Felicity Pickle sounds like ...

Good Morning! I know it's not very creative to talk about the weather but I hear the low in Chattanooga this morning is six degrees.

SIX. DEGREES.

I feel like the Snow Queen has cast a spell on my city. I get to stay inside today (hooray!) but this weather is just bizarre. My brother just moved to Denver, and I predicted he'd have to learn to drive a snow plow and walk with the tennis-racket-esc snow shoes cartoon characters wear during blizzards. (Are those legit?) It might be colder here today than it is in Colorado. The Snow Queen is near, I tell you. I can feel it! 

I was in a store last night with my mom. When we left, I saw the first snowflakes I'd seen in a long time so of course, of course, I pretended I was Elsa and sang all the way to the car.

Mom was thrilled. *sarcasm*



Anyway.

I thought about writing a long, sappy Farewell to 2013/Hello 2014! post. And I probably will, eventually. That's the way of things. But now that I know I can share some fun news, I thought that would be a better way to throw some confetti over this new year.

Here's what's up in Midnight Gulch:

In two months (!!!), Felicity Juniper Pickle will make her way bravely into the world. And into your hearts, ideally. (I mean, there's always a risk you'll just want to use the pages to line your guinea pig's cage but I hope you actually enjoy reading it.) I still can't believe my novel comes out this year. I feel like it's all a big dream. I don't know if it will ever feel real. There is a load of anxiety and worry that comes with a moment like this (*cue Kelly Clarkson song*). I hear that's normal.

But there is so much happy, too. Sometimes the wonder of it all smashes me flat, and it's the sweetest feeling.

This is a smash-me-flat kind of moment:

Scholastic is releasing A Snicker of Magic in audio!

As Felicity would say, "SPINDIDDLY!"

Cassandra Morris is an amazingly talented actress, and I am so grateful and excited she's bringing Felicity to life! When I heard her read a snippet of the book, I thought my heart might thump right out of my chest. She captured exactly what I heard in Felicity's voice: all the wonder and worry and fear. And hope, always. It was such a surreal moment to actually hear that voice hit the air. I'll never forget it. I can't wait for you to hear!

Now that we're only a few months out, I'll be writing more about the book (fun stuff like what inspired it, my favorite scenes, my "soundtrack" :). I won't drive you bananas with that sort of thing, but I would love to share more about the story with you, if you're game.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for your enthusiasm over the book. Thanks for blogging about it, tweeting it, and sharing it with the book-lovers in your life. Thanks for emailing me to tell me it made you cry. (YES! ... ;) )  Thanks for pre-ordering the book, too - whether it's for yourself or your library or your kids or your BFF who loves books with ice cream covers. Seriously: to know that you'd invest your hard earned cash (Buzz's life savings!) in a book I've written is a big deal. And the fact that you're spreading the word about the book means so much to me. It means so much to every author when that happens. Thanks for being so wonderful.

Two questions:

First, what's your favorite audio book?

Second, how was your holiday?!