Silberbook-blog

AWESOME IS ALMOST HERE!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 15:58:00 +0000

Time flies while you're staring at the calendar wishing your book would hurry up and be published!

The Awesome Almost 100% True Adventures of Matt & Craz is just a week away and I'm pretty excited about releasing it into the world! (Okay, North America - but it's a start!)

Here's Barry with some excitement to share about BOOKS! (and one in particular)

AWESOME MATT AND CRAZ

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:11:00 +0000

Well it's almost March...which means April can't be that far off (31 days to be exact). And what happens in April besides baseball season kicking off (Go Sox!)?

My new book, THE AWESOME ALMOST 100% TRUE ADVENTURES OF MATT AND CRAZ will be published.

Here's the first trailer that I made!

WRITE ON! Neil Gaiman

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 17:03:00 +0000

Time to add the newest cartoon to my WRITE ON! team. I think this one speaks to all writers who face moments of terror in the creative process!

WRITE ON folks!

RIP SPIKEY

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:34:00 +0000

When Zach was 6 or 7 we got him his first pet, a uromastyx lizard who he named Spikey. Uromastyx lizards come from the driest, hottest and most barren parts of the world. They thrive under extreme conditions unsuitable for a lot of other lizard species.

Given our household is pretty extreme it was no surprise that Spikey thrived - even after the kitchen accident that cost him half his tail and the use of his back legs. Dude was a fighter.

Zeus and Spikey had a real love affair and Zeus would often go nose-to-nose with Spikey when we put them both out on the grass. Spikey wasn't exactly a soft and cuddly pet and I admit I wasn't head over heels for him the way I love Zeus. But he was a part of our family and had been with us a long time. He'd heard our laughter and felt our tears and now I say goodbye to him with the memory of the way he chased the crickets we'd feed him and how he'd stare into Zeus's eyes on a warm summer day.

AND SO IT GOES

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:33:00 +0000

Having lots of fun making these little animations that celebrate the creative process with quotes from writers on writing.

After reading this quote from Kurt Vonnegut and immediately knew it would make a great WRITE ON!

In case you missed it - here's the link to the first WRITE ON!

THE FUN OF CLEANING UP!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:48:00 +0000

I hate to clean. I am a slob. There. I've said it. I am one of those people who functions quite well in clutter and my office and my computer reflect my taste for chaos. Maybe it's all an excuse. Maybe I'm just really lazy. All I know is I've been staring at dust bunnies in my office so long I've named them.

I was going through some disorganized files on my mac this morning and came across an old MILO cartoon I did for my website. I knew it was old - because the Milo in the last panel was the original design of the character before I worked with Aladdin art director extraordinaire, Karin Paproki, to make Milo a bit more accessible.

So here's my updated version of the cartoon - new Milo in place of the old. It's fun to see this again!

And now....back to playing with those cute dust bunnies!

WRITE ON - Mark Twain

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:56:00 +0000

To celebrate the kick-off of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) where zillions of writers around the world give up sleep and sunlight in the hopes of completing a novel in any genre - I'm creating a new series of Book-Toons that will hopefully give a kick in the pants to writers everywhere.

Inspiring words for writers - from writers.

Sometimes it helps knowing you aren't alone in the impossible task!

MY BOOKS - tease

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Spent the morning playing around as I gear up to revamp my website. With THE AWESOME ALMOST 100% TRUE ADVENTURES of MATT and CRAZ getting closer to pub date (April 2013!) I think it is time to think about changing the look of my website.

I created this little teaser that puts all of my books into one small package. Not sure where to put it - so for now, this is as good a spot as any!

WRITE ON! With or Without Outlines

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:58:00 +0000

Thanks to a wonderful group of writers and illustrators I had an inspiring weekend as one of the presenters at the SCBWI Canada East conference this past weekend in Ottawa. I was excited to give the opening keynote which I titled, "Hansel & Gretel Never Had Deadlines: My Writer's Process Getting Lost In The Woods". Using some cartoons of mine and many examples from my own publishing journey I gave a 50 minute talk (phew!) on the benefits of writing without always knowing where it is you are headed.

Here's a little animation I created when I got home from the conference that uses my closing lines as inspiration.

HERO WORSHIP

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:42:00 +0000

"Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known. We have only to follow the thread of the hero path, and where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god. And where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outward, we will come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone, we will be with all the world."

- Joseph Campbell

FINAL EDITS

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 16:06:00 +0000

Taking a break from the fun of writing my *new* book, which is top secret stuff that I'm having way too much fun doing because I just got a batch of notes on THE AWESOME ALMOST 100% TRUE ADVENTURES OF MATT & CRAZ from my fantastic art director at Simon & Schuster (Karin Paproki you know who you are!)

Now I have a couple of weeks to move from my comfy chair ( dog on legs included)...

To the desk chair.... where the drawing MAGIC happens! Note: magic is subjective and may cause drowsiness.

The task is to clean up some of the cartoons I've already done for the book. But even better - I've been asked to add a bunch of new cartoons, which is a blast because I get to go back in the heads of my main characters, Matt and Craz.

I'll keep you updated on the progress but for now want to share a new cartoon that I drew yesterday.

FYI: Matt and Craz are a cartoonist duo who try unsuccessfully to get their comics into the school newspaper. Here's one of their cartoons about super-smart babies who do movie reviews.

MILO PAPERBACK TRAILER

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Haven't ever shared this little book trailer I made for MILO.

Watching it reminds me how much fun I have playing with Flash. Now all I need is a clone so I can write and make animations!

HERE I AM

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 01:25:00 +0000

Yikes! Has it really been a year of "No Posts"? In case you're wondering - I haven't been in a caffeine induced coma, but caffeine consumption has definitely been in play!

I left the SCWBI conference last August with a permanent grin plastered on my face (and yes, the Sid Fleischman Humor Award traveled with me in-style back home where it wryly watches over me every day.)

Upon getting home I immediately sank into the post-conference funk but promised myself I would dive back into my updates. After all, I'd made a zillion new friends and this would be the perfect time to extend that friendship via my blog. But then...life happened.

I think the reason I dropped off the blog map is I immediately dove into completing my next book and being the kind of writer who takes on big tasks with gusto - all my writing energy was consumed by...(wait for it)...

The Awesome

Almost 100% True Adventures

of Matt & Craz

(try saying that 3 times fast!!!)

That's a picture of the full cover which I think Simon & Schuster should get a standing ovation for. The cover and the ARCs arrived in May and I've been doing the Snoopy dance ever since.

Like MILO, the new book is loaded with my cartoons and though it doesn't come out until next spring I thought it was high time to show everyone what I've been up to since going into the Blogger relocation program.

I hope to fill in some of the year's ups and downs and keep the blog ball rolling. Who knows? I may even post again before Christmas!

AWARD-WINNING WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Phew! It's taken me a week to let it settle in. MILO won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award given out at this year's SCBWI annual conference!

Was it the most amazing weekend of my life? Come on. I rode the hotel elevator with Judy Blume and Richard Peck. Had a lovely chat with Jerry Pinkney while we ate peach cobbler. Learned that Libba Bray is a Doctor Who fan. Oh, and got honored by 1300 of the nicest, most generous kid-lit people I've ever metaphorically met.

The 4 day conference featured keynote speeches from kid-lit greats like David Smalls, whose graphic memoir Stitches took my breath away. Jon Scieszka and Libba Bray made me laugh. Bruce Coville made me think. Gary Paulson made me glad I don't have any desire to race the Iditarod and Laurie Halse Anderson gave me the courage to let my words be bold and true.

I had no idea how much I needed to be surrounded by writers and illustrators and the people who love them. Working in my basement with just my dog as company I have been adrift for too long without the nourishment that comes from like-minded introverts; inmates all let out of the asylum at once!

My Milo meeting Norton Juster's Phantom Tollbooth Milo.

Richard Peck gave a stirring speech as part of the Golden Kite Awards luncheon.

We finally meet!

Lisa Yee (and my kimono) right before the 40 Winks pajama party. Lisa was the first recipient of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award and like me, she was the children's author in residence at the Thurber House. We had lots to catch up on over a great lunch where we learned we both had also worked for Disney and both make it a priority to have chocolate after lunch.

I also finally met someone who has been an email/blog/facebook friend for years; Jay Asher, dressed here in his pink finest.

And here I am with the funny, generous, wonderful executive director of the SCBWI, Lin Oliver. I still remember the February night when I was making chicken burritos and I got the phone call from Lin and SCBWI president, Stephen Mooser, telling me that Milo had won the award. I did all of the stereotypical things like screaming, jumping up and down and burning the dinner to a charred crisp!

Jerry Pinkney talked with me about life, creative pursuits and the joy of having two desserts to choose from.

Henry Winkler is co-author (with Lin Oliver) of the Hank Zipzer series. Together they gave a very funny and heartfelt session about writing humor. He had the room rolling from his stories and what inspired him to write.

Sunday was the big day - the luncheon where the awards are given out. They went all out with the desserts, which were chocolate books filled with whipped cream and berries. I was too nervous to eat the weird chicken...but somehow found a way to devour this yummy tome.

The Sid Fleischman Award was the final award given out and I was relieved to finally hear my name, which meant they hadn't made a mistake and it all hadn't been an elaborate prank. Looking out at all of the people in the ballroom I took a moment to let it all sink in; my book was being honored and I was actually there receiving it. That picture above is only one third of the ballroom - there were a TON of people there and giving my speech I was so aware of the impact my words were having on the room. My speech was both funny and touching and I used the time to remind everyone that humor and sadness can co-exist and both are sometimes needed to tell a story. Because Milo is such a personal story for me - I was also able to dedicate the award to the memory of my mother, which was a deeply felt honor for me.

After the award Judy Blume made a point of coming over to congratulate us. She had actually come back so that she could hear the speeches. Here I am with Judy, my agent, Jill Grinberg and Jenni Holm, whose book Turtle in Paradise won the Golden Kite fiction award.

Judy Blume was a surprise guest of the conference and the day before she gave an emotional, funny and real sit-down interview for all of us. Such a remarkable writer who has given so much to the world of kid-lit and beyond.

I was so glad that past Sid Fleischman Humor winners, Allen Zadoff and Lisa Yee were sitting with me at the lunch. Lisa made sure I didn't have any lettuce in my teeth!

To everyone I met over the weekend and those I didn't - I thank you all for making the SCBWI 40th anniversary conference so meaningful and fun. As I said in my speech, winning any award is an amazing thing - but getting a HUMOR award for a book that also deals with loosing a parent is the best praise I could ever get.

Oh, and you don't get to see everyone in their pajamas when you win a Newbery!

"TUNA FISH! "*

(* read MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE - it'll make sense!)

AMAZING NEWS!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 20:59:00 +0000

Eeesh! I am embarrassed by the time lapsed since my last post - but to be fair, I have been hunkered down (with Zeus in my lap) working to finish the first draft of the "new book" which is due right about...NOW.

But even with the final chapters in sight, my train of thoughts has been derailed by the BEST NEWS EVER... MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE just won the 2011 SCBWI Sid Fleischman Award for Humor!

This is a really bid deal for me and I am still hyperventilating from the news (and it's been a few days since I heard). The list of past winners is beyond amazing and it befuddles my wee brain to think that I am in the company of Lisa Yee, Donna Gephart, David LaRochelle, Gennifer Choldenko, Sara Pennypacker, Allen Zadoff - but most humbling, is the man who received the first honor, the amazing Sid Fleischman. Wow!

What makes this extra sweet for me - not only was I able to combine my text with my cartoons, but MILO tells a very personal story. It's the story of loosing a parent when you are young and the ways a young adolescent goes about trying to remember his mom, even through the fog that has settled inside him. It's a heart-warming story, and yes, I've heard some tears have been shed reading it.

But I'd always set out to write this book with a sense of humor leading the way - and to have that side of me, and Milo recognized proves that I was able, in my own way, to highlight that a painful life event doesn't have to wipe away the funny parts. It truly can be a tandem dance between the sadness and the laughter because that was always my own experience...and now it's Milo's too.
Thank you so much SCBWI for honoring the funny and heart-felt part of me that is MILO.

MILO BOOK TRAILER

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Those wonderful folks at Simon & Schuster posted the MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE book trailer. Check it out and share with your pals, cats and cousins!

MILO BOOK LAUNCH

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 01:36:00 +0000

It was a wonderful fall night - not too chilly and not yet rainy, which was good because I had to schlep a lot of stuff from my car into Paragraphe bookstore in Montreal.

Eyeball brownies! And lots of them!!

It was so nice to share the night with author/friend PJ Bracegirdle, whose 2nd Joy of Spooking book, "Unearthly Asylum" was also celebrated. Seems we both have the Montreal goatee thing going on (but his mustache tips are waxed!)

Paul reading from "Unearthly Asylum"

Members of the Montreal Goatee Society

Friends came out to help us celebrate and it was so nice to get the chance to chat (even briefly) with all of the people who wanted to support us. Thanks to you all!

After Paul read from his new book - it was my turn to see if my audio/visual equipment was going to work. Sitting at the low table with the microphone aimed at me I felt like I was doing a gig at a piano bar. Lucky for all - the projector worked great and my apple mini-remote came through like a champ, which gave my reading the added kick of showing my cartoons as I read from Milo's "Halloween Party" chapter.

One of my fave pics - this girl reading along with me!

As an added bonus to the great night - I had been contacted by a young fan who wanted to come to the launch but said she couldn't because it was her birthday. I wrote her back and told her to have a great birthday - but if she did decide to come to let me know so and I would have a cake ready!

After reading my Halloween chapter - we all sang "Happy Birthday" and helped Kinneret celebrate her special day!

Kinneret and her (half-eaten) birthday cake!

Eyeball Brownies! Milo talks about the eyeball brownies at the Halloween Party, which were inspired by the brownies my son and I once made when he was in 2nd grade. So I decided if that was the chapter I was going to read - then I would bake Eyeball Brownies to add to the snacks at the party!

I almost forgot to hand these out - (Thanks Kalie!)

It was an exciting night for me to finally share Milo with the friends and fans who've been so supportive while I was working on the book.

Paul, author (and cafe-pal) Jill Murray, Kalie and moi

Carol Ann and Susan

So one more time: Thanks everyone for coming out and celebrating and for making me (and Milo) feel warm and fuzzy....and full of brownies!

IT'S OFFICIAL!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:33:00 +0000

Well it's official.

Tuesday, MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE had it's real-live book birthday and I couldn't just sit on my butt at home. No siree, I had to have visual proof that the book was actually IN bookstores. Besides, I was too excited to actually stay home and write and so I drove downtown and hit the trio of book sellers there.

First up, Indigo books - a huge chain of stores in Canada. I went to their "flagship" downtown Montreal location. This was my very first stop and I was filled with excitement...anticipation... and ultimately, DISAPPOINTMENT!

Like Old Mother Hubbard, I went to my bookshelf, careful to follow the alpabetical path to the "S" names. To my horror - "Silberberg" did not exist. I quickly accessed one of their nifty search kiosks and what I found was...."zero available in this store". Oh, fortuna how low you have spun me!

Lucky for me - another chain store was just up the street. And so, hat in hands, I trudged off to visit the equally huge Chapters bookstore (owned by the same company as Indigo I might add).

I walked into the basement level kids' section with trepidation. But what did I see? The familiar BLUE COVER and white lettering! Eureka - MILO EXISTED!

Now I'm usually a shy guy - but there I was gleaming at the bookshelf, camera in hand, and it wasn't long before a helpful bookseller asked if I needed anything. I told her I needed to wish my book a Happy BookDay and she eagerly obliged!

Not only did I find wonderful sales help - but while I was there (okay, because I was there and opened my big mouth) I was witness to the very first sale of my book. Technically, it was the first sale that happened in front of my own eyes, but let's not quibble over details. SOMEONE wanted to buy my book!!!

Soline was looking for books for her daughter and 12 year old son and I offered her a quick review of MILO. As it turned out she was also a therapist and immediately thought the book sounded like something she might be able to use with families dealing with grief and so, eager to give it to her son first - she bought a copy!

my FIRST sale! Thanks Soline!

Next up - the last downtown bookstore, Paragraphe. This is the store that will be hosting my book launch next month. On October 14th, Paul Bracegirdle and I will be having a joint launch party for our new books at Paragraphe. More details to come!

I love Paragraphe because it's a cramped space packed full with books and weaving my way to the kids' section was kind of like navigating a wild maze of books. And to my delight - I saw stacks of MILO. Yay! Again I needed some help and so got the fabulous book buyer to blow the streamer for Milo!
I pulled up a chair (gotta love those little kids' tables) and signed a few copies. Nothing cements that "I'm an author" feeling like inscribing books!

My search began with a big fat "zero" at the first bookstore but ended happily with one real-live book sold, a bunch of signed books, and then a hundred or so TWITTER BOOK PARTY tweeted messages.

Hey authors - are you a member of Twitter Book Parties? If not - why not? This brain child by author Mitali Perkins is genuis because it makes the usual lonely part of having your book come out turn into a joyful day of tweet "greetings" from all the members of the book party universe. Not only does it make you feel kinda sorta special - every tweet is also telling that person's followers about your new book. Social marketing and fuzzy feelings all in one click!

Later this week, I hit some of the smaller book stores in my area. Hey, I like to know MILO is in good hands!

Milo's Book B-Day

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 14:44:00 +0000

CLICK HERE FOR MILO'S GREETING!

AROUND THE WORLD WITH MILO

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:17:00 +0000

With one month to go until pub date (okay, 28 days - but who's counting?) - I wanted to sharethe latest great news about my new book, MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE.

Yeah - the book has gotten some rocking reviews; like this one...and this one.

But I can now officially let loose with the news that the book has been sold to the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. I also got word that Milo will be published in Thailand and Israel too. I wonder how they say "Freezie" in Hebrew?

I can't wait to share the international covers online, but that won't be for awhile. Not that I'm in a rush to see how awesome they'll look...

Way cool, huh?

BEST DAY EVER!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:10:00 +0000

I have always marveled at the people who can point easily to the perfect days in their lives and say without pause, "That was the best day." I mean, I'm a writer. Ask me to point to a miserable day and I can deal out a dozen or so in a heartbeat.

But the game has changed because I now have that day, that PERFECT DAY, etched forever in my brain-box. It all began with a weekend trip to New York to visit with my editor, Liesa Abrams, at Aladdin. Apparently there were people in her office who had read MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE and wanted a chance to meet me. Cool, I thought. I'll just drive down from Montreal and take Milo with me on the one condition that I control the radio.

The weekend fun was kicked off by walking from our hotel through Times Square on our way to meet Liesa and her husband for a matinee of AVENUE Q. Times Square always smells like a hot summer day so it felt normal to be bombarded by the sights, sounds and smells of a 92 degree, humid summer Sunday.

After Milo and I sweated through clean shirts and baked under the July haze - we got to the theater and sat through the hysterical musical. Everyone says the puppets are "so racy" - but even Milo thought the show was kind of tame. I guess that's what watching so much SOUTH PARK will do to a kid's brain!

Had a lovely dinner with Liesa and James and as super-fantatstic as that Sunday was, it was just the precursor to the Monday that was to come. First I had to check-out of my hotel and though I had a minor freak-out that I'd lost my passport (found after a frantic search through the suitcase that then fell apart) the morning began slightly less humid and with a vente iced latte, so all was good.

Milo and I arrived outside the Simon & Schuster offices and he was immediately awed by the building.

We went inside and rode the elevator to the 4th floor. Stepping off the elevator the first thing I saw was this wall of MILO books. We both felt a surge of caffeine-adrenaline and posed for a picture taken with exquisite care by the multi-talented Liesa Abrams.

Not only is Liesa an incredibly talented editor and a great photographer - but she is the coolest person in the world because she loves all things BATMAN. This is a shot of a shelf in her office.

Now you have to realize that Liesa had tried to prepare me for what was to come by hoping that I'd be ready to "share the love" around the office. But I had no idea that Milo (the book) had so many fans already! I walked into the conference room and was met by dozens of people who had read and LOVED the book and it was probably the most overwhelmed I'd been in a long while. I had a chance to speak to the group and explain how personal Milo's story is to me.

Then I had Milo pose with everyone.

This was the first moment that my book felt like it was really out in the world and I made sure to bask in the feeling that it was a story that was touching people. Writing a book about parental loss and grief was an emotional journey for me and seeing that the emotion carries to other people touched me very much. Because the final book isn't ready yet I signed printed copies of several of the book's cartoons for people, which again just hit home how real the experience of publishing Milo felt.

The morning was made even more special because my wonderful agent, Jill Grinberg was there too. Thanks Jill!

Liesa, Me, Milo and Jill

Life is supposed to be full of great days but sometimes I've had a hard time finding them. I am so thankful to everyone at Simon & Schuster who was part of this incredibly special day for me. Of course I feel lucky just to have a new book being published - but to be able to feel the support and emotion of what my book is starting to mean to the people reading it is giving a new meaning to the BEST DAY EVER.

For me and Milo anyway.

MILO Summer

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:25:00 +0000

It's getting pretty real. Milo's publication date is actually something concrete to me and not some distant date that has no meaning. Still - September is just far enough away and no one wants to start thinking about that season that comes after summer. (Shhhh...pub. date is Sept. 14) But I've got the date circled on my calendar!!

Also want to give a shout out to Fuse8 over at School Library Journal, who not only gave Milo his first review - but it's a pretty GREAT one at that! (Thanks, Betsy!)

So summer is sizzling and Milo's just doing what he should be doing...hanging out!

MAINE!

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:27:00 +0000

seen from the road in Rumford, Maine

I recently went on my family's annual trip to Maine, where not only was I greeted with spectacular scenery...

kayaking at sunset

But I also had a package waiting for me that looked like this:

Seeing a Simon & Schuster logo on it could only mean one thing: I was finally getting to hold a copy of my MILO ARC!!! I knew the ARCS existed - I just hadn't actually held one yet and let me tell you in case you haven't had the pleasure of seeing an advanced reader copy (ARC) of the book that you spent the past year and half slaving over - actually getting your paws on a facsimile of what your real book is going to be like is better than a year's worth of s'mores (which we indulged in aplenty while in Maine!).

MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE (the full title) tells a very personal story for me and being able to share the book with my family was especially meaningful because the book tells the story of my mom's death when we were all kids. I was so proud to be able to have my sister read the book while we were in Maine (yes, she loved it - though tissues were used).

Here's a shot of my sister Debbie and me posing with the newly arrived book.

The week was beautiful and I was able to NOT write at all, which was hard for me because I always feel like this escape into the beauty of the Maine Coast should be a "writing retreat" for me. In truth, it is a writing retreat because I am letting my brain toss and turn all the ideas of my new book while I kayak, bike ride, and relax with a good book.

Me, Zeus and a good book

One of my weirdest images from the week is this bizarre sight found while on a great 5 mile seaside bike ride I took with my son. (folk art or crazy cousin of an Ent???)

Most delicious memory of the week: Pizza night!!!!

As happens every year - the week speeds by in a blur and we all frantically pack our cars on Saturday morning and go our separate ways - but the memories are so strong and tangible that I'm already counting the days until I get to return!

HANGING OUT WITH JILL MURRAY

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 17:42:00 +0000

I may not win the award for most frequent blog posts - but I do hope to snag a blue ribbon when it comes to having great guests drop by for a little one-on-one chat. Jill Murray is not only a friend and fellow Montreal author she is also the voice and code behind the wonderful kid-lit writer site Y-Eh!

Jill's first YA book, BREAK ON THROUGH was followed by the recently released RHYTHM AND BLUES, a "thoughtful and glittery young adult novel about a teenage girl's quest for - fame, love and self-identity". I loved this book and think Jill has this amazing sixth sense for capturing the voice of her main character, Alya.

I was lucky to get some time with Jill, who not only is rumored to make her own ice cream - but is busy getting ready for a big trip to do research for her next book.

And now - without further ado - give it up for Jill!

Jill: Wow. The applause is deafening.

Me: I know. If a blog article was posted in the woods would it make any sound?

Let me jump in with my first question. When I started writing MILO; STICKY NOTES & BRAIN FREEZE, the book was going to just be a silly story about a kid in junior high. As the pages added up, I realized that I was writing something deeper. I was telling my own story - a story of parental loss at a young age and the writing experience became a different journey for me.

How important do you think it is to "write what you know"? Or are your own works of fiction totally made up?

Jill: I adore hands-on research. Before I started writing Break On Through, I’d been very amateurishly trying out breakdancing for a few years, so I had a good sense of what it was like to try to break dance, and what the atmosphere is like at a battle, and how b-boys behave around each other, and a lot of little details like that. All the stuff about being confident and knowing you’re going to win— that was totally made up, ‘cause I am not like that at all, especially not about dancing, especially not in front of people.

For Rhythm and Blues, I had some past experience working with indie music, and I’ve played a bunch of instruments throughout my life, but voice wasn’t one of them. So I took singing lessons with pop-jazzy Montreal chanteuse Amanda Mabro, because I wanted to be able to get across what it feels like to learn to sing.

Finally, you may also note that my protagonists, Nadine and Alya, are black and hispanic, but if you check out my headshot, I, the author, am clearly descended from the blog-dwelling peoples of northern someplace-English. This was a case of wanting to represent the people in my neighborhoods and my life, and give some airtime to interesting voices.

What can we conclude from all this? Writing is an exercise in empathy, and “what you know” may be an emotion or a truth or a value. It’s not necessarily as constricting and literal as it may at first appear. You may know more than you give yourself credit for!

ME: In my book, not only does Milo struggle with the fog that settles in whenever he feels uncomfortable – he is in love with Summer Goodman, the prettiest girl he’s ever seen. Of course it’s a one-way crush and she’s never even spoken to him. I remember my own unattainable crush from Junior High (Janet Grenier why didn’t you like my poems?). Did you have a one-way crush back then – and how did you deal with it?

JILL: Wait. Hang on. Are you telling me there are also two-way crushes?

In the junior high years I dealt with crushes in the same way that I dealt with everything else: I hid in my room and waited to be 20. I have to say, it didn’t really work, and I’d recommend that kids today try something else.

ME: Good advice! Here's a question about your own writing process.

Because MILO borrows moments from my life, I relied on balancing the fiction of the story with things I remembered. The awful smell of hospital visits. The kindness of neighbors who wanted to help me. Waking up and then remembering how different everything then was. The memories became an important part of my palette. What role does memory play in your own writing experience?

JILL: I know I just told you that I make a lot of stuff up, and that I study new things to give life to my writing, but also, I think it’s worth pointing out that memories tell you what’s important enough to bother writing about. If a memory is still with you, chances are there’s something about it that needs further exploration or that if you share it, other people might relate to it too. Bottom line, it’s going to get its job done much better on the page than in your head.

ME: As awkward as Milo feels at his new school he is thankful he finds Marshall, an equally odd kid who likes the same movies that Milo likes and shares a passion for freezies. Friends are so important at that age. Milo would be even more lost without Marshall. Who was your junior high best friend and what was the one food thing that you both loved?

JILL: Friends are important at any age. Like right now, I have friends who share my love of onion rings, olives, summer drinks on balconies, indian food, coffee, vegan ice cream sandwiches, avocados and oatmeal. But maybe this is more about how much I love to eat. When I was Milo’s age, my best friend had moved away, and it took me a really, really, REALLY, long time to find another one. There was an incident in high school where a friend and I spent an hour daring each other to go ask the elderly couple at the next table if we could borrow a french fry “just for a minute.” But we were too polite to actually follow through.

ME: Sitting in the right cafe….curled up with the dog on my lap….tucked away at a book store with people reading all around me. Those are some of my favorite places to write. Where do you like to write?

JILL: As you well know, I like to write at Cafe Shaika, in Montreal, across the room from either you or P.J. Bracegirdle, so I can peer over the top of my laptop at you and wonder if you’re being more productive than I am, and then interrupt you if it looks like that might just be true. I also like to write on trains, and on my front balcony when it’s warm but shady.

ME: Selfishly I always like to hear how other writers deal with the dreaded “writer’s block”. I have days that seem impenetrable when it comes to being creative. When I’m stuck I like to doodle or read a book…or do laundry. What do you do when the muse just won’t show up?

JILL: That slackerly muse! It’s so hard to find good help these days.

Actually, I don’t have a muse. It’s all “writer’s block” to me. Uphill, everyday, dragging the heavy burden of unwritten manuscripts.

I took a creative writing workshop with writer Kent Nussey once in the early ‘00s (I like typing it that way because it makes me sound like I’m 130 years old.) and he’d spent a lot of time worrying about writers block, and ultimately decided that it’s really just “failure of the ego.” By that, I think he meant that it’s not that you can’t write, it’s just that you think you ought to be having better ideas than you actually are, and that embarrasses and disappoints you, and so you don’t write.

That’s how I decided to take it. And I simply can’t have anyone thinking my ego is defective, so I just imagine I’m some kind of donkey or workhorse, and I put on my yoke and drag the till endlessly across the field, feeling sorry for myself as I write embarrassing, disappointing things. Eventually, in revisions, everything starts looking up again, and I remember that no, actually, I am awesome.

ME: In revisions, thankfully - we're all awesome! Thanks for taking time out from your crazy schedule. One last question: So we can all be jealous - what flavor ice cream did you recently make?

JILL: Mint chocolate cookie dough.

ME: Yum!! You truly are awesome!

MILO on FACEBOOK

noreply@blogger.com (SilberBook-Blog) — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:29:00 +0000

I recently wrote about being a Facebook newbie, and to be honest I'm still pretty green when it comes to poking, friending and deciding whether I want to comment on someone else's decision to like "Big Bang Theory" or "100 things I never want to eat".

Still as all my writer friends continually urge me - Facebook is just one of many places we need to put our best word forward and shout about our books, school visits, favorite book stores and what we had for lunch (tuna sandwich, very tasty). I know everyone is hungering to know what is happening in my oh-so-exciting life, which really boils down to doing a lot of laundry and asking the dog if he needs to pee.

But with a new book about to be published I have to face the reality that we writer-types have to do whatever we can to tell anyone with ears that we have a new book coming out. So here I go: MILO: STICKY NOTES & BRAINFREEZE is being published by Aladdin on September 14th. For all you BEA attendees, drop by the booth and pick up an ARC. Tell them, Alan sent ya!

For everyone else - be forewarned: I am on a Milo mission and even though I am usually a pretty reserved guy, I will stop at nothing to mention him. Heck, Milo's even got his own Facebook profile. So if you need a new friend who is 13 years old and has a passion for Freezies - check him out there! You'll not only get to know him - but you'll also meet some of his friends.