You guys are probably wondering where the heck I’ve been all morning. I mean, come on! It’s Would You Read It Wednesday!
I know! I feel terrible! Poor Vivian has no doubt been thinking I forgot her 😦 I assure you, nothing could be farther from the truth! I have been agonizing over my lack of foresight and worrying that her time is getting cut into and people may end up missing her day 😦
Here’s what happened: heavy rain blew in yesterday accompanied by high winds with gusts over 60 mph… and in the Back of Beyond where I live, that means no power and no internet.
I’ve been like a little pioneer girl. Just call me Laura Ingalls 🙂 Except last night we got pizza… I don’t think Laura did that 🙂
Now, if I wasn’t always playing catch-up, I might have had today’s post written and ready to go. But my plan was to write it last evening during homework time… and that didn’t happen because we were looking for candles and contemplating bailing out the basement.
No worries, I thought. Surely the power will be restored by the time I get up at 5:15 AM… I’ll just write the post then and it will still get out on time.
Yeah. Not so much. We still have no power. We made coffee in a saucepan this morning. Need I say more?
See? I told you – Laura Ingalls 🙂
So after my morning chores I hied my way over hill and dale to the nearest Barnes & Noble (because in the Back of Beyond we don’t have handy wi-fi Starbucks at every country intersection) where I am currently sitting, casting longing glances at the triple chocolate brownies (but it’s only 11 AM – a little early for triple chocolate? what do you think? I think after coffee from a saucepan a little overly-decadent pre-noon chocolate is permitted!) and typing like the wind to get the long-awaited pitch pick and Vivian’s pitch up before you all give up in despair and determine that I’ve been eaten by a hungry black bear.
So no more chit chat. Here are the pitches from August for you to choose from. Everyone chose to update, so you can see how much they all improved thanks to you!
#1 Randy
Charlie The Chimney Mouse (PB)
Charlie is looking forward to the holiday season when the unthinkable happens. His human family moves away. He celebrates the holidays anyway, but the songs, the feasts, and the parties are not the same without someone to share it. Charlie offers one last song from his heart and receives a visit from a special holiday guest who brings more than a sack of presents.
#2 Patricia
Two Orange Pups On The Trail Of The Perfect Ball (PB)
Which pup in town owns the perfect ball? For the Two Orange Pups, that’s quite a tough call. Is it Babe with her baseball, Mario with his meatball, or one of the other pups they meet? Find out whether the pair is on the right trail to discover the perfect ball, or whether it’s really the trail that’s the perfect part of this tale!
#3 Sharron
Nothing But Blue Skies (Upper MG Fantasy)
Wizards have turned the world topsy-turvy. The sky is green. The grass is purple. Streams are pale pink. A fourteen-year old princess is the key to saving her world. But – not as a girl. A dragon’s tear transforms her into a prince. To triumph over magic, she must find out who she is and who she wants to be. Through it all, she must defeat the wizards, change her world back, and save her brother.
#4 Rachel
Princess Azalea’s Two Left Feet (PB)
Princess Azalea can’t dance. And if she can’t dance, she can’t meet a prince at a royal ball. Her mother, the Queen, is determined to get her dancing no matter what! Azalea, however, isn’t sure a prince is worth all this hullabaloo. Will Princess Azalea learn to twirl and spin without falling on her royal bottom? Or will she find her happily ever after her own way?
#5 Kimberley (PB)
Saturdays With Fish
Libby and her stepdad go fishing on Saturday to leave the loud city behind and find the peace of a quiet pond. It is there they find joy as simple and warm as the sun. At the pond they fish, chat, and eat a picnic lunch without any disruptions. When Libby accidentally hooks a bullfrog, the spell may be broken. Can they find their way back to quiet?
Please cast your vote for who’s pitch should go for a read by editor Erin Molta by 11:59PM EDT Friday September 21.
And now, onto today’s pitch from the lovely Vivian, author of Show Me How and fabulous blogger at Positive Parental Participation.Working Title: Confessions Of The Tomato Turner
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: Distracted by a noisy woodpecker, four-year old Peter looks away from his task and pulls up a baby tomato plant instead of a weed. Clutching the sad spindly seedling in his hand, Peter has a decision to make…tell his mom what he has done or hide the evidence in the compost pile.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
Apologies for the messed up scheduling today, and thank you all for bearing with me 🙂 Have a great (rest of the) day!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
It's hard when you have to eat a triple chocolate brownie, but I'm doing my best to soldier on 🙂 Thanks for your comments for VIvian, Tina! 🙂
Sharron, I like the way you think! 🙂 And thanks for your comments for Vivian!
Thanks so much for voting and for your comments for Vivian, Dana. And luckily there was no basement bailing this time… thus far 🙂
Thanks, Joanna, for your good wishes and for your comments for Vivian. And for voting! 🙂
I was thinking of you at B&N – we could have had lunch! 🙂 You didn't lose power? Glad to hear it! Thanks for your thoughtful comments for Vivian! 🙂
Thanks for your comments for Vivian, Renee. And yes, brownies technically are breakfast food. You will note that they are made with eggs 🙂
Personally, I can never tell the difference between the weed and the thing that's supposed to be growing, which is probably why I am known as the Black Thumb of Blueberry Hill! 🙂 Thanks for you comments for Vivian, Kim! 🙂
Uh-oh! I hope Christopher's OK, Robyn! Thanks for your thoughts for Vivian! 🙂
Yes I would read. Maybe even by candlelight, while Pa plays the fiddle and Mary makes paper dolls. Here's hoping you have power back Susanna!
Tee hee, Coleen! You made me laugh 🙂 I will be playing with my corn cob doll named Susan 🙂
Thank you, Coleen…glad you would read it…and by candlelight while Pa plays the fiddle and Mary makes paper dolls sounds lovely…I think there was something very special about making your own entertainment before there was TV…and, of course, no worries about no electricity…cause they didn't have any. 🙂
Hi Wendy…thanks for stopping by here to read my pitch! Your kind words are much appreciated…and, after reading your comment, I have to tell you that I LOVE your idea of a tomato plant growing out of the compost pile…there would be so much tension and angst as the plant grew bigger…the “evidence” is growing too big to hide. 🙂 I may have to do some revising. 🙂
Thanks so much, Robyn…with the input from Wendy, I think I may have more for you to worry about. Great point about the sad seedling…but perhaps the nutrients in the compost pile will create a SUPER TOMATO PLANT!!! 🙂 🙂 I'm grateful for your insights…and I agree…I think there needed to be tension in the story that lasted for more than a brief moment.
Hi Kim…thanks for sharing your “confessions” and I'm glad you liked the pitch. Some weeds are so beautiful (and some some helpful) I often want to leave them. 🙂
Iza…thank you so much for your thoughtful comments…I'm happy you liked the pitch. 🙂 The first story in the series of three is called “The Tomato Turner”…Peter tries to help the green tomatoes change color by turning them around and around, because his mom told him that they aren't eaten until they 'turn' red. But I do understand what you are saying…maybe this series needs to be in one book (kind of like the “Little Bear” series by Elsa Minarik…and those were early readers…perhaps that's what this needs to be). I will have to give it some thought.:) And that's why Susanna's pitch blog is SOOOO valuable…look at all of the amazing feedback I am getting. 🙂
Thank you so much, Renee…I really appreciate your thoughtful comments. Yes, the first book in the series is “The Tomato Turner” which Susanna allowed me to pitch here earlier in the summer…perhaps the 3 books need to be one book…as an early reader or something along those lines. I'm sure for early readers, there are specific words that need to be utilized…but I'm always open to reinventing anything I've done if it makes it better and more marketable…after all, the bottom line is to get our work out there and have people want to read it with their children. 🙂
Hi Joanna,
Glad you loved the title…and I'm happy you would read it…I am so thrilled with the wonderful comments and suggestions…Carrie's will be really helpful! And it's funny about the 'four'…originally, I didn't have that, even in the story. But when the real Tomato Turner read it, he was afraid people would think he was developmentally challenged if they didn't KNOW he was only four years old. 🙂 I agree with you, Joanna, it can probably be left out. 🙂
Oh my goodness…thank you, Tina…I always WANT to ask questions..they seem to make a pitch more engaging…but I know I've been told that for most pitches, you need to nix the questions. 😉 Glad you liked it. 🙂
Thanks for the clarification, Julie…there are many stories in every pitch, I guess…that would make a good one also. 🙂