Can't shut me up!!

Probably the coolest thing about having a YA (Young Adult for those who don't know) book out there is the reception by schools.

I'm a ...let's say 'lively' speaker .. I'm not shy, and I like to have fun, particularly when I get a microphone in my hands.

And schools like enthusiastic writers!

Think about it, most writers want to do just that ... write. Well, being ambidextrous, I not only write, but I right .. and, er, left.

(head scratching)

Where was I going with this?

Oh, yeah, writers can be ... well ... dull in person. No, not all of them, some are quite fun to listen to. But most of them are writers because they aren't speakers.

I, on the other hand, was a speaker before being a writer, and I love doing what my wife calls, 'showing off.'

So how does this relate?

It relates because I'm getting quite a few speaking engagements with schools. I'll be doing two Chicago writing fairs in the next two months and speaking over the next few months with (as of today) seven schools. I've also spoken with several Girl Scout Troops and am working on a big Boy Scout meeting.

Boo-ya! I'm in my element. I love talking with groups that still think the word, "poop" is something to giggle about.

Cuz we're just having fun, y'know!

Norm

http://fangface.homestead.com

Girl Scout Halloween cookies

"They're just little girls," my wife said. "You don't want to scare them."

"Yeah, you're right," I said reluctantly. "I won't do anything to frighten them."

So I packed my stuff and headed off to the Girl Scout meeting which was taking place a couple nights before Halloween.

Sandy's right, I thought to myself. As fun as it would be to scare the snot out of some little girls, they were just that ... little girls. And having raised a couple of them myself, would I want some old fart showing up and trying to scare them out of their cookies?

Of course not.

I resigned myself to just relaxing and toning it down a notch.

Pity.

I'd been thinking of coming in, turning off the lights and coming in all bedecked in my vampire costume and ... well, trying to scare those cookies.

But no, it was not to be.

So I showed up at the church where Girl Scout Troop #384 would be planning their next year's cookie sales plus doing their secret handshakes and all the other stuff they do when there aren't any guys around.

When I pulled into the parking lot, it was empty, except a lone minivan.

Oh, no, I thought to myself, I came the wrong night, or to the wrong church ... or, well, something else.

With trepidation, I went to the back door and pulled the handle.

It was open. I figured someone would be there and maybe this someone would know where the actual meeting was. Or they could give me some of those really yummy caramel coconut cookies to help me cookie my sorrow.

Instead, I heard some sinister music from some scary movie where the chick always tries to escape a bad guy by backing up and tripping over a root. The meeting room was partially closed, dark with a strobe light and a hand made sign on the door threatening, "Enter at your own risk!"

Boo-Ya! Fun scary critters!

So I ducked into the Men's room, changed into my vampire uniform, and entered the dark room with with glee.

No, I mean, I was scared ... as far as they know.

Norm

http://www.fangface.homestead.com

Toothy Girl Scouts

"What's the difference between a girl and a boy," I asked the dozen bright eyed Girl Scouts on a Monday evening a couple days ago.

They started giggling.

"I mean," I continued, "besides the fact you go into different restrooms."

More giggling.

"Boy Scouts wouldn't schedule a meeting when Monday Night Football is on," I finished.

But it was cool. Really cool.

I was giving a presentation to a Girl Scout troop.

I lucked into because I just happened to be hanging around in a store they were having an Amazing Race in. A bunch of girls would burst through the doors, one would sit on one side of a small screen and another on the other. Then they had to match two dozen socks by description alone.

While watching, I thought, "hey, I need more coffee."

Oops, wrong thought. I mean, I thought it, but that's not the one relevant to this post. What I actually thought was, "hey, teenaged girls. That's my reading audience!"

Fang Face was still two months from release, but it wasn't too early to start drumming up opportunities.

So I asked the lady manning, er, womaning the sock match race who the kids were. She said they were Girl Scouts.

Huh, didn't recognize them without the cookies.

Anyway, I gave her my card, and asked her to let me know if they might be interested in an author coming out to meet with them. She took it, and said, "Sure, maybe."

A couple weeks later, I received an email, "remember me? I was running the Girl Scout Amazing Race.

Of course I remembered her.

Anyway, she went on to say that 100 Girl Scout leaders were going to have their last meeting of the year, and they would give me five minutes to make a pitch.

Five minutes? Hah, no problem. I talk at the speed of ten minutes per five minutes. In other words, I can fit ten minutes worth of talking into five minutes, with twenty seconds to spare.

So I did, and they liked it. Enough that they invited me to stick around the rest of the night and have some hamburgers with them, so any leaders that want to follow up could ask any more questions they might have.

A month later, I had my first Girl Scout gig. Troop # 418.

Did you know there is a writing badge? Me, neither.

It was cool. I got to listen as they said their pledge, and then I was on. For an hour i talked with them about writing, getting published, my own book and how to make what they write interesting and then I handed out some glow in the dark fangs.

Afterwards, almost all of them lined up to buy Fang Face and get their picture taken with me. They were, of course, wearing their fangs.

Awesome.

Hopefully later I can get my hands on the picture. In the meantime, um ... just try and imagine it.

And I need to look up the Boyscouts. After all, Fang Face is for both girls and boys.

Norm

http://fangface.homestead.com

Marketing Stuff and Girl Scouts

I'm just going to do a quick blog to talk about my marketing efforts this week.

First of all, I contacted about a dozen high schools and junior high schools about the possibility of Fang Face being a curriculum book of theirs. I got a few nibbles. I met with Joliet Jr. High director of curriculum, dropped off a packet for New Lenox Jr. High director (per her request), and met with a high mucky muck with New Lenox high schools.

She told me they still had a slot open for a book this year. I'm feeling kind of good about it ... you wanna know why? Because I interviewed her for some background info when I was writing the book and I thanked her in the acknowledgements! Woo-hoo!

Moving on, I also met with the principal of a Frankfort Jr. High, and she was very enthusiastic about the idea, and spoke about me getting in front of all 800 students. She also said she knew another principal in another district, and she would see if they would be interested.

The next activity were newspapers and magazines. I sent emails to about 60 newspapers and half a dozen magazines asking if they would review Fang Face. The same day, I got my first hit, the Chicago Sun Times. Can you say, 1.5 million readers?

So I sent off the book this afternoon, and now I'll cross my fingers.

I've also been busy sending autographed books. I've been sending about one a day since posting them on my website and blogs and stuff. If you haven't ordered yours yet, go to www.fangface.homestead.com ... it's Pay Pal, so it's safe.

My Girl Scout thing is bearing fruit, too. I met with 100 GS leaders a month ago or so, and now the orders are coming in from the leaders. If they like the books ... why wouldn't they? ... I should see more there.

What else? Hmmm. There's more, but that's it for now.

See ya and stuff,

Norm