Category: Would You Read It

Would You Read It Wednesday #62 – Dishing Up (!) (PB) And The September Pitch Winner

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It’s another wonderful Wednesday!  And we’ve got tons of Would You Read It fun lined up 🙂

But before we get to that, I just have to interrupt myself for one second and say how lucky I am that the nicest people in the world come over here every day!

You all participate so enthusiastically in whatever high jinx and shenanigans I’ve got going on.  So many of you have helped me with one hair-brained scheme or another out of the kindness of your hearts (remember Phyllis’s World Tour?).

A number of you (and you know who you are :)) have recently gone above and beyond to help me with a couple of projects (more on those when and if they come to fruition!)

Whenever I need a talented illustrator or graphic designer (which is pretty much always because I am so bad at that stuff :)) I have only to holler – just look at all the gorgeous book marks and badges and story prompts that abound in this neck of the woods! 🙂

And then, as if all that weren’t enough, Stacy took pity on me (and all of you) because of the Don’t-Use-Images-Off-Google-Lest-You-Get-Sued debacle that has left my Would You Read It posts depressingly undecorated with chocolate.  She spent heaven knows how many hours baking amazing treats AND PHOTOGRAPHING THEM!!! and then sent me a whole file full of truly delicious pictures – that I am allowed to use! 🙂 – to make your Wednesdays brighter and chocolate-r.  I am not making this up.  Look!!!

Peppermint Patty Brownie Cupcake
Photo copyright Stacy S. Jensen used by permission

Seriously!  Aren’t you just drooling?

So I would like to ask for a big round of applause for Stacy!  Thank you so much for bringing beautiful chocolate back into our Wednesdays.  Really, I’m a little choked up 🙂

And a huge thank you from me to all of you for taking the time to come over here and join in the fun and support me in whatever crazy thing I’ve got going at the moment! 🙂  Please.  Have a cupcake on me!

So, okay, enough of that mushy stuff.  Now that we are suitably armed with Something Chocolate (YUM!), let’s go!

First, I’d like to announce the winner of the September Pitch Pick.  It was a tight race!  Our new system of letting writers rework their pitches based on all your helpful comments is resulting in much-improved pitches across the board, making it very difficult to choose!  (Although it does also make it more exciting! :))  Anyway, the winner for September is

Elizabeth

with her pitch for Buff The Magic Dragon!  Congratulations Elizabeth!  Especially because you now have the honor and distinction of being the first person in Would You Read It history to win more than one pitch pick!  (You all may recall that Elizabeth won the May pitch pick with her pitch for Magnificent about synchronized swimming elephants :))  Your pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for critique and I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon!

I would also like to congratulate all the other pitchers – Tina, Vivian, and Catherine – for excellent pitches and for being brave enough to put their work out there for critique.  We all know it isn’t easy!  So thank you for stepping up to the plate… or maybe it should be stepping onto the mound :)… although somehow that doesn’t sound very good… like maybe something that should be in Catherine’s story 🙂

Anyway, 2nd grade bathroom humor aside, it is now time for today’s pitch!

Today we have a pitch from Brenda.  Brenda says, “I am a somewhat average gal, not to tall, not too round, not too young or too old.  I am not outgoing, yet I am definitely not an introvert.  My works include:
-Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind (about bulimia and me)
– Heartfelt-366 devotions for common sense living
– God, Gluttony & You (a Bible study)
– The Big Red Chair ( a story book for grieving children.)
Writing gives me a way to look at my life and recognize how far I’ve come.  If you really want to know what I am thinking, read my Daily Devotionals.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Dishing Up (!)
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-8)
The Pitch: Squabbles and food fights break out when invisible guests show up at a family dinner table.

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 Brenda 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 December, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Brenda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I would like to sneak in a quick word from our sponsors before you go.  Have I reminded you lately that the Halloweensie Contest is coming up soon?

I haven’t?

Well then, the Halloweensie Contest is coming up soon!!!!!

As you all know, I’m a last-minute kinda gal, so I haven’t yet decided exactly what the contest will be…  but it will be on Wednesday October 31 (Halloween!!!) replacing WYRI that day, and it will be a children’s story of some type (aren’t they always? :)) and it will be tons of fun and there will be good prizes!!!  So put on your halloween thinking caps so you’ll be all ready to start writing when I put up the official contest announcement… hmmm…. maybe Monday!

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #61 – Phantom And The Boneyard (ER) and Pitch Pick #13

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Boy do we have all kinds of Would You Read It fun for today!  Grab your Something Chocolate and settle in!

First off, we have the September Pitch Pick, and all 4 participants have revised their pitches with an eye to your wonderful comments, so this should be very interesting!

#1 Tina
Melody Wants A Piano (PB)
When Melody returns from Grandma’s with a song in her heart, she wants a piano.  Perhaps street singing, a baseball game, and a talent show will help her raise the funds to share her song with others.

#2 Elizabeth
Buff The Magic Dragon (PB)
Buff the Magic Dragon is afraid of EVERYTHING.  But when his magic trick-gone-wrong lands the baby Princess Ponypants in the tentacles of Captain Meanie Bones Jones, Buff must swallow his fear to save her.

#3 Catherine
Once Upon A Toilet (PB)
Mr. Eubend, a plumber for King Fartsalot and Queen Piddle, was called away to an emergency in a neighbouring kingdom. En-route he finds he is in great demand.

#4 Vivian
Confessions Of The Tomato Turner (PB)
Peter proudly helps his mom in the family vegetable garden, but when he pulls up a baby tomato plant instead of a weed, Peter is torn between telling his mom and hiding the evidence in the compost pile. 

Please vote below for the pitch you think is best and should get a read by editor Erin Molta!  Voting will be open until Friday October 12 11:59 PM EDT.

Many thanks for your vote!  I can’t wait to see how it turns out! 🙂

Next, we have today’s pitch which is fun because it’s an early reader and we don’t get too many of those.  Our pitcher today is Sidney Levesque, who is a former newspaper reporter and editor.  She now works for a university and writes freelance.  She is a wife and the mother of a toddler, and is enjoying dipping her toe into the great ocean of fiction!

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Phantom And The Boneyard
Age/Genre: Early Reader
The Pitch: The Phantom awakens to find himself separated from his squadron and relocated to a military “boneyard” in the Arizona desert with other retired airplanes used for spare parts. But Phantom isn’t ready to retire and starts plotting his escape with the help of new friends before he, too, ends up in permanent storage with his “eyes” wrapped shut.

Sidney also asked to include the opening of her story, which I thought would be very fun to share 🙂 so here it is:

All around him were endless rows of military airplanes he didn’t recognize, planes that looked very old, as if they hadn’t been flown in years.
Some had noses missing. And doors ajar. Wires hanging out like spaghetti.  Tires deflated. Entire planes dismantled into a thousand pieces.

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 Sidney 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 December, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Sidney is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that on Monday we will be having a very special visitor and a giveaway!  So please plan on saving a few Monday moments for an interview with the one and only Natasha Yim and a chance to win her new book, Sacajawea Of The Shosone!!!  (I’m sorry Short & Sweets is getting bumped, but I think you’ll find it’s worth it! :))

Would You Read It Wednesday #60 – Alpha Bitty (PB) And Straight From The Editor #12

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Golly!  The days are just packed!  Remember that old commercial for Almond Joy and Mounds… sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t?  Lately I feel like a nut pretty much all the time 🙂

So, given all that nuttiness, let’s grab our something chocolate (for some reason I’m kind of feeling like an Almond Joy this morning :)) and get right down to the first item on today’s agenda: Straight From The Editor for Kimberley, the winner of the August Pitch Pick.  You will recall her pitch:

Saturdays With Fish (PB ages 4-8)

Libby and her stepdad go fishing on Saturday to leave the loud city behind and find the peace of a quiet pond. It is there they find joy as simple and warm as the sun. At the pond they fish, chat, and eat a picnic lunch without any disruptions. When Libby accidentally hooks a bullfrog, the spell may be broken. Can they find their way back to quiet?

Here are editor Erin Molta’s comments:

The sentiment to this is nice but the way you have it set up it sounds ominous—does her stepfather turn into a raging lunatic if there’s a disruption? Do all the fish disappear?
I think you need to decide what point you want to get across. Is the book about Libby and her stepfather bonding—sharing an experience that they love—or is it about the disruption and what happens after it? Finding a way back to quiet does not seem like a strong enough hook and could very well cause an editor to say she doesn’t need a quiet book. Now a book about father daughter bonding–that’s a different story. Perhaps the stepfather makes bull frog sounds or says, “mm, no trout tonight but frog legs are a delicacy” . . .something like that so the disruption only causes laughter and more enjoyment.

Very interesting and informative, don’t you think?  And I confess I’ve had the privilege of reading this story and it’s lovely – very much along the lines of what Erin was hoping for 🙂

Moving right along, we get to today’s pitch which comes to us from Linda.  Linda is a former gifted and talented teacher and the author of a number of books including the multi-award winning picture book, The Blue Roses.  Please take a moment to visit her website at www.lindaboyden.com.  Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Alpha Bitty
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-6)
The Pitch: A special tree stands on a special hill. Once a year Alpha Bitty carries her basket to pick the crop–not apples or oranges or even iPods. This tree sprouts letters. With the help of her friends, Wind, Rain and Sunshine, Alpha Bitty shares the letters with one and all so new stories may bloom.

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 Linda 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 December, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

I was going to round out this Would You Read It extravaganza with the September Pitch Pick, but I decided that would be too much of an imposition on your time for today, so I’m going to save it for next week!  Go do something fun 🙂

Linda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to seeing you here Friday for Perfect Picture Books (I’ve got a good one! :)) and I’m hoping to have a teeny surprise ready for you… but we shall see 🙂

Have a happy Wednesday everyone 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #59 – Untitled Picture Book!

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Goede Woensdag!

I’m practicing my Dutch.  All of it.

How am I doing?

Do I sound like a native yet?

“Goede Woensdag” is supposed to mean “good Wednesday”, which is as close to “happy Wednesday” as I could get with my language tutor… google translator 🙂

I’m pretty sure the Dutch are famous for their chocolate – I am technically Dutch after all, and I am very fond of chocolate –  I’m sure you can see where I’m going with this…  I think that makes it a perfect language to speak on Would You Read It Woensdag while we are snacking on Iets Chocolade (Something Chocolate!).  I may go healthy this morning and have strawberries dipped in chocolate.  I’m feeling virtuous 🙂

So let’s see… I have a few things on my mind…  I just can’t seem to remember what any of them are right now….

Oh, yes!

As you know, I am having an epic battle with my comments which is driving me nuts.  I would love to know everyone’s opinion:  should I continue to try to get Disqus to work, even though I am unable to communicate with intelligent life over there and for nearly four weeks now they have alternately ignored my pleas for help and failed to answer my questions, OR should I cut Disqus loose even though it means losing 22 months of comments on this blog (that’s ALL of them, if you’re wondering!)  This is like one of those agonizing “would you rather” questions – you know, like would you rather be bald or covered in hair (a question I’m sure you all devote a lot of thought to :)) – neither alternative bears thinking about!

So that was one thing.  PLEASE tell me what you think I should do.  Or better yet, tell me if you know how to FIX THIS PROBLEM!

Another thing was, I wanted to let you all know that if you need bookmarks, postcards, flyers, or other swag of various types, Alison Hertz is your one stop shop!  Sorry if it sounds like we suddenly took a break for a word from our sponsors 🙂 but she is amazing!  She designed 2 brand new book marks for me – one for Punxsutawney Phyllis and one for Can’t Sleep Without Sheep – and they are gorgeous!  Want to see?

sorry you have to turn sideways for this one 🙂

Aren’t they great?  They have very nice backs to, but this is the pretty side 🙂

Alison is wonderful to work with, does a superb job for a reasonable price, she’s prompt, and she makes the process so easy that even I can do my part (and here I’m talking about how she delivered the book marks to me exactly the way they needed to be done so that I could upload them to gotprint without breaking the internet or causing a rift in the space-time continuum.)  Need I say more?

So definitely email her if you need anything like that!

So, I’m pretty sure there was something else… it’ll come to me at 4 in the morning… but let’s move on to our pitch for today, shall we?

Today’s pitch comes to us from the lovely and talented Catherine.  She is a British Ex-pat living in Canada with her family. She writes picture books and children’s poetry. You can find her on her blog at http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com 

Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  She doesn’t have one!  She needs your help!  Please make suggestions!
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Lord Flatulence and Lady Piddle have to make leave of their plumber, Mr. U-Bend for an emergency in the neighbouring kingdom. Mr. U-Bend is accosted en-route by the village paupers and their plumbing requirements so the Princesses in the neighbouring Kingdom set off to find Mr. U-Bend, but so too does Prince Constant, son of Lord Flatulence and the most needy of all subjects to keep his plumber to himself.

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 Catherine 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 November, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Catherine is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to your opinion on my Dutch accent and on what I should do about my comment situation.  Which reminds me, I would like to mention that Catherine is one of the people who is unable to comment on my blog… aarrgghhh!… so she will send her comments to me and I will post them but say they’re from her.  Foolish, I realize, but I can’t think how else to do it.  Therefore, be on the lookout for her comments/replies to you in boxes with my name on them!  I don’t like to give vent to strong language, but right now I am not very happy with Disqus!

Chocolate covered strawberry anyone?

Have a goede Woensdag! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #58 – Confessions Of The Tomato Turner, And Pitch Pick #12

69 Comments

You guys are probably wondering where the heck I’ve been all morning.  I mean, come on!  It’s Would You Read It Wednesday!

I know!  I feel terrible!  Poor Vivian has no doubt been thinking I forgot her 😦  I assure you, nothing could be farther from the truth!  I have been agonizing over my lack of foresight and worrying that her time is getting cut into and people may end up missing her day 😦

Here’s what happened:  heavy rain blew in yesterday accompanied by high winds with gusts over 60 mph… and in the Back of Beyond where I live, that means no power and no internet.

I’ve been like a little pioneer girl.  Just call me Laura Ingalls 🙂  Except last night we got pizza… I don’t think Laura did that 🙂

Now, if I wasn’t always playing catch-up, I might have had today’s post written and ready to go.  But my plan was to write it last evening during homework time… and that didn’t happen because we were looking for candles and contemplating bailing out the basement.

No worries, I thought.  Surely the power will be restored by the time I get up at 5:15 AM… I’ll just write the post then and it will still get out on time.

Yeah.  Not so much.  We still have no power.  We made coffee in a saucepan this morning.  Need I say more?

See?  I told you – Laura Ingalls 🙂

So after my morning chores I hied my way over hill and dale to the nearest Barnes & Noble (because in the Back of Beyond we don’t have handy wi-fi Starbucks at every country intersection) where I am currently sitting, casting longing glances at the triple chocolate brownies (but it’s only 11 AM – a little early for triple chocolate?  what do you think?  I think after coffee from a saucepan a little overly-decadent pre-noon chocolate is permitted!) and typing like the wind to get the long-awaited pitch pick and Vivian’s pitch up before you all give up in despair and determine that I’ve been eaten by a hungry black bear.

So no more chit chat.  Here are the pitches from August for you to choose from.  Everyone chose to update, so you can see how much they all improved thanks to you!

#1 Randy
Charlie The Chimney Mouse (PB)
Charlie is looking forward to the holiday season when the unthinkable happens. His human family moves away. He celebrates the holidays anyway, but the songs, the feasts, and the parties are not the same without someone to share it. Charlie offers one last song from his heart and receives a visit from a special holiday guest who brings more than a sack of presents.

#2 Patricia
Two Orange Pups On The Trail Of The Perfect Ball (PB)
Which pup in town owns the perfect ball?  For the Two Orange Pups, that’s quite a tough call.  Is it Babe with her baseball, Mario with his meatball, or one of the other pups they meet?  Find out whether the pair is on the right trail to discover the perfect ball, or whether it’s really the trail that’s the perfect part of this tale!

#3 Sharron
Nothing But Blue Skies (Upper MG Fantasy)
Wizards have turned the world topsy-turvy. The sky is green. The grass is purple. Streams are pale pink. A fourteen-year old princess is the key to saving her world. But – not as a girl. A dragon’s tear transforms her into a prince. To triumph over magic, she must find out who she is and who she wants to be. Through it all, she must defeat the wizards, change her world back, and save her brother.

#4 Rachel
Princess Azalea’s Two Left Feet (PB)
Princess Azalea can’t dance. And if she can’t dance, she can’t meet a prince at a royal ball. Her mother, the Queen, is determined to get her dancing no matter what! Azalea, however, isn’t sure a prince is worth all this hullabaloo. Will Princess Azalea learn to twirl and spin without falling on her royal bottom? Or will she find her happily ever after her own way?

#5 Kimberley (PB)
Saturdays With Fish
Libby and her stepdad go fishing on Saturday to leave the loud city behind and find the peace of a quiet pond. It is there they find joy as simple and warm as the sun. At the pond they fish, chat, and eat a picnic lunch without any disruptions. When Libby accidentally hooks a bullfrog, the spell may be broken. Can they find their way back to quiet?

Please cast your vote for who’s pitch should go for a read by editor Erin Molta by 11:59PM EDT Friday September 21.

And now, onto today’s pitch from the lovely Vivian, author of Show Me How and fabulous blogger at Positive Parental Participation.

Working Title: Confessions Of The Tomato Turner
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch:  Distracted by a noisy woodpecker, four-year old Peter looks away from his task and pulls up a baby tomato plant instead of a weed.  Clutching the sad spindly seedling in his hand, Peter has a decision to make…tell his mom what he has done or hide the evidence in the compost pile.

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 Vivian 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 November, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Vivian is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to getting power back because it turns out I’m not really cut out to be a pioneer 🙂

Apologies for the messed up scheduling today, and thank you all for bearing with me 🙂  Have a great (rest of the) day!

Would You Read It Wednesday # 57 – Buff The Magic Dragon (PB)

90 Comments

Mornin’ folks!

A couple orders of business real quick:

#1 – if you have not voted for who you think should win the Summer Send-Off Contest please do!  My goodness it is a tight race!  We need every vote we can get!

#2 – I realized when I went to write this post that it was meant to include the August Pitch Pick.  Except we have a new policy these days.  Pitchers have the opportunity to take the feedback you gave them and submit a new version of their pitch for the Pitch Pick.  And I didn’t email anyone to remind them… so I don’t have the pitches.  Therefore, you are excused from pitch-picking today and I’ll have to squeeze it in somewhere else… probably next Wednesday because there are just too many high jinx and shenanigans going on around here between now and then.  (And should you happen to be one of those pitchers, please email me whatever version of your pitch you’d like me to use!)

#3 – Did you know that in Alaska it is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while he’s moose hunting?  I kid you not.

Now then, grab your Something Chocolate (I have chocolate cupcakes on offer at my house this morning – not exactly breakfast food… technically… although they do have eggs in them… :)) and have a gander at today’s pitch.  It comes to us from the lovely Elizabeth whom you all know and love as the queen of Banana Peelin’.

Elizabeth Stevens Omlor loves slipping on banana peels. She has at least one slip a day, physically or verbally. She loves writing for children, although she has recently discovered she is a delusional rhymer. When she isn’t writing for children, you can find her having a kitchen dance party with her husband and two young children or drinking a large glass of milk. She loves milk. Yum.  Especially when it’s in chocolate. She blogs about all of this on Banana Peelin’: The Ups and Downs of Becoming a Children’s Writer.

Here is her pitch:

Working TItle:  Buff The Magic Dragon
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch:  Buff isn’t your typical dragon. He’s afraid of EVERYTHING. But when auditioning for the role of royal babysitter, his magic trick-gone-wrong lands the baby Princess Ponypants in the tentacles of the fiercest bully of all the sea, Captain Meanie Bones Jones. Forced to fly above the clouds and to eat a meaty squid, Buff finds that sometimes we must face our fears to right our wrongs and protect the ones we love.

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 Elizabeth 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 November, so you have time to polish 🙂 for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Elizabeth is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  And I am looking forward to seeing who will win the Summer Send-Off Contest and which book I will pick for Perfect Picture Books on Friday.  It could be anything!  I still have two whole days to choose! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday # 56 – Melody Wants A Piano (PB) And A Short And Sweet Wrap-Up

61 Comments

I hope everyone had a terrific Labor Day weekend and that everyone who is a kid or has kids is off to a great start for the new school year!

The Summer Send-Off Contest was tons of fun.  If you haven’t had a chance to read the entries, check them out when you get a minute.  Everyone wrote such original, creative, amazing stories within the constraints of 250 words – which turned out to be REALLY hard (for me anyway!) – and I’m sure you won’t want to miss them.  As of this writing (not yet midnight) there are 15 contestants.  Finalists will be posted Monday September 10 for you to vote on for the winner.  For those of you who weren’t able to participate, don’t worry – The Halloweensie Contest is only 2 months away! 🙂  (In case you want to plan ahead, it will take place on October 31 – Halloween! 🙂

In other news, I still haven’t finished cleaning my office, so there will be no photos and no wrap-up on that… yet!!! 🙂

Before we get to today’s pitch, I just wanted to do a quick wrap-up of Summer Short & Sweets.  By my reckoning, 16 people contributed an entry to all 8 weeks.  A couple even went above and beyond and added additional entries to a couple of weeks – what motivation and dedication!  So, for the Sweet 16 (how well did that work out?!) the promised prizes will be delivered… but I’ll be needing snail mail addresses.  Here is a peek at the prize:

A Short & Sweet Notebook/Journal, Note Pad, and Pen,
and a small pack of Susanna’s Fabulously Fun Story Sparker Cards!

And here are the Sweet 16:

Delores           Tracy C.
Jennifer R.       Cathy
Vivian              Romelle
Erik                 Heather
Renee              Karen L.
Penny              Jarm
Kim Murray       Robyn
Pam                 Laura R.

Please use the handy Email Me button on the right or email me at susanna [at] susannhill [dot] com with your address.  If you think your name should have been on this list and you deserve a prize, please let me know.  It is entirely possible that I made a mistake somewhere in the craziness that was this summer and I will be happy to go back and recheck! 🙂

Now then, onto today’s pitch!  (Don’t forget to rustle up your Something Chocolate – and feel free to share what you’re snacking on in the comments :))  Which reminds me, apropos of nothing, that I’m thinking of changing the way I label Would You Read It days.  I’m thinking about switching to Would You Read It Wednesday #56 – Title (genre)… as I did on today’s post.  Any thoughts about that?  I think it would be more interesting and informative… 🙂  And I may have some free time in 2027 when I could go back and relabel all the old posts 🙂

Anyway, today’s pitch comes to us from Tina, who has pitched for us once before (see The 42nd Pitch)
Tina is an author of 21 guided reading books from Lakeshore Learning and Compass Media, 2 contracted nonfiction books for girls with Legacy Kids Press, and even has a coloring book coming out in 2013 with Warner Press. She is a former elementary teacher who currently homeschools her 5th grade daughter and 2nd grade son. Though she grew up in Iowa, she is now living outside of Seoul, South Korea. She is participating in Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 in 2012 picture book challenge.

And here is her pitch:

Working Title:  Melody Wants A Piano
Age/Genre:  Picture Book
The Pitch:  Melody has a song in her heart until she discovers her best friend has a piano of her own. When the neighbor’s piano is put up for sale, Melody wants to buy it, but her family can’t afford it. She is determined to raise money using her somewhat wonderful singing skills, even participating in a talent show.

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 Tina 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, which is not very far away!

Tina is looking forward to your thoughts!  (And just know that she lives on the other side of the world and is asleep while some of us are awake, so if she doesn’t respond right away that’s why! :))  I am going to finish cleaning my office.  I really am.  Right after I brush the dogs and take them for a walk, and maybe bake some cranberry bread because fall is in the air… 🙂

Have a great day everyone!

Would You Read It Wednesday – The 55th Pitch

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Guess what I’ve been doing?

You’ll never guess.

It’s so out of character.

I’ve been cleaning my office.

You know that feeling, when you squeeeeeeeeeeeeze your way into your office, look around at the mountains of note-covered manuscripts, the cascading piles of scraps of multi-colored paper, ATM receipts and napkins densely covered with scribbled ideas you thought up while you were away from your computer, stacks of books – both for reading pleasure and for writing craft – that simply will not fit into your overflowing bookshelf, Phyllis and friends tumbling off their seat of honor onto the desktop, and you just think to yourself, “Crikey, Sus!  You need a maid!”?

I just felt – and I may have been leaping to farfetched conclusions – that I wasn’t getting the maximum benefit out of my workspace since I couldn’t actually get into it… and even if I did, there wasn’t a clear surface on which to set my trusty computer.

“Susanna,” I said to myself, very sternly, “you will clean that office or I will have to administer harsh punishment!”

I was pretty scary!

So I cleaned for HOURS!

Result?  I’m exhausted.  And my office is clear…er…ish… but not done, so there is more cleaning in my future.  Sigh.

So this morning I am recovering my unquenchable good humor by hanging out with you guys and sharing today’s Would You Read It pitch 🙂  Hmm… let me just rummage in my pantry and see what kind of Something Chocolate I have today… Oooh!  Look!  I still have a few of those special Kiwi milk chocolates left that the wonderful Diane sent me all the way from far off New Zealand!  How is possible I didn’t eat these yet?  Well, don’t question good fortune, just help yourselves if you care to 🙂

Now then, today’s pitch comes to us from the lovely Rachel.  Rachel says, “I’m married with four kids, aged seven years down to ten months. I coach high school speech and theater. I show Arabian horses, which I’m now able to do with my oldest daughter. I mainly write picture books and middle grade books.”  When you have a sec, please take a moment to visit her BLOG.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  Princess Azalea’s Two Left Feet
Age/Genre:  Picture Book (ages 3-8)
The Pitch:  Princess Azalea has two problems. One: She can’t dance. And if she can’t dance, she can’t meet a prince at a royal ball, which, as everyone knows, is where princesses meet their prince charmings. Two: She really doesn’t care. But her mother, the Queen, is determined to get her dancing no matter what! Will Azalea learn to twirl and spin without falling on her royal bottom? Or will she find her happily ever after her own way?

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 Rachel 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 Octoberber, which is not very far away!

Rachel is looking forward to your thoughts!  And I am NOT looking forward to going back into my office!  But, as they say, once more into the breech!  Wish me luck.  If I don’t show up on Friday, you’ll know I’m trapped 🙂

Oh, and P.S.!  For anyone who didn’t see the contest announcement on Monday, go HERE and read all about it!  The contest opens Friday and it will be tons of fun! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday – The 54th Pitch, And Straight From The Editor #11

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Buenos Miercoles mi amigos!

I hope you are all deeply impressed with my ability to render Spanish unrecognizable 🙂  It’s a gift 🙂

Surprise, surprise, guess where I am?  If you guessed en el coche (in the car for our English speaking audience) you are correct!  I may have to be surgically removed from Princess Blue Kitty come September… we are starting to have a very hard time telling where one of us ends and the other begins 🙂

Anyhoo, I know you are all champing at the bit to get to today’s pitch, plus we have Straight From The Editor.  Has there ever been anything better that Would You Read It Wednesday?  But yes!  The Something Chocolate that goes along with it!  Of course you may grab whatever chocolate suits your fancy, but today I am serving chocolate chip pancakes because Wendy suggested them and they sounded like a perfect choice!

In case you were wondering, I DO realize that this is not a picture of chocolate chip pancakes.  It is my step-daughter’s wedding cake.  But it is the only picture of food I have, and people have been poking fun at my ability to draw food using only the options on the keyboard, so just pretend since I can’t borrow from google anymore.  Chocolate chip pancakes anyone? 🙂

So, first up, Straight From The Editor starring Erin Molta, and Dana’s pitch.

Here is Dana’s pitch:

Working Title:  CJ’s Tiger
Age/Genre:  Picture Book (ages 4-8)CJ has always dreamed of having a tiger for a pet, so he is thrilled when he awakens one day to find that his cat “Tiger” has transformed into a real tiger. However he soon learns that having a pet tiger is a lot harder than he imagined when the day turns into one big catastrophe!

And here are Erin’s comments:

This is cute! But since most people realize that a pet tiger might be more difficult to care for than a cat, I think you might want to add at least one example of how catastrophic it can be. So, the first sentence is fine but then I would say, “However, when “Tiger” mauls her favorite scratching post to smithereens and swallows the steaks mom had out for dinner –whole, he realizes that having a pet tiger is a lot harder than he imagined.” Of course, using the scenes you were envisioning that would make the day a catastrophe 🙂.

I think that is very helpful, don’t you?

Now, it’s time for today’s pitch which comes to us from Kimberley who has worked as a literacy coach, elementary teacher, grant writer, public policy lobbyist, and Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers. She is a master in the art of moving and changing. She is concentrating on staying in one place, raising her children in Maine, teaching, reading, and writing.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  Saturdays With Fish
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-7)
The Pitch:  When Libby goes fishing with her stepdad he calls her “Fish”. The loud loud loud of the city is left behind as they head to the quiet quiet quiet of the pond. It is there that Libby and her Stepdad find joy as simple and warm as the sun, well, except when Libby accidentally hooks a bullfrog!

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 Kimberley 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 Octoberber, which is not very far away, so we could really use some new pitches!!

Kimberley is looking forward to your thoughts!  And I am looking forward to getting out of the car… if I am still able to stand up… and no, those are certainly NOT donut crumbs! 🙂  See you all Friday for the last Summer Short & Sweet which is going to be tons of fun!!!!!

Would You Read It Wednesday – The 53rd Pitch And The July Pitch Pick!

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Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I am very excited for Would You Read It today!  Not only do we get to start the day with Something Chocolate, not only do we get to read a great new pitch, not only am I not in the car (it’s true!  I’m not in the car!  Can you believe it?), but this is the first month where we’re trying out the new system!

Previously, we just voted on the month’s pitches, but NOW, as per the new policy, pitchers who wanted to have had the chance to revise their pitches for the pitch pick, so what you will be seeing today is that in action for the first time!

3 of our 4 July pitchers chose to take your helpful comments and revise for the July Pitch Pick, so here are the pitches for your evaluation:

#1 Carrie
Title: Singin’ Sam, the Ice Cream Man
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Pitch: Sam loves dishing out ice cream to his favorite customers. But when a rival ice cream truck shows up on his corner, Sam must find a way to out-sing, out-scoop, and out-serve the competition to keep his customers — and himself — happy.

#2 Rita
Working Title:  What’s Wrong With Molly Zwirl
Age/Genre:  Chapter Book (ages 6-9)
The Pitch:  Molly, an immigrant girl from Europe settling in the USA, is just like the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead.  She tries so hard to be good but when her grandparents come she just has to be bad.

#3 Vivian

Working Title: The Tomato Turner
Genre/Age: Picture Book/3-8
Stuck between a brainy brother and an adorable sister, Peter Peter middle-seater is searching for a way to be spectacular.  When he sees the basket of green tomatoes, he knows his chance to astonish his family has come…if only he can turn the tomatoes red.

#4 Dana
Working Title:  CJ’s Tiger
Age/Genre:  Picture Book (ages 4-8)
CJ has always dreamed of having a tiger for a pet, so he is thrilled when he awakens one day to find that his cat “Tiger” has transformed into a real tiger. However he soon learns that having a pet tiger is a lot harder than he imagined when the day turns into one big catastrophe!

Please vote for your favorite below by Sunday August 19 at noon EDT.  I will announce the winner Monday and send her pitch off to editor Erin Molta for comment at that time.

I must say, this is a tough choice!!!  I can’t wait to see how the votes land!

Now, onto today’s pitch, which comes to us from Sharron.  Sharron loves reading, writing, sharing with friends and learning new things.  She blogs at Nothing But Writing and has joined us here once before for the 27th pitch of Sorrysorrysorry back on February 15.  (As a matter of fact, she was the winner of the February pitch pick!)

Here is her pitch for today:

Working Title:  Nothing But Blue Skies
Age/Genre:  Upper Middle Grade Fantasy
The Pitch:  Wizards have turned the world topsy-turvy. The sky is green. The grass is purple. Streams are pale pink. An abused, fourteen-year old princess is the only being able to change it back. But – not as a girl. A dragon’s tear transforms her into a prince. To triumph over magic, she must find out who she is and who she wants to be.

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 Sharron 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, which is not very far away at all at this point, so we could really use some new pitches!!

Sharron has struggled mightily with this pitch and is very much looking forward to your thoughts!

I am looking forward to hearing everyone’s reactions to the new pitch pick system.  Do you like it?  Would you prefer to have the old pitch and the revised pitch both shown so you can compare, or would that make too much reading or be confusing?  Inquiring minds want to know 🙂