This post was originally sent through my author newsletter on September 2, 2022. To subscribe to my newsletter and receive up-to-date news, musings, and more, click HERE.
Are you someone who wakes up extra early, before the rest of your household, to get things done? I am...usually not. But I got up this morning as soon as I woke up to make sure I had time to finish this newsletter for you. (The main problem is coffee; our kitchen is next to the kiddo's room, which makes early-morning coffee prep a ninja-like endeavor, stealthy and slow and silent. Make a sudden noise, and all is lost!)
Anyway, I wanted to check in today, at the start of this long weekend, the tail end of summer, with what's going on with me and what you can expect from this newsletter in the months ahead.
What's going on with me:
As you know, Madison Morris is NOT a Mouse! is out now, and I'll be continuing to do various promotional things in the coming weeks. Two important dates/events to note:
I am participating in a virtual chapter book panel hosted by Books of Wonder tomorrow—Saturday, September 3rd—at 3pm! After the event, I'll be signing orders at Books of Wonder; order your signed and personalized copy of Madison Morris by clicking here.
You can meet me in person at the Maplewood South Orange Book Festival in Maplewood, NJ, on Sunday, October 2nd! If you're in the region, please come by and say hello—and bring your kiddos. Sunday is the festival's children's day!
As for my various writing projects, my coauthor and I are turning in our latest revision of The Thirteenth Circle (the middle-grade crop circle book) today. MarcyKate and I are so happy with how this book is shaping up! I seriously can't wait for you all to read it. We'll likely have one more round of line edits this fall before the manuscript is sent to copyedit and then to design.
Also happening in September: my first picture book manuscript is going on submission to editors! The submission phase is when a literary agent shares a manuscript with a select group of editors for consideration. Please cross your fingers for me that someone on my agent's list likes my picture book!
What's next for this newsletter:
Next week, you'll get a recap of my school visit from this past Monday. (Spoiler: it went great!) I'll fill you in on my favorite moments from the day, what surprised me, and how you can get in touch to schedule a visit at your school or your child's school!
To stick with the back-to-school vibes, I was thinking I might also try to interview a couple elementary school teachers about how they encourage a love of reading in their classrooms and what books their students can't get enough of. (Are you an elementary school teacher? Maybe I'll contact you!)
I also thought, since The Thirteenth Circle sold to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan shortly after I launched this newsletter, it would be fun to give you the inside scoop from sale to publication. So, as each next step in the process happens (like turning in a round of revisions today...), I'll keep you in the loop!
As always, if there's something you want to hear more (or less) of, feel free to email me! If you reply to this newsletter, it will go straight to my inbox.
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
~Kathryn
What I'm:
Reading: I just finished Yolk, which I mentioned starting last week; it was a good but difficult read. For something a little different, I've picked up Just Another Love Song by Kerry Winfrey (the author of Very Sincerely Yours, which I gushed about a few weeks ago). This one is a second-chance romance about high school sweethearts (one of whom is now a country music star) reconnecting and falling back in love.
Watching: Almost done with "The Sandman"—it's so wonderful! Very, very excited to start the new Lord of the Rings series, "The Rings of Power," next.
Listening to: Well, technically not yet, but did you see that there's a new Taylor Swift album coming soon??
Loving: Being home after a long road trip. Here's the kiddo at a playground near us yesterday. She couldn't get enough of this slide!
