I'll be talking trouble at the lovely Books & Books store in Westhampton, NY, tomorrow at 4 p.m. If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello!
More info can be found here:
http://www.booksandbookswhb.com/
Hope to see you soon!
4/26/12
Kommissary Kombat Gala?
So I just emailed Seamus, the supposedly Bad Apple in Merits of Mischief—and he actually wrote back! He said I should come to some party for Troublemakers. As a lifelong good girl, I don't know if that's such a great idea...but I bet it'd be a lot of fun! Maybe I'll write his friends for more info.
You can too!
Email Seamus: shinkle@kilteracademy.org
Lemon: loliver@kilteracademy.org
Abe: ahansen@kilteracademy.org
Gabby: gryan@kilteracademy.org
Want to know what else is shaking at Kilter Academy? Check your K-Pak!
www.meritsofmischief.com
You can too!
Email Seamus: shinkle@kilteracademy.org
Lemon: loliver@kilteracademy.org
Abe: ahansen@kilteracademy.org
Gabby: gryan@kilteracademy.org
Want to know what else is shaking at Kilter Academy? Check your K-Pak!
www.meritsofmischief.com
4/21/12
Dark Water Cover!
Here it is, the final installment of the Siren trilogy (available July 10)! Who's that boy on the rocks? You'll have to read to find out!
Have a great weekend!
4/17/12
PW Asks: What's Not to Like?
Merits of Mischief hits shelves a week from today! I'm so excited, and I can't wait for readers to meet Seamus, Lemon, Abe, Gabby, Elinor, and all of the other fun, quirky characters at Kilter Academy for Troubled Youth.
In this auspicious first entry in the Merits of Mischief series, 12-year-old Seamus Hinkle is sent to the Kilter Academy for Troubled Youth after he accidentally kills his substitute teacher, Miss Parsippany, with an apple. Upon his arrival, however, Seamus discovers that Kilter is actually a school for professional troublemakers: demerits are awarded for bad behavior, gold stars are looked down on, and students use the skills they’ve learned to trick their teachers. Despite his best efforts (and lingering guilt over the death of Miss Parsippany), Seamus appears to be a natural-born troublemaker. Burns (aka author Tricia Rayburn) has hold of a fantastic premise—what’s not to like about a school where pranks and destruction are encouraged and an arsenal of troublemaking devices are available for purchase? It’s easy to get drawn into this fast-paced, funny, and entertaining adventure, filled with sympathetic, eccentric, and mischievously talented characters. At its heart, it’s a story about the importance of individuality and being a good friend, and a last-minute twist will leave readers hungry for the next book. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)
We've gotten some wonderful early feedback. Here's what Publisher's Weekly had to say:
In this auspicious first entry in the Merits of Mischief series, 12-year-old Seamus Hinkle is sent to the Kilter Academy for Troubled Youth after he accidentally kills his substitute teacher, Miss Parsippany, with an apple. Upon his arrival, however, Seamus discovers that Kilter is actually a school for professional troublemakers: demerits are awarded for bad behavior, gold stars are looked down on, and students use the skills they’ve learned to trick their teachers. Despite his best efforts (and lingering guilt over the death of Miss Parsippany), Seamus appears to be a natural-born troublemaker. Burns (aka author Tricia Rayburn) has hold of a fantastic premise—what’s not to like about a school where pranks and destruction are encouraged and an arsenal of troublemaking devices are available for purchase? It’s easy to get drawn into this fast-paced, funny, and entertaining adventure, filled with sympathetic, eccentric, and mischievously talented characters. At its heart, it’s a story about the importance of individuality and being a good friend, and a last-minute twist will leave readers hungry for the next book. Ages 8–12. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May)
And from School Library Journal:
Gr 4-7–Twelve-year-old Seamus Hinkle led a fairly ordinary life at a fairly ordinary school until the day he killed his substitute teacher with an apple. The projectile was well intentioned–Seamus was trying to prevent the teacher from getting hurt by intervening in a cafeteria fight–but the result was disastrous. Subsequently, he is shipped off to Kilter Academy for Troubled Youth. Not long after his parents drive away, he learns the truth about Kilter: it’s not a reform school, but rather a training academy for future professional Troublemakers; misbehavior is not merely encouraged, it’s required. Seamus intends to lie low and try to keep his infamy a secret from his fellow students, but he finds that he excels at being bad, despite his best efforts to behave. He also makes friends at Kilter, and they ask him to join an alliance to scare their history teacher. This first title in a projected series unfolds through Seamus’s narration as he navigates the challenges of training to be a Marksman Troublemaker. There’s plenty of humor, but the child’s conflicted feelings about Kilter and his guilt about the death he caused propel the story as well. Nowhere is his remorse more evident than in the emails he composes to his late substitute teacher. Though some readers may be frustrated by several dangling plot threads, the cliff-hanger ending will have others clamoring for the next title.–Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL
So exciting!
The series website's still in the works, but more fun elements have been added—including teacher profiles and an interactive school map. Feel free to check it out HERE. And I hope to share the trailer very soon!
Until then, Merry Mischief-Making!
4/2/12
Trouble? What Trouble?
Merits of Mischief publishes three weeks from tomorrow! I can't believe it, and I'm SO excited. To celebrate, I'm giving away a signed finished copy!
I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but if you DID...doesn't this one look like so much fun?
It's kind of hard to tell on a computer screen, but that's an apple imprinted on the front cover!
In addition to creating a fabulous physical book, Simon & Schuster has created a fabulous book trailer to go with it. I hope to share that soon. They're also putting the finishing touches on a supercool, interactive website that I think readers will love. The main page looks like a K-Pak screen, and K-Paks are the handheld personal computers Troublemakers use at Kilter Academy. The website's not done yet, but when it is, you'll be able to email Seamus and his friends—and you may even hear back! Check out the work-in-progress here: www.meritsofmischief.com.
Back to the contest! To enter to win a signed copy, all you have to do is shoot me a quick email (triciarayburn@gmail.com) and tell me one thing you did as a kid that got you into trouble. Or if you were an absolute angel, tell me one thing you thought about doing before your conscious intervened! I'll pick a winner at the end of the week.
Can't wait to hear from you!
3/26/12
The Past Few Weeks in Pics
Hello!
It's been several weeks since I listed what I'm most excited for this year, and I'm happy to report that so far, 2012 is everything I thought it'd be—and more. I had a fantastic time meeting booksellers at Winter Institute in New Orleans, my husband and I went to our favorite vacation spot, I've been experimenting with lots of yummy vegan/vegetarian recipes, I revised Merits of Mischief 2, and I've been dabbling in some new YA projects.
I've also been trying to expand my photography skills, which is a fun work-in-progress. Here are some shots of where I've been and what I've been up to lately:
That last one is a personal fave. Even after a mild winter, there's nothing like the first signs of the new season!
Speaking of excitement, I recently received finished copies of Merits of Mischief: The Bad Apple (out in less than a month, wow!), and they're SO FUN. Advance copies of Dark Water, the last book in the Siren trilogy, should also be arriving any day. I plan to give away copies of both, so check back soon for contest details!
Until then, Happy Spring!
1/6/12
12 Things in 2012
Happy New Year! I hope you had wonderful holidays and are enjoying a great start to 2012.
Exactly one year ago I wrote about 11 things I was excited for in 2011. That list included my sister's wedding, finding the perfect spaghetti-and-meatballs recipe, spending a few days lakeside with my family, returning to a favorite vacation spot with my husband, and submitting a brand-new middle-grade project to editors. And I was right to be excited! Here's why:
This last photo is of the wonderful team at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, who will be publishing said brand-new middle-grade project, Merits of Mischief, this spring. (You'll notice I didn't include a picture of spaghetti and meatballs. That's because my husband and I, voluntarily and happily, stopped eating meat last February, before I found the perfect recipe.)
Needless to say, it was a great year—and I think it paved the way for an even better one! So in no particular order, here are 12 Things I'm Excited For in 2012.
1. The release of Merits of Mischief, The Bad Apple.
2. Continuing with yoga classes, which I started over the summer, and hopefully, eventually being able to do both headstand and handstand.
3. The release of Dark Water, the final book in the Siren trilogy.
4. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot.
5. Attending ABA Winter Institute 7 in New Orleans as my alter ego, T.R. Burns, later this month. I've never been to Winter Institute OR New Orleans, so this is doubly exciting!
6. Making countless loaves of yummy bread with the amazing breadmaker Santa brought me.
7. Revising Merits of Mischief 2 and writing Merits of Mischief 3.
8. Maybe spending a few days in the Green Mountains with the fam.
9. Trying new vegetarian/vegan recipes.
10. Brainstorming new YA projects.
11. Experimenting with photography beyond my current point-and-shoot capabilities.
12. Discovering new authors and reading as much as possible.
How about you? What are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months? And do you have any book or veggie recipe recommendations? If so, I'd love to hear them!
Best wishes for a happy, healthy year!
Exactly one year ago I wrote about 11 things I was excited for in 2011. That list included my sister's wedding, finding the perfect spaghetti-and-meatballs recipe, spending a few days lakeside with my family, returning to a favorite vacation spot with my husband, and submitting a brand-new middle-grade project to editors. And I was right to be excited! Here's why:
This last photo is of the wonderful team at Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, who will be publishing said brand-new middle-grade project, Merits of Mischief, this spring. (You'll notice I didn't include a picture of spaghetti and meatballs. That's because my husband and I, voluntarily and happily, stopped eating meat last February, before I found the perfect recipe.)
Needless to say, it was a great year—and I think it paved the way for an even better one! So in no particular order, here are 12 Things I'm Excited For in 2012.
1. The release of Merits of Mischief, The Bad Apple.
2. Continuing with yoga classes, which I started over the summer, and hopefully, eventually being able to do both headstand and handstand.
3. The release of Dark Water, the final book in the Siren trilogy.
4. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot.
5. Attending ABA Winter Institute 7 in New Orleans as my alter ego, T.R. Burns, later this month. I've never been to Winter Institute OR New Orleans, so this is doubly exciting!
6. Making countless loaves of yummy bread with the amazing breadmaker Santa brought me.
7. Revising Merits of Mischief 2 and writing Merits of Mischief 3.
8. Maybe spending a few days in the Green Mountains with the fam.
9. Trying new vegetarian/vegan recipes.
10. Brainstorming new YA projects.
11. Experimenting with photography beyond my current point-and-shoot capabilities.
12. Discovering new authors and reading as much as possible.
How about you? What are you most looking forward to over the next 12 months? And do you have any book or veggie recipe recommendations? If so, I'd love to hear them!
Best wishes for a happy, healthy year!
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