Jack is back

It's calamity jack launch week! Which is a bit surreal, since Dean and I finished writing the script for it two and a half years ago. When we started, I was pregnant. And now that embryo is a three-year-old terror.

I posted a calamity jack section on my site. The reviews have been great, though I cringe each time we get one, knowing that they read the black and white advance copies instead of the full color, rich paper, snazzy copies. It makes a huge difference in the reading experience. For the sake of Nathan Hale, who worked 17 hour days/7 days a week for months on this baby, if you read the b&w ARCs, please, PLEASE read the final too! Please? Borrow it from someone, get it from the library? The ARCs will give you the gist of the story, but won't let you get lost in the story.

Utahns, the full Hale team will be making appearances the next two Saturdays. See my events page for details. Californians, we'll be in southern CA February 20-23, and possibly brief stops in other Western states. Those are all the details I have at the moment. (But I'm sure we'll visit Whale of a Tale.)

Now scoot your fine selves over to Nate's blog, because he's posting new outfits for the Rapunzel paper dolls in celebration of CJ's release. I requested a Regency gown for Punzie, and it's awesome! He'll be giving them away this Saturday at the release party. He's also offering to draw avatars for everyone who emails him a photo of themselves with their copy of calamity jack. Not 10-foot blue guys with tails, but a professionally drawn avatar of YOU. (I'm totally going to take him up on it.)

OOH, also, did you hear? The new US ambassador of children's literature, taking Jon Scieska's place, is....Katherine Paterson! I'm so excited! She's fabulous in every way. All hail the ambassador, long may she reign.