It's Pub Day for Marilyn's Monster!

Know what is super exciting? When a book you've been working on for a long time is finally released into the world. And today is the day that happens for my new picture book Marilyn's Monster! It has beautiful, beautiful illustrations by the amazing and wonderful Matt Phelan. Here is the cover so you can begin to see what I mean:

And here is what reviews have been saying so far:

"Rich with feeling, it’s a warm, gently funny reminder to chase down one’s dreams, rather than waiting for them to appear on the doorstep." —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

"A surprising spin on monsters with nicely effective artwork—and heart." —Kirkus

"Knudsen’s charming story is a great fit for Phelan’s gentle watercolor-and-pencil illustrations. With just a few lines and brushstrokes, he depicts the wide range of Marilyn’s emotions, from wary hopefulness to sullen grumpiness to, finally, utter joy. The whimsical, friendly monsters are equally expressive, and their supernatural antics in the background will tickle funny bones. Little ones feeling lonely or worried about making friends will be empowered by Marilyn’s determined, take-charge attitude." —Booklist

"Knudsen’s brilliantly simple narrative and Phelan’s whimsical pencil and watercolor drawings speak to the universal need for belonging and the anxiety born of impatience ... Every one of Phelan’s monsters is wonderfully weird, and readers will have fun noting similarities between them and their human friends." —School Library Journal

"A charmer ... Ms. Knudsen has packed a surprising amount of relatable emotion into this story of humility and derring-do." —Wall Street Journal

Also, it is a Junior Library Guild selection!

You can read and/or download a fun Q&A with Matt and me on the Candlewick Press website. 

And you can see some of Matt's early sketches for the book on his blog.

Finally, see yesterday's post for how you can get a signed copy! It's too late to pre-order (now that the book is out, you'll just be, you know, regular ordering, but that is also good!) but you can still order a signed/personalized copy from Word Brooklyn, and/or you can come to the launch party at Children's Book World on March 14 to meet Matt and me and have cake and stuff!

LAST CHANCE TO PRE-ORDER MARILYN'S MONSTER!

Hey, look, it's my blog! I had sort of misplaced it for a while. But thankfully I'm back just in time to tell you that TONIGHT IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK BECAUSE IT COMES OUT ***TOMORROW***!!!

What book, you ask? I will tell you! It's my new picture book MARILYN'S MONSTER, illustrated by the incomparable Matt Phelan! Look at the beautiful cover! But then keep reading for important info below.

1. You can pre-order a signed copy NOW from WORD in Brooklyn, NY. If you pre-order by March 9, they'll send the book out to you on or just after release day (or if you live nearby, you can stop in and pick it up). Place your order here, and be sure to specify either the name of the person(s) to whom you'd like the book inscribed or "signature only" in the comments field.

2. If you live near Haverford, PA, you can come to the MARILYN'S MONSTER LAUNCH PARTY! The wonderful Children's Book World is throwing us a celebration, and Matt and I would love for you to come. Signed books, fun activities, and CAKE! Here is the info:

Saturday, March 14th, 1:00pm
Matt Phelan & Michelle Knudsen
Launch Party for Marilyn’s Monster
17 Haverford Station Rd., Haverford, PA 19041
610.642.6274

You can, of course, order the book from anywhere you like, but you can only get signed books in the ways listed above. And even if you don't want a signed book, I still encourage you to support independent bookstores! You probably have an awesome indie bookstore right there in your very own town. And if not, pick one in some other town and they will ship books out to you. 

Evil Librarian Blog Tour Day 3!

Today on the blog tour I'm over at books4yourkids.com, answering Tanya's really great interview questions!

Also a reminder for anyone in the NYC area that tomorrow is the official launch party for Evil Librarian! It's at WORD in Greenpoint Brooklyn, staring at 7pm. You can see all the info here. (RSVP encouraged but not required — you can totally decide to just come by at the last minute! There will be SO MUCH FOOD AND DRINKS and also many delicious mini cupcakes.)

EVIL LIBRARIAN IS COMING

Less than three weeks until my new book (and debut YA novel) EVIL LIBRARIAN is set free to roam the Earth! I could not be more excited. Here is some news about the release and pre-ordering and the PARTY that will be happening in Brooklyn very soon!

But first, please look at how awesome the full jacket design is:

The designer is Matt Roeser, because I am the luckiest girl in the world.

OK so here is important information you need to know about this book:

1. The release date is September 9, 2014.

2. You can pre-order RIGHT NOW, and I hope that you will. Pre-ordering is THE most important thing you can do to help an author's book. Among other things, pre-orders get rolled into the first week's sales figures, which can help get a book onto a best-seller list. It also signals to the stores that there's a demand for the book, which might encourage them to order more copies for the store, which will help it to stand out on the shelves and be discovered by new people, and so on. (Two good posts that explain the importance of pre-orders really well are these by Kevin Hearne and Brian McClellan, if you would like to know more.)

3. You can pre-order from anywhere you like, but if you pre-order from WORD in Brooklyn, I can sign it for you! Then you can either pick it up at the store (at the party or any other time on or after 9/9/14), or have it shipped to you wherever you are. You can order from WORD here; just put a note in the comments field saying whom you would like the book signed to (e.g., "For Sue and Linda" or "Happy birthday, Joe") or say "just signature" if you want it signed but not personalized.

4. WHAT'S THAT ABOUT A PARTY? I'll be celebrating the book's release with some of my very favorite book people at WORD on Friday, September 12, at 7:00pm, and you are invited! See the handy launch party invite on Facebook for all the details. RSVPs encouraged, but not required.

5. The book has been getting some great reviews, which makes me really happy. Here are some particularly nice little snippets, plus the very kind words from Stephenie Meyer (you know, she wrote those Twilight books you may have heard of) that appear on the back cover, in case you can't see them clearly in the picture above. :)

[A] self-aware supernatural dramedy... The writing is clever, the tone wry, and the stakes high, with surprises that keep the plot unpredictable. Cyn’s internal monologue provides plenty of amusement, especially when her hormones threaten to overpower her common sense. It’s an entertaining tale with room for future installments.
— Publishers Weekly

Snappily narrated, tightly plotted and generally just right. Forget paranormal romance; this horror-humor-romance pastiche is where those in search of hot nonhumans should set their sights.
— Kirkus Reviews

"If Louise Rennison and Christopher Moore had a bibliographic love child it would be this cheekily narrated supernatural offering."
— School Library Journal

Hysterical! Smart and funny, with a little drama, a little romance, and just the right touch of evil.
— Stephenie Meyer, author of the bestselling Twilight Saga