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The plane ride was… a six-hour plane ride, ‘nuf said. I am reading The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger and enjoying it a great deal. One thing nags at me though – she seems to have borrowed the whole ChronoMoving thing – the central element of the way time travel works, from Jasper Fforde’s books. It could well be that both authors hit on the same device at the same time. That happens more often than you’d think, like the ideas are streaming through the air. Did anyone else get the same sense? This is not to take away from the book at all – she’s a good writer.

Low point of the trip so far: having a very large man, who had recently eaten broccoli, break wind with his butt inches from my face while I was strapped into my plane seat and he was standing in the crowded aisle. Ack. Ack. Ack. Not much you can do in a situation like that except to hold your breath until you slip into unconsciousness. I tried. It didn’t work.

High point of the trip so far: this morning’s walk along the waterfront. Seattle is an excellent city. Note to all family members reading this: let’s come back here and play!

Here’s what I saw:

The cherry trees are blooming here!! (Sun wasn’t quite up when I took the photo. Use your imagination.)

Fish market is very, very cool.

Sleepy author and Jumbo Grilling Lobster Tails.

My ride, the lovely Tina, will be here in a minute. Thanks Max, for the great note about PROM. Very fitting that you found one of the special signed copies!

*leaving on a jet plane…*

I did it. Apartment is clean. Inbox is empty. Info about my taxes is winging its way to Accountant Pete. Clothes and books are packed. So are powerbars, tea bags, and lots of Vitamin C. Ipod is charged. Bring it on!!!

I find that the term “book tour” sounds both pompous and stressful. Therefore, this is not a book tour. This is a road trip, courtesy of Penguin, my very nice publishers.

I love road trips!

Do you live in Seattle? Then come out and see me – be sure to tell me you come from LJ land. Here is my schedule for Monday:

11:30 AM – 1:30 PM Holy Names High School – I’m pretty sure this is for students only, but you could always call and ask.

All afternoon I’ll be cruising the city in an Authormobile, signing stock at the following stores. Click on the links to get more details about the stores, and my visit. If you need signed copies of my books, these are the wonderful bookstores that will have them.

All for Kids
Secret Garden Bookshop
Queen Anne Ave Books
Third Place Books

At this point, I’ll be inhaling some food. After I check my teeth for leftovers, we head out for a real, public book “event”.

7:00 – 9:00 PM Signing at Barnes & Noble, University Village
2675 NE University Village Street
Seattle, WA 98105
206-517-4107

Then I collapse at the hotel.

You don’t live in Seattle? Check out the whole tour schedule.

Things done already –

1. Coffee and writing talk and life talk with my friend Martha, which was WONDERFUL. We decided that when I move, we will go into our respective Barnes and Nobles (where we always meet) and buy coffee, then talk to each other via cell phone.
2. Post office.
3. Picked up dry cleaning.
4. Grocery store.
5. Went to West Chester to watch Mer and the rest of her drum line (Innovations from Hatboro-Horsham) put on a great show and take first place.
6. Laundry (work in progress)
7. Clean apartment (work in progress)
8. Empty email box (see below)

A nameless reader writes: Hello, let me first begin with I love the book, speak, with a passion, as does my best friend Katy. I are very excited about your upcoming movie, but believe that we have found a better Melinda for you. I hope that you do not take this the wrong way, but in this e-mail is a picture of Katy.

(She included a couple pictures of Katy, who does look like she’d be perfect for the role.) Sorry, Katy and friend, but the movie has already been shot. The role of Melinda went to Kristen Stewart, who did an amazing job.

Joan writes with these questions about PROM for a review in her high school newspaper:
1. Do you honestly believe that your novel is about normal teenagers? Why? Why not?

It doesn’t matter what I think is normal. What matters, for the purpose of this story, is how the main character sees herself, which is “normal.” I do think that her struggles reflect lots of kids who come from similar circumstances. How do I know this? They told me. One of the best parts of my life these days is meeting teens when I visit schools. While I would never, ever take anyone’s personal story and stick it in a book (that would be just plain wrong) I listen carefully when they tell me what they love about their lives and what they struggle with.

2. Why did you set your story in an inner city setting?

I didn’t. The book is set in a fictional suburb just over the city line from Philadelphia (see page 37). I wanted to set it in a working class neighborhood, as opposed to an affluent suburb, because I haven’t seen many books set there.

3. Are metal detectors in a “normal school”?

Again, PROM is told from the first-person point-of-view. So everything that Ashley describes as being “normal” gives you insight into what her world looks and feels like. Plenty of schools in this area have metal detectors.

4. Do normal teachers steal the prom money?

Wow, this whole “normal” thing really got your attention, didn’t it? Obviously, teachers rarely steal money from the prom fund. But it has happened. In my research I found several newspaper articles about the arrests of teachers who had done exactly that.

5. Do you believe your book is realistic and believable?

Absolutely.

Mary writes: i just read your book “Catalyst”. I really enjoyed it. it was the type of book that a like to read, books about girls in 1st person form. But i do have a question. i don’t know if i missed something, but it said at first that Mikey was Teri’s younger brother. then once Mikey was electrocuted it said that Mikey was her son. And I’m just really not that sure. could you clear this up for me?

See page 163. We get to learn what our narrator, Kate, learns. When you find out who Mikey’s father is (p. 163), you suddenly look at Teri in a whole new light.

OK, back to getting ready for the trip.

In 30 hours I leave on Road Trip #1, which stretches for 2 weeks.

*choked sound of dismay*

Am I ready?

*play audience laughtrack*

I’ll write more later…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRIS!!

God, I love Fridays. Everything seems easier.

Thanks for all the encouragement and hurrahs about PROM’s release yesterday. I got a note from Editor Sharyn that it has also been nominated for the Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers 2006 list, which I am thrilled about.

I know I had a bunch of things to write here, but my brain is still fuzzy. Arg.

Yesterday’s school visit at Limerick Elem was fun – it was Slipper Day. You can tell a lot about a kid by her or his slippers. Today is another elementary school visit. I am feeling like I don’t have enough hours and I have way too much work. Still have revising to do on the pb manuscript and I desperately want to send that off before the road trip starts.

I’ve also been feeling guilty about my response to Stuart a few days ago. I think I was too harsh and I apologize if he’s reading this. Here’s why I was cranky: I get email every week from kids who want Spark notes or Cliff notes to one of my books, or they want me to answer their essay questions. For them to find my email address, they have to go to the paragraph on the website that says I do not do homework. But still they try. I suppose they should get points for persistence, if nothing else.

Lazy kids not wanting to do homework I understand. I was one of those kids. But there is an additional issue here.

Kids and teachers have unprecedented access to authors via the Web. This is mostly good. I love hearing from readers, and I’ve had a blast keeping this LJ. But I think that the notion of a student’s personal interpretation of text is quickly vanishing. I hear from kids who want to know why I put a scene in, or what a symbol stands for, or – in Stuart’s case- what are the connections between Scarlett Letter and Speak. While I have opinions about all of these things, I think the reader’s interpretation is every bit (if not more!) valid than mine. That’s why we read books – they can hold up a mirror that allows us to see ourselves more clearly. This is especially important when you are a teenager and half the time you have no clue who you are.

If somebody wants me to do their homework I will laugh hysterically and say “no.” If somebody wants “the author’s official answer”, I’ll probably turn that one down, too. If someone is confused about a character or plot point, or wants to have an online discussion about it, I am totally there.

Opinions, anyone?