Category: Would You Read It

Would You Read It Wednesday #144 – Cleo And Pinkie (PB) PLUS The July Pitch Winner PLUS Straight From The Editor x2!

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Hellooo Dearies!!!

I am so glad to be back after my August off of blogging, and so glad to see you all!!!

I know the year officially begins on January 1st, but really, September always feels like the new year to me.  Too many years in school, I guess 🙂

It’s lovely to see so many friends reappearing on their blogs after a summer off.  There is energy and excitement and enthusiasm in the air.  I am, as always, full of ideas I don’t have enough time to implement (but that never stops me from thinking I can follow through on them somehow :))

There will probably be some changes afoot around here.  I’m not sure what yet, exactly, but I might want to try something new and different on Mondays at some point… feel free to make suggestions in the comments if there’s something in particular you’d like to see.  And I’m going to try (after today :)) to make my posts a little shorter…  Stop laughing!  Seriously!  I can HEAR you!

I find I’m having a hard time keeping all the balls in the air, what with writing, teaching, critiquing, blogging/social media, school visits, marketing, continuing ed, and my position as COO in a home with a husband, 5 kids, 2 dogs, aging parents just down the road and a pony up the road, so my answer to that is A SCHEDULE.  Novel idea, don’t you think?  I haven’t written it down yet, but I am cogitating on it (er, since January…), and I feel confident that at some point a Master Plan that is helpful and productive will emerge that will allow me to get everything done in half the time.  There is a faction here on Blueberry Hill that objects to me working 24/7 🙂  You’ll know the Master Plan is in place when I tell you I’ve read a book longer than 32 pages for fun 🙂

I’m already looking forward to the upcoming writing contests! and I’ll give you a heads up: The Halloweensie Contest will run from October 27-31, and The Holiday Contest will run from December 8-12.  In both cases the judging, voting, and winner announcements will occur in the week following.  So mark your calendars 🙂

Now, before we go a step further, there is something CRUCIAL we must attend to after these weeks off!  It’s time for…

SOMETHING CHOCOLATE!!!

Ultimate Brownie Sundae – YUM!

And something specially NOT chocolate for Julie R-Z because she did something deserving of a special treat and she doesn’t like chocolate for breakfast – go figure!  (And if you give me a few minutes I might remember what it was she did – all I have here is a note that it had something to do with a survey… :))

Glazed Apple Crumb Muffins!
Recipe here: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/06/10/glazed-apple-crumb-muffins/

Alrighty!  Now that we have bolstered our blood sugar, let’s continue, shall we?

(The problem with vacation is there’s always catching up to do afterwards.)

First, did I get a chance to tell you who won the June and July Pitch Picks?

I think I mentioned that Kimberly had won the June pick with her pitch for Sprinkles The Clown.  But we can’t have gotten around to the July winner yet because we haven’t been here!  The July Pitch Pick was won by Brandie with her pitch for The Trouble With Keeping Vikings!  Congratulations to Kimberly and Brandie as well as to all the other brave and talented writers who submitted pitches.  Your pitches were ALL so good, and it’s such a wonderful opportunity for us all to learn from each other!

Second, we have Straight From The Editor for both June and July!

Let’s start with June since that appeals to my sense of orderly chronology.  Because I am so orderly 🙂 (Please refer back to the Master Plan under construction :))

You will recall Kimberly’s pitch for her picture book, Sprinkles The Clown:

Sprinkles the Clown wants to fit in with her classmates on the first day of Kindergarten, but when her show-and-tell juggling act goes wrong, all the other little clowns laugh at her. However, as a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and uses one of her true clowning skills to save the day!

Here are editor Erin Molta’s insightful thoughts:

This sounds cute, though for a pitch you need to be a little more specific. Don’t worry about giving it all away. I’m assuming that all the kids are clowns, right? So I’d say something like I’ve done below. Also what is a “true” clowning skill? I would definitely say what Sprinkles did that made all of the other little clowns feel safer or less afraid.

Sprinkles the Clown wants to fit in with her classmates on the first day of Kindergarten, but when her show-and-tell juggling act goes wrong, all the other little clowns laugh at her. However, as a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and [does what?] to save the day!

Brandie’s pitch for her picture book, The Trouble With Keeping Vikings, was as follows:

A boy opens his front door and comes face-to-face with a startling surprise. A Viking horde has come for a visit, and they REEK of mischief. From snot-snakes to clashing swords, the outrageous antics of these pesky pillagers are never-ending. That is until the boy makes a certain phone call that will leave these manner-less brutes quaking in their Viking-boots.

Erin had this to say:

I love Vikings and they are somewhat “hot” now, so this definitely has potential, but no need to hide so much. Who is the boy calling? An editor might be so curious that they’ll ask for the manuscript to find out, but usually they’ll ask because the idea intrigues them and they want to see how you go about it. So it’s much better to give them as much information to aid in that process as possible.

Thanks as always to Erin for her very helpful thoughts.  We are so lucky that she is such a cheerful contributor to this series!

Now, then.  The moment you’ve all been waiting for – Would You Read It!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Hope who says, “I used to travel around the globe, working as a contract interpreter for the US State Department and a freelance translator until I became a mother. Now as the mother of two children, I continue my love of language by reading with them and writing.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Cleo And Pinkie
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Cleo is always busy doing something, but that often turns into trouble. As Mommy grumbles, Cleo brings in Pinkie, her imaginary, mischievous friend, and blames him for everything. “Pinkie did it!” But soon Mommy can’t tolerate it anymore and declares, “No more Pinkie!” With Pinkie gone, the house is quiet and trouble free until Mommy discovers another mess…this time to her delightful surprise.

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 Hope 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 October so jump right in and send your pitch for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Hope is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting back into a routine and implementing my Master Plan… as soon as I think it up 🙂  I am also looking forward to starting up Perfect Picture Book Fridays again in only 2 days!  I have a special one on deck for you that includes a giveaway so yay! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  So glad we’re all back together again! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday – The July Pitch Pick! PLUS Straight From The Editor And Summer Vacation :)

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Do you guys know what today is?

Well, yes, you’re right, it is Would You Read It Wednesday.

It also happens to be the day before my granddaughter’s 3rd birthday (which coincidentally falls on the same day as Harry Potter’s, Neville Longbottom’s, and J.K. Rowling’s! :))

It also happens to be National Cheesecake Day, which I intend to honor in a moment…

But it is also the last day of posting here until September!

It’s true.  In order not to be disowned by my family I am taking August off from blogging.  I promised I would, and so I shall.  But it’s going to be hard and I’m going to miss you all terribly!

Let’s have Something Chocolate to lift our spirits, shall we?  In honor of the day, I’m thinking Chocolate Cheesecake!

Death-By-Chocolate Cheesecake!
Recipe here: http://hotpolkadot.com/2013/02/10/death-by-chocolate-and-the-birth-of-a-blog/

I think I speak for all of us when I say I may not feel that much better about not seeing you for a month but boy is that good! 🙂

And now, how about Straight From The Editor for May?  Hearing from Erin Molta, our wonderful and helpful visiting editor, always perks us up, doesn’t it?

You will recall that the May Pitch Pick was won by Todd with his pitch for Orville Wright’s Final Flight.

Here is his winning pitch:

Orville Wright’s Final Flight by Todd Burleson (NF PB ages 7-12)

Orville Wright may be best remembered for his first flight, but it was his final flight 41 years later would completely change the world of aviation.  

And here are Erin’s thoughts:

This sounds somewhat intriguing but in the crowded nonfiction picture book market you need to give us a little bit more.. Is there any way you can give us a little hint about what made his last flight so special? 

That could make or break whether an editor will ask you for the whole manuscript.

As always, I find her thoughts insightful!  Thank you, Erin 🙂

And now, it’s time for the July Pitch Pick, which is always so exciting 🙂  Here are our 4 fabulous pitches:

#1 Michelle – Escalators Don’t Bite! –  Picture Book (ages 2-6)


Salim, world traveler, worries about whether he’s packed enough crayons. He worries his backpack will come unzipped. But with his whole family on its way to see Grandma and Grandpa, he’s worried most about his little sister Malika, who never does what she’s supposed to do. On her first trip to the airport, Salim knows that if it’s sticky, Malika will spill it. If there’s an escalator, Malika will get stuck on it. And if there’s a red button, Malika will push it. Desperate to ensure his family gets to the gate on time for their flight, Salim has started work on a Little Travelers’ Guide to Airports. But while he’s busy writing, the irrepressible Malika is busy exploring. When Salim’s sage travel advice comes up against Malika’s infectious sense of adventure, both siblings learn something important from each other about airport travel safety and fun.
(And Michelle adds: Many thanks to all who gave their revision advice. I hope I’ve gotten closer with this version!)

#2 Lavanya – How Not to Be a Monster Meal – Picture Book (K-3)
Posey has a brand new room. But something lurks within the gloom — A monster with a riddle dare! And he’s hungry as a bear. If Posey can’t outwit the cretin, little Posey will be eaten…

#3  Brandie – The Trouble With Keeping Vikings – Picture Book (ages 4-6)
A boy opens his front door and comes face-to-face with a startling surprise. A Viking horde has come for a visit, and they REEK of mischief. From snot-snakes to clashing swords, the outrageous antics of these pesky pillagers are never-ending. That is until the boy makes a certain phone call that will leave these manner-less brutes quaking in their Viking-boots.

#4 Erin – Love, Emmett – Picture Book (ages 4-8)

Emmett loved books so much that he eventually loved them to pieces…literally. After his favorite one falls apart, Emmett saves the last remaining page, only he can’t remember the story quite right. When his teacher asks the class to share their favorite books, Emmett must decide how to tell the story. But his love for the book might just say everything.

Please vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta by Sunday August 3 at 5 PM.
Thank you so much!

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 September 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!

And now, my poppets, I bid you happy August.  I hope you all have tons of fun with your families and your writing and reading, swimming, sailing, sunning, hiking, biking, kayaking, riding, playing volleyball, tennis, baseball, or whatever floats your boat – generally enjoying all summer has to offer!

See you September 10 for the return of Would You Read It, and September 12 for the kick off of Perfect Picture Books Year 3!


xoxoxo 🙂



Would You Read It Wednesday #143 – Love, Emmett (PB)

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Well, folks, here it is Wednesday again!  What a week it has been, and not a good one.

I like to keep things upbeat around here, so I won’t depress you with details.  But I haven’t got the heart for high jinx and shenanigans today.  Instead I’ll just ask that if you have kids and they’re near, give them a hug.  If they’re not near, call them and tell them how much you love them.  Take a moment to be grateful if they’re alive and well, even if sometimes they try your patience, and if they’re old enough to be driving, remind them, even if they roll their eyes, that motor vehicles demand respect and caution at all times – at least twice as much respect and caution as they think.  Then hug them again.  And maybe once more, just because you can.

And now, I will be having at least two helpings of Something Chocolate, and I recommend you do the same.  Celebrate the good!  I picked something delicious and chocolatey but also delightfully cold since it’s going to climb well into the 90s today.  Two layers of decadent chocolate cake with a layer of vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between all topped with hot fudge!  Really, what could be better than that? 🙂  Maybe chocolate ice cream in the middle 🙂

Milo Ice Cream Cake
http://www.brit.co/ice-cream-cakes/

Now that we have all enjoyed a sustaining snack, let’s get right to Would You Read It.

Today’s pitch comes to us from Erin who says, “My name is Erin. I have a degree in Biology, a job that has nothing to do with my degree, and an insane urge to write, which has nothing to do with my job! A couple of years ago, I discovered a box of books I had saved from my childhood and realized I wasn’t pursuing my passion. I started writing picture books, taking online classes, and trying to learn my craft. And this year I’ve committed to putting my work out there for critique so I can eventually get to the next step–submission!”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Love, Emmett
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Emmett loved books so much that he eventually loved them to pieces…literally. Going on daily adventures with a little boy will do that to a book. After his favorite one falls apart, Emmett saves the one remaining page to remember the book by, only he can’t seem to get the story quite right. When Emmett’s teacher asks the class to share their favorite books, Emmett must decide how to tell the book’s story. But his love for the book might just say everything.

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 Erin 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 September 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!

Erin is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to spending time with my family, including my sister and brother-in-law and my niece and nephews who are arriving this afternoon for a two week stay.  After this week, time with family is exactly what I want most.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #142 – Sophie Vs. The Monster (PB) PLUS The June Pitch Winner!!!

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Dog saga alert!

(You can skip down to Would You Read It if you don’t want to hear the dog story.  My feelings will only be a little bit hurt… and you may possibly get less Something Chocolate… but please, skip if you want :))

So yesterday on my way out to meet a writer friend for coffee (okay, actually lemon bars (her) and oatmeal raisin cookies (me)… thank you for the cafe, Barnes & Noble :)) I saw a stray dog.

He was a chocolate lab, young-looking, wearing two collars (a choke chain and a regular collar), but wandering about with that definitely lost look.

He wasn’t far from the main road where cars drive VERY fast, and there were heavy thunderstorms in the forecast – both bad things for most dogs.  Plus, he was wearing that choke chain and I don’t like to see dogs on the loose wearing things that could get caught on a branch or something and potentially choke them.

So I stopped my car, got out, and spoke to him nicely.

He took right off into the woods.

Ah, well, I thought.  Maybe the people at Crazy Acres across the road got a new dog.  (They have a lot of dogs over there and they’re always getting loose.)  I was going to be late, I had no hope of running fast enough to catch a dog that didn’t want to be caught, and I certainly didn’t want to accidentally chase him toward the main road, so off I went to meet my friend.

But when I came back 3 1/2 hours later (yes, 3 1/2! Don’t get all judgy!  It was a half hour drive there and another half hour drive home, and we had a lot to catch up on and a lot of dessert items to eat :)) ANYway, as I was SAYing, 3 1/2 hours later I saw him again in almost the exact same place.

Once again I stopped the car and got out and spoke to him sweetly.  This time he lay down and looked at me, but then decided either me or the car or both were too scary and off he ran again.

I went home to get some chicken to lure him with, and discovered that my daughter had seen him as well on her way in from work an hour earlier, although at that point he had been all the way in near our house.  We set out on foot with the chicken, hoping to tempt him close enough to catch and see if he had tags.

No luck.

We couldn’t find him.

So we walked home.

But we were both worried about him out there, wandering lost, with darkness falling and thunderstorms coming and that road not far enough away.

I was about to suggest running down to Stop & Shop to see if anyone had posted a lost dog poster on the board there when my daughter, who is much smarter than I am, googled lost dogs in our town and discovered a listing on a FB page that was definitely the dog we had seen!  There was a photograph of him and a phone number to call.

Chocolate lab missing on Pleasant Ridge Rd. I know he was naughty for running away, but we love and miss him. We are very worried about him. 😦

Please call with any info


It had just gone up!  If we’d googled before we walked out with the chicken we wouldn’t have seen it!  So I called right away and told the woman we had seen her dog multiple times over the past few hours.  Turns out, she lives up on the corner less than half a mile away!  She was very grateful for the information on where we had seen him and set out at once in her car, hoping that if he was nearby and heard her voice he would come to her.  I was worried, though, because by the time I spoke to her I hadn’t actually seen the dog for nearly an hour.  He could have wandered off anywhere.  And she said he wasn’t very good about listening or coming when called.

“I hope she finds him” and “I hope he gets home safe” we all kept saying to each other.  But we didn’t expect to find out.  I hadn’t given the woman my name or phone number in our hurry, just the info on where the dog was so she could get right out and look for him.

Well, we comforted each other as we started making dinner, at least we saw him and called, and she’s out looking for him.  We did what we could do.

And then, to my surprise, the phone rang about 20 minutes after I’d spoken to her.  She was very kindly calling back (thanks, redial :)) to report that she had found him and he was home safe and sound (although extremely smelly and requiring an immediate bath :))  “I can’t tell you how grateful I am,” she said.  “He’s my husband’s best friend, and he didn’t even want to come home if his dog was still missing.”

Truthfully I didn’t feel like we had done all that much, but it was a happy ending to the adventure all around, and an instance of when social media really works well and is great to have! 🙂

I know after that emotionally wrenching story you must all be ready for Something Chocolate!  How about some Mississippi Mud Pie (because we are having torrential downpours here which is making a lot of mud, so mud pie seems very apropos :))

Mississippi Mud Pie!
Recipe here: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/11/mississippi-mud-pie/

Ah!  That’s better!  I feel refreshed enough to tell you about the June Pitch Pick, which I know you have all been wondering about so desperately that you got up early just so you could rush over here and find out! 🙂

So it is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the June Pitch Pick is . . .

Kimberly!!!
with her pitch for Sprinkles Goes To School!!!

Congratulations, Kimberly!  Your pitch has already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I’m sure you’ll hear from her soon!

Congratulations to all our pitchers from June as well!  You all did a terrific job, and your stories sound wonderful and engaging and I would read them all!  Give yourselves a pat on the back for writing the story, writing the pitch, being brave enough to submit the pitch for feedback, and then being professional enough to revise your pitches based on that feedback to really improve them.  Excellent job everyone!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Lavanya who says, “I’m a software engineer by day, and an avid reader of fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and literature by night. I’m also mother to a young girl who has just discovered the magical ability to make meaning out of the printed word. I started putting my own words down on paper last November, and when I went to my regional SCBWI conference in April, I confirmed a suspicion that I had long harbored – writers are the nicest people in the world, and I want to be one of them. :-)”

You can follow her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/vanyala) and ask her about following her blog which is protected.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sophie Vs. The Monster
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 5-8)
The Pitch: The very first night that Sophie lays her head down in her brand new big girl bed, she meets a monster… who likes to rhyme. When the monster challenges Sophie to a riddle game, she must use her wits to guess the right answers. Will Sophie survive this ordeal, or end up in a monster meal? 

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 Lavanya 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 September 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!

Lavanya is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting started on building the ark that we are clearly going to be needing!  It’s July, Mother Nature!  Enough with the flash flood warnings! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #141 – The Trouble With Keeping Vikings (PB) PLUS The June Pitch Pick!

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Would you look at this?  It’s Wednesday again!  Where does the time go?!

I miss seeing you guys on Mondays and Fridays, but it’s a good thing I’m not trying to post 3 days a week right now – I’d never manage! 🙂

This week I have been to Massachusetts and Maine… where I STILL did not see a real live moose!  Everyone else on earth has seen a moose, but not me.  Nosirreebob!  I think they run away when they see Princess Blue Kitty approaching.  But I’m going to keep on trying!  I have spent many hours sorting through boxes of stuff that came home from college and needs to be washed and packed away for the summer – but don’t be jealous – it’s not as glamorous as it sounds 🙂  I got to visit with my daughter and son-in-law and granddaughters over 4th of July weekend, and also with my parents – lots of cookouts! Also lots of blueberry pie baking and eating 🙂  And today I have a school visit… well, technically it’s a day care since school is out for the summer, but same idea 🙂  I feel pretty certain there’s more, but my head is spinning from all the driving and I can’t remember 🙂

So!  Onward!

First, it is my pleasure to announce that the winner of the May Pitch Pick is Todd!  Congratulations on an intriguing pitch, Todd!  It has already been sent to editor Erin Molta and I’m sure you will hear from her shortly!

Congratulations to all our other pitchers as well – you all did a terrific job!  Even with such a helpful and generous crew of readers as we are fortunate to have over here for Would You Read It, it takes a lot of courage to post your pitch for people to comment on.  I know I speak for everyone when I say you are very brave and committed to honing your craft and we all applaud you for it.

Let’s skip merrily on to the June Pitch Pick now.

Here are the pitches:

#1 Kimberly – Sprinkles Goes To School – Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Sprinkles the Clown wants to fit in with her classmates on the first day of Kindergarten, but when her show-and-tell juggling act goes wrong, all the kids laugh at her, in a way even clowns don’t like. However, as a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and uses one of her true clowning skills to save the day!

#2 Katey – Dandelion Wishes – Picture Book (ages 3-7)
4 year-old Gia and her mother marvel in the changing seasons from their house on the hilltop until dandelion wishes disappear, and with them Gia’s sense of magic. She finds it again in her first experience of snow. A lyrical, share-able picture book at 578 words, Dandelion Wishes celebrates the everyday magic of nature and family.

#3 Amanda – Immortal Island – YA

Seventeen year old Aria Perin spent her life running from her mother’s demons. That is, until her mentally ill mother attempted to commit suicide. Now, Aria has awoken in the strangely familiar parallel world, Immortal Island, where life is eternal and her mother’s imaginary monsters lurk everywhere.
Her arrival has set off a chain of events that leads to the destruction of Immortal Island. The evil ruler seeks to slaughter Aria with hopes of saving her people and regaining her seat of power.
Against his mother’s command the ruler’s son, Julian, vows to protect Aria. He leads her to bargain away the life of an undiscovered sibling to cursed Muses, swim with flesh eating Sirens and cross hell to battle Nymphs of the Underworld all for the obscure hope of returning her home to safety.
As the connection between Aria, her mother and the island becomes clear, so does the true nature of the ruler and friends Aria has made. Her discovery will set both the Mortal World and the Immortal World on a path to complete annihilation. As her arrival brought catastrophe to the island, only her journey to find home can set everything right.

#4 Stacey – The Bad Guys’ Breakfast – Picture Book (ages 3-7)


Brave Addie’s not afraid of the “bad guys” at bedtime. No way! But after a spooky night seeing a bear in her chair, a witch by her light switch, and a ghost eating toast—EEEEK!— Addie decides the way to a bad guy’s heart might just be through his stomach. So, she invites them over for a home-cooked breakfast. And when the troupe of bad guys shows up at her doorstep ready to eat, things can only go one of two ways.

Please vote for the pitch you think is most deserving of a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday July 13 at 5 PM EDT.


Many thanks!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I am definitely in need of Something Chocolate!  And given the extreme heat, I think something cool and refreshing is called for…

Butterscotch ice cream sandwiched between chocolate chip cookies – YUM!
Recipe here: http://mom.me/food/8552-chocolate-chip-ice-cream-sandwich/

It is VERY hot, so if you need 2 or 3, you know, in the interest of keeping your core at a safe temperature :), please help yourselves! 🙂

And now that we are thusly fortified and cooled off, let’s have a look at today’s pitch.

It comes to us from Brandie who says, “In the library story time world I am known as Miss Brandie. At home I am mom, mama, or MAMA! Either way my life is centered around kids…and… books. After reading what has seemed like a bazillion books aloud to children, I decided that I wanted to read one of my own. Thus, my journey into the picture book writing world was born.”

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Trouble With Keeping Vikings
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)
The Pitch: Having a horde of Vikings come stay for a visit sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong! From snot-snakes to clashing swords, the outrageous antics of these pesky Vikings seem to be never-ending. But who will come to the rescue and bring them under control?

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 Brandie 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 September 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!

Brandie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on all the work I didn’t do while I was driving around the eastern seaboard!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #140 – Escalators Don’t Bite! A Little Traveler’s Guide To Airports (PB) PLUS The May Pitch Pick

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Golly how time doth fly!

Second time in a row it’s been a whole week since I posted!  How are you all doing?  Having good summers so far, I hope?

Let’s see… What have I been up to this week…?  I went to the NJ SCBWI Conference which was fabulous!  It would have been great just for the speakers and workshops etc, but it was over-the-top great because I got to meet so many people in real life that I’ve known online for a long time.  I hate to make a list because I inevitably forget someone and then feel bad for leaving them out when of course I didn’t mean to, so suffice to say, you all know who you are and it was AWESOME to meet you! 🙂  I also went to Pennsylvania on a college visit and seriously saw the most unbelievable amount of tire material on the side of Interstates 84 and 81 that it made me worry for Princess Blue Kitty, but so far she appears unscathed 🙂  All that traveling took up most of the week.  So I feel like I’ve been very unproductive! 🙂

I had a great plan for today’s Something Chocolate.  The lovely Lauri, whom I met at NJ SCBWI, so very kindly brought me a present!  It was meltable white chocolate wafers and a mold with all kinds of sheep in it so I can make white chocolate sheep to go with Can’t Sleep Without Sheep!  Isn’t she amazing and thoughtful???!!!  I’m so excited to try it, and I was going to do it and share with you for today’s Something Chocolate.  But it turns out that I cannot drive to Pennsylvania and make chocolate sheep at the same time, so it’s going to have to wait for another week.  In the meantime, we shall make do with something summery and chocolate: White Chocolate Strawberry Muffins (because it’s so late while I’m writing this that it’s practically breakfast time and my thoughts are turning fondly to muffins :))

So, it appears in the craziness of June that we somehow never got around to the May Pitch Pick, so here it is today.  Our brave and talented May pitchers have worked hard to revise their pitches based on your feedback and here they are:

#1 Vivian – The Long Wait For Mom – PB (ages 5 and up)
Sophie finds a huge hole in her life and an ache in her heart after Mom is deployed. Trying to speed up time by keeping busy, Sophie jumps rope, writes letters and bakes cookies. But when she involves her community in a project to bake cookies for soldiers who don’t have families, Sophie discovers that helping others is the best way to help yourself while waiting for the ones you love.

#2 Todd – Orville Wright’s Final Flight – NF PB (ages 7-12)
Orville Wright may be best remembered for his first flight, but it was his final flight 41 years later would completely change the world of aviation.  

#3 Linda – I Know What I’m Doing – Picture Book (ages 3-7)

Lizzie likes to explore her world all by herself. When her parents caution her about trying something new, her reply is always, I know what I’m doing!  Each day of the week, Lizzie gets herself into some kind of minor trouble, until Saturday, when she gets stuck in a tree and has to finally admit she doesn’t always know what she’s doing. Does Lizzie learn to ask for help from now on?


#4 Steve – Princess Petulia’s Problem – PB (ages 5-8)
Princess Petulia had the longest hair you ever saw. It was long, it was luscious, it was glossy and glamorous and Princess Petulia … hated it. Children stood on it, birds made nests in it, but the Kings number one rule was NO HAIRCUTS  and kings can’t be disobeyed. Fortunately, when she bumped in to the old gardener with the pruning shears and the shaky hands, Princess Petulia saw the perfect solution to her problem.

Please vote for the one you think most deserves a read and comment by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Sunday July 6 at 5 PM.  I’ll announce the winner next week.


Today’s pitch comes to us from Michelle who is a mom, a teacher, and a writer.  She blogs at http://amomnextdoor.wordpress.com/about/

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Escalators Don’t Bite! A Little Traveler’s Guide To Airports
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 2-7)
The Pitch: Serious Salim wants to be sure his family makes their flight to visit Grandma and Grandpa, but he’s worried about his little sister, Malika. It’s her first time at the airport, and he knows how much trouble she can be. His Little Travelers’ Guide to Airports is just the ticket to make sure everyone gets to the gate on time!

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 Michelle 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 September 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!

Michelle is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to Fourth Of July Weekend!  And I hope you all have a great one!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and Happy Fourth!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #139 – The Bad Guys Breakfast (PB)

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Hi everybody!!!

How are you all?  I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages!  This is what skipping blog days does to me – I miss you!

So let’s see… What have I done in the past week?

I went to Vermont… I signed books at the Millbrook Literary Festival where I got to say hi to some of my good friends (hi Iza, Nancy, Karen, Pat, Tim, Brian, Scott, Alison, etc. :)) and made a new one (hi Helen!)… I hopped over to the end of the Children’s Nonfiction Conference in New Paltz and got to meet Kirsten and Sue in real life!!! – such fun!!! – and they are as nice and smart and beautiful in real life as they are online :)…  and I drove to Boston and fetched #4 for the summer 🙂  Probably some other stuff too, but that’s all I can think of right now 🙂  Clearly my brain is in need of some type of nudge…

Gee, I wonder what would do the trick?

Perhaps… Something Chocolate! 🙂

Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake!
Recipe here: http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2013/05/28/snickers-peanut-butter-brownie-ice-cream-cake/

And seriously, how could anything be better than Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake?  It has Snickers – indisputably the world’s best candy bar YUM! – brownies – YUM YUM!! – and ice cream – YUM YUM YUM!!! and perfect for summer!

Please!  Help yourselves!

Now that our mouths are full, let’s turn our attention to Would You Read It 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Stacey who says, “I’m a pre-published picture book author and momma of two adorable boys who give me every ounce of writing material I need. When I’m not reading to, writing for, or raising kids, I’m usually collaborating with my writer’s critique group, attending local SCBWI events, or eating chocolate. I’m amazed by the talent out there and happy to be just a small part of it.”

Stacey blogs at http://staceydhan.blogspot.com/

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Bad Guys Breakfast
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch:  “It was just like any other morning, except a monster was sitting at my kitchen table.”
Adeline K. Strauss has a problem with monsters in her house. Could there be a way to win over these “bad guys”? In The Bad Guys Breakfast, Addie discovers the way to a monster’s heart might just be through his (or her) stomach. So, she invites them for breakfast. But when a witch, ghost, shark, and bear (…and maybe more) show up at her doorstep ready to eat, things can go only one of two ways.

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 Stacey 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.)
Now accepting pitches for September!  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.   Polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Stacey is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to trying out that Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake recipe! 🙂  Oh, and I’m also looking forward to attending the NJ SCBWI conference this weekend!  I’ve never been before, but I’ve heard tell it’s awesome, and I think quite a few people I’m anxious to meet in real life are going to be there.  Anyone going?  Let me know in the comments!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  See you next week! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #138 – Immortal Island (YA) PLUS Straight From The Editor!

54 Comments

Greetings from the Green Mountains, my friends!

(Because that is where I am right now – campus touring and college info session-ing to beat the band 🙂  Would anyone like to hear me GIVE a college tour and info session by the way?  I’m pretty sure I could do it, since I am on my 43rd college visit in the last 4 years at the moment!)

I love Vermont.  It’s so bucolic.

I used to live here, you know, back in some of the days of my misspent youth 🙂 so I feel very at home.  I mean, Vermont is the land of Ben & Jerry’s so what’s not to love? 🙂

Quick poll!  Favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor!

For me it’s a tie between mint oreo and coffee heath bar.  Although I do also have quite a fondness for Cherry Garcia…  How about you?

While you mull over that immensely important question, let me present Straight From The Editor from April.  You will recall that the April Pitch Pick was won by Frances, and here is her winning pitch:

Working Title: Peter and AsburyBy Frances Kalavritinos
Picture Book Ages 4-8

Peter is a shy, socially awkward six-year old boy whose best friend just happens to be an ancient oak tree he calls Asbury.  When Peter learns that Asbury will be cut down, he comes up with a plan to keep the memory of Asbury alive forever.  The unlikely bond that develops between boy and tree helps Peter discover a very special talent that he and Asbury will one day share with the whole world.  

Here are editor Erin Molta’s insightful comments:

This seems like it has potential, but you are going in two seemingly different directions which makes it a little confusing. Peter and Asbury are best friends, which is great—though begs comparisons to ShelSilverstein’s The Giving Tree. But is the story about this special talent that Peter and Asbury will share or the plan that will keep Asbury’s memory alive forever? And if it’s to keep the memory alive—wouldn’t a reader rather keep the tree alive—and shouldn’t Peter be fighting for that, instead? These are questions that an editor may not want to bother with. You want to present a more linear pitch that is clear on a point that will grab an editor’s attention and make her or him want to see the full story.

This is why we call on the expert, folks!  Erin has a knack for getting to the heart of the issue and helping us see it!

Now then.  Thanks to you all talking incessantly about Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors, our Something Chocolate for today simply has to be ice cream…

YUM!  Doesn’t that look just chock full of chocolatey goodness?

Happy sigh.  Now that we are fortified with chocolate ice cream, let’s have a look at today’s pitch, shall we?

Today’s pitch comes to us from Amanda who says, “My name is Amanda Hildreth (though my pen name is Amanda Wilson). My YA works have been previously published though now I seek new representation. I’ve been writing since I learned how to hold a pencil and began in the field of poetry. I have a degree in psychology which adds rich and gritty elements to my array of characters. I savor YA fantasy and romance because of the fast pace and magical worlds. Reading was my escape before my poems gave way to novels. Now, writing is not simply my escape from reality, it’s my way of life.” 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Immortal Island
Age/Genre: YA
The Pitch: Seventeen year old Aria has awoken on the strangely familiar parallel world, Immortal Island, where life is eternal and once imagined monsters lurk everywhere. Aria’s arrival sets off a chain of events leading the Island’s destruction.

With the evil ruler’s son’s vow of protection, Aria is led to swim with hungry Sirens, cross hell to battle Nymphs of the Underworld and bargain the life of a loved one away to Muses with only the obscure chance of being guided home.

As a connection between Aria and the island becomes clear, so does the true nature of the ruler’s son and the other friends Aria has made. Her discovery sets both the Mortal World and the Immortal World on a path to complete annihilation. As her arrival brought catastrophe to the island, only her journey to find home can set everything right.

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 Amanda 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.)
Amanda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to touring Ben & Jerry’s today’s college, which is actually at a college I’ve never toured before! Woo-hoo!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #137 – Dandelion Wishes (PB)

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Well, lovelies, I promised you a little synopsis of the conference, so here it is.

I think it went okay.

Well, maybe I should say I hope it went okay.  Because truly, it’s all a bit of a blur – intense nervousness apparently has an inhibiting effect on memory – someone should probably study that if they haven’t already! 🙂

There was a brief period just before I began when I feared someone would have to employ smelling salts to peel me off the floor, but luckily that didn’t end up being necessary 🙂

Here I am, standing at the front trying to look and sound like I know what I’m talking about:

Here is one of the slides from the beautiful power point presentation (my first ever!) that my daughter kindly helped me with (and by helped I mean did the entire thing with me leaning over her shoulder saying, “I want it to look like this here, and say this there”, etc…. patience and kindness, thy name is Katie :)):

Here are some attendees having the kindness to look interested:

And, now for the really important photo, here is the Something Chocolate that Dee, the organizer, who clearly knows me well, left as a gift for me when I arrived at the hotel:

This is a Buffalo specialty called Sponge Candy.  It has a delicious inside, kind of like caramelized sugar but with a texture that is light and crispy when you bite into it, but then melts away in your mouth like cotton candy.  And the outside is coated in milk or dark chocolate.  Here is a close up:

YUM!

I know you all want to rush right out to Buffalo and get some!

So anyway, that about sums it up: long drive to Buffalo, perfect gift on arrival, miraculously managed to get through the whole full day workshop, went out for a delicious and delightful dinner with the organizers as well as 5 YA authors and 2 agents who were going to be Sunday’s workshop – really fantastic company – what a group!, and then long drive home from Buffalo. . . and am here to tell the tale 🙂

Now then!  Onward!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Katey.  Katey Howes has been dreaming of publishing children’s books since she was 5, and finally had the good sense to take a break from a full time job as a physical therapist to turn her dreams into realities. She is raising 3 voracious readers (8, 6, and 4 years old) who are her biggest inspiration AND harshest critics. Katey has worked with children her entire life in camps, schools, homes and hospitals. Because of this, she has a special sense of what makes them tick, what makes them strong, and what makes them laugh. She tries to bring this to all her stories. Katey blogs on Raising Readers every Monday (and other random mommy/writer/insomniac nonsense on other days) at http://www.kateywrites.wordpress.com.  You can find her tweeting @kateywrites, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kateywrites, and pinning book-y goodness at http://www.pinterest.com/kathrynhowes3/.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Dandelion Wishes
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: Gia and her mother have everything they need on their hill above the trees: one Saturday after another of togetherness, magic, and wishes.  Dandelion Wishes follows Gia and her mother as they journey through the seasons and see sunny skies turn grey; fields of dandelion wishballs disappear.  Just when Gia thinks magic has gone from her hill and her heart, something beautiful happens to remind her that what she always wished for was there the whole time.

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 Katey 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.)
Katey is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to catching up on all the work I left by the wayside whilst preparing for the conference so that things can get back to normal! 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!  And don’t forget to help yourselves to Sponge Candy.  I feel quite certain that anything that light cannot possibly have any calories.  In fact, I’m pretty sure it has negative calories 🙂

Enjoy! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday # 136 – Sprinkles Goes To School (PB)

72 Comments

Good Morning, Peeps!  Happy Wednesday!

As y’all know, I am frantically trying to prepare for the SCBWI conference this weekend – finishing critiques and preparing my presentation – and the upside of this is that I have no time to talk your ears off!  So enjoy this remarkably short post for WYRI!

Today for our Something Chocolate our pitcher requested something dark chocolate and minty – which sounded delicious – so I was happy to comply.  Of course, then I couldn’t decide between two luscious-looking options, so we have an elegant and crisp mint chocolate bark

AND

a soft cake with creamy mint filling for those who prefer something in that department.

I, of course, will have some of each 🙂 and I encourage you all to do so as well 🙂  It’s important to keep up our strength, after all!

Today’s pitch comes to us from Kimberly who says, “I keep pretty busy working at my local public library, owning a costume shop/balloon store, and working as a professional clown.  Therefore it’s sometimes hard to find time for writing!  But it’s my goal to focus on it more now which I’m doing by having participated in PiBoIdMo and 12×12 as well as being a member of SCBWI.  I previously had 2 YA pieces e-published though my e-publisher has since closed. 

I look forward to any comments or suggestions others have to share!”
I can be found on Facebook as Kimberly Sprinkles Cowger

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Sprinkles Goes To School
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: The first day of Kindergarten is intimidating for everyone, especially if you’re a clown.  Sprinkles the Clown tries to fit in with her new classmates but when her juggling act for show-and-tell goes wrong all the kids laugh at her, in a way that even clowns don’t like to be laughed at.  When a storm rolls in scaring all the students, Sprinkles puts her own fears aside and uses one of her true clowning skills to try and save the day!

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 Kimberly 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.)
Kimberly is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to getting all this work finished so I can stop worrying about getting all this work finished and come catch up with you all!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! 🙂