Calmer neighborhood and PROM notes

The Casanova of Mockingbirds who lives outside my bedroom window stayed in last night. It might have been the weather. The temperature dipped down to the high 30s. He seems to be more of a hot night kind of guy. I wasn’t woken up until 5:15, which is a little earlier than I’d like, but infinitely better than the previous two mornings. Here’s hoping for frost tonight.

The writing was slower yesterday, but I knew that would happen. Mon-Wed I wrote with a speed and concentration I’ve never had before. Yesterday I focused on a very small piece of the Work In Progress, instead of sprinting. Today will be more of the same, I suspect.

Mer’s prom is in one week!! In honor of that, I’ll update you on PROM (the book) news:

PROM made the Booksense Children’s Picks Top Ten List for Summer 2005!!

It has been on The New York Times Bestseller List three weeks (my first book to ever make The List in hardback). This is the accolade that my father really, really, really cares about. It was a magical moment when I was able to tell him I made it. Deep and humble thanks to everyone in America who helped make that happen.

I’ve been receiving lots of nice notes from friends and total strangers who enjoyed the book. Special thanks to Coleen Paratore (check out HER stuff), Jackie White in Kentucky, Susan Mowery from Upper Dublin, Rachel, Sarah, and everyone else.

When I started to brainstorm PROM, I came up with the idea of having the teacher/prom adviser steal the money right away. Then I researched to see if this had ever happened, or if it was an absurd idea. It took me five minutes on the Internet to find a newspaper article that described exactly that scenario. Once I knew the story was grounded in reality, I never looked back.

Then last week Julia, a friend of mine up in Syracuse, emailed me an article about West Genesee Senior High School. The teacher adviser left $14,000 in cash and checks in a locked cabinet in a classroom. The keys were left in an unlocked drawer in the same room. The money was stolen. District officials speculate it was an employee. “There is a thief amongst us,” the superintendent said. The good news is that the district has an insurance policy that protects against this kind of loss, so the prom will go on as scheduled tonight at 6:30 pm.

And they say we make this stuff up…

18 Replies to “Calmer neighborhood and PROM notes”

  1. Stress time can officialy begin.

    I graduate in a month and 12 hours.

    ..This moment brought to you by Kleenex. Pround supporter of the Anderson/Larrabbe family..

  2. Stress time can officialy begin.

    I graduate in a month and 12 hours.

    ..This moment brought to you by Kleenex. Pround supporter of the Anderson/Larrabbe family..

  3. Stress time can officialy begin.

    I graduate in a month and 12 hours.

    ..This moment brought to you by Kleenex. Pround supporter of the Anderson/Larrabbe family..

  4. hey

    Hey! I’m a huge fan of yours, and I just read Catalyst and Prom this week. I could hardly put them down. 🙂 Congrats on Prom’s being on the NY Times Bestseller list! 😀

    I also read Speak a few months ago, and I loved it. It’s my favorite book right now, seriously. Fever 1793 was also a wonderful book and it was extremely interesting. I had never even heard of the yellow fever epidemic until I read it. 🙂

    I can’t wait to read your future books!

  5. hey

    Hey! I’m a huge fan of yours, and I just read Catalyst and Prom this week. I could hardly put them down. 🙂 Congrats on Prom’s being on the NY Times Bestseller list! 😀

    I also read Speak a few months ago, and I loved it. It’s my favorite book right now, seriously. Fever 1793 was also a wonderful book and it was extremely interesting. I had never even heard of the yellow fever epidemic until I read it. 🙂

    I can’t wait to read your future books!

  6. hey

    Hey! I’m a huge fan of yours, and I just read Catalyst and Prom this week. I could hardly put them down. 🙂 Congrats on Prom’s being on the NY Times Bestseller list! 😀

    I also read Speak a few months ago, and I loved it. It’s my favorite book right now, seriously. Fever 1793 was also a wonderful book and it was extremely interesting. I had never even heard of the yellow fever epidemic until I read it. 🙂

    I can’t wait to read your future books!

  7. Prom eh? Haven’t heard of it… I’ve got to read that.
    Do you know, we read your books for my 10th grade english class? Had to do a report, and whatnot. It was murder, I can tell you, but your books are good, so keep it up. 🙂

  8. Prom eh? Haven’t heard of it… I’ve got to read that.
    Do you know, we read your books for my 10th grade english class? Had to do a report, and whatnot. It was murder, I can tell you, but your books are good, so keep it up. 🙂

  9. Prom eh? Haven’t heard of it… I’ve got to read that.
    Do you know, we read your books for my 10th grade english class? Had to do a report, and whatnot. It was murder, I can tell you, but your books are good, so keep it up. 🙂

  10. Prom

    Hello, my name is Lauren, and I recently got your novel, Prom. It was a very interesting book, with a few laugh-out-loud parts, but it still doesn’t match the perfection you captured in Speak. But I still love every one of your books, they are blunt and yet descriptive. I was delighted to find that there was a signed copy of the Prom book at my Borders bookstore, so that is the copy I picked up. Please, email me at beautyofashes@msn.com. I know you are very busy, and writing is very time consuming (I have tried to find the patience to write myself) but one email is all I ask. Thank you for… everything. You have become my favorite author in an instant.
    Best wishes,
    -Lauren
    ps. the note on the inside of the “Prom” novel had my life’s motto, one word: Dance!

  11. Prom

    Hello, my name is Lauren, and I recently got your novel, Prom. It was a very interesting book, with a few laugh-out-loud parts, but it still doesn’t match the perfection you captured in Speak. But I still love every one of your books, they are blunt and yet descriptive. I was delighted to find that there was a signed copy of the Prom book at my Borders bookstore, so that is the copy I picked up. Please, email me at beautyofashes@msn.com. I know you are very busy, and writing is very time consuming (I have tried to find the patience to write myself) but one email is all I ask. Thank you for… everything. You have become my favorite author in an instant.
    Best wishes,
    -Lauren
    ps. the note on the inside of the “Prom” novel had my life’s motto, one word: Dance!

  12. Prom

    Hello, my name is Lauren, and I recently got your novel, Prom. It was a very interesting book, with a few laugh-out-loud parts, but it still doesn’t match the perfection you captured in Speak. But I still love every one of your books, they are blunt and yet descriptive. I was delighted to find that there was a signed copy of the Prom book at my Borders bookstore, so that is the copy I picked up. Please, email me at beautyofashes@msn.com. I know you are very busy, and writing is very time consuming (I have tried to find the patience to write myself) but one email is all I ask. Thank you for… everything. You have become my favorite author in an instant.
    Best wishes,
    -Lauren
    ps. the note on the inside of the “Prom” novel had my life’s motto, one word: Dance!

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