Marcie-Land Update

It's been super busy in Marcie-Land as of late and I have definitely fallen a bit off the blogging bandwagon. 

My mother always said, "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." Well, that is not why I have been quiet.  In all actually, I have lots of fun new things to share...but no time to share them.

So today is a little nutshell post about all that has been going on:

• I'm a Blogette! I am guest blogging monthly over at The Picture Book Academy. This is quite an honor, because fellow Blogettes are Marsha Diane Arnold, Marcus Ewert, Bitsy Kemper, Maya Gonzalez and Dr. Mira Reisberg. What a line-up! It boggles my mind that I am included. I have been assigned the 4th Friday of the month and I will be blogging about "humor in picture books." Please stop by and be sure to become a Follower.
• Summer has arrived in NYC.  Which means I am dreadfully hot and not happy about it.  However, with summer comes two fabulous conferences I cannot wait to attend.  First is New Jersey's SCBWI conference in Princeton, NJ next weekend!  I have been a flurry getting new business cards made up, finetuning my pitches and tweaking some manuscripts.  I have signed up for 3 one-on-one critiques, one First Page Session, and one agent pitch.  In addition there are countless wonderful workshop offerings, lunches with industry professionals, and a Mix n' Mingle with all of the fabulous faculty.  It is going to be a blast! (And I have been told there is a karaoke party this year.  Yippeee!) 
• And then, LA!!!!  That's right.  To continue this years theme of "Getting Myself Out There", I have registered for SCBWI LA in August.  I am truly looking forward to it, yet have just begun to wrap my head around it.
• A new manuscript.  Oh, you heard me right.  I have written a new manuscript...finally.  After spending the last few months revising existing stories, it feels so good to sink my teeth into something new.  Although it has a lot of rounds of revisions to come, my critique groups have been very helpful and I think I am on the right track.  Its warm and fuzzy, in addition to quirky.  *sigh*
• Submitting, submitting, submitting!  The goal is to get myself out there through many means.  This week I participated in a Pitch Party on Twitter at #PitMad.  It was super intense and I pitched 2 of my manuscripts throughout the 12 hour party.  It was not the first time I had participated in this kind of Twitter event, but it was the first time I got such a great response.  Three agents!!!  Woo Hoo!  In addition, I have been networking like a crazy girl. 
• Reading, reading reading!  Yup.  My "Hold List" at the Brooklyn Public Library is ginormous.  But I am convinced its one of the best ways to learn, research and be inspired.  Remember, folks...summer reading is not just for school kids.  Nothing says summer get-away like a fabulous book.

OK.  I think you are all caught up. 

Happy Reading! Happy Writing!  See you back on the bandwagon Monday.