M. P. Barker

Hi, welcome to the fifth issue of the "Barker Street Irregular." Here's where you can get all the latest news about what's happening with A Difficult Boy, and other fun writing news as well!

CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY WITH YOUR FAVORITE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE

Authors Mitali Perkins and Deborah Sloan have come up with a brilliant way to share the love on Valentine's Day for readers, writers, and independent bookstores across New England. They've organized more than 40 independent bookstores and 160 authors and illustrators to participate in Kids Heart Authors Day. From 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, February 14th, children's authors and illustrators across New England will be gathering at independent bookstores to sign their books for kids and teens and talk about writing and drawing.

I'll be celebrating at Chapters Books with author Stacy Dekeyser
78 North Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-443-BOOK (443-2665)

So heart that special kid in your life with a book on Valentine's Day--and heart local authors and bookstores at the same time! It's a win-win-win situation!

For more details, go to the Kids Heart Authors Day Website at: http://www.kidsheartauthors.com/

Not a New England resident? Heart your favorite bookstore anyway! What better Valentine gift for your sweetie than a brand-new book!

EXCUSE ME FOR BRAGGING ON MYSELF...

Okay, maybe I didn't win the Newbery (but hey, neither did Colbert...), but out in Minnesota, where the men are good-looking, the women are strong, and the children are above average, A Difficult Boy was honored with an Anokaberry as one of the year's best books for young readers. Go here for more information: http://anokaberry.blogspot.com/2009/01/anokaberry-presents-2009-anokaberries.html

Although A Difficult Boy didn't get the Eva Perry Mock Newbery, it did make it to the shortlist - http://evaperrymocknewbery.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/what-well-be-voting-on/

A Difficult Boy has been named one of the 12 best young adult novels for 2007-2008 by Brigham Young University's Education Librarian Rachel Wadham. Thanks, Rachel! You can find the list and more reading recommendations here: http://lib.byu.edu/sites/education/booklists/

In December, Francesca Rheannon interviewed me about A Difficult Boy for Writer's Voice. You can download a podcast here:
http://www.writersvoice.net/2008/12/mp-barker%E2%80%99s-a-difficult-boy-and-paul-roberts-the-end-of-food/#comment-908

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, 24 February 2009, 7-8:30 p.m.
I'll be with 20 other authors for an Authors Night Fundraiser and Silent Auction at the Hitchcock Academy Community Center. You can check out the silent auction items online here: http://www.cmarket.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?vhost=hitchcockcommunity More are being added every day, so check back often. I've donated a basket of books by Class of 2k8 authors and a complimentary "Meet the Author" event with me for an organization of the winning bidder's choice. It's not up on the auction site yet, but it will be soon!
Hitchcock Academy
2 Brookfield Road
Brimfield, MA 01010
413-245-9977

Wednesday, 4 March 2009, 6:30 p.m.
"Fireside Authors" discussion series
Fobes Memorial Library
4 Maple Street
Oakham, MA 01068
508-882-3372

Tuesday, 10 March 2009, 7:00 p.m.
Book discussion and signing
Wilbraham Public Library
25 Crane Park Drive
Wilbraham, MA 01095
413-596-6141

GUEST BLOGGERS ON TIME MANAGEMENT FOR WRITERS...AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS

As a brandie-new published author, I've been struggling with two things this past year--

Thing #1 - Knowing that having a blog is a very important part of authorly networking, but not having a clue about what exactly to put on it

Thing #2 - Trying to figure out how to balance working my day job, promoting the old book, and writing the new one

...well, there is a Thing #3, which is not being successful at either Thing #1 or Thing #2.

This being a New Year and time for turning over new leaves and starting fresh and all, I thought it I'd start the New Year off by trying to address Things #1 and #2. And what better way to do that than by killing two birds with one stone and blogging about how other writers deal with juggling their day jobs and authorly lives. That way I get my blogging done while picking up some tips to help me with my own juggling problems. So I've invited fellow writers to guest-blog about how they deal with the juggling act (or don't deal, if you're like me).

Guests so far have been Lisa Schroeder, fellow Class of 2k8 member and author of the novels-in-verse I Heart You, You Haunt Me and Far From You (both from Simon Pulse, 2008) and the picture book Baby Can't Sleep (Sterling, 2005), Fran Cannon Slayton, author of When the Whistle Blows (Philomel Books, release date: June 2009) and member of the Class of 2k9, and Rosanne Parry, a member of the Class of 2k9 and author of the middle-grade novel Heart of a Shepherd (Random House, Jan 2009) and the picture book Daddy's Home! (Candy Cane Press, Mar 2009).You can find their words of wisdom on my blog at any of these sites:
My Amazon book page - http://www.amazon.com/dp/0823420868?tag=mpba-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0823420868&adid=149YFRC0ZP7JHFRTT1XH&
LiveJournal - http://mpbarker.livejournal.com/
Blogspot - http://mpbarker.blogspot.com/
Red Room - http://www.redroom.com/blog/michele-p-barker
NESCBWI - http://nescbwi.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=2o2des8ueqnz1

Upcoming guests include: Howard W Penrose (tech writer, editor, and hybrid car expert--those of you who are into green transportation should check out his All-American Hybrid website at: http://www.allamericanhybrid.com/index.htm)
Laine Cunningham, Publishing Industry Consultant and award-winning novelist (http://www.lainecunningham.com/)
Ellen Jensen Abbott, author of Watersmeet (http://ellenjensenabbott.wordpress.com/)
Jessica Burkhart, a frighteningly young, talented and organized writer just out of college, who's working on Canterwood Crest, a series of horse-related YA novels (http://www.jessicaburkhart.com/)
Anne Broyles, children's author of Priscilla and the Hollyhocks and Shy Mama's Halloween (http://www.annebroyles.com/)
Karen Ryder, who's still pursuing that dream of publication while juggling work and kids

If you're a writer who's interested in sharing your tips for how you juggle jobs, family, and writing, feel free to contact me and I'll send you a short questionnaire. If you don't have a day job, but have other nearly full-time commitments (kids, elderly parents, volunteer work, school, etc.), you're welcome to play, too!

For those of you who have kicked the day job to the curb and are able to write full-time, I welcome you to comment about how you took the plunge and what allowed you to do it: a really, really nice advance, an inheritance, living on Ramen noodles and mac'n'cheese, selling the house and moving into a cardboard box under a bridge, hiring out the kids as indentured servants, etc., etc...? What was the turning point and how is it working out?

Use the email link on my webpage (www.mpbarker.net) to contact me and tell all!