good news, I think

perversely, I tend not to post Quite Good News about my writing here (or anywhere).  I keep telling myself that I should, that this is as good a place as any to make a small joyful noise about my so-called career as a YA novelist, and in fact I have been compiling a list of links which I should have put up before the holidays in case anyone might have considered giving The Lion Hunter as a gift to anyone.  And, quite frankly, I could kick myself for not having posted THIS LINK as soon as I had it (i.e., in November).  This book, The Golden Compass: The Otherworldly Ride Continues, is a collection of essays by YA writers, edited by Scott Westerfeld.  My essay is about Oxford.  It is ONLY available at Borders, and as it was timed to come out alongside the film, it may already be off the shelves.  Anyway, if you're in Borders take a look.

But what I really wanted to say here, what actually inspired this post, is that for the first time EVAH I have got a Holiday Greeting Card from--get this--"Sales, Publicity, and Marketing" at Penguin.  I always get a card from Viking but I've NEVER got one from Sales, Publicity and Marketing.  This has GOT to be good news, right?!

So, while I'm at it, the other good news is that Lion Hunter is on 2007 "Best of the Year Lists" in both School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews (I'm on page 21.  Be warned that this last is a 4.06 MB .pdf file).

And The Coyote Road, in which I've got a short story, is on Amaz0n's Year's 10 Best sf/f list.  Probably not because of my story, which is light and fluffy.  But it's nice to be included.

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“I have read quite a lot of books lately, and I intend to read many more. And in books I have discovered that there are sometimes lonely patches

            And scary times

            Disasters

            Catastrophes

            And long paragraphs of no use at all except possibly to build up your stamina.

            But also there are jokes

            Friends

            Adventures

            And homes.

            And these things

            Will help you through the long paragraphs

            Lonely patches

            Perils

            And even problems with as many heads as dragons.

            To live Happily Ever After.”

 

--from Forever Rose, by Hilary McKay.  Probably my current most favorite YA author.