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Hey Everyone! I hope everybody's enjoying the first full week of the New Year. Everybody's back to blogging, we're flooded with end of the year reading lists, and everyone's made their New Year's Resolutions, right?

Some of my resolutions are to write more, submit more, and stay on top of the market. One way to stay on top of the market is to subscribe to a few of the newsletters that are available out there. (I say a few because frankly, there are just too many and who has the time to read them all? I wish there was more time in the day, but unfortunately, that's just not the case).

A few of my favorites are...
Children's Book Insider
Children's Writer
Publisher's Weekly Children's Bookshelf
Donna McDine's "Write What Inspires You"
Stories for Children Newsletter
Notes From the Horn Book
Smart Writers
Writing World

If you're going to read any newsletter, make sure you read the February '09 issue of the "Write What Inspires You" Newsletter. I have two great reasons for you-
1. It's FREE!
2. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Donna and it will be featured in that issue!

The newsletter was just launched in December and has already had two awesome issues! Donna provides author, illustrator, and editor interviews, book reviews, reflections, and a proclaim your successes section. You can read an interview with Donna at J. Aday Kennedy's blog to find more about the newsletter, how it started, and answer any questions you might have about starting your own.

Please visit Donna's website to sign up (it's in the top right corner) now, so you won't miss the February issue and won't miss reading my interview. It was a lot of fun!

Also in the February issue...
Illustrator Interview with Jeff Miracola
Book review of Welcome to Monster Isle
Reflections or Dreams article by author L. Diane Wolfe.
Editor Interview with Jon Bard of Children’s Book Insider

I can't wait to read the interview with Jon Bard. Children's Book Insider has revamped their look and created the CBIClubhouse for subscribers! It's a community for children’s writers packed with audio, video, special features and ways to connect with fellow writers worldwide.If you want to check out the great community of Fightin’ Bookworms, all you have to do is visit http://cbiclubhouse.com.

We all need a little inspiration when it comes to our writing. Many of us find inspiration in the strangest places- books, television, friends, family, other writers, websites, blogs, and newsletters!

If you're looking for a little inspiration, then be sure to check out Donna M. McDine's Debut Free Newsletter – “Write What Inspires You!”

"Write What Inspires You!" will begin publication in December 2008 and monthly thereafter.

Each issue will contain:

Welcome Message
Author, Editor and Illustrator Interviews
Book Review(s)
Proclaim Your Successes
Reflections or Dreams

Additional categories may be added.

As per Donna's blog, "The December 2008 issue is booked with exciting submissions, except for the category Proclaim Your Successes. Go ahead and submit your news to be included in the debut issue."

I know I always love to hear the good news of other writers (and a little secret...it's great to find out what markets are accepting and reading manuscripts!).

If you would like to contribute or be an interview subject for future issues please contact Donna McDine at [email protected] and pitch your idea. Please note this is a Non-paying market, but exposure is already building even before the first issue has been released.

To subscribe to the FREE “Write What Inspires You!” Newsletter, send an email to Donna McDine at: [email protected] and indicate Free Newsletter in the subject line or visit Donna's website and opt-in at the top of her home page.

Now, go get inspired!

No- wait...not that kind of snow (even though I am a skier and start to get excited when the temperature drops below 50). 

I'm excited about ROBERT'S SNOW: FOR CANCER'S CURE -- a huge, bright, and beautiful fund raiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  You're probably familiar with children's book author-illustrator Grace Lin, who began this incredible campaign with her husband Robert Mercer after he was diagnosed with cancer several years ago.  Robert died at the end of August, so this year's fund raiser is a bittersweet tribute to his life and his work.  Children's book illustrators -- more than 160 so far this year --  have created breath-taking, original snowflake ornaments to be auctioned off to raise money for cancer research.  This year, kid-lit bloggers are helping to spread the word about the auction by featuring interviews and profiles of these illustrators on their blogs, as well as their snowflakes and a link to the auction.  I'll be featuring Judy Schachner, Amy Young, Sara Kahn, Cecily Lang, and Shawna Tenney on Kate's Book Blog some time in October or November. I hope you'll stop by to meet these generous artists, enjoy their creations, and bid if you can.

I love projects that bring people together like this.  I love it when kindness counteracts all the cynicism out there in the world.  And I love it when kids have a chance to be a part of it.  My 7th grade students are going to be exploring the work of my five illustrators, helping out with the interviews and profiles, and creating their own snowflake ornaments to sell in our community so that we can make an extra donation to the Dana-Farber Institute.  I cannot WAIT to tell them about this project. 

I know there are others on my LJ friends list --  like kellyrfineman, jo_no_anne, lizjonesbooks, jamarattigan, lisa_schroeder, lgburns, and cynthialord -- who will be featuring illustrators, too, so be sure to visit them over the next few months to meet some incredible artists.  If you want to learn more about Robert's Snow, you can drop in on Jules at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, whose organization on this project amazes me, and whose belief that written words can help change the world is an inspiration.