Through the Eyes of an Author

“The Author shall from time to time give to her readers information on the State of the Books.”

Friends are always asking me the status of my books and when the next sequel is due out, so I thought I’d recap where things stand. My first book, Through the Eyes of a Raptor (Raptor for short) is in a holding pattern for the time being. I self-published it back in May ’07 with the goal of finding a mainstream publisher for it. I still have that goal, but my current focus is on my newest book, which has strong momentum just now. In early 2008 a small publisher, PublishingWorks, offered to work with me on a new series, and that was the birth of The Wolf’s Apprentice Series, the first book being The Grey Ghost (GG for short), which came out in April ‘09.

GG did remarkably well! Bookstores around the country voted it #3 on the Summer Kids’ Indie Next List in June ‘09, and we sold through the first printing by early fall. I spent last summer and fall writing the sequel (the series will be 12 books), and that’s when things got interesting. My publisher was struggling financially and wasn’t in a position to support the series at the pace it was moving. We spent the fall negotiating a deal that we settled in late Dec. As of Jan 1, 2010, all rights to The Grey Ghost reverted to me. That means I can now sell the entire series, including GG, to a larger publishing house.

I bought back the entire 2nd printing of GG, and I’m working directly with a distributor so that GG remains “in print” and available through all standard wholesale channels. In fact, it’s now more broadly available than it was with my previous publisher, so all bookstores and libraries can order it through their normal channels. When I heard last week that The Grey Ghost won a Mom’s Choice Award, it became my responsibility to order the medallion stickers for the book covers (normally a publisher would do that). That’s why I’m ordering and stickering several thousand book covers myself. This is definitely learning the publishing business from the inside out - in other words, on the job training!

The exciting news is that there’s active interest among the big publishing houses for The Wolf’s Apprentice Series, and my agent is working on those negotiations. Until we have a contract with a new publisher I won’t have a date for the release of GG’s sequel, titled The Strath of Death, but the manuscript is written and I’m hopeful there will be more to report in the near future.

My efforts at the moment are promoting GG to schools, and polishing The Strath of Death’s manuscript while we wait on a contract, but Raptor is not forgotten. It’s simply waiting its turn. The more successful GG is, the easier it will be to sell the Raptor series. Stay tuned all, and thanks for your support! 

One of my favorite picture books from 2009 is Duck! Rabbit! by the versatile children’s author Amy Krause Rosenthal. I don’t know where Amy finds the time, but she’s just launched an entertaining new blog at: http://blogs.vocalo.org/blog/amykr. Unlike my blog that often suffers from neglect when things get busy, Amy will make three posts on a fun new theme each week. Wow, that’ll put me to shame!

Her first post describes the view from her usual table at the coffeehouse she often writes from. The view is of an ATM machine. Talk about coincidence! On most mornings you’ll find me at The Muffin Shop here in Marblehead, writing from my preferred table by the window, and my view is also of a bank. The ATM is just inside the doors, while Amy’s is outside, but I guess caffeine and a view of a bank universally equal literary inspiration. Amy’s mission this week is to re-brand ATM to mean “Always Trust Magic!” I have to say, as a fantasy author, I do!

Check out her blog, and be sure to post your own comments and thoughts! Hey, who knows—if she gets enough visitors from my site, she might just write a post about my blog!

Here’s another Web post that I missed at the time it was made. The American Booksellers’ Association, or ABA, featured me in their weekly newsletter, Bookselling This Week, back in July.

Author Wins IndieBound Points Contest

July 22, 2009

To mark its first anniversary, IndieBound has drawn a winner for the IndieBound.org points contest — Julie Hahnke of Marblehead, Massachusetts. Hahnke, author of The Grey Ghost, a Summer Kids’ Indie Next List pick, won a $50 gift card to her local indie bookstore, Spirit of ‘76 in Marblehead.

The contest awarded visitors to IndieBound.org points for creating a profile, for contributing to a discussion, leaving a note for another user, becoming a fan of a store, and participating in other activities on the site. Hahnke’s name was selected randomly from the IndieBound community members who had accumulated more than 100 points.

In a note on IndieBound.org, Hahnke, who is using her prize to purchase children’s and teen books for a secondary school library in Ghana, explained what independents mean to her:

Huzzah! to Indies all across the country! It’s your energy and excitement that has fueled The Grey Ghost’s success. I’m grateful for your enthusiasm, and my question is, what can I do for you?

In a scary economy where financial stability is as fragile as a spider’s web, it’s tempting to let the lowest price drive our purchase decisions. And yet, price isn’t everything. In many ways, it’s the least thing.

When bookstores support authors, when communities support their independent businesses, and when authors support communities, we create a web of mutual benefit for everyone that’s adamantine hard. It’s all about dreaming and our desire to realize our dreams. Our dreams are all different, but if we support others as they strive to realize theirs, we’ll find a community of mutual respect and gratitude circling around us, helping us realize our own.

That’s what IndieBound is about — building and sustaining communities one dream and one transaction at a time!

I thought it would be appropriate to use my IndieBound gift card to help support another community — one that’s far off geographically, but very close to my heart.

My dear friend and illustrator, Marcia Christensen, is the Queen Mother to an African village in Ghana. Marcia and her husband, Jim, have been supporting this community for years, building a church, creating a school, establishing scholarships, and developing a library at a nearby secondary school for girls.

With my IndieBound gift card, I’m purchasing children’s and teen books for the secondary school library in Mawuko, Ghana. I’ve chosen some of my favorites, picking titles that represent broad cultural diversity for a range of ages. Here’s what I’m sending them:

 

• The Grey Ghost (Julie Hahnke, PublishingWorks, donated by Hahnke)
• The Book Thief (Markus Zusak, Knopf Books for Young Readers)
• If Not for the Cat (Jack Prelutsky, Greenwillow)
• Under the Persimmon Tree (Suzanne Fisher Staples, Square Fish)
• Aleutian Sparrow (Karen Hesse, Aladdin)
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Simon & Schuster Children’s)                                 –J.H.

Topics: News - Bookselling, IndieBound, People,

Here’s the link if you’d like to view this on the ABA’s Web site: http://news.bookweb.org/news/6936.html

With dozens of upcoming school visits competing for my time while I finish the sequel to The Grey Ghost, I’ve once again neglected my blog. I’m traveling to schools on Cape Cod tomorrow and was sorting out my agenda this afternoon when I stumbled across this blog post from Children’s Librarian, Karen Arnold, at the Falmouth Public Library on the Cape. It was posted on Aug 29, during the Obama family’s visit to Cape Cod.

Rainy Day Reading Choices for Malia and Sasha

I’d like to introduce a new buzzword for educators: let’s strive for “sustainable learning” in our schools. For too long, our schools have driven curriculum around student test performance and rigid testing requirements have frustrated our teachers. Yes, we need to measure the success of student learning so that we don’t leave any kids behind. But if that learning isn’t sustainable—if the students don’t remember the lessons in one, five, or even fifty years—then is their education a success, even if they pass the test? I’d say no.

Sustainable learning is about teaching lessons that resonate with students—ones they won’t forget. Because what good is an education that evaporates with age? And how can you inspire a love of learning in students if the lessons and curriculum lack juice and excitement? How can we achieve sustainable learning? By delivering memorable and fun lessons that students will never forget. 

An attractive vehicle for sustainable learning is the use of stories and animation in curriculum. Kids love to create video clips and post them on the Internet. Everyone can draw and that’s all it takes to create animated videos.

This summer I’ve had the pleasure to partner with FableVision Learning, an educational software company with some amazing products. Using their student animation product, Animation-Ish, we’ve created a video that showcases what’s possible when using animation in the classroom—in this case, animation about The Grey Ghost and some of the curriculum ties in my story.

Here’s the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ0wpTXOHFI

You can also view the video on FableVision Learning’s Web site (it doesn’t link back to YouTube, so it’s school-friendly):

http://fablevisionlearning.com/blog/?p=599

Enjoy and dream big!

I’d like to share an experience I had five years ago.

September 13, 2004
This last weekend I flew from Boston to Pittsburgh (via Washington D.C.) to compete in the bagpipe events at the Ligonier Highland Games. When I arrived in Pittsburgh, I learned United had lost my garment bag – the one holding my carefully packed kilt. (At piping competitions, one must perform in Highland attire.) I was at the airport until well after midnight on Friday night and then again early Saturday, on the promise that the bag would arrive first thing in the morning (my first time of play was 11am Sat.)
It didn’t. It never left D.C. I drove the hour and a half to Ligonier spewing a stream of caustic invective, not knowing if I’d even be allowed to compete; I’d never tested the “Highland attire” rule before. The organizers and my judges were understanding and allowed me to play in my jeans (clothing now in its second day and with no toothbrush, or chance to buy one, I spoke to folks at arm’s length.) I didn’t do well in the overall placings, but was grateful for having the chance to compete.

My bag made it to Pittsburgh in time to be checked in for my flight home Saturday night (also routed through DC). It had been a long day and a frustrating trip. Had it been worth the effort?
The last leg (Washington to Boston) was a late flight. The plane was half empty and the lights were down so people could sleep. At about 10:30, the pilot came on and announced we were approaching Manhattan and that the World Trade Center ‘Tribute in Light’ was visible out our left window.

I’d forgotten that it was September 11^th. I looked out at the pillars of light blazing up at us and realized that this memorial was as much for those in the air as it was for those on the ground. Passengers on the left side of the plane got up so everyone had a chance to see it.
While some had been sleeping or dozing before, now soft conversation filled the darkened cabin. Most reminisced about where they were three years ago when it happened. The flight attendants spoke quietly among themselves about friends and colleagues who’d been lost (this was a United flight).

Here we were on 9/11, flying the reverse route of those ill-fated planes, over Manhatten gazing down on the beacons that cried out the site of such horrible loss. I rose and made an offer to my flight attendant, who replied with a determined nod. Retrieving them from the overhead compartment, I unpacked my pipes and (kneeling, because of the low ceiling) played a slow, deliberate Amazing Grace. The pilots opened the locked cockpit door to listen. Moist-eyed flight attendants formed a wall behind me. After, there was no conversation – there was nothing left to say. A few whispered “thank you’s” slipped through the silence. But beyond that we rode the last few miles burrowed in our own thoughts.

I’m still filled with emotions I can’t begin to describe, nor will ever forget. My trip was well worth it.

I’ve been very fortunate these last several months to get to know author and illustrator Peter Reynolds, his family, his bookstore The Blue Bunny, and his magicilicious company Fablevision.

I’m writing this on the eve of September 11th. I have a remembrance I want to share about 9/11 from several years ago. But that’s tomorrow’s post. I can’t think of anything more appropriate today than to celebrate both life and life contributions.

Others have aptly told the story I want to share, so I won’t steal their words. The release date on Peter’s new book, Rose’s Garden, is moving up because of Senator Edward Kennedy’s death last month. Peter’s book celebrates the Senator’s mother’s—Rose Kennedy’s—enduring vision and gifts to us all. Peter offers a story that will touch children of all ages on so many levels.

You can read a story about Peter’s story here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6695657.html

And you can see an early preview of Rose’s Garden here: http://www.rosekennedygreenway.org/programs/telefable/index.htm

Nicely done, Peter!

Once again the summer has rushed by at high speed! And as I’ve said before, when things get busy blogs get neglected. Those silly luna moths certainly required a lot of care, but it was because I had so darned many. What was I thinking when I ordered 120 eggs? About three weeks after they spun their cocoons, just when I thought I’d have a quiet rest until they hatched next May, I started finding adult moths hanging from the walls of my apartment—they hatched early! Longer daylight lengths can trigger short cocoon stays, so I guess they mistook my late nights working on the computer as warm Florida evenings! So the luna project has concluded for this year, but I will be documenting it on my Web site. It was exciting watching them all eclose!

I’d hoped to finish the second book in The Wolf’s Apprentice Series by now, but developing The Grey Ghost’s curriculum guide, and a wonderful new relationship with Fablevision Learning have slowed my writing down. I’ll be posting more about this! I did find time to research the series’ back story more thoroughly and I’m very excited with what Angus has in store!

I just mailed off the books I donated to the Mawuko Girls’ School library in Ghana. You can read more about that here: http://www.indiebound.org/articles/julie-hahnke/huzzah-indies.

And . . . my publisher announced last week that we’ve sold through all of The Grey Ghost inventory and we’re going into a second printing!!! Yay!

Did I actually finish that last post hoping those bazillions of caterpillars would eat and grow? There’s sage truth to the saying, “Be careful what you wish for!” They did eat and grow, and eat and poop, and grow and eat, and poop and poop. I’ve spent enormous amounts of time during the last few weeks collecting leaves and feeding and cleaning caterpillar containers. It was easy when they were little, but the mature caterpillars are quite large and eat constantly. The lunas are as big or bigger than my pinky, and the cecropias are longer than my forefinger and fatter than my thumb!

It’s been an amazing experience, though, and I’ve loved watching, photographing, and filming these guys and learning their ways. Even more fun, I’ve run three different kids programs where I explained the luna moth’s life cycle with my photos and video, and I offered up caterpillars for adoption. I placed about 30 caterpillars into some very excited homes. Well . . . the kids were excited and the moms were good sports!

Most of the caterpillars have spun their cocoons during this last week, though I’m still waiting on the final few. There are a handful that have grown so slowly, I’m sure they won’t survive, but who knows. I have 43 luna cocoons at the moment, and I’m expecting to still get another dozen or so. And the cecropias did quite well. They’re very difficult to raise successfully indoors, but they seemed to enjoy my terrarium. Of the 11 cecropias that hatched, 6 made it through the final molt and 5 have spun their enormous cocoons (as big as your hand). The 6th should spin sometime this weekend.

I’ll be sharing my photos and video on my Web site when I get some time. I’ll use the luna moth lifecycle material as part of the curriculum guide we’re developing for The Grey Ghost, and it will be freely available for classroom use. In the meantime, if any teachers or school librarians are interested in a cocoon for your classroom, I’ll accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis. I will charge $10 per cocoon plus postage to help cover my expenses, but I’ll provide full instructions on care and on how you can use the cocoon with your class.

These guys will now spend the rest of the summer, fall, and winter sleeping. We won’t see them again until next spring. Sleep well, my buggies!

Luna moth caterpillars typically hatch from eggs 8-12 days after they’re laid. After my moths failed to fulfill their dynastic obligations to the next generation, I ordered 120 luna moth eggs. And for kicks, I threw in 12 cecropia moth eggs. As a kid I heard my mother’s stories from her childhood about catching a cecropia moth. They’re even larger than lunas, with a 6″ wingspan! All my life I’ve wanted to see one. I’ve seen wild lunas and I hatched a pair in college from cocoon. But the cecropia has remained an unrequited dream. They’re harder to raise than lunas, but I couldn’t resist!

I received 130 luna eggs and 15 cecropia eggs and put them into clear plastic dishes with lids and waited. This last Saturday 104 itty bitty caterpillars were crawling around in the dishes when I got home from the farmers’ market. Birth! Lunas eat white birch leaves, and I had some branches in water waiting for the lil’ guys. So I moved the ‘pillars to 6×6x2″ plastic ziploc containers with fresh leaves. You can’t put the leaves in with the eggs or the CO2 the leaves give off will suffocate the unhatched eggs.

Through the day a few more stragglers hatched and the count stood at 109 lunas by the end of the day. On Sunday morning I found 9 tiny black cecropia caterpillars crawling around their dish. They prefer to dine on cherry leaves, and I had their branches likewise ready in water. They’re chunkier than the luna ‘pillars and they undergo wonderful color changes each time they shed their skin! They’ll grow up to 4.5″ before they spin their cocoons!

Caterpillars are extremely dependent on the moisture they get from the leaves they eat to survive. Because they eat “cut” leaves when raised indoors, which lose moisture as they dry out after being cut, the caterpillars must be kept in an airtight environment. This slows the leaves’ drying out. There’s plenty of oxygen for the ‘pillars, but it’s the humidity they need more.

So they were all supposed to hatch at the same time. No one said more might hatch the next day . . . and sure enough some did. I changed out the old leaves for fresh on Sunday and 3 lunas had died, but 13 more hatched from egg. And 2 more cecropias hatched on Monday. I changed out leaves again today (you have to change leaves at least every other day so the fragile babies get enough moisture from their food.) and found one luna ‘pillar dead (it looked like it had never begun eating), but 118 healthy ‘pillars who’d nearly tripled in length! (Now close to 1 cm long). Then I found one more tiny tiny hatchling in the egg dish. He must have come out today - 3 days after the first batch! We’ll see if he makes it!

Cecropias don’t fare well when raised indoors, so I moved my 11 (2 more hatched yesterday) into my terarium. It will provide more even humidity, good air flow, and give the bigger dudes some good crawling space. So far, so good!

The current roster is 119 luna pillars (including this very late hatchling that might not make it) and 11 cecropias. They’ll molt, or shed their outer skin, 4 times in nearly weekly intervals, before they spin their cocoon. Each molt cycle is referred to as an instar. So they hatch from egg into their first instar. Sometime around this weekend they’ll molt into their second instar, etc. The period of molting is the riskiest for raising ‘pillars. They’re extremely fragile during the molting process. And they’re at highest risk before reaching their 3rd instar. So I have no idea what to expect, but I’m keeping careful counts on each plastic tub (12 tubs to hold all the luna ‘pillars), and the 11 cecropias in the terrarium.

Eat and grow!!!