Fan Art Rocks.

First: When I said "I will be back with many more 2014 moments" at the end of my last post, I totally didn't mean it. Sorry about that.

But here's something I don't talk about much: letters. I get letters. I get letters from readers who say nice things, real things, honest things. It's pretty life-changing when a stranger who read your book can write you a letter and say deeply nice things.
Thank you for your letters in 2014.
They make my day.

Which brings me to fan art.
I am relatively new to fan art and being a person who can't draw, people who can draw well fascinate me. A few months ago, Ana Maia, an artist I met on Twitter, sent me these fantastic portraits of A.S. King characters. I've been meaning to share them because they pretty much blew me away.
Thank you Ana, for taking the time to draw these. I love them.

See you all in the new year. 

Tomorrow I make applesauce and do taxes.

Also, I tweeted a preview of I CRAWL THROUGH IT tonight. Here it is. 

I CRAWL THROUGH IT preview brought to you by my doing page proofs: "Yeah. I regret burning the monkey."
— A.S. King ☂ (@AS_King) December 31, 2014

2014 was a great year--part one

I am six months late, but I have to say I have never been voted Best Dressed in my life.

Book Riot appreciates my green boots and I love them for that.

23 year old Doc Martens for the win. 

I will be back with many more 2014 moments.

News News News

It's been a very newsy week here at Casa King.
I'm going to dole out news in little tasty morsels, though, because I don't want you to eat too much at one time. That's why I can't eat bananas anymore. I once ate too many of them and now my body just says "No thank you" which is a real bummer because I really love bananas.

ANYWAY.

This sunday the New York Times Book Review will publish a review of Glory O'Brien's History of the Future written by Rick Yancey. But you don't have to wait for Sunday.

You can read it here.

If you're not the type to click on delicious links, then here's an excerpt.

"Maybe there are writers more adept than King at capturing the outrageous and outraged voice of teenagers, but it’s difficult to think of one. Her Glory is a wondrous creation, sarcastic, witty, sensitive, insightful, the kind of girl other girls (O.K., guys too) wish they were (or, probably more likely and more often than is the case, think they are)."

Now I will go eat Mexican food.

Hey Mom! I'm in the New York Times!

Okay, six really is a magic number

I don't get it.
I just sit here and write what comes out of my head and some people seem to really dig what I do. This is really cool. And I'm not sure why, but I'm unable to process this. Even though I record these sorts of events or milestones with you--here in public--I don't really let them sink in. I'm just a lady in a room typing what comes to me.

So if you dig what I do, thank you. I really enjoy doing what I do.
We're a perfect match.

In this week's good news department, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future landed on the Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2014 list. That's always really sweet.

Also in this week's news was a sixth starred trade review for GLORY (I told you I'd get sick of typing that whole title) from the lovely people at The Horn Book coming in the January issue. I'll quote a tiny bit here for you.

✮ "King’s distinctive approach to fashioning a story of adolescent strife results in a book that’s not only thoroughly original but also uniquely compelling and deeply memorable."--The Horn Book

Six is a magic number because it makes a sort of constellation for a book. Because I can't quite process all of this, I can't tell you what the power of that constellation is, but I can tell you that it's a nice constellation and it keeps me humble and keeps me writing.

Since you last heard from me

I went to Arizona and to the awesome Changing Hands Bookstore and had a fantastic time, as always. I really do wish I could split in two and have half of me live in Arizona. Anyway, I took my kids with me and we had a fantastic time panning for gold, climbing the red rocks, and experiencing our first vortex.

Yes. I said vortex.

And it was real. Look:

Does this not convince you?

I can't describe what it felt like. I can't describe how it affected us. But whatever it was, it was something and I plan on visiting local vortexes in the future. (Math geek in me just cringed not changing that to vortices, but it's right, I swear to you.)

More soon. Upcoming events in the Exton, PA are and the Reading, PA area! Check my tour page!