Cynthia Lord's Blog, page 15

My next novel, Half a Chance, is set on a lake in New Hampshire. This was my front yard when I was growing up.



Is it any wonder that water plays such a big role in my books?

The bay near my house has frozen over. Though I like to complain about winter, it really is beautiful and I do need that slowing down, quieter time.

Fa la la la la la!

We had two delightful days of family Christmas parties, even though we've been having an ice storm in Maine. It's been lovely to have my daughter home!



Milo, my little sous chef, helped by overseeing the lobster rolls for the parties (and he sampled the lobster to be sure it was good).

I have to go back to writing today, because I have three different books that need something from me in the next couple weeks!

Brookfield, Connecticut

1. I gave my last school visit of 2013 this week in beautiful Brookfield, Connecticut.  This was my third time visiting Whisconier Middle School, and every time I go, the kids are fabulous.

2. My daughter comes home today for Christmas! I'm so excited to see her and have her home.

3. While I was in Connecticut, I found out that Half A Chance (Feb 2014) was chosen as a Junior Library Guild selection! This is my first JLG book, and I'm thrilled. :)

4. Also, Hot Rod Hamster: Monster Truck Mania (March 2014) received a glowing and fun review in Kirkus! https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cynthia-lord/monster-truck-mania/

5. My family is hosting two Christmas parties this weekend and now the weather says freezing rain on both days. Nooooooo!  We have lobster (which is how we lure our families to make the drive to Maine!), but now I'm thinking if the weather is bad, there may be no one here to eat it!

It's snowing and blowing up a storm here in Maine this morning, but I got a summery little present from Scholastic yesterday that warms me, even with the wind knocking on the windows. My first hardcover copy.

I see and sometimes use the convenience of ebooks when I read, but it doesn't compare to running your hand over a glossy book jacket and the smell of real pages. A whole world inside a sharp-cornered little rectangle.

Here's a little secret about the cover. It was made from several photos together, but the lake behind the kids is Lake Umbagog in New Hampshire, a photo taken by my husband one night when he and I went on a boat ride, and I sat with my notebook on my knees and recorded pages and pages of details for Half a Chance.

Here's my husband's original photo.

I worked on kids' mail all day today, and I'm finally caught up! So many sweet, smart letters. Here's a little sample of lines that touched me or made me smile.


Your book showed me that everybody means something to our world. --Jacob

My brothers and I have a rubber duckie collection, too! We have 106 total. Believe it or not they all have names: Holly Quack, Lady Quack, Sir Quack, FIre Duck. . .we are very proud of our collection. --Corinne

Catherine does not always like David, and I know how that feels because taking care of someone is a tough job. --Brayden

I help my brother when he needs me, just like Catherine. --Sophia

I only have ten pages left to read, but I wish there were more. --Erin

Kids love books. I should know because I'm a kid. --Bridget

We got into our groups and as soon as we did, we began reading. We couldn't get away from the book, which is surprising because usually none of us like to read. --Libby

My older sister read your book 5 times when she was my age. I have read it 7 times!  --Hannah

I know I'm asking you a lot of questions, but it's not every day students get an opportunity to write to a favorite author, right? --Elaine

This book talked to my heart. --Artie

I like the way you write without using too many adjectives. You balanced the book out. --Ally

Everyone deserves someone who loves them to pieces. --Channing

I loved the book and so did my classmates because if we had to do something else, everyone would boo. --Isabel

If you write another Rules, I think David should give Catherine a goldfish named Thelma. --Yukika

*heart squish*

Yesterday after working on my book, I went Christmas shopping in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. I love summer places in the off-season.









I was thinking of my dad. His birthday was last week and it was hard to turn the December calendar page and see his name on the 3rd, written boldly back in January when we had written all the birthdays on the 2013 calendar.

There's a "minus one" in our holiday plans. One less seat at the table, one less plate, one less person to buy presents for.

And I was thinking about how he wouldn't read any of my 2014 books. Right before he died, we joked together that he had to go before Half a Chance, my next novel, was published because otherwise he'd have to read it. He laughed and I laughed. That was how we joked with each other. He wasn't a reader, so I was a little glad that he didn't *have* to read it, but I know he would have done so--because he loved me.

As I was standing on a snow-covered wharf taking some photos, up popped a loon. Loons spend their winters on the ocean and trade their striking black-and-white summer colors for winter grays. They are a big thread in Half a Chance. He looked right at me and I looked back and took this one photo--fuzzy because my hands were shaking--before he rolled forward and dove away.

I won't need to buy my dad a present this year, but it felt like maybe the universe sent me one.

I had fun with this "create your own snowflake" website. And you don't even end up with little bits of paper all over the floor!

http://www.akidsheart.com/holidays/winter/snowflake.htm