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Dear Friends,

Many years ago, Trinka Hakes Noble and I met at a conference--maybe it was The Hodge Podge Book Conference or it might have been Keystone Reading, but wherever or whenever we met doesn't matter. We were instantly friends. I'm so pleased to share with you my dear friend, Trinka Noble, who shares with you about turning legends into picture books for children. She's also generously giving away two of her picture books for the comment contest. See more about that and Trinka's amazing bio at the end of the post!

 A Legend: Writing the Unwritten by Trinka Hakes Noble

When Sleeping Bear Press, renowned for publishing legends, asked me to write the legend of Michigan, I eagerly accepted. At the time, I was visiting their offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan; but once I was driving back home to New Jersey through the beautiful mountains of Pennsylvania, I was struck by this thought: How does one write something that was never intended to be written, ever, but only spoken? How does one write the unwritten? 


A legend, passed down through eons of time, generation after generation, was told and retold. Furthermore, as far as I knew, there wasn’t a legend of Michigan! I was born and raised in Michigan. My family roots run deep, way back to when Michigan was a wilderness territory, and my Native American roots go back even further. So, why wasn’t I told this legend when I was a kid?

Needless to say, it was a long, fretful drive across I-80. And yet, by the time I reached the Delaware Water Gap, I was determined to find a way to write the unwritten!

I’d written numerous picture books, which often have a read-out-loud quality, so I knew how to start. But a legend seemed to need something more. I’d do historical research, of course, but a legend needed something beyond history, something venerable, something timeless, something for the ages. And so I turned to the masters. I read out loud, and at times actually recited, The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and found what was needed--a cadence. Picture books have a rhythm, but a cadence is stronger and more pronounced, like the beat of a tribal drum. The strong beat of a tribal drum, which is believed to be the heartbeat of the earth, spoke to my Native American ancestry and to what I wanted to write for The Legend of Michigan. This was the breakthrough I needed to find a way to write what is traditionally spoken and not written. So I tuned my writing ear to the beat of a tribal drum, the heartbeat of the earth.

                Interior Illustration from The Legend of Michigan
                                                                                                                                                         
If I were going to use something as ancient as the beat of a drum, then I would have to go back to a time and space before the legend could appear. A legend often tells how and why something came to be. I would have to reach far back in time before the story of the legend started, and set the stage so the legend could happen. In The Legend of Michigan I journeyed back to the last Ice Age to find the story of how Michigan was created and came to be the unique shape of a mitten. 

And even though I was writing a legend, I was also, and most definitely, writing a story. I wanted the feeling of sitting around a campfire on a still evening, watching the wood smoke drift up into the starry night, listening to elders tell this long ago story, their voices softly rising and falling through eons of time. So I put myself in both places. I had to become the storyteller, the elder and the young listener all at the same time in order for the written page to captivate and transport the young reader back in time. This was another breakthrough that I needed in order to write a legend.

And yet, I still had to somehow connect the legend to the present, to ‘now’ so young readers could relate, so it would have some meaning, some connection to the modern world of today.

Lastly, a legend needed a mythical element, something beyond logic and reason, something that could only happen in the realm of timelessness. Only then could a legend come to life on the written page.

Somehow, all these things came together in the mysterious and unexplainable process we call the creative process. Through the creative process, I was able to write in picture book form a legend, a spoken story in the written word.

Interior Illustration from Legend of Michigan

Long long ago, the ancient peoples of the forest gathered around their warm bright fires and told the tale of a time long past, when the land of Michigane was covered with thick heavy ice. They called it the Long Night of the North Wind.

The Legend of Michigan -- Finalist for the Great Lakes Book Award, 2006



After writing The Legend of Michigan, illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen, I went on to write three more legends for Sleeping Bear Press.   

The Legend of the Cape May Diamond, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, came next. It begins in a time long past, when the Delaware River was called the Wehittck and flowed through an ancient land called Lenapehoking, the ancestral homeland of the Lenape people.

"Eye candy tome to dress up any coffee table, and serve as pirate's treasure for generations of beachcombers.  Ahoy!" - Philadelphia Magazine
Keystone to Reading Book Award List
Delaware Diamond State Award Nominee
 
Next came The Legend of the Jersey Devil, illustrated by Gerald Kelley.  It begins in a wild and mysterious place in New Jersey that has kept its ancient ways, called The Pine Barrens. Lurking in its black swamps and murky bogs are hidden secrets and evil stories that can only be told on the darkest of nights. 


"A delightfully spooky picture book rendering of the famed Jersey Devil legend.  Suspenseful, with captivating illustrations."  Kirkus Review, June 2013


The fourth legend, and my latest book, is The Legend of Sea Glass, illustrated by Doris Ettlinger. It begins long ago when people believed the world was flat. No one dared sail beyond the horizon, for surely you would fall off the edge of the earth and be devoured by sea monsters.
Summary: Long, long ago there was a time when mankind did not venture into the deep ocean waters. It was believed that the world was flat and to sail beyond the horizon meant falling off the edge of the earth. So even though they were drawn to and fascinated by the ocean, people feared it.

But as people lived their lives above the water, far beyond their view and in the ocean's deepest depths lived mysterious and magical sea creatures, half girl and half fish. These shy, gentle creatures were called mermaids and were much loved by the ocean. And when people finally overcame their fear and ventured out to sea, risking disaster and even death, it was the mermaids who came to their rescue. This imaginative legend explains the origin of sea glass, that treasured, collectible gift from the sea.

I learned a great deal from writing these four legends, and I believe they have helped me with my other writing as well. For me, this venture into an unfamiliar genre of writing the unwritten has helped me to stretch and grow as a writer and storyteller.  

Biography: Trinka Hakes Noble

Trinka Hakes Noble is the award-winning author of over thirty picture books including The Scarlet Stockings Spy (IRA Teachers’ Choice 2005), The Last Brother, The Legend of the Cape May Diamond, The Legend of Michigan and Apple Tree Christmas, which she wrote and illustrated. Other titles include The Orange Shoes (IRA Teachers’ Choice 2008), The Pennsylvania Reader, The New Jersey Reader, Little New Jersey, Little Pennsylvania and The People of Twelve Thousand Winters.   Ms. Noble also wrote the ever-popular Jimmy’s Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch, both featured on PBS’s Reading Rainbow. Her many awards include ALA Notable Children’s Book, Booklist Children’s Editors’ Choice, IRA-CBC Children’s Choice, Learning: The Year’s Ten Best, plus several state reading awards and Junior Literary Guild selections.

Her latest titles are The Legend of the Jersey Devil, and Lizzie and the Last Day of School (March 2015).  Forth coming in 2016 is The Legend of Sea Glass and in 2017 The Ragamuffin Parade, part of the Tales of Young Americans series by Sleeping Bear Press.   

Ms. Noble has studied children’s book writing and illustrating in New York City at Parsons School of Design, the New School University, Caldecott medalist Uri Shulevitz’s Greenwich Village Workshop, and at New York University. She is on the board of The New Jersey Center for the Book and a member of the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature. In 2002 she was awarded Outstanding Woman in Arts and Letters in the state of New Jersey for her lifetime work in children’s books, along with letters of commendation from the US Senate, the US House of Representatives and the US Congress. Ms. Noble currently lives in northern New Jersey.

Learn more about Trinka Hakes Noble on her Website: www.trinkahakesnoble.com.
Follow Trinka on FB: Trinka Hakes Noble, Author-Illustrator Or click on the FB symbol on her website homepage. Thanks!

Trinka has generously donated a copy of her featured book, The Legend of Michigan, and her newest title just released on February 15th, The Legend of Sea Glass.

                       ****** HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, Trinka!******

For a chance to win one of these two titles, simply leave a comment for us and your name will be entered. We appreciate your comments, dear readers! If you have a moment to spare, please tweet using the handy icon below the post. The winners, picked by random.org, will be announced in one week!

Thank you so much, Trinka, for sharing your writing from the inside out and for your generous spirit!
 

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We're one week into the Great ARC Giveaway, with just under 3 weeks left to enter.

Right now we're sitting at about 70 entries shy of adding another winner to the pot.

So how do you boost those entries numbers? If you've already entered, wonderful. If you haven't entered, what are you waiting for? And don't forget you can still earn extra entries, whether or not you've entered already.

The easiest way to gain extra entries is to leave comments, but here's a reminder just in case you need it:
+1 For every comment made during the contest period
+3 For posting the Holiday Bookmark Swap button on your blog or website(it's in the right sidebar)
+5 For posting about the Holiday Bookmark Swap
+1 For linking the contest
+2 For posting about the contest

Good luck to everyone!

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Well, today is the return of the long neglected comment contest. I have books set aside for prizes piling up in the corners, so I figure it was time to share the wealth. :)

So for those of you who are new to the game, here's how this works:

How to enter: Each qualifying comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. Your fate is in your own hands. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy. Comments made between October 1st, 2010 and October 31st 2010 will be entered into the drawing. So comment away for your chance to win!

Want to know what you're playing for? This month's prize is a new ARC of Suzanne Weyn's Empty.

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "It's the near future - the very near future - and the fossil fuels are running out. No gas. No oil. Which means no driving. No heat. Supermarkets are empty. Malls have shut down. Life has just become more local than we ever knew it could be.

Nobody expected the end to come this fast. And in the small town of Spring Valley, decisions that once seemed easy are quickly becoming matters of life and death. There is hope - there has to be hope - just there are also sacrifices that need to be made, and a whole society that needs to be rethought.

Teens like Nicki, Tom, and Leila may find what they need to survive. But their lives are never going to be the same again. "

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Yeah, so I had these two contests a loooong time ago, but as I'm shuffling things around for my move next week, I noticed these prizes sitting here unclaimed. So here we go.

Winners, please email me your addresses at shadyglade(AT)mail(DOT)com within the next 72 hours. That way I can ship your packages before I leave for the summer!

And speaking of comment contests...

You may have noticed I didn't do a comment contest for May or April. With my move to Florida for the summer and my time being spent on the book battle, I haven't been on top of those things like I normally am. But as soon as I come back, the contests will resume! In the meantime I'll try to do better about weekly contest roundups, since I've been neglecting those lately too...

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Well, today is February 1st, which means it's time for a new comment contest. Keep your eye on the blog for the winner of last month's contest in the next few days. And unlike January, I already have a book picked out, so this is getting posted on time.

How to enter: Each qualifying comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. Your fate is in your own hands. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy. Qualifying comments do not include "please enter me" or other contest-related comments.

Want to know what you're playing for? Well, since February is the month of love, I thought a romance was appropriate for this time around. A historical romance to be exact. The prize for this month is an ARC copy of The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson. To win it, comment away until 11:59 p.m. PST on February 28th. The top 10 commentors will get extra entries into the contest. You can check the top 10 status at any time using the widget in the left sidebar.

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Being an heiress in 1920s Austria with nothing but a broken-down castle to your name and nary a penny in your purse could be frustrating for anyone but the Princess Theresa-Maria of Pfaffenstein. “Tessa,” however, is thrilled with her situation, as it allows her to concentrate on her love of the arts—and no one in the Viennese opera company need know that their delightful and charming under-wardrobe mistress is really a princess. But when the dashing self-made millionaire Guy Farne arrives at the opera in search of suitable entertainment for his high society guests, Tessa realizes that there may be more to life—and love—than just music. But while the attraction between them in undeniable, Guy’s insufferable snob of a fiancée only solidifies Tessa’s determination to keep her true identity a secret. Yet, after a chance meeting with the handsome Englishman, Tessa’s reserve begins to melt, and she starts to wonder if it’s not too late for a fairytale ending…"

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It's the beginning of a new month, which means it's time to announce the winner of last month's comment contest. There were a record number of 281 entries this past month. Wow! So is that because you guys really wanted this prize, or becuse you like commenting? ;) The random number generator has named

as the winner. Congrats! Send me an email claiming your prize within a week and this brand new ARC of Radiant Darknessis yours!

For those who are interested, Kristen (our winner) was the top commentor this month and earned 5 extra entries. That's two months in a row the top spot has won. I guess those extra entries really do help! The other top ten commenters with one extra entry each were Mandy, Sheryl, celi.a, Wrighty, Sheere, Pendants, Katy, misskallie2000, and LunaMoth.

Congrats to the top ten. Keep up the good work. For those of you who didn't win this month, there's always a new chance right around the corner. I'm still trying to pick out a book for January's prize. In the meantime, comment away and I'll let you know what you're playing for soon!

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I'm closing the comment contest for November a little early, so any comments made after this post will get rolled over to next month's contest.There were 160 eligible entries this month and the random number generator has picked lucky number 139 as the winner. That means

is our winner with the winning comment on this Thanksgiving LOL. Congrats! You have one week to email me with your mailing address and claim your ARC of Chosen: A House of Night Novel.

For those who are interested, Book Lady (our winner) was the top commentor this month and earned 5 extra entries. The other top ten commenters with one extra entry each were throuthehaze, queen of entropy, Jenny N., celi.a, Ane Ѽ, Sheryl, RKCharron, Jessica Kennedy, and Wrighty.

Congrats to those who made the top ten. Those in bold have made the top ten list two months in a row. Keep up the good work! For those of you who didn't win, there will be another comment contest coming up tomorrow with the prize YOU voted for, so keep your eye open for that. And keep those comments coming!

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Hey everyone! I'm pretty much over the cold now and I'm back in business. I was cleaning out my bookshelves yesterday and realized I had a lot of prizes to still give away. So it's time to announce some winners!

First of all, I have to unclaimed prizes. The first is a copy of Gone from Contest Monday waaaaaaaay back in September! I totally thought this had been claimed already, but I guess not. So someone's going to get a second chance at it. As usual, I will list the old winner and a new winner, and the first to email me out of the two gets the book. So here we go. The winners of Gone are

Good luck to the both of you!

And here's another unclaimed prize, with the same drill. This one is from September's Comment Contest who won A Practical Guide to Vampires. But again, it hasn't been claimed yet. So here's the two winners. First to email me gets it!

A Bookshelf Monstrosity (old winner) or elnice (new winner)

Next I can't believe I forgot this, but I haven't yet announced the winner of the Cybils contest. *smacks forehead* See what being sick will do to your mind? Thank you to everyone who entered by nominating a Cybils title. And especially those who contributed a GN title. I'm having fun reading those suggestions. And now the winner of the prize pack (Must Love Black, Switch, and Kamira) is


Congrats! Don't forget to email me with your address so I can send you your prize.

And last but not least, I have the winners of the We Love Authors contest to announce. Due to the number of entries I received I decided to split the four book prize

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Don't forget! Today (the 23rd) is the last day to comment to win A Practical Guide to Vampires in October's comment contest. Comments made after today will be rolled over into November's contest.

Winner announced tomorrow!

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So I know I had mentioned that this would be posted on October 5th, but I'm posting it a little early so that prizes can start being mailed on the 5th instead. So here's all the winners from the blogoversary contests. We're going to start at the top and work our way down.

First off, the winner of September's comment contest, for a prize of a brand new ARC of How to Say Goodbye in Robot. There were a record 195 entries this month. The number generator picked lucky comment number 2 as the winner which is Liz(liztapioka14).

Moving right along we have three winners from the Blogoversary Birthday contest. We were just one comment short of four prizes, can you believe it? Anyway, the winner of the hardback copy of Shadowed Summer is Lori(Pure Imagination). The winner of the ARC of Prism is Paradox. And last but not least, the winner of the ARC of Recipe for Disaster is Misty. Congratulations to all of you!

The Gift Card Contest got a lot of entries, more than any other contest last month. According to the results, the top three books that people are looking forward to reading are Catching Fire, Fire, and Catching Fire. Sounds like a good list! And the winner of the $10 gift card is mytwogirls.

Thank you to everyone who took the survey for the blogoversary. I'm having fun going through your selections. But I also need to especially thank haleymathiot, who is the winner of the ARC of I Can't Keep My Own Secrets: Six-Word Memoirs by Teens Famous & Obscure.

Both of the next contests were a lot of fun to plan, and I enjoyed reading your responses too. Apparently finding answers to the First Lines Contest was a little easier that it's follow up. But someone still gets the prize pack which includes an ARC copy of Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard, a signed copy of Dream Spinner by Bonnie Dobkin, and a paperback copy of Poison Ink by Christopher Golden. And that person is Erica (the Book Cellar).

Although it was harder, the Book Covers Contest still got quite a few entries. I also appeared to be more addicting than the simple matching required by the First Lines Contest. The person who wins the prize pack of a new ARC of Pretty Dead by Francesca Lia Block, a signed copy of White Is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz, and a new hardback copy of Attack of the Green Goo by D.J. Milky for this contest is Bittahsweet Harmony. For everyone else, keep your eye on the blog in the next few days, because I will be posting the answers to both of these contests soon.

Our next blogoversary contest was the Contest Monday entry for a brand new hardcopy of the novel Gone. The person who is now a proud owner of this book is Faye. Got a lot of response for this one, making it one of the most popular Contest Mondays ever (right behind Catching Fire and Shiver).

Now I have a signed ARC copy of Lisa Ann Sandell's new book A Map Of The Known World. This was of course our first author interview contest. So if you missed that interview (and those of the ones below) you can click through to read those posts. And congratulations to Celi.a, who is the winner!

Now to give away a signed paperback copy of Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle. The winner of the book is bookbutterflyangel. I also have two runners up who are now proud owners of a wooden fan advertising Marissa's historical blog. Those winners are throuthehaze and queen of entropy. And by the way, thank you to everyone who suggested the titles for her next book. She was really grateful for the ideas!

I was so happy to see that most of you loved the advice contained in Zoe's article. And a lot of you agreed the UK covers were better too. :) Here's a lucky winner who will be getting the UK paperbacks of The Swan Kingdom and Daughter of the Flames. That winner is The_Book_Queen!

Who wants a signed copy of Beyond Cool by Bev Katz Rosenbaum? How about Bunny B as our winner! I got some really interesting answers for this contest, so you might want to click over and read some of the answers in the comments. I've also got some bookmarks to give away, which you'll see crop up down at the bottom of the post.

A brand new signed copy of The King's Rose (which, by the way has been nominated for a Cybil this year) by Alisa Libby is on the way to a winner by the name of A. Nicole. Hope you enjoy it!

Almost done here. This list is sure starting to get long... Winner of the Give Up The Ghost Swag Pack generously donated by author Megan Crewe is Lilibeth Ramos!

One last prize to give away. This is for the brand new ARC of The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I. I know, I know, I'm ending this one Contest Monday giveaway a little earlier, but I want to make sure that I can send it off on time. So the winner of this one is Jenny N.

And that's it. Phew! I'm a little tired out from all that typing. Congrats to all our winners! If you won something, send me an email with your mailing address to claim your prize! Remember you only have one week before a new winner will be picked. So claim them early!

You may have also noticed there was one missing. If you entered for a Chasing Brooklyn Bookmark, then send me your mailing address as well. First 7 emails I get will get one as well as some other cool book swag.

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So we're going themed this month with the comment contest. Like many things this October, I will be devoting this contest to all things Halloween-y.

How to enter: Each qualifying comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. Your fate is in your own hands. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy. Qualifying comments do not include "please enter me" or other contest-related comments.

So here's what you're playing for. October's prize is a hardback copy of the newly released A Practical Guide to Vampires. To win it, comment away until 11:59 p.m. PST on October 23rd. The winner will be announced the next day. I'm closing it a little early so I have a better chance of getting it to the winner by Halloween. Any comments made in October after the 23rd will get rolled over to November's contest.

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Sink your teeth into today's hottest fantasy topic with the next book in the New York Times best-selling series...

How old is a vampire fledgling? Why do vampires avoid mirrors? What's the best way to slip into a vampire's home? New York Times best-selling author Lisa Trumbauer illuminates the twilight world of vampires in the next edition in the Practical Guide family of fantasy essentials."

A review will be coming later too! Good luck to everyone.

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Since implementing my new prize claim policy back in May, this is the first time I've had to use it. I'm sorry to say that no one has claimed the prize for this month's comment contest. This month's winner is about to recieve a brand new hardback copy of Chasing the Jaguar by Michele Dominguez Greene. So here's the deal. I'm about to list two winners, the original winner (posted last week) and the new winner (posted today). The first person to email me with their address and claim the prize gets the book. The other person will be given one extra entry to the contest of thier choice if they email after the first person has claimed the book. Okay, so here's our two winners:

Congrats both of you! Now one of you hurry and claim your prize. You have one week to email me with your mailing address or I'll pick a third winner. Remember, first one to email gets the prize. For those of you who still didn't win, you can always buy your own copy of Chasing the Jaguar from Amazon.com:

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Even though today is my Blogoversary, it's still the beginning of the month. So to celebrate my blog's third birthday this month, it's time for a brand new comment contest!

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. These must be genuine comments, and other contest entries won't count for this contest. By genuine comment I mean it must add something to the conversation taking place. In other words a comment that says simply "cool" or "please enter me" will not help you win this book. Your fate is in your own hands. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy.

September's prize is a brand new ARC of How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford. This book won't be released until October 1st, so this is your chance to get it early! To win it, comment away until September 30th at midnight PST. The randomly selected winner will be announced early in October. Good luck to everyone!

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?"

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As I mentioned before, today it's time to choose a winner for this month's comment contest. This month's winner is about to recieve a brand new hardback copy of Chasing the Jaguar by Michele Dominguez Greene. There were 102 eligilble comments in August and the random number generator has picked lucky number 32 as the winner. That means

is our winner with the winning comment on this post about book swaps. Congrats! You have one week to email me with your mailing address and claim your prize. For the rest of you, you'll get a new chance to win starting tomorrow. So keep commenting! And you can always buy your own copy of Chasing the Jaguar if you didn't win this time:

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As I mentioned yesterday, today it's time to choose a winner for last month's comment contest. This month's winner is about to recieve a brand new signed copy of Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz. There were 107 eligilble comments in July and the random number generator has picked lucky number 88 as the winner. That means

is our winner with the winning comment on this Waiting on Wednesday entry. Congrats! You have one week to email me with your mailing address and claim your prize. For the rest of you, you already have a new chance to win this month. So keep commenting! And you can always buy your own copy of Blue is for Nightmares if you didn't win this time:

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Today is August 1st, which means it's time to update the comment contest. See, I'm on top of things so far this month! Comments made on Augst 1st and beyond will count toward this contest. The winner of July's contest will be announced tomorrow.

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. These must be genuine comments, and other contest entries won't count for this contest. By genuine comment I mean it must add something to the conversation taking place. In other words a comment that says simply "cool" or "please enter me" will not help you win this book. Your fate is in your own hands. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. So if you really want the book, comment a lot! At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the prize. It's that easy.

August's prize is a brand new hardcover copy of Chasing the Jaguar by Michele Dominguez Greene. To win it, comment away until August 31st at midnight PST. The randomly selected winner will be announced early in September. Good luck to everyone!

About the Book (from Amazon.com): "Girl next door . . . or Mayan sorceress ?

Martika Gálvez's "To Do" list:

1. Research final project for art class–on the jaguar

2. Study the arts of telepathy (ESP) and pyrokinesis (starting fires at will)

3. Build an altar and pray to Mayan deities

4. Use psychic powers to recover stolen ancient statue and help rescue abducted teen girl...

5. and convince Mom I'm really studying at the library

Introducing Martika Gálvez, the Latina Nancy Drew of the new millennium."

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Well, now that the new Comment Contest has been posted, you can probably guess that we also need to choose a winner for last month's prize of The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle. There were 170 qualifing comments last month, and the random number generator picked lucky number 95 as the winner. Which means that

is our winner, with her comment on the LOL Cat Singing Fish post. Congrats Amanda! You have one week from today to claim your prize. Email me with your mailing address and I'll get your ARC of The Sky Inside in the mail to you.

And (surprise!) there's another winner! So this time, congrats to


who wins the runner-up contest with her comment on my Book Slump post. Congrats Janssen, you've won a set of signed bookplates for the Hollow Kingdom books and By These Ten Bones, also by Clare B. Dunkle.

For those of you who didn't win, don't forget there's already a new contest. Every comment you make in July will get you closer to winning that prize. And you can always check out The Sky Inside and it's sequel The Walls Have Eyes (out Aug 25) from Amazon.com:

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Judging by the number of entries I've gotten for this week's Contest Monday post already, you're liking the prize this week. Well, here's another chance for you to win. As part of New Features week, I'm unveiling a new type of contest for The Shady Glade: The Comment Contest.

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the pot. These must be genuine comments, and Contest Monday entries won't count for this contest. By genuine comment I mean it must add something to the conversation taking place. In other words a comment that says simply "cool" or similar will not count. At the end of the month I randomly pick one winner for the specified prize. It's that easy.

So why a comment contest? Well, if you blog I'm sure you know how wonderful it is to get comments. So in a way it's selfish of me. But I also think comments are a great way to get to know and connect with other people. I know there are a lot of you who read this blog and never comment. So introduce yourself! Participate! Win free books!

Wanna know what you're playing for? This month is a paperback ARC of The Sky Inside by Clare B. Dunkle. To win it, comment away until June 30 at midnight PST. The randomly selected winner will be announced early in July. Good luck to everyone!

About the book (from Amazon.com): "Every year a new generation of genetically-engineered children is shipped out to meet their parents. Every spring the residents of his town take down the snow they've stuck to their windows and put up flowers. Every morning his family gathers around their television and votes, like everyone else, for whatever matter of national importance the president has on the table. Today, it is the color of his drapes. It's business as usual under the protective dome of suburb HM1.

And it's all about to come crashing down.

Because a stranger has come to take away all the little children, including Martin's sister, Cassie, and no one wants to talk about where she has gone. The way Martin sees it, he has a choice. He can remain in the dubious safety of HM1, with danger that no one wants to talk about lurking just beneath the surface, or he can actually break out of the suburb, into the mysterious land outside, rumored to be nothing but blowing sand for miles upon miles.

Acclaimed author Clare B. Dunkle has crafted a fresh and fast-paced science-fiction thriller, one that challenges her characters -- and her readers -- to look closer at the world they take for granted."

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