Book Trailer Premiere :The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla

Hello, Sally J. Pla! Welcome back to Watch. Connect. Read. Thank you for dropping by to finish my sentences and premiere the WONDERFUL book trailer for The Someday Birds.

Sally J. Pla: Thank you so much, Mr. Schu! There is no place I’d rather be for our grand film premiere! It FEELS very grand, for 80 seconds of film! 

The book trailer for The Someday Birds made me cry when I saw the first edit. The story came to such beautiful life! It was filmed in a single day in Wisconsin, where I used to live, and where I am lucky enough to have wonderful friends, like the deeply talented filmmaker Kara Mulrooney, who put all her heart into the project.  

Charlie’s family is in flux. In a way, every character in this novel is coming of age, not just Charlie. His anxious, gruff grandma fin
ds an unexpected ally. His boy-crazy sister learns a bit more about what she’s really searching for. Those boisterous twin brothers learn surprising things about their big brother, and vice-versa. Certainly, Charlie has changed. Everything and everyone shifts direction just a bit, by the end of the road-trip.

Visit Sally's website! 

I think Charlie is real! He feels like my own child! My maternal compassion for him, while writing, surpassed anything I’ve experienced toward a character, as a writer. His voice sang out to me, clear and true, from day one. I’ve struggled with characters and storylines before, but not here, not with Charlie. This kid knew what he was doing. He was just waiting for a chance for his voice to be heard.

Also, it is not mentioned in the story anywhere, but most readers will quickly realize that Charlie is autistic. Yet this is not a novel that focuses on autism. I wanted to write a story where autism was more or less the normal state of affairs, not something held up for any special literary scrutiny. This is a story about Charlie, a unique person on a life-changing journey, who has unusual ways of viewing the world.

On January 24, 2017, I’ll be feeling all the feels, as they say. It’s been a long and wonderful path

Reading is salvation. Escape. Joy. Connection. The closest we can come to leading other lives. The best way to grow our compassion as human beings.

Mr. Schu, you should have asked me about Leo, my 80-lb. golden doodle. He’s my constant companion. This dog completes me!

Look for The Someday Birds on January 24, 2017.