I have been very quiet here these last few months, not because I haven’t been busy, but precisely because I have been super-busy. Here are some of the things that have been going on:

* Gil Marsh was nominated for the 2013 Teen Choice Book Awards. (Voting is still open until February 13 here)

* In November, I had the great pleasure of participating in the Bring Your Own Book and Blanket evening at the Davis Street Elementary School in New Haven, Connecticut. I met with a great group of inquisitive and engaged students who joined me to think about how you go about writing books that include many different cultures.

* In December, I finished the novel that I had been working on for NaNoWriMo, only to realize that I have to entirely restructure the beginning. I have since been working double-time to complete a serviceable first draft. At some point I’ll share some of the fascinating research I have been doing to help it along.

* In January, I presented at the first Shoreline Arts Alliance Winter Workshops for Writers & Illustrators in Chester Connecticut, and discussed the art of revising novels. The workshops were well attended, and as a bonus, the proceeds went to benefit the Tassy Walden Awards: Fresh Voices in Children’s Literature.

And coming up:

* Gil Marsh will be released in paperback on February 26th. Woot!…

Every year the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) publishes its picks for best children’s and young adult books of the previous publishing year. Come Fall made this year’s list! I’m really honored.

The CCBC Choices 2011 list can be seen here. The fully annotated Choices booklet will be available in March.

Thank you CCBC!…

I’m tickled.

Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 Productions gave out her annual Golden Fuse Awards on January 1st. No Castles Here was mentioned under “Best Adapted Logo by a Publisher,” which pleased me to no end since I’m very fond of what the art designer, Nicole de las Heras, did with the book.

Then yesterday Betsy realized she had missed a few categories from her list and, yes NCH got three more Golden Fuses! The first for “Most Tragic Cover of the Year.” She’s worth quoting:

It’s not fair. It’s a cool image, but you can’t tell that it’s a work of grafitti in a photograph. The image is by Danny “casroc” Casu.

I’m so glad Danny got a mention. His work is awesome! She also gave NCH Golden Fuses for “Gay Characters in Kidlit” and “Good First Line.” This last makes me glow.

Thank you Betsy! I’m honored! Seriously.…