A surprise book launch party at OCL!

In my library, there's nothing unusual about coming into work on the day of your late shift and finding the back work room empty. It's a busy branch. We're running all over the place. However, it is unusual to have your supervisor say she wants to meet with you in private. I've been there for 2 1/2 years and that's never happened...not even once. So when the head of Info Services said she wanted to speak with me in the back room, I was more than curious. Okay, I admit it. As a chronic worrier, I was stressed.

While I came up with a multitude of possible scenarios about what the meeting was going to be about, a surprise book launch party was not one of them.

Thanks to my supervisor's considerable acting talents and my colleagues' stealth planning, I had no idea it was party time. It's funny how you can be in a total state of shock and yet take in every detail at the same time.

Imagine walking into a room filled with music from the sixties, lots of people, amazing food, the first moon walk video on the TV, a table filled with vintage toys, cut outs of images from the book, Apollo 11 postcards and so much more.

And the food...let's talk about the food. Any morsel mentioned in my book was on that table. Oreo cookies. Apple jacks. We drank Tang! Plus there were tons of old time treats. Remember Pop Rocks! And pop corn.

There was a beautiful home-made cake, shaped like the moon, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on top of it.

This party was filled with surprises. All those goodies they had on the table, they gave me a gift! So now I have kick balls, a Barbie doll (by the way, this is my very first Barbie) a gigantic Slinky, a coin of the moon walk, ice cream cones filled with bubbles, cards filled with good wishes and wonderful memories.

To all those who came to the party and to everyone who planned it, I never imagined anything like this. I am overwhelmed by your support and enthusiasm. And I am grateful for your friendship. Thank you.


Here are some pictures. I don't have one of the incredible food table. But here's the other table.



These are the cut-outs. Check out the attitude on Barbie.



Here are some of the party goers. The woman standing in the very front is Elaine McConnell, director of the entire library system. She's reading the review from BookPage http://tiny.cc/yAcsN which came out on the same day as the party.



Here's me by the Ramble Street sign. Clearly, I am still in shock. I so love the Ramble Street sign.




My amazing cake.

Neil Armstrong is My Uncle Prize Package

In case you're wondering what's in that Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle Prize Package that Cynthea Liu is auctioning off to raise money for a Title I school in her home state of Oklahoma, here are the details.

• One signed copy of Neil Armstrong is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me
• A Slinky (not a cheap plastic thing -- a metal one, like the one in the story)
• A box of Fizzies (A 1960s favorite. You drop a Fizzie tablet into a glass of water and watch it fizz. The cherry ones are guaranteed to turn your tongue a brilliant magenta. They're also a good source of vitamin C so you get all that fun and good nutrition too).
• A coffee mug from the incorporated village of Massapequa Park and an I-Heart-Massapequa-Park pin. (Massapequa Park is the setting for the story and my home town. These are classics. It's not like you can walk into a gift store and buy these -- even in Massapequa.)
• A 1960s-style spaced-aged stress-reducing alien toy. (From the box: "watch your troubles melt away when you make the creature's features bulge out of its head!")
• A box of Krishes home-made candy. (It wasn't mentioned in the story, but this store was around in 1969. I have no doubt that Tamara, Muscle Man and the rest of the gang from Ramble Street spent many hours here. This candy is famous. One taste of Krishes home-made chocolate and you will wish you grew up in Massapequa Park too.)
• Oh and yes, those are tootsie rolls in that photo

There are lots of other goodies being auctioned off at Cynthea's Paris Pan Takes a Dare book launch. Check out the rest of the auction. If you're a writer, bid on a critique from an author, editor or agent. The money raised will go to buy leveled readers for a school in need. As Cynthea says, 'take the dare, show you care.' A whole bunch of kids will be grateful for your kindness.

Twitter Interview Posted

Here's yesterday's Twitter interview with my editor, Nancy Mercado. It's posted in reverse chronological order so it makes more sense if you start from the bottom and work your way up. These are the tweets with the hashtag #NAIMU.

I'm a Twitter newbie and had no idea it could be so much fun. Thanks to everyone who participated and tuned in. And thanks to Nancy Mercado for coming up with this Twitter chat/experiment idea and for being so awesome!

1. SauerTammi RT @taralazar: Interesting chat bt mg author Nan Marino (@nanmarino) and her editor Nancy Mercado (@editorgurl). Follow #naimu to eavesdrop. about 9 hours ago from TweetDeck
2. 1 day ago from TweetDeck
3. editorgurl @BrandiDougherty thanks brandi for listening! it was fun to try. kind of like an IM conversation. #naimu 1 day ago from web.
4. nanmarino @editorgurl This was fun! #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
5. nanmarino @editorgurl YA/MG, books on writing, some zen/martial arts books #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
6. editorgurl Thanks all for tuning in, RTing, and participating in our little experiment. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
7. editorgurl Okay @nanmarino, I know you have to head to a school visit, so we can end our chat here. So fun doing this with you! #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
8. editorgurl @nanmarino For fun, I read: New York magazine, Jezebel.com, YA and MG books from other publishers, and some adult non-fiction. You? #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
9. editorgurl @nanmarino that's what sequel's are for! :) #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
10. editorgurl interesting q, @WriterRoss. I think if we can understand why the character's the way they are, then the rough edges aren't an issue. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
11. nanmarino @editorgurl I was having so much with the characters that it was hard to let them go #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
12. nanmarino @editorgurl What do you read for fun? #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
13. editorgurl In your case, I just felt like the story was done. If you get several editors in a room, they will always have a different take! #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
14. ditorgurl @nanmarino I don’t always know! Sometimes my gut tells me, sometimes I feel the author has gone as far as they are going to go. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
15. WriterRoss @editorgurl @nanmarino Even a flawed character with some rough edges that may not appeal to One Size fits All readers..? #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
16. nanmarino @editorgurl How do you know when the editing process is done? As you know I had problems letting go of this. #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
17. editorgurl I believed both "voices" in this book. Tamara b/c she is so human, so flawed. Muscle Man b/c of his ability to wear Tamara down! #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
18. editorgurl For me it comes down to how much do I believe this voice? If voice says something "true" about human nature and I feel it in my gut. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
19. editorgurl "Empty your cup", i like that! My friend/author @pjacx says he just "pretends I'm right" for a few days and sees if that works. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
20. nanmarino @editorgurl Everyone talks about voice but what makes it compelling? #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
21. nanmarino @editorgurl Ah thanks.I tried to "empty my cup" to hear what you had to say. Sometimes it took some time to internalize. #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web

editorgurl You were so open to feedback and precise in your revisions (adding only what was needed!) that it made editing this bk a breeze. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web

1. egoodlett RT @taralazar: chat btwn middle grade author Nan Marino (@nanmarino) +her editor, Nancy Mercado (@editorgurl). Follow #naimu to eavesdrop. about 10 hours ago from web
2. editorgurl @nanmarino or when you haven't gotten back to an author yet and know they are waiting! the guilt, oy, the guilt! #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
3. editorgurl @nanmarino the worst part of editing is when you aren't sure. when you are questioning the path ahead. #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
4. editorgurl @nanmarino I'm sure many authors would agree, waiting is the worst. I should try & estimate the ETA for comments a bit better! #naimu about 10 hours ago from web
5. bout 11 hours ago from web
6. nanmarino @editorgurl First heard mc's voice when a friend's daughter said something wasn't fair. Kids are very into what's fair. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
7. nanmarino @editorgurl What about for you? What is the worst part of the editing process? (be honest too) #NAIMU about 10 hours ago from web
8. bonnieadamson "blinded by our love of the main character" Listen in on chat between author & editor: #naimu about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck
9. nanmarino @editorgurl Waiting for your reply after the sending the 1st rewrite was hard. Worried that you'd read it and change your mind. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
10. editorgurl @nanmarino Speaking of your mc, how did you find Tamara's voice? When was the first time you "heard" her? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
11. editorgurl Ha, that is so true. We are blinded by our love of the main character and we can't see the truth. Good thing, then, for reviewers! #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
12. nanmarino @editorgurl Best part? The back and forth. Talking about the characters. And I learned so much about writing from you. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
13. nanmarino @editorgurl Me either. A friend said that parents never know when their children are bullies. So maybe it's true for this too? #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
14. editorgurl @nanmarino And what was the worst? (Be honest!) #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
15. editorgurl @nanmarino Let's talk a little bit about the editing/revision process. What was the best part of that for you? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
16. CarinBerger RT @taralazar: chat btwn middle grade author Nan Marino (@nanmarino) +her editor, Nancy Mercado (@editorgurl). Follow #naimu to eavesdrop. about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck
17. editorgurl Funny, b/c I’ve NEVER seen her that way. To me Tamara's just a little girl who’s hurting. I understand the "why" behind her actions. #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
18. nanmarino @editorgurl Did you think my mc was a bully? #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
19. editorgurl @nanmarino yes, readers tell you things you never thought about your own book, eh? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
20. editorgurl @emalexander Comments and questions are most welcome. Thanks for yours! #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
21. nanmarino @editorgurl Having people tell me things about the character and the story that I hadn't considered. Like my mc is a bully. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
22. nanmarino @editorgurl Time lag is making this interesting. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
23. TaraLazar Interesting chat btwn middle grade author Nan Marino (@nanmarino) and her editor, Nancy Mercado (@editorgurl). Follow #naimu to eavesdrop. about 11 hours ago from web
    
24. editorgurl @nanmarino Both, actually. I buy books that challenge me as an editor, and also books that teach me more about being human. #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
25. editorgurl @nanmarino So what has been the most surprising thing about being published for you? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
26. nanmarino @editorgurl Interesting answer. Do you mean teach you as far as the editing process goes or do you mean something else? #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
27. WriterRoss Nan and Nancy: that's not weird. You have to love the book you're going to be moving in with for the rest of your life. ;> #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
28. editorgurl This sounds weird, but I feel like I publish a book b/c the book has something to teach me and I have something to offer back to it. #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
29. editorgurl @nanmarino Whoa, you really run the gamut! Your turn for a question. #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
30. nanmarino @editorgurl More questions about editing? What makes you buy a book? #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
31. nanmarino @editorgurl A seafaring ghost story, a careful what you wish for story, a historical verse novel, a very poor picture book #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
32. editorgurl @nanmarino What were the others like? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
33. nanmarino @editorgurl Heck no. Ive' been writing for years. I have others. Some finished. Many others not finished. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
34. quirkywriter @editorgurl Finding out what happens next in the story. Sometimes I don't know until the words pour out. #naimu about 11 hours ago from TweetDeck
35. editorgurl @nanmarino Neil Armstrong is My Uncle is your first published book, but was it your first completed manuscript? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
36. nanmarino @editorgurl I am never in control.Or they'd come much more often. I wait.. but it's all worth it when they arrive. #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
    
37. editorgurl @nanmarino And does it feel like you are in control of those moments? Or do you just have to wait until they arrive? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
38. about 11 hours ago from web
39. editorgurl Building trust with an author and getting a revision back and seeing how it’s “magically” changed in ways I couldn't have imagined! #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
40. nanmarino Oh is it my turn to ask a question? What do you like best about editing? #NAIMU about 11 hours ago from web
41. editorgurl @nanmarino And does it feel like you are in control of those moments? Or do you just have to wait until they arrive? #naimu about 11 hours ago from web
42. nanmarino Those moments of discovery, when everything comes together and you learn something new about your character and your story. #NAIMU about 12 hours ago from web
43. nanmarino @editorgurl I sure am. This is going to be fun #NAIMU about 12 hours ago from web
44. editorgurl I’ll start with an easy one: What is your favorite thing about writing? #naimu about 12 hours ago from web
45. editorgurl Hi @nanmarino! Are you ready to rumble?? I changed my profile picture in honor of our chat. Ready...set...go! #naimu about 12 hours ago from web
46. editorgurl @nanmarino and I are going interview each other on twitter, next Wednesday morning (6/10) at 10 am. Please tune in! #naimu is the hash tag. 5 days ago from web