning pirate curse words. “Spog” is delightful. It’s an insult for a new pirate recruit, but I think it has real possibilities for other situations as well. “Scupperlout” also has a nice impertinent ring to it. “Argh!” is always a good standby curse word for a number of situations. And apparently “bink” is a piratey expression of surprise, but I’ve found shouting “Bink!” just confuses people.

If you could pick one thing to be remarkable at, that you consider yourself mediocre in now, what would it be?
LKF: Cooking! I am the worst cook ever. And it’s not just that whatever I cook tastes bad (because believe me, it does), it’s that I’m actually dangerous in the kitchen. I’ve set fire to both grilled cheese and pancakes on several occasions (and am no longer allowed to make either one). I’ve melted spatulas on the stove (and no one wants soup with melted spatula in it). And just recently, when I finally thought I was going to successfully grill vegetable in the oven, the pan I was cooking them in exploded in my hands and sent hot shards of glass all over the kitchen. I dropped a phone in a boiling pot of spaghetti once too – which didn’t do the phone or the spaghetti much good. Right now, people ask me NOT to make cupcakes for their birthdays because my cupcakes always end up tasting like frosted evil. I once had one of those (non) brilliant early morning flashes of (non) genius about writing a bestselling cookbook centered around making ice – but I have to be honest with myself here. I am not even that good at ice.

There are a surprising number of pirates in your book. If you had a pirate name, what would it be? Also, be honest, no landlubber could capture the pirate voice so well. Are you actually a pirate?! And, if not, what sort of shenanigans did you get up to do research?
LKF: I think my pirate name would be Squint, because I am big on squinting – especially with my right eye. And let’s be honest, nobody squints enough these days, what with all the fancy sunglasses, Lasik surgery, and contact lenses in the world.

And yes, I am actually a pirate. It’s true I don’t like boats or water or even stealing stuff very much, but I don’t let that stop me from being one. And I conducted the research shenanigans to prove it, too. I actually drank orange juice so I wouldn’t catch scurvy (true story!) and I thought about keeping a library book out past its due date (I chickened out on this one, though – I’m not actually brave enough to anger a librarian – no pirate is).

As far as the pirate voice goes, however, I think you should cast a suspicious eye on my editor Nancy. She is the one who kept sending back my manuscript with notes saying things like “A pirate would not say this!” or “Pirates would never eat that!” or “Seriously, this is not how pirates deal with things!” In every single instance, she was right – and I’ve always wondered how she got to be such an expert…and don’t even get me started on my copy editor Rosanne. I made up a type of nautical knot called a “bowline quintey.” I thought it sounded pretty convincing, but Rosanne called me out on this immediately (“That is not a real pirate knot!”). It’s suspicious, I think. And Rosanne is just as good a pirate name as Nancy.


You thank your writing groups in your acknowledgments. Could you give us some of your thoughts on writing as part of one and what the benefits are?
LKF: For me, writing groups are a great way to gain confidence in my work. And while I feel like most people seem to use them as a way to find out what’s not working in a story, I tend to use them as a way to find out what is. I tend to over-revise. I will work and rework a scene into oblivion if left to my own devices. The wonderful people in my writing groups have been instrumental in teaching me how to stop this process before I drain all the life out of something I’m working on. Without the encouragement and support of my writing groups, I would never ever ever stopped revising long enough to finish a book and send it off into the world.


What are two MG books you'd recommend and why?
LKF: Well, you know I recommend yours every chance I get (and I'm not just saying that to kiss up to the interviewer here or to make her blush). I loved Mapmaker and the Ghost, and my son (who is nine) has read it at least four times. He’s even talked about some of the situations he’s seen at school in terms of situations that Goldenrod went through in your story. To me, this is the mark of an excellent kid’s book. It works on a level that kids really relate to – and this isn’t an easy thing to accomplish. Also, he’s tried to bribe me with a sandwich (a technique of parental management he learned from Goldenrod) and any book that encourages someone else to make food for me is brilliant as far as I’m concerned.

The other book I’m going to recommend is called Run Away Home by Elinor Lyon. The book was originally published in 1953, and I was lucky enough to find a copy at my local library growing up. It’s the story of an orphan living in Birmingham, England who is inspired by a faint memory of seeing the ocean to run away to Scotland and attempt to connect with her past. I must have read this book approximately 10 kajillion times. It’s got a great protagonist (named Cathie), who is incredibly resourceful as she tries to piece together her past. She’s got a great set of sidekicks (named Sovra and Ian) who help her. And there are actual adults involved in the story too – and the way that the kids interact with the adults is satisfyingly tense and realistic. Oh yeah – the writing is also amazing. One of my happiest days was when I was able to buy a copy off of eBay. I was also thrilled when I found out that it (along with a lot of excellent British children’s books) was being reprinted by Fidra Books in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1) I think I need to pick up Run Away Home ASAP. 2) After that interview, you want to read Remarkable ASAP, too, right? I think I actually want to read it again right now. 


GIVEAWAY:
The giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone who entered and the lucky winner of REMARKABLE: Lori!

Back to the Future Dot Com

I admit, I'm a little hesitant to post this because when I was writing it on Monday, my cable Internet went out for THREE DAYS. But...oh why not. Let's throw caution to the wind.

My parents got a home Internet connection in the summer of 1998, just as I was about to enter my senior year of high school. It was dial-up. In case you're too young to understand what that means, I had to listen to this noise while I waited for the Internet to connect. Yes, seriously.

And then I could only go on in 20-minute spurts because it was connected to the one phone line in the entire household. Because nobody had cell phones yet either.

I'll wait for your screams to die down.

I was very excited to finally have Internet. I thought the world was really on to something there.

But I have often wondered what it would have been like to really grow up with the Internet, as in have had it always like kids do today. (Although there is the the tragic fact that it would have ruined the plot of many great 80s and early 90s movies.)

You know the one aspect of it I wished I had the most? It's definitely not Facebook (I do not need pictures of me from middle school through high school anywhere online). Not even wikipedia -- though that would have made homework easier, I still rather enjoyed doing research at the library.

Nope. It's the boon to mankind that is Urban Dictionary.

Why, you might ask? Because there were many, many slang terms that I didn't know as a teenager and was too embarrassed to ask about. It might be because we didn't speak English at home and those are vocabulary words they don't really go over in ESL. Or the library encyclopedia for that matter.

Kids today; they're so lucky. Because knowledge is power, people.

What is the one website that you'd send back to young/teen you?

'Titanic' Changed My Life

The title of this post isn't really an exaggeration.

When James Cameron's Titanic came out in 1997, I was 16. I saw it in the theaters with my friends. Then I saw it again with my family. Then I saw it one more time with some more friends.

Let's not even talk about how much I desperately coveted Kate Winslet's wardrobe.

It was the first movie that made me go back to the theater for repeat viewings. It also opened my eyes to the amazing shared experience that a global phenomenon could be. People everywhere were talking about. Everyone I knew had seen it. This included many of my relatives in Iran. The film wasn't released in theaters there but they got a hold of it. They saw it; they loved it.

I have to admit, even as a 16-year-old I could see some of the flaws in the movie, particularly in the writing of the dialogue (I was, admittedly, a geeky, writerly 16-year-old). But it honestly didn't matter. The love story, the acting, the costumes, the spectacle, the fact that I'd had a monster Leo crush since his Growing Pains days (true story): the movie as a whole transcended that for me and it did for most people too (whether or not their Leo crush was as longstanding as mine). That's why it was the #1 movie for so long, the best-selling movie of all time for so long too.

I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be part of an industry that had the power to infiltrate so wholly and completely, to tell a story that touched so many people's hearts and minds.

So, a year later, I was applying to film school. And then I was in film school and writing scripts. Screenwriting eventually led me to novel-writing, which eventually led me to a published book.

I will, naturally, be going to see Titanic in 3D. I'm excited about getting to experience it on the big screen one more time. I'm also excited to be led back to something that started a huge journey for me: a story that made me want to tell stories professionally. Sometimes -- I think -- it's important to be naive and starry-eyed or at least to be reminded of what that felt like.

Will you be seeing Titanic 3D?

Upcoming Giveaway Extravaganza

Don't ask me how it happened, but somehow this imaginary month of April 2012 is actually here and The Mapmaker and the Ghost comes out in just a little over three weeks.

Oh. My.

To celebrate this miraculous fact, I'm going to be running a weekly giveaway every Tuesday up until release date. The prize will be a signed, finished, hardcover copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost and the giveaways will be open internationally!

Author not included.

I'm going to be running each contest on a different social media outlet so, in case you want to mark your calendars, here is the schedule:

- Tuesday, April 3rd on Twitter from 4 PM EST to 8 PM EST
Rules: Simply RT my contest tweet that day or tweet with hashtag #mapmakerandtheghost to be entered. One entry per person.

- Tuesday, April 10th on Facebook from 8 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Rules: Just comment on my contest status that day. You can also get an extra entry by sharing the status on your wall. Up to two entries per person.

- Tuesday, April 17th on Pinterest from 8 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
Rules: Repin my cover and/or my trailer to one of your boards. Make sure to leave a comment on my board with a way to contact you (email address or twitter handle) should you win. Up to two entries per person (one each for repinning the cover and the trailer).

- Tuesday, April 24th on this blog through Tuesday May 1st
RELEASE DATE!! This will be the Grand Poobah of giveaways featuring an adventure kit much like Goldenrod has in the book (with a real compass, graph paper, pencils and more) AND an extra-special annotated copy of The Mapmaker and the Ghost with hand-drawn chapter heading illustrations by Graig Kreindler. You'll get my exclusive, behind-the-book notes along with the gorgeous illustrations. It'll also be signed by both Graig and me. An absolutely one-of-a-kind edition.

Here's a sneak peek:

Rules: Check back on this blog for a Rafflecopter form to fill.

That's all for now! I hope you'll consider participating in one or all of these.