EARTH TO DAD Blasts Off!

It's been almost three years to the day since I last had a book come out, so I'm over the moon--pun intended--to launch--pun intended again--EARTH TO DAD today. To celebrate this new release, I'm hosting a party at my home this Friday, August 3, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. If you'll be in northern Utah and we've met in real life, feel free to e-mail me for my address!

About EARTH TO DAD:

"The distance between Earth and Mars is more than just physical.

"No one knows that better than eleven-year-old Jameson O’Malley. When Dad left for Mars, Jameson thought technology would help shorten the millions of miles between them, but he’s starting to realize no transmission can replace his father.

"When a new family moves onto Base Ripley, Jameson makes an unlikely friend in Astra Primm, who’s missing a parent of her own. But as their friendship grows stronger, Jameson starts seeing the flaws in his own family. Mom is growing distant, and something is wrong with Dad. He’s not sending transmissions as frequently, and when he does there are bags under his eyes.

"Soon Jameson realizes there’s more to the story than he knows--and plenty people aren’t telling him. Determined to learn the truth, Jameson and Astra embark on a journey exploring life, loss, and friendship that will take them to the edge of their universe."

I got my author copies in the mail the other day, and with the metallic leaf on the dust jacket and the beautiful endpapers, the hardcovers are absolutely gorgeous, some of the prettiest books I've ever seen. It's too bad the trade reviewers couldn't review the book itself (but they still said some lovely things about the words on the inside):

"Well-paced and rich"

--Foreword

"Strong character development and plotting keep the pages turning
as the two friends risk all for each other"

--Booklist

"A solid choice for upper elementary and middle school students who want dystopia
but are not ready for the intensity and violence that defines the YA offerings in the genre"

--School Library Journal

"Van Dolzer uses her apocalyptic setting to highlight this story of grief,
creating believable, likable child characters"

--Kirkus

I'll be hosting several giveaways over the next couple of months, and the first one starts right NOW. If you buy EARTH TO DAD in any way, from anywhere, e-mail evidence (like a picture of your receipt with your card number scribbled out) to kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com, and you'll be entered to win a signed ARC of my next release, THE MULTIPLYING MYSTERIES OF MOUNT TEN! This contest is open to U.S. and Canadian residents and closes in two weeks, on Wednesday, August 15, at 11:59 p.m. EDT (or 8:59 p.m. PDT). I'll announce the winners the next day.

AMAZON | B&N | BAM | INDIEBOUND | !NDIGO | POWELL’S | GOODREADS

Thanks so much for sharing another book birthday with me!

A New Title, a Cover Reveal, and a Signed ARC Giveaway

I'm excited to announce Clyde the Second's new title--THE MULTIPLYING MYSTERIES OF MOUNT TEN--and to share the cover reveal, which debuted yesterday on the Pop! Goes the Reader blog. The inimitable Iacopo Bruno perfectly captured the book's tone in this awesome work of art, so definitely go and check it out. And while you're there, don't miss the signed ARC giveaway at the bottom of the post!

Introducing Gummy Bear

She's feistier than she looks

I'd like you to meet Gummy Bear, the latest addition to our biological series, which just officially got bumped from a trilogy to a saga. She was born on Wednesday, April 18, at 1-2-3-4 p.m., weighing seven pounds, five ounces and measuring twenty inches long. The delivery went really well, and so far, my recovery has gone really well, too.

Having a newborn again has been a little surreal. Even though we knew what to expect, we weren't mentally or emotionally prepared deal with a screaming tyrant who patently refused to sleep. Thank goodness for caring friends and family who've brought us meals, held Gummy Bear while we napped, ferried our other kids to school, and even straightened up our kitchen. The Christlike service they've performed will not be soon forgotten.

One thing I'm trying to do is savor this time with Gummy Bear. Though I can't say for sure that we're well and truly done, I CAN say for sure that this one feels like the last, so it's very possible that these are the last times I'll change diapers, get puked on, and bounce a baby up and down--and up and down and up and down--in the middle of the night. Hopefully, this perspective has made me more compassionate, more patient, more at peace. It's so easy to get lost in the throes of parenthood when you're down there in the trenches, but caring for a tiny person who can't yet take care of herself is one of this life's greatest and most rewarding honors.

There, that's more like it

My First Foreign Rights Deal EVER

Super excited to announce that EARTH TO DAD is going to be published in mainland China!

As the title of the post implies, this is my first foreign rights deal EVER, so I'm still geeking out about it. I honestly can't wait to hold the Chinese version in my hands.

A huge shout-out to Brent--who, you may not know, is also his agency's subsidiary and foreign rights director--whose hard work and dedication totally brought this about. And a huge shout-out to Uwe, whose top-notch mentoring put Brent on this path. I feel so fortunate to have landed at Triada.

EARTH TO DAD's Cover Revealed

Over on the Kidliterati blog, so definitely go and check it out!

Ms. Podos Picks Her Winners

Without any ado, here are Ms. Podos's winners (with her thoughts in orange):

#9 UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY: "The query did a good job of capturing a fantastical plot with multiple surreal elements, which can be so hard to summarize, and the opening page drew me in with its voice, detail, and delicate sorrow."

#10 THE LIBRARY OF UNSPOKEN THINGS: "The query was polished and told me what I needed to know about the character, her arc, and the stakes. Charlotte’s voice shone in the opening scene--she’s a character I want to follow. And I do love an f/f element. :)"

Both UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY and THE LIBRARY OF UNSPOKEN THINGS win requests for the first 3 chapters!

Congratulations, winners! Please e-mail me at kvandolzer(at)gmail(dot)com for details on how to submit your materials.

Lastly but never leastly, thank you to Ms. Podos for taking the time to read and critique these entries, and thank you to YOU for taking the time to do the same. Best of luck with your other queries, and if you have a few spare minutes, do come back tomorrow for the cover reveal of EARTH TO DAD!

The Agent = Rebecca Podos of Rees Literary Agency

This month's--well, last month's--agent was Rebecca Podos of Rees Literary Agency! From her agency's website: "Rebecca Podos is a graduate of the MFA Writing, Literature and Publishing program at Emerson College. Her YA novels The Mystery of Hollow Places and Like Water are published by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins, with her third novel, The Psychic Sisters of Saltville, coming in 2019. Rebecca is interested exclusively in Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction; particularly books about complex female relationships, beautifully written contemporary, romance with more at stake than "will they/won't they," genre fiction with a strong focus on character, and books featuring marginalized voices and cultures across genres. (If you have a sci-fi about a genderqueer ship's captain in space, send it her way!)

"She is thrilled to represent authors like Rin Chupeco (The Girl From the Well series; The Bone Witch series), Mackenzi Lee (This Monstrous Thing; The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue series; Semper Augustus, forthcoming from Flatiron/Macmillan; Bygone Badass Broads), Ashley Herring Blake (Suffer Love; How to Make a Wish; Girl Made of Stars, forthcoming from HMH; Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, forthcoming from Little, Brown ), London Shah (The Light at the Bottom of the World, forthcoming from Disney Hyperion), Rebecca Kim Wells (Children of Ash, forthcoming from Simon Teen), Kenneth Logan (True Letters from a Fictional Life), Sarah Nicolas (Dragons are People, Too; Keeping Her Secret), Emily Ross (Half in Love With Death), Lila Michaels (Now You See Her, forthcoming from HarperCollins), and Rebecca Christiansen (Maybe in Paris) among others."

If you'd like more information on Ms. Podos's tastes and interests, definitely follow her on Twitter @RebeccaPodos and/or check out her website. I'll announce her winners soon!

Let the Commenting Begin!

Check out the entries below, then leave some feedback in the comments if you feel so inclined. (ENTRANTS, PLEASE REMEMBER TO CRITIQUE AT LEAST THREE OTHER ENTRIES!) And I'm sure this goes without saying, but please keep your comments constructive (i.e., not rude or mean-spirited). If you want to think like The Agent, you might consider the question, "If you were an agent, would you request more of this entry?"

I'll reveal The Agent's identity and announce his or her winners and prizes next week, but until then, have at it!

(For your information, I take out profanity when I'm formatting the entries, so if you notice any asterisks, they're my asterisks, not the entrants'. Also, entrants, if you find a Krista-generated error in your post, feel free to shoot me an e-mail, and I'll correct it straightaway.)