A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How This Author Prepared for the Golden Kite Awards

And Worried What to Wear!

On January 10^th, 2025, I received an email from the SCBWI Golden Kite Award coordinator telling me that my book, THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW, was a finalist for the middle grade fiction category along with four other authors. Would I be able to attend the live virtual ceremony on February 21?

How was that possible? This was my FIRST middle grade! I checked my school calendar. Phew. No after school meetings or IEPs. So I said yes. And then I frantically searched about the Golden Kite Awards. I remembered the Crystal Kite Awards.

Not too long after that, I received another email about doing a technology check with tips on lighting and sound. Yikes! My lighting wasn’t the best, so I ordered a ring light. My kids asked me if I was a “Tik Toker.” I practiced using the ring light with other Zoom meetings. And about a week before the award ceremony, I passed the SCBWI tech check. Yay!

But then I thought—oh my goodness! What do I wear? So I hopped on You Tube to watch last year’s Golden Kite Award ceremony. Most wore business casual, nothing too fancy. I asked my critique partners for suggestions. I’d be coming home from teaching all day in sub-zero wind chills. I looked through my closet, still nothing jumping out at me.

As I listened to last year’s ceremony, something else popped out at me. The winners gave speeches! Was I supposed to prepare a speech? I didn’t want to presume anything. There was no way I could win. Maybe they had already asked the winners to give speeches. ? The SCBWI email didn’t say anything about writing a speech. But the teacher in me needed to know. So I asked. And yes, I should have a speech ready. Eeeek! So I listened and timed several speeches from last year’s winners, and then, the Saturday before the ceremony I crafted my own. (Most of my speech came from the Acknowledgment page on my web site since there wasn’t room in the back of the novel.) I practiced and timed it, weeding out words.

Now back to the outfit. Still unsure. The night before, I had hubby take me out to two stores to just to see if anything looked good. Sparkly? Nah. Springy? Not in this weather. I came home with nothing. Oh, I should say, I did buy some new mascara J With my Korean eyes, my eyelashes rarely show, even if I do curl them. Hehe.

The day of the ceremony, I awoke at 5:20am like I always do for school. “Focus on your kindergartners, Tina,” I told myself. It was a very long day in the classroom. If you’re a teacher, especially of five-year-olds with inside recess, you’ll understand. After school, I ordered Chinese takeout, banned my family from being home making noise, and rushed home, changed my clothes, redid hair & makeup, ate a few bites of food before jumping into another technology check Zoom.

And that’s when the nerves hit. Because in the tech check Zoom were all kinds of famous authors and illustrators, like Ellen Hopkins, Oge Mora, Dan Yaccarino, Cherry Mo, Ruth Chan, John Parra, Michelle Markel, art director Laurent Linn, and more.

Oh, a neat thing happened in the tech check. I messaged in the Zoom chat to author/illustrator Oge Mora that I had just read her book, The Oldest Student to my kindergartners that afternoon. How special I was able to “talk” to her!

Previously, I had been told that my middle grade category would probably be an hour into the ceremony. So I turned off my special lighting and watched. I was so nervous, I had to use the bathroom three times! (OK, maybe you didn’t need to know that detail, but shows you I’m human!) As I watched the live award ceremony, I noticed something else—the honor winner also gave a speech, a shorter one. I hadn’t prepared an honor speech. Oh no! So I tried to quickly pencil a few words at the top of my printed speech, just. in. case.

An hour into the ceremony, I turned on my special lighting. Checked that my hair and turtleneck-like sweater were okay. And then it was TIME. Turned on my Zoom camera. And listened to the judges describe each book in my category. All I remember of the judge talking about my book was she described it as “luminous.” What a great word! I can’t wait to watch the recording to take in all her description. As I was waiting to hear that anyone but me had won, Ruta Sepetys received the honor. What?! I was so sure she’d win!

The announcement: THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW wins! I think my jaw dropped. (I’ll have to catch the replay to see.) My face got hot. My heart beat fast. The camera was now on me fully. I started my speech, my hands shaking, my voice cracking, my head spinning, but somehow, by the grace of God, I made it through. (Give me a room full of five and six year olds and I’m fine. But a room full of adults?!)

After I was done, I immediately called my husband and my mom and my sister and texted my young adult kids (who could care less).

And as I sat comfortably in my sweatpants, yep, that’s what I was wearing on the bottom, I relished the moment and am so thankful to the judges, SCBWI, Deb JJ Lee, my agent, Adria Goetz, my editor, Carolina Ortiz, and on and on…

And another neat thing that happened this day, is that I received an email from author Nancy I. Sanders, who I consider my writing mentor. She taught me back in 2008 when I was a newbie, living in CA. So I emailed her right back and told her about the award. How special to hear from her on this day! (I had listed her in my speech.)

What’s it like to be a Golden Kite Winner? The next day, I awoke wondering if it was all a dream. This award-winning writer still had to do laundry, cook, write and research for a deadline. And tomorrow I’ll work on report cards. Top celebrating will come later. I did indulge in a Venti Pink Drink from Starbucks.

Like I said in my speech, I’m grateful to God for giving me a passion for the North Korean people and without His guidance in my life, I wouldn’t be a writer.

Solo de gloria!

PS. What did I wear? You’ll have to watch the replay when it’s out. :)