Hi there, everyone!
I hope you all had lovely weekends, and that those of you within range of Snowmageddon all stayed safe and warm! For I think the first time in history, the storm missed Blueberry Hill – we may have gotten a quarter millimeter of snow, but that might be exaggerating 🙂
I realize that Monday afternoon is an odd time for a blog post, but I have a few minutes, and some very important news to share! So I’m taking a totally random moment here to say that kidlit folks are the best in the world – absolutely and without equivocation!
First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest! Guidelines HERE
Scrambling to rummage up some prizes for the unplanned Valentiny Contest, I sent out a few hopeful requests – some to people I knew, some to people I didn’t! – asking if they’d be willing to donate expertise/time/work/awesome books. Without exception, every single person I asked stepped up and offered a prize! I’ve got such an abundance, I’m not even sure we’ll need them all for this new contest, which may not receive the number of entries the more established ones do. So I hope, after you’ve seen what’s on offer, you’ll spread the word to all your kidlit friends because there’s some REALLY great stuff up for grabs 🙂
Check it out!
– A Picture Book Read and Critique from literary agent Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis who is actively building her picture book list!
– Enrollment in literary agent Jodell Sadler‘s Pacing Picture Books 2 WOW picture book writing class in March 2016!
– A spot in an upcoming Ariel Richardson webinar, Rule Breaking In Picture Books: The Chronicle Books Edition offered by Jodell Sadler
– Winner’s choice of free enrollment in ART OF ARC: HOW TO ANALYZE YOUR PICTURE BOOK MANUSCRIPT OR a deep analysis critique from Alayne.
ART OF ARC is a self-study course that will deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc and introduce you to other picture book structures. The course gives you tools to analyze your work prior to investing in professional critiques. It shows you how to avoid common writing errors and how apply writing elements that will enhance your stories to take them to a higher level. It includes 217 pages with ten lessons, seventeen supplements, and eighteen worksheets. Plus bonus materials and resources.
– A Picture Book Critique/Developmental Edit (non-rhyming picture book manuscript) from Beth Stilborn. (Beth does developmental editing and copy editing through her Flubs2Fixes Editing, Consulting and Writers’ Resources service for writers. http://www.flubs2fixes.com )
– A Picture Book Critique from the fabulous Robin Newman, author of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and the forthcoming, eagerly awaited Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep (please don’t miss the fantastic trailer! 🙂 )
– personalized signed copies of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep by Robin Newman
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Before Valentines Day by Natasha Wing! Natasha Wing loves Valentine’s Day because it’s a week after her birthday. Natasha is the bestselling author of The Night Before series (Grosset & Dunlap). To find out more: www.natashawing.com
– personalized signed copies of Clara Bowman-Jahn‘s delightful picture books Annie’s Special Day and Edmund Pickle Chin
As well as the previously mentioned
– Enrollment in Julie Hedlund and Emma Walton Hamilton’s Complete Picture Book Submissions System!
– I Heart Picture Books – a 5-pack of Valentine picture books including A Crankenstein Valentine by Samantha Berger, Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie B. Friedman, Zombie In Love by Kelly DiPucchio, Love, Splat by Rob Scotton, and Here Comes Valentine Cat by Deborah Underwood PLUS 3 Endangered Species Chocolate Bars!
For those of you who are feeling too overwhelmed to count, that is TEN (10!!!) unbelievably awesome prizes!!! So I hope we get at least 10 entries! 🙂
Please join me in thanking Christa, Jodell, Julie & Emma, Alayne, Beth, Robin, and Natasha for their incredible generosity, and show your appreciation by visiting their sites, buying and recommending their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, writing them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and showing your appreciation to them in any way you can! I truly can’t thank them all enough!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Absolutely awesome prizes from absolutely awesome authors!
Thank you, Susanna.
You’re very welcome, Carleen! But it’s really all the generous prize donors we have to thank! 🙂
Love the trailer! Wonderful prizes once again Susanna!
I can’t claim any credit! It’s thanks to all these wonderful people stepping up to give back to their community! We are so lucky to be part of it!
Wow — those are AWESOME prizes!
Aren’t they, though? Kind of makes me want to be able to enter! 🙂
That’s a great lineup! Excuse me while I get back to writing …
Best possible response to all those fabulous prize offerings, Marlaina! 🙂
Anyone with the surname of Bitterpickles gets my attention! Thanks for yet another fun contest!
My pleasure! I’ll look forward to your entry 🙂
Amazing!! Thank you so much everyone!
We are lucky to have such generous folks in our community! Can’t wait to read your entry, Jen! 🙂
Love this, Susanna! Yes, you are right…this is an incredible community. Going to share right now!!!!
Thanks so much, Vivian! I think I should hire you as my publicist! 🙂
Eeek! So excited!
Eeek! Me too! 🙂
This is exciting! Thanks for setting this up, Susanna!
My pleasure, Lindsay! I’ll look forward to reading your entry!
This sounds like a blast (of springtime fun?)!!!
Well, the groundhogs did say we were getting an early spring, Sue… though I’m not sure it’s THIS early! 🙂
Wow, what awesome prizes. Thanks to everyone for their generosity.
I hope all the lovely people who donated get a chance to come over here and see how many people they’ve made grateful! We have such a nice community! 🙂
Great prizes. That is my DREAM agent. 😦 SO hard to win. But I shall try.
*smooch* *smooch* Snowmageddon got us. I still have a house full of people. But I love you, Sus. Even if you didn’t get SNOWED IN for days and days. We haven’t even had mail delivery. What’s up with that? I thought the mail ALWAYS went through.
I hope you’re snowed out by now, Rob! I would send you chocolate, but if the mail isn’t going through (seriously, what is WITH that? You’re right! The mail is ALWAYS supposed to go through – it’s their slogan!) you won’t get it!!!
P.S. THANK YOU, prize givers. 🙂
All very generous with their gifts of time and books. Such a supportive community!
Indisputably the best of the best! 🙂
WoWza! Thank you Susanna and to all those who donating!
My pleasure! And I’m sure theirs as well! Looking forward to your entry, Diane 🙂
Love these contests and all the great prizes. Thanks, Susanna
I’m thrilled to be able to do it, Jim – thanks in large part to the wonderful donors who give such great prizes!
All these good things attest to the importance of what you are doing, SLH!
Thanks to all, v-
Aw shucks! You’re too nice! ❤ And I have as much fun as everyone else 🙂
Thanks to all. Now to write….:)
YES! Butt in chair! 🙂
WWWWOWWW! So VERY cool. Thank you, folks!!
Aren’t they just the best? And doesn’t it make you want to sit right down and write???!!! 🙂
Oooh! And WOOOO!
Hope that means the writerly wheels are turning, Mike! 🙂
The wheels have turned.
Yippee! 🙂
People are AWESOME!!! 😀
And kidlit people are especially awesome! 🙂
So special so great! Now a contest to make! Can’t wait to hear the rules and I’lll jump in with my two left feet.
Wonderful prizes, Susanna! 🙂
Thanks in no small part to YOU, Clar! Thanks again for your generous prize donation! ❤ I hope you'll be inspired to write something! 🙂
🙂 It is my pleasure, Susanna! You are doing me a favor. 🙂 Loved doing it.
🙂
Those are terrific prizes! The kidlit community really knows how to motivate and support each other 🙂
They really do! Let’s hear it for the kidlit community! Hip Hip Hooray! Best of the best 🙂
It seems we can always count on you, Susanna, to motivate when the “Butt-in-chair,get going!” voice has lowered to a whisper. Thanks to all your generous donors! Now, back to writing….
I would read the story pitch about outrunning sleep. It seems fresh and would appeal to children.
Thanks so much for chiming in, Natasha!
More than doubles the excitement level (that was already way up the DEFCON scale)!
Thanks!
Boy oh boy! This is too awesome. The contributors wonderful prizes say much about this community. This also says much about you. It’s because of who you are that people are so willing to be part of this in such a generous way. Thank you. I think this is going to be so much fun.
I’m so glad you’re excited, Pam! I hopehopehope to see an entry from you!!!
Just want to add my gratitude for the opportunity! Many thanks to all involved!
They’re a lovely and generous bunch! 🙂
What sweet surprises and prizes!
I hope they’ll inspire you to create, Carleen! 🙂
Thanks to all for being so generous!
How generous! I know we are all very grateful. Thanks!
Aren’t they just the cat’s pajamas?! 🙂
Hello Susanna. I entered my link yesterday. The prizes are ABY-awesome beyond belief!
So glad you like them, Sharon! Can’t wait to read your story! 🙂
Im not seeing my post of my Valentine Contest entry???
Gabrielle Schoeffield
ashlynsoma@aol.com
Its there, Gabrielle – toward the bottom of the first page of comments. You may be on the page where you have to click back to older comments since the comment section is so long.