Category: Canterwood Crest

Another Canterwood Crest photo shoot pic

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I wanted to share my fave pic from the Canterwood shoot on Wednesday. I’m posing with this lovely bay horse and the famous Editor Kate. Now if you see her on the street and you want an early copy of Canterwood–chase her down. She’ll love it. 😉

So. Glad. It’s. Friday. But it’s gonna be a working weekend. Like, crazy-working. But I’m just happy to be home and not on a plane or at an airport. I’m trying to respond to reader email (I’ve, um, got 15 pages of new messages to go through), but I’m working on it. You guys have been sooo patient and I really appreciate it! 🙂 Also, if you sent me a book to sign, I mailed back a couple of them yesterday as well as responded to a couple of snail mail letters, so be on the look out for those. 🙂 Special shout out to an awesome reader who sent me tiny plastic horses in the mail. ❤ them!! Thank you!

What’s everyone else doing this weekend?

Canterwood Crest photo shoot pics!

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Yesterday was the third photo shoot for the Canterwood series!! We were shooting the covers for books 9-12 and it felt like a reunion of sorts, seeing my girls and the crew. I’m only posting pics that were Tweeted yesterday either by Editor K or I. The rest, hi-res beauties, will be posted around the releases of books 9-12. And maybe a few early ones here and there just to tease. 😉 Or, I might post pics for that specfic cover when it’s finished and I’m allowed to share it. Then you guys wouldn’t have to wait until 2010 to see the videos. That would be sad.

It was a fantastic day. I was up at 4something and the S&S crew (yep, I’m including myself in there) rode together to NJ for the shoot.

We got started around 7something and wrapped around 7:30 that night. Everyone was fabulous and it was the best shoot ever. The covers (ahem, Jessica Handelman) are going to be *insane*. In the best way. Thanks, also, to Russell Gordon for adding his artistic eye to the shoot.


That’s Paige Parker getting a wardrobe adjustment as we get ready to shoot. Aren’t you guys excited to finally see Paige on a cover?!

This is Editor K almost losing it when Zoe, the bay, tried to sniff her. The coversation after this shot:

Editor K: *shooting shocked/pretend-furious look at Totally Innocent Author* OMG! Why didn’t you save me? That horse was about to eat my jacket! You didn’t warn me!

Innocent Author: *swallows and fears for her life* I didn’t know that was gonna happen! *then laughs not so quietly to herself*

Then full out laughter from both parties ensued. Editor K was also later chased by a bee which, apparently, I should have saved from from as well, LOL. Ooops.

We’re getting set up for the first shoot of the day. The models, who are the *sweetest* girls, can turn on the attitude so fast for the camera. Amazing.

One of our photographer’s assistants getting the camera ready. Heavy duty, huh?

Finally, my main girl Sasha getting her hair touched up before a shot. Aren’t you in LOVE with her shirt? I think this was right before the horse drooled all over her when he stuck his head out of the stall door. She was so great about and got cleaned up and kept going.

Sooo….I also vlogged. All day. I interviewed each model, the stylists and took lots of behind the scenes footage of hair and make up. I’m still figuring out how/when I’ll be releasing the vlogs. I reaaalllly want to show you guys all of the video RIGHT NOW. 🙂

Enjoy the pics and know that when I told the models how much support there is for Team Canterwood, they said to say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who read and love the books.

Decatur Book Festival wrap up

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Inside The Little Shop of Stories…

A sweet display at the store


I love how cute the store is!


Emerging author stage


Welcome to the Decatur Book Festival!

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the Decatur Book Festival. I spoke at 2:30 on Saturday at the Target Children’s Stage and had a blast! I met some amazing readers and the audience asked a wide-range of questions. When you get to the end of your talk and you say “Thank you. Any questions?” it’s ALWAYS scary. You’re convinced no one will ask a question and you’ll just stand there, face burning and then run off stage. So thank YOU, audience members, for saving me from that. Much appreciated! 🙂

I spent time vlogging, chatting with authors I’d been online friends with but hadn’t met in person and hanging out in the author suite. It was a great trip and the entire festival was so well organized. The volunteers were beyond friendly and the staff was incredible.

Thanks again, DBF, for having me!

Team Editor Kate!

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These just went up on Publishers Marketplace:

August 12, 2009
Children’s:
Middle grade
Jessica Burkhart’s books 9-12 in CANTERWOOD CREST, the popular horse boarding school series, to Kate Angelella at Aladdin M!X, in a very nice deal, in a four-book deal, for publication in 2010, by Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Trident Media Group (NA).
August 12, 2009
Children’s:
Middle grade
PG Kain’s THE GO-SEE CHRONICLES series, an insider’s look at the fiercely competitive world of tween commercial acting beginning with “The Sea of Me,” in which a girl who has grown up with her face on everything from diapers to drink boxes needs to become a new and improved version of herself in order to maintain her edge over a sea of look-alike rivals, to Kate Angelella at Aladdin M!X, in a three-book deal, for publication in Spring 2011, by Alyssa Eisner Henkin at Trident Media Group (NA).

Yaaay for official announcements for Canterwood and my supercool friend PG! 🙂 Thanks so much to Alyssa for posting and go Team EK!

Links of awesome

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Big, big thanks to all of my reader girlies who are reviewing Triple Fault–thank you! The reviews, especially at Barnes and Noble, are so much fun and I heart you guys! I can’t say enough how much I appreciate it. Also, I owe MANY of you e-mails and since I’m going out of town next week, it might take me a little longer to e-mail back. But I will! 🙂

Got a couple of links to share:

The fab and supercool Mara at Whitebook Farm reviewed Behind the Bit. Thank you, Mara!

Terra is an extremely nice person and I’ve been talking to about the Decatur Book Festival. She did a blog post about Canterwood. Terra is also from Little Shop of Stories–so go check out her bookstore.

Happy Wednesday!

Canterwood Crest video from Lauren

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I was just to get offline last night when I got a YouTube message from Lauren aka JazztheJumper. She said she loved Canterwood and she also made the above video. Lauren, thank you SO much! I looove the video and hope everyone else does! Team Canterwood!

Best. Readers. Ever.

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I usually don’t blog on the weekends, but I had to! I asked my readers for help (leaving reviews of Triple Fault on book seller Websites of their choice in return for a super sparkly signed postcard) and you guys responded like I never expected. I mean, I know I have the most amazing, loyal readers, but your notes about Triple Fault (that’s *technically* not even out yet!) have been so, so lovely. I appreciate every one and if I owe you a postcard, it’ll be in the mail next week. Keep ’em coming and I’ll keep visiting the post office. 🙂 I appreciate EVERY review and Team Canterwood is AWESOME!

Yaaay!

I had a busy weekend. Some of the things accomplished:

Edits on Little White Lies

Wrote 12 new pages of Rival Revenge (and hey, it’s not even 6pm. There’s still time for more!) There’s a story behind this, btw. On Friday, I had this convo with BFF:

Me: So, I want to get 70 new pages this weekend.

BFF: That’s great–totally good goal. And you’re taking Saturday off, right?

Me: *blinks* How can I if I want to write 70?

BFF: *you’re-an-idiot stare* I thought you said 7 pages.

Me: No, 70.

I realized soon after that convo ended that 70 a) was insane and b) wasn’t gonna happen. So I missed my goal. But oh, well. I’ll be happy if I hit 20 pages for the weekend.

Edited the first 30 pages of RR on paper

Cleaned my apt

Read some manuscript pages aloud to friends’ felines–not sure if they liked some parts, but you know, I’ll rewrite.

Sent a half-dozen e-mails to schools in Baltimore about author visits.

So many of you were also working this weekend. Update me!

Thanks, Katelyn!

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A quick note to say THANK YOU to Katelyn for sending me the first fan e-mail about TRIPLE FAULT. Katelyn, that was so, so sweet and Editor Kate and I loved it. 🙂 You rock! Team Canterwood!

To everyone who has been asking–TF is available in some stores now (like Barnes & Noble), at Amazon and will be showing up everywhere else very soon. Thanks so much for already looking for it! 🙂