It’s been a whirlwind week!
On Wednesday, I was the director of CAMP. Say what? It’s fall, kids are in school not at camp! Well, I’m talking about Kathleen Fox’s fabulous Creative Arts of Mount Pleasant, which offers all kinds of classes for kids and adults. Kathleen needed the day off, so she asked me to take over and be CAMP director for the day. It was so much fun! I ran a writing critique circle for adults who write for adults and then another one for adults who write for kids. In between those, I was the “supervisor” for the Doodling group, which is a bunch of teens who come in and experiment with the art supplies Kathleen makes available. Since I have zero artistic ability, I was basically there to make sure they didn’t burn down the building. Everyone I met was lovely, and I’m so proud of Kathleen for this amazing place she’s created. If you live in the Charleston area, you should check out her upcoming classes.
On Thursday, I drove to my brother’s so we could have lunch at the State fair.
They do this cool weekday lunch deal where starting at noon you can pay the entry fee, but if you leave before 2, you get your money back. So basically you only have to pay the ridiculously high price for fair food. I tried a buffalo gyro, which is a regular gyro but the meat is mixed with buffalo sauce before being placed on the pita. I wouldn’t have thought of mixing those two flavors, but it was really tasty. Then we gorged on battered, fried sweets by splitting a “sampler” platter – Oreo, red velvet Oreo, cookie dough, cake pop, Reece’s peanut butter cup, and cinnamon butter. So yummy. So bad for you.
We also checked out the animals, so here’s me with a cow.
On Friday, I headed further north to crash with my sister for a few days. We watched a bunch of movies, she introduced me to the addiction that is Live PD, and then she tried to murder me via sugar. Instead of regular ol’ fried Oreos, she covered the Oreos in baking chocolate then dipped them in funfetti cake batter and then fried them. Whoa! Delish, but I could feel my arteries clogging as I ate them. Not sure how I ended up eating fried Oreos twice in one week, but no complaints here!
Saturday was the main reason I headed up to Greenville – the Readup Festival, which is like a more intimate YALLFest. There were lots of amazing authors, and the crowds were still small enough that you almost felt like you were hanging out with them. Libba Bray was the opening keynote, and Kwame Alexander was the closing keynote, and they both inspired me in different ways. And of course I had to get my pic taken with a Newbery winner while he signed my book.
I also want to share another cover reveal. My friend and critique partner Rebecca Petruck has a new book coming out May 8, 2018, called BOY BITES BUG. Yesterday was World Edible Insect Day, which made it the perfect day to release the cover. It’s been so fun watching this story evolve through various drafts, and the cover for it is so perfect.
Will didn’t plan to eat a stinkbug. But when his friend Darryl called new kid Eloy Herrera a racial slur, Will did it as a diversion. Now Will is Bug Boy, and everyone is cracking up inventing insect meals for him, like French flies and maggot-aroni and fleas.
Turns out eating bugs for food is a real thing, called entomophagy. Deciding that means he can use a class project to feed everyone grasshoppers, Will bargains for Eloy’s help in exchange for helping him with wrestling, but their growing friendship only ticks off Darryl more.
Will may have bitten off more than he can chew as crickets, earthworm jerky—even a scorpion—end up on his plate, but insects are the least of his problems. When things with Darryl and Eloy heat up, Will wrestles with questions of loyalty, honor—and that maybe not all friendships are worth fighting for.
Isn’t the cover beautiful and eye-catching? I’m thrilled for Rebecca, even if she did make me eat bugs as part of her research. Click here to pre-order.
And now it’s time for today’s 15 Minute Tweet Tales:
rowel – a small, revolving wheel with sharp projecting points, forming the end of a spur.
10/24 – He dug his rowels into her side. Again. The mare veered sharply left. Toward the cliff. She braked right at the edge. He kept flying.
Play along and write tweet tales for the above word. If you’re willing to share, post them on twitter with the hashtag #15tt or add them below in the comments because I’d love to read them. Any thoughts about this week’s tweet tale or #15tt word?
