Massachusetts Kid Lit Meet Up

We're having a Meet Up!

When: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 @ 7:30 p.m.

Where: Aprile's European Restaurant, No. Chelmsford, MA

Who: Anyone interested in Children's Books--authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, Agents, Editors, Readers...you get the idea.

If you're interested and/or have any ideas for future locations, please let me know!

Hope to see you there!

Reminder--Children's Lit Meet Up

Reminder about the NESCBWI Meet Up on Tuesday, December 6!

When: Tuesday, December 6, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Aprile's European Restaurant in North Chelmsford, MA

Who: Anyone interested in Children's Books--authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, Agents, Editors, Readers...you get the idea. All are welcome!

We'll be in the bar area--order from the bar, eat dinner, apps or dessert, or just come and chat. No formal program.

Please help spread the word to anyone who might be interested. Hope to see you there!

Heather, Lynda, and Jean from Meet Up last Spring

Central Mass Kid Lit Meet Up

Never underestimate the value of networking, socializing, getting to know others. It CAN help your writing to get out of the house, up off the couch, and meet others who share your passion.

Last spring, I envied another region's writers because they were having a Meet Up in Atlanta. So much so, that I decided to host my own, in my own region. And as Kevin Costner says (or was is Ray Liotta?), if you build it, they will come. Anyway, someone said that once. And it's true. 

We now have a core group of about 15-20 folks from Eastern Mass, Southern New Hampshire, and a few who drive further to join us. We'd love to see you on Tuesday, December 6!

When: Tuesday, December 6, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Aprile's European Restaurant
Who: Anyone interested in Children's Books--authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, Agents, Editors, Readers...you get the idea. All are welcome!

We'll be in the bar area--order from the bar, eat dinner, apps or dessert, or just come and chat. No formal program.

Please help spread the word to anyone who might be interested. Hope to see you there!

Alicia Gregoire, Ansha Kotyk, and Julia Bourque from a Meet Up in 2011

Big Books and Good Friends

Sometimes kicking back with a good friend and a book is the best thing to clear your mind.

It's no secret that I've got a lot going on--scouts, work, family, and oh yeah, revising my novel--not to mention writing something new. But this weekend, on a mini-vacation with my family, we ran into my good friend Ansha Kotyk, on vacation with her own family. We didn't plan it, but we spent the day together. And. Had. A. Blast.

How could we not take this picture with a giant story book?!?!

Some day soon I'll get back to insightful and relevant blog posts, but until then, enjoy!

And by the way, if you live in So. New Hampshire or Eastern Massachusetts (or elsewhere, but you like to drive!), join both Ansha and me at Aprile's European Restaurant on September 27 at 7:30 in North Chelmsford, MA. It's our bi-monthly NESCBWI Meet Up!

Kid Lit Meet Up for Central and Eastern Massachusetts

You know you'll need to get away from the kids by the end of September for an evening...

When: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Aprile's Restaurant in Chelmsford, MA

Who: Anyone interested in Children's Books--authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, Agents, Editors, Readers...you get the idea.

If you're interested and/or have any ideas for future locations, please let me know!

For those that attended last time, this time we'll be hanging out in and around the bar! No formal table settings!

Please RSVP to me at @KristineAsselin or krisasselin (at) yahoo (dot) com so we know how many to plan for (and so I don't run out of nametags this time!)

Hope you see you there!

Making New Friends

I love being a part of the Children's Lit community--last night in Burlington, MA over 25 writers and illustrators, as well as one agent and an editor, gathered to network, share personal stories, and make friends. As some of you know, this started as a sort of experiment last February when I decided I wanted to go to a Writers Meet Up close to home--there wasn't one, so I threw it myself. This was the third event and the mostly successful as far as numbers.

It was great to see some old friends, and make some new ones. If you missed it, we'll be having another one in September. Date and location to be announced.

If you're not in our area, consider planning your own event! "If you build it, they will come!"

Alicia Gregoire, Ansha Kotyk, and Julia Bourque

Lyndy Mullaly-Hunt and Greg Fishbone

Susan Carlton, Marianne Knowles, and Ron Seifer

Kid Lit Meet Up

Networking is important. And can be fun too. Make new friends, and meet like minded people.

I know we writers tend to be a little nervous away from our keyboards, but if you're in the greater Boston/Eastern/Central Massachusetts area, we'll be meeting at Paparazzi in Burlington, MA at 7:30 on June 21. I'd love to see you there! Ping me @KristineAsselin or krisasselin (at) yahoo (dot) com. Anyone interested in children's books is welcome--writers, illustrators, bloggers, librarians, agents, editors, anyone!

I'm working on putting together a schedule so people can plan ahead. Stay tuned for that. And let me know if you have any suggestion for locations.

Kid Lit Lovers in New England

Well, that's broad, isn't it?

I started out with Central Massachusetts. But we're moving a bit east this time. And last time, someone from Connecticut drove up. And we're not that far from Southern New Hampshire. So if you're in the area, and you love children's book (read them, write them, illustrate them, represent them, publish them, etc.) please feel free to join us at the Paparazzi in Burlington, Massachusetts on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m.

If you can let know me you're coming, that would be great--@KristineAsselin. We'd like to have an approximate count, but feel free to just show up if that works better for you.

When: Tuesday, June 21, 2011. 7:30 p.m.
Where: Paparazzi, Burlington, MA. 
 Who: Anyone interested in Children's Books--authors, illustrators, librarians, booksellers, Agents, Editors, Readers...you get the idea.
If you're interested and/or have any ideas for location, please let me know!

Hope to see you there!

Mega Start of Summer Contest

It's the start of summer! Well, it doesn't feel like it where I am, but the calendar doesn't lie!

Go over and follow AFTERGLOW BOOK REVIEWS -- there's a mega Start of Summer Giveaway starting on today!

Win great prizes donated by the contributors of the blog.

And then, if you're in New England, put June 21 on your calendar. We'll be reliving some of the fun times from the NESCBWI conference and celebrating the start of summer by having a children's writers/illustrators Meet Up in Burlington, Massachusetts. We haven't selected the location yet, so if you have any suggestions, let us know! And we look forward to seeing you there!