WINSTON BREEN'S PUZZLE PARTY CONTEST!

I meant to post this sooner but I forgot - duh! There's a great contest on Winston Breen's website: www.winstonbreen.com/puzzleparty.html

He has a puzzle every day, starting yesterday and going until April 22. Every day, someone with the correct solution to that day's puzzle will be chosen at random and will win a copy of his latest book The Potato Chip Puzzles. At the end of the week, one person with all seven correct solutions, will be chosen at random and will win every single one of G.P. Putnam's Sons Spring 2009 children's and YA books, plus advance reading copies of numerous Fall 2009 books!

So, even if you didn't start yesterday (I missed it too if it makes you feel better) you can still enter for the rest of the daily prizes. Also, the previous puzzles are still available so you can solve them and enter for the grand prize. I just emailed the solution to today's puzzle (I think it's the correct solution) and plan to do the rest of them. I'm also going to buy the book tomorrow - it looks great!

Poems by Arnold Spilka and me

I found a poem by Arnold Spilka that reminded me of a poem I wrote my Freshman year in college. Here's Mr. Spilka's poem:

DON'T TELL ME THAT I TALK TOO MUCH!

Don't tell me that I talk too much!
Don't say it!
Don't you dare!
I only say important things
Like why it's raining where.
Or when or how or why or what
Might happen here or there.
And why a thing is this or that
And who is bound to care.
So don't tell me I talk too much!
Don't say it!
DON'T YOU DARE!


Here's my poem. The assignment was to write a poem about myself as an introduction to the other students in class. All the other poems were really serious - oops!


FRESHMAN'S LAMENT

I think I'm too short.
My friends say "Yes". My mother says "No".
I think I'm too fat.
My friends say "Yes". My mother says "No".
I think I talk too much.
My friends say "Yes". My mother says "No".
I think I'll move back home.
My friends say "YES!", my mother says "NOOOO!".

Jack Prelutsky

Here's one of my favorite Jack Prelutsky poems:

ME I AM

I am the only ME I AM
who qualifies as me;
no ME I AM has been before,
and none will ever be.

No other ME I AM can feel
the feelings I've within
no other ME I AM can fit
precisely in my skin.

There is no other ME I AM
who thinks the thoughts I do;
the world contains one ME I AM,
there is no room for two.

I am the only ME I AM
this earth shall ever see;
that ME I AM I always am
is no one else but me!

Poetry Month - better late than never!

It's poetry month and I'm two weeks behind.
I know that I blew it - I hope you don't mind.
Beginning right now, I'll post one poem each day,
I promise my 'real life' won't get in the way.
So send me your poems that are written in rhyme,
And I'll do my best to make up for lost time!

The Saga Continues

As I mentioned in my last post, I had started reading everything I could on what to do after you get a book deal. One thing I read is that a great time to get an agent is after you've gotten an offer from a publisher. A year earlier, I had started an agent search, with no offers in sight, but there was one agent who had liked the story I sent and asked to read more. She said she didn't like the other stories as well but suggested I write in prose and, if I did, I could contact her again.

Well, I had a new story in prose (I wrote it because of her suggestion) so I decided to contact her again. I told her about the contest and book deal and I sent edited versions of the manuscripts I'd sent before, along with my new story in prose. I'm happy to say, she really liked the stories and offered to represent me! So now, Jamie Weiss Chilton of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, is my new agent and I'm sooo thrilled!

Members of my critique group asked exactly how she made the offer - email? Phone call? How long did it take? Here's the timeline of how it happened:

January 14, 2009 - After several emails, I got "the call" from Jamie. I did lots of jumping and screaming (inside my head because I was in Target). I told her I'd call back after I got home and put away my frozen food. When I got home, we had a great phone conversation - I had my pre-typed list of questions (I was so proud of myself for being prepared)! I was too nervous and excited to read the list so I just flipped it over and wrote frantic notes on the back. At the end of the call, Jamie said she'd like to offer representation but had to run it past Andrea Brown first! WOW!

January 15, 2009 - I got a message from Jamie saying she spoke with Andrea and was officially offering representation. Lots of jumping and screaming in my kitchen!

January 16, 2009 - I called Jamie back and accepted her offer. We talked about the AB Lit contract (she emailed a sample) and said she'd send the real one in the mail. More jumping and screaming!

January 20, 2009 - The contract came in the mail. MJAS! I signed them and was at the post office in five minutes.

February 2, 2009 - I got the contract back - signed by Jamie and Andrea Brown. Also a nice note from Andrea welcoming me aboard. No more jumping and screaming - I was jaded by this point - not! Since then, Jamie has handled the contract for 1 ZANY ZOO (yeah!) and has two of my stories out to editors. She's fantastic!!

I'm not sure if anyone's reading this blog but, if you are, do you have any "how I got my agent" stories to share?