Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children's books. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2013

The "In Just Spring" Contest

Susanna Leonard Hill has challenged her blog followers to write a children's story, in 350 words or less, about something that really says "spring" to us. Then, we post it on our blog, link it on her site and her readers will vote on their favorite.  The winner will have one of their picture book manuscripts read by Laura Galvin of KidsBooks! 

Spring used to be an exciting time for me - I hate the cold!  But, since having dogs, I find myself wishing the cold weather would last a little bit longer, so we wouldn't have the mud to contend with.  So, that's what really says "spring" to me - MUD!  

When you're finished reading my story, head over to Susanna's blog and read the others - there are some really great stories!!




Tell-Tail Signs of Spring

Winter brings both cold and snow.
Still, I’m sad to see it go.
 
Once the frozen ground warms up,
life gets messy, with a pup.
 
He’ll come bounding through the door.
Muddy paws across the floor.

Black dots splattered on the walls.

Murky puddles down the halls.

Up the stairs and down again.
Paw prints leading to the den.

On the couch, then quickly off.
Stops for munchies at his trough.

On the bed that’s not yet made.
Gives a shake.  The sheets get sprayed.

Dog-shaped mud begins to dry,
Like a scene from CSI!

Try to wipe him - no such luck.
He starts wagging.  Better duck!

Just like clockwork, every year,
Tell-tail signs that spring is here!




Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.  Plus, sign up for free 
email updates from this blog (in the upper right hand side of the page).

Sunday, October 28, 2012

PiBoIdMo 2012 Registration is Open!!


November is just four days away and you know what that means . . . PiBoIdMo!!!  This will be the fourth year for Tara Lazar's brainchild, Picture Book Idea Month!  If you've participated in the past, I'm pretty sure you've already registered for this year.  If you haven't previously participated, stop kicking yourself for missing three great years and get over to Tara's site and register!  Don't procrastinate - registration closes November 4th!

Since Tara launched PiBoIdMo in 2009, ideas generated during PiBoIdMo have led to three picture book contracts and three award winners.  Read all about them!

Tammi Sauer's 2009 idea of pairing a minnow and a shark became Nugget and Fang, due out April, 2013.

Corey Rosen Schwartz's 2009 fractured fairy tale idea, Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears, has been sold to Putnam.

Amy Dixon's recently released, Marathon Mouse, started as an idea sparked during the 2010 PiBoIdMo.

Diana Murray and Rebecca Colby received the Barbara Karlin Grant in 2010 and 2011 respectively, both of their stories started as PiBoIdMo ideas.

Penny Klostermann was the runner-up for this year's Barbara Karlin Grant - I think you know in which month she came up with her winning idea!

I am hoping to add to Tara's list of success stories.  During last year's challenge, I came up with 58 story ideas, one of which has become one of my favorite manuscripts and my agent is sending it out soon!

So, what are you waiting for?  Register NOW!



Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.  Plus, sign up for free email updates from this blog (in the upper right hand side of the page).




Monday, September 10, 2012

Friends, Foxes & Fate . . .

I am a firm believer in fate!  I do believe there are simple coincidences but I think, sometimes, people are destined to cross paths and impact each other's lives.   Here's the story of three people, whom I believe, were destined to meet and the series of events that helped make it happen.

This past May, I co-hosted a writer's conference and our speakers were the founders of SCBWI, Lin Oliver and Steve Mooser!  At dinner, the night before the conference, Lin gave me the name of a literary agency she thought would be a good fit for me and I typed it into my phone.  Two weeks later, I looked at my notes, but I couldn't make sense of them (tip - never type notes into your phone without wearing your reading glasses).  That same night, I read a blog interview with a writer-friend of mine, Brenda Sturgis, and her agent, Karen Grencik.  I was very impressed with Karen, so I went on the agency's website to read more about her.  The agency name, Red Fox Literary, seemed familiar, then it hit me - it was the same agency Lin had suggested!  I had just recently parted with my previous agent and I was not ready to contact them, so I put it on the back burner.

One month later, I attended a writer's retreat, Words in the Woods, where I met Marissa Moss, founder and editor-in-cheif of Creston Books.  (I wrote a post about the retreat, and an incident with Marissa, on June, 25th.)  A few weeks later, I submitted one of my manuscripts to Creston Books and Marissa offered to publish it!

Fast forward to the beginning of August, when I attended the SCBWI annual conference in LA.  While there, I decided it was time to look for an agent again.  On the last day of the conference, I got on the hotel elevator and there was Karen Grencik!  I introduced myself and Karen told me to contact her after the conference.

Two days later, I emailed Karen and told her about the manuscript I had sold to Marissa and sent her my other manuscripts to read.  After a long phone conversation, Karen offered to represent me and I happily accepted!  Shortly after that, Karen told me how she and her business partner, Abigail Samoun, began their conversation, about forming their own agency, at a party.  And, who was the host of that party?  

Wait for it . . .   Wait for it . . . 


Marissa Moss!!

And, if all that weren't enough to convince you we were fated to work together, take a look at my business card.  I ordered them long before I met Karen - I chose this design partly because of the fox in my book, 1 Zany Zoo.  









     Coincidence?  You tell me!!







Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.  Plus, sign up for free email updates from this blog (in the upper right hand side of the page).


Sunday, May 20, 2012

Versatile Blogger Award and Seven Things About Me

Lauri Meyers (Your Imagination is the Limit), nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award!!  Thanks so much Lauri!!  As a winner of the VBA, here's what I need to do:
  •  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy. (done - see above)
  •  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.  (see above again)
  •  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)  (this is the hard part - so many have already been nominated!)
  •  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site. (see above)
  •  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself. (Unlike my nominator, Lauri, I don't mind telling things about myself - I'm pretty much an open book.)
So, here you go - seven things about me - no guarantee they'll be the least bit interesting.

1 - I laugh at pretty much any pun I hear.  I tend to laugh the most at my own!
2 - I think Chinese and Thai food taste better when eaten with chop sticks.
3 - I love Indian (from India) accents - love their food too. 
4 - I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. 
5 - I sing all day long - sometimes I whistle.
6 - My favorite city in the world in London.
7 - I really admire policemen and firemen - and teachers, of course!

Here are my fifteen nominated bloggers - use the handy links to visit their sites:
Juliet Clare Bell - http://picturebookden.blogspot.com/
Arlee Bird - http://wrotebyrote.blogspot.com/
Pamela Courtney - http://mylmnopreadstokids.blogspot.com/
Natalie Fischer - http://wadingthroughwords.wordpress.com/
Will Granger - http://anabarauthor.blogspot.com/
Sarah Frances Hardy - http://www.sfhardy.blogspot.com/
Christine Henderson - http://thewritechris.blogspot.com/
Alison Hertz - http://alisonhertz.blogspot.com/
Irene Kistler - http://irenekistler.com/blog/
Penny Klostermann - http://pennyklostermann.com/
Irene Latham - http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/
Renee LaTulippe - http://www.nowaterriver.com/
Kelly Polark - http://kpolark.blogspot.com/
Sharon Stanley - http://www.sharonstanleywrites.blogspot.com/
Beth Stilborn - http://www.bethstilborn.com/





Connect with me on TwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn. Plus, sign up for 
free e-mail updates from this blog in the upper right-hand side of the page.