Advice from The Best

I've been thinking a lot about this past year, my book's debut. 

So of course, I love this Cynsations interview, filled with advice 

from Rita Williams-Garcia via Cynthia Leitich Smith. 

Here's a bit of it:

What advice do you have for the debut authors of 2012?

My advice is hypocritical, but it is still good. Put at least one third of your energy into creating your online presence when your book comes out.

I know, I know. I shrink from blogging, I tweet modestly, and you won't catch me on radio. But do these things, anyway.

While you’re doing that, you should be deep in the throes of writing your next book. Write 40,000 good words every year. Always have a story going.

CLICK HERE to read every single word of that interview!

CLICK HERE to read my review of her terrific book One Crazy Summer.

Here's another review of and a few of my thoughts, as shared on Joyce Moyer Hostetter's history blog.

When I speak to kids, at the end of my talk, I love to tell them:

Now go right home and ask your grandparents, your neighbors, anybody who lived through these interesting, challenging times, to tell you all about it.

I stole that idea from Williams-Garcia's Horn Book interview:

"I’m hoping younger readers will uncover more personal stories through the “live historians” in their homes and neighborhoods." Rita Williams-Garcia