LIGHT UP THE NIGHT Mini Blog Tour Schedule

Hi friends,
I’m getting so excited for my October 11th release of LIGHT UP THE NIGHT. And over the next few weeks, I’ll be chatting with some awesome folks online. I hope you can join me at one or more of my blog tour stops.

October 10 – 14  (THE WHOLE WEEK) – Picture This!  http://robsanderswrites.blogspot.com/    Rob Sanders

October 11 – Sharing Our Notebooks  http://www.sharingournotebooks.amylv.com/2011/10/jean-reidy-perfect-word-yes.html Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

October 12 – Tamson Weston Books  http://tamsonweston.com/blog/light-up-the-night-by-jean-reidy/  Tamson Weston

November 4 – Writing for Kids While Raising Them PiBoIdMo http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/piboidmo-day-4-jean-reidys-5-unusual-places-to-find-inspiration/ Tara Lazar

November 7 – Mindy’s Musings on Writing  http://mindyhardwick.wordpress.com/   Mindy Hardwick

What Would You Have In Your Dream Writing Space? I Need Your Advice.

A personal massage therapist to work out all those keyboarding kinks? Ahhhh, of course.

So I’m taking my new-found empty-nest-hood rather seriously and refurbishing my kids’ computer room to be my home office (the kitchen table just isn’t cutting it). Other than lots and lots of shelves, some workhorse filing cabinets and a wide surface desk, I’m trying to imagine what else I should squeeze in.

Those metal magnet boards and wire clothes lines are so nifty. But are they useful?

What’s your advice? What are the tools you can’t live without? What are the organization features that make your life easier? What are the furnishings that make you most productive AND comfortable? What are the aesthetics that inspire you?

Oh, and feel free to go into detail – I’m talking links, specs, whatever. 

I look forward to hearing your ideas.

A Heartfelt Thanks to Publishers Weekly for this Lovely Review!

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT
“A boy celebrates his place in the world in Reidy’s (Too Pickley!) soothing bedtime story. Removing the red-and-white quilt from his bed, the narrator fashions it into an open-cockpit jet and blasts into outer space: “These are my galaxy stars so bright—/ they light up the heavens late at night/ in my own little piece of the universe.” The cumulative verse follows the boy’s journey as he eventually zeroes in on Earth, where, after he pays tribute to his continent, country, town, and street, he returns to his house, bedroom, and cozy bed. Caldecott Honor artist Chodos-Irvine’s (Ella Sarah Gets Dressed) brightly colored matte prints portray the universe as a welcoming place, abuzz with activity, with swirling, starlit skies and friendly constellations, astronauts, and aliens. Acting as a confident tour guide, the boy remains literally in the driver’s seat, as his quilt-patterned vehicle transforms into a spaceship, prop plane, train, truck, and skateboard before reverting to its original form. The collaborators are entirely in sync as they remind readers that the universe and its wonders are theirs to revel in. “
Ages 4–8. (Oct.) Publishers Weekly

Upcoming Events and Appearances

September 22, 2011 – Skype visit with Monroe Catholic School in Fairbanks, Alaska.

October 11, 2011 – LIGHT UP THE NIGHT release. YIPPEEEE!!

October – November 2011 – LIGHT UP THE NIGHT blog tour. Stay tuned for links.

November 7-18, 2011 – LIGHT UP THE LIBRARY auction to benefit the library at Musana Children’s Home in Iganga, Uganda.

November 12, 2011 – LIGHT UP THE NIGHT  reading and signing at the Tattered Cover in Highlands Ranch, CO 10:30 A.M.

February 1-4, 2012 presenting at the CCIRA Conference on Literacy.

Light Up the Library Auction coming this November!

Dear Friends,

As some of you know, my third picture book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, comes out October 11, 2011. What you probably don’t know is that the story – while visibly very American – was inspired by the children of Uganda, many of whom are orphaned by AIDS while others have been displaced due to past civil war. My family has developed strong connections to that country and its children over the past 6 years.


To celebrate the release of the book and those beautiful children, I’m holding an online auction November 7-18 to benefit literacy in Africa and a library at Musana Children’s Home in Iganga, Uganda where I worked last summer. The auction will be called LIGHT UP THE LIBRARY.

I’m coordinating this with the volunteers for an amazing Peace Corps project called Libraries for Life – which is providing books for libraries in designated Ugandan schools. The project is being administered by, not only the Peace Corps, but also the Books for Africa organization. And Musana has been designated as one of the recipient libraries.

Please know that each and every day I continue to support public libraries, school libraries and literacy programs here in the U.S. But this auction will reach across the ocean to benefit efforts abroad.

I know all of you, as caring and generous as you are, have your own special passions and causes. So I don’t want you to feel any pressure here, especially during such difficult economic times. But if, by chance, this project of mine touches you in any way, and if you have something you might like to donate to the auction, you can do so via my Auction Donor Form.

I’m open to any and all possibilities. Some of the items on my wish list include:

Manuscript critiques
Writing mentorships
Autographed books
Author Twitter Chats
School visits
Author Skype Visits
Marketing Consultations
Social Networking Consultations
Book trailers
Blog designs
Blog header designs
Web designs
Personalized Sketches, Caricatures or Watercolors for Blogs or Websites
Business Card Designs
Real Estate Sales Consultations
Home Staging or Design Consultations
Night Time Baby Items or Crib Items
Baby Afghans
Baby Quilts
Telescopes
Original artwork
Handy Man Services

Hand-crafted Jewelry and Bags
Sports Memorabilia
Tutoring or Standardized Test Prep
College Essay Critiques
College Care Packages

Other Services such as Massages, Manicures, Etc.
Thanks so much for considering my request. Please feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested.
Have a wonderful September.

Jean
P.S. If you’re so excited and you simply can’t wait for the auction, you can make your cash donation today RIGHT HERE.

Library People B&N Event for Colorado Libraries

Received this in my e-mail inbox today:

Library People—Friends of Colorado Libraries, is having a fundraiser with Barnes & Noble. This is being held on International Literacy Day, September 8, at two main stores:

  • The Loveland Centerra Barnes & Noble, 5835 Sky Pond Drive
  • And the South Colorado Barnes & Noble, 960 S Colorado Blvd, Denver, noon to 8 p.m. Special appearance by author Dick Kreck (The Smaldones)at this store at 5 p.m.
The offer also will be honored at ANY Barnes & Noble store in the state from September 8 through the 13th.

For every eligible item that is purchased at Barnes & Noble and identified as part of the Library People—Friends of Colorado Libraries bookfair, Barnes & Noble contributes up to 12% of the purchase price to my organization. More details are included on the website, www.barnesandnoble.com/bookfairs

Please consider visiting a Barnes & Noble store OR the website and making a purchase on behalf of libraries. Barnes & Noble offers books, music, DVDs, educational toys and games, gift products and so much more.

In addition, online purchases are eligible for the offer. Visit www.bn.com/bookfairs
to start shopping. Please ensure you enter our organization’s bookfair ID (Bookfair ID: 10508869) on the payment page to ensure we receive credit.

To learn more about Library People, a statewide nonprofit that works toward quality library service for Colorado residents by providing advocacy, support, and coordination of service projects, visit www.librarypeople.org

Certainly if you have other people who might be interested in this offer, feel free to forward this message. Thanks for your help!

Thoughts from Picture Book Peeks: The PB Pitch



What is your book about?

It’s probably the most asked question – second only to “Where can I buy it?” – of writers. But how often do your take your answer seriously? Can you sum up your story before the elevator door slams in your face? We hear a lot about pitches and one-sentence summaries in novel writing workshops. But what about pitches for picture books?

Well, I’m here to tell you that a one-sentence summary is just as important for picture books. Why?

1. It helps you assess your premise for market strength and saleability – I often run my pitches past my critique group and my agent before I begin writing and revising. This practice saves me from wasting time on a story that’s overdone, unfocused, unsaleable or simply unappealing. On the other hand, when my agent likes an idea, she may use my summary to get early feedback from editors. I know, then, which projects are worthy of my efforts.

1. It helps you focus your writing – As you revise and revise and revise and brainstorm and revise some more, story lines can muddy and lose focus. Suddenly, several drafts in, you have to really wonder what your story is about. Keeping your one-sentence summary in front of you through your drafts helps you steer clear of plot detours.

2. It helps to streamline the selling process – From the moment you finish revising your manuscript the selling begins. First, you pitch your story to your agent. If she likes it, she pitches it to editors. If they like it, they pitch it to their editorial team and then to their acquisitions team, then to their marketing and sales team and then … ultimately your book is pitched to booksellers and librarians and readers everywhere. A dynamite one-sentence summary sees to it that your books travels quickly and happily through all these publishing layers.

So if you find yourself saying something like, “Well my book is sort of about a little girl and her grandmother and they’re on a beach and the grandmother can’t remember the girl’s name and they take a walk and …” you may want to focus your story by taking the time to draft your one-sentence summary. Your picture book writing life will be whole lot easier – guaranteed.