A Cover Story

This is a true cover story story.

Once upon a time, a wonderful publisher by the name of Delacorte Press/Random House decided to change the cover for the trade paperback version of I So Don't Do Mysteries.

They looked and they looked through lots and lots of stock photos and finally found two brilliant and magic pictures of the perfect girl to represent Sherry (short for Sherlock) Holmes Baldwin.

Why two photos? One for I So Don't Do Mysteries. One for I So Don't Do Spooky.

Enter Book #3: I So Don't Do Makeup. A book who deserves a brilliant and magic cover with the same perfect girl. But, alas, there are no more stock photos of this girl.

I get an email from Editor Wendy which cautions me in upper case letters not to get my hopes up. It's highly unlikely that this perfect girl will be located. And if she even is located, the odds are slim that she'll be the right age.

Three days later, I get an email from a dad. From a dad who got a phone call from a local photographer who got a phone call from Delacorte. Yes, it was the perfect girl's dad. I'm guessing he googled I So Don't Do Mysteries or I So Don't Do Spooky or me. I'm guessing he found this blog and saw on the sidebar jpegs of the covers with the perfect girl.

Guess what? She wants to be on the cover of I So Don't Do Makeup.

Guess what else? She's the right age.

Guess what else? Last weekend, a bunch of photos were shot of the perfect girl in order to choose a brilliant and magic cover for I So Don't Do Makeup.

This is SO exciting!

p.s. I am dying to see these photos. HINT, HINT! :)

Available now!                      Coming November 2009           Coming December 2009

My Town Monday + Bye Book #2 + Birthday Wishes!

Guess what?

I SO DON'T DO SPOOKY has left my house!!

Yes, Book #2 has wended its merry way through cyberspace to Editor Wendy at Delacorte Press/Random House. A little advice to Book #2: put your best foot (page?) forward, make your mother proud, come home to visit.

Child #4 was beyond thrilled to see me push the "send" button because now her mother will definitely be bar-b-cueing at tomorrow's 2nd grade picnic. Such joy for both of us. I am thinking of grilling something a little experimental for the classmates. Never fear, I will do the regular hot dogs and whatever else I'm handed. But...I did see an interesting recipe for grilled bananas...

But that is tomorrow and today is today. And today is My Town Monday!


Now, doesn't this sound uber fun? We rent a kayak (that seats one or two or three people). These are kayaks designed for your everyday blogger. Which means we can all do this, not just those of us who are athletic. We kayak into sea caves nestled in 75 million year old sandstone cliffs. There are 7 sea caves facing north from La Jolla Shores. Six of them are only accessible by kayak. We will get wet. We might lose our glasses. We will wear ugly helmets. We will get some excellent pics if we bring a waterproof camera. We might see leopard sharks. We might see seals and sea lions and dolphins. And who knows what else.

Tours of the 7 caves last about two hours. And cost about $45 if you want a kayak to yourself, $75 if you share with a friend, $105 if you share with two friends. I will not share with Travis or Patti-o as I would be laughing far too hard to pull my weight paddling. At which point, Travis and Patti would no doubt toss me overboard.


Here's a photo of Sunny Jim's Cave, (named by Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz) which is accessible by land.

It's wise to reserve your spot. There are at least a couple of different companies who offer sea cave tours:
http://www.sandiegobikeandkayaktours.com/
http://www.lajollaseacavekayaks.com/caves.php

You can save money by just renting the kayak and not doing the tours. But, for me, I'd end up lost for seven years in one of the seven caves. So, at least for my first sea cave foray, I'm going with a guide.

My Town Monday comes to us via Travis Erwin. Thanks, Travis! Click on his site to read his post about the Texas panhandle. AND to find links to the other participants.

Oh,oh, oh! I just got an email from a little bird who informed me that today is my former English teacher's 67th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. MAGEE!

ADVANCE READER COPIES!

Once again, the UPS man snuck up to my front door and tossed a big fat envelope from Delacorte Press, Random House, then vamoosed.

Inside were TEN (I was only expecting five, so yay!) very beautiful Advance Reader Copies (ARCs or Bound Galleys as Random House calls them) of I So Don't Do Mysteries.

This version of the book goes to reviewers and, uh, wherever else Delacorte Press decides to send it. It gives reviewers a chance to read the book pre-launch and write very very loving and terrific things about it and drum up all kinds of positive advance publicity.

It's very cool, albeit a little scary, to see my story in book form. The ARCs are paperback (the book will actually be released in hardback) and don't have the fancy schmancy glossy cover. The content of the ARCs isn't identical to that of the finished polished version. But, still, it's my story. And it's a book. YAY tinged with a little bit of yikes.

Here, Chez Summy, we have built a little altar with them in the living room.

Darling Husband (DH) stole one and took it to work. I think this definitely falls under the heading of Willful Misconduct with an ARC. Or maybe under Proud Husband.

p.s. I just noticed I'm missing another copy from the shrine. Are these things sprouting legs and jogging to DH's office???

p.p.s. You have to admit the candle is a nice shriney touch.


And....


They don't build shrines the way they used to....