Category: pitches

Would You Read It Wednesday # 126 – Martin’s Perfect Web (PB) PLUS The February Pitch Pick

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I am SO excited!

Only ONE MORE DAY! until the Match Madness Writing Contest opens!

I cannot wait to read the fabulous entries I hope will soon be pouring in to distract us from the fact that it is still 10 degrees even though tomorrow is the official first day of spring!

(The only small fly in the ointment is that I STILL don’t have an idea for my sample story…  EEK!  I am seriously running out of time!!!)

One quick note on the contest: apparently the definition of “fairy tale” is a knotty one, not, as I thought, clearly the Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel, Rumplestiltskin etc. type of story.  So many people have argued their cases for nursery rhymes, fables, etc. and I don’t want to have to disqualify anyone over a difference in the definition of fairy tale, because different definitions do appear online, so whatever you guys have written is fine.  Apparently the rules were not clear enough, so my fellow judges and I will figure it out 🙂 But, I do hold the line on art notes.  Even if your story is intended to be a picture book, no art notes because we get into a weird area with word count.  And in answer to someone’s question, your title doesn’t count in the word count.

I think Something Chocolate might fuel the creative muse.  Let’s have some of Teresa’s French Chocolate Silk Pie, shall we?

Teresa’s French Chocolate Silk Pie – gorgeous, isn’t it?
And here’s a tasty view of a delicious slice – YUM!

Ah!  I feel more creative already! 🙂

But now let’s get down to brass tacks!

First, the February Pitch Pick.  Here are the contestants:

#1 Kristine
The STEM Girls Take Off – Picture Book (ages 5-8)
Sophia wants to win the school science fair, but when her project won’t cooperate, she uses perseverance and teamwork to bring home the goal, proving that every girl can be a STEM girl.

#2 Pam B
Fee Fi Fo Flub – Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The giant Mini wants to continue her school’s tradition of putting on the annual production of Klurg and the Beanstalk. But during practice, Mini’s co-star makes jokes and goes off-script, and Mini fears he will ruin the show. It is only when Mini makes her own blunder on opening night that she realizes the value of creativity and flexibility, and works with her co-star to make the show a success.

#3 Julie G
Diary Of A Linky Kid – Picture Book (ages 4-7)
Herman wishes he was like everyone else, but when all the other kids are gazing at their belly buttons during gym class, Herman is hiding his coil shaped tummy under his t-shirt. When just another day at school turns into a daring rescue mission, Herman becomes an unlikely hero when his flexibility saves the day.

#4 Steve
Silly Tilly – Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Tilly’s dreams of having a baby come true when a hatching egg presents her with a fluffy bundle of … crocodile! Everything is bliss until Charlie starts to grow. AND grow. When her friends start disappearing, Tilly worries that she’s next on the menu. But when Charlie invites her down to his cave, she’s in for a big surprise … party!

Please vote in the poll below by Friday March 21 at 11:59PM ET for the one you feel most deserves a read by editor Erin Molta.

Many thanks!!!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Beth H. who says she is a, “Chocaholic, reformed Catholic, (I don’t feel guilty anymore about eating chocolate), red wine lover – (no I was not an altar girl) seeking to publish children’s books that introduce children to self love, thinking out of the box and just plain silliness.”  

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Martin’s Perfect Web
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-7)
The Pitch: In a quest to build the perfect web, an obsessive compulsive spider confronts his biggest fears through an unlikely friendship with an inquisitive dragon. In a wild ride on the dragon’s tail, Martin learns how to relax and enjoy the simple process of creating – leaving a beautiful web behind him to his utter disbelief.  

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 Beth improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in July 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!

Beth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to the contest!  The March Madness Writing Contest!!  Which starts tomorrow!!!  I’m so excited!!!!  Oh, wait.  I’m having deja vu.  Did I already say that???  Never mind.  It’s still true.  Start counting the hours!!!

(And won’t I feel silly if my sample – which promises to be quite dreadful since I don’t even have an idea yet, and therefore have yet to write a single word with less than 12 hours before I have to post it –  is the only entry!  So please, save me from myself and enter! :))

See you tomorrow even though it’s Thursday…

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #125 – Sk8ter Boy (PB)

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It’s a busy month here on Blueberry Hill.

The dogs are shedding.  (Full time work.)

My husband and kids are all taking turns being on school vacation with some overlaps, but basically from March 1 – March 31 one, two or three of them are home at a time.  This is lovely on every level except getting work done.  So anyone who happens to be waiting on me for anything, that’s why 🙂  And I promise I haven’t forgotten you!

The snow is melting.  (Yes! Really!  Although it’s got a long way to go…)

Yesterday was idyllic!  59 degrees and sunny!  I know we have yet to pass the midpoint of March, but it was the kind of day that fills you with the hope and belief that spring is actually thinking about coming.  After this winter, it is just so welcome.  I took #5 out horseback riding, and the other two horses jumped out of the pasture and came to join us, galloping and leaping and cavorting like colts, skidding on leftover ice and charging through substantial slushy snow, jumping out of their skins with happiness at being able to stretch their legs and run.  Even though it took us 45 minutes to catch them and get everyone safely back in the barn, it was lovely to see them so happy.  Everyone was feeling a little spring fever 🙂

So.  Writing, riding, blogging, teaching, school visiting, spring vacationing, critiquing, barn cleaning, house cleaning (maybe in April :)), driving practice (yes, we’re doing THAT again!), guest posting, running outdoors again with the dogs, and March Madness Contesting = happy and busy 🙂

And now it’s time for Would You Read It, but first, for today’s Something Chocolate, I believe I’ve discovered an idea whose time has come (really, why have I never seen these before???)

From HandleThe Heat

Witness the beauty!  The perfection!  It’s chocolate cream pie AND brownie!

Yes.  You may have another 🙂

Now then.  Today’s pitch comes to us from Ann who says, “I have only been writing seriously for a year.  An interesting fact about me is that I have an identical twin sister named Donna and my husband has an identical twin brother named Don.  I am an elementary school teacher.  I have always loved children’s books and meeting authors (I even met Lois Lowry in the early 1990’s where she signed a quilt my students and I made in honor of Number the Stars).  I’m an avid reader, especially YA. I like to scrapbook, bake, cook. and take photos.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sk8ter Boy
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Peter wants to be an ice skater but can’t because he’s homeless, and he doesn’t have the money for a pair of skates.  But when there’s a poetry contest at school with a cash prize, he is able to make his smooth words glide and spin so that he wins the skates and his classmates’ respect.

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 Ann improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in June 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!

Ann is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to having family home in whatever combinations they arrive in and to more days like yesterday as spring begins to overtake winter and to the March Madness Writing Contest (even though I haven’t the slightest idea what I’m going to write for my sample or when I’m going to write it!)

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #124 – Puddles And Rainbows (PB) PLUS Straight From The Editor

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Ola petitos!

(For those of you who don’t speak my version of Spanish, that means hi little ones!  It’s a term of endearment :))

For starters today, we’ve got a Straight From The Editor.  You will recall that the December/January Pitch Pick was won by Beth with her pitch for Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared (MG Realistic Fiction).

Here is her pitch:

Mabel is so close to playing baseball she can almost see her spitting distance improving.Mabel’smom thinks she should work on sitting still instead. So they make a deal: Mabel can play baseball in the spring, but only if she learns to fit in with the local Blossoms Troop first. But that isn’t easy. Mabel turns square dancing into a contact sport, saves a spider like she’s sliding into second base, and wolfs down the entire cookie sale stash. That’s three strikes and she’s out of Blossoms, but Mabel is not about to let that stop her. She sneaks to the campsite to make amends and discovers she isn’t the only intruder crashing the camp-out. With the Blossoms trapped between a smelly skunk and a sizzling fire, Mabel realizes that she’s the only one who can save the Blossoms from the stinky situation.

And here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:

This looks appealing! The only thing I would suggest is reworking the first sentence because it’s a little confusing because she can be close physically, too and the reader will have to go back and re-read it to figure out what you mean—especially with the spitting distance image. I suggest something a little more straightforward and perhaps more baseball-oriented. Maybe something like: baseball season is almost here and Mabel can hear the crack of the bat and the sound of the ball hitting her glove in her sleep . . . But Mom wants Mabel to make friends with more girls her own age (or something like that)

Insightful as always, I think!

Now that we’ve been enlightened, I think this would be an excellent time for Something Chocolate.  (Of course, I always think that… :))  How do you feel about cookies today?  I personally think I could be very comfortable with the idea 🙂

Aren’t these beautiful? So Yin and Yang!

You may be excused for one minute to get a cup of coffee or a glass of milk to go with the cookies, but come right back for Would You Read It!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Karen who says, “I enjoy writing for children, specifically, PBs, and have been working to both hone my craft and connect with other writers. I recently completed Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo and now am onto my first 12×12 challenge with Julie Hedland! I am a mompreneur of sorts and a bit of a daydreamer, journeying however fast or slow towards my goal of publication.”

Come visit her at:
Twitter @kmaewrite
FB as Karen Mae Zoccoli.
Wish I could say I have a website, but not yet (it is on my to do list!)

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Puddles And Rainbows
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)
The Pitch: Little Cloud desperately wants to play with the bigger clouds, but he needs to prove himself first by learning to rain. Raining takes patience and hard work. As Little Cloud figures out the science of rain, he soon makes a colorful discovery.

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 Karen improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in May 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!

Karen is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Spring.  Have I mentioned that before?  Is it starting to sound repetitive?  I can’t help myself.  It’s because of the robins.  Even though we’ve still got a good foot and a half of snow on the ground (with a nasty icy crust, no less) and the temperature this morning was a whopping 4 degrees, the brave, cheery little robins are back.  I don’t know what they’re eating (though we’ve been doling out birdseed by the ton to all the local winter residents, so the robins are welcome to get in on that action if it helps), or how they’re managing the cold, but it’s so uplifting to see them.  They are harbingers of spring.  When the robins come, there is hope!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone, filled with the kind of upliftingness the robins bring 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #123 – Silly Tilly (PB)

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WWWHHHIIIRRRRRR!

Do you hear it?

The wheels are turning!

And you know what that means.

I’m probably – almost definitely – well maybe – hatching a plan!

I’m on the fence.

I haven’t quite decided.

I shall mull for another day or so and if I decide to go ahead with it, I’ll tell you on Friday 🙂

But don’t ask me anything because I won’t say another word.

Here.  Put something in your mouth.  That’ll stop those questions 🙂

Since it’s technically breakfast time, I thought we should go traditional today and have (Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter) Banana (Bread) for our Something Chocolate.  See how that’s mostly banana, which is, in fact, a breakfast food?  That’s how it works around here 🙂

From OMG Chocolate Desserts

Today’s pitch comes to us from Steve whom we met in November with his pitch for Rashad Saves The World, (WYRI #111) and who says, “I spent 20 years as a teacher of small children in London. Reading aloud was my favourite part of teaching. This means that I absolutely know what a PB, Lower MG should sound like. The challenge is to make my own writing sound right!”

Here is his pitch:

Working Title: Silly Tilly
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Tilly dreams of having a baby and her dream comes true when a hatching egg presents her with a fluffy bundle of … crocodile! Everything is bliss until Charlie starts to grow. AND grow. When her friends start disappearing, Tilly worries that she’s next on the menu. But when Charlie invites her down to his cave, she’s in for a big surprise … party!

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

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Steve 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.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in April 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!

Steve is looking forward to your thoughts on his pitch!  I am looking forward to making my decision and telling you or not telling you 🙂

Have a wonderful, writing-filled Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #122 – Diary Of A Slinky Kid (PB)

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Well, folks, I don’t want to brag, but I think it’s fair to say I took holding stuff to a whole new level at the video shoot on Monday.

I held a light AND a dimmer switch AT THE SAME TIME!

I know.

It boggles the mind.

Next time I say I can’t multi-task, please remind me of my obvious talent in that area.  I know it will be a great comfort to me 🙂

Speaking of talent (like how smoothly I segued?) it is my pleasure to announce the winner of the December/January Pitch Pick!

And the winner is…

BETH!!! with her pitch for Tomboy Rules: Blossoms Are Always Prepared!

Congratulations on a wonderful pitch, Beth!  It is already in editor Erin Molta’s inbox, so I’m sure you will hear from her shortly 🙂

And congratulations as well to our other 4 pitchers – Rena, Joy, Kirsten, and Stacy – for their terrific pitches!  Great work, everyone!

I’m feeling a little calorically depleted after all that cheering, and I think we all know the best way to deal with that… 🙂  Something Chocolate, anyone?

Even though it’s morning here, somewhere in the world it’s later than that, so today our Something Chocolate shall be chocolate soup – perfect for any meal… or snack…! 🙂

From the Soup Chick (recipe included)

Today’s pitch comes to us from Julie G.  With her background in pediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed great resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories about a little girl elf just like them in The Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Trilogy. After participating in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo in 2013, Julie has been furiously developing her picture book manuscripts. She lives in Melbourne Australia with her husband Danny and their little elf Giselle.

You can find her around the web at:

Website: www.julieannegrassobooks.com

Blog: http://www.whenigrowupiwannawriteakidsbook.blogspot.com.au/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Julie-Anne-Grasso-books/287496411357122

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jujuberry37

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Diary Of A Slinky Kid
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)
The Pitch: Herman wishes he was just like everyone else, but as his mum points out, “There’s no escaping your genes.” Sure, he has the right number of fingers and toes, but when all the other kids are gazing at their belly buttons during gym class, Herman is hiding his coil shaped middle section under his t shirt. 

You see, Herman comes from a long line of Slinky’s. When just another day at school turns into a daring rescue mission, Herman reluctantly reveals his slinky status to save the day. His mother’s words ring in his ears, and for the first time, Herman is glad of it. He finally finds his place in the world.

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 Julie improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in March (which at this point is not that far away!) so polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Julie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to telling you that coincidentally I am a guest on Julie’s blog today.  And look at that!  I just told you!  So there wasn’t a very long build up of anticipation.  But I hope you will have a build up of anticipation between right now this very second and when you click over to Julie’s blog to visit and say hi and see what tomfoolery we are up to over there! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #120 – The STEM Girls: Rising Stars (PB) AND The Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show Winners!

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You don’t have to tell me.

The Groundhogs’ unanimous prediction that we’d have 6 more weeks of winter was a little hard to take.

As we are currently being buried under what some say will be 6-12 inches of snow (and what others are saying will be 12-15 inches, and still others are saying 30+ inches) I guess they’re right so far.  Dang and blast the little marmots!

(Uh, please don’t tell Phyllis I said that!)

This calls for Something Chocolate.  And I have the perfect thing:  Happy Cake!

Don’t you feel better just looking at it?  Doesn’t it make you believe spring will come?  Soon?

I thought so 🙂

Help yourselves! 🙂

Now then.  Before we get to today’s Would You Read It pitch, we have a small matter of business to attend to….

Ironing our socks!

Hee hee hee!  I’m just funnin’ y’all 🙂

I know the real order of business is….

Who won Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show???

And the answer is…

Did I tell you about how Princess Blue Kitty (my car, for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of making her acquaintance :)) is absolutely filthy?  Seriously, I have a theory that they put more salt and sand on the roads at the first hint of snow than they ever used to… Why, when I was a mere sprat, it could snow 2 feet and nary a morsel of salt nor sand did we see!  We just had to tough our way through it, depending on the survival lessons our Maw and Paw had taught us in our upper east side apartments about how kitty litter makes for great traction…

I’m sorry.  What were we talking about?

I believe I may have gone off on a tangent.

If you would all kindly stop distracting me with ridiculous stories about your cars, I would tell you that the winner of Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show was none other than

JOSIE!!!

Congratulations, Josie!  Apparently I wasn’t the only one who loved your sweet sleepytime Phyllis in her cozy pink PJs and slippers with her lovable teddy!  Great job!

2nd Place goes to Gracie for her stunning depiction of Springtime Phyllis!  Congratulations on a gorgeous drawing, Gracie!

Interesting, isn’t it, that first and second place went to 8 year olds?!  I think it’s clear that the youngsters in this crowd are mighty talented!

3rd Place was a tie between Julie Ro-Zo with her incredible Phyllis-as-Elvis drawing, Nata with Phyllis’s Allonge, and Beth with Opera Star Phyllis.  (I told you we had a tie problem!)  Congratulations, you three!  You are exceptionally talented for people who are technically older than 8 (although we know you are young at heart :))

Josie, Gracie, Julie, Nata-ie, and Bethie, (I didn’t think we should break up the streak of -ie names :)) please email me and we’ll get those prizes sorted out!  (And in case you’ve forgotten what the prizes are, you may view them HERE, and you may all have your choice of whichever one you want, even if you all want the same thing.  Oh!  And Pat Miller kindly offered to sign a bookplate for anyone who chooses Substitute Groundhog!)

Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in the Fashion Show!  You are all SO creative and talented, and supplied all of us with SUCH enjoyment during this wintry week!  Phyllis has never felt so well dressed!!! 🙂

My, that was exciting!  But now we have something equally exciting in a different way…

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kristine who says, “I’m a stay-at-home mom who is truly living the dream: playing with my daughter by day and writing (if I don’t fall asleep first) at night.  I couldn’t be happier to have found the amazing children’s book writing community that exists online, and I look forward to the day when I can fill a bookshelf with works by authors that I also can call friends.“

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The STEM Girls: Rising Stars
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: Sophia, Isabella, Madison, and Emma learn that science is not only fun, but an adventure, when their new telescope runs out of batteries, and they have to use their combined talents to save their stargazing trip. The girls are as enthusiastic about science, technology, engineering, and math – the STEM subjects – as Fancy Nancy is about being a girly girl, and they even have their own STEM Girls club to prove it. They invite readers to join them on their adventure, asking “Do you have what it takes to be a STEM Girl?”

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 Kristine improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  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!

Kristine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Friday because I have a most excellent book to share with you for PPBF, and also to not being snowed in anymore because we have done that enough times already and the novelty has worn off!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #119 – Simon Wants To Be A Helper (PB)

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I hope you are all keeping up with Phyllis’s Fun Fashion Show which began with Monday’s post and will continue through Groundhog Day.  (And if you’d care to join in the hilarity haute couture, hop on over and see the instructions HERE.  I hope you will because there are prizes, and also because it is more fun with more people :))

So far we have two – count ’em, 2! – fabulous entries!

Done With Glum Phyllis was brought to you by Linda, and Steampunk Phyllis was decked out by Stacy.  Yes, that’s right!  The very same Stacy whose pitch we will get to in two shakes of a groundhog’s tail!

But first, you know what time it is 🙂

Since Groundhog Day is almost here, I thought we should celebrate with Something Chocolate that groundhogs AND chocolate-lovers would appreciate 🙂  Isn’t this amazing?  It is actual cake!  And the fur is all piped on buttercream frosting (and no I did not make it!)

From Cake Central

It ALMOST looks too good to eat…  🙂

Alrighty, then.  Now that we all have our mouths full of cake, today’s pitch comes to us from Stacy who says, I write {picture books and memoir}. I design {websites}. I eat {chocolate}.


Stacy can be found online at her website http://stacysjensen.com on Twitter @StacySJensen on Facebook   http://facebook.com/StacySJensen  and lurking around Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/stacysjensen/.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Simon Wants To Be A Helper
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: When Simon wakes up he decides to help his mother around the house, but his idea of helping isn’t the same as his mother’s. Just when Simon feels his assistance isn’t needed, one turn of a knob gives him a chance to make things better.  

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 Stacy improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  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!

Stacy is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing more Phyllis models in stylish and creative outfits!!!  I am pretty interested to see what I’ll dress her in, since so far I haven’t the foggiest notion what it will be or how I will do it!  That is almost definitely because I am up to my eyebrows in inventing new, fun, doable crafts for my 2 library visits this weekend and not because I am totally unprepared 🙂

Ooh!  And this just in!  A new entry for the fashion show!

Olympic Phyllis by Katie Hill!

She looks totally ready, doesn’t she?  Foam finger and everything! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #114 – The Good Morning Book (PB)

54 Comments

Today, since it’s the day before Thanksgiving and I’m sure lots of you have families and cooking and visitors and traveling to attend to, I’m going to do my best to be brief.

Yes, I heard myself 🙂  But seriously.  I’m going to try 🙂

It wouldn’t be Would You Read It Wednesday without Something Chocolate, would it?  So how about this?

I think these are easier to make than last week’s.  Go check out the blog at
http://www.theidearoom.net/2009/11/oreo-cookie-turkeys.html – recipe

I decided last week’s turkeys might be a little complicated.  At least for me since I do all my cooking in a toaster oven 🙂  This looks a lot more straight forward… cookies and candy stuck together 🙂

Now that we’re happily snacking, let’s move right on to today’s pitch (without any entertaining anecdotes or silly banter because just look how brief I’m being!) which comes to us from Lyla.  Lyla is an artist and creative writer.  The Good Morning Book was written just as much for the parents as for the child, it’s a gentle reminder to find the beauty in every day life and to be grateful for all of life’s marvelous wonders. She also owns an Etsy store called “Personalize Love” which features hand stamped jewelry and book marks. 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Good Morning Book
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 0-4)
The Pitch: Start your day exploring the wonders of this world with The Good Morning Book. This book will inspire young ones and adults to take time out of every morning to appreciate all of the things that make life special.  An easy read with rhythmic flow, children of all ages will enjoy.

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 Lyla improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in February 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!

Lyla is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with my family – I have so very much to be thankful for, including all of you!  And I’m looking forward to the Linda Ashman Rhyme Clinic which will take place here on Monday!  It promises to be AMAZING!

(And I’m just a little alarmed by how short this post is… I wonder if I really wrote it? Maybe I’ve been taken over by aliens… or turkeys…GOBBLE GOBBLE)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Everyone!  I hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow, surrounded by family and with plenty of happinesses to feel thankful for!  (And for those of you who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, have a very happy most excellent Thursday!!!)  And also a very Happy Hanukkah to those who are celebrating! 🙂

P.S. Please remember, no PPBF post here on Friday… Family time 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #113 – Polka Dot Sue (PB)

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Happy Wednesday everyone!  Hey!  We’re halfway to the weekend 🙂

So, on Monday I conducted an informal poll about when to post the Holiday Contest guidelines, and people were pretty evenly divided as to “Monday is fine” and “As soon as possible” 🙂  I’m splitting the difference and thinking I’ll post on Friday, before the weekend, so you get a few extra days.  But I’m still trying to make a definite decision as to what to make you do – ah! the power! 🙂 – so not today.  I hope that doesn’t ruin anyone’s life!

To make up for forcing you to wait, let’s have some chocolate right away.  You’ll feel better 🙂

It’s barely a week until Thanksgiving.  So I was thinking we should get festive with our Something Chocolate…  Check this out!  Have you ever seen cuter chocolate turkeys?

Go visit the blog this came from and show them some love 🙂
http://www.ohnuts.com/blog/diy-candy-chocolate-turkeys-for-thanksgiving/

Too tricky for me because I am uncoordinated and prone to burning things, but maybe some of you clever chef types can make them.  You can get the recipe HERE.  Let me know if you try it!  (Feel free to send me a sample :))  And I’m thinking you could cheat a little by using already-made truffles and dipping them in chocolate 🙂

Now that we’re choclified (fortified with chocolate), let’s get down to the business at hand.

Today’s pitch comes to us from Mary Russo, PhD, a psychologist and RNCS, who for over 2 decades has worked with individuals to deal with personal development and overcome anxiety and depression.  Mary says, “Through many therapeutic endeavors I assist them with their adaptation to a new sense of self. In my therapy work I share a deep concern for the individual’s conscious awareness that each of us has our own yearning inner child. I have been inspired to write this and other children’s books to help children to be less afraid and see themselves as strong and unique.  My goal to teach children to help themselves through their imagination. The stories provide metaphors to help children learn to take control of their fears, by fostering self-empowerment.  The embedded messages slip into the child’s unconscious, while the story produces a sense of fun and adventure and wonderment.”

You can find her at:

          www.maryrussophd.com
          facebook author page: mary russo,phd

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Polka Dot Sue
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)
The Pitch:  Polka Dot Sue is the story of a young girl with polka dot hair, who takes great pride in who she is and conveys this pride with her enjoyment of clothing herself handsomely each day. The story gives a child the sense of self acceptance and pride to show others that a deep sense of self-empowerment come from believing in one self despite obstacles.  With  the color-emotion awareness, another sense of expressiveness, it encourages the young reader to understand more about feelings with color and self-expression.  Also with the encasement the days of the week the story gives the young reader an opportunity of for more fundamental growth.

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 Mary improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in February 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!

Mary is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to sharing the Holiday Contest Rules with you on Friday!!!  So exciting!!!  I wonder what I’ll decide on??? 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #112 Special Edition – Faith The Heroic Pony (PB) – PLUS 3 Giveaways

81 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone!

Today, I have an unusual and very special Would You Read It to present.

If you’ve spent any time at all around my blog, you know that I love animals – especially horses and dogs 🙂

Our 2 dogs were both rescued from shelters, and I have friends who have rescued horses, so the subject of this book is very close to my heart.  I can’t bear to see animals mistreated.

So when I received a Would You Read It inquiry from Koren Helbig, an Australian freelance journalist living in Spain, asking if we could do a slightly different kind of Would You Read It I was more than happy to contribute in any small way I could.

Koren told me she’d been volunteering at a horse rescue center run by Sue and Rod Weeding.  (Koren blogged about it HERE.)  Sue has written a picture book about a little horse who had come to them in desperate need of help.  Through the book, Sue wants to raise awareness of animal welfare.  All funds from the sale of the book go to two foundations: Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Foundation (in Spain) and Kids And Ponies – Molly’s Foundation (in America).

But though the book is up on Amazon, it’s not selling as well as they’d hoped, which they feel is in part due to the blurb that accompanies it.

Koren and Sue wondered if they could share the blurb on Would You Read It in hopes that you all might be able to help.

So first, I’d like to share with you a little Q&A with the author, Sue Weeding, conducted by Koren Helbig, so you get a chance to see where she’s coming from and what she’s hoping to accomplish.  Afterwards, the book blurb will be presented as today’s Would You Read It in hopes that all of you may be able to help Sue come up with a stronger way of presenting her book to the world and hopefully increasing sales (which will help fund the rescue organizations) and awareness.

Three people who make suggestions for improvement to Sue’s blurb will be randomly selected to receive a prize.  One will receive a hard copy (as opposed to Kindle) of the book: Diary Of A Heroic Horse: Molly Gives Faith Hope.  One will receive a DVD of “The Story So Far”.  And one will receive a signed photograph of Faith.

So let’s start with the Q&A so you can meet Sue and hear her story 🙂

Sue and Rod Weeding with Dexter the mule at the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre
Koren:  How did you get involved in horse rescue in Spain?
Sue:  About 13 years ago my husband Rod and I decided that we were fed up working seven days a week. We’d both always wanted to live in the sun and Spain seemed like a nice place to go so we moved here. After about six years I started an English tack shop, which opened me up to a wide range of people and I started to hear horrific stories about how horses were kept.
One day we were asked to deliver some rubber matting to a stable yard. There was Lucerio stuck in a filthy dirty stable, his eye was rotten and there were maggots in it, the flies were driving him crazy and he was hurling himself against the bars. His owner had abandoned him. They used to throw food through the bars and no one used to muck out his stall. He was two and half years old and had never seen the light of day.
I looked at Rod and we both knew that our lives would never be the same again. We had to do something. After that the phone never stopped ringing.

Faith shortly after being rescued, underweight and terribly injured
from being tangled in the rope she was tied up with
Koren:  How many horses are you caring for now?
Sue:  We now have 62 horses, ponies and donkeys living here with us at the centre. We also have a mule, nine dogs, nine cats, two parrots, a very old cockatiel, peacocks, chicken, geese, Ernie the turkey and Isadora the pig.
Animals just turn up and we never turn anyone away. We’re not an eccentric couple of lunatics that are collecting all these animals. People come to us and I feel it is only right and fair to help these animals when nobody else would.
Koren:  What was it about this particular story, about Faith, that made you want to write a book?
Sue:  I’m not a literate person. I left school when I was 14. But these animals have the most amazing stories to share and I felt compelled to write their stories from their own point of view, how they felt, their feelings and frights. Faith was the first because her story was so special. And now we’re having it translated into Spanish!
There are situations out there that we as humans find difficult to address and when we come upon it – whether it’s us having an amputation or a parent or a grandchild – we don’t know how to deal with it. Sometimes handling other people’s perception of that is actually harder then going through it. So maybe my little book can help people out there who are dealing with this.
It’s showing a message that it’s okay to be different. When I look at Faith I see a little pony that is surrounded by love and care, she lives in fantastic facilities, she has state of the art treatment. I do not see a sad little pony that has had her leg cut off and is in pain. That’s an important message.
I also wanted to write the book in a very simple way for children because I firmly believe that children are the future and if we can educate children we can move things on for animal welfare.
Sue Weeding caring for Faith at the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre in Rojales, Spain
Koren:  Why did you include Molly, the American pony with a prosthetic leg, in Faith’s story?
Sue:  I went to visit Molly in America and I got to know Kaye Harris as a friend. I know they really struggle financially, they live hand to mouth. There’s a book about Molly the pony but Kay doesn’t get any money from the ongoing sales. So I rewrote my book to include Molly’s story and half of the profits go to her, that’s my little way of helping.
Koren:  What do you hope your horse rescue foundation will achieve in Spain?
Sue:  There is a huge problem here with lack of care and lack of knowledge. The reality here is that most horses are stabled 24 hours a day in filthy, handmade conditions without proper bedding or airflow and a lot of them are not fed properly but nobody sees them so they don’t exist to the general public.
Our role is raising awareness about the problem, pushing for changes to animal welfare laws and educating people, because education is the only way to stop this happening.
I want our foundation to keep growing and to create other centres across Spain. I hope that when Rod and I are too old to keep going it will continue to be run by switched on young people who will carry on. I want the centre to be here forever.
Faith, glossy and healthy with her new prosthetic leg, a testament to what
love and kindness and good care can accomplish.
The Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre has a website HERE where you can learn more about the wonderful and important work they do and how much they are helping, but please use discretion in viewing it with children – although there is lots of joy and success, there are some terrible stories about where the animals came from and potentially upsetting photographs from “before”.

So now, here is the information about the book and the blurb that accompanies it.

Title: Diary of a heroic horse: Molly gives Faith hope
Age/genre: Picture Book (ages 6-13)
Blurb: See the world through Faith’s eyes. A beautiful picture book diary of the little amputee pony, Faith and her best friend Molly the pony. Two very special little horses who overcame all the odds to survive. One horse in America, one in Spain. Both of them rescued by people as determined as they were, to fight for life and never give up. Faith a victim of ignorance and cruelty in Spain, and Molly a victim of hurricane Katrina in America. Saving these two special little horses brought two families together across the Atlantic to form a lasting friendship and a bond between horses that can never be broken. This book has been written with love to help the horses in both America and Spain. All funds raised from the sale of this book will be shared equally between the two charities – Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Foundation (in Spain) and Kids and Ponies – Molly’s Foundation (in America).
So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  Sue and Koren and I would all be extremely grateful for your help in coming up with a better blurb for the book.  How can Sue improve it?  Please let us know in the comments.
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in January 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!
Thank you all in advance for your help, and remember, 3 of you will be lucky winners! 🙂  Anyone who would like to support Sue’s efforts by tweeting or FB posting this post, Koren’s post, the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre’s website, and/or the Amazon link for the book, and/or by purchasing a copy of the book, will be earning good Karma! 🙂  You can also like their FB page HERE.  And if you buy the book and like it, and would like to post a review on Amazon or GoodReads etc. that would be lovely!

Links: (for your convenience in earning Karma :))

This post: http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2013/11/would-you-read-it-wednesday-112-special.html

Koren’s post: http://thelittlegreenhouse.net/2013/11/01/giving-goodness-easy-horse-care-rescue-centre/#more-7552
Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre Website: http://www.easyhorsecare.net
Amazon link for the book: http://www.amazon.com/Diary-heroic-horse-Molly-ebook/dp/B00CHPVKXM
Like Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Easy-Horse-Care-Rescue-Centre/151489774624?fref=ts%29