Please excuse this interruption to the Valentiny Contest for Would You Read It!
I hope you have all been enjoying reading the 12 Valentiny Contest finalists and voting! As of last check there were 2 ties, so anyone who hasn’t read and voted, please feel free to hop on over and do so. You could be the hero(ine) tie-breaker, thereby earning my undying gratitude which (I don’t mean to brag!) is almost as valuable as a brand new unopened bag of hamster chow! So get on out there and break those ties and feel free to share the finalist link on social media with anyone who might enjoy reading the stories to themselves and/or the kiddos in their lives! The more readers and voters the better!
As a reward, in addition to my undying gratitude, (I know! It’s hard to believe there could be more!) I shall bestow upon you Something Chocolate!
Hmmm… what are you in the mood for today? How about…
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes With Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce???!!!
Now then, today’s pitch comes to us from Tracey who is a published author with nine picture books currently published. Among her writing activities she includes: SCBWI PAL member, Southern Breeze (SCBWI) Local Liaison for South Georgia and Webmaster for the region, KidLit TV team member, a South Georgia Writers Guild member, and the founder/director of the Books Love & Taters Book Festival.
The Pitch: Mary Alice really does like her job. She escorts all kinds of boats up and down the Hudson River. Secretly, she wishes to have passengers, but who would want to be on a dirty tug boat? One fateful morning, everything changes. Mary Alice sees smoke tumbling out of the two skyscrapers. A call over the crackling radio has Mary Alice heading full steam towards the island where a small tug boat can make a big difference.
On 9/11, the largest sea evacuation in world history happened. Hearing the United States Coastguard call, many mariners converged onto Lower Manhattan to rescue almost a half a million people. Mary Alice, a blue-collared tugboat, was one of the vessels used. Mary Alice’s story will resonate with readers, as they see a small boat doing a mighty thing.
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 Tracey 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above. Unbelievably, there are actually openings in March so you could get your pitch up for some helpful feedback pretty soon, and have a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!
Tracey is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to seeing who the winners will be for the Valentiny Contest! I can hardly wait to share them with you on Friday! It’s going to be so exciting!!! I’m all goose-prickly at the very thought!
But you all just stay calm. Don’t get nervous or excited or anxious. Don’t bite your nails. Don’t lie awake wondering WHO the winners will be!!! It’s not THAT many hours til Friday. I’m SURE you’ll be able to focus on other things…
I know it looks like Monday, but let’s go with me here and pretend that it’s last Wednesday, because that’s when I said the finalists would be posted. So here they are, right on time! 🙂
I’m trying to remember whose idea this contest was…
(Oh right. YOURS! 🙂 )
…because holy pink glitter hearts on a doily, batman, we got a LOT of entries! 154, to be exact, the most we’ve ever had in any contest. I guess you guys weren’t kidding when you said you wanted a contest in February to chase away the winter doldrums – you really stepped up!
The overall quality of the entries was impressive. Really, if you were hoping to drive the judges to a completely irresponsible over-indulgence in chocolate as we agonized over our choices, you succeeded admirably 🙂 There isn’t a single morsel of chocolate left in the entire state of New York…or Connecticut… or Vermont… actually, we’ve had reports of people in chocolate withdrawal all the way up to Montreal! We wish to extend our sincere apologies to anyone who is without chocolate because of us!
The quality of entries in these contests is improving every time. This means there are fewer obvious standouts, almost none that are easy to cut, and there a LOT of very good ones that we have to get very nit-picky over! It is agony, I tell you! Hence the irresponsible chocolate indulgence!
Before we get to the actual list of finalists, I have a couple things to say. (I know you’re shocked as I’m normally such a girl of few words :))
First of all, I want to thank EVERYONE who took the time and care to write an entry for this contest. You all did a fabulous job and provided great enjoyment for many!
Second, I’d also like to thank EVERYONE – writer, reader, or both – who took the time to go around and read as many entries as you could and leave supportive comments. This means so much to the writers who worked hard on their stories. It helps them see what they did well, as well as giving them the joy of knowing that their stories were read and enjoyed. I hope you all got as much delight and entertainment out of the reading as I did! Plus, we got to meet quite a few new people which was a wonderful added bonus! 🙂
Third, before I list the finalists, I want to say again how difficult it was too choose! There were so many amazing entries. Really. I could find at least something terrific about every single one. The sheer volume of entries meant that many good ones had to be cut. So if yours didn’t make the final cut please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And the fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications and a deadline. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to expand beyond 214 words if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. So bravo to everyone who entered!
Now. Onto the judging criteria which were as follows:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using grumpiness, and success in making us feel the grumpiness!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 🙂
We really tried to choose stories that did the best job of fulfilling ALL the judging criteria. There were some truly wonderful stories that didn’t have much to do with Valentines Day (remember – it was supposed to be a Valentines Day Story for kids), or didn’t have a particularly grumpy character, or didn’t seem particularly kid-oriented even though they were very creative and well-written. We tried our best to select finalists that checked all the boxes.
So without further ado, I present to you the finalists in the 2016 First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest! Please read through them carefully, take your time, think it over, and vote for your favorite in the poll below by Thursday February 25 at 12 PM (noon) Eastern time.
To help with objectivity, finalists are listed by title only, not by author.
And I’d like to be very clear about the voting process. You are MOST welcome to share a link to this post on FB, twitter, or wherever you like to hang out, and encourage people to come read ALL the finalists and vote for the one they think is best. Please do that. The more people who read and enjoy these stories the better, and the more objective votes we get the better. HOWEVER (and I want to be very clear on this) please do not ask people to vote for a specific number or title, or for the story about the grumpiest tiger in 1st grade or whatever. Trolling for votes or trying to influence the outcome is counter to the spirit of this competition which is supposed to be based on merit. I thank you in advance for respecting this.
#1 JASPER AND ABIGAIL
Jasper Turtle wanted to look dashing.
He would be escorting his best friend, Abigail Mink, to the Village Valentine Bash. She always looked so sleek in her soft furry coat.
He pulled his tuxedo shell from the closet and tried it on.
SQUEEEEEEZE
“It’s a little snug,” he squeaked.
Perhaps he should shed a few pounds before the bash. He glanced at the calendar. And soon!
Jasper nibbled on greens.
His tummy rumbled.
He jogged through the park.
He tripped and tumbled.
Jasper stepped on the scale,
and grumpily grumbled!
Grrrrr! Jasper wasn’t a snapping turtle, but…
He SNAPPED at the mailman.
He SNAPPED at his cat…fish.
He SNAPPED at Abigail.
Oops.
Abigail huffed. “Well!” She stormed off.
Jasper felt too grumpy to say he was sorry.
So he didn’t.
The night of the bash, Jasper slipped into his tuxedo shell.
It fit. He was a dashing sight.
“But what good is it without my best friend?” He sighed.
Jasper knew what he had to do.
He knocked on Abigail’s door.
He brought flowers.
And chocolates.
Lots of chocolates.
He apologized.
And explained.
Abigail smiled. “Silly, Turtle. I like you just the way you are. You’ve always looked dashing to me.”
Jasper’s heart swelled so big, he almost burst his tuxedo shell.
Almost.
#2 PIRATE GETS A VALENTINE
Winter comes by northern breeze.
Nights grow longer. Harbours freeze.
Pirate gets the winter blues,
red-hot temper, shortened fuse.
So Pirate hides from winter’s wail.
‘Til she reads her Love Day mail. Boats are brown. The sea is blue. All your friends are missing you!
Pirate shivers, peeks outside,
sees her friends all smiling wide.
“Come out Pirate,” call her mates.
“Bundle up and bring your skates!”
But Pirate’s skate is way too tight.
and nothing fits her peg leg right.
Pirate grumbles. Pirate gripes.
Friends all stop and Viking pipes,
“Come on Pirate, try these skis,
glide across the snow with ease!”
But Pirate cannot bend both knees,
manage hills, or dodge the trees.
Pirate whimpers. Pirate whines.
But can’t deter her Valentines.
Nanuk offers. “If you like,
“we could take a snowshoe hike.”
But Pirate’s snowshoes are too small.
They don’t help her out at all.
Pirate kicks and Pirate cries.
But Jack has brought a sweet surprise.
He digs right down into his pack,
“Pirate, would you like a snack?”
Steaming cocoa, heart-shaped treats.
Friends all wait while Pirate eats.
Pirate snickers. Pirate smirks.
Sharing cookies always works.
Pirate rumbles, “Snowball fight!”
Heaves the snow with all her might.
Pirate sparkles. Pirate shines.
and she delights her Valentines.
#3 KANDIE’S KISS
Kandie buried herself as deep as possible. She wiggled and squirmed until she was hidden by her heart-shaped friends.
What kind of Valentine’s Day surprise am I? Kandie scowled from the bottom of the bowl. She peeked out. That just made her even crankier.
“I’m all wrong!” she wailed, eyeing the other sweets. “How can you smile and feel sugary at a time like this?!”
Old Man Tart chuckled from across the way, “What’s yer bellyaching about?”
“You all have such beautiful words. I’m a fructose failure,” Kandie sulked.
She had a point. Old Man Tart’s tummy boldly stated: HUG ME! Pinky’s bragged: TOO CUTE! Why, Honey’s phrase even proposed: MARRY ME!
Kandie glanced down irritably at her own letters. “HISS ME? Seriously. HISS ME?” she pouted. “Someone at the factory cannot spell! Whoever heard of a candy heart that says HISS ME? I’ll never find a Valentine! No one will want me!”
Old Man Tart waited for her to finish complaining. He cleared his throat and said, “A wise person once said there is someone for everyone. Kandie, I’m sure you’ll find your match.”
I should try to be optimistic, Kandie thought, scooting back to the top of the bowl. And the first person she spotted was Gummy Snake smiling shyly at her.
#4
#5 Come In For The Cold
“Hot chocolate is for kids who get to play outside in the snow!” Sheena yelled back down the stairs. “I’m not cold and I don’t need warming up!”
“Sounds like you do,” her mother replied cheerfully.
“Sorry. I’m missing ALL the fun.” A deep Valentine’s snow had fallen and everybody was sledding on the driveway beneath Sheena’s window. She puffed on the pane and drew a frowny face. “Stupid broken leg.”
Sheena heard the door open and the stomping off of snow in the hall. Her brother came up the stairs.
“Go away!” She snapped without turning around, then shrieked as Joey dumped handfuls of snow over her head.
“Lighten up!” he laughed as Sheena frantically dusted icy flakes from her neck, “I can’t let you miss ALL the fun!”
“What ARE you doing?” Sheena sputtered, reaching for her crutches.
“Since you can’t come out and play, we’ll make a snowman here,” Joey chirped as he emptied a bucket of fluffy snow into the bathtub.
Sheena grinned. “You’re nuts!”
“I love you, too!” he retorted, smiling broadly.
Sheena hobbled to the bathroom shaking icy drops from her hair.
Joey returned with more snow.
The cold felt wonderful in Sheena’s bare hands. “Mom,” She called, “I’m earning my chocolate! But first… I need a carrot!”
#6 No Valentines for Porcupines
Pip would not go to school today.
He would not ride the bus.
He would not hand out heart-shaped cards
and join in all the fuss.
For every year it was the same.
Each glittered, heartfelt greeting
was passed around with candy treats
for sharing and for eating.
Freddy Fox would slyly smile
at Katy Kangaroo,
while Lucy Lark made googly eyes
at Carl Cockatoo.
But there’d be no note for Pip,
not one small Valentine.
Pip knew no one could ever love
a prickly porcupine.
“Blech!” groaned Pip. “I cannot stand
this lovey-dovey day.
I think I’ll just go back to bed
and wish it all away.”
But Mom and Dad said, “Off you go!”
and kissed their son goodbye.
Pip sulked and moped his way to school,
arriving with a sigh.
The room was full of sugary treats
and Valentines galore.
But Pip sat at his empty desk.
His heart sank to the floor.
“Eh-hem,” Pip heard a tiny voice
and lifted up his head.
Henrietta Hedgehog stood before him
and she said-
“I don’t like pink or candy hearts,
Or Saint Valentine.
But there IS one thing I like,
That’s you, Pip Porcupine.”
Pip smiled a gigantic grin
that chased his blues away.
Maybe he would have to
reconsider Valentine’s Day.
#7 The Lonely Hearts Club
It was Valentine’s Day, and Candy Heart Box sat stewing on the drugstore shelf.
“This is ridiculous,” she grumbled. “All I want to do is spread love, but no one will buy me.”
“Tell me about it,” said a voice on the shelf below.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Noseless Teddy Bear,” said the voice. “I’m missing my nose.”
“I’m still here too!” piped in another voice. “Nobody seems to want to buy a chocolate and beet rose.”
“Gross,” said Noseless Teddy Bear.
“I’m peeved because someone messed up my lettering,” groaned Candy Heart Box. “Instead of Love Bug, it says Glove Rug. Instead of I’m Yours, it says Time Fours.”
“We will never be bought,” moaned Gross Rose.
“This one says, “You and Pee,” whined Candy Heart Box.
Just then, a girl stopped in front of the shelves.
“Hmmm.” said the girl, “What Valentine’s Day gift says I love my brother, but he is still a pest?”
She searched the shelves.
Noseless Teddy Bear puffed out his chest.
Candy Heart Box pushed “DANGER” to the front of her box.
Gross Rose displayed her ingredient list.
“Ah ha! A noseless teddy bear, a gross rose, and a weird candy heart box. Perfect!” said the girl, bringing them up to the register.
#8 A Colorful Valentine’s Day
The crayons were crazy.
The box was a buzz.
Pink and Red wrestled to the front.
Purple pushed past Periwinkle.
Yellow yodeled , “You are my sunshine.”
February 14th was THE day to make Valentines.
Every color was eager.
All except one.
Black was on the bottom when he was bumped.
“OUCH! Watch it or I’ll give you something to be blue about!” He grumbled.
Blue bellowed, “It’s Azul to you! What’s got your wrapper in a bunch?”
Black’s voice was thick with the grumps, “Valentines are covered in color. No one draws black hearts. No one sketches black flowers. I wish there was NO VALENTINE’S DAY!”
His dark words shook the box.
The crayons cringed!
Green gasped!
Fuchsia fainted!
The box went silent.
Black slouched back to the bottom.
But others wanted to brighten his day.
The colors put their sharpened tips together and thought carefully.
They quietly started a special valentine with all the right words.
They finished just before the children arrived.
Black was baffled when tiny fingers searched just for him.
His wrapper was warm by the time he was finished.
His valentine was hung up for all to admire.
The title read “I’m batty for you.”
“Happy Valoween!” Cried the crayons.
The grumpy crayon cracked a smile.
#9 XOXO, YOUR SECRET ADMIRER (LARRY)
Dear Petunia,
I like your hair. You smell like chocolate. Will you be my Valentine?
Love, Larry
You smell like chocolate?
Sweet P,
How do I love thee? Let me count the sand in the sandbox.
Larry
One, two…thirty-seven….eh.
Dearest Petunia,
Your face is nice. Like ice cream in the summer. Or hot dogs.
Yours truly, Larry
Not bad.
Pretty Petunia, I’m hungry.
Be mine?
Larry
Argh.
To: Petunia,
I love you. Do you love me?
Xoxo, Your Secret Admirer (Larry)
Too much?
To: Petunia,
I like you. Do you like me?
Lots of love!
Larry
Better.
Petunia,
Larry is a great guy.
Cupid
Bah.
Miss Petunia Picklebottom,
You’re the rainbow to my dark day.
With all the colors of the world and love in my heart, Larry
Almost there.
Hey Petunia,
What’s up? I was just thinking, maybe, you’d be mine? You know, if that’s cool with you and all.
Laters baby, Lar-dawg
I quit.
Larry,
You smell like enchiladas and sour cream.
Meet me at the swings.
Petunia
#10 No Snacks for Max
Once upon a Valentine,
A grumpy dog began to whine.
He yelped and barked for heart-shaped snacks.
His owners said, “Calm down, dear Max.”
They rubbed his ears. And tummy too.
Then, out the door, the couple flew.
“They’re buying yum yums!” Max was certain.
He sat for hours by the curtain.
Waiting…
Waiting…
Salivating…
Dripping…
Drooling…
Hope deflating…
Max was angry. Lonely too.
He ate a rose. He chewed a shoe.
He knocked a vase onto the floor.
And that was when he heard the DOOR!
Uncle Harry stepped inside.
“Happy Valentine’s!” he cried.
He plopped his suitcase in the den.
Max’s fit began AGAIN.
He ripped apart a Teddy Bear.
Fuzzy stuffing everywhere!
Harry yelled, “NO TREATS FOR YOU!”
Max went to bed. His dreams were blue.
Harry stayed for one more night.
Max did his best to be polite.
But Max was still a canine grump.
UNTIL…
A car door made him jump!
Max’s tail wagged. They were back!
Did they bring his favorite snack?!?
They had a bag. And something blue.
A blanket moved and said, “AH-CHOO!”
“Meet our little sweet bambino!
Also known as Valentino!”
Max was grumpy. Max was glum.
But soon enough, he had a chum.
#11 GRUMPY BADGER’S VALENTINE
Spying a red card with pink hearts inside his mailbox made Badger grumpy.
“I don’t want a Valentine,” he muttered.
Back in his burrow, he folded the offensive red square this way and that, attached a bit of string, and scurried back outside, hoping for a little bit of wind.
Badger’s new kite took flight and flew away. “Good riddance,” he grunted.
The next day the valentine appeared in his mailbox again. Badger felt grumpier.
“Valentines are silly,” he protested.
Back in his burrow, he folded the repulsive red square this way and that, attached a paper clip, and lumbered back outside, hoping for a little bit of wind.
Badger’s new paper airplane took flight and flew away. “Goodbye forever,” he huffed.
The next day the valentine appeared in his mailbox yet again. Badger felt grumpier than ever.
“I don’t like Valentine’s Day!” he grumbled.
Back in his burrow, he folded the horrible red square this way and that, attached a little flag, and scuttled back outside, hoping for a little wind.
Badger’s new boat sailed down the stream and away. “Don’t come back!” he growled.
The next day his neighbor, Lovey Badger, found him on his porch. She kissed him, thanking him for her three valentines.
Badger’s not so grumpy anymore.
#12 THAT’S NOT A VALENTINE!
Drawing time was almost over. Marco sat with his head down on his desk.
“I hate Valentine’s Day!” he grumbled.
His friend Asha leaned over. “You’d better draw something fast. You’re running out of time.”
“I know that!” He scowled. “I just can’t draw a silly heart. . . or much else.”
He stabbed his red paper with a black crayon and drew circles.
Asha giggled. “I’ll make one for you.” In a snap, she drew a perfect heart.
“It’s really good,” he said. “But it’s not big enough.”
He mumbled the words for his mama’s Valentine.
Mrs. Ling clapped. “OK, everyone! Time to clean up!”
Everyone had made a gazillion Valentines. Except Marco. Not even one.
On the way home Asha offered him one of hers.
“No thanks.” He imagined where the words would go.
When they got to his house, he asked Asha, “May I borrow your chalk?”
Mama would be home from work soon.
He drew a huge circle in the middle of the sidewalk.
Standing back, he was pleased.
Asha stared. “That’s not a Valentine!”
“Yes, it is,” said Marco.
Then he wrote words around the circle in a different color:
“MY LOVE FOR YOU IS BIGGER THAN THE WORLD.”
Asha smiled. “Your mama will love it!”
And she did.
Now that you’ve had a chance to read through the finalists, please vote for the entry you feel deserves to win in the poll below by 12PM EST Thursday February 25.
Tune in Friday February 26 to see THE WINNERS!!! (Though we will have a brief contest interruption Wednesday for our regularly scheduled Would You Read It!)
Thank you all so much for taking the time to write (if you did), read, and vote! These contests simply wouldn’t be what they are without all of you!
I can’t wait to see who the winners will be!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going on a cruise to recover from all that reading and agonizing and negotiating.
Okay.
Not really.
I will actually be frantically trying to catch up on things I shoved to the back burner whilst reading Valentiny stories… right after I pick up a dear friend from the train and spend a good portion of the day visiting since she is in my time zone for only a few hours and we have been waiting YEARS to meet in real life! But after that, yes, definitely back to work! 🙂
I was hoping to have the finalists posted this morning, but due to the large number of entries, the inclement weather which has taken my internet out repeatedly, and an unfortunate spell of under-the-weatherness for Judge #2, we need more time!
My sincere apologies for keeping you waiting! We will get the finalists up as soon as we can!
Meanwhile, there are a LOT of fantastic stories to read, so please continue to enjoy them and share them with all your friends and relations! Here’s the link for your convenience:
Valen-tiny because the stories are not very long and are written for little people 🙂
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone is grumpy! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone grumpy (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words max (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 🙂 You can go under the word count but not over! Title is not included in the word count. No illustration notes please!
Postyour story on your blog between right now this very second and Friday February 12th by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list below. I apologize that I’m still experimenting with how to use link lists on wordpress – please forgive me for any glitches and I thank you in advance for your patience! There will be no Would You Read It or Perfect Picture Book Friday this week, so the post and the list of links will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section of this post. (Or, if you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you! If you email it to me, please put “Valentiny Contest Entry” in the subject line and copy and paste your story, including your title, byline and word count, into the body of the email. NO ATTACHMENTS PLEASE!) I’m not sure how posting in the comments is going to work on wordpress… whether there will be room for enough responses to each entry and whether there’s a way to link to specific comments so they’re easy to locate as I did on blogger… so we shall all have to learn together. Pantsing. It’s what life’s all about 🙂
The Judging: over the weekend, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 or maybe 6 or possibly 10 top choices (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have winnowing, so we’ll see…) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Tuesday February 16th or Wednesday February 17th (depending on how many entries we get and because I will be out of office all day Monday.) The winners will be announced on Friday February 19th. (And there will be no WYRI or PPBF the week of Feb. 15-19 either so that everyone will have time to read and vote and so that we don’t confuse PPBF with announcing winners.) If we get more than 20 entries, I will post 6 finalists, if we get more than 30 or 40, well, all bets are off. I never know what to expect from a new contest. Remember, you’re witnessing pantsing in action 🙂 But I’m hoping we’ll get enough entries to make giving out the 10 AWESOME prizes worthwhile!
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using grumpiness, and success in making us feel the grumpiness!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 🙂
The Prizes: Oh. My. Goodness! do we have fabulous prizes! If these don’t motivate you to write your best, I don’t know what will! 🙂
– A Picture Book Read and Critique from literary agent Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis who is actively building her picture book list!
CHRISTA HESCHKE graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children’s Literature Department since 2009 where she is actively acquiring for all age groups in children’s. For YA, she is especially interested in contemporary fiction, thriller/mystery, and horror. She is always on the lookout for a compelling voice combined with a strong, specific hook that will set a YA novel apart in its genre and the flooded market. She is open to all types of middle grade and especially enjoys adventure, mystery, and magical realism, whether in a voice that is more light and humorous or one with more of a timeless, literary feel. For both YA and MG, she is particularly interested in unique settings and cultural influences, interesting storytelling structure, complicated romances, diverse characters, sister or friendship-centric stories, and stories that feature artists of any kind. In picture books she is drawn to cute, funny stories (as opposed to sweet and quiet) with strong hooks that will grab both kids and their parents as well as the occasional nonfiction biography on a unique subject whose story has yet to be told.
ART OF ARC is a self-study course that will deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc and introduce you to other picture book structures. The course gives you tools to analyze your work prior to investing in professional critiques. It shows you how to avoid common writing errors and how apply writing elements that will enhance your stories to take them to a higher level. It includes 217 pages with ten lessons, seventeen supplements, and eighteen worksheets. Plus bonus materials and resources.
– A Picture Book Critique/Developmental Edit (non-rhyming picture book manuscript) from Beth Stilborn. (Beth does developmental editing and copy editing through her Flubs2Fixes Editing, Consulting and Writers’ Resources service for writers. http://www.flubs2fixes.com )
– A Picture Book Critique from the fabulous Robin Newman, author of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and the forthcoming, eagerly awaited Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep (please don’t miss the fantastic trailer! 🙂 )
– personalized signed copies of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep by Robin Newman
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Before Valentines Day by Natasha Wing! Natasha Wing loves Valentine’s Day because it’s a week after her birthday. Natasha is the bestselling author of The Night Before series (Grosset & Dunlap). To find out more: www.natashawing.com
Once again, please join me in thanking Christa, Jodell, Julie & Emma, Alayne, Beth, Robin, and Natasha for their incredible generosity, and show your appreciation by visiting their sites, buying and recommending their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, writing them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and showing your appreciation to them in any way you can! I truly can’t thank them all enough!
So now it’s time for me to post my little sample. Prepare yourselves 🙂
Who’s A Grumpy Valentine?214words
Boris and Irma were making Valentines.
Boris frowned with concentration as he cut hearts from red paper.
“Boris is grumpy,” Irma announced. “His hearts aren’t as good as mine.”
“Don’t be grumpy, Boris,” Mom said. “Your hearts look good to me.”
Boris wasn’t grumpy.
His hearts looked good to him too.
Boris laid his hearts in a row.
He grunted trying to squeeze glue from the bottle that Irma had left nearly empty.
“Boris is grumpy,” Irma declared. “He can’t squeeze glue as neatly as me.”
But Boris wasn’t grumpy.
His glue lines were exactly the way he wanted them.
Boris banged the glitter jar against his hand to break up the clump at the bottom.
“Boris is grumpy,” Irma sang out. “He’s making a mess with his glitter!”
“EVERYone makes a mess with glitter,” said Mom with a meaningful glance at Irma’s mess.
Boris was carefully writing the letters L-O-V-E-B-O-R-I-S when suddenly…
“My VALENTINES!” Irma shrieked.
She had spilled her juice!
“They’re RUINED!”
Boris snatched his Valentines from the spreading puddle.
Mom swooped in with paper towel.
Irma’s Valentines were saved but soggy.
Irma stamped her foot and made a noise like a hive of angry bees.
Boris looked at Mom. “I think Irma’s grumpy!”
But he shared his Valentines with her anyway.
❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Everyone feeling better about their stories now? I should certainly HOPE so! 🙂
I can’t wait to read all of yours! I’m so looking forward to them! I hope there will be a lot – the more the merrier! And there are still 4 days to write, so you have time if you haven’t written yet. Feel free to spread the word to your writing friends as well. And your reading friends – parents, teachers, etc. The more people who read and enjoy your stories, the better!!!
So!
Contest Entrants, remember to add your post-specific link to the linky list below so we can all come read your awesome stories! (Post-specific means not your main blog url, but the actual url of the post that has your story in it – otherwise if you post again before the contest ends, your link will take readers… and judges!… to the wrong place!)
Eager Readers – you ALSO need to click the “click here” to add your entry button on the linky list just to see the list of links. I apologize profusely for the inconvenience of not having the list visible right here on my site. If I can find a way around it before the contest ends I’ll change it.
Fingers crossed this thingamajig can fly! 🙂
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And don’t miss the 78 fabulous entries posted in the comment section!
1. Grizzly Grump – Sharon G.
2. Mommy Bunny’s Slightly Grumpy Valentine – Eric
3. My Little Buddy Boy – Tracy
4. A Heart In The Sand – Sharon C
5. Sulky Sky – Cate
6. No Valentines For Porcupines – Jess
7. Treasured Lumps Of Pickled Grumps – Maria O
8. A Groundhog’s Valentine – Jill Proctor
9. Valentines Gifts – Cindy
10. (Un)Lovely Leonard – Lauren
11. I Hate Valentine’s Day – Joni
12. NUTS! – Juli
13. My Heart Thumped – Jim
14. Roman’s Lousy Valentine – Lindsay
15. The Lonely Hearts Club – Samantha
16. The Grizzly Who Couldn’t Bear Valentines – Julie
17. Grumpy Badger’s Valentine – Ann
18. The Stinky Valentine – Judy
19. Mr. Mean – Diana
20. The Chocolate Heart – Kris
21. Porchy And Emma – Valerie
22. Replacement Valentine – Melissa B
23. Violet’s Valentines – Beth
24. My Grumpy Valentine – Gabrielle
25. KEEP OUT! A Love Story – Jen
26. Remembering Hammie – Meagan
27. The Right Angles – Meredith
28. Jim’s Valentine’s Day – Maria M
29. The Valentine’s Day Witch – Lesley
30. Lola In Love – Melissa di T
31. Happy Valentine’s Day, Bear! – Carol
32. The Unexpected Kiss – Mindy
33. Millie Mouse, Will You Be My Valentine? – Laura
34. “I Hate Valentine’s Day!” – Carleen
35. Shape Up – Jill Purtee
36. Valentine Sleepover – Caroline
37. Box Of Secrets – Lisa
38. Jim – Polly
39. Puppy Love – Ellen
40. The Favorite Donut – Helen
41. Cupid’s Sea Shanty – Alice
42. Valentine Birthday Boy – Sara
43. Mr. Grumpy’s Birds – Anne S
44. Grumpy Is Blue – Anita
45. Chomper’s Valentine’s Day Road Trip – Michele
46. Squirrel’s Valentine Surprise – Debbie
47. That’s Not A Valentine! – Anne B
48. Grump Truck, Love Truck – Amy G
49. Matty’s Angel Picture – Jane
50. George The Baker – Jennifer A
51. Every Dog Has His Valentine’s Day – Cynthia P
52. Olivia’s Gloomy Valentine’s Day – Carolyn
53. Cantankerous Claudius: The Grouch Behind The Valentine – Suzanne
54. Valentine Surprises – Kathleen
55. Badger’s Valentine – Lori
56. Roman’s Handmade Valentines – Julie R
57. Grumpy’s New Name – Amanda
58. An Unlikely Friendship – Sandy
59. Shoo Fly Valentine – Kristen
60. XOXO, Your Secret Admirer (Larry) – Christine
61. Rather Take A hike – Pamela
62. Valentine’s Rock – Dina
63. Old Grumpentine – Kirsten
64. No Snacks For Mx – Shelley K
65. Billy Goat Grump – Angela
66. The Valentine Phantom – Heather
67. Chocolate Surprise – JC Kelly
68. Grumps And The Valentine’s Day Dance – Janet
69. My Grumpy Funny Valentine – Ashley
70. The Case Of The Missing Valentine Party Supplies – Robin
I guess the title of this post should be Perfect Picture Book Sunday since I’m so far behind. I sincerely apologize!
I was waiting on a google form to try out a new way of doing the PPBF links, and then I fell ill… which I REALLY try not to do but occasionally even I can’t avoid it apparently – I thought my magical powers were stronger than that. I must not have had enough chocolate last week 🙂
So anyway, here I am, late, still without the google form, but I’ll add in all the links I know about at the bottom for you, and anyone I’ve missed can try out the linky list for this week. And I thank everyone who so kindly and sweetly emailed or FB messaged me to ask if I was okay. It’s one of the loveliest things about this kidlit community – how genuinely everyone cares! I was really touched ❤
Title: Big Friends
Written By: Linda Sarah
Illustrated By: Benji Davies
Henry Holt & Co, January 2016, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: friendship, loneliness, imagination, play
Opening: “Two cardboard boxes, big enough to sit in, hide inside. Birt and Etho take them out each day, climb Sudden Hill, and sit in them.
Sometimes they’re kings, soldiers, astronauts. Sometimes they’re pirates sailing wild seas and skies.”
Brief Synopsis: (From the jacket copy) “Birt and Etho are best friends. Together they play outside in big cardboard boxes. Sometimes they’re kings, soldiers, astronauts. Sometimes they’re pirates sailing wild seas and skies. But always, always they’re Big friends. Then one day a new boy arrives, and he wants to join them. Can two become three?”
Why I Like This Book: This is a lovely book, filled with the friendship and imaginative play of two boys who get along and understand each other… until a third boy shows up and threatens the balance not because he’s difficult or unpleasant – quite the opposite – but because he’s new and changes the dynamic. It’s a story about struggling to incorporate someone new without losing the old. It is not sentimental or sappy in any way, but I promise you will say “Aw!” on the last page 🙂 It’s an important story because integrating new friendships is a skill and a struggle that every child faces at some point. The pull toward someone new and fun that calls to one member of a friendship, the jealously that threatens the other… or sometimes just the fear that things will change, a true friend will be lost, the friendship will not be the same. Don’t miss this one!
PPBF bloggers whose links I didn’t have, please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! If you want to see the list, even if you’re not entering a link of your own, you have to use the “Click Here” button below.
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And, since this post is late, I hope everyone is all ready to go for the Valentiny Contest which opens tomorrow (see HERE for guidelines and HERE for prize list update), and for which I will hopefully get my sample written today!!! I am so excited for this contest. I think it’s going to be tons of fun with all the amazing prizes!
I hope you were all thrilled at Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring!
Up here on Blueberry Hill, Phyllis was feeling a little more cautious. She said, “How can we have spring if we haven’t had winter yet?” and “Who the heck does El Nino think he is?” and “By the way, what’s with El Nino?! How about El Nina?! I could teach that guy a thing or two!” and “If anyone has any strawberries I would like some please!”
Phyllis and I had a delightful visit with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades at Beekman Elementary School yesterday (even without strawberries… they had really good cookies!… thank you, Mrs. Osso 🙂 ) Local gossip speculates that there may be photographs in existence somewhere… but as I don’t have them yet (and will likely decide they’re not fit to be seen even when I do 🙂 ) you’ll have to wait for those… maybe a Very. Long. Time! 🙂 And now, even as you read this, Phyllis and I are off visiting another school today! We’re like a whirlwind. Or maybe a girlwind 🙂 The first week of February is always busy and tons of fun around here!
So busy, in fact, that I really think Something Chocolate is called for immediately to sustain us! Especially because our busy day today includes the December/January Pitch Pick!
Since today is the birthday of someone I love more than you can imagine (yes, Phyllis, but someone else too :)), I think we should have cake!
Doesn’t that look divine? All we need is a nice hot cup of coffee to go with it and balance out the sweet! (And Julie R-Z – please note the raspberries – I put them on there so you wouldn’t have to eat cake for breakfast because I know how you feel about that 🙂 )
Okay! Are you ready to Pitch Pick?
#1 Diane – The Dreadfully Unhappy Cat (PB ages 4-8)
(for those of you who read it in December, this was formerly Peyton The Cat And The Princess Who Loves Everything Pink)
Mortimer, a dreadfully unhappy cat, needs to get his new owner, Pauline’s attention. Mortimer feels there are to many kisses and does not like the new name Pauline gave him, Prissy-the-Cat-Princess. How can he get her attention? Several cat-devious ideas pop into his head. But Pauline fails to notice Mortimer’s signs and instead blames them all on Tommy, her brother. Mortimer’s last cat-fantastic idea is to seek the help of Pauline’s brother—as he seems to understand Mortimer’s dilemma. Once Pauline discovers Mortimer’s wishes, a compromise is reached between daily kisses, his name, and being a guard for Tommy’s castle.
#2 Gabi – Eustacia, Unicorn Of Science (PB ages 4-8)
(for those of you who read the original, this was formerly titled Unicorn With A Stache)
Meet Eustacia. Like her fellow unicorns, she toots rainbows. Unlike her fellow unicorns, she studies science, solves formulas, and invents gizmos. The other unicorns scoff and say, “Magic is the unicorn way.” But when their rainbows disappear, Eustacia discovers that both science and magic have a place in the unicorn world.
#3 Cynthia – Nicky And The Inchworm (PB ages 4-8)
Nicky loves to splash in the puddles, but when he finds a shiny wet inchworm dangling over a puddle he knows he has to act fast. Amazed by this tiny little creature, Nicky forgets about splashing in puddles and sets out to find a safe home for his tiny new friend.
#4 Carleen – Annabelle Changes Her Name (PB ages 4-8)
Annabelle’s name is too long, too hard, too different. But when she decides to change it, she runs into all sorts of problems. And then she meets a new girl whose name is long and hard and different, too. And now Annabelle isn’t so sure anymore about changing her name.
#5 Ashley – The Race Against Sleep (PB ages 4-8)
Bill is the fastest runner this side of the Mississippi, but can he outrun Sleep? THE RACE AGAINST SLEEP introduces readers to a boastful boy, Bill, whose bragging rights are on the line when he accepts Sleep’s challenge to a footrace with no finish line. Bill fights to stay up and moving as Sleep uses the typically charming, Southern landscape against him.
Funny – we got a couple title changes this month! And they’re all PBs for ages 4-8!
Please vote in the poll below for the pitch you like best that you feel most deserves a read and comments from editor Erin Molta. Please cast your vote by Sunday February 7 at 5 PM Eastern. Results will be posted weeks from now after the Valentiny Contest is over 🙂
Today’s pitch comes to us from Lynne Marie who says, “My name is Lynne Marie, and picture books (and dinosaurs) are a long-time passion of mine. I am a reader, reviewer, a writer, and world traveller. My first book, Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten was published by Scholastic in 2011, with one to follow. Please visit me at “My Word Playground” — who knows who or what might pop in there, maybe even a dinosaur or two!
The Pitch: When a child wishes for a real dinosaur, a magical door leads him to The Dino Store. But will he choose a walnut-brained Stegosaurus, a bully scaring T-Rex or an Apatosaurus whose neck he can slide down? With Show ‘N Tell tomorrow he needs to choose fast. But what if the wrong choice leads to BIGGER problems?
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 Lynne Marie 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the dropdown menu beneath For Writers in the bar above. There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Lynne Marie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to visiting another school full of happy, excited Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders with my furry little marmot friend!
Please forgive this odd post, but I’m trying to figure out how to get a link list on this blog that will work for PPBF and the contests.
Here’s an experimental list powered by Linky Tools.
Anyone who wants is welcome to add their blog url to the link list. I’m hoping at least a few people will be willing because I want to see how the list looks, and find out whether you guys find it easy or annoying to use. I think it’s going to take you off my site to enter your blog url… but then I’m hoping the list itself will show up here.
Fingers crossed…! And thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to try it and give feedback!
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Today is one of those days I love. Not only do I get to share a truly delightful picture book, it happens to be by an author whose friendship I value and whose work I am already a fan of. AND I got to read an advance copy, which means it’s like a secret – practically no one else has gotten to read it yet. I’m like a member of a super special secret club! Maybe we should have a secret handshake… Ooh! or a password…! but I digress… 🙂
Come on! Quick! You’re going to love this one! 🙂
Title: Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep
Written By: Robin Newman
Illustrated By: Chris Ewald
Creston Books, Fiction, April 12, 2016
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: problem solving, communication, fractured nursery rhyme/fairy tale, humor
Opening: “There’s a little-known secret about Hildie Bitterpickles. She needs her sleep.
Every night Hildie brushes her teeth, puts away her spell book, and goes to bed with her cat, Clawdia.
Until the night when Hildie’s quiet neighborhood changed.
Someone moved in next door. A very loud someone.”
Brief Synopsis: What’s a desperate-to-sleep witch to do when an elevator-clanking giant, an old woman with a shoe full of noisy children, and a roof-blowing big bad wolf move into her previously quiet neighborhood? Checking the real estate listings and moving seems like the answer, until she learns that a little communication can go a long way and it’s better to deal with your problems than run from them.
Links To Resources: Fabulous Teacher’s Guide!; discuss with your kids or students what things might bother them while they’re trying to fall asleep or do other activities and how they might constructively cope with those annoyances
Why I Like This Book: First off, Hildie Bitterpickles and Clawdia! Who could possibly not want to read about characters with names like that? 🙂 The story is tons of fun. Poor Hildie gets grumpier and grumpier and more and more discouraged, until she comes full circle back to a very familiar spot. She learns an important lesson (in a not-at-all-preachy way!) about the importance of facing problems rather than running from them. And she comes up with some clever solutions that solve problems for everyone. Plus there is a whole spread in the middle showing a page from The Daily Witch that will tickle your funny bone 🙂 Favorite line in the book? When the wolf says, “My specialty is demolition, but I could give repair work a try.” 🙂 Appealing art in soft fairy tale colors for daytime and rich night-time hues round out the book perfectly. Pre-order your copy, encourage your local library to do so as well, and/or write a really great Valentiny Contest story and possibly win a signed copy! 🙂
And if perchance you missed the trailer where it was posted on the Valentiny Contest prize page, check it out!
Click HERE for the complete list of Perfect Picture Books (and by complete, I mean seriously behind but undergoing updating so eventually it will be complete! 🙂 )
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! And keep a weather eye on the… well… on the weather, since the most important weather prediction day of the year is coming up next week! You all know what day THAT is… 🙂
PPBF bloggers… sorry! I still haven’t figured out how to get a link list up here, so hop over to the old blog and add your link to that list if you don’t mind.
So, big news on Blueberry Hill… I took Princess Blue Kitty for a bath!
I know! Practically unprecedented!
You all remember Princess Blue, right? My trusty Subaru Outback who carries me valiantly hither and yon, up and down the eastern seaboard and beyond on my various wanderings? Well, sad to say, she got extremely coated with salt when I took her to Vermont last week. You couldn’t even tell she was blue anymore 😦 Normally I would wait for a good rainstorm or a high wind to remedy the situation, but she looked so pathetic even I couldn’t take it. So down the road we went for a proper bath at the car wash. And even though cats do not like water, Princess Blue Kitty was grateful. I can tell. I have a sixth sense about these things. I’m like a car whisperer… she just speaks to me 🙂
I’m guessing a lot of you have cars suffering the same fate, due to the recent heavy snows. So take it from me (remember, I’m a car whisperer) that your cars too will be grateful to be relieved of their coats of salt!
And now that we’re done with that public service announcement, how about Something Chocolate? You just really can’t go wrong with a dessert breakfast called Fat Witch Bakery’s Legendary Chocolate Caramel Brownies! 🙂
It’s okay if you’re drooling on your keyboard. That’s what they make paper towel for 🙂
Today’s pitch comes to us from Ashley who says, “My name is Ashley Franklin, and I began my picture book journey just a year ago. I’m an online teacher by day and a writer by night; oh, let’s not forget about the frosted layer of motherhood plastered on top.”
The Pitch: Bill is the fastest runner this side of the Mississippi, but can he outrun Sleep? THE RACE AGAINST SLEEP is a 400 word picture book story for children ages 4-8 that introduces them to a boastful boy, Bill, who can outrun anyone—or so he thinks. Bill races against Sleep across a picturesque, Southern landscape in an attempt to keep his title, but he finds out that even champions need their rest.
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 Ashley 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the drop-down under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings at the end of February (seriously! I have slightly dropped the ball in letting people know there are upcoming openings in the calendar!) so you could get a space quite soon for feedback on your pitch and a chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Ashley is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to vacuuming Princess Blue so that her inside is as clean as her outside.
Well.
No.
Actually I’m not.
That’s a flat out lie 🙂 You all know how I feel about vacuuming… 🙂 But it’s the sentiment that counts, right? I want Blue Kitty to be clean inside, so that’s all that matters 🙂
I hope you all had lovely weekends, and that those of you within range of Snowmageddon all stayed safe and warm! For I think the first time in history, the storm missed Blueberry Hill – we may have gotten a quarter millimeter of snow, but that might be exaggerating 🙂
I realize that Monday afternoon is an odd time for a blog post, but I have a few minutes, and some very important news to share! So I’m taking a totally random moment here to say that kidlit folks are the best in the world – absolutely and without equivocation!
First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest! Guidelines HERE
Scrambling to rummage up some prizes for the unplanned Valentiny Contest, I sent out a few hopeful requests – some to people I knew, some to people I didn’t! – asking if they’d be willing to donate expertise/time/work/awesome books. Without exception, every single person I asked stepped up and offered a prize! I’ve got such an abundance, I’m not even sure we’ll need them all for this new contest, which may not receive the number of entries the more established ones do. So I hope, after you’ve seen what’s on offer, you’ll spread the word to all your kidlit friends because there’s some REALLY great stuff up for grabs 🙂
Check it out!
– A Picture Book Read and Critique from literary agent Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis who is actively building her picture book list!
ART OF ARC is a self-study course that will deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc and introduce you to other picture book structures. The course gives you tools to analyze your work prior to investing in professional critiques. It shows you how to avoid common writing errors and how apply writing elements that will enhance your stories to take them to a higher level. It includes 217 pages with ten lessons, seventeen supplements, and eighteen worksheets. Plus bonus materials and resources.
– A Picture Book Critique/Developmental Edit (non-rhyming picture book manuscript) from Beth Stilborn. (Beth does developmental editing and copy editing through her Flubs2Fixes Editing, Consulting and Writers’ Resources service for writers. http://www.flubs2fixes.com )
– A Picture Book Critique from the fabulous Robin Newman, author of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and the forthcoming, eagerly awaited Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep (please don’t miss the fantastic trailer! 🙂 )
– personalized signed copies of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep by Robin Newman
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Before Valentines Day by Natasha Wing! Natasha Wing loves Valentine’s Day because it’s a week after her birthday. Natasha is the bestselling author of The Night Before series (Grosset & Dunlap). To find out more: www.natashawing.com
For those of you who are feeling too overwhelmed to count, that is TEN (10!!!) unbelievably awesome prizes!!! So I hope we get at least 10 entries! 🙂
Please join me in thanking Christa, Jodell, Julie & Emma, Alayne, Beth, Robin, and Natasha for their incredible generosity, and show your appreciation by visiting their sites, buying and recommending their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, writing them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and showing your appreciation to them in any way you can! I truly can’t thank them all enough!
CHRISTA HESCHKE graduated from Binghamton University with a major in English and a minor in Anthropology. She started in publishing as an intern at both Writers House and Sterling Lord Literistic, where she fell in love with the agency side of publishing. Christa has been at McIntosh and Otis, Inc. in the Children’s Literature Department since 2009 where she is actively acquiring for all age groups in children’s. For YA, she is especially interested in contemporary fiction, thriller/mystery, and horror. She is always on the lookout for a compelling voice combined with a strong, specific hook that will set a YA novel apart in its genre and the flooded market. She is open to all types of middle grade and especially enjoys adventure, mystery, and magical realism, whether in a voice that is more light and humorous or one with more of a timeless, literary feel. For both YA and MG, she is particularly interested in unique settings and cultural influences, interesting storytelling structure, complicated romances, diverse characters, sister or friendship-centric stories, and stories that feature artists of any kind. In picture books she is drawn to cute, funny stories (as opposed to sweet and quiet) with strong hooks that will grab both kids and their parents as well as the occasional nonfiction biography on a unique subject whose story has yet to be told.
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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