Tag: Dec/Jan Pitch Pick

Would You Read It Wednesday #205 – The Hero Of Foggy Basin (PB) PLUS The Dec/Jan Pitch Pick Winner!

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Woo hoo!  It’s Wednesday!  And it’s officially spring!  I hope you are all feeling sunshiny this morning! 🙂

Did any of you ever read Cheaper By The Dozen by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey?  It was a favorite of mine when I was growing up, about a big, happy, busy family having one hilarious adventure after another.  If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it (and not the movie with Steve Martin… read the book!  Not that I have anything against Steve Martin – actually, he is a favorite – but I always think the book is better than the movie 🙂 )

Anyway, the reason I bring it up is because the father in the story  was an efficiency expert.  And I’ve decided I could seriously use an efficiency expert!  I would love to have someone organize my time and tasks and keep me on schedule.  I would do it myself but it turns out I’m not very good at it – too easily sidetracked by interesting tangents! 🙂  So if any of you are extremely organized, like to crack the whip, and are interested in working for brownies, you may apply in the comment section 🙂

Because look at this!  Here we are in March and I just realized, what with the Valentiny Contest and all, we got a little off our schedule and I never announced the winner of the December/January Pitch Pick!

So without further ado…

…the winner…

(…drum roll please…!)

…is Ashley with her pitch for The Race Against Sleep!

Congratulations, Ashley!  Your pitch is on its way to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts and I’m sure you’ll hear from her soon!

Congratulations also to our other courageous pitchers, who put their work out for all the world to see and comment on.  You all did a fabulous job – it was a close race! – and I hope even those who didn’t win got enough helpful feedback to really improve their pitches!  Well done all of you!

And now, so that we don’t accidentally miss Easter in some lapse of efficiency (because it’s so early this year it would be easy to miss!) I thought this festive, springy Easter Egg Pretzel Chocolate Swirl Bark would be an excellent choice for today’s Something Chocolate!

Easter-Egg-Pretzel-Chocolate-Swirl-Bark-Recipe-by-Five-Heart-Home_700pxAerial

Recipe HERE at FiveHeartHome

So pretty, isn’t it?  And chocolatey and sweet and salty…YUM!

And now, in what can only be called a model of efficiency 🙂 , onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Heather who says, “Several years ago, I was a Silicon Valley proofreader/copy editor. Now I’m a mom, school volunteer, and student of picture-book writing. The writing light switched on for me in third grade when we were all asked to dictate a story into a tape recorder. I got gold stars on my assignment that day, and writing has been part of my creative life ever since. Nowadays, the world feels right when I can walk around creating characters in my head. Aside from my picture-book characters, I live with my inspiring kids and rocket scientist husband in Redwood City, California.”

Visit her at:  www.HeatherKinser.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Hero Of Foggy Basin

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-6)

The Pitch:  A stray dog with a sunny disposition wanders into a town that’s always blanketed by fog—and can’t find the way out. Dog brightens the lives of the gloomy townsfolk, but when he realizes he’s not free to leave, he gradually loses hope. That’s when he meets a trio of children who seem to carry a light of their own, and decides it’s his job to fetch them the sun.

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 Heather improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

 

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in April so you could get your pitch up for some helpful feedback very soon, and have a chance to have it read by editor Erin Molta!

Heather is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to seeing who applies for the job as my efficiency expert or, failing that, who has any excellent suggestions on time management 🙂

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!!! 🙂

Would You Read It Wednesday #200 – The Dino Store (PB) PLUS The Dec/Jan Pitch Pick!

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Happy (one day late!) Groundhog Day, Everyone!

I hope you were all thrilled at Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction of an early spring!

Up here on Blueberry Hill, Phyllis was feeling a little more cautious.  She said, “How can we have spring if we haven’t had winter yet?” and “Who the heck does El Nino think he is?” and “By the way, what’s with El Nino?!  How about El Nina?! I could teach that guy a thing or two!” and “If anyone has any strawberries I would like some please!”

Phyllis and I had a delightful visit with Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades at Beekman Elementary School yesterday (even without strawberries… they had really good cookies!… thank you, Mrs. Osso 🙂 )  Local gossip speculates that there may be photographs in existence somewhere… but as I don’t have them yet (and will likely decide they’re not fit to be seen even when I do 🙂 ) you’ll have to wait for those… maybe a Very. Long. Time! 🙂   And now, even as you read this, Phyllis and I are off visiting another school today!  We’re like a whirlwind.  Or maybe a girlwind 🙂  The first week of February is always busy and tons of fun around here!

So busy, in fact, that I really think Something Chocolate is called for immediately to sustain us!  Especially because our busy day today includes the December/January Pitch Pick!

Since today is the birthday of someone I love more than you can imagine (yes, Phyllis, but someone else too :)), I think we should have cake!

choc cake

Doesn’t that look divine?  All we need is a nice hot cup of coffee to go with it and balance out the sweet!  (And Julie R-Z – please note the raspberries – I put them on there so you wouldn’t have to eat cake for breakfast because I know how you feel about that 🙂 )

Okay!  Are you ready to Pitch Pick?

#1 Diane – The Dreadfully Unhappy Cat (PB ages 4-8)

(for those of you who read it in December, this was formerly Peyton The Cat And The Princess Who Loves Everything Pink)

Mortimer, a dreadfully unhappy cat, needs to get his new owner, Pauline’s attention. Mortimer feels there are to many kisses and does not like the new name Pauline gave him, Prissy-the-Cat-Princess. How can he get her attention? Several cat-devious ideas pop into his head. But Pauline fails to notice Mortimer’s signs and instead blames them all on Tommy, her brother. Mortimer’s last cat-fantastic idea is to seek the help of Pauline’s brother—as he seems to understand Mortimer’s dilemma. Once Pauline discovers Mortimer’s wishes, a compromise is reached between daily kisses, his name, and being a guard for Tommy’s castle.

 

#2 Gabi – Eustacia, Unicorn Of Science (PB ages 4-8)

(for those of you who read the original, this was formerly titled Unicorn With A Stache)

Meet Eustacia.  Like her fellow unicorns, she toots rainbows.  Unlike her fellow unicorns, she studies science, solves formulas, and invents gizmos.  The other unicorns scoff and say, “Magic is the unicorn way.”  But when their rainbows disappear, Eustacia discovers that both science and magic have a place in the unicorn world.

#3  Cynthia – Nicky And The Inchworm (PB ages 4-8)

Nicky loves to splash in the puddles, but when he finds a shiny wet inchworm dangling over a puddle he knows he has to act fast. Amazed by this tiny little creature, Nicky forgets about splashing in puddles and sets out to find a safe home for his tiny new friend.

 

#4  Carleen – Annabelle Changes Her Name (PB ages 4-8)

Annabelle’s name is too long, too hard, too different.  But when she decides to change it, she runs into all sorts of problems.  And then she meets a new girl whose name is long and hard and different, too.   And now Annabelle isn’t so sure anymore about changing her name.

#5  Ashley – The Race Against Sleep (PB ages 4-8)

Bill is the fastest runner this side of the Mississippi, but can he outrun Sleep? THE RACE AGAINST SLEEP introduces readers to a boastful boy, Bill, whose bragging rights are on the line when he accepts Sleep’s challenge to a footrace with no finish line. Bill fights to stay up and moving as Sleep uses the typically charming, Southern landscape against him.

Funny – we got a couple title changes this month!  And they’re all PBs for ages 4-8!

Please vote in the poll below for the pitch you like best that you feel most deserves a read and comments from editor Erin Molta.  Please cast your vote by Sunday February 7 at 5 PM Eastern.  Results will be posted weeks from now after the Valentiny Contest is over 🙂

Today’s pitch comes to us from Lynne Marie who says, “My name is Lynne Marie, and picture books (and dinosaurs) are a long-time passion of mine. I am a reader, reviewer, a writer, and world traveller. My first book, Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten was published by Scholastic in 2011, with one to follow. Please visit me at “My Word Playground” — who knows who or what might pop in there, maybe even a dinosaur or two!

You can learn more about her at www.literallylynnemarie.com,  follow her writing and inspiration blog at http://literallylynnemarie.blogspot.com and follow her on twitter @Literally_Lynne

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: The Dino Store

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

The Pitch: When a child wishes for a real dinosaur, a magical door leads him to The Dino Store. But will he choose a walnut-brained Stegosaurus, a bully scaring T-Rex or an Apatosaurus whose neck he can slide down? With Show ‘N Tell tomorrow he needs to choose fast. But what if the wrong choice leads to BIGGER problems?

 

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

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Lynne Marie improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

 

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on Would You Read It in the dropdown menu beneath For Writers in the bar above.  There are openings in March so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Lynne Marie is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!  I am looking forward to visiting another school full of happy, excited Kindergartners, 1st and 2nd graders with my furry little marmot friend!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! 🙂