Jeri Smith-Ready

Tidbit Tuesday - Talks, trips & trappers' tales

I've decided to stop numbering the Tidbit Tuesdays, now that we're in double digits. It's a sign of confidence that I'll continue doing them until the end of time. *cue dramatic music in a minor chord*

Anyway, last week's talk for the Maryland Writers Association was snowed out and has been rescheduled for this Thursday. I'll be discussing writing fantasy for adults and teens, including what should be a very enlightening (and somewhat laughable) Year in the Life of a Published Author, or, "Would you prefer a Local or Express Ticket on the Crazy Train?"

Place: National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 East Patrick Street, Frederick, Maryland.
Time: 6:30-8pm

The talk begins at 6:45, and books will be available for sale and signing. NOTE: PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME. I am told that due to the setup of the museum, the doors will close at 6:45 and no one will be admitted afterward.

On Friday I'm presenting a paper at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in Washington, DC. I would be really nervous about this, but I'm part of a panel of awesome authors, including H.M. Bouwman, as well as fellow class of 2k10 authors Swati Avasthi, Michele Corriel, and Alexandra Diaz. We'll be speaking on the subject of "Pushing Boundaries in Young Adult Fiction." The panel will take place 3-4:15pm in the Nathan Hale room at the Marriott Wardman Park. (Sorry, only conference attendees will be able to see me make a fool of myself.)

Then Saturday morning I take off to Branson, MO, to spend five days at a wild 'n' wacky writers retreat coordinated by author Maggie Stiefvater. You can read all about it on her blog, where she's taking reader questions that will be answered by one or more of us during one of roughly 2,136 video blog posts to be filmed (not by me, since my smartphone has a crappy camera, and besides, I'm really shy about taking people's pictures, dunno why--I'm okay with having my picture taken, but pointing it at someone else? Scary.).

I hope to get some actual writing done while I'm there, on a new project (which I'll hopefully be able to tell you about by the end of this week). I've been so busy preparing these talks and planning this trip that I haven't done much writing in the last several days. (Boooooo! Hiss! Life, you suck!)

And now...I saved the best tidbit for last! Today I'm proud and excited to announce the release of my critique partner Jana Oliver's debut YA novel, The Demon Trapper's Daughter! It's a gritty, gripping urban fantasy that I think both teens and adults will enjoy. It takes place in a near-future dystopian Atlanta, where the main character, Riley Blackthorne, is a demon trapper like her dad. The second book will be out at the end of August, which makes me very happy, because I've known this book since it was a baby manuscript and I can't WAIT to finally find out what happens next.

Hope you're all staying safe and warm during this terrible snow/ice-storm and--um, I guess if you're not, your power is already out and you can't read this, anyway. Well, good luck!

Labels: appearances, reading

• posted by Jeri @ 3:43 PM
• 4 comments