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sissybaby

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:snoopy::hooray::banana::Jump::PartySmil:TheWave:

That's GREAT news, Sheila! I'm very happy for you. Keeping good thoughts and fingers crossed that your agent knows exactly who to sub it to.
 

SheilaJG

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Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

I got an email this morning from my agent, telling me to hurry up on the revisions because she had talked to one of her editor friends who was "itching" to see my book. Eeep. My fingers flew at that point.
 

DavidBrett

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Wow, Sheila, that's amazing! Can't imagine how you'd be feeing at this point... Excited but anxious? Impatient at the speed of your own revising? Giddy?

Your posts fill me with hope; not just in the rewards that come from revisions, but in the positive and enthusiastic attitude of your agent. I sent her a note explaining the urgent revisions that had stopped me sending EF straight from Juliet to her, and she was very understanding.

I know she's not hanging by her email for it, but it's so nice to know that she's a really nice and awesome agent. Can't wait to finally send it her way!

Really, really, REALLY hope the editor is blown away, and that we're celebrating your success story in a month or two!

Sincerely,

Dave
 

Britwriter

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Oh Sheila, I"m so excited for you!

Fabulous news. Keeping my fingers and toes very crossed for you!~

Keep us updated!
 

JoyMC

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Hey! It’s Saturday in England! Which means I can finally share this! My middle grade manuscript FRAMED is on the long list for the Times of London/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Prize! Chicken House is an amazing UK publisher run by the man who discovered JK Rowling (and has also had quite an amazing career apart from that little series about a bespectacled wizard).

I’m so over the moon thrilled, because I had basically given up on this manuscript. CP’s were super enthusiastic about it and I got a lot of requests, but then those requests have almost all turned into no’s. This is amazing because the long list was based on the full, not a partial, so I’m getting legitimate feedback from inside publishing that it doesn’t suck.

This is the first time I’ve been a finalist for something where I can really honestly say I am glad just to be a finalist. Even if it goes no further than the long list, I’m thrilled and honored. And David and Nicola will laugh, but the anglophile in me is totally geeking out at the thought of having an excerpt of my work in the Times of London!!!! I’m going to run around declaring everything bloody brilliant today! :D

Unfortunately, you have to be a paid subscriber to the Times of London to read the excerpts there, but you can see my name here on the Chicken House website. I’m the only American.
 

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Bloody Brilliant!!!

I love too the way Americans call The Times 'The Times of London.'.

So totally charming and endearing!

Once again, Bloody Brilliant!!!
 

JoyMC

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I love too the way Americans call The Times 'The Times of London.'.

Ha ha! Well, here "the Times" is the New York Times. Let's be clear. My name is in the paper in LONDON. This makes me way more posh and cultured. Excuse me, but I need to go watch some Downton Abbey and have some tea and biscuits. :tongue
 

Britwriter

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Ha ha! Well, here "the Times" is the New York Times. Let's be clear. My name is in the paper in LONDON. This makes me way more posh and cultured. Excuse me, but I need to go watch some Downton Abbey and have some tea and biscuits. :tongue

Oooh, I just made some scones. Seriously, they're delish. If only I had some clotted cream.....
as an aside, have you followed the DowagerAgent on Twitter. She cracks me up. :)
 

sissybaby

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So much exciting news around here.

Way to go, Joy! That's posh indeed. I guess. I don't actually read the London Times. Or the New York Times very often for that matter. I do well to find time to scan the tiny local paper.

I thought the British had crumpets with their tea. Or is it strumpets?

Just KIDDING!

Joy - I found your book! Did I notice correctly that you're the only US author on there? Woo! Woo!

And one of those authors is going to have to come up with a new name for his book.
 
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JoyMC

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And one of those authors is going to have to come up with a new name for his book.

Ba-ha-ha-ha! Golden balls! (Maybe it's supposed to be funny? I think we have to defer to David and Nicola on British humor.)

Yes, I'm the only American! Someone from Spain, and everyone else is British.

Thanks everyone for understanding my excitement!
 

DavidBrett

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Wow Joy, that's FANTASTIC! (I prefer 'fantastic' over 'bloody brilliant', if only because of Doctor Who)!!

Tea and crumpets are the excepted means of light snack among us Brits. Can't stand either, myself. But then again, 'Cola and flapjacks' doesn't sound as posh...

And Golden Balls...? The only examples I can think of are...

A) David Beckham's nickname a while back.
B) A short run but popular TV gameshow.

It might also refer to penalty kicks in football, but I don't know for sure. Then again, it could literally be a Midian-esque kid with... Well, y'know curious they are at that age.

Congrats to Joy again!

Dave
 

Kitty Pryde

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Great news all around! Woo-hoo! Your New Years resolutions must have been to turn the awesomeness up to 11.
 

JoyMC

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I'm sure it's worth the wait.

Well, I don't know about that. But it was cool to see what someone else selected as a representative excerpt. It's from the first chapter, but doesn't start at the very beginning. I also enjoyed seeing how they described my book in one sentence. A tiny glimpse into actually having a marketing team behind me!
 

Kitty Pryde

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I had my first day student teaching in 6th grade today. I think it went well...both the squirmiest and most studious kids in the class told me I did a good job. I was taping it to send to my professor. It was pretty smooth aside from when I stepped in a desk caddy (there is a reason it's not a floor caddy!), flang pencils and books everywhere, and said, "Shu, why did you do this to me?" in a jovial manner, which I realized makes me sound like I am accusing my own footwear of treachery. One of the students with autism got a bit too caught up playing with a pen, exploded it, and ended up coating himself, his clothes, his textbook, his notebook, the desk, and the student council vice president in red ink. Other than that, everything went swimmingly!

Has everyone survived the week flu-free?
 

JoyMC

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Yay, Kitty! Sounds like a good day, overall.

I'm still flu-free, I think. But I'm feeling pretty crummy. A little worried I won't make it through the weekend (flu-free, that is. I'm pretty sure I'll live).

But you guys - I finished the quilt top of my Harry Potter quilt! I hope you can see it okay.

DSC_0010-1.jpg
 

Smish

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Congrats, Joy! That's excellent news! (Also, the Harry Potter quilt is amazing :D)

Have fun in middle school, Kitty. :)

So, I'm back. Mostly. You guys didn't crash the party dirigible while I was away, did you?
 

SheilaJG

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Joy, the quilt is amazing! Nicely done!

Kitty - no flu here yet, fingers crossed. I picked up my son from basketball practice yesterday, and at the end the coach brought them into a huddle so they could have a cheer, and one kid was coughing all over everyone. Is it any wonder that kids spread germs like crazy? I think the middle graders are going to love you!

SMISH!!!! You are back! Yay! I was thinking about you as I read Hokey Pokey, because I know you like Spinelli. You must read it pronto. How did the move go?

Now we just have to send out a search party for Judy.