Some really good energy happening on the Forte front!
Recently, I got word that Forte was the winner of this year’s school-wide read at my alma mater, Lake George Junior/Senior High School. Hooray!
LG School Wide Read Winner 2015
I reached out to the school’s librarian to learn how exactly my book was chosen. Her response:
Every year during our Teen Read celebration at the high school I select 4 books, which fit with our theme for that year’s celebration. This year we celebrated Teen Read Week with Bookopoly, and an exploration of genres, so I selected books from all different genres. We then share a “voting ballot” with students. The voting happens during Guideroom, and the ballot includes a “hook question” for each title. We then tally the votes to decide our “School Wide Read” for the year. This year it was Forte that students selected, which gives us an ideal platform for your visit.
The fact that *students* picked the book made the news even sweeter. We’re working on a date for an author visit in May.
In the meantime, there are some cool local events coming up.
December 21: Queensbury High School author visit. My mom taught at Queensbury for 25 years and my children go to school in the district, so I’m looking forward to this one. Three sessions are booked for the day, with a holiday luncheon in between.
January 7, 2016: author visit Southern Adirondack Education Center, Hudson Falls, NY. As a follow up to my visit at Myers Center in Saratoga, an attending teacher requested I come to this BOCES facility for another two sessions. Students have expressed interest in both Catcher’s Keeper and Forte, so we will be discussing both.
January 8, 2016: author visit to William H. Barton Intermediate School. I’ll be visiting my son’s classroom, reading a scene of his choice from Forte — the halloween scene.
January 12, 2016: Authors & Artists, Samantha’s Cafe, Glens Falls, NY *open to the public*. In May of 2014, I presented as part of Samantha’s Authors & Artists program for Catcher’s Keeper — to a full house. Now at a new location on the main drag of Glens Falls, Samantha’s Cafe has always been exceptionally supportive of the local arts. Love them for that.
June 1, 2016: guest speaker Academy for Lifelong Learning, SUNY Empire State College. This came through a connection at the Chronicle Book Fair on November 8. I’ll be part of their 8-week spring speaker series, presenting to adults about how life experiences inform fiction writing.
One of my goals for 2016 is to get my latest novel — Paradox Lake — agented and/or contracted for publication. It’s in the beta-reader phase now … and so far all responses have been very positive.
All this is great, but the acknowledgment and support from my alma mater has really made my holiday. It will be neat to walk those familiar halls not as a student or teacher or parent … but as the author of the Winner of the School-Wide Read.
jdspero 