And by enlisting help, I mean that I went to the mall and bought several nice jackets I intended to return after the shoot. So, I enlisted some help and came up with several women’s shirts and jackets, sized up, that looked more gender neutral. Because I am only 4 foot 11, even the smallest of men’s shirts and jackets made me look like a toddler playing in her father’s closet. Good for hiding a baby bump and good for the book. Since King of the Screwups has a lot to do with guy’s fashion, we decided I’d wear a men’s shirt, jacket, and tie. The other key element of the photo shoot was that the picture needed to subtly tie in to the book.

The important thing was not to leave readers guessing. Either I needed to look entirely pregnant or I needed to look NOT pregnant. You’re showing enough to look fat but not enough that people can feel entirely confident asking, “When’s the baby due?” I discussed this with the SLJ art director and we decided it had to go one way or the other. Now, if you’ve ever been pregnant you know that the middle months are awkward. Thus, I could not weezle my way out of getting a brand new photo taken. Except School Library Journal works this particular feature in the same way the New York Times does – they put a full body shot in the center and wrap the text around it. My second thought was, “Why not use a head shot?” That’s what I normally do for publicity. In all my time as an author, dating back to 2003, this is the only time I’ve had a professional photo shoot. And that donut? Let’s just say it’s not the first one I’ve eaten in the past four months. The crazy thing is, I’m four months pregnant. I knew it was coming for weeks. In fact, I even had to do a photo shoot.

What can I say? I’m a sucker for advertising.Īs for the article, I’d been waiting eagerly to see it.

So to celebrate I went out to Dunkin Donuts and got the Berries and Creme donut I’ve been craving ever since I saw the over-sized poster hanging in their window. Yay! That’s just what an author wants to hear. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World and Saint Iggy.” I just read the review this morning and my favorite lines are: “ Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family.

Today marks the official launch day for School Library Journal’s April Issue, featuring both an article on yours truly and a starred review of King of the Screwups.

King of the screwups by kl going