A Christmas gift that's both classic and very "now"

1) From Martha Mihalick, my colleague at my alma mater, Greenwillow (Isn't that a cute way of thinking of it? It just came to me):

"Greenwillow Books has been developing an iPhone app version of one of our classic picture books-- FREIGHT TRAIN, by Donald Crews--over the last several months. And now it's finally available in the Apple store!

It's really a cool app (and you can get it for iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad), so please please please check it out and download it if you have an i-Thing and a spare $2.99 lying around. It's perfect for preschoolers, those of you who have toddlers yourselves, and those of you who just see a lot of your friends' and family's kiddos. Or just to download because you like me and support the efforts to bring books into the future so that I still have a job in 5 years. :) Tell all your friends.

Here's the link right to the app store: http://bit.ly/epbBtc"

2) Also, my present to you is this article I am loving today.

Rapturously repellent,
L'Editrice

At-long-last lists

I'm back! . . . and am finally blogging about the awesome cover article of the fall issue of Ms. as I hav been meaning to do ever since I read it weeks and weeks ago. It's called "Kick-Ass Girls and Feminist Boys" and is all about feminist YA. You need to run to a newstand and pick up the issue . . . and if you're a dork like me, check off which of their recommended books you've already read and add those you haven't to your GoodReads queue ASAP (I had read 50%). (Speaking of great reads, I'm sure the whole magazine will inspire you to subscribe, as I have proudly for 10 years now.)

Also, I need to finally start reading these "Mad Men"-mentioned books. The only book I've read of the list is Atlas Shrugged, though I've seen several of the movies they mention (and the movie verson of The Best of Everything--publishing back in the day!). If only I had a fainting couch like Betty's to read on . . .

I think I will add all these titles to my new Kindle, which I received as a birthday gift from my lovely family last weekend. That's right--I have entered Life, Act II, according to Jane Fonda--The Building Act. Can't wait to see what I build.

One thing I know I will be building up tonight is fat cells, as I plan to finally go here. The hubby and have been waiting for this place to open for ages, and I love their website (check out the interactive comic-inspired tabs at top) and their origin story--well done, non-Belgians!

- L'Editrice

First International Red Panda Day!

I love pandas, and am quite partial to my fellow redheads, so I was intrigued when my talented friend Leeza Hernandez told me about the red panda. She is currently shopping around a fabulous book she's written about this adorable, endangered creature, and has gotten quite involved with the nonprofit organization The Red Panda Network.

So, if any of you live near Flemington, NJ, stop by the Hunterdon County Library this Saturday, November 13, from 10:00am to noon to meet Leeza and join her in some family-friendly activities celebrating and raising awareness for the lovely firefox (that's another name for the red panda--cool, huh?).

If you can't make the event, Leeza is selling a commemorative pin that she designed, and 100% of the proceeds will go to The Red Panda Network.

- L'Editrice

And the winner is . . .

Thanks to my five (: P) lovelies for voting. I wrote out all of your names (and, boy, is my hand tired), dropped them into a hat (well, actually, a gift bag I had on hand), and drew out . . . Nancy K! Nancy, e-mail me your mailing address and I will send you your very own L'Editrice-stamped copy of Forget-Her-Nots!

And what stamp did I decide on, you ask? Well, despite the overall love for bee, I decided to go with the French one--I just felt its layout would work best for the text I am going to input in. But I'm going to try to incorporate bees somewhere else, because I just love them.

Bzzzzz (or should I say, Bises),
L'Editrice

A score with SCORE!

I'm honored to announce that one of my clients, Miranda Kenneally, has gotten herself a book deal! I will let her tell you all about it in her own fabulous words.

Miranda is such a prolific writer with such great range that Score is just one of several manuscripts I've worked with Miranda on over the past year or so. I just know that the others are going to get snatched up soon as well.

Also, take a moment to surf on over to Sourcebooks Fire, the cool new imprint Miranda's book is being published under, and check out the entire Sourcebooks-at-large's amazing founding story. (I'm having difficulty linking to these right now, but they are worth Googling.) Inspired yet?

- L'Editrice

P.S. Stay tuned this weekend, when I'll (finally) announce the results of my first-ever survey and contest! (Meaning: it's not to late to enter!)