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As you know, last weekend I attended the Savannah Children's Book Festival put on by the Live Oak Public Library, along with several corporate sponsors. What makes this event so special is that participating authors don't pay a cent! Well, other than transportation and lodging. Since it's a 4 1/2 hour drive for us, my husband and I usually arrive on Friday and leave Sunday morning.

The library also sponsors a crab boil on Friday night for all the authors and spouses or friends. Shrimp, sausage, potatoes, chicken (okay, so I'm not sure how chicken fits into a crab boil, or the fact that I didn't see crab-one on the buffet table!), steamed veggies, brownies, and cheesecake are catered. I spent part of the evening looking for a "fellow" author, Shannon, who was also attending the festival. No luck. My only complaint was returning to the hotel on a "brownie high!"

Saturday, the weather was perfect! A little cool in the morning, but, by 10:00AM, I shed my light jacket and was comfortable the rest of the day. I was told by one of the organizers that there were almost double the authors this year as last.

We arrived around 9:00AM for setup. Most of the tables were already taken but I managed to find an empty one. Book boxes were on the table next to me under a shared umbrella, but no author in site, so I began setting up my "goodies" hoping the person next to me would be nice and friendly.

I was just getting ready to set out my books when my "neighbor" walked up and introduced herself. "Hi. I'm Shannon Greenland." I'm sure she was shocked when I gave her a big hug before she realized the unlikely scenario. Strange...out of 48 authors, fellow Quake authors would end up side-by-side. It made the day even more enjoyable.

The only downer was the absence of the third "Cynthia's Attic" book, "Curse of the Bayou." Because of a problem with the printer, they didn't arrive in time for the festival. Since the festival had advertised I'd be signing all three books, several young readers were disappointed. One father/daughter sticks in my mind. They had come specifically to buy "Curse." I could see the disappointment on her face when she turned away. In spite of that, her dad gave me the ultimate compliment. "She not only loves your books," he said, "she loves the way you write."

Can a writer hear anything better than that?

Discover the Magic in Cynthia's Attic!

My heart was broken over the weekend. Oh, I know I SAID I was going to Savannah for the Children's Book Festival but I was REALLY going for cafe au lait and beignets at Hueys. So, after a semi-successful day at the festival, we rush to the riverwalk and spot the welcoming "Huey's" sign among all the other restaurants, bars, candy shops, gift shops. We decide to explore later. Coffee, like we haven't had since leaving Louisiana, beckoned.

Deciding to eat dinner before dessert (like our mothers taught us), my husband ordered a shimp Po' Boy and red beans and rice, and I ordered catfish, red beans and rice and sweet potato bread (yummy!) "Sorry. We're out of sweet potato bread," the waiter announced. Okay. I'm disappointed, but I'll live, although I still remembered how good that bread was from our trip last year. But, beignets and cafe au lait await, so just get over it, Mary!

Dinner was good. Not great, but good. Now...for dessert and coffee! "Would you care for dessert?" our waiter asked.

"Yup," my husband answered. No, he's not from Texas, and I don't know why he decided to channel a cowboy at that moment, but he went on, "we'd like an order of beignets and two cups of cafe au lait."

"The beignets I can do," the waiter said ominously, "but our coffee machine is broken, so we have no..."

I'm sure he went on to say they had 'no cafe au lait,' but my life flashed before my eyes and I got very lightheaded. The last thing I heard, before my husband helped me out of the restaurant was, "then forget the beignets!"

It's Monday, and I've recovered...almost.

Writing Children’s Books for Dummies
By Lisa Rojany Buccieri and Peter Economy
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
ISBN: 0-7645-3728-8
Copyright 2005
Trade Paperback, 355 pages, $19.99
Non-Fiction/Writing

Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Writing Children’s Books for Dummies is one of those complete, easy-to-use guides that should be on the shelf of any writer who is serious about writing and publishing children’s books. Having read most of the reference books on this subject on the market today, I can say this is right there among the best and well worth its price.

The structure of the book is clear and easy to handle, the language straight forward and to the point. No matter which aspect of children’s writing or publishing you’re interested in, you only have to look in the table of contents to find it. The authors use interviews and illustrations to present their ideas in a more engaging manner. They also utilize icons to stress important ideas or points. For example, special icons are used for “Tips” (expert advice), “Remember” (important information to store in your brain for later recall), “Warning” (avoiding mistakes), and “Ahead of the Pack” (new and innovative topic). At the end of the book there are five lined pages for note taking, quite practical for those readers who like to take notes as they read.

Everything from formats and genres, understanding the market, setting up your workspace, coming up with ideas, researching, creating compelling characters, the mechanics of writing (conflict, climax, dialogue, setting, point of view, tone, theme, etc.) to editing and formatting, illustrating, finding agents and publishers, the publishing process and much, much more. You’ll even find more than ten great sources for compelling storylines, as well as helpful tips on promoting your work. In short, all the information you’ll need to succeed as a children’s book author.

Whether you choose to read from cover to cover or jump straight to the topic of your choice, Writing Children’s Books for Dummies will prove to be an indispensable reference and amalgam of helpful information for your writing career, as well as a fecund source of ideas for articles. Highly recommended for both fiction and non-fiction writers, students of children’s literature, and writing teachers.