January Round-Up!

Wow, I have a lot to catch up on! This has been a good winter for me so far. I've gotten a TON of work done (35 pages into drawing my new book!), and I have a bunch of neat things to share with you. Without further ado: Photo by Lizette Serrano...look at my shiny sticker, and all my stars!

• At this year's ALA Youth Media Awards, DRAMA received a Stonewall Book Award Honor! This is for a book with "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience." I'm so pleased and proud. Very many thanks to the Stonewall committee for this honor!

• ALA also released their yearly best-of and notables lists, and DRAMA was featured on a few of these, including YALSA's Great Graphic Novels for Teens (Top Ten!), Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and the Rainbow Project List. It was also selected as an ALSC Notable Children's Book!

• A couple of weeks ago, Drama quietly slipped up to the #1 spot on the New York Times Graphic Books Bestseller list. Yow!! I have a feeling that had something to do with...

• This super-sweet audio piece on NPR, which not only recommends DRAMA, but even recorded voice actors performing some of the scenes in the book!! This is maybe the coolest thing ever.

• Oh, wait, no--THIS is the coolest thing. I got invited to be a guest at Reading Matters, a festival in Melbourne, Australia!!! That happens May 31-June 1 [ticket info is here], and I'll be doing some events there and in Brisbane, too. I'll post my full schedule here when I have it, but I look forward to meeting some Aussie readers in a few months!

• Finally, my first event of 2013 is coming right up. I'll be at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, March 1-3, in the Artist Alley. Seattle fans, I hope to see you! I'll have books, t-shirts, and artwork on hand!

Whew! That's all for me tonight! Hope you are all doing well!