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Four Writers. Four Points of View. Susan Berger, Lupe Fernandez, Hilde Garcia, and Kris Kahrs
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by Kris Kahrs
Here are some inspired links to set your Monday on the right path to a fun week. Some of these you can experience now, some are events you can experience today or tomorrow and others are just good to know.
Mo' Mo Willems?
PW's Shelftalker has The Best Mo Willems Book You Haven't Read by Elizabeth Bluemie
Have you ever heard of "Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator!"? I hadn't until I had read this post by author Bluemie. It's adorable and relatively obscure. Dig it up and read to your favorite four-year-old.
Did You Know?
The Write Deal Publishing the New Century - A group of professional editors and writers who are on it. They are the 'fastest growing new generation e-book publisher and retailer'. The Write Deal publishes e-leafs. An 'E-leaf is the future of the ebook. E-leafs are very short, short or longer works in any genre, or serialized excerpts from completed or ongoing projects. E-leafs extend an author's reach into the book market in exciting new ways, and delight and energize readers with works that are fresh from their source.'
Gretchen McNeil on Ginger Clark - Agent
Over at author, Gretchen McNeil's website,
Seanchai, she has a marvelous interview with her literary agent, Ginger Clark. This informative piece will come in handy because Ginger is one of several agents who will be presenting at the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles in August this year! Both of these women have a lot to offer writers so read up.
Today & Tomorrow: Events
The Magic Tree House Live Reading Tour will be in Los Angeles this week on April 16th at 10:00 a.m. at Vroman's Book Store in Pasadena, then at 2:00 p.m. over to Mayfield Junior School. The following day on April 17th, the Reading Tour will be at The Barnes & Noble Bookstore at 11:00 a.m. on the 3rd Street Promenade. Take your fan of the Magic Tree House series to these live events. Get all the details at the Random House website.
Yeehaw! That's the weekly roundup, folks. Enjoy from The Pen and Ink Blog!
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| Sarah Wynde |
by Susan BergerMeet Sarah Wynde. Self published author of the delightful novel, A Gift of Ghosts.Akira Malone believes in the scientific method, evolution, and Einstein’s theory of relativity. And ghosts. All the logic and reason in the world can’t protect her from the truth—she can see and communicate with spirits. But Akira is sure that her ability is just a genetic quirk and the ghosts she encounters simply leftover electromagnetic energy. Dangerous electromagnetic energy. Zane Latimer believes in telepathy, precognition, auras, and that playing Halo with your employees is an excellent management technique. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, Akira can help his family get in touch with their lost loved ones. But will Akira ever be able to face her fears and accept her gift? Or will Zane’s relatives be trapped between life and death forever?As soon as I finished reading A Gift of Ghosts and its sequel, A Gift of Thought. I contacted Sarah through her website. I wanted to know when the next book would be out and I wanted to know how she produced such an excellent self- published book. I loved these books so much that after buying them on Kindle, I also purchased hard copies so I could lend them to my friends who don't have a Kindle App.Why did you decide to self publish? I never made any attempt to get traditionally published, because...well, I think I listed my reasons once as "time (mine), money (yours), and freedom." Doing the whole query letter/agent search takes a lot of hours that I'd rather use writing. And I like the price of self-published books. I like the idea that they are a treat like a Starbucks latte, instead of a movie. But mostly I like the freedom to do things that traditional publishers would have a hard time with, such as mix-and-matching genres and letting my hero not be very heroic.Did you use an editor?Ooh, trick question. First of all, if you’re thinking of self-publishing, you should definitely consider hiring an editor. Editors are great and a wonderful way to both improve your work and learn ways to make your writing stronger. That said, I didn’t use an editor.Here’s what I did instead: first, I published all the chapters as I wrote them to fictionpress.com, giving me a chance to get feedback as I wrote. Next, I published a few chapters to critiquecircle.com and sent the full book to anyone who expressed interest. I had four or five beta reads that way, from people who had no relationship to me and wouldn’t be afraid to tell me where they saw problems. I also sent the early drafts to everyone I knew who was willing to read it: my sister-in-law, my sister, and a couple of friends all read my manuscript and told me when they had issues. When I’d reached the stage where I thought I might self-publish, I ran all the chapters through an online editing program, specifically prowritingaid.com. That helped me notice word repetitions, over-used phrases, weak sentence structure and sometimes grammatical issues. Finally, I read the entire book out loud, twice. If I’d been truly dedicated, I would have read the book backwards, which is a great way to notice mistakes that you’ll otherwise miss. The reason I know that last trick is because I used to be an editor – reading backwards is a proofing style that I used on books which included computer code, where a minor error such as a misplaced comma could cause major problems for a reader.As a former editor, I absolutely believe in the value that a professional editor can add to your work. I didn’t hire one myself mostly because I was a struggling graduate student with no budget for my writing hobby. And also – well, I’m terrible at commas. I place them practically at random. But apart from that, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. (People who know my work as an editor are scoffing madly at the “a bit” in that sentence.) I put a lot of time, energy, and experience into making my books as close to perfect as I could. Going forward, I’d love to find an editor to work with, but I’m always going to rely on my own obsessiveness as the final line of defense against typos and other errors.
How did you choose your cover artist? How much does this cost?Another trick question! I made my own covers. In Powerpoint, no less. For the first book, A Gift of Ghosts, I used a photograph that was in the public domain. For the second and third, A Gift of Thought and A Gift of Time (not yet out), I spent $10 each on photos from Shutterstock.Again, I had an advantage: I worked as an acquisitions editor for a traditional publisher for ten years, so I’d spent a lot of time in cover design meetings. Even better, the imprints that I worked with were focused on graphic design, so I’d worked with a lot of designers. Many self-publishers worry about trying to make their cover convey the entire story, but I focused on having a simple, clear image that would look good in a thumbnail, with typography that would be readable but also represent (as much as possible) the genre of the stories. My covers aren’t perfect and someday I might see what a professional designer could do for them, but for now, they work for me.
Which company did you choose to do it through?I published digitally through Amazon and in print through CreateSpace. I keep thinking that I should broaden my horizons and expand to some other distributors, but at the moment, I’m mostly focused on writing. Did Amazon help you in any way with a mailing list? Do any publicizing?Any giveaways?Nope, nope, and nope. I am enrolled in KDP Select, so I can set the books to be free for five days out of every 90 and I’ve done that, but that’s all I’ve done.How much time do you spend marketing the book?I haven't done any publicity. I'm terrible at Facebook and Twitter and all that stuff, I never know what you're supposed to say. I know most successful authors highly recommend doing a mailing list, so I put my email address on my website, but I haven't really pushed the list or even gotten organized about it. (People are apparently more likely to sign up if they can just enter their name into a field, instead of sending an email, so you're supposed to use a widget.) In other words, I think I'm probably as bad at publicity as an author could be.That said, one important element of good marketing is the blurb, the marketing copy that sells the book online. I see a lot of books by self-published authors where the blurb is basically the type of synopsis that you’d write for a query letter. I think that’s a huge mistake. A blurb shouldn’t tell the story: it should raise questions that the prospective reader will want to discover the answers to. If I was going to give a single piece of advice to fellow self-published authors, it would be to spend more time on their blurbs. For my blurbs, I’ve written and re-written and edited and revised and edited again – and I’ll probably continue tweaking them. I’m pretty happy with the blurb for A Gift of Ghosts now, but I still think I can do better on my other blurbs.
How did you get reviews?When I first set
A Gift of Ghosts to be free via KDP, I told all of my online connections about it. I wrote a fanfic and left a note at the end saying that the book would be free on Amazon; I mentioned it on a post at critiquecircle.com and in an online mom’s group; and I posted a note on my Facebook page. I even told my WoW guild. And I asked for reviews. Of my first twenty reviews or so, I know that at least five came from people who’d been reading my fanfic for a while and another four came from people who’d read chapters via critiquecircle. One was from a fellow WoW player, another two were from fellow moms. A few more were from people that I know in person – a friend, a cousin, a co-worker.
People in the self-publishing community disparage “friends and family” reviews, but my background is in traditional publishing. Our expectation was generally that all the first reviews of a book are going to come from people who are connected in some way with the author, usually because the author sent them review copies. But we don’t assume – or at least as an acquisitions editor, I never assumed – that people are going to lie just because they know someone. To the best of my knowledge, every person who wrote an early review of Ghosts did so honestly. Would they have reviewed it if they hadn’t been acquainted with me online? Probably not, because they wouldn’t have known about it or read it.
Beyond those first messages, though, I haven't tried to get people to review it, because it always feels so awkward to ask. I think I put a note in A Gift of Thought asking people to write reviews and then took it out and republished because it just felt weird to me to ask strangers who have paid money to then give me their time and energy.
A number of readers felt the book was good enough to warrant their time and energy. You have 114 reviews on Amazon for A Gift of Ghosts. 76 are five star and 34 are four star, as of this interview. You have another 55 reviews for A Gift of Thought. 34 are five star and 21 are four star.Yep! The reviews are both unexpected and really nice. Writing for me is a labor of love – I do it because it’s fun. Knowing that someone else has enjoyed the results is glorious icing on a tasty cake.Fifteen years ago, I earned my living as a freelance writer. Then I sat down, looked at the numbers, and promptly went and found myself a job as an editor. Writing is a lovely hobby, but it’s a brutal career. I’ll be absolutely delighted if I can make a living at it someday, but the Tassamara stories are for pleasure, mine and (I hope) yours.Are you satisfied with the sales?Self-publishing is really easy if you don't take it very seriously, and I didn't. I figured I'd sell 20 copies of Ghosts to the people I knew who'd read it, mostly friends I'd met online from writingfan fiction, and then maybe the occasional sale after that from someone who stumbled upon it on Amazon. I'm a single mom and was in grad school on a very tight budget, so my idea was that any money I got from selling Ghosts would buy us the occasional treat--gingerbreadlattes at Starbucks, I hoped.My plan, to the extent that I had one, was to write a million words that I was willing to share with other people, and at the end of that, decide whether writing was something I wanted to try to make money at again. Fast-forward a year, and between both books, I've sold about 3700 copies and made over $9000. Am I satisfied? Absolutely!That’s a lot of lattes!Seriously! Not to mention the calories. At 320 a pop, I had to quit drinking my book sales a while ago!!A treat for you, dear readers! Sarah is generously making today one of her Free Days on Amazon. So click on the link for A Gift of Ghosts and grab your free copy. You do not need to own a Kindle to take advantage of this offer. Kindle has free apps for all your electronic devices. I have Kindle on my PC, ipad and Droid phone. (great for reading in long lines.) If you enjoy the book, please consider writing her a review on Amazon as a thank you.**************The Management would like to thank Sarah Wynde for granting this interview and for the gift of a free day on Amazon..For more of Sarah Wynde, visit her website: http://sarahwynde.com/
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| Cape Canaveral, Florida |
by Lupe Fernandez
Yes, it's true. I'm famous. I owe it all to my writing. Allow me to tell this tale of fortitude, frostbite and Frosted Flakes.
So I was minding my business at Cape Canaveral, grooving at all the rockets and gantries and trying not to weep with joy, when I encountered none other than that famous television thespian,
Mariska Hargitay.
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Mariska Hargitay
aka Olivia Benson |
Before I could say "hand cuff me please", we got to talking about Law & Order SUV (I was bummed that Chris Meloni was off the show, but I still watched the show.) and that conversation segued to children's literature.
Me:
What? You read picture books to your kids?Ms. Hargitay - I'm too respectful to call her by her first name - said her kids loved them.
Me:
I write picture books.I actually concentrate on young adult and middle grade, but I wasn't about to pass up on this chance to pitch.
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| CCCP Logo |
Ms. Hargitay asked me what I was working on.
Me:
I wrote this picture book about two cats. The older brother cat tries to convince his younger brother cat that they have taken a trip into outer space via a cardboard box.Ms. Hargitay asked me where she could buy a copy.
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| CCCP Office |
Me:
It's not published. I'm still looking for a publisher.Well, before I could say "read me my Miranda Rights", Ms. Hargitay gave me the number of the CCCP Company. This publisher caters to writers who love chocolate chip cookies.
I thanked Ms. Hargitay for the tip and took the next plane to Romita, Mexico and visit the CCCP offices. I met with the staff and showed them my work. I retold the tail of two cats blasting off from Earth, landing on Mars - it's one big litter box for cats - and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, and we all know how much cats hate water.
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| Art Work for Two Cats In a Box |
They were so excited, though my Spanish is rudimentary, my work was rushed to the printer in China. After a long sea voyage and several typhoons, the books arrived back at the CCCP Office.
Two Cats in a Box debuted in Romita and the city celebrated it's success.
Needless to say, once
Two Cats In a Box hit the world market, the rave reviews flooded my mail box.
If I may be modest, here's a few comments culled from the many responses to
Two Cats In a Box from my legion of fans, followers and debit collectors:
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| Adoring Fans |
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm calling the police."
"How did you get this address?""Am I on a reality show?"
"Creep."
"See that tall man over there? He's my bodyguard and he's going to ****** you over if you don't leave." |
| Tikal, Guatemala |
I know, I know. You're thinking, "this could never happen to me." But keep the faith dear reader. Such things are possible. Just repeat after me: "I love chocolate chip cookies. I would never knowingly by my actions or in-actions bring harm to a chocolate chip cookie. I shall hold no other cookie before the chocolate chip."
Keep these simple words in mind and you too will succeed.
Well, that's all for now. I'm off to Guatemala to earn a well rested vacation amid the spectacular ruins of Tikal, and to elude a process server.
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By Kris Kahrs
Well, the Inkies can say we knew her when... before Beautiful Creatures was a book and not a movie. Now, Margaret Stohl is debuting her solo effort, ICONS which goes on sale May 7, 2013.
ICONS is a Young Adult post-apocalyptic story of an alien decimated earth and four teens who are born with special powers immune to the aliens' control. Margaret Stohl should start offering workshops on how to create a bestselling YA novel-cum-hollywood movie vehicle. Four young teens pulling together to save their home seems to be the ticket.
As of last September 2012, Alcon Entertainment bought the rights to ICONS. Alcon Entertainment recently wrapped Beautiful Creatures, the movie of Stohl's book, co-authored with Kami Garcia featuring another foursome of teenagers fighting powers beyond the beyond.
Alcon CEO, Broderick Johnson said, "Once we learned of Margaret's new venture, we jumped at the chance to continue our partnership with her and this amazing series of books". ICONS is the first book in a planned series by publisher, Little, Brown and they just released this killer book trailer last week on March 13th 2013. If you watch it, you'll just have to buy the book. It's that exciting. We'll take a dozen!
By Susan BergerI think we are all intriqued by the idea of a well written self published book. . I have fallen in love with two self published authors recently and I asked them both if I could interview them. Meet Sariah Wilson, author of The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back.
Everyone knows how all those fairy tales go. The princess gets beautiful, nabs her prince, falls instantly in love, lives happily ever after and leaves her evil stepsisters in the dust.
But what happens when you're the ugly stepsister and your obnoxiously perfect--read pretty, smart, and, worst of all, sickeningly nice--stepsister is dating the charming, tall, devastatingly handsome guy you've had a thing for since you were nine years old?
Quirky, artistic and snarky Mattie Lowe does not lead a charmed life. Her mother is constantly belittling her on Skype. Mercedes, the school mean girl, has made it her personal mission to torment Mattie. But worst of all? Her stepsister Ella is the most beautiful, popular girl in school and is dating Mattie's secret longtime crush, Jake Kingston.
Tired of being left out and done with waiting for her own stupid fairy godmother to show up, Mattie decides to change her life. She'll start by running for senior class president against wildly popular Jake. Ella can keep her Prince Annoying. Mattie's going to rule the school. And no one, not even a cute and suddenly flirty Jake, is going to stop her.
I happened on this book during the Lee Wind and Mother Reader's Blog Comment Challenge. The premise intrigued me enough to buy a copy for my Kindle App. I loved the story and stayed up till the wee hours to finish it. I didn't realize until the end of the book that it was self published. Then I emailed Sariah and asked for an interview.  |
| Sariah Wilson |
Why did you decide to self publish?
Sariah: Because I felt completely and totally defeated by traditional publishing. With regards to New York publishing, it seemed like in order for an agent to look at you, you already had to be published. But to get published, you had to have an agent! I tried to defeat that angle by publishing in a smaller, niche market. I had three books come out that way. I had two unexpected pregnancies, and felt drained creatively with two little ones. It was very easy to fall away from the publishing world. But I felt an itch to get back to writing. I started reading blogs, looking at my old writers’ groups and an email from The Passive Voice led me back to J.A. Konrath. I used to follow his blog previously and had always admired his acumen and marketing prowess. But suddenly he was talking about this self-publishing thing and I went back to about 2009 and started reading every post he put up. I was stunned. (Stunned!) For days it was all I wanted to talk about. A literal revolution was happening in front of me, and I wanted to be a part of it. I loved the idea that I could control everything – the title, the cover, the price – and keep all my rights. I will never, ever traditionally publish a novel again. I might consider a Hugh Howey situation – print rights for a limited time, but there’s no way I would ever sign a traditional New York contract now, regardless of the offer. (Which is easy to say because, um, no New York offers. LOL)
Which company did you choose to do it through?
Sariah: I’m exclusive to Amazon right now. I followed the train of thought that you should have your book available everywhere to everyone. That makes sense to me – you certainly don’t want to miss out on potential customers. Unfortunately, I was making diddly squat from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and all their sites, and Kobo. (Diddly squat = zero dollars.) The only place I was selling was Amazon. So I decided to give the Select program a shot. I mean, I literally had nothing to lose. I wasn’t selling very many books before – 19 in November, 13 in December and 7 in January. Most people sell more books every month; I was selling less! So I enrolled and did a major promotion for the end of January. I gave away more than 40,000 copies. I had several hundred people sign up for my mailing list. Went from 30 reviews to over 200. Have had about 2,500 people add my book to their Goodreads shelves. And after it was over, I started actually selling books!
Did you use an editor (well, if you didn't, I am in total awe)
Sariah: I did use an editor. Her name is Melinda Fulton, and she is all kinds of awesome. She’s the perfect editor for me. There weren’t any major revisions or anything – just great input and catching my mistakes.
How did you choose your editor?
Sariah: I had planned on using my old editor from my publisher, but he decided to go to law school. So I asked around to my writer friends on who they would recommend. Eschler Editing came up several times, and so I contacted them, and they put me in touch with Melinda. I chose her because I liked how she edited and the rapport between us.
How did you choose your cover artist? How much does this cost?
Sariah: I had a much harder time choosing a cover artist. Initially, my husband drew some artwork and we put a cover up. And I had several reviewers/bloggers saying “Don’t judge this book by its cover!” I knew I needed to change it before I tried really promoting it. So I started looking for an artist, asking for recommendations. The most important thing to me was the cover look professional. I don’t remember how exactly I found Scarlett Rugers, but she is phenomenal. I loved her cover designs, and she is the consummate professional, and very supportive of indies. She called me on the phone to talk about my vision for the book, and then she actually READ the book!!! How many cover artists do you know that do that? She presented me with a couple of options, and if you’ve read my book you know her cover is just so totally perfect for Mattie and the fairy tale theme. I fell in love with it. When I hired her, it cost me $200. I think her business must be booming, because her prices have nearly doubled. Which means I will have to come up with that cash somehow because I love her work.
How much time do you spend marketing the book?
Sariah: Probably not as much as I should. I am experimenting and trying different things to see what works best for me. I hate spamming people on Facebook/Twitter, and I don’t know how effective blog tours are. But just because something did/didn’t work for someone else, doesn’t mean it will/won’t work for me. You’ve got to give things a shot.
What do you think are your most effective strategies?
ISariah: think Select is the most effective strategy there is. I know it may change in the future and Amazon should have competition, but right now you just can’t beat it.
Are you satisfied with the sales?
Sariah: Not at all. Am I happy that I routinely sell more in a day than I did in the entire month of January? Absolutely. But I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied. I’m very competitive with myself, and I want to be successful. I always think I can do better.
I am trying to think of a nice way to ask you how much money you have made so far. No one wants to talk about that and everyone wants to know. I am looking for a way to ask like "Is it bigger than a breadbox?"
Sariah: I haven’t made all that much money yet – but so far I have made enough to pay for editing and a cover for my next book (which is what I really wanted!) and to send my youngest to preschool next year. Put it this way – in the last 45 days since my major free promo I’ve made about as much as I would if NY offered me a standard newbie contract. :)Thank you, Sariah for a wonderful interview. Sariah has graciouly offered to give away a pdf or a mobi version of The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back to one of our readers. I love this book. If you don't win it, please consider buying it on Amazon. You can get it for your Kindle or Kindle app for 2.99 Enter to win by leaving us a comment. Put your email address in the comment i.e Harry at hotmail (don't use the @ symbol. We'll figure it out)
My next interview will be with Sarah Wynde. Self published author of A Gift of Ghosts.
by Lupe Fernandez
Last Thursday, The Chronicle Children's Group invited SCBWI San Francisco/South members to wine, cheese and an opportunity to meet the region's local publisher in SF's South of Market district.
For Giants' fans, Chronicle Books is down the street from AT&T Park.
Chronicle Books publishes books on Art & Design, Food & Drink, Life & Style, Literature, Pop Culture and offers Moleskine, Paper Goods, and Personalization materials.
Their Mission Statement:
Inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books, our objective is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that's instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity, and value. This objective also informs our business relationships and endeavors, be they with customers, authors, vendors, or colleagues.
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Ginee Seo
Children's Publishing Director |
But of interest this reporter is the
Kids & Teens section. Their website breaks books down by age, genre, holidays, multicultural and subject. Chronicle also has a
Kids Blog.
According to their website, Chronicle Books was founded in 1967 with the Children's list "...launched in 1988."
But hey, don't take my word for it. Go visit their site now.
And now, on with the party.
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| SCBWI San Francisco/South Group |
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| Katerine Taylor & Jeanne Yee |
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| Wine & Water |
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| Robin P. Glasser |
by Catherine Lee
From one exquisite life as a professional ballet dancer, Robin turns the page in her career to become an illustrious illustrator. She is best known for illustrating the
Fancy Nancy series of children's books. I hope you enjoy our conversation together!
1. How long did it take for you to decide to dive into illustrating for children's books?I had a whole other career in the arts before I went back to school to study to become a children's book illustrator. I was a professional ballet dancer until I hurt my back just before turning 30; I had to find another direction for my life. I'd always loved to draw, and I was always drawn to children's books, so when I applied to Parsons The New School for Design as a (very old) first-time college student, it was with a very specific course of study in mind. That, then, was the decision to dive into illustrating for children's books. Actually being hired to draw my first children's book (Judith Viorst's
Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!)
Going to Move) took another five years from when I graduated. Five years and two babies.
2. It seems like you're doing some wonderful amazing things. Was it fun to do Sarah Ferguson book?So much fun! She's got a wonderful sense of humor and we've kept in touch over the years. I've been very lucky to work with many amazing authors, from children's book icon Judith Viorst, to radio host and consummate story-teller Garrison Keillor, to the penetratingly sharp Lynne Cheney...and my wonderful and very clever baby sister Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman.
3. Fancy Nancy is such an adorable series, and will the series be an endless call? Can you give us a hint on the theme of the next one coming out?We plan way ahead, so the cover of the next big illustrated book,
Fancy Nancy and the Fanciest Doll in the Universe (which is coming out April 23rd), has been featured on websites for many months already, but I literally just finished the illustrations two weeks ago! Now I am working on the cover of the third chapter book,
Nancy Clancy Sees the Future...but Jane (O'Connor) hasn't even written the story yet. Jane is amazing -- I'll keep illustrating Fancy Nancy stories as long as she keeps coming up with good ideas, and believe me, I don't think she will ever run dry.
4. How long does it take for you to do a complete book? And do you see the copy before print to make sure everything is good? But I bet the printed finished product is best!Jane and I have a brilliant editor -- Margaret Anastas -- and a hugely talented art director, Jeanne Hogle. We all work together, along with dozens of creative people at HarperCollins, to make each book as good as we can. I recently had some health problems, so the
Fanciest Doll had to wait for me to get better, and thus I completed it in four months, from start to finish. That's crazy fast, but the circumstances were unusual and I had a deadline to meet. The illustrations for
A is for Abigail, by Lynne Cheney, took me two years to complete. And with all the history I learned while drawing that book, I felt like I had completed a master's degree in American history! The first time the book is in my hands is magical -- and it's even more fun to see it featured on a shelf in a book store!
5. Must be nice to do this while having a family too! How do you like that?I work odd hours of the day or night, depending on my deadlines and who is actually at home (my children are now ages 21 and 18). But I worked throughout my children's lives -- in fact, I was offered an audition for that first Judith Viorst book while I was literally in labor with my son Ben -- so I can't imagine my career any other way. I'm so lucky to have awesome kids, a sensational partner in my husband, and a career doing something I really love. Sure it's all a balancing act, but isn't everyone's life?
6. It's been a over a decade of doing illustrations. Is there any other areas that you would like to branch out into?While I was waiting to land my first book -- a very long five years -- I did other things in illustration, like greeting cards and theater programs and posters. But I love to tell stories, and children's book illustration offers that opportunity. I'm pretty happy in the niche I have found.
7. What would you tell someone that aspires to be a children's illustrator?Know what's out there -- browse the shelves at books stores and libraries and figure out the trends. Objectively compare your work to what you are seeing. Try to attend panel discussions at book festivals or professional organizations to learn from other illustrators. Look into joining the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) to garner ideas about the field from editors, agents, and published illustrators and authors. Take classes and keep honing your craft. And keep positive and keep going -- it takes a long time to become an "overnight" success!
8. What was your best time, the beginning, middle or where you are now?Oh, definitely where I am now. My children are in very good places, and they have grown up understanding that finding one's passion is a big key to happiness. I have a great life partner in my husband Bob, who lets me do my own thing at all the crazy hours I choose to do it. It wasn't always like this -- for a long time I was a single mom always strapped for time and cash, and I am very proud that my illustration work has brought security and comfort to us all.
9. What do you enjoy your life the most about being an illustrator?The projects I work on tend to be humorous; I crack myself up all the time as I sit at my drafting table. It is very happy work. I also love that HarperCollins has given me the opportunity to continue to "perform" -- a joy I have had since I was a young ballet dancer. When I go out on book tours, I love to meet my Fancy Nancy fans who are, more often than not, dressed to the nines and totally adorable. I get to share my love of books with them.
10. Must have been exciting being a professional ballerina. Could you tell us what that was like?I was fortunate to be in a dance company -- Pennsylvania Ballet -- that had a tremendous touring schedule, so we did a lot of performing all over the country. Ballet is hard work, often painful, with the drudgery of daily classes, sewing ballet shoes, and lots of laundry. But you get out onto that stage, under the lights, with an audience before you, and you become truly alive. Your body moves, the music moves you, and the experience is exhilarating. I was also fortunate to be in a company of people who were remarkable and fun as well as being talented dancers, so I was lucky in my friendships as well. And, by the way, I was never a "ballerina" -- like a general in the army, the title "ballerina" is reserved for a specific level of attainment. I was a "soloist"...and, as you might imagine, given my second career as Fancy Nancy's illustrator, I specialized in dramatic or humorous roles.
11. This is a silly question, but I like to always ask one. What is your favorite color? And what is your favorite time of hour and why?My favorite color used to be blue, but Fancy Nancy has been good to me, so perhaps my new favorite color, like hers, is Fuchsia! My favorite hour of the day is when my husband brings me my coffee in the morning and we chat for a few minutes before starting our days.
We thank Robin P. Glasser for this lovely interview. May her artistic success continue. For more about Robin Glasser, visit her website.
Catherine Lee is a contributing editor at Pen & Ink Blogspot.
By Kris Kahrs
I've been trying to get my hubby to donate some of the numerous books in his collection so that our son can have his room back. All of our books are currently taking up space in my son's room. I thought it might make it easier for my husband to let go of the physical books themselves now that he has the digital copies of them stored on various devices. Hmm, maybe if I gave him some ideas of what to do with them. Here's what I came up with so far:
Make A Book Chair
Donate Them to the Book Vending Machine
Birds Like Books Too
Book Fashionista
Gateway to Another World
Or A Hobbit Hole
See? There are lots of choices. Oooh, I think he'll like this recipe for book smoothies. Hopefully we can find some happy solutions here. Write on people!
by Susan Berger
These are the First Lines from the 2012 Cybil Finalists with links to the books.Five of these of the books also made the Ala List.Some of my links are Amazon. A few are Goodreads. I am beginning to like the Goodreads links becasue they lead to other sources for the books. Including libraries. I hope you enjoy finding out who wrote these lines and I hope some will make it to your reading list. 1. On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box filled with yarn of every color.
ExtraYarn by Mac Barnette. Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Extra Yarnis a also Caldecott Honors Book for 2012
2. Prologue: May 22, 1950HE HAD A FEW MORE MINUTES to destroy seventeen years of evidence, Still in pajamas, Harry Gold raced around his cluttered bedroom, pulling out desk drawers, tossing boxes out of the closet, and yanking books from the shelves. He was horrified. Everywhere he looked were incriminating papers-a plane ticket stub, a secret report, a letter from a fellow spy.
Bomb won the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children, ,Newbery Honor and YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: This one I have to read.
3. At least look at the picture!” Flora’s dad begged. “Don’t you want to know what to expect?” He pushed the glossy brochure across the table. It had a photo on the cover of a large white house on a very green lawn, and the words “Penrice Hall-Individual Fulfillment in a Homelike Atmosphere.”Beswitched by Kate Saunders
4. It was his own grandmother who fed Henri Pierre to the Cabinet of Earths, long ago when he was only four. Don’t misunderstand! It happened like this.
5. When an Irish lad named Frank Browne was seventeen, his uncle Robert gave him a camera. Frank fell in love with photography and before long he was snapping that shutter everywhere he went.
Titanic was a finalist for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children, and the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:
6. MR. BENNETT WALKED into room 212 carrying a plastic bag. He smoothed his sweatshirt that read DEATH TO STEREOTYPES, tucked Claus his rubber chicken under his arm, raised one eyebrow, and jumped on his desk. He opened the bag, lifted a loaf of bread into the air and shouted, “Sell it to me.”
7. I AM A COWARD. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending. I spent the first twelve years of my life playing at the battle of Stirling Bridge with my five big brothers, and even though I am a girl the let me be William Wallace, who is supposed to be one of our ancestors, because I did the most rousing battle speeches. God, I tried hard last week. My God, I tried. But now I know I am a coward. After the ridiculous deal I made with SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden, I know I am a coward. And I'm going to give you anything you ask, everything I can remember. Absolutely every last detail. 8. ONE WEEK BEFORE OUR SENIOR YEAR of high school begins, Erin's wearing her basketball practice jersey and I can see her black sports bra through the armhole, which is sort of sexy, at least to me.
Boy 21 by Matthew Quick
9. I wake up.
Immediately I have to figure out who I am. It’s not just the body-opening my eyes and discovering whether the skin on my arm is light or dark, whether my hair is long or short, whether I’m fat or thin, boy or girl, scarred or smooth. The body is the easiest thing to adjust to, if you’re used to waking up in a new one each morning. It’s the life, the context of the body, that can be hard to grasp.
Every Day By David Levithan
10.“I’m going to whack a duck,” said Bink By Kate diCamillo and Allison McGhee, illustrated by Tony Fucile
For me, that's a great first line. I want to read this one.
HAPPY READING AND WRITING!
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| Victoria |
by Hilde Garcia
Setting: January 26th. Mother Daughter Book Event at the Flintridge Bookstore.
Our characters: One very excited young writer, aged 8. Mom, another writer, as her partner.
Our story:
“Mommy, am I really going to meet writers?”“Yes, dear.”“And we can buy the books they wrote?”"Yep.”Yeah, this is the best day ever.” (She usually says this about four times a week.)
Rookie parenting mistake #1: Don’t say yes to buying books unless you know they are going to be a match for your child’s emotional level.We sit at our first table with
Jenn Resse, author of
Above World. She has miniature sea horses as her giveaway and bookmarkers. Victoria is in heaven and is mesmerized listening to Jenn speak about her book. Victoria wants to buy it.
I say yes. Are you kidding? I want to read it as well.
Even though Victoria is reading on a 4.8 reading level which is several years ahead of her actual grade level, she is still simply an “8 year old.” She is young and innocent. She doesn’t watch TV, she still plays with Lincoln Logs, horses, paints, reads, and loves her dolls.
And yet, she has tackled books like
Hugo Cabret, the entire
Harry Potter Series and
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, along with classics like
Matilda,
Rikki Tikki Tavi, and
Black Beauty.
I figure why not. But something about Jenn’s book upsets her. And nothing about the story is any scarier than what she’s tackled already.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” My husband snuggles next to her at bedtime to calm my very distraught daughter.
“The book was scary. Aluna almost got eaten by the Great White. And her friend was dead.” My daughter cries silently.
“But honey, you know it’ make believe. It’s just a story. Just like in
Harry Potter and all the tragedies that happened to him.”
“But I was sad when those things happened too, like when George is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange.”
Emotional level vs reading level. Hmmm. My husband and I talked that night. So why would or how could Above World frighten her so? I think she really connected with Aluna from the first word on the first page, maybe more than in other stories. I read the first page and felt Aluna’s power. She was as real to me as she was to Victoria. Jenn’s writing is smooth and rich and it can’t help but pull you in.
I was hesitant to have her read the
Harry Potter series, even though it’s a favorite of my husband’s and mine, (Our son’s middle name is Harry- no joke and no accident; my daughter’s is Anne for
Anne of Green Gables- can you see a theme here?), but she was hooked and there was no stopping Victoria, so against my better judgment, and with a lot of supervision and discussion, we allowed her and her twin brother to finish the series. Victoria was very upset after she finished reading Book 7 and asked me if I was going to die.
A question I wish I didn't have to answer.
After her sad night with Aluna and Above World, I decided it was time to step back in time a bit when things were a different kind of exciting and scary. I suggested
Caddie Woodlawn, The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Pollyanna, The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, Nancy Drew, etc. My daughter was furious.
“Mommy, I am fine. I am not scared now. We bought the books. I should get to read them.”
Mind you, she had been our guest blogger on Pen and Ink that week and I had allowed her to hand out my cards with her named penciled in.
“I have to read Above World, please!”
I said, “Not right now. I want you to read a few other books first and work your way up to this one.”
I figured that would allow her emotional reading level a chance to breathe and recoup from some very adventurous and sad stories. She proceeded to go back to reading Dr. Seuss and any picture book she could find as if to say, “
If I can’t read Above World, then I won’t read anything difficult.”Ahhhh, parenting, it’s such a fun thing, isn’t it? But, you know, I don’t regret my decision. I think she got a bit ahead of herself and she needed time to let her soul catch up to her brain.
My best advice is to know your child. Until now, I had never restricted titles, but being an expert in this field, (I’ve read everything in YA and below), I knew she was making good choices that she could handle. When
Harry Potter became an interest, I thought well, let’s see how it goes. My daughter was on fire reading it, discussing it with me, and seemed to be handling it. But that was all on the surface.
“Honey, I know it is hard to understand, but you need to let your heart catch up to your brain. I will let you know when you can read your new titles.”
(My daughter also bought
Keeper of the Lost Cities by
Shannon Messenger that day. She passes the books on my bookshelf and runs her fingers over the cover, wistfully.
“Fine.”
She exits my office with a sour look and a disposition to match. And yet, even though it breaks my heart to see her restricted temporarily on some book choices, I know in my heart I am doing the right thing. I need to preserve that little soul as long as I can before life does a number on her.
I know my young reader well. Get to know your young readers too and don’t always rely on reading level for appropriateness. Sometimes, you have to know the impact of the story before you say yes.
My mistake was that I hadn’t had time to read the story first before I said we could buy them. That same weekend, my daughter had bought
Lin Oliver’s
Almost Identical and
Leslie Margolis’
Maggie Brooklyn Series. She finished each one in one night. I can’t pre-read most titles for her because she can out read me- oh to be a child without laundry duty.
Bottom line, older kids don’t always like stories that have angst, younger readers sometimes read it and compute it on a superficial level so it doesn’t seem to wound their soul, other kids are in between.
Reading is very personal and every reader has to find a connection, but those of us that are in a position to guide can do best by treating each reader as one, and helping guide them accordingly.
I learned a lot from this experience. I hope that it affords you some insight as well.
Happy Reading.
by Susan Berger
1. On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box filled with yarn of every color.
2. Prologue: May 22, 1950HE HAD A FEW MORE MINUTES to destroy seventeen years of evidence, Still in pajamas, Harry Gold raced around his cluttered bedroom, pulling out desk drawers, tossing boxes out of the closet, and yanking books from the shelves. He was horrified. Everywhere he looked were incriminating papers-a plane ticket stub, a secret report, a letter from a fellow spy,3. At least look at the picture!” Flora’s dad begged. “Don’t you want to know what to expect?” He pushed the glossy brochure across the table. It had a photo on the cover of a large white house on a very green lawn, and the words “Penrice Hall-Individual Fulfillment in a Homelike Atmosphere.”4. It was his own grandmother who fed Henri Pierre to the Cabinet of Earths, long ago when he was only four. Don’t misunderstand! It happened like this.
5. When an Irish lad named Frank Browne was seventeen, his uncle Robert gave him a camera. Frank fell in love with photography and before long he was snapping that shutter everywhere he went.
6. MR. BENNETT WALKED into room 212 carrying a plastic bag. He smoothed his sweatshirt that read DEATH TO STEREOTYPES, tucked Claus his rubber chicken under his arm, raised one eyebrow, and jumped on his desk. He opened the bag, lifted a loaf of bread into the air and shouted, “Sell it to me.”
7. I AM A COWARD. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. I have always been good at pretending. I spent the first twelve years of my life playing at the battle of Stirling Bridge with my five big brothers, and even though I am a girl the let me be William Wallace, who is supposed to be one of our ancestors, because I did the most rousing battle speeches. God, I tried hard last week. My God, I tried. But now I know I am a coward. After the ridiculous deal I made with SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden, I know I am a coward. And I'm going to give you anything yoole, which sort of sexy, at least to may ask, everything I can remember. Absolutely every last detail.
8. ONE WEEK BEFORE OUR SENIOR YEAR of high school begins, Erin's wearing her basketball practice jersey and I can see her black sports bra through the armhole, which is sort of sexy, at least to me.
9. I wake up.
Immediately I have to figure out who I am. It’s not just the body-opening my eyes and discovering whether the skin on my arm is light or dark, whether my hair is long or short, whether I’m fat or thin, boy or girl, scarred or smooth. The body is the easiest thing to adjust to, if you’re used to waking up in a new one each morning. It’s the life, the context of the body, that can be hard to grasp.
10. “I’m going to whack a duck,” said Bink.
(Number 10 is a personal first line favorite.)
Do you recognize any of these lines from your reading in 2012? Any of them call out to you?
In my next post I'll link you to the books. Until them I'll be working on some of my own first lines...and middle lines...and chapters....and last lines....
Write On.
by Lupe Fernandez
I dream of rockets blasting into space. I dream riding a rocket to another planet. I dream of fitting in to environmental suit, riding the gantry up to command module, slipping into my couch, hearing the hatch slam shut, going to a check list until all systems are go.
The rockets rumbles and the force of acceleration squeezes me into my couch while Mission Control voice rattle out numbers and abbreviations, the jargon of spaceflight.
I dream of the great blue globe of Earth passing beneath me as my spacecraft circumnavigates the globe every 94 minutes, at a speed unheard of by Ferdinand Magellan in his five sailing ships.
Then the bell of the spacecraft's engine fires and injects me into a trajectory bound by Newtonian Physics and celestial mechanics.
Traveling at tremendous velocities, in space nothing seems to move, and yet I am hurtled away from Earth, everything I've known and that there is in human experience. Oceans. Sand. Trees. Grass. School. Girls. Cookies. Pizza. Comic books. Blue sky.
I survey the stars and look backward in the time. After several slingshots around the planets, I decelerate at my destination. A new world with continents unknown and seas unheard. What crawls and swims on this world? Are they like us? Is it a desert? Am I the only one alive?
But I'm not alone.
Everyone who labored, loved and launched the spacecraft is with me. Their million prayers and calculations are comfort me. I report my findings and the Earth waits as I descend through the foreign atmosphere. Gravity greets me as an old, portly friend, squatting on my body. Dust settles and the engine shuts off as I land.
I see the horizon trimmed with mountains, a pinkish sky and another sun.
Dare I step out onto this new frontier? Crunch my boots in this new dirt.
Maybe I should fire the ascent module and go home, and pretend it was all a dream.
What would you do?
I dream of rockets and I'm going to write about them.
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| Victoria Krol |
by Victoria Krol
Children’s books are very popular today. Have you ever asked a child what they like to read?
Well, now you get to know! I am a really good reader. I like reading
The Harry Potter series. My friend, Eva, likes reading
The Fairy Books by Daisy Meadows.
Instead of being lazy on rainy days by watching TV, I will read a story. Whenever I have free time in class, I’ll get my books out and read. I can block out noise. A couple of times, the teacher is talking and I’m not paying attention because I’m reading. (OOPS).
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| Revising Blog Post |
Eva’s friend, Josie, also likes reading
The Fairy Books by Daisy Meadows.
My friends, Jack and Henry, like reading
The Berenstain Bears.
Parents, when you go to the library let your child pick a book above their reading level.
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| Eva and Jose |
That’s why I’m so good at reading.
“I read chapter books and
Harry Potter,” says Sam, my brother. Sam and I used to like to read Captain Underpants but not anymore.
Also, parents, remember to read to your children. My Dad used to read to us and now we read to him. My dad is reading us
The Hobbit now.
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| Sam |
Now that I have finished
The Harry Potter books, I decided to read something not as scary like
Ivy & Bean and several
American Girl books.
Reading is very important and it helps you learn and it’s one of the subjects you need to get into Kindergarten. Reading helps you with everything.
And that’s my take on children’s books.
These are my suggestions for books you can let your kids read. I’ve read all of these and they are very good.
(Well, I am not quite done yet with the stuff at the end of the list but hope to be by summer.)
Preschool Elmo and Grover books by various authors, illustrated by various.
Sesame Street books by Sesame Street Library, illustrated by Joe Matthieu.
Mickey Mouse/ Disney books by various authors, illustrated by various.
The Barn Yard Dance by author and illustrator Sandra Boynton.
Hippos GO BESERK by author and illustrator Sandra Boynton.
Pajama Time by author and illustrator Sandra Boynton.
My Personal Penguin by author and illustrator Sandra Boynton.
K-2nd grades
Little House on the Prairie 1-7 by Laura Ingalls Wilder, illustrated by Garth Williams.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, illustrated by Lucy Kemp and others.
The American Girl Series by various authors, illustrated by various.
Goosebumps by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Tim Jacobus.
Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes.
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams.
Stuart Little by E. B. White, illustrated by Garth Williams.
5-6th grades
Anne of Green Gables 1-8 by Lucy M. Montgomery.
Harry Potter Books 1-7 by J. K. Rowling, illustrated by Mary Grandpré.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, illustrated by Henry C. Pitz.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein.
Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, illustrated by Norman Rockwell.
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The staff at Pen & Ink Blogpost would like to thank Victoria Krol for her post.
Victoria is currently writing and illustrating her own trilogy.
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| My Garden Book |
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| My School Year |
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| My Vacation |
by Hilde Garcia
This is a difficult post for me to write. I have a unique perspective on reading. I’m not only a writer, but also a teacher in the public school system. I’m a product of yester-year’s public school.
What changed?Money.
Bottom line: the budget! It’s been cut, chopped, and diced like those knives advertised on the informational channels for $19.99.
When I was a student of public schools in the 1970’s, schools were the focal point of a child’s day. You went to school from 8am to 3pm. Everyone ate in the cafeteria. Parents picked up children or they simply walked home. Schools offered art, music, and PE to all students.
Fundraising was unheard of except for the occasional PTA bake sale that helped buy extra books for the library or some neat school improvement like a sign or a new flag. Teachers had manageable class sizes- how’s 12-15 for kinder, 15-20 for lower grades and 25 for 4th-6th.Our teachers read to us with the lights off after lunch. There was no madness about testing. We painted, we laughed, we sang, we explored bugs, we loved going to school.
As an immigrant child whose parents did not speak English, I relied heavily on my teachers. My parents revered my teachers like Gods. Teachers weren't second-guessed; they weren't disrespected. They were considered a child’s advocate.
I learned the word flamboyant from Mrs. Morris in 6th grade. Mrs. Dobbs taught me how to write a proper thank you note and not to simply say, “Thanks for the lovely gift.” I still write the best thank you notes say the people who have received them. Mrs. Moncur taught me how to read the word shenanigans and also said I was the best speller in the 3rd grade. But my greatest memory is Miss Cavanaugh who taught me how to read English when I was 5. I still correspond with her today. She opened up the world of reading. She read to us aloud every day during nap-time I remember the sunshine coming in through PS 4’s window in the fall of 1972 in New Jersey. No other noise could be heard but her lyric voice and Dr. Seuss’ genius.
I couldn’t speak a word of English when I began Kindergarten. By June, I was speaking both and reading both Spanish and English. By 3rdgrade, I could read on a 6th grade level and you couldn’t detect an accent in my speech in either.
While I am not naïve and I know it wasn’t like this everywhere for every student, it was a completely different time period. The funding available for schools allowed for longer day, more individual time with each student, less interruptions, smaller class sizes and simply more focus on learning than on testing.
How different for the kids of today. Every day I turn on the news and hear of millions of dollars that are cut from the budget. No music, no art. Who cares? The kids don’t need it; they need to read and write. I recall the Presidential Awards and how coveted and prestigious they were. I always wanted to get one and did more than my best in PE to do so. Today, we have a generation of obese kids who don’t read.
So how does all this speak to my title of “How are schools instilling the love of reading for students? They are not, not really. It’s up to us, the children’s book writers of the planet. Like super heroes, we rescue children from Playstations everywhere and bring them back to wonder and magic in their minds.
Nowadays, kids read for the test. They learn to skim the passage for clues. They learn to read the questions first to see what they will be quizzed on, before they scan the reading. The test excerpts are not based on literary works of fiction or non-fiction. They are samples created for the test. They are boring.Teachers rarely have time to read to their classes because every minute has to be accounted for. In most public schools teachers are mandated to teach for the test instead of teaching material that integrates all the subjects kids find interesting in order to motivate and inspire them.
I teach students that were born in the US and are labeled English Learners and never get rid of that label. They can’t speak proper English nor can they speak Spanish to their parents. I have 5thand 6th grade students reading on 2nd and 3rdgrade levels.
When I ask them do they read, they say not really. They have quite a few reasons: no time, no books, don’t care, sibling bothers me, and the list continues. These students are socially promoted every year. And these students simply keep falling behind.
There is no love of reading instilled because why should students read when their level is the same as their kid sister’s? Someone might see them check out a “baby” book.
Why should they love reading if from the very onset of their scholastic career, they are set up to fail? Our kids today can’t love to read like we did because our generation isn’t making that the forefront of education. It’s up to us, the writer’s of children’s literature to produce incredibly engaging works of fiction and non-fiction, so that in spite of all these obstacles, kids will read and be better for it.We are the cavalry and our battle is uphill. I say, “CHARGE!” Write the book that will stop the war.
In an upcoming post, my daughter will share her views with you on What Kids Read.
By Kris Kahrs
By the same people who brought you The Pirate's Alphabet, Ms. K. felt inspired to share her version of the Kidlit Writer's Alphabet. Please feel free to join in and share your own version in the comments below.
A is for Associate Social Media Editor, the job you take while working on your manuscript nights.
B is for 'But first coffee..', the first thing your brain says in the morning as you stagger to your writing table after another late night.
C is for Conference, where you spend the trillions of dollars you make at your day job to flog your latest YA, geek-cum-vampire masterpiece.
D is for Desk Cat, because (say it with me now),
no writer should be without one.E is for Earnest, as in the tone of the Query Letter you write to the editor you met at the conference.
F is for the thing that you said when you received your twelfth rejection letter.
G is for Great which is the chocolate you ate after the twelfth rejection letter.
H is for Hungover, which is how you feel after you drank the martinis after you ate the chocolate after the twelfth rejection letter.
I is for Instant Acceptance, which is how the newly published author you went to listen to at the bookstore described how her book got picked up after she got out of her Master's program.
J is for 'just', the word you did a search and replace on and found 54 times in your manuscript.
K is for Knight, the new character you add to your YA manuscript on the advice of your online critique.
L is for the Love letter you write to the agent who calls to request the whole manuscript after reading your ten page submission.
M is for the Mantra (
please buy my book) you chant the whole time the agent has your manuscript.
N is for the Non-stop fun you are having doing the revisions requested by said agent.
O is for the Opera you sang when the agent offered to take you on as a client.
P is for the Publishers your agent shops your manuscript to.
Q is for yet another Quick and dirty revision you do for each of them.
R is for the Riot you started at Staples when you couldn't find the right ink cartridge for your printer.
S is for the Salmon filet you cooked for desk cat (you had the champagne) when the publisher called to say they wanted your book.
T is for the cup of Tea you had (to keep your hands from shaking) when you went in to the Publisher's offices to sign the contract.
U is for the pair of Uggs you bought that you wore to Starbucks because you are a writer in L.A. after all.
V is for Very ecstatic because your agent says your book is on The New York Times bestseller list.
W is for Writing the sequel because your agent has created a bidding war for your next manuscript.
X is for the Xtra large cup of Pinkberry you buy because you figure you can afford the big bucks.
Y is for the
YES you screech when your agent tells you that a producer is interested in making a movie of your book.
Z is for zealous, which is how you feel about you and desk cat religiously getting your couples' massage on Tuesdays.
Best of luck to all of us in 2013!
by Lupe Fernandez
On the Twelfth day of Christmas,My true love gave to me:
Twelve Movie Options
Eleven Newbery Awards
Ten White House Invitations
Nine Weeks as Best Seller
Eight City Tour
Seven Keynote Speeches
Six Figure Advances
Five Book Contracts
Four Publishers Bidding
Three Books Covers
Two Editors Editing
and an Agent in a pear tree.
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| Have a cookie. You'll feel better. |
If you're feeling a bit down this season, check out this
2.0 version of the
The Twelve Days of Writing.
Until next year devoted readers,
hasta la luego.
By Susan Berger
Well...Tis the season. I love the holidays. I love the lights and the songs and the feelings of good will and anticipation.
I do not love the tension, the anxiety of trying to do everything right and on time. Of finding the perfect present. The illusion that there needs to be more money. I wish I never felt those things, but I do sometimes.
Twenty years when my children were young and I was a harried mother, I wrote this poem:
Christmas
The Carols are caroled. The gingerbread's made.
The turkey's not bought yet. The bills are half paid.
The kids are both fighting. The gifts are not wrapped
It's six days till Christmas and we are all zapped!
I want back my childhood, the joy and delight,
The magic and wonder of Christmas Eve night.
It's odd being grown and the mother of two.
What quality time? I'm just running a zoo!
Oh I wish that a Fairy was sitting right here,
She would just wave her wand and make Christmas appear.
She'd sparkle the gifts and then light up the tree.
And I'd look, and I'd marvel, and I would be free.
Still, at night, when I gaze at each young sleeping face,
I know that, for me, there is no other place.
So I cling to bright moments and take them for proof
That reindeer still land, in our dreams, on the roof.
I think at this time of year we. as writers, need to remember our childhood. Or as William Goldman, author of The Princess Bride, might have put it:
Childhood: The Good Parts Version.
We need to remember a time when the world was full of wonder. We need to remember the magic. How it felt to believe.
I still remember joyous anticipation I felt as a child when the TV news anchor reported Santa had been sighted.
I remember lying in my bed tense with excitement staring up at my neighbors peaked snow covered roof, sure I would spot the sleigh and those tinkling belled reindeer any moment.
My believing memories fuel my writing. I want to play in my writing with other believers in a world when anything is possible.
Have you got a special believing memory you can share with us?
I hope so. Happy Holidays. These last two pictures are from this year's Gingerbread House Decorating Party, one of my favorite Christmas traditions now in its 31st year.
by Hilde Garcia
It’s the second night of Hannukah and there’s still plenty of time to find good Hannukah books and order online!
With over night shipping at your fingertips, you’ll be able to get your books by the 8th night before the sun dips.
Here are the tried and true favorites at my house.
Here’s hoping they are for you, whether they are to gift or for your little mouse.
PRE SCHOOL CHOICES
1.
This is the Dreidel by Abby Levine
This story is told in the style of
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Each page builds on the next as it tells Max’s story of how he celebrates Hanukkah. It also includes a mini dictionary of some Hanukkah terms.
2.
On the First Night of Chanukah by Cecily Kaiser
We all remember the familiar song, The Twelve Days of Christmas. Well this book introduces the eight nights of Hanukkah. And on the fifth night instead of 5 Golden Rings, we get 5 Chocolate Gelt. Yummy.
3.
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah by Susan L. Roth
This very soothing song encompasses a very popular melody, O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree and tells the young reader about lighting candles for eight days. The illustrations are beautiful, done by ???
4.
I Have a Little Dreidel by Maxim Baum
This is a great songbook, where you sing the dreidel song as you read it. This book has ten verses to describe an entire Hanukkah experiences as well as a recipe and how to play the dreidel game. It even has the sheet music at the very end to play the dreidel song yourself.
KINDERGARTEN- 2nd GRADE1. A Chanukkah Guest by Eric A. Kimmel
Poor Bubbe Brayna! Her eyesight isn't very good and she ends up sharing her latkes with a very hairy guest, a bear. This story will certainly make you laugh!
2.
Mrs Greenberg’s Messy Hanukkah by Linda Glaser
Rachel doesn't feel like it will be Hanukkah without her neighbor Mrs. Greenberg or any latkes. Her parents are too busy with errands so she devises a plan. And what a messy plan it is. Rachels good sentiments in the end teach her parents a great lesson and brings happiness to Mrs. Greenberg for Hanukkah.
3.
The Magic Dreidels, A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmel
A great story about the consequences of our actions that will have your child rooting for Jacob all the way. And who wouldn't want magic dreidels that make latkes?
4.
Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat, A Hanukkah Story by Naomi Howland
This is told in the spirit of Tomie dePaola’s, Strega Nona. It includes a recipe and the origins of the holiday too.
3rd - 5th GRADE1. Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel
This is one of my favorite stories. It’s a great story about how Hershel outwits the goblins to restore Hanukkah to the neighboring village of Ostropol. It shows that our greatest weapon is not strength but intelligence.
2. Zigazak, A Magical Hanukkah Night by Eric Kimmel
A marvelous story of how the Rabbi of Brisk rids the town of two pesky Hanukkah devils that were ruining the town’s celebration. This book has great potential for interactiveness as my children love to repeat zigazak all throughout the story. It also exemplifies for young readers how you can solve problems with your wits and not your fist.
3.
Hanukkah, Shmanukkah! by Esmé Raji Codell
A fabulous retelling of Scrooge’s tale. The Rabbi of Hannukah Past arrives to transport Scroogemacher “to hotzeplotz and back to see that Hanukah is nothing to sneeze at.”
4.
Hanukkah by Miriam Chaikin
A historical account told simply but honestly about King Atiochus’ hatred for the Hews. This book gives dates, facts and beautiful illustrations by Ellen Weiss that are akin to historical depictions with just the right touch of color to catch a young reader’s interest. We learn in this book that Hanukkah means to dedicate.
FOR EVERYONE
1.
The Eight Nights of Hanukkah by Judy Nayer
This storybook not only includes the story of Hanukkah as it is told by one family, but gives you many Hanukkah activities and traditions that you can share with your children. Each night in the book is interspersed with an activity. Among the activities are how to make a dreidel, latkes and Hanukkah cards. It tells you of the history and meaning of the holiday. It shares with you the song and the prayer for the candles. Children can make Star of David picture frames and a Maccabee shields. There is also a Hanukkah memory game you can create as well as a gelt holder for all those chocolate coins.
No matter what you celebrate, have a safe and happy season of holidays and may you have light in everything you do and that you leave a magic sparkles everywhere you go.
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| Convention Badge |
by Lupe Fernandez
In June, I attended a conference organized by
The Institute for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Among the many topics discussed were:
- The Next Big Science Revolution - (Hint: Artificial Intelligence)
- How to Survive Your Trip to Mars - (Hint: Wear a Spacesuit)
- All Aboard the 100 Year Starship - (Hint: You think flying to New York is a long trip?)
- Did the Big Bang Require a Divine Spark? - (Hint: If there's a Divine Spark, was there a Divine Lighter?)
- How to Survive an Alien Infection - (Hint: Our microbes are better then their microbes.)
- Human vs. Robots Who Should Explore Space? - (Hint: I'm ready for my one-way trip to Mars.)
- How Do You Invent an Alien Language? - (Hint: Don't use ambiguous photographs.)
 |
| Me, Dr. Frank Drake and Intern Amanda Aguilera |
My favorite moment was meeting
Dr. Frank Drake. For those of you not in the know, Dr. Drake was the first radio astronomer to listen signals from the stars, and founded SETI back in the good old days. A certain Senator Proximire thought Dr. Drake was a kook and awarded him the infamous Golden Fleece Award for wasteful government projects.
For shame, Senator! At long last, have you no decency?
Other notables in attendance:
- Bill Nye - The Science Guy
- Robert Picardo - TV actor who played the hologram doctor on Star Trek Voyager.
- Mary Roach - Author of Stiff, Bonk and Packing for Mars.
- Richard Rhodes - Author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb
and... - My new favorite astronomer and personal friend of mine - well not actually a personal friend, but I did give him the idea of the Divine Lighter - Seth Shostak.
And what, pray tell, does this post have to do with writing? Let's look at language. Particularly, the word "believe." Do you believe in intelligence life exists beyond the Earth? What? You Do Believe.
Belief only requires faith, not facts.
 |
| Electromagnetic Spectrum - Believe it or Not |
I don't have to "believe" in the propagation of the electromagnetic spectrum to know that my radio, TV and cell phone works. I believe I will publish a manuscript one day. Alas, I have no observable phenomena to back up my claim. I just keep the faith, baby.
For those you who
believe the alleged Mayan Calendar prediction of the End of the World as We Know it on December 2012, I offer words of consolation.
It ain't happening.
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| End of the World |
During the session Cosmophobia: Doomsday 2012 and Other Fiction Science, the august panel, including two astronomers, assured us that the alleged Mayan Calendar prediction has no basis in fact. However if you wish to profit by this internet driven event, Seth Shotak suggests finding someone suffering from Cosmophobia and offer to buy their house for $10,000 dollars. Come January 2013, you will own a new house.
As for me, I will gaze into the night sky and wonder about worlds upon worlds, and imagine landscapes unknown and accents unborn.
I'd like to thank my friend, Amanda Aguilera, for introducing me to the SETI Institute. She's an intern there, and as far as I'm concerned, has the best job in the world.
by Kris Kahrs
Gather round Chickens! The Pen and Ink Blog has compiled a list of spooky good reads for you and the kidlets this Halloween. So, chuck the candy, pull up a stool, grab a swig of apple cider and read on...
Pre-K and up. This die cut book is a lot of fun to read to kids. As you turn the pages, the monster grows piece by piece and as you keep going, the kids get to interactively tell the monster off and it disappears bit by bit.
Ages three and up. You can just imagine the problems of a skeleton with hiccups. Now imagine how difficult it would be for him trying the various methods of getting rid of the hiccups and you'll have an idea how visually funny this book is!
Ages four and up. Oscar the Dachshund gets a special costume from his mom to wear for Halloween. One problem -- it a hot dog costume and guess who's supposed to be the wiener that goes inside the bun? By the author of Captain Underpants.
Ages four and up. A rhyming story of a witch and the friends she picks up as she flies through the night. Is there room for one more? You have to read it to find out!
Ages Kindergarten and up. Rhode Montijo is the author and illustrator of this superhero story of The Halloween Kid and how he keeps Halloween safe for all. The retro illustrations are the real treat.
Ages 6 and up. This is the Halloween version of the old tale "Stone Soup". A story I still tell to my son at night. In this retelling, Finnigin the always hungry skeleton is looking for his next meal on Halloween and needs to convince the townspeople to share a meal with him.
Ages 5 and up. SCBWI homeboy, Christopher Cheng's book Sounds Spooky is the perfect read for Halloween. He uses the Onomatopoeia of words to help the reader hear the sound as well as set the tone for the story.
Ages 8 and up. A deliciously chilling tale for the older crowd, John Bellairs writes a couple of different series for this age group that are thrilling but not too scary and that have an upbeat resolution. At 179 pages, you won't finish reading this to the kids on Halloween, but the good news is that they'll keep coming back night after night asking you to read more.
Ages two and up. This is a charming, funny read. Being a ballerina is every girl's dream, especially so for Vampirina, but this little dancer has the extra challenge of also being one of the undead.
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown (Aug 21, 2012)
Ages 4 and up. How would you feel if your favorite snack all of a sudden became alive and started stalking you? That will give you a good idea of what happened to Jasper Rabbit one day while noshing on his crunchy treat. There's some lovely illustrations you'll enjoy, parodying cinematic classics. Put down the cupcake and back away slowly.
by Susan Berger
I haven’t done a first line post in a while. This time I’m taking lines from books I read within the last two months. Some of them are prize winners. A couple I bought at the SCBWI Summer Conference. Two were urged on me by friends. See if these first paragraphs, or, in the case of picture books, first pages, make you want to read on. Answers in two weeks.
1. Frannie James often dreamed about her missing mother. Nothing warm or fuzzy, of course, more like reruns of a half forgotten TV series. It was happening again. Her hands clenched as she slept. Would Mom smile? Just one loving smile….Please
2. “Hurry Zachary, bring me a diaper,” cried Mom.
“In a minute Mom. I’m feeding the bird,” said Zachary.
“I need it right now,” Mom yelled.
3. You need something?
I can get it for you.
You have a problem?
I can solve it.
That’s why they come to me. By “they” I mean every kid in the school. First Graders up to eighth graders. Everyone comes to me for help and most of the time I’m happy to provide it. For a small fee of course.
4. I am lucky my sister is my best friend.
We do everything together.
Tengo suerte de que me Hermana sea mi major amiga.
Hacemos todas las cosas juntas.
J’ai de la chance parce que ma sœur est ma meilleure amie.
On fait tout ensemble.
5. The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I knew only from stories. The one just outside of town with the big blue letters: MANIFEST: A TOWN WITH A RICH PAST AND A BRIGHT FUTURE.
6. Logan
Logan didn’t have to open his eyes to know that morning had arrived. The sweet smell of cotton candy wafting into his room worked better than any alarm clock. He rolled over so his nose nearly touched the air vent.
7. Natalie Isabelle Cailean Edwards bounded up the steps of Carver Middle School with a spring in her step and a welcoming smile on her face. She walked down the hall greeting her fellow eighth grade students. “Good morning, Cecil. How’s your dog recovering from his surgery?”
8. Jessica sat at the breakfast table of the grandparents’ beach house. She missed Mommy and Daddy. A tear dribbled down her cheek and fell into her cereal. “How long is a week, Grandma?”
9. “Isn’t it cool living by the beach?” Bella asked her best friend, Britt.
“Yeah,” agreed Britt. “There’s always a surprise.”
“Britt, look!” exclaimed Bella. “Here is a surprise. A sea turtle. They’re not usually on the beach in daylight.”
But there she was. A beautiful Loggerhead.
10. In the bright buzzing room
There was an iPad
And a kid playing Doom
And a screensaver of-
A bird launching over the moon
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| Mary Elizabeth Anderson |
by Lupe Fernandez
Your intrepid foreign correspondent attended the 2012
SF North & East Bay Region SCBWI Fall Conference held in Oakland, CA. Now I could tell you about the conference, but I've been sworn to secrecy. Or I could tell you about the immature red-tailed hawk spotted on a tree eating a rodent, but this is not a nature post.
I can tell you about how I met author Mary Elizabeth Anderson. I was extolling the virtues this illustrious blog to some ladies sitting in the row before me, when one of the women turns to me and says, "I'm an author. Interview me." What a coincidence? Meeting an author at an SCBWI Conference.
Mary Elizabeth Anderson, a resident of Nebraska, has extensive experience with children as an elementary school teacher and volunteer leader with various youth organizations. In
Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero, young Gracie Gannon has her life full of bullies, her mother's health, finding friends and strengthening her self esteem.
What inspired you to write Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero?Several different people inspired me to write "Gracie Gannon." I had a classmate all the way through my school years who was bullied. I never stood up for him, I was one of the innocent bystanders. I also had a nephew who was bullied in a similar fashion, and I dealt with these issues when I taught school. I knew "Gracie" was a book I had to write and my favorite type of fiction writing is dealing with "issues." I always hope readers will pull a little out of the stories that will help them deal with the bumps in the road of life.
You balance a lot of issues in the book - bullying, breast cancer, hearing impairment, alcoholism – with the life of Gracie. How did you keep these topics from overwhelming the narrative?Of course I wanted to keep the story moving and keep the readers interested. I thought the best way to do so was to present problems/issues that they hear about in their life. While many of the kids won't necessarily need to deal directly with these issues, they will be made aware of them in this book. I wanted Gracie to portray a strong protagonist (although she does have faults) who could deal (and help others) with these topics. I had to present light-hearted scenes as well in order to keep the pace.
What kinds of reactions have you gotten from young readers?I've received letters from readers who ask me when my next story about "Gracie" will be available. This makes me happy. I know they liked my character. When I present at schools and read the first six pages or so, many times children ask me if I can continue on. (I then know I've captured their attention.) I usually need to stop reading around that point and we do a Q and A.
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| The Shenandoah, Iowa Public Library |
As a child, what part of the library was your favorite section? How about as an adult?Wow. I've always loved all parts of every library I've ever visited. Of course when I was young I ran to the children's section, sat on the floor and started pulling book after book off the shelf as fast as I could in order to find the perfect books to check out that day. As an adult, I still wander through the children's section first and then look at the "latest books that have come out" table to find some adult reading. Right now I am reading
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.
You’ve written non-fiction books. Did writing fiction present different challenges? What literary techniques remained the same?
Yes, my first published book "Link Across America" is considered non-fiction. I much prefer writing fiction. I love developing characters and seeing what will happen to them throughout the book. As far as literary techniques, I find non-fiction to be harder because you need to do so much research. Not so with fiction.
Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?Today I am sending another novel off. It's titled
What To Do About Miguel and is a sequel to "Gracie Gannon." However, it can serve as a stand-alone, and I am presenting it as such. It does deal with the same characters. I do have the third book in the series written in rough draft form. We'll see if "Miguel" gets picked up before I spend lots of effort on the third book at this time. Hopefully readers of your blog will want to pick up a copy of
Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero. I also hope they'll take a minute to view my website at:
www.meanderson.com.
_______________________
We would like to thank Mary for granting us this interview.
So go forth, dear readers and read her book.
by Kris Kahrs
Hey, let's do something really radical this year and buy our Hannukkah and Christmas presents a little ahead of time instead of at the gas station while filling up two hours before the big event. In this spirit, we here at The Pen and Ink Blog have some inspired suggestions from vintage books blogs, illustrators of kid's books, award shortlists, tucked away indie bookstores and more.
Peruse and delight in the variety you'll find and give to your favorite someone.
1)
Twenty of the Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World by Emily Tempest via Flavorwire. Are bookstores your place of worship and books your religion? Then check out this post featuring a bookstore in a former Dominican church in Maastricht, Holland and the Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a converted movie palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ugh, so hard to go back to the Barnes and Noble in Burbank.
2)
Book By Its Cover. This blog features a carnevale of wonderful kidlit books with innovative illustration. One of my son's favorites, the Follow the Line series is spotlighted here. Take a gander.
3)
The Redhouse Children's Book Award Shortlist. Not only can you vote for your favorites on this site, but you can also buy them and what better way is there to show your support? My vote went to "Dog Loves Drawing" by Louise Yates.
4)
Curious Pages. For the rebels among us who need to get their freak on, there is Curious Pages. A wonderful blog about '
recommended inappropriate books for kids'. At this blog you will find all of the books you read as a kid, including the ones that are no longer deemed appropriate.
5)
We Too Were Children. What do Upton Sinclair, James Joyce and Langston Hughes all have in common? Why they are children's book authors, of course! At this blog, written by author, Ariel S. Winter, you'll be surprised to learn that many of your favorite classic literature authors also have a kid's book lurking in their past!
6)
The Art of Children's Picture Books. Another blog for the Illustrator's out there or just for the lovers of wonderful illustration in all of us. The illustrations alone are so detailed and fantastic that I felt I could tell the story from the image without ever having read the book.
And Now Some Places to Buy Your Faves:
7)
Elwood & Eloise. You don't get much more independent than an Etsy Shop. Right now, E&E has a Cyber Monday sale on, 20% off your purchase of 2nd loved books.
8)
The New York Review of Books. At the opposite end of the book store spectrum, the NYRB has a 20% off special going on now also.
9)
Books of Wonder. This online catalog of a NYC bookstore also has an 800 number to make your ordering easy. They claim they know 'just what your kids will love' and they are right. They have new William Joyce, Mo Willems and Patrick McDonell. They also sell backpacks, art and old and rare books too.
Enjoy and remember to support your indie booksellers!
By Susan Berger
These are the answers for the First Paragraphs posted on November 5th.
Both the pictures and the titles link to the books on Amazon. The names of the authors and illustrators are linked to their websites. (Phew! A very Linky post.) I hope these first paragraphs inspire you to read some of them.
1. Frannie James often dreamed about her missing mother. Nothing warm or fuzzy, of course, more like reruns of a half forgotten TV series. It was happening again. Her hands clenched as she slept. Would Mom smile? Just one loving smile….Please
I really enjoyed this young teen ghost mystery. Margot is the author of several picture books. This is her second mid grade book. She also gives wonderful writing advice.
2. “Hurry Zachary, bring me a diaper,” cried Mom. “In a minute Mom. I’m feeding the bird,” said Zachary. “I need it right now,” Mom yelled.
Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep was awarded a silver medal in the 2012 Literary Classics awards. Kathy has included several games to play at the end and I love Jack Foster's illustrations.
3. You need something?
I can get it for you.
You have a problem?
I can solve it.
That’s why they come to me. By “they” I mean every kid in the school. First Graders up to eighth graders. Everyone comes to me for help and most of the time I’m happy to provide it. For a small fee of course.
Winner of the 2012 Sid Fleischman Award for Humor. Chris spoke at the 2012 SCBWI Summer Conference and he is as funny in real life as he is in this book. Great boy middle grade read. The sequel will be out soon.
4.I am lucky my sister is my best friend.
We do everything together.
Tengo suerte de que mi hermana sea mi mejor amiga.Hacemos todas las cosas juntas.
J’ai de la chance parce que ma sœur est ma meilleure amie.On fait tout ensemble.
5. The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby I closed my eyes to the dusty countryside and imagined the sign I knew only from stories. The one just outside of town with the big blue letters: MANIFEST: A TOWN WITH A RICH PAST AND A BRIGHT FUTURE.
Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. This book does everything they tell us not to do as authors: It’s an historic novel told in several voices and in newspaper clips. It jumps back and for between 1917 and 1936 and it’s wonderful! It’s also the 2011 Newbery Winner 6. Logan
Logan didn’t have to open his eyes to know that morning had arrived. The sweet smell of cotton candy wafting into his room worked better than any alarm clock. He rolled over so his nose nearly touched the air vent.
The Candy Makers by Wendy Maas. My friend Caitlin Lovejoy, passed me this book and I can’t thank her enough. Wendy tells the same story from the POV of each of the four candy makers. The final chapters are told in third person as together they solve the mystery. I couldn’t put it down. 7. Natalie Isabelle Cailean Edwards bounded up the steps of Carver Middle School with a spring in her step and a welcoming smile on her face. She walked down the hall greeting her fellow eighth grade students. “Good morning, Cecil. How’s your dog recovering from his surgery?” 
Save the Lemmings by Kai Strand I met Kai in Bend Oregon before she sold her first book, The Weaver. I bought a kindle copy of Save The Lemmings and devoured it. Fun read.
8. Jessica sat at the breakfast table of the grandparents’ beach house. She missed Mommy and Daddy. A tear dribbled down her cheek and fell into her cereal. “How long is a week, Grandma?”
This charming book is a gold medal recipient for preschool books in the 2012 literary classics.
10. “Isn’t it cool living by the beach?” Bella asked her best friend, Britt.
“Yeah,” agreed Britt. “There’s always a surprise.”
“Britt, look!” exclaimed Bella. “Here is a surprise. A sea turtle. They’re not usually on the beach in daylight.”
But there she was. A beautiful Loggerhead.
Gold Award Recipient in the 2012 literary classics. I loved this story of the girls saving the turtles and Samantha Bell’s illustrations are a perfect complement to the words. Samantha illustrated my book GrowingUp Dreams and I am the proud owner of two of her lovely original drawings.
11. In the bright buzzing room
There was an iPad
And a kid playing Doom
And a screensaver of-
A bird launching over the moon
I saw this book at Barnes and Noble and bought two copies: One for me and one for my new granddaughter and her electronically obsessed father. Happy Thanksgiving to all.
I am most thankful that this post is done.
 |
| Foreign Correspondent in Disguise |
by Lupe Fernandez
In October, thanks to my various confidential contacts, I attended Family Day at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory here in Northern California. Formerly a Navy air station, the Lawrence Livermore Lab was founded in 1952 by physicist Ernest Lawrence for "strengthening the United States’ security through development and application of world-class science and technology..."
 |
| The Sun |
One facility that intrigued me was the National Ignition Facility. No, it's not used to develop a better cigarette lighter, but to create a self-sustaining nuclear fusion reaction - the power of the sun.
 |
| Official Sticker |
Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed on the lab property, so this foreign correspondent had to smuggle out a technical drawing.
 |
| Top Secret Diagram of NIF Device |
The design of the NIF brought to mind the various elements required to be targeted to create literary chain reaction.
The Lawrence Livermore Lab has yet to create a fusion reaction, imitating the nuclear furnace of the stars. But the writer must target various elements toward a common goal of creating a manuscript, and then, if a literary chain-reaction occurs, a successful novel.
 |
| Hypothetical Literary Fusion Diagram |
As the NIF calibrates and tests its lasers to fuse hydrogen atoms into helium atoms, thus liberating energy, what other artistic beams must the writer aim, calibrate, test, dismantle, fund, construction, calculate and ponder to fuse such different literary elements into a a stellar novel?
This writer would like to think X. Xxxxx and X. Xxxxxxxx (names obfuscated for national security) for allowing me access to the lab.
View Next 25 Posts
Mo' Mo Willems? 
The Write Deal Publishing the New Century - A group of professional editors and writers who are on it. They are the 'fastest growing new generation e-book publisher and retailer'. The Write Deal publishes e-leafs. An 'E-leaf is the future of the ebook. E-leafs are very short, short or longer works in any genre, or serialized excerpts from completed or ongoing projects. E-leafs extend an author's reach into the book market in exciting new ways, and delight and energize readers with works that are fresh from their source.'
Over at author, Gretchen McNeil's website, Seanchai, she has a marvelous interview with her literary agent, Ginger Clark. This informative piece will come in handy because Ginger is one of several agents who will be presenting at the SCBWI Summer Conference in Los Angeles in August this year! Both of these women have a lot to offer writers so read up.
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Thanks for this - will enjoy exploring the links!
Thanks for sharing the links. I'll have to check out the interview with Ginger Clark.
Hi Rosemary. Yes, I think the Gretchen McNeil site is especially noteworthy.
Hi Natalie, it's a must read and Gretchen's history is fascinating as well. She writes YA horror.
Well I bought Amanda and Her Alligator for Ella and I checked out the Write Deal and I think I will send somethere there and see what happens. Next stop, the interview. Thanks, Kris. These are great.
Thank you. LOVE THE READ. I thought and was told the fever of ya urban horror, paranormal, vamps and witches would end soon. I love corny love, the love forgotten thar arrives again, a passionate love that doesnt stop them from running wildly into the night with excess of kisses and embarassments. This was good.
Terrific post. I especially liked the interview with Ginger Clark. These are invaluable! Many thanks for all the info!
Thanks for the links!
Thanks Kris, I enjoyed this.
I'm glad you had fun Sue! That was my goal.
Hi Catherine--
I'm so glad you like it. I'm also glad you stopped by. Yes, aren't those Gretchen McNeil stories fun? Love them.
Hi Nancy--
Yes, the links posts seem to really pique everyone's interests. And they are soooo fun! Thanks for reading.
Hi Donna--
I'm glad you liked the hot and juicy links!
Hi Susan--
So glad to see you stopping by again. Keep in contact. Let us know what you're doing.
Great set of links, thanks! It saves us so much time when they are gathered together like this. Much appreciated.
Great links! Thanks so much for sharing them.
Hi Kai--
I'm glad you like them. I've got some more interesting ones coming up. So stay tuned...
Hi Carmela--
We're glad you liked them. Please send in any suggestions you have as well. We're always happy to hear what fellow writers are finding out there. Thanks for stopping by.