So, as I’m sure everyone in the entire universe is aware, this week saw the release of my first YA novel HAPPYFACE! Look above! Yes, there he sits on a shelf at Barnes & Noble! You would do well to purchase a copy!

I did a TV appearance on Wednesday for “Connecticut Style,” kind of a “View” for Connecticut that airs on WTNH after the news at noon. I wasn’t sure what to expect – it turns out you can’t ramble on about the intricacies of your novel and instead need answers that fit in a five second space. Next time I’ll be better prepared, but everyone has been very kind about my appearance nonetheless.

Reviews so far for HAPPYFACE have been very positive, even getting two starred reviews so far, one from Publisher’s Weekly and one from Kirkus!

Publisher’s weekly states “The illustrations range from comics to more fleshed-out drawings. Just like Happyface’s writing, they can be whimsical, thoughtful, boyishly sarcastic, off-the-cuff, or achingly beautiful. The best exhibit hints of all of the above.”

The Kirkus review reads “Moving easily between cartoons and painterly black-and-white illustration, this epistolary novel of a young teen’s reinvention of self is subtle and effective . . .Though the catalyst for his metamorphosis is so understated that it’s possible some may miss it altogether and be a bit puzzled later in the story, this is a minor detail in an otherwise engaging and absolutely heartfelt tale.”

The Romantic Times Book Reviews gives Happyface four stars and says “The classic nerd-becomes-cool-and-then-everything-falls-apart story meets some awesome journal sketches and a few really unexpected plot twists. An easy, fun read that tackles some tough subjects.”

School Library Journal says “Emond tells the story via the teen’s illustrated journal, authentically capturing his up-and-down emotions. The pencil-and-ink sketches, comics, and doodles, paired with a disastrously small handwriting font, lend an intimate stream-of-consciousness feel to a story by turns funny, wrenching, quirky, and redemptive.”

Ignore the part about the font. It’s inaccurate. The rest I stand by. :)

This coming Saturday I’ll be having my first book release party at RJ Julia’s in Madison, CT. If you’re in the area, stop by and have a Happyface cupcake and listen to me talk!

Working on the Steverino collections, I found and still enjoyed this storyline. I wrote this just after my actual 5 year reunion, so it was more or less auto-bio. Steverino was usually emotionally autobiographical, but only occasionally, event-wise. The stories rarely went on this long, as well.

Here’s some more of my post-it doodles! I really like drawing video game characters.

So today was a good day for 2 reasons! The first was getting a starred review in Publisher’s Weekly for HAPPYFACE!

And the second was finally getting my hands on the hardcover HAPPYFACE book!!

6 more weeks until you can walk into a store and purchase HAPPYFACE! I’m really excited to see the finished hardcover book.

Here’s some more fairy paintings, one of Cori’s sister Heather, and one of Cori, Heather, and their mother.

Here’s another painting I did as a Christmas present for my friend Cori.

And I’m trying to finally put some closure on Steverino. I’ll have a link for the 2nd and 3rd Steverino collections soon!

Here’s the first of my Christmas paintings. This one is my friend Leslie, zombified for the holidays.

Sorry for the lack of updates! I’ve been working on a bunch of Christmas present paintings. I had the bright idea to save some money by giving the gift of art this Holiday Season. Of course that was before I spent $90 on supplies and shipping costs.

I’ll post pictures once they’re all delivered, don’t want to ruin any surprises! It’s been fun and I’ve been playing around with color inks and silver paint.

Besides that I was working on a christmas-themed sketch comedy skit, and a promotional video for Happyface I’ll hopefully have available soon. It’s just a little fun video to post here and talk a little about the book. I plan to do a series of 3 videos.

I’ll post that art soon – promise! And then it’s back to work on the next book!

Here’s some more art from my presentation slide show.