Tag Archives: Deborah Zemke
Book Deal!
Thrilled the Pigs and Big Bad Wolf are finally out of the bag. Oops! Did I say bag? I meant book! SUPER HUGE THANKS to Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, Marissa Moss, Deborah Zemke, Bank Street Writers Lab, and to my critique buddies for their endless encouragement and support. WHO’S WRITING THIS STORY? will be in bookstores and libraries Spring 2024. WOOHOO!
Thank you, Books of Wonder!
Deborah Zemke and I had an APPLE-TAS-TIC blast celebrating the virtual launch of THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES in the BIG APPLE at Books of Wonder.
And can you believe it? Even Frank Sinatra dropped by to sing New York, New York for the occasion.
In case you missed the launch, the program was recorded. Just click here. (Not sure how long the program will be up as an FYI.) There’s also still an opportunity to order books from Books of Wonder and detective goody bags (sans the hat!) are available while supplies last.
Here are a few photographic highlights from the big day:
Cass Moskowitz, moi & Deborah Zemke
And check out these AWESOME drawings of Captain Griswold by the many talented police sketch artists watching the program.
A SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to Books of Wonder, Peter Glassman, Cass Moskowitz, Kelly Burns, and Melanie Rapoport for making the day extraordinarily special.
Happy Birthday, THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES!
Birthing a book is NOT an easy process. THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES went through 32 plus rewrites and revisions. Talk about stretch marks! But in the end it is so worth it. I’d like to shout out a super HUGE THANK YOU to Creston Books, Marissa Moss, Deborah Zemke, Simon Stahl, Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris-Dontzin, The Bank Street Writers Lab, Jill Davis, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Marcelino de Santos, Michael J. Miller, and Sarah Longstaff for their feedback and endless encouragement and support.
THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES is available wherever books are sold. However, please support your independent bookstores. In honor of Independent Bookstore Day this past Saturday, I am giving away a $50 gift card to Books of Wonder. To enter, click here. There are four days left to enter! Good luck!
Now, let’s get to the party! Deborah Zemke and I are having our Virtual Launch at Books of Wonder on September 6th at 1 pm (EST). To register for the event on crowdcast, please click here.
And one last item! The first 50 pre-orders of THE CASE OF THE BAD APPLES will receive a super-cool detective loot bag! (Hat not included.)
That’s all folks!
PIG-DIC-U-LOUS-LY SWEET NEWS!
Detective Wilcox, Captain Griswold, and I are thrilled to share our first review of The Case of the Bad Apples. Let’s just say it’s PIG-DIC-U-LOUS-LY AWESOME!!!!! Here’s what Kirkus Reviews had to say:
More hard-boiled hilarity, this time with a side of apples.
In their third case, mice Detective Wilcox and Capt. Griswold, esteemed Missing Food Investigators, look into the latest “bad apple” on the farm. The action starts with a call from a doctor at Whole Hog Emergency Care. It seems Porcini “pigged out” on a basket of apples that may have been deliberately poisoned! For the MFIs, that’s a Code 22—better known as “attempted hamslaughter.” The detectives rush to the scene of the crime to get the 411 and “save [Porcini’s] bacon.” At the pig’s pen, they find the basket (with four remaining apples) and a series of hoof, claw, and paw prints. The MFIs quickly narrow down the suspects to fellow farm animals Sweet Pea (another pig), Herman the Vermin (a rat), and Hot Dog (a dog, natch). But whodunit? Forensics will reveal the truth. With a successful formula established in earlier series entries, this one’s par for the course. The five chapters range in text complexity, reaching 23 lines at most per page. Full-color cartoon spot illustrations provide contextual clues and break up the text. Though yellow sticky notes define slangy terms like “tox screen” and “perp,” the abundant wordplay is perhaps best deciphered by more confident readers.
Completely “pig-dic-u-lous”—and a whole lot of fun. (recipe) (Early reader. 7-9)
I’d like to shout out a SUPER HUGE THANK YOU to Marissa Moss (editor and publisher extraordinaire), Deborah Zemke (illustrator genius), Simon Stahl (designer rock star), Mollie Katzen (cookbook author superstar), Liza Fleissig and Ginger Harris-Dontzin (my very special agents), and EVERYONE who read, reread, and REREAD this manuscript that went through revisions of biblical proportions, including but not limited to, The Bank Street Writers Lab, Jill Davis, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Marcelino de Santos, and Sarah Longstaff. And wait! I’m not done.
A super HUGE THANK YOU to Julie Gribble, Doreen Cronin, Nick Bruel, and JoEllen McCarthy for the kind words on the back of the book. And of course, thank you to Kirkus Reviews for the lovely review.
Where’s Waldo? No, not Waldo! Where’s Robin?
Sincere apologies for being M.I.A. from the blog lately but the fall has been crazy busy with book festivals, conferences, revisions, writing, and book deals.
Reader: Wait one second! Did she say book deals?
Why, yes I did.
I am thrilled to finally announce that the third book in The Wilcox & Griswold Mystery Series, The Case of the Bad Apples, illustrated by the amazing Deborah Zemke, will be out fall 2020. Heartfelt thanks to Liza Fleissig, Ginger Harris, Marissa Moss, and to everyone who read, reread, and re-reread drafts of the book.
There’s more good news to come on this front . . . so please stay tuned. YIPPEE KI YAY!
Now, as we all know, being crazy busy for an author is AWESOME! Below is a quick recap of where I’ve been.
First stop, the Highlights Foundation, Honesdale, PA. If you’ve never been, I have one word for you. Go! Actually, two words. Go now! You won’t regret it. Not sure if it’s the pixie dust in the Honesdale air or just the to-die-for food, but Highlights is pure magic. It was beyond wonderful to have a few days to focus on work, and then just be able to ask an editor a question or two.
Sample Author-Editor Discussion Simulation
Me: Do you have a minute to read something? Is this working? Does it need another beat? Is it funny enough because my dogs always laugh when I read that line.
Editor: Do you give your dogs treats when you read that line?
Me: Maybe.
I’d like to shout out a very big thank you to Jennifer Jacobson, Juana Martinez-Neal, Gareth Hinds, Nikki Grimes, Padma Venkatraman, Neal Porter, Kathleen Merz, Laurie Calkhoven, and Alison Morris for sharing their words of wisdom, time, and for their encouragement and support, and to the above and beyond amazing Highlights staff for making the weekend extraordinarily special.
My adorable cabin.
Second stop, Collingswood Book Festival, Collingswood, NJ. This is one of my all-time favorite book festivals and it was such a treat to be there with so many author friends, including Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Laura Shovan, as well as so many friends from the KidLit Authors Club, including Hallee Adelman, Jodi Moore, Charlotte Bennardo, Darlene Beck-Jacobson, David Neilsen, Jeffry Johnston, Jennifer Robin Barr, and Kell Andrews.
Third stop, West Jersey Reading Council’s Fall Conference, Pennsauken, NJ. The West Jersey Reading Council provides educators, administrators, and parents with literacy-based enrichment programs. This year Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and I presented on Using Picture Books to Teach Empowerment and Inclusion. We also participated in the author meet and greet.
(Note: If we look like drowned rats in the photos, it’s because it was POURING cats and dogs.)
Fourth stop, Easton Book Festival, Easton, PA. Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the first ever Easton Book Festival. The book festival was the brainchild of Andy Laities, the former manager of the Bank Street Bookstore. In a word, it was AWESOME!
A quick side story . . . one of my first book signings was at the Bank Street Bookstore. Since I have a detective book, naturally I thought the kids would enjoy a fingerprinting activity. Well, this was a very bad idea. Not just a very bad idea but an exceptionally bad idea. The children were running around the store with ink on their hands while Andy was chasing them down with wipes. (So, if you have a detective book, I strongly advise against any kind of fingerprinting activities.) P.s. I’d like to note that I LOVE Bank Street Bookstore and am so thrilled that I wasn’t banished from the store.
Here are a few photographic highlights from Easton:
There was a spectacular author dinner, with belly dancers.
I’d like to shout out a super huge THANK YOU to Andy Laities, Sarah Laities, and to all the volunteers for making the Easton Book Festival unforgettable. Can’t wait for next year’s festival.
Where will Robin be next? NerdCampLI on November 2nd and the Huntington Public Library’s Picture Book Palooza on November 10th.
And in the words of the great Porky Pig . . .
The Bookshop at the End of the Internet with Stacey Horan
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of stopping by Stacey Horan’s podcast, The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, to talk about books, writing, revision, and more. It’s been a lifelong goal to master the use of “um” and I think I’ve finally done it. So, please click here to give a listen and enjoy!
Stacey Horan is the award-winning YA author of Inland, The Elixir Vitae Adventures: ORTUS (Book 1), The Elixir Vitae Adventures: JUVENIS (Book 2), and Sycamore Lane. To learn more about Stacey, her awesome books, and The Bookshop at the End of the Internet, please visit her website.
American Booksellers Association’s Winter Institute #WI12 ROCKS!
We’re all familiar with that “online bookseller who shall be nameless,” who’s been huffing and puffing and trying to gobble up the independent-bookstore market. Well, let me tell you a little secret. It’s not working. Indie bookstores are here to stay. And best of all, they are thriving!
Lesley Stahl and Ann Patchett
I had the privilege of attending my second American Booksellers Association’s Winter Institute. In a nutshell, it was AWESOME!
I attended some terrific sessions about:
- Starting a children’s book festival (I have this fantasy that the North Fork of Long Island will some day have a children’s book festival of its own); and
- Working with small and university presses.
Left to right: Wendy Morton Hudson, Nantucket Book Partners (Nantucket, MA); Cathy Berner, Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX); Todd Dickinson, Aaron’s Books (Lititz, PA); Tom Roberts, Ye Olde Warwick Book Shoppe (Warwick, NY).
I also sat in on two wonderful lunches. The first was an education lunch for authors conducting events at independent bookstores. Some takeaways from the lunch were:
- It’s never too early to contact a bookstore. Contact the store 5-6 months before a book releases.
- Be sure to be honest with the bookstore regarding the number of people you believe will be in attendance.
- People expect to be entertained at a bookstore event.
- Do not read the entire book at an event (unless it’s a picture book). If you read the entire book, there’s no incentive to purchase the book.
- Some bookstores like PowerPoint presentations. Others, not so much.
- Presentations for kids generally follow this formula: 15 minutes to read a story; 15 minutes of Q & A; and 20 minutes to sign.
- Be sure to engage kids and their parents during a presentation.
- Multiple author events need cohesion. E.g., An evening of alligator stories, etc.
- And always be sure to work social media. Make sure you put links to the bookstore on your website.
The second was the small and university presses lunch. The highlight for me was listening to Marissa Moss, publisher and editor extraordinaire of Creston Books, present the spring titles.
Below are a few photographic highlights:
Marissa Moss, Editor and Publisher of Creston Books, discussing the spring releases.
Kate Warne, Pinkerton Detective by Marissa Moss and illustrated by April Chu (Creston Books 2017).
Rumors by Denys Cazet (Creston Books 2017).
The Case of the Poached Egg, A Wilcox & Griswold Mystery by Robin Newman and illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Creston Books 2017).
Marissa Moss with her first adult novel, Last Things: A Graphic Memoir of Loss and Love (Conari Press 2017).
The Galley Room
Emma Donoghue signing, The Lotterys Plus One (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic 2017).
William Joyce signing, Ollie’s Odyssey (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books 2017).
Josh Funk with his latest book, The Case of the Stinky Stench (Sterling 2017), and me (naturally holding a carton of eggs to celebrate the upcoming release of The Case of the Poached Egg).
Ann Patchett signing, Commonwealth (Harper 2016).
Detectives Wilcox and Griswold are in the house!
Thrilled to be signing the latest Wilcox & Griswold Mystery, The Case of the Poached Egg (Creston Books 2017).
Please support your local independent bookstores. Not to preach (because I would never, ever do that) BUT . . . independent bookstores are anchors in our communities. They bring us together. They keep our kids off electronic devices and get them excited about the written word. Independent bookstores give us opportunities to know and understand worlds beyond our own. They support us in so many ways. Please be sure to support them.
For comprehensive coverage of #WI12, be sure to check out these wonderful articles from Publishers Weekly.
- Roxane Gay: Diversity is a “Problem Seemingly Without Solution” by Judith Rosen
- A Call for Diversity Among Children’s Booksellers at Winter Institute 12 by Ed Nawotka and Claire Kirch (There’s a picture of moi with a super-adorable little girl in this article. Thanks, PW!)
- WI12: Current Events Dominate Final Day of Winter Institute by Claire Kirch
Wilcox & Griswold Launch Party at The Corner Bookstore
The Case of The Missing Carrot Cake
File # 4/30/15, 6-8 pm
Crime Scene: The Corner Bookstore
Blog readers, this launch party invitation for The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake is real. Only the author and illustrator names have been changed . . . because who wouldn’t want an alias?
Be prepared for over 300 carrot cake cupcakes. All frosted with cream cheese. Each and every one calorie free.
I am Robin Newman, the author. The boss and creative genius is Deborah Zemke, the illustrator. We’re the team behind the MFIs, Missing Food Investigators.
Whatever food, whatever the crime, Wilcox and Griswold make the bad guys do the time.
****
The celebration’s from 6:00 – 8:00 pm on Thursday, April 30th at The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue at 93rd Street. I’ll be working the night shift out of the party division. There will be lots of fun surprises. Hope to see all of you there!
© 2015 Deborah Zemke. All rights reserved. This illustration cannot be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information or retrieval systems without permission in writing from its publisher, Creston Books, LLC.
All-Points Bulletin: Have You Seen This Egg?
Photo source: Wikipedia
Name: Penny
Last seen: At chicken coop
When: Evening before the Egg Speggtacular
Feb. 6, 2015 – Detective Wilcox and Captain Griswold, Missing Food Investigators, have just been assigned to their second case, The Case of the Poached Egg, illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Creston Books, release date T/B/D).
If you see or hear anything, please contact the MFI at:
1-800-MFI-FOOD
Proceed with caution. Suspects considered dangerous.
© 2015 Deborah Zemke. All rights reserved. This illustration cannot be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information or retrieval systems without permission in writing from its publisher, Creston Books, LLC.
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