Tidbits of Cinders #5 - Book Birthdays and Thank You's

Cinders and Sparrows is out in bookstores today, which means Book Number Four is in the world, which means it's been nine years since The Peculiar sold, which means nine years since that cold and rainy day in the Swiss alps when my agent emailed to say we had an offer and I would be a published author, which means I am now very old.

So much has happened since then: I've done readings from Japan to Vienna, Denmark to Detroit, events in front of thousands of people (cries in a corner), and events where no one showed up (cries in a corner). I've met so, so many people, most of them wonderful.

Finished copies arrived the other day and they are maybe my favorite-looking of all my books so far?

The arrrrrt. The hand-letterinnnng. The pink faux sheepskinnnnnnn. Ok, not the pink faux sheepskin. 

So here is my customary thank you post to the great people who allow me to write these stories. Thank you so much to my editor Virginia, who is the best, my agent Sara, who is also the best, Paul who designed a gorgeous book, the Balbusso twins for their art, Lois for her erudite copyedits and finding a timeline issue just in time so I could fix it before the manuscript was locked and the key thrown a way and ne'er another word changed. Thanks also to Mom for her read-throughs and all her lovely art pieces (more coming!), and thanks to Thomas, Rob, and Aaron from my Writers Group in Berlin who didn't workshop this book, but who did offer tons of encouragements and community for my writing life in general.

And thanks also to youuuuuu, of course, you who are reading this, and who read my books and stories. I appreciate that so much, and I hope you enjoy this little tale of magic and spookiness and finding a home.

Happy Book Birthday, Cinders and Sparrows, fly, fly, fly!