In today's guest-reader episode of MasterBerk Theatre we have the amazingly super-talented author Saundra Mitchell. She was a screenwriter before writing YA & she has this super-awesome animation program that can turn people into cartoons. I've always wanted to be a cartoon and so it's a dream come true. Her reading is also hilarious; I could listen to Saundra speak French all day and not get tired of it. Thanks, Saundra! Enjoy, everyone!

Oh, I think it makes the most sense if you watch this one first:

And it makes the super-most sense if you're a little drunk or just not thinking too hard.

(Also, I'm really pleased that the 'related videos' are about DJ Mixmaster Mitch.)

Link if above embed isn't working: http://youtu.be/LktqwUgO_qg

Hi Everyone! Remember MasterBerk Theatre, where I pretentiously read from my friends' books? Sure you do. You love it. Well now I have flipped the script. Literally. Okay, not literally, because if I flipped the script literally it would be hard to read. Annnnnyway, what I did was ask some friends to read MY book as guests on MBT! Which is why this week we have MasterDERT Theatre, where Kim Derting reads from GUY LANGMAN, CRIME SCENE PROCRASTINATOR! It came out so great. Kim is so awesome. She even wears an ascot! That's dedication, friends. And awesomeness. Enjoy! 




(Here's the link if the above embed be not embedded: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flT8ATY8xDM )

While we all wait breathlessly for next month's release of GUY LANGMAN, CRIME SCENE PROCRASTINATOR (you are all waiting breathlessly, right? No breathing! Stop it!) we can also talk about some fun anthologies I'm going to be part of. By "some" I mean "two." The one to come out first is a collection of short fiction called 'Cornered: 15 Stories of Bullying and Defiance' and is edited by Rhoda Belleza who was ridiculously fun to work with. She brought out a lot of humor in the dark subject and the story ended up being both pretty freaking funny and, if I do say so myself (and I do) pretty emotionally intense. I decided to make it from the point of view of a kid who was neither exactly the bully nor the bullied, but part of a crowd that made a girl's life miserable in elementary school. They meet up about ten years later and sparks fly. So do spoons. Spoons fly? Yes. You will have to read the book to find out why. That sounded like a fifth grader's elementary school report. One more thing about this is that the girl in the story is inspired by Kimya Dawson, and yes, there is a scene where she sings and plays guitar. I even wrote a song that appears with chords & everything at the end of the story so you can play along at home. Oh, and if you're not sure who Kimya Dawson is, she is this lady.

Oh and if you want to pre-order the book, here is a place you can do that: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780762444281



The second anthology comes out in Fall 2013 and is edited by Luke Reynolds who is a teacher and an inspiration and an amazing dude. It's a collection of essays called 'Break These Rules.' The contributors are an amazing group of authors, some of whom are friends and some of whom are heroes and some of whom are both. (Am I using "whom" right in that sentence? I sure am using it a lot.) Here is some more info on this wonderful project that I'm thrilled to be a part of on Luke's blog. My piece in there is part essay and part Whitmaneque poem. It was such a fun topic, to encourage kids to think critically about social norms and, when need be, break some freaking rules. 

Hi Everyone! Let me be the first to wish you a happy new year! What? I'm not the first? You've been wished happy new year like 9 million times already? Oh well. Let me be the nine million and first then. LET ME.

I love New Year's, specifically because I love making resolutions, and even more specifically because I love breaking resolutions. I'm way better at that. Also I'm excited about this New Year because 2012 is the year my new book comes out! It's been two years since my first book and yes, that is a long time between books. It's a long story with a lots of ins, outs, and what-have-yous. But the important thing is that GUY LANGMAN: CRIME SCENE PROCRASTINATOR comes out in just a few months (March 13, 2012). I'm updating the appearances page over on joshberkbooks.com with a few things now, and many more to come I'm sure! If you live in eastern Pennsylvania there is a good chance I will be in your library/bookstore/living room talking about GUY. And what's this? There is an event OUTSIDE of PA scheduled on there already? Why yes! Exciting.

Oh, and speaking of the holidays here is a 'happy holidays' video card from me & like 90 of my YA author friends. I play guitar! You are impressed. Maggie Stiefvater plays bagpipes! Now you are less impressed with me. Anywho.

Have I mentioned before how much I love the word "blurb?" Yes, like 9 million times. Well today I can share that I have received one! Or rather, GUY LANGMAN has. Blurbs are those little bits of praise from another author you see on book covers. Asking for them involves a lot of begging and bribery and tsoris. Just kidding, it's pretty painless -- after the book is written but before it comes out you just ask nicely and send an ARC, manuscript, or these days a digital file for an e-reader. Then you cross your fingers. Most every author is super-nice about it. Sometimes they're too busy, or sometimes they don't connect to the book and they pass, or sometimes they come through with a sweet thing to say! The first person I thought to ask for a blurb for GUY was my friend and award-winning author A.S. King. I'm happy to report that she enjoyed reading GUY and was kind enough to say some nice blurbage. Check it out!

"Berk delivers his signature mix of humor and mystery in Guy Langman: Crime Scene Procrastinator. I laughed all the way to the last sentence. A hilarious, intriguing and touching journey." -- A.S. King, Printz Honor-winning author of Please Ignore Vera Dietz

I'm so flattered! It's pretty much exactly what I want readers to know about GUY -- it's a mystery, but also a funny book, and also pretty emotional. She sums it all up in just a few words. That's why she wins the awards, people. (Also because her books are awesome.) Here's what it looks like on the actual book. Huzzah!

"

So I was talking about book-type milestones with my friend Trish Doller, on the exciting day she received her ISBN number. She's had a possibly even crazier path to publication than most, plus she is a professional bookseller, so she really got psyched! She was probably joking about getting her book's ISBN as a tattoo, but let's hope she was TOTALLY SERIOUS because that would rule. (If you're not way into books, you may not know that the ISBN is the official unique code each book gets & the way people in bookstores & libraries often look up books. It just feels soooo official that it's super exciting to new authors.)

This got me thinking about another really exciting milestone, which is the first time you see your book in a library catalog. This is of course extra thrilling if you are a librarian like me and just generally get pumped about things like subject headings and MARC records and such. Back when my first book was coming out, I (and my family) stalked the Library of Congress catalog because that's the first place where book records show up. It was so fun to see the book when it was finally added, and we all enjoyed staring at it in its library-format glory. But I have totally forgotten to stalk the LoC for book two! Thankfully, the ISBN discussion reminded me to go check it out and there it is! GUY LANGMAN, CRIME SCENE PROCRASTINATOR at the LoC!

The summary came out really cool (I'm still not quite sure who writes those) and I just love the list of subject headings:

• Forensic sciences--
• Fathers and sons--
• Death--
• Grief--
• New Jersey--
• Humorous stories.
• Mystery and detective stories

The way this book's subjects are both 'grief' and 'humorous stories' really sort of captures the project. Also: New Jersey. Pretty sweet!

Also, an update I know you're dying for: Grapes of Wrath is really good! It took me a while to start reading because I've been engrossed as all get out in the new young adult book CATCH AND RELEASE by my fellow 10er/friend/hero Blythe Woolston. It's actually not out yet, but Blythe convinced me to join NetGalley to get an advanced copy & I did so. It is not like I needed much arm-twisting because I loved Blythe's first book (THE FREAK OBSERVER) so much, but I was confused by the whole digital ARC thing & honestly much prefer books made of paper. Anywho, I will say more later, but here's what I have to say about CATCH AND RELEASE at the moment: This book could be 1,000 pages long and I'd still be sad when it ended. I'll let the LoC say the rest:

The subject headings for CATCH AND RELEASE:

• Disfigured persons--
• Automobile travel--
• Fishing--
• Trout--
• Communicable diseases--

Hey yo, I'm blogging over at Teen Fiction Cafe, on the topic of "What I'm Reading." I also talk about what I'm NOT reading & reveal some classics I've never tackled. William Faulkner judges me harshly, there's audience participation, and really you should just go check it out (please) -
http://teenfictioncafe.blogspot.com/2011/10/what-im-not-reading.html


Berk, you disgust me.

Hey, did I ever blog about this? I forget if I did. Pardon me if I did. If I didn't, check it out! I'm part of a cool e-book called "Ink Stains." It was edited by Lara Zielin, who is an author & fabulous youtuber & super cool lady.

Here is the description:

Nine authors with more than 25 published books between them offer countless insights to help your writing leave a mark. These candid author interviews speak to overcoming self doubt, triumphing over writer's block, mastering the editing process, learning to trust those quiet literary instincts, and more. The raw authenticity will encourage and inspire other writers. If they can do it, so can you.

It was really fun to be a part of it. My chapter is about the pressures of writing a second book & such things. (Admit it - when you read the description's mention of "self doubt," you guessed that was my chapter.) My part is called "My Manuscript is Trying to Kill Me! Okay, not really. But it did scare me for a long time until I figured out how to kick its butt." I like long titles. Also I quote Yoda. Or the Dalai Lama. One of those dudes. Anyway, here are some places you can buy it for your electronic reading pleasures. It's $2.99:
http://www.amazon.com/Ink-Stains-ebook/dp/B005ED3C1C/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ink-stains-lara-zielin/1104471663

Here is a nice comment from a reader: "You get the feeling that this is what writers REALLY talk about when they talk to other writers. I'm glad that Ms. Zielin let us listen in on the conversation. " And I'm glad she let me be part of it!

Hello, I am coming to you quickly to suggest that you visit Whatcha' Reading Now? to enter to win a contest wherein you can win a DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN paperback or one of some other fine books. Get to it, bro!
http://whatchareadingnow.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/a-vampire-like-no-other/