This Widget will Self-Destruct in One Hour
I remember it was about three weeks before Christmas, 2005, and I was sitting in my living room decorating the tree, when the telephone rang. It was a long distance number--looked like California--but I wasn’t sure.
“Hello?”
It was my agent, with her distinctive voice that I knew about as well as Charlie’s Angels know the voice of their boss. (Like the angels, I still have no face to put with the voice.) “Merry Christmas,” she said, and I thanked her…thinking she was just making a friendly call. But then again, she’s far too busy for friendly calls. “I just sold Bedtime at the Swamp to HarperCollins,” she said, and told me the amount of the advance. I was absolutely stunned. “That’s wonderful!” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “Oh my gosh…that’s just wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much!” I heard her voice respond with a bit of emotion, too. Afterwards I came into the kitchen, crying, and hung up the phone. My husband hadn’t heard my conversation and immediately felt fear—that I must have received some awful news. I told him what happened, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Soon we were dancing around the house. What a wonderful Christmas gift.
I hope this book will be a fun read-aloud where children can echo the refrain back to the reader. I’ve just purchased some cool rhythm instruments and hope kids can bang and clank out a fun beat to the story. I cannot believe we are down to the end of this ticker widget, just hours from release time. I’m curious what the widget does at the zero hour. Explode with confetti? Turn black? Just say, “In stores now?” We’ll see.
If you do get a copy, thank you, and…enjoy.
“Hello?”
It was my agent, with her distinctive voice that I knew about as well as Charlie’s Angels know the voice of their boss. (Like the angels, I still have no face to put with the voice.) “Merry Christmas,” she said, and I thanked her…thinking she was just making a friendly call. But then again, she’s far too busy for friendly calls. “I just sold Bedtime at the Swamp to HarperCollins,” she said, and told me the amount of the advance. I was absolutely stunned. “That’s wonderful!” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “Oh my gosh…that’s just wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much!” I heard her voice respond with a bit of emotion, too. Afterwards I came into the kitchen, crying, and hung up the phone. My husband hadn’t heard my conversation and immediately felt fear—that I must have received some awful news. I told him what happened, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Soon we were dancing around the house. What a wonderful Christmas gift.
I hope this book will be a fun read-aloud where children can echo the refrain back to the reader. I’ve just purchased some cool rhythm instruments and hope kids can bang and clank out a fun beat to the story. I cannot believe we are down to the end of this ticker widget, just hours from release time. I’m curious what the widget does at the zero hour. Explode with confetti? Turn black? Just say, “In stores now?” We’ll see.
If you do get a copy, thank you, and…enjoy.
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