Would You Read It Wednesday #348 – Iggy Crane: The Case of the Missing Bolt (CB) PLUS Straight From The Editor for September And October!!!

January 29, 2020January 28, 202021 Comments

Hello Everyone!

It’s Would You Read It Wednesday once again – hooray!

And today we’re lucky enough to have Straight From The Editor for September and October as well, thanks to our esteemed and generous editor, Erin Molta!

Let’s jump right in, shall we?

The winner of the September Pitch Pick was Kim with her pitch for P.I. Goat: The Case of the Missing Bone (PB ages 4-8)

You will recall Kim’s pitch:

P.I. Goat has just opened his private investigator office when Puddles, a puppy, hires him to find Paw-Paw’s bone. Elderly Paw-Paw thinks Goat is a pig, but Goat has a worse problem: he faints when startled! A cast of wacky animals helps Goat discover the surprising truth behind the Case of the Missing Bone and that being a P.I. is not for the faint of heart—KLUNK!

Erin says:

I think this is super cute. I would just trim it a bit as below. No need to specify that Puddles is a puppy, since you say cast of wacky animals and that they’re looking for a bone.

Puddles hires Goat, a P.I, to find Paw-Paw’s bone. Elderly Paw-Paw thinks Goat is a pig, but Goat has a worse problem: he faints when startled! A cast of wacky animals helps Goat discover the surprising truth behind the Case of the Missing Bone and Goat realizes that being a P.I. is not for the faint of heart—KLUNK!

The winner of the October Pitch Pick was Sri with her pitch for Mighty Little Nikita (PB/ER ages 4-8)

You will recall Sri’s pitch:

Nikita’s friends call her “Little Nikita” because she is really small but Nikita does not like it a wee bit. When a huge dragonfly enters the class, it scares the jelly out of everyone, except Little Nikita. Nikita shows everyone just how brave she can be even when facing a scary insect, thus earning a new nickname that she is absolutely proud of.

Erin says:

This is nice but I think it would work better if it were more specific and active and for the pitch you should tell the editor the nickname. See what I’ve suggested below.

Nikita’s friends call her “Little Nikita” and she does not like it a wee bit. When a huge dragonfly enters the class, it scares the jelly out of everyone, except Little Nikita. Nikita faces down that big scary insect, thus earning a new nickname ((which is what?)).

As always, I find Erin’s thoughts very enlightening! I hope you all do too! Thank you, Erin, for helping us all become better pitchers! 🙂

And now, I believe, is the perfect moment for Something Chocolate! (Because is any moment not perfect for Something Chocolate???!!! 🙂 )

Hmmm….. what should we have? I could go for a little Chocolate Trifle (or a lot), how about you? (Trifle always makes me think of the episode of Friends where Rachel makes the trifle with a layer of beef sautéed with peas and onions 🙂 Luckily this trifle is all chocolate!)

Chocolate Trifle

Recipe HERE at Tasty Food Videos

YUM! Rich, creamy and delicious! The perfect start to any morning! 🙂 (And yes, okay it’s basically glorified pudding 🙂 Call it pudding with ambition… pudding with an attitude… pudding with delusions of grandeur! 🙂 )

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Rena. Rena Traxel is a writer-librarian and STEAM enthusiast. She writes contemporary young adult novels, chapter book mysteries, and Canadian tinged picture books. She can be found online www.renatraxel.com or on Instagram @writer_librarian

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Iggy Crane: The Case of the Missing Bolt

Age/Genre: Chapter Book mystery (ages 7-9)

The Pitch: A mystery is brewing in Monster Hollow. Young Iggy Crane must find Franko Stein’s missing bolt in time to save their science fair project. Can Iggy follow in her great uncles sleuthing footsteps, or she is nothing but a fraud! Nancy Drew: Clues Crew meets Sleepy Hollow.

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 Rena 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in March, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Rena is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to writing a story today which features pudding! What kind of pudding? Chocolate, of course! But where should the pudding be? Who should make it, buy it, or eat it? Spill it, trade it, or sell it at a corner Pudding Stand (who needs lemonade?!) Make Way For Pudding? The Little Pudding That Could? The Pudding Man? Okay… needs a little work 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Ninja Boy’s Secret

January 24, 2020January 23, 202025 Comments

Hurray! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday once again!

Today I have a book I’ve been wanting to share since November, but what with missing PPBFs for the contests and holidays, and posting holiday-themed books etc, it’s taken me until now. It’s a special book and I hope you’ll get the chance to read it!

Title: Ninja Boy’s Secret

Written & Illustrated By: Tina Schneider

Tuttle Publishing, September 17 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: being yourself, music

Opening: “Ninja Boy did not want to be a ninja.
He did not want to be still as a stone.
He did not want to climb trees just to disappear into the leaves.
He did not want to slink across rooftops on silent cat feet.”

Brief Synopsis: (from the jacket copy) “What do you do when you’re a Ninja who marches to a different beat? With his faithful dog in tow, Ninja Boy makes his way from silence to song as he finds his voice and his calling.”

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text and illustration copyright Tina Schneider 2019, Tuttle Publishing

Links To Resources: the back endpaper has illustrated definitions of some of the less familiar words in the story; the story mentions sonatas and concertos – listen to one of each and talk about what you hear; draw a picture of what you most want to be or do; write a poem about something that matters deeply to you – perhaps in the form of haiku since the story is Japanese; make musical note snacks(recipe); make Do-Re-Mi Music Cupcakes (recipe)

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text and illustration copyright Tina Schneider 2019, Tuttle Publishing

Why I Like This Book: This is a book for anyone who has ever wanted to be themself, in spite of what others might expect of them. Without belligerence or negative confrontation, Ninja Boy simply reveals who he is. He cannot be his father. He must be himself. And there is so much joy and rightness in who he is, that his father not only accepts him, but embraces his difference. Ninja Boy has his own way of bringing joy and beauty and goodness into the world. And shouldn’t everyone be encouraged to do that? The art perfectly matches the story, and I love the the musical notes and staffs, the parts of the violin, and other little details that are tucked within it. This is a lovely book to share with any little individual you know 🙂

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #347 – The Dark Bigness (PB)

January 22, 2020January 20, 202026 Comments

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I like to ~~procrastinate~~ legitimately use my time to experiment with taking my writing to new places 🙂

On days when the words are slow in coming, I wander outside (weather permitting) or around the internet (too cold or wet for outside) looking for inspiration. And sometimes I find it in unlikely places that are unexpectedly entertaining.

Yesterday I discovered a site that will write poetry for you! (I kid you not!)

With a few simple word choices by moi, it wrote this poem: (I added a little visual extra to make it even more stunning!)

Sunshine

Sun dances serenade.

Unknown delights treat.

New enthusiasms hurray.

Such delights treat.

Hidden longings want.

Infectious laughs guffaw.

Night dews exhilarate.

Endless delights elate.

Now I ask you: is that poetry or what?

(The correct answer is or what! 🙂 But it was still fun 🙂 Luckily I don’t think the poem generator is going to put any of us out of our writing careers just yet 🙂 )

If you want to play around with it and possibly inspire yourself – because who knows what heights of literary genius your generated poem could spur you to – check it out:

https://www.poem-generator.org.uk/

Have fun! At the very least it’s good for a laugh 🙂 Share your poems in the comments if you like – you can entertain and inspire us all!

I think all that poeticizing calls for a little Something Chocolate (because we could all use something to help us recover from that “poetry” . . . 🙂 ) Today, we shall have something sunshiny (sunshiny because it is made out of bananas which are yellow as is sunshine – see how I made that seem logical? 🙂 ) I recommend a liberal hand with the chocolate chips (or chocolate chunks if you really want to do it up right) because, well, that’s the whole point of Something Chocolate, wouldn’t you say?!

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe HERE at Buns In My Oven

I know sometimes you question my classification of Something Chocolate as breakfast, but there can be no denying that this delicious treat definitely qualifies! Bananas (fruit) + oatmeal (cholesterol-lowering gluten-free whole grain) + chocolate (a vegetable as we all know because it’s a bean) = healthy breakfast! You can’t argue with math! 🙂

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Sarah who you know very well by now! 😊 Sarah says, “I am an Optometrist, mother, and lover of the outdoors. I live in NH with my husband and two children. I love to paint in my free time, when I’m not writing.”

Find her on the web at www.sarahheturadny.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Dark Bigness

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)

The Pitch: Theo watches colors swirl like music sounds across his eyelids. But he knows it’s coming….the Bigness—shifty shadows and branches like witch’s fingers—and his Monster. If Theo is to fall asleep, he must conquer what his imagination conjures in the endless darkness behind his closed eyes. Otherwise, he’ll be trapped in The Bigness forever!

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 Sarah 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in March, and March is not that far away! so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Sarah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to the brand new picture book I feel sure I will write today about ☀️☀️☀️ SUNSHINE!!! ☀️☀️☀️ (although the jury is still out on whether or not it will involve “poetry” 🙂 )

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Theresa Kiser!

January 21, 2020January 21, 202025 Comments

Hi Everyone!

I’m excited to share today’s Tuesday Debut because it’s something we haven’t really done before (although Karen Kiefer – Drawing God was similar in some ways.)

One of the fun (and educational) things about Tuesday Debut is that we get to learn about different paths to publication with different kinds of publishing houses.

I know that many of you are interested in writing for the religious market, so I’m thrilled to introduce Theresa Kiser who has published her debut picture book with Holy Heroes.

Title: A Little Catholic’s Book of Liturgical Colors
Author: Theresa Kiser
Illustrator: Chris Pelicano
Publishing House: Holy Heroes
Date of Publication: October 2019
Nonfiction
Age Range: 0-3

Synopsis (from the publisher’s website): Written in delightful rhyming verse by Theresa Kiser and illustrated by Chris Pelicano (the long-time illustrator of Holy Heroes’ products!), this board book will walk children through the different liturgical colors of the Catholic Church and where they will find them in the Mass. The rhythm of the poetry is tuned to a child’s ear, so you may soon find your little ones “reading” the book themselves!

SUSANNA: Welcome, Theresa! We’re so glad to have you with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

THERESA: My infant son’s FAVORITE book was a book about colors, and the liturgical colors are an important symbol in the Catholic faith. Holding my son, I knew I wanted him to understand how each of the liturgical colors points to God’s love, so I started brainstorming and drafting ideas.

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

THERESA: It took about a month to get through the first draft. First I researched the liturgical colors, and jotted ideas down on papers that–because I had an infant–ended up strewn all over the house. I brainstormed while nursing, and then, when the baby was sleeping, sat down to revise one stanza at a time.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

THERESA: The biggest decision point for me was deciding on the structure and the rhyme scheme. Once I decided that each verse would begin “COLOR is for___” with an ABAB rhyme scheme, I worked through each verse on its own until the work felt ready as a whole.

SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

THERESA: I always ask for feedback from other professionals in the field. Once I had done that with positive results, and felt proud sharing it, I knew it was ready to submit.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

THERESA: Catholic publishing houses are generally small, so I could query directly without an agent. I was very lucky that my friend–who had done illustration work for this particular publisher in the past–guided me through the process and helped me submit. He ended up being the illustrator that the publisher chose for the book!

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! ☺)

THERESA: The publisher let my friend announce the good news! It was very exciting! Afterwards, the publisher requested some revisions and additions, and after some back-and-forth, the final text was approved!

SUSANNA: Tell us about your experience of the illustration process?

THERESA: I was really lucky to know the illustrator ahead of time, and doubly lucky that he 100% understood the vision for the book. The liturgical colors are tricky to convey in illustration because you have to show both the color as represented in the church AND the meaning of that color.

Once he was assigned by the publisher to illustrate the book, Chris sat down with me and graciously asked what I envisioned when I wrote the text. Honestly, I had no idea how he would pull off without, as he put it, “drawing the inside of a church five times.” This is where trust in the illustrator’s expertise comes into play, and it definitely paid off! Chris did a great job showing not only what each color would look like on liturgical vestments, but also what it means for a child’s relationship with God.

SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

THERESA: This was a small house with an amazing turnaround time. It was just six months from contract to print, and the publisher kept me well informed as production went along.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

THERESA: If anyone out there has a story or manuscript that they believe there’s a market for but won’t be accepted by larger houses because it’s too “niche,” I’d just encourage you to do your research and use the specificity of the text to your advantage. Somewhere out there, someone is looking for the same kind of specific book, and we’re lucky enough at this time in the publishing world to have access to many niche publishers with different missions, as well as the opportunity to Indie-publish if you have done your research and are ready to take that on.

Sometimes publishing in a “niche” market can feel a little unusual when working on picture book craft. Most workshops and conferences focus on general market texts, and often advice regarding agents and submission strategies stems from an assumption that authors are looking for publication with a large house.

I hope that my experience shared here will encourage writers of “niche” books, such as small religious markets (like the Catholic market) that publication is possible, and readers in that niche may be waiting for your book!

We have more opportunities now than ever, so don’t discount your book if it is for a specific audience. Don’t be discouraged or give in to resistance…Write! Create!

Because somewhere there’s a child who will benefit from your book.

Author Theresa Kiser

Website: www.theresakiser.com
Twitter: @AuthorTKKiser
https://www.facebook.com/tkkiser

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from your experience, and wish you all the best of success with this and future books!

THERESA: Thank YOU, Susanna!

Readers, if you have questions for Theresa, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!

You may purchase Theresa’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)

Holy Heroes (order from publisher’s website)
Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

Danielle Dufayet – You Are Your Strong

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Cathy Ballou Mealey – When A Tree Grows

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (self pub)

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

Ciara O’Neal – Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone (self-pub)

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Place To Land: Martin Luther King Jr. And The Speech That Inspired A Nation

January 17, 2020January 16, 202010 Comments

Woo hoo!

Perfect Picture Book Friday has rolled around again!

Although this book came out a few months ago, I’ve been waiting to review it for today – a perfect Friday for this Perfect Picture Book about Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have A Dream Speech since we will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

Title: A Place To Land: Martin Luther King Jr. And The Speech That Inspired A Nation

Written By: Barry Wittenstein

Illustrated By: Jerry Pinkney

Neal Porter Books, August 27 2019, nonfiction

I don’t normally include awards, but this one has won so many I thought I should mention them 🙂

Selected for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List
Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
A 2019 Booklist Editors’ Choice
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Nominated for an NAACP Image Award

Suitable For Ages: 7-10

Themes/Topics: history, civil rights, following your dreams, inspiration and revision

Opening: “Martin Luther King Jr. was once asked if the hardest part of preaching was knowing where to begin.
‘No,’ he said. ‘The hardest part is knowing where to end.
It’s terrible to be circling up there without a place to land.’”

Brief Synopsis: (From the publisher) “On the night before the historic March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr. debated, worked, and wrote late into the night, trying to decide what to say— and how to say it. This little-known story celebrates not only the famed ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, but the influences of many other pioneering Civil Rights leaders who helped shape those famous words.”

Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, both in the true story it tells and in the substantial back matter which include both a note from the author and note from the illustrator along with short bios of the Willard Hotel Advisors, “Other Voices”, and “Who Spoke At The March On Washington.”

Why I Like This Book: As a writer who often searches for the right words, the right way to say something, the right thing to say, I really appreciate this look at how Martin Luther King Jr. crafted his famous I Have A Dream Speech. Not only will young readers learn about the facts surrounding the writing of this speech – the people whose thoughts contributed and the history of the moment – they will also learn something about the writing process – about considering, articulating, revising, perfecting (as much as possible), and finally delivering a finished piece. About the uncertainty of wondering, have I said it right? Have I done the best job I can do? I think it’s encouraging for children to know that adults also write and revise, wonder and doubt, struggle to get things right. And in this case, not just an adult, but a famous, influential historical figure. It’s also really interesting to hear about this famous speech from this perspective – the crafting of it – rather than just the finished words themselves.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #346 – Does It Rain? (PB)

January 15, 2020January 14, 202022 Comments

Hiya Folks!

It’s Would You Read It Wednesday!

But before we get to Would You Read It, let’s have a go at You Can Write It!

Ready?

Put these three things in a story!

My Wednesday gift to you! Have fun! 🙂

I’m guessing you’ll need a little Something Chocolate to get those writing synapses firing, (also maybe some caffeine because let’s face it, coffee was put on earth to go with chocolate 🙂 ) so how about a little Chocolate Cheesecake? (Or a lot… no one is judging you here! 🙂 )

This is (supposedly) an easy recipe for those with an Instant Pot. I technically have an Instant Pot… but I’m a little afraid of it 🙂 Nothing like a delicious-looking Something Chocolate, however, to give me the incentive to try something new! 🙂

Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe HERE at Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons

Yum! Doesn’t that look creamy and chocolate-y? Let’s just call it Picture Book Pie because it’s sure to give you the energy and creativity you need to write!

Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Paul. Paul Rondema spent his formative years in China and Nigeria before moving to central Indiana (talk about culture shock). He finally settled in Portland, Oregon where he teaches, writes and enjoys life with his wife and daughter. He can be found at: https://paulrondemachildrensauthor.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/paul.rondema.18.

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Does It Rain?

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)

The Pitch: In a whirlwind tour of the world, Does It Rain? makes a persuasive argument for the commonality of us all, for the shared joys and hopes and fears and dreams of each and every person who walks this home we call Earth.

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 Paul improve his 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.)

Paul is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch! I am looking forward to writing Cupcake Kid Flies A Plane! Or maybe Special Delivery For Baby Goat, or Sky High Picnic, or Greedy Goat And The Great Cupcake Heist! Who knows???!!! Check in with me after Picture Book Pie and Coffee 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Ciara O’Neal!

January 14, 2020January 14, 202030 Comments

Hi Everyone!

Wow! It’s been a while since we had a Tuesday Debut, hasn’t it?!

That is partly because of the writing contests and the holidays, but also partly because I only have Tuesday Debut posts when people want to share their first-ever brand new picture books. (That said, I have a lot of availability in the coming weeks, so if you’ve got a debut picture book you’d like to get a little attention for, email me! 🙂 )

But we’ve got one today – the second self-published one we’ve had the opportunity to learn about here – so some interesting and different information.

Please help me welcome Ciara O’Neal as she shares her debut picture book Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone!

Flamingo Hugs Aren’t For Everyone
Written by Ciara O’Neal
Illustrated by Alicia Young
Published November 2019
Fiction, ages 6-10

Hugs are hard for a clumsy flamingo. But with daring disguises, delightful dances, and a few more tricks up her feathers, this bird is determined to win a little love from zoo-goers everywhere!

SUSANNA: Welcome, Ciara! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re delighted to have you and opportunity to learn a thing or two about the self-publishing process for picture book writers! Where did the idea for this book come from?

CIARA: Flaminga’s story arose during a very loooooong trip to the ER with my daughter. After rejecting kisses from my stuffed flamingo keychain, our star was born! My daughter and I whiled away the endless hours by brainstorming all the different ways a flamingo might try to win affection. And, voilà Flamingo Hugs came to life. I still have my daughter’s first sketch of Flaminga in her hat. Alicia drew a wonderful rendition of it in our book!

Idea generation is one of my favorite phases in the whole process of creating picture book magic. I find that I am a very visual person. So whenever I want to find inspiration, I take a walk around my corner of the world. I try to look at ordinary things from odd perspectives. Sometimes, it’s hunkering down in the grass or leaning against a tree. (There might have been that time I flipped upside down on my kids’ playground. But we won’t talk about that.)

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

CIARA: Some stories demand I tell them from beginning to end in one sitting. Flamingo Hugs and many of my other picture books materialized in a matter of hours. But that being said, NONE of those stories look anything like the original draft. Especially not once my incredible critique partners got to them. (Love my critique partners!)

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

CIARA: All of my stories go through MANY rounds of revision. But I think my favorite stage is probably my second round of revisions. (My first round always focuses on plot, stakes, and character development.)

During the second round, I research. I find picture books with similar themes, Youtube videos, and Pinterest pins to help me develop my language. I create a list of verbs, nouns, and adjectives that fit my manuscript. I begin playing with the words, generating jokes, and flushing out “the world” in my story.

SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for publication?

CIARA: This question is SO difficult to answer. I’m not sure there is a right one. I feel most confident about my story when my critique partners only give me words to tweak as opposed to fixing plot holes, etc. Once I reach that stage, I have done several paid critiques.

SUSANNA: At what point did you decide to self-publish rather than submit to traditional publishers? Did you try traditional first? Or did you have specific reasons for wanting to self-publish?

CIARA: A little over a year ago, I decided I wanted to finally chase my dream of being an author. I wrote my first few manuscripts and began querying agents and traditional publishers. During that time, I started sharing my stories with my dad.

We had so much fun brainstorming and dreaming up what characters would do. One day, he told me he believed in my stories and wanted to help make my dream a reality. Together, we decided my clumsy flamingo needed a little self-publishing love, and here we are!

SUSANNA: How did you find an illustrator?

CIARA: I found my first illustrator, Alicia Young, after searching the SCBWI page. I saw her illustrations and fell in love!

SUSANNA: Did you and the illustrator have a contract of any kind? What types of items did it address?

CIARA: Alicia and I did have a contract. I did a mini-interview with her before we agreed to work together. During the illustration process, we spoke often. It was important to me to find someone that I clicked with and shared my vision for the story.

SUSANNA: Are you able to give a ballpark figure of any kind about the cost of the illustrator?

CIARA: Illustrators are fabulous people! But they have to eat too! When it comes to cost, you will get what you pay for. Spot illustrations can cost anywhere from $20-$45. Elaborate full spreads can cost even more depending on the time needed to complete the page. It’s hard to give a ballpark figure because each story calls for a different number of spot illustrations and spreads. So needless to say, self-publishing with great illustrations can be costly.

SUSANNA: What was the illustration process like since you were directing it? Any particular challenges? Anything you particularly enjoyed?

CIARA: The illustration process was thrilling. Each email from Alicia was like Christmas morning. She is so creative and such a joy to work with. That’s not to say we didn’t do our fair share of revision, both my words and her illustrations. But it was one of my favorite parts of this journey!

SUSANNA: How did you format your book for publication?

CIARA: My beautiful illustrator formatted my story. Most illustrators I’ve had contact with an offer this as part of their services.

SUSANNA: How did you select a printing service?

CIARA: Alicia also helped me find our printing service. She had published with them previously. We were both impressed by the price, quality, and turn around time.

SUSANNA: Did you do a print run so you’d have inventory, or is your book print-on-demand? (And where is your book available – online bookstores? brick and mortar bookstores?)

CIARA: I did a print run. My book is also available on Amazon and through my personal website. I have it for sale in a few indie bookstores. I also tote around a few copies to sell at fairs, schools, etc. I even had it for sale at Christmas Tree farm. 🙂

SUSANNA: How long was the process from writing through publication of your book?

CIARA: For Flamingo Hugs, the whole process took about eight months.

SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.

CIARA: I have a book trailer that I created. Here is the link, https://ciaraoneal.weebly.com/flamingo-hugs-arent-for-everyone.html

I also created an educational guide to accompany my book. It is on the link above as well. Feel free to check it out. In my guide, there are coloring pages, word searches, stationery, and lesson ideas.

Aside from the trailer and guide, I have visited several blogs, sent out postcards to schools, and visited fairs. Near Valentine’s Day, I will be having a little giveaway. It’s all very exciting.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

CIARA: I would love to definitely thank you. Last October, I found your “Would You Read It?” It was my first foray into the “critiquing” world. Your supportive community gave me the confidence to keep writing and dreaming!

Ciara Logo_yellow swirl background

Social Media-

Twitter- @ciaraoneal2

Instagram- authorciaraoneal

Personal Website- ciaraoneal.weebly.com

SUSANNA: That is really wonderful to hear, Ciara – that Would You Read It helped you in your writing pursuits! Thank you to all our generous, helpful readers for their part in that. And to anyone who is considering submitting a pitch to Would You Read It, maybe this will give you a little incentive 🙂 Thank you so much for joining us today, Ciara, and for sharing all your helpful advice! We so appreciate it and wish you all the best with this and future books!

Readers, if you have questions for Ciara, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond! (And if you’re interested in the other self published Tuesday Debut, please see HERE)

You may purchase Ciara’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Amazon

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Jessie Oliveros – The Remember Balloons

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Hannah Holt – The Diamond And The Boy

Laura Renauld – Porcupine’s Pie

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

Melissa Stoller – Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush

Sherry Howard – Rock And Roll Woods

Kate Narita – 100 Bugs! A Counting Book

Vivian Kirkfield – Pippa’s Passover Plate

Laura Roettiger – Aliana Reaches For The Moon

Matthew Lasley – Pedro’s Pan: A Gold Rush Story

Natalee Creech – When Day Is Done

Margaret Chiu Greanias – Maximillian Villainous

Wendy Greenley – Lola Shapes The Sky

Danielle Dufayet – You Are Your Strong

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Cathy Ballou Mealey – When A Tree Grows

Pippa Chorley – Counting Sheep

Sandra Sutter – The Real Farmer In The Dell

June Smalls – Odd Animals ABC

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job (Self Published)

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Eleanor Ann Peterson – Jurassic Rat

Sarah Hoppe – Who Will? Will You?

Marla LeSage – Pirate Year Round

Stacey Corrigan – The Pencil Eater

Shannon Stocker – Can U Save The Day?

Nadine Poper – Randall And Randall

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God

Susan Richmond – Bird Count

Dawn Young – The Night Baafore Christmas

Heather Gale – Ho’onani: Hula Warrior

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Counting Sheep

January 10, 2020January 9, 202018 Comments

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to Perfect Picture Book Fridays!

I know we took a bit of a break between the Holiday Contest preempting regular posts and then the holidays preempting everything 🙂 , so if you have posted Perfect Picture Books over the last few weeks you are welcome to add them all to today’s list!

As you all know, I am partial to books about counting sheep 🙂

So I am thrilled to share a new one with you! And, not only will I share the book with you on PPBF today, the author, Pippa Chorley, has generously offered to give away 2 copies in celebration of her launch to the US market this week! If you’re interested in winning a copy, she asks that you like and comment on post, and share this post on social media tagging her on Twitter:@PippaChorley and/or Instagram: @pippachorley! And if you’d like to learn a little more about her journey to publication with this book, please check out Tuesday Debut – Presenting Pippa Chorley!

Title: Counting Sheep

Written By: Pippa Chorley

Illustrated By: Danny Deeptown

Marshall Cavendish, January 20 2020, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-6

Themes/Topics: bedtime, ingenuity/problem solving

Opening: “One dark stormy night, when Sam couldn’t sleep,
Her mum suggested, “Try counting some sheep.”
Sam closed her eyes and pictured a flock,
But the white, woolly sheep were running…AMOK!
‘Please stop, please stop! Slow down, slow down!
I cannot sleep with you clowning around.‘”

Brief Synopsis: When Sam can’t sleep, her mother suggests counting sheep, but bedtime becomes bedlam as the sheep pile up and can’t be counted because Little Shep is unable to clear the fence. One outrageous solution after another fails to do the trick until Sam comes up with just the right answer.

Links To Resources: If it was your job to get Little Shep over the fence, how would you do it? Draw a picture!; Counting Sheep Song (YouTube Video); 10 Sheep Crafts For Kids; Sheep Cupcakes (recipe); 16 Counting Activities for Preschoolers

Why I Like This Book: this story is cute, energetic and entertaining. When Little Shep is unable to get over the fence, holding up the line and making it impossible for Sam to count herself to sleep, the sheep come up with one ridiculous proposition after another to solve the problem. Of course they don’t think their ideas are ridiculous! and their suggestions are believably kid-like (I speak from experience having come up with similar schemes myself 🙂 ), seeming perfectly plausible to them and making for a humorous story and illustrations. Ultimately Sam is the one who comes up with a sensible solution – the perfect answer to the problem – showing that sometimes a little careful thought is better than a lot of wild ideas. Young readers will enjoy watching the story unfold and wondering how will Little Shep get over that fence???!!! The illustrations are light-hearted and fun, including such entertaining details as the “spring plan” 🙂

text copyright Pippa Chorley 2020, illustration copyright Danny Deeptown 2020 – Marshall Cavendish

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂 And don’t forget! You could win a copy of this delightful book by liking and commenting on this post and sharing this post on Twitter and/or Instagram and tagging Pippa (Twitter:@PippaChorley and/or Instagram: @pippachorley!)

Would You Read It Wednesday #345 – Wheels And Waddles (PB)

January 8, 2020January 7, 202052 Comments

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I hope you all had wonderful holidays and are ready to start the new year full of energy and enthusiasm!

Looking to kickstart your writing?

Join Tara Lazar’s Storystorm and fire up with a picture book idea each day for the month of January!

Need some new resources for writing, creativity, tips and techniques, etc?

Check out the Top 100 Writing Blogs and Websites for Authors in 2020 (which includes some of my personal favorites including KidLit411!) and find some new helpful blogs, websites, and writing communities.

Need a challenge or two to motivate you?

Look for upcoming contests including the Valentiny Writing Contest here on this blog in early February, and hopefully Vivian Kirkfield’s 50 Precious Words Contest in March (last year’s link) and Kaitlyn Sanchez and Ciara O’Neal’s Spring Fling in April (last year’s link)

Or join Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Group and try to write a new picture book each month for the whole year!

Look for craft webinars hosted by groups like Picture Book Summit, Kids Book Revisions and others – many webinars are free or reasonably priced.

Perhaps you’d like to go larger and look ahead to an SCBWI Conference, either one of the big ones in New York or LA, or a more regional one – they’re all good!

Or sign up for an online writing course to learn new skills, brush up on old ones, look at things from a new perspective, or just get yourself in gear! Making Picture Book Magic is available right here, but there are lots of other great options including the Institute of Children’s Literature courses, Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab, Emma Walton Hamilton’s Just Write For Kids, Alayne Christian’s Art of Arc course, Ari Chung’s Storyteller Academy, and many more!

And of course you can always hang out here for Tuesday Debuts to learn details of how others in your field are getting published, Would You Read It Wednesdays to practice your pitches, Perfect Picture Books for examples of great writing in every area of children’s picture books, writing contests, and whatever other high jinks and shenanigans I may decide to get up to around here 🙂 Who knows? This could finally be the year I start that newsletter or write that new course I’ve been intending to get to for the last a-hem years! 🙂 One never knows! It could happen! 🙂

Wow! So much great stuff to get you up and writing!

How about Something Chocolate to spur you along even more? Nothing like a few Easy Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites to get your creative motor revving!

Easy Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites

Recipe HERE at Practically Homemade

Easy and delicious! Just the thing for a Wednesday morning breakfast and creativity fuel-up! 🙂

Now then, let’s get started on this new year of writing success with today’s pitch which comes to us from Sarah who is a retired librarian, a member of SCBWI and Storyteller Academy. She has fallen in love with Highlights Foundation Workshops and will attend two this year. Sarah is drawn to characters and stories where friendship has no bounds. She has a sister with developmental disabilities and this has helped her to see and encourage the abilities in others.

Find her on the web at

Twitter: @peacefulheart63

Instagram: sarahpeaceandsmile

Blog: https://peacefulheartstoriesandart.blogspot.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Wheels And Waddles

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch: Like the unlikely friendships of Jim Averbeck’s Trevor and Marianne DuBuc’s The Lion and the Bird, Wheels, a toy duck, and Waddles, a real duck become friends. Together their summer is filled with adventure as Waddles quacks and takes the lead. Wheels Clickety tickety, follows along. When fall arrives Waddles must migrate. Though he tries to take Wheels with him, Waddles realizes must leave Wheels behind. As always, Wheels waits for spring and Waddles.

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 Sarah 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 Would You Read it in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!

Sarah is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing what writing wonders 2020 will bring! Hopefully good things for all of us! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

The 2019 Holiday Contest WINNERS!!!

December 19, 2019December 19, 201927 Comments

🎄 ⭐️ ✡️ ❄️ 🕎 ☃️ 🎄

Well, hello there, my little cupcakes!

It’s Thursday, so you know what that means!

For starters, it means you’re a little confused!

This is the second time this week you’ve come to visit on a day I don’t post!

But that is delightful in every way because I am ALWAYS glad to see you!

And as it turns out, I kind of thought you might wander in, so I made you something.

Yes! I really did!

All by myself!

It IS the holiday baking season after all . . .

. . . which got me to thinking, wouldn’t we all like to know what kind of holiday cookie we are?

I mean, I know wondering about that keeps me up at night. . . !😊

The rest of the world may be busy figuring out their elf names or their reindeer names, but that is so last year.

You are so special that you are the ONLY people IN THE WOLRD who get to discover what kind of cookie you are! Check it out!

And now you know how I spend my time – thinking up cookie flavors and types, randomizing the lists, and employing canva to make festive charts. No wonder I haven’t vacuumed😊

Allow me to introduce myself: Chocolate Chip Crinkle Cookie!!! (which I think describes me to a T since I love chocolate and I am quite crinkly-looking now that I’m more than half a century old!😊)

So now that you all know what kind of cookie you are (please feel free to share in the comments!) you can all go off happily to your holiday whirlwind of shopping and wrapping and cooking and baking and traveling or tidying depending whether your visiting or hosting and etc, etc, etc!

Bon voyage!

See you next year!

❄️

❄️ ❄️

❄️

❄️ ❄️

❄️

Tra-la-la…

Oh!

You’re still here?

Not that I mind, but . . .

. . . was there something you wanted?

Besides your cookie name?

It’s almost as if you’re hanging around . . .

. . . waiting for something . . .

. . . like . . .

. . . maybe . . .

. . . to find out who won

THE 9TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONTEST!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! Really! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all!

But as you well know by now, with large entry numbers, all of high quality, come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you on Monday for your vote.

There were, however, a few entries that barely missed being finalists, and many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another, or that the judges couldn’t reach a consensus on.

So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:

1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)

Carmen Castillo Gilbert for Andres SAVES la Navidad (beautifully written with a natural interweaving of Spanish vocabulary and a lovely depiction of a grandmother/grandson relationship)

Colleen Murphy for The Recipe (beautifully written and poignant – a tug-on-the-heartstrings story with a hopeful ending)

Janet Smart for Ho! Ho! Ho! Yum! (fun and kid-friendly with a delightfully conscientious mouse 🙂 )

Sarah Meade for Claire’s Big Christmas Trip (we could imagine her special outing to New York City perfectly!)

Maria Antonia for Last Christmas Cookie (great portrayal of sibling interaction and a nicely executed twist ending!)

Lori Sheroan for Watch And Learn (an entry we loved for its beautiful setting and wonderful characterization done in very few words as well as its Appalachian folk tale flavor)

Deb Sullivan for A Great Treat (energetic, kid-friendly and fun!)

Kathy Halsey for Likin’ Lichen . . . Or Marshmallows? (fun and believably kid – favorite line: “Their eyes – how they twinkled. Their noses – So hairy. Their antlers – so tall and a teensy bit scary.” 🙂 )

Katrina Swenson for The Great Cookie Escape (original, creative and entertaining Point of View (the cookies!) very well written!)

Kelly Pope Adamson for Recipe For A Snowman (very creative – who knew you could make a snowman without snow?!)

2. For Fun, Well-Written Twists on Familiar Tales:

Brenda Covert for A Surprise For General Gingerbread (well written and fun, not exactly based on the tale, but the main character is technically a Gingerbread Man 🙂 )

Jill Lambert for Even Trolls Deserve A Treat (a kind-hearted twist on The Three Billy Goats Gruff)

Angela Verges for Cora’s Christmas Cookies (a cute twist on The Little Red Hen)

Stacey Miller for A Fairy Tale Treat (a twist on Hansel And Gretel with a touch of the The Three Little Pigs thrown in – favorite line: “A book of 101 Things To Make With A Turnip” 🙂 )

3. For Top Of The Naughty List:

Sarah Hetu-Radny for A Trickster’s Treat (that Ellery was up to every kind of no-good! – good job with character!)

4. For Poetic Writing and Original Format:

Tracy Curran for The Choice Of A Tree (lovely language, poignant story which she somehow wrote in the shape of a Christmas tree!)

5. For Excellence In Representing A Different Holiday Tradition: (not already in the Finals or All-Around HM)

Jyoti Rajan Gopal for Luscious Laddoos: A Sweet Story (wonderfully descriptive and mouth-watering!)

6. For Best Entry Based On A True Story:

Pat Finnegan for A Taste Of Peace (based on the Christmas Eve truce in hostilities on the Western Front)

Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your award badge and prize, which is five dollars in a format that can be emailed for you to put toward something you’d like at a large online store (and I’m being cryptic because when I did this for Halloweensie I got a ton of problematic spam mail because of the way I worded the post, but hopefully you can figure it out. The store starts with the letter A 🙂 )

And now…

…the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2019 HOLIDAY CONTEST as voted on by you, our esteemed readers!!!

rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat

DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!

In First Place…

Winner of the whole shebang…

who gets first choice of all the prizes…

Rebecca Gardyn Levington
for
The Greatest Latke Topping!!!

Congratulations, Rebecca, on a fun, kid-friendly story written in spot-on rhyme with a delightfully humorous ending that was clearly very popular with a LOT of readers!!! It ain’t over til Ketchup comes to the table! 🙂

In Second Place

Laurie Carmody
for
All I Want For Christmas

Congratulations, Laurie, on a fun, kid-friendly entry that made us laugh at yet another use for the poor. much-maligned fruit cake 🙂 You get to pick your prize after Rebecca.

In Third Place

Kelly Kandra Hughes
for
Christmas Peach Pie

Congratulations, Kelly, on an entry that made us long for peach pie and admire your little main character for being willing to embrace the naughty list to get that pie! 🙂 You get to pick your prize after Rebecca and Laurie.

In Fourth Place

Sue Lancaster
for
Grandpa Ted’s Garden Shed

Congratulations, Sue, on a fun story about a holiday treat that wasn’t food!!! with a great ending that left us wondering what exactly Grandpa gets up to in his spare time… 🙂 You get to pick your prize after Rebecca, Laurie, and Kelly!

In Fifth Place… a tie! between

Kailei Pew Anne Lipton
for for
A Christmas Treat For Mama Vinarterta With Amma

Congratulations, Kelly, on a sweet story that embraced the true spirit of the season, and Congratulations, Anne, on a beautifully-written story full of lovely language that introduced us to a different holiday tradition! Great job both of you! You get to pick your prizes after Rebecca, Laurie, Kelly, and Sue… and we may have to negotiate a little (which is why I try to avoid ties, but when they happen they happen!)

In Seventh Place…

Lara Elliot
for
Gingerbread Family

Congratulations, Lara! We loved how Isabel found a way to make the best of things, not only saving the cookies but celebrating each member of the family for their uniqueness! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 🙂

In Eighth Place…

Gabrielle Cardwell
for
Biscuit’s Christmas Treat

Congratulations, Gabrielle! We loved that your story celebrated a dog’s POV of a Christmas walk through the neighborhood, and we felt like we knew Biscuit! You get to pick after Lara 🙂

In Ninth Place

Tracy Curran
for
The Gingerbread Sleigh

Congratulations, Tracy, on your mouth-watering entry written in excellent rhyme with a wonderful ending! You get to pick after Gabrielle 🙂

In Tenth Place

Brenda Whitehead
for
Christmas Eve Treats

Congratulations, Brenda, on a lovely entry that celebrated the love between a grandmother and granddaughter and came around to such a sweet ending where their roles were reversed. You get to pick your prize after Tracy!

In Eleventh Place

Deborah Bence Boerema
for
Christmas Kitchen Chaos

Congratulations, Deborah, on an entry that perfectly portrayed the way things seem to go in the kitchen this time of year with a lovely ending that showed it’s the who not the what that matters! You get to pick after Brenda!

All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! (The sooner the better!) And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.

Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause and a Holiday Treat (see what I did there? 🙂 )

Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals, or by donating a prize. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!

As I… hmm… maybe didn’t mention…? but seem to do every year so you’re probably not surprised, I’m taking a little blogging break so I can spend time with my family – I’ve got children to fetch, cookies to bake, Christmas presents to shop for and wrap, and my sister and her family arriving from Georgia! 🙂 So I will see you all in a couple weeks – most probably the first week of January 🙂

So now, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday filled with love, laughter, joy, and family, and a happy, healthy and successful new year! It is a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend time with you all, and I’m happy and grateful to know each and every one of you!

Looking forward to all the things we’ll do in 2020!

Happy Holidays, and all best wishes for a wonderful New Year!!!

Screen Shot 2017-12-18 at 4.46.14 PM

The Prizes!: OMG! So much awesomeness!!!

Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Children’s Literary Agent Melissa Richeson of Apokedak Literary!!! Melissa will read and give a written critique of your picture book manuscript plus a 10 minute phone call to talk!!!

MG/YA First 1500 Words Critique from Children’s Literary Agent Melissa Richeson of Apokedak Literary!!! Melissa will read and give a written critique of the first 1500 words of your MG or YA manuscript!!!

Literary Agent Melissa Richeson

Melissa is currently looking to build her client list and is focusing on children’s book authors—picture books through young adult. She’s drawn to witty wording and whimsical design for picture books, humor and quick pacing for chapter books, charming mysteries or magic in middle grade, and fresh, character-driven stories in young adult. She’s not the best fit for horror, high fantasy, or graphic violence of any kind

Art of Arc Writing Course from writer and editor Alayne Kay Christian!

Art of Arc is an independent-study picture book writing course. Most stories have some sort of arc. Many successful picture books are built around an arc. Understanding story and character arcs will help give your story order and the tension that will energize it from the beginning to the end. This energy will not only drive your protagonist forward – it will also drive readers to turn pages and keep reading.

The purpose of this course is to deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc and to introduce you to many other picture books structures. The course also addresses a number of common issues that weaken a story and common writing mistakes that authors make.

Picture Book Manuscript Critique (rhyming or non-rhyming) from Penny Parker Klostermann, talented author of THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT (Random House 2015) and A COOKED-UP FAIRY TALE (Random House 2017)

Rhyming Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Dawn Young, author of THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS (WorthyKids 2019)

Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Melissa Stoller, author of SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH (Spork 2018), READY, SET, GORILLA! (Spork 2018), and THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION (chapter books) (Spork 2017)

Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Julie Abery, author of LITTLE TIGER and LITTLE PANDA (Amicus Ink 2019) and the forthcoming YUSRA SWIMS (Creative Editions February 2020) and LITTLE MONKEY and LITTLE HIPPO (Amicus Ink February 2020)

Book Bundle #1 – Nonfiction

Signed Copies of multiple star- and award-winning picture books

SONNY’S BRIDGE: JAZZ LEGEND SONNY ROLLINS FINDS HIS GROOVE (Charlesbridge 2019) and A PLACE TO LAND (Charlesbridge 2019)

and

A PLACE TO LAND: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND THE SPEECH THAT INSPIRED A NATION (Charlesbridge 2019) by Barry Wittenstein

and BIRTH OF THE COOL: HOW JAZZ GREAT MILES DAVIS FOUND HIS SOUND (Page Street Kids, 2019) by Kathy Cornell Berman

Kathy1 Kathy2

Book Bundle #2 – Two By Tara Plus One

Personalized, signed copies of OPERATION PHOTOBOMB (Albert Whitman 2019) and I USED TO BE FAMOUS (Albert Whitman 2019) by Tara Luebbe

and a personalized signed copy of MOTHER TERESA: THE LITTLE PENCIL IN GOD’S HAND (Spork 2019) by Patricia Saunders

The Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market 2020

Children's Writers And Illustrators 2020

(Charlesbridge 2019)

Making A Living Writing Books For Kids: Tips, Techniques, and Tales from a Working Children’s Author – by Laura Purdie Salas

Making A Living

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 holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazone, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊

Susanna Leonard Hill

Children's Author

Would You Read It Wednesday #348 – Iggy Crane: The Case of the Missing Bolt (CB) PLUS Straight From The Editor for September And October!!!

Chocolate Trifle

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Ninja Boy’s Secret

Would You Read It Wednesday #347 – The Dark Bigness (PB)

Sunshine

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Theresa Kiser!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – A Place To Land: Martin Luther King Jr. And The Speech That Inspired A Nation

Would You Read It Wednesday #346 – Does It Rain? (PB)

Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Ciara O’Neal!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Counting Sheep

The 2019 Holiday Contest WINNERS!!!

THE 9TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONTEST!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

Rebecca Gardyn Levington
for
The Greatest Latke Topping!!!

Chocolate Trifle

Sunshine

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake

Easy Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites

THE 9TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY CONTEST!!!

~ for children’s writers ~

Rebecca Gardyn Levington for The Greatest Latke Topping!!!

Rebecca Gardyn Levington
for
The Greatest Latke Topping!!!