Month: June, 2010

The King’s English Book Group

Last week I went to a book group at The King’s English in Salt Lake City.  I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating over and over that The King’s English is a wonderful bookstore.  I wish I lived closer to Salt Lake because I would love to browse and shop there more than I am able to.

The book group consisted of over 30 young readers who had been given an ARC of The Clockwork Three, and what an amazing group they were.

I was so impressed by their insights, their perspectives, and how articulately they shared their thoughts.  It’s energizing to be around people who love to read, who find books exciting and magical.  The enthusiasm in those young readers was infectious, and a part of me didn’t really care what book they were talking about.  It was just inspiring to see them so engaged in reading.  Of course, an even bigger part of me was thrilled by the fact that they were talking about my book.

Up to this point, those who have read The Clockwork Three have been mostly adults, so I was a little nervous going into a group of young readers.  They are, after all, my audience.  But it didn’t take long to settle in, and I was soon having a blast.  The feedback I received felt really good.  They enjoyed the book, which made me very, very happy.  Of course, they didn’t pull any punches when it came to things they didn’t agree with, or didn’t like, and I really appreciate and respect that.  But overall the response was very positive.

I spent a lot of time answering their questions, and then I asked a few of my own.  Which character was their favorite?  What was their favorite scene?  And a few others that would be a little too spoilerish to mention.  We spent about an hour discussing the book, and then I signed all of their ARCs.

It was a wonderful experience.  I owe a big thank you to Anne and Margaret of The King’s English, and also Chris, our Scholastic sales rep.  They put together a great event.

5 Comments by Matthew on June 23, 2010
filed in Books, Literacy, The Clockwork Three, Writing

What’s in a name… or a middle initial?

My name is not uncommon.  There are, in fact, several men out there who share my first and last name.  A simple google search (is there anyone left who has not googled themselves at least once?) reveals that Matthew Kirby designed the game Apples to Apples.  Matthew Kirby is an Anglican priest.  And there are actually a few Matthew Kirby’s who are writers.  Like me.

It is to avoid confusion with the latter that I have decided to use my middle initial.  As an author, from now on I will be Matthew J. Kirby.

I’ve set up a new blog at matthewjkirby.com.  It’s pretty much the same as the old one, although I’m still restoring all the links and such, and a few of the most recent comments got lost in the move.  Sorry.  When I get my website up, hopefully within a week or so, it will also be at the new address.

I’m going to keep matthewkirby.com and set up a redirect from the old blog, but you may still want to update your bookmarks.  And if you subscribe to posts via RSS, you may need to re-subscribe at the new web address.

Sorry for any confusion, but in the end I think it’s a good thing.  And I’m glad my publisher and I settled on it now, before my first book is out.  That way, I’ll be Matthew J. Kirby from the beginning.

2 Comments by Matthew on June 20, 2010
filed in Books, Writing

Some upcoming events

Just a little update about where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing this summer, writer-wise.

First, next week is the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop. I’ve written about it before, about what a great event this conference has been for me, and will continue to be for other writers. I’ll be speaking there in the afternoon on Tuesday, June 15th, as a part of a First Books Panel with Heather Dixon. It should be a lot of fun. If you’re attending the workshop, stop in. If you’re not attending the workshop, how come? Registration is still open for a few more days.

The next day, June 16th at 3:00 PM, I’ll be doing a book talk with a group of kids at The King’s English. The staff there are amazing, and they went out of their way to get a bunch of Clockwork Three ARCs to share with some of their younger customers and set up this event. I’m not sure if it’s open to everyone, but anyway, that’s where I’ll be.

At the end of the month, from June 26-28, I’ll be in Washington D.C. for the American Library Association’s annual conference. I’m really excited about this, as it marks the official publicity launch of The Clockwork Three. I’m scheduled to give a reading at Scholastic’s Literary Brunch, and then I’ll be signing books at the Scholastic booth. Then, I get to attend the Newbery & Caldecott banquet, something I am very much looking forward to. Back in January, I got up early, drove through the snow to an elementary school library, and gathered with some friends around a computer screen to watch them announce the medalists and honor books. Now, I get to see the authors and illustrators receive their awards. Awesome.

From July 30th to August 2nd I’ll be in Los Angeles at the annual summer conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. I love this event, and this will be my third year. I’m taking a class on writing graphic novels. I’ve always loved comics, and I’ve written and illustrated them before. I’ve always planned, or at least hoped, that graphic novels would be a part of my writing career, so I’m looking forward to the SCBWI class.

In October, I’ll be flying back to L.A. for the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association annual trade show. Along with Ally Condie, author of the forthcoming and much-buzzed Matched, I’ll be speaking at the Author Feast on the 23rd.

Between these trips, I’ll still be working on a new website, and starting on my next book. I’ll be busy, but it’s a good kind of busy.

2 Comments by Matthew on June 10, 2010
filed in Books, The Clockwork Three, Travel, Writing