by hatfield13

Book Club Contest, Skyping into Wisconsin, and “Instructions”

A few quick updates tonight…before I get back to SUGAR ON SNOW revisions. 

1. Thanks to all those who entered THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z. book club giveaway.  The winner, drawn at random from those who entered, is Jeni from the Glenwood Schools for Boys and Girls in Glenwood, Illinois.  Congratulations, Jeni!  And for everyone else… please let me know if your book club chooses GIANNA Z. as a selection.  I’d be happy to send along some signed bookmarks and find a time to have a Skype chat with your group after you read.

2. Speaking of  Skype, I had a great visit with 6th graders in Mequon, Wisconsin this afternoon.  We talked all about the research and writing process, and they had some fantastic questions.  The author-tech-geek in me was pleased to discover that I can actually Skype and scroll through PowerPoint slides on my laptop at the same time.  That allowed me to page through the slides and talk about them on one computer in my office while the teacher in Wisconsin projected the PowerPoint onto a screen in her classroom next to the Skype screen.  Cool stuff, I tell you…and I was able to make it to my son’s cross country meet afterwards, too.  That would have been tricky with an in-person visit.

3. I read in Publishers Marketplace recently that Neil Gaiman’s poem "Instructions" is going to be a picture book.  This makes me happy – I love that poem, particularly when he reads it here (

[info]melissa_writing

just shared the link and reminded me how much I like it – thanks!).  It makes me want to find a magical garden gate, too.  Enjoy!

4 Replies on “Book Club Contest, Skyping into Wisconsin, and “Instructions””

  1. Kate,

    I just wanted to say that I originally got Skype because my good friend goes to college in Scotland and we needed some way to keep in touch. Then I realized I could talk to my cousins in Switzerland. Now…what you are doing with Skype to me is so…brilliant. I don’t think I would’ve ever thought about that. I’m sorry we didn’t have that when I was a kid–only because I longed for author visits (not a huge fan of technology everywhere though). I admire what you’re doing and I think its great.

    I really want to read GIANNA. I’ve heard only good things about it and I am slowly going back reading MG. 😉

    Best of luck with everything,
    Rachel Simon
    http://www.livejournal.com/users/seeyouupside
    http://www.twitter.com/_rachelsimon

  2. Thanks so much for your note! When I was growing up, we didn’t have author visits at my school – and I can’t help thinking that if we had, I might have found my way to this career that I love even sooner. I love visiting with kids – in person or via Skype – so much fun to talk with them about the books!

  3. SKYPE in Mequon

    Kate,
    Thank you for a wonderful SKYPE session yesterday with our sixth grade students. They were so excited and so was the staff. How amazing to be able to show us Lake Champlain and Valcour Island from your doorstep and for the students to see that really brought Pascal and Abigail to life.
    Thank you Kate.
    Sara Kemp
    IMC Director
    Lake Shore Middle School