Darlings!
You did it!!
7 weeks of writing awesomeness!!!
This has been SO MUCH FUN!!!!!
I hope you guys all know you are really amazing!
What an incredible treat to get to enjoy all that creativity, heart, humor, cleverness, word play, rhyme, and just all around fun!
We had quite an impressive turn out!
64 people entered at least one week of the challenge.
45 people completed all 7 weeks.
You left upwards of 2000 comments for each other (and that doesn’t count the comments I haven’t had time to leave yet!)
There were at least 6 instances where people did more than one entry in a given week, so we had 361 stories in all!
And what amazing stories they are!
You guys should all give yourselves a big pat on the back and have some cake.
Because truly, I think some cake is called for. I mean, what is a celebration without cake? Normally, as you all well know, I would go for chocolate, but since it’s summer I’ll pick something a little summerier 😊
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake from Recipe Rebel
Now you can have your cake and eat it too while we pass out prizes! 😊
Since 45 people completed the challenge and I had 44 prizes, I threw in an extra so everyone who qualified could get a prize. Of course, you have all already gotten a prize just by writing all these new stories, getting your creativity flowing, getting to read everyone else’s work, and getting to tell people how much you loved their stories while hearing how much they loved yours! I hope a whole pile of new books will come out of this little fun fest 😊
I put all your names in one hat, and all the prizes in another, and randomly drew a name and a prize to go with it until I ran out. The prizes are all listed below. Scroll along and look for your name to see what you won, and then email me using the handy contact form on my website (or my email address) subject line Prize and I’ll get everything sorted out with the mailing and getting in touch with critiquers and etc and whatnot! (And there is one last item at the bottom of the post after the whole list so please scroll to the end even after you find your prize!)
Ooh! Isn’t it fun giving out prizes? All the anticipation of wondering what amazing goody you might get???!!!
Well get out your sparklers, boys and girls, because. . .
WOO HOO! It’s PRIZE TIME!!!
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, suggesting them for school visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
For Spacious Skies by Nancy Churnin, award-winning author of so many fabulous books I don’t have space to list them all! Visit her website or Amazon Page!
🌟WINNER: KAY DiVERDE!🌟
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Kirstine Erekson Call, author of THE RAINDROP WHO COULDN’T FALL (Character Publishing 2013) and the forthcoming MOOTILDA’S BAD MOOD (Little Bee Books, September 2020), COW SAYS MEOW (HMH March 2021), and COLD TURKEY (Little Brown Spring 2021)
🌟WINNER: SUE LANCASTER!🌟
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Ellen Leventhal, author of DON’T EAT THE BLUEBONNETS (Spork 2017), HAYFEST: A Holiday Quest (ABCs Press 2010), and LOLA CAN’T LEAP (Spork 2018)
🌟WINNER: DI LITWER!🌟
Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Lindsay Hanson Metcalf, author of BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST (September 2020), FARMERS UNITE!: PLANTING A PROTEST FOR FAIR PRICES (Calkins Creek November 2020), and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY (Charlesbridge September 2020)
🌟WINNER: SUSAN SCHIPPER!🌟
Picture Book Manuscript Critique (non rhyming) from Kaye Baillie, author of BOO LOVES BOOKS (New Frontier Publishing October 2020), and MESSAGE IN A SOCK (Midnight Sun Publishing 2018)
🌟WINNER: CINDY BOYLL!🌟
Your choice of EITHER a Picture Book Manuscript Critique or a Virtual Visit with Keila Dawson, author of THE KING CAKE BABY (Pelican 2015), and NO VOICE TOO SMALL: FOURTEEN YOUNG AMERICANS MAKING HISTORY (Charlesbridge September 2020)
🌟WINNER: MATTHEW LASLEY!🌟
Winner’s Choice of Webinar from the amazing Alayne Kay Christian, author of picture books Butterfly Kisses, An Old Man And His Penguin, and the forthcoming The Weed That Woke Christmas and the chapter book series of Sienna The Cowgirl Fairy, and editor at Blue Whale Press! Webinar choices include: How A Picture Book Is Made, Perfecting Your Critique, Top Ten Reasons For Rejection, and How To Write Powerful First Pages Like A Pro!
🌟WINNER: REBECCA GARDYN LEVINGTON!🌟
15 Minute Video Chat – ask your questions about writing, research, submissions – whatever’s on your mind! – with Christy Mihaly, author of DIET FOR A CHANGING PLANET: Food for Thought(Twenty-first Century Books/Lerner 2018), HEY, HEY, HAY!
A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them (Holiday House 2018) , and FREE FOR YOU AND ME: What Our First Amendment Means (Albert Whitman March 2020)
🌟WINNER: DEB BUSCHMAN!🌟
Quick Impressions on your Picture Book Manuscript from Rosie Pova, author of IF I WEREN’T WITH YOU (Spork 2017), SARAH’S SONG (Spork 2017), the forthcoming SUNDAY RAIN (Lantana Publishing March 2021) and others.
🌟WINNER: LAURI MEYERS!🌟
RONAN THE LIBRARIAN, (Roaring Brook Press April 2020) brand new from fabulous author Tara Luebbe
🌟WINNER: DEB SULLIVAN!🌟
Your Choice of EITHER A Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction, non-rhyming) or an Ask Anything 15 Minute Video or Phone Chat with Tara Luebbe, author of SHARK NATE-O,(Little Bee Books 2018), I AM FAMOUS ( Albert Whitman 2018), I USED TO BE FAMOUS (Albert Whitman 2019), OPERATION PHOTOBOMB (Albert Whitman 2019), and RONAN THE LIBRARIAN (Roaring Brook Press 2020) (see above)
🌟WINNER: CANDICE MARLEY CONNER!🌟
Sherry Howard, author of Rock And Roll Woods (Spork 2018) and a series of Nonfiction Middle Grade titles for Escape Publishing (2019)
🌟WINNERS:🌟
SEA ANIMALS – GENEVIEVE & CUPCAKE PETRILLO!
LAND ANIMALS – ELIZABETH MEYER ZU HERINGDORF!
PLANES – JESS MURRAY!
BIRDS – LINDA SCHUELER!
CARS – KETAN, RAVI & AIYKA RAM!
BOATS – BRENDA WHITEHEAD!
is offering 6 of her nonfiction middle grade titles which will go to 6 lucky winners!
Ann Whitford Paul, author of Writing Picture Books (being donated by Becky Scharnhorst below), the book we ALL use as our picture book bible 😊, and countless wonderful picture books, is offering signed copies of her IF ANIMALS… Series (Farrar Straus Giroux):
🌟WINNERS:🌟
IF ANIMALS WENT TO SCHOOL – ALICIA MEYERS KELLY!
IF ANIMALS KISSED GOOD NIGHT – MARTY!
IF ANIMALS SAID I LOVE YOU – MICHELLE S. KENNEDY!
IF ANIMALS CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS – COLLEEN MURPHY!
If Animals Went To School (2019) If Animals Kissed Good Night (2008)
S
If Animals Said I Love You (2017) If Animals Celebrated Christmas (2018)
If you would like to benefit from her picture book wisdom, please sign up for her newsletter HERE!
A hand lettered quote of someone’s choice from a picture book, or a quote about reading or writing that could be framed as a gift for a child’s bedroom, a writer you know and love, or an inspiration for writing in your own work space (why shouldn’t you give yourself a present?!) offered by Kristy Roser Nuttall! (Samples below – you can choose your own quote!)
🌟WINNER: DAWN YOUNG!🌟
Making Picture Book Magic – Self Study Class any month (x3)
🌟WINNERS:🌟
KATIE SCHWARTZ!
PENNY ADLER!
LESLIE DENKERS!
Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul, donated by Becky Scharnhorst whose debut picture book P.S. Camp Wildwood Stinks will be released in Summer 2021 from Philomel!
🌟WINNER: SARAH MEADE!🌟
![Writing Picture Books Revised and Expanded Edition: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication by [Ann Whitford Paul]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51rbO+CMLNL.jpg)
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert donated by Becky Scharnhorst whose debut picture book P.S. Camp Wildwood Stinks will be released in Summer 2021 from Philomel!
🌟WINNER: UGO ANIDI!🌟
The Nuts & Bolts Guide To Writing Picture Books by Linda Ashman (only available for Kindle) (x2)
🌟WINNERS:🌟
JILL LAMBERT!
SUSAN KREVAT!
![The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books by [Linda Ashman]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JTh6P3L1L.jpg)
Magnetic Poetry – Little Box of Happiness
🌟WINNER: JAMIE BECHTELHEIMER!🌟
MARS’ FIRST FRIENDS personalized and signed 😊
🌟WINNER: KRISTY ROSER NUTTALL!🌟
The Story Book Knight by Helen Docherty
🌟WINNER: ROSE CAPPELLI!🌟
This Book Is Gray by Lindsay Ward
🌟WINNER: AMY FLYNN!🌟
🌟WINNER: SARA ACKERMAN!🌟
Writing Journal (x10)
🌟WINNERS:🌟
MIA GEIGER!
DOT ANSON!
CORINE TIMMER!
LIZ KEHRLI!
SUSAN INEZ!
TRACY (LITTLE CORNISH WRITER)!
ASHLEY CONGDON!
LILY ERLIC!
BARBARA RENNER!
PATRICIA NOZELL!
Scythe by Neal Shusterman
🌟WINNER: MARY VAN BEUREN!🌟
Promised Item At The End! 😊
Please be a little patient – it’s going to take me awhile to sort out 45 prizes but I will do it as quickly as I can! 😊 And if anyone thinks I screwed up (entirely possibly given that I’m so tired I’m cross-eyed right now 😊) please let me know!!!
And although I hope to see you here for occasional Tuesday Debuts, things will quiet down here on the blog for July and August, so have a wonderful, happy, healthy, writing-filled summer everyone!!! 💕
Susanna Leonard Hill 
That cake looks amazing! Thanks for hosting this wonderful challenge, Susanna. Thanks also to the authors and other writing professionals for contributing prizes.
Thank you Susanna for putting this challenge together and those who donated prizes. I enjoyed participating and I hope you do again next year 😊.
Thank you so much, Susanna! Thank you to all the prize donors. Congratulations to all the winners and participants! I loved reading all the stories and appreciated all the encouraging comments I received on my stories.
Thank you so much Susanna, and to all the people giving their time and energy and cool stuff for prizes!! This was so much fun!!
I am so so glad you enjoyed it, Jamie!!! 🙂
Thank you Susanna for providing this creativity romp! Thank you to all of the wonderful, talented and generous donors, and thank you to all of you imaginative writers for sharing your talents. I am going to miss this Monday challenge!!
Susanna, I hope you have something fun planned during your downtime, despite our limits due to COVID! ❤
Thank you for the forum, the format, the community and especially the encouragement, Susanna. It’s the first time I have held myself accountable, publicly and succeeded. Still posting the rest of my seven drafts for personal courage!
I’m pretty sure we all wish you ” Have a wonderful, happy, healthy, writing-filled summer 💕 too!”
Susanna,
Incredible! Thanks to you, the prize donors, and all my fellow participants! I loved reading through the entries and beginning to see some familiar faces:) This was a terrific challenge, and I really appreciate all the work that went into it!
Susanna – So incredibly grateful to you and the generous prize donors for coordinating, running and making this mini writing challenge such fun! Truly appreciate the opportunity to participate and read volumes of wonderful tales! Thanks to everyone for the encouraging feedback as well – what an unbelievably supportive group. Thank you Susanna for bringing us together – wishing you a wonderfully relaxing July and August.
This was so much fun! Thank you for hosting another fantastic challenge. Thank you also to all the generous donors. Finally, thanks to everyone who wrote a story. I read a lot of them, and we have some amazing talent here!
Yum! Strawberries are just the best for summer. My sister-in-law made a strawberry cheesecake yesterday so I’ll count that as my celebratory cake! Thank you, Susanna, for hosting this fun challenge and to all the prize donors. My kids LOVE Shark Nate-O so they’re as excited as I am at my prize! I’ll miss reading everyone’s stories each week! Y’all take self-care and stay safe ❤
Although unable to participate this time, just reading about it makes me smile knowing all the happiness you have stirred up for so many! Thanks for your time and effort Susanna and to all the authors who contributed prizes!
Thank you for organizing this challenge, Susanna! It was so much fun and really made me stretch my thinking.I look forward to more contests!
Thank you so much Susanna, so glad I jumped in (better late than never!). Really appreciate the challenge, also your fun and inspiring comments along the way. Gave me a major summer boost for sure! Plus really enjoyed reading everyone else’s entries, hope it becomes an annual event, though let’s hope without any pandemics or other worldwide situations.
Thank you so much, Susanna, for your hard work and great inspiration. You are a blessing to us all. Hope to participate in more of your amazing challenges in the future.
Thank you for all you do, Susanna! The past seven weeks have been a challenge, but something I looked forward to each week. Thanks also to all the generous donors for the prizes. Finally, thanks to all the other participants who were so creative and supportive in return. What a wonderful writing community!
Thank you Susanna. So excited I won a video chat with Christy Mihaly. Right after I read what I won lightening struck the electric pole outside my porch. I wonder if that means something? I also want to say that I am continually challenged by your awesome contests and always feel like a winner because I use my brain and get those creative juices flowing. Thanks!!!!
This contest made the past seven weeks so enjoyable. Thanks again, Susanna. You are incredible!
It was a joy to read so many fun entries and I loved seeing the now familiar names pop up each week. Will definitely miss this.
Thank you Susanna for all your writing assignments for the past 7 weeks. I enjoyed each and every one of them. Your strawberry cake recipe looks magnificent. My favourite cake of all time!
I am looking forward to the ‘drop of inspiration’ journal! Thank you so much. You are a wonderful and thoughtful person….sending hugs to you!
It looks like it was a lot of fun. Congrats to the winners.
We had a great time, Sonja! Even though the official challenge is over, you can still go back and use the prompts for yourself if you need a little writing inspiration! 😊
This writing challenge has been such an amazing event! Susanna, you are truly “amazing”!! Your dedication to our field is outstanding. You gave our creativity a boost and each Monday I looked forward to this event, (especially during such a challenging time due to the pandemic). It was a fantastic journey. Thanks to all who were so generous with their contributions..critiques, books as well as all of the other “grand” prizes!
Finally, thank you to everyone who joined the writing challenge. You are truly an inspiration as well ! Now for some scrumptious strawberry shortcake!! ❤
What a super fun challenge! Thank you for pushing us and helping keep the spark alive for these 7 weeks! I loved every minute of it! And thank you to all the generous folks to donated prizes! You all are the BEST!
Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Thank you for your contests, Susanna! I always love entering and your writing prompts have been a wonderful platform for new ideas and stories. The prize is the icing on the cake! Thank you and all the donators for the prizes!
Susana, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this wonderful experience! It gave me something to look forward to each week! My family even got excited about it and wanted to know what the new challenge was each week. I truly enjoyed reading everyone’s stories and all the comments. Please thank the generous authors who donated the prizes. This was an awesome event! Virtual hugs to you.
This was a great event. I enjoyed the challenges and was very inspired to try some new stories. It helped oil my creativity. Thank you! I also want to thank those that donated prizes. They rock! 🙂
You inspire me, Susana! Thank you again! 🙂
Thank you so much Susanna for putting this together 🙂 and for giving us prizes too!!! This was absolutely wonderful and i enjoyed it immensely. Thank you to everyone who donated the prizes!! May your pockets never run dry!!! Best wishes …
Thank you so much for this Susanna! I needed these prompts so badly. They started me back up after a couple months of not writing, and I even ended up with two decent PB drafts!