Straight From The Editor! #2 And Then Some

25 Comments

I hope you’re all revved up and rarin’ to go this morning, because we’re going to have all kinds of fun.  If you’re not revved up yet, you will be after this! 🙂

First:  today my blog is being critiqued by the awesome and wonderful Laura Barnes over at Laura B Writer.  She’s running a series of blog critiques to help us all learn how to do things better, and I’m the second to go.  Her blog, in general, is a font of valuable information about marketing and how we, as writers, can make the most of our presence on the web.  Please check out her blog if you haven’t – you’ll be glad you did!

Second:  my friend, Catherine Johnson over at Catherine Johnson, Writer, was kind enough to send me her copy of The Preacher’s Bride by Jody Hedlund because she knew I wanted to read it.  (It’s historical romance.)  I thought it would be fun to make it into a Book’s Journey.  Catherine made a page that goes in the front and put her name, where she’s from, and the date she read the book, and then she sent it to me.  Now I have done the same and would like to send it on.  Eventually, we’ll send it back to Jody and she’ll have a copy of her book that’s gone (hopefully!) all over the world!  So – first come, first served!  Whoever is first to say in the comments that they’d like to read The Preacher’s Bride will get it.  The only requirement is that you play along with the game and when you’re done, pass it on to someone else 🙂

In addition, since I thought up this idea, I thought it would be fun to do with one of my own books, so first I’ll take a vote as to which book to send (poll open for a week, from now until midnight October 24th) and then I will circulate one of my books for the same fun!  Only I want mine signed directly in the book so I can eventually bring it on school visits and show the kids where it has been!  So, please vote below for which book I should send on a journey 🙂


<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/5590405/”>Pick A Book For A Book’s Journey!</a>
Third:  this week’s theme for Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza (which I hope you are REALLY impressed that I’m remembering to post today instead of forgetting until Wednesday :)) is PUMPKINS/JACK O’LANTERNS!

Fourth:  I hope you’re all getting excited for the Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop next Monday, October 24th!!!

Fifth:  (I told you there was all kinds of stuff going on today!)  I spent the weekend at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival.  Really, if you’ve never been to such a thing, you owe it to yourself to go.  Sheep, llamas, alpacas, gorgeous wool, knitting and crochet meetings and books and patterns and products – WOW.  It’s a whole world I knew nothing about and it makes for a lot of fun!

Anyway, there I was, signing copies of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, when a woman came up to me and asked me to sign one for her daughter.  “How old is she?” I asked, pulling a book from the pile and uncapping my pen.  “Well,” said the woman, “she was just born a couple days ago.  She was premature, so she’s in the NICU, but she’s going to be fine.”  But here’s the kicker.  The woman went on to say, “This will be her very first book.”

Can you believe it?  I was so honored!  To think something I wrote was going to be the very first book in this child’s library; that one of these days, that mother will sit with her little daughter and read Can’t Sleep Without Sheep to her.  How special is that?!  I am tucking this one away for those moments when I’m afraid my career is over and I’ll never sell another story (well, that would be right about now!) so I can pull it out and look at it and remember something good.

And finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for! STRAIGHT FROM THE EDITOR!

To remind you, our September winner was Aimee.  Her pitch was as follows:

TITLE: Listen to Me
GENRE: YA Contemporary with a dash of Magical Realism (target age 13-17, but I hope for crossover appeal)
PITCH: Stacy can talk to herself-in-twelve-years - but will the impossible relationship with Older Me help her navigate the high school rites of bullying and unrequited love, or just fuel her destructive self-loathing?

Here are Erin’s comments:

Here are my thoughts about your pitch: It is a little confusing. “Talking to herself-in-twelve-years” doesn’t quite get across the idea that she’s talking to herself in the future. I had to read it a few times to get that. You might want to just say her future self. Also, is the relationship impossible because nobody can talk to themselves in the future or because she doesn’t get along with herself? I don’t think you want to use that word impossible. Perhaps just go with relationship. Keeps it simple and to the point.  Also, “fueling her destructive self-loathing” leads to more questions and could possibly turn an editor off. It might be better to give the resolution so that the editor might be intrigued as to how it happens. See what I’ve done. Do you think it gets the main point of the story across? If not, then you need to rework it so that it does. Perhaps be more specific than bullying or unrequited love.
Stacy can talk to her 26 year-old future self. But will her relationship with Older Stacy help her successfully navigate the high school rites of bullying and unrequited love, or just make things worse?
Lastly, fyi, there is a young adult novel coming out in November by Jay Asher and Printz Honor-winning author Carolyn Mackler — THE FUTURE OF US, in which two best friends log onto AOL in 1996 and discover a window to their future Facebook selves. Razorbill is publishing it. It sounds very similar to yours and I just wanted you to know it was out there.

I hope you all find Erin’s comments as interesting and insightful as I do.  Not only does she bring her experience as a career editor, but she knows what else is out there.

So, are you feeling revved up and rarin’ to go for your week now?

What?

You’re in donut withdrawal?

OK.  But just one!  These are pumpkin, BTW, in keeping with this week’s FFFF theme 🙂

courtesy google images 


					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza
			


	


				

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It’s parent/teacher conference day, so I’ll be shockingly brief.  You won’t even recognize me 🙂


Today’s Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza theme is MIGRATION.  Here’s mine 🙂











courtesy google images






If you want to join the fun, post a 0-12 year-old friendly photo that says “migration” to you and then put your link in the comments below so everyone else can enjoy them.  Be sure to check out fellow fextravaganzist Catherine’s photo!  Hopefully we’ll all end up with lots of story ideas 🙂


If you haven’t had a chance to check out this week’s Would You Read It, please go here, and please tune in Monday for Straight From The Editor.


Have a great weekend!!!


(See?  I told you you wouldn’t recognize me! :))

					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Would You Read It Wednesday – The 12th Pitch… Plus!
			


	


				

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Has anyone seen the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (you know, the good one with Gene Wilder?)


There’s a scene where Charlie’s teacher says, “I’ve just decided to switch our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now take place on Monday before we’ve learned it.  But since today is Tuesday, it doesn’t matter in the slightest.  Pencils ready!”


That’s what I feel like this week 🙂  Columbus Day threw a monkey wrench in my “schedule” (can’t really say that with a straight face because, really, I don’t have much of a schedule :))  So today we’ll have Would You Read It as planned, and then I’ll slide Straight From The Editor in with the Fun Foto Fextravaganza on Friday.  Or maybe just save it for next Monday.  Who can say?  The test will be last Tuesday 🙂


Oh, and BTW, the theme for this week’s Fun Foto will be MIGRATION.  So start rooting around for those 0-12 year-old-friendly photos that shout migration to you!


Okay.  So back to our regularly “scheduled” programming…


Oh, but first, remember that surprise I promised?
Do you?
Are you still interested?
Actually, the surprise is likely a lot more fun for me than it is for you, but I have to share it anyway!


You know my story Not Yet, Rose?  It’s about a little girl who is waiting for a new sibling and isn’t sure how she feels about it.  Well, ROSE has been picked up by Frecklebox.com, a website that creates all kinds of awesome personalized gifts for kids.  The result?  As of right this very minute you can order Not Yet, Rose in either hardcover or paperback, for the girl of your choice, as in Not Yet, Olivia, Not Yet, Alexandra, or Not Yet, Brunhilda!  How fun is that?


Check it out:




Even if you don’t want to order one, you can play around with changing the name and see how it looks, which is totally fun 🙂


But should you ever have a little girl in your life who is about to become (or has just become) a big sister, now you can make a very special gift just for her.  Plus, I know the author, so I know how you can also get your book personally signed 🙂  The book is exactly the same as the original, with all of Nicole’s beautiful artwork.  They just change the name for your special girl.  And there’s a place for you to add your own printed dedication, too.


So, apologies if you were expecting a better surprise than that, but it seems very fun to me!


Now.  Onto today’s Would You Read It!


Today’s pitch comes to us from the amazing Christie, who blogs about picture books and holds picture book contests over at WRITE WILD.  Here is her pitch:


Working Title: Gleek
Age/Genre: MG Contemporary
The Pitch:  A math whiz but not great at reading and writing, eleven-year-old Art Schaeffer unknowingly stumbles upon the school bully’s rule-breaking science fair project and must find a way to expose him before the judges make their final decisions.






So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?




















If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Christie improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)




























































Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.




















































Christie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!
















And don’t forget to join us Friday for Fun Foto (Migration) and Straight From The Editor!


(Oh, and should you happen to order a personalized copy of ROSE from Frecklebox, you will earn major brownie points and possibly even be elected King and have a servant whose only job is to bring you fresh donuts whenever you snap your fingers, but of course, you know, it’s up to you :))

					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Happy Columbus Day!
			


	


				

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Happy Columbus Day Everyone!


Remember how a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, good ole Chris C. crossed the stormy Atlantic in the Starship Enterprise, boldly going where (supposedly) no man had gone, in search of brave new worlds and a breed of puppy that wouldn’t shed too much or get seasick, even though his horoscope had specifically warned him that he wouldn’t find it because where did he think the saying “sick as a dog” came from anyway?  By gum!  If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be getting the day off!  Thanks for that, Chris!











See, here’s the Nina the Pinta, and the Santa Maria as viewed from the rear window of the Starship Enterprise.  They look kind of puny compared to Chris’s Starship, but then, I guess the leader of the expedition gets to call first dibs on which ship he drives.  (Courtesy google images)






So while we’re all enjoying our day off – and a lovely day it is, too, I might add! – I’m hoping you won’t notice that I’m not delivering on Friday’s promise.


Allow me to distract you with a donut




while I explain that, as you well know, today’s post should be Straight From The Editor, but thanks to Chris C. everyone was doing other things this weekend, and I didn’t receive anything from the editor to post.  Not only that, but the exciting surprise I promised didn’t come either!  I think they forgot it was Chris’s day and no one would be at work.


So I am left flat-footed and feeling very guilty for leading you on in a much more teasing fashion than I intended because now you’ll have to wait until Wednesday… or possibly longer.


So you’ll know when I know, but I’m not making any more promises about dates!  (It’s not good for my credibility!)  Meanwhile, please join me Wednesday for Something Chocolate and Would You Read It with Christie!


And to make up for not coming through with the surprise, I will share this Columbus Day riddle:
Where did Columbus first land in America?
On his feet!


Enjoy your Columbus Day, everyone!  And if you have any Columbus day jokes or riddles (hopefully better than that one!) please share 🙂

					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza Etc. Etc.
			


	


				

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Whoopee!  It’s Fun Friday!  And today we have Fun Times Five!!!


Fun Times One:  My Foto for the Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza.  Those of you who have been paying attention will know that this week’s theme is HARVEST.  Here is mine:











courtesy goole images






Quite a haul, don’t you think?  🙂


Anyone who would like to join the fun, please post a 0-12 year-old-friendly photo on your blog, then pop back here and put your link in the comments so we can all visit and enjoy, and possibly be inspired to write a story!  Be sure to check out Fellow Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganzist Catherine’s photo too 🙂




Fun Times Two:  I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you to save the date of October 24th for the More-Fun-Than-You-Can-Stand Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop.  I’ve read a number of the entries, and it promises to be edge-of-your-seat fun!











Woo-hoo!!!!!






Fun Times Three:  I’m cooking up an idea for Halloween.  Some of you already contributed on my Face Book page yesterday, but for anyone who would like to join in, I need 3 Halloween-related words.  If you have some good ones, please post them in the comments below 🙂




Fun Times Four:  I’m going to have an exciting announcement Monday but you’ll have to wait until Monday.  (I know.  That was just mean, wasn’t it?  Hinting and then making you wait?  I didn’t think I had it in me.  Who knew?)




And finally, as promised, Fun Times Five!!!: the reason you came over here today in the first place!  It’s time for me to tell you who won the September Pitch Pick!




But first, I want to tell you a story my mother-in-law told me about her gall bladder….




Tee-hee.




Actually, my mother-in-law has more gall bladder (and other far worse) stories than you’d ever care to hear, but I’m not really going to make you sit through any of them.




Anybody need a chocolate break?  Should I wait to make the Pitch Pick announcement until you’re back with a fistful of Snickers bars?




No?  You’re ready now?




Well, all right.




The winner of the September Pitch Pick, whose pitch will be sent to the wonderful and only Erin Molta, editor extraordinaire, for helpful hints and thoughtful critique is….




ddddddddddrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm rrrrrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllll!!!!!


AIMEE!!!!!


Congratulations, Aimee!  And congratulations to Kimberly, Saul, and Catherine, too – your pitches were all great.  You guys really gave Aimee a run for her money 🙂  Thank you all for being brave enough to put your work out there and good luck with your books!


So now, go have fun with the fotos, put some Halloween words in the comments, and hold you breath until Monday 🙂


Have a great weekend!

					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Would You Read It Wednesday – The Eleventh Pitch!
			


	


				

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You know, one of these days I’m going to stop spelling out what pitch it is and just put numbers… they’re easier to spell at the crack of dawn 🙂  (Probably also easier on the eyes if you happen to be up reading at this hour :))


Because, in case you were wondering, it is the crack of dawn.  Actually, technically, it’s before the crack of dawn since sunrise will not occur until 6:55 AM this morning according to the national weather service which may or may not have anything to do with reality.  But in either case, it’s dark and it’s early and the coffee is still brewing so read on at your own peril 🙂


To begin with, a sneak peek at how the votes in the Pitch Pick are shaping up.  I don’t know how this works out, but there always seem to be two contestants who are neck-in-neck.  Therefore, I implore you to get thee to the polls and cast your vote!  We really cannot have a tie, because that would be imposing on Erin’s good will.  So please, take your pick!


Next up, a quick mention of this week’s theme for Friday’s Fun Foto Fextravaganza:  HARVEST  So sorry I forgot to mention that on Monday (OK, truth time – Catherine and I didn’t think it up until Tuesday, so there was no chance it could have been mentioned Monday), but hopefully you’ll still have time to dig up a 0-12 year-old-friendly photo that says “HARVEST” to you in capital letters.


And now, the reason you turned on your computer this morning, DUN-DUN, DUN-DUN… It’s time for Would You Read It!!!


This week’s pitch comes to us from Carla, a writer, mother, teacher, scientist and explorer who has climbed the Great Wall of China and run a marathon (not at the same time…)  Click on her name to check out her awesome blog.


Working Title:  Witches Don’t Dance
Age/Genre: Picture Book
The Pitch:  What happens when witches dance?  Little Linda knows it can get messy, but she also thinks it might just be the witches’ only chance to save their Halloween Party.




So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?




































If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Carla improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)




















































Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.












































Carla is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!




And please don’t forget to VOTE on the Pitch Pick – it’s very crucial.  I do not want to have to flip a donut to see who wins 🙂













					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Who Will It Be? – Pitch Pick #2!
			


	


				

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Good Morning, Everyone 🙂  As I hope you have all figured out by now, Mondays are all kinds of fun around here!  In case you were feeling just a little bit blah at the prospect of a new work week beginning, let me pass you the chocolate donuts (this is technically – technically –  part of the Would You Read It series, so Something Chocolate is called for)
















courtesy google images








… and a nice cup of coffee…
















courtesy google images








Do you care for milk?
















courtesy google images










Sugar?
















courtesy google images








Ahhh!  That’s better!  Nothing like a little pick-me-up 🙂




And that’s only the beginning, my friends!  Lest it may have gotten lost in the Monday morning brain fog, let me remind you that it’s time for Pitch Pick #2 for September!




Gosh!  Are you OK?  I didn’t mean to make you fall out of your chair with excitement!  Steady now 🙂




Okay.  Bite of donut.  Sip of coffee.  And let’s review this month’s contenders:




1.  Kimberly






Working Title:  Surfacing In Clouds






Age/Genre:  YA






The Pitch:  Rigo and Esteban struggle to survive in a land without electricity, but when they set out to reach a world consumed by technology their friendship is ripped at the seams. This story chronicles the remarkable resilience of human nature in the face of losing what was once taken for granted: silence, privacy, and a connection with nature.













2.  Saul















Title:  A Lesson My Cat Taught Me






Age/Genre:  Early Reader






The Pitch:  Can your child learn to accept others for who they are and not what they are from a one-eyed cat?  Read the book to find out.














3.  Catherine















Working Title:  The Fairy Wood






Age/Genre:  MG






The Pitch:  Annabel gets distracted by flowers and fairies and cannot find her family in the woods, but the mystery of the disappearing flowers distracts her even more.  Annabel has no idea how close her family really are or who to trust.














4.  Aimee













TITLE: Listen to Me


GENRE: YA Contemporary with a dash of Magical Realism (target age 13-17, but I hope for crossover appeal)


PITCH: Stacy can talk to herself-in-twelve-years - but will the impossible relationship with Older Me help her navigate the high school rites of bullying and unrequited love, or just fuel her destructive self-loathing?













So.  Who do you think it should be?  Which of our 4 awesome pitchers deserves to have her/his pitch sent to editor Erin Molta for her invaluable critique?












On your mark… Get set… VOTE!!!!!



<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/5552977/”>Pitch Pick #2</a>






In the interest of keeping things moving along, the polls will close at 11:59 PM (EST or EDT here we go with that again!) Thursday October 6, so that the winner can be announced Friday October 7.  Please get your votes in ASAP!






This is so exciting!  I love announcing winners!






And don’t forget to come back Wednesday for Carla, our first Would You Read It contender for October!













					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza Etc.
			


	


				

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You read it right!  It’s time for Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza (and a few other things, because apparently I have so much to say that there’s always an Etc. or a Mish Mash or a smorgasbord component to my posts of late :))  So read on, my friends, and prepare for fun!  (And if you’re here for Kimberly’s Hooked On Hooks Event and in a hurry, feel free to scroll down :))


As you’ll recall, this week’s theme is OOPS!


In the grand tradition of young kids who love construction vehicles, here is my entry:











courtesy google images






FFFF (that’s Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza, of course, but that takes too long to type) is for photos friendly to the 0-12 age group and those of us who write for them and for everyone else who thinks it’s fun 🙂  I hope you all have some great photos to share!  As soon as they’re up, please post your link in the comments below so we can all come check it out and be inspired, and pop over to Catherine’s blog and see hers and if you want, post your links over there, too.  This is our second week with FFFF and we’re really hoping for more than 1 entry this week 🙂


Next up on our list of Friday Fun is Kimberly’s Hooked On Hooks Bloghop.  For this, you post the opening hook of any WIP in her linkylist and comment on at least 3 other people’s hooks.  Fun, no?  Here’s my hook for that YA novel I keep thinking I’m actually going to figure out how to write…. :




          “What does one look for in an urn, Mr. Auchmoody?” Grandmother inquired as if she were shopping for a new appliance.


            “Please,” said the funeral director, “call me Gerald.  I want you to think of me as a friend in your time of need.”  His benevolent smile beamed on both of us.  “But,” he continued delicately, “if I might point out this one….”  He picked up a box made of cherry wood, the rich grain smooth and shiny.  It looked more like a jewelry box than a receptacle for cremains.  “This is one of our best sellers.  You can have it laser engraved with a poem or Bible verse or words that have personal meaning, or even with your loved one’s photograph.”


            I pictured the box on our mantel, boasting a smiling photo of the person inside, and thought you cannot be serious!  


Please share any helpful comments you might have – hooks are hard!


Finally, I’d like to let everyone know that the Pitch Pick for September will be posted Monday, so I hope you’ll all come over and vote for what you think was the best pitch this month.  Results will be posted next Friday.  For any of you who haven’t had a chance to read and comment on this week’s pitch yet, please go here.


Have a great weekend everyone 🙂

					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Would You Read It Wednesday – The Tenth Pitch!
			


	


				

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The results are in!  Although the showing was a little disappointing (a mere 13 votes when I had hoped for more like 100 to make it really official) the clear winner in the Would You Read It Official Snack Poll was Something Chocolate.  Since, technically, chocolate donuts qualify for this category, I am happy 🙂  I’m pretty sure you Something Cereal folks can eat Count Chocula, and the Something Salty folks can eat their Pringles with chocolate milk (OK, yuck, but you get my meaning :))  With a little ingenuity, anything can qualify as Something Chocolate!


Now, just quickly before we get to this week’s pitch, I have to show you something fun that our friend, Jenny, posted on my FB wall yesterday:




Raise your hand if you want this in your writing space 🙂  I totally do!  (Although they forgot “tear your hair out in frustration!” 🙂


Okay!  Are you ready for the pitch?  Here it comes!


Basking in today’s Would You Read It spotlight is Aimee, a Portland, Oregon girl currently living in New Zealand.  She has a great blog at Seeking The Write Life.  Here is her pitch:




TITLE: Listen to Me


GENRE: YA Contemporary with a dash of Magical Realism (target age
13-17, but I hope for crossover appeal)


PITCH: Stacy can talk to herself-in-twelve-years - but will the
impossible relationship with Older Me help her navigate the high
school rites of bullying and unrequited love, or just fuel her
destructive self-loathing?


So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?






























If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Aimee improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)












































Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.




































Aimee is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!




And I am looking forward to a chocolate-covered chocolate donut with a glass of chocolate milk 🙂






















					

		
		
			





			
				



	
	

					
Mish Mash Monday
			


	


				

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Geez, Louise!  I’ve got so much to share with you today!  And none of it has anything to do with anything else, hence the Mish Mash Monday theme 🙂


First things first:  the Would You Read It Official Snack Poll is here!  You have until 11:59 PM EST (unless we’re on EDT because honestly I never know which is which) tomorrow night (Sept. 27) to cast your vote.  I know!  Not much time!  So get right on it!  Because of course we need to have the answer ready for Wednesday morning and Would You Read It with Aimee and her YA pitch!  Ready?  GO!



<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/5533977/”>Official Would You Read It Snack!</a>
I totally love polls, don’t you?  It’s so fun to see how people vote 🙂


Second:  We have a winner in the Present Game from last Monday!  Since I am too cheap broke smart to pay for Random.org, I assigned each entry a number and the used the free sequence generator to pick the winner.  And the winner is *drum roll*  *dramatic music*  *confetti*  *wild cheering*  ROSALIND!!!  Rosalind, please use the handy Email Me button in the right hand sidebar to let me know your choice of prize – any one of my books signed however and for whoever you’d like, or a $10 Amazon gift card.


Third:  This is so much fun I can hardly stand it.  Kerri over at Craft Junkie is running a Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop on Monday October 24 and I AM IN IT!!!  I hope you’ll all save a little time to choose your adventures that week.  I think there are 24 of us participating in this thrilling tale and it promises to be a most enjoyable experience.  Check out the awesome badge created by Mel:




I’m guessing that sea serpent has you pretty much tingling with excitement and anticipation! 🙂


Fourth: the theme for this week’s Friday Fun Foto Frenzy Festival Fextravaganza (yes, it’s true, we haven’t decided on a name yet – I know you couldn’t tell) is:  OOPS!


So get those wheels turning and start looking for an entry.  We would love to have more than 1 participant this week 🙂  (Although I think the one, Debbie, should get bonus points for being the first to join in :))


So please, hang around, join the fun, have an as-yet-to-be-decided snack!  It’s all fun and games around here 🙂