Betty Birney’s Blog

 There’s something new afoot in Humphrey’s world! Mysteries According to Humphrey is now out in the U.K. (Red cover, left) Unfortunately, Humphrey fans in the United States will have to wait until July for this book, (Purple cover, right) but they’ll be rewarded with a BIG-BIG-BIG surprise later this year! Promise!

When Mrs. Brisbane goes missing, Humphrey tries to find clues as to where she’s gone. Meanwhile, he has to cope with a subsitute teacher (called a supply teacher in the UK) called Mr. E.,  the lost and found (called Lost Property in the UK), beginning ballet, Sherlock Holmes and a howling Halloween!

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Coming in March, another Tiny Tales book publishes in the UK. This is the fourth in a series of younger, shorter, illustrated books. (Thanks to wonderful illustrator Penny Dann!) These are not available in the U.S. but you can find them on amazon.co.uk - but you’ll have to pay a higher shipping fee.

And this is not the end … there are more Humphrey books coming your way in both countries so stay tuned!

I do intend to keep blogging … but I am BUSY-BUSY-BUSY finishing up a Humphrey book and that’s taking up all my time. Check back soon for a revamped webpage and new blog posts!

Humphrey’s popping up all over L.A. I just can’t keep him in his cage. It must be that lock-that-doesn’t-lock.

Last week, I was at St. Felicitas School in San Marino for a fun morning talking about Humphrey.

Humphrey showed up Sunday on the Kids’ Page of the L.A. Times in a terrific  review by a fan … with a GREAT-GREAT-GREAT illustration!

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-1016-kidsun-20111016,0,3310129.story

He’ll be on display in Redondo Beach Friday night, October 20, as the SCIBA (Southern California Independent Booksellers’ Award) nominees are on hand for a Meet and Greet at a brand new bookstore, Mysterious Galleria. Address is: 2810 Artesia Blvd., Redondo Beach, CA 6:30-8:30. Summer According to Humphrey is a nominee.

And on Saturday night, the SCIBA banquet will be held in Long Beach, CA. Pretty tough competition (sweeping sagas, dystopian novels) for a little hamster but I’ll be there in Humphrey’s name.

Meanwhile … there are new books in the UK to talk about and another new book in the works. You just can’t keep a good hamster down!

You can always tell when I’ve been busy writing because I don’t blog much. For some reason, when I’m working on a book, I have to shut other things out.

But continuing with my recent book tour …. After leaving San Francisco, I headed to Minneapolis where I visited Creek Valley Elementary in Edina and Kenny Community School in Minneapolis.  Then my terrific media escort, Tim,  took me to Wild Rumpus Bookstore. There are lots of wonderful books there … and some very interesting tenants.  Cats and chickens roam the bookstore … and living below the horror section are the rats, of course.

A ferret is not a potential friend for Humphrey  

 I have a crush on Spike and his big smile.

 Me with Nicky and Drew of Wild Rumpus, and Tim

Minneapolis was beautiful but I didn’t have much time there as I was off to Chicago that same night. The Arista Hotel in Naperville is very cool and contemporary. The TV in the bathroom mirror was the best perk of the trip. 

      Munhall with Kristin Kaye

I started the next day at Munhall Elementary School (Go, Mustangs!). They were impressed that I wore the school colors. In the afternoon, I met with enthusiastic friends at Elm  School in Burr Ridge. And the icing on the cake was my signing on Friday night at Anderson’s Bookshop in Downers Grove. Kathleen March could not have been more welcoming and I had the best bunch of Humphrey fans show up! They entertained me as much as I did them. The surprise mystery guests turned out to be my editor, Susan Kochan’s, niece and sister! A little later, illustrator Larry Day happened to be at the shop … and he’s also doing a book for Susan right now.  Thanks to my media escort, Mary Jo, for her great driving and patience.

Me with Susan’s niece Katherine and her sister, Joan. 

   With illustrator Larry Day 

  All thanks to Kathleen March of Anderson’s in Downers Grove for an unsqueakably wonderful evening.

And so it was back to L.A. on Saturday … was it real or just a dream? You can’t quite tell when you’re on a book tour!

Here’s the new Hungarian cover for Friendship According to Humphrey. Strange color palette, I know. But it’s not as frightening as the cover for book 1. However, little Spuri continues to please in Hungary.

I’ve been busy writing and find that when I’m deep in a story, I just want to do that and let the blogging go by the wayside a little. A few new things:

-There’s an interview with me currently up on Brittney Breakey’s terrific Author’s Turf website. http://authorturf.com/

-I’ll be hanging around at the SCBWI Conference (Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators)in L.A. starting next Friday. If you want to say hi, let me know.
The conference is completely sold out but if you want to write children’s books, this is the place to start. http://scbwi.org. The organization has been invaluable to me and to so many other published authors I know.

-I’m now tweeting as bettygbirney.

-You can friend me on Facebook as well.

Now back to work!