Merry Critiquing! -- Robin

Every year, Eve, Jay, and I join our children’s writers critique group for a holiday lunch celebration. About eight to ten of us gather around a long table on the garden patio of a local Italian restaurant and enjoy the fresh air as we sit next to glowing red heaters. (The heaters are a prerequisite of mine since I’m whiney when I’m cold.)

Our conversation always turns to discussing our favorite books of the year. This year it was a very special conversation since we found ourselves talking about one book in particular. Jay’s!

It was so fun hearing reactions to Jay’s book from other writers who know exactly what makes a good book for teens. To me, sitting around eating pasta and talking about a good book (especially when that book is written by one of your best friends) is just heaven. (Okay, so the heaters helped, too.)

After we were full on carbs, we had our annual book exchange. There’s only one guideline to follow…we each bring a book we think someone else will like. (I brought Kiki Strike, Eve brought Boy Proof, and Jay brought Miss Spitfire.) One person picks a wrapped book to open and the next person gets to steal one of the previously opened books or pick another one. Sounds like a sweet idea, but it gets brutal. I ended up with a copy of Twilight (but only after a sneaky under-the-table deal involving lots of whispers and inappropriate sign language).

In the end, I think we all went home happy with our new books. As Jay, Eve, and I walked from the restaurant to a coffee shop to continue the celebration, we reminisced that it was two years ago to the day that Jay turned to us and said, “I think the three of us should start a blog together.”

And in response, Eve and I looked at each other and said, “What’s a blog?”

- Robin