Texas, Here I Come!

Apr 21, 2013 Leave a comment

Oh man I’ve been a bad blogstress. Sorry for the absence, things have just been a bit wild lately with the baby learning to crawl and tearing door stoppers off the wall and climbing the bookshelves and generally just sticking everything on the floor in his mouth… It’s been pretty hilarious though, I have to admit.

Anyway, things are great here! I just finished a video interview for my German publisher, which I will be posting here at some point. If you haven’t met me in person you can finally see just how smooth and articulate I actually am (Yeah. Right.).

AND, I’m so excited because this week I’ll be joining the lovely PJ Hoover, Marissa Meyer, and others to talk about Other Worlds at TLA. Which will be sort of funny, since my world isn’t so other…but hey. It’s going to be awesome. The fabulous Kendare Blake will also be there, but she’ll be talking about Other Stuff. Can’t wait.

Things on the BREAKING POINT front are going well. I’ve been having fun chatting and Skyping with readers, including a very fun Q & A session with the Kentucky School for the Blind this past week. Also, just as a reminder, I do have a study guide for students and book clubs. If you are interested, please email me (kris10simmons@gmail.com) and I will send it over.

Other than that I’ve been editing during baby nap times. My first round revisions for the GLASS ARROW (a stand alone story coming out after the A5 trilogy) are complete, and I’m preparing to work on edits for THREE (ARTICLE 5, book…you guessed it…3). Revising is not always my favorite part of the process, not going to lie, so it’s been a little tenuous. But I always feel better with the product once I’m done, so that’s good.

And with that, I’m off to Texas. Yee-haw, ya’ll. Have a great week!

BREAKING POINT Book Tour Recap

Mar 17, 2013 9 Comments

I’m baaaaaaackkkkkkkk!

Last week was absolutely amazing. So much fun. Thank you to everyone who came out and said ‘hello.’ The BREAKING POINT Book Tour could not have gone better. Here’s a visual recap of all the fun…

…beginning with a visit to one of my favorite places. The Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen in Louisville, Kentucky. Yes, I went there before going anywhere else. Is it any wonder why?

Okay, I may have accrued two of these on the first day. (Insert string of curse words here.) But after that, smooth sailing!

Monday night we went to Crestview Hills, KY, just outside of Cincinnati, OH. Everyone was so nice. Even the baby had a good time – everyone could hear him screeching like a dinosaur all the way across the store.

Thanks to Joseph Beth Booksellers for making BREAKING POINT their book of the month!

And yes, I made these lovely ladies pose with me. Aren’t they great? The fabulous Bookseller Sarah and Ali (of Ali’s Bookshelf) are included.

The next day I was fortunate enough to visit with the students of the Kentucky School for the Blind. They had read ARTICLE 5 both in the classroom and as part of last semester’s Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) program.

I learned so much from the students and their teachers. Pictured above is a Book Port Plus, just one of the many devices that helps students with visual impairments read. Several other students had read the hardcover, or listened to the audio book.

The process of turning a book to Braille is long, but the outcome is often worth the wait. Here is a gift from the KSB Library – a beautiful Braille children’s book entitled THE WOLVES ARE BACK. Thank you KSB!

That night we journeyed to Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington, the largest bookstore ever (besides maybe Powell’s in Portland, Oregon). The store, which I had the pleasure of visiting last year, is breathtaking. I could spend hours here (and did – there is even a full restaurant inside).

This very pretty horse sat with me the entire time I spoke. He was very well behaved.

Had a lovely time talking about the book and visiting with some awesome Chase (and Rosa!) fans. Hi girls! The next days were filled with school visits. Thanks to the students and teachers of Eastern High School and Moore Traditional School for making me feel so welcome. We had really great discussions on the Moral Statutes and what rules in our world are “fair.” Which was almost as exciting as standing in front of a bulletin board with my name on it.

Yeah…these guys…they were so funny.

And then there was the ever fabulous Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky, just down the street from a very crucial scene in Breaking Point (Ember’s home). It was a great event, we packed the house with friends and fans. Such a heartwarming, emotional reunion. I love that place! I love those PEOPLE!

And in conclusion, this was the giant statue just down the street from my hotel. That’s all I have to say about that.

Thanks to all the great people at Tor who made this possible, and for everyone who came out to visit. You made this week very special for me.