Where did the summer go?

In a blink, the summer is gone. I'm definitely behind on my blog updates, but we spent the last few weeks enjoying everything summer has to offer. I can't say I regret it for a minute! Our days were filled with biking, playing and swimming. Even though the summer is always busy, I find it restorative. We spend so much time outside and the days are so long. I wish summer came twice a year! Some photos of the kids as they looked most of the summer.....

Support your independent book stores!

Don't forget your local bookstore. There's a huge advantage in visiting "your neighbor". I have found the local stores to be very valuable in research and information. They are always willing to order for me and my book club receives a discount on the purchase price. Two of my local bookstores are helping me arrange school author visits and provide a discount for the school. Visit www.trappebookcenter.com and www.harleysvillebooks.com for more information. Support your local economy!

Advance copy of the book!

I just received an advance copy of Tonight You Are My Baby. I am thrilled! Tim Ladwig, the artist, did a fantastic job with the illustrations. Several months ago, I saw the cover and one interior spread -this is my first peek at the entire book.

Tonight You Are My Baby dedication:


For Peter, Shane and Quinn - my greatest gifts.
For Mary and my mother, Kay - who taught me strength in motherhood.


Thanks to those family and friends who have pre-ordered the book. You all are there in the difficult times and the first ones to celebrate the good times!

It must be easy to write a children's book...

How hard can it be to write a children's book? Unfortunately, this is a common misperception among those who have never actually tried to get a book published! You write a few rhyming lines, think of a simple story, send it off to a publisher and voila! Writing for children is a craft, and like any other craft, practice makes perfect. And while it may seem easy to write in "kidspeak" - for most of us, that means going back in time. Often decades have passed since most of us have thought like a kid. Brooke Shields was recently on the Today show promoting her new children's book, published by HarperCollins. I'm happy to report that she pronounced writing for children was "more difficult than she had ever imagined." The trick with children's publishing is that the author could possibly be writing for three markets: the child, the parent who will be reading the picture book to the child (perhaps hundreds of times if the book is a favorite - "Goodnight Moon" anyone?) and possibly a different person who is buying the book as a gift for the child. A picture book author must also write with thoughts of the illustrations: is there enough action in the book to provide 16 pages of illustrations? Is it varied? Will it be believable? Has it been done before? And, of course the inevitable rhyming issue. As parents we love to read verse to our kids - it's fun. Kids love to read books in verse too. But, do editors love verse? That's another post.....

Highlights Magazine Wish List

Highlights Magazine just published their "wish list" for magazine articles. This list of current needs comes out several times a year. It's a great tool for writers hoping to break into the market. The list is available on their website http://www.highlights.com/ . You can also sign up for an email alert when the next wish list is published. One of my articles is currently under consideration - "Vote A Turkey Into The White House". This article focuses on the annual Presidential tradition of pardoning a turkey each Thanksgiving. Now the public can vote online for the turkey names. If you are hoping to try your hand at magazine writing, check out the wish list for ideas.

SCBWI-NJ Conference

I attended the New Jersey SCWI conference this past weekend. The coordinators do a fabulous job. About 20 editors and agents representing top houses/agencies provide manuscript critiques/market information/Q & A. Most of the publishing houses are closed to manuscript submissions, but these conferences allow a writer the opportunity to submit. That's worth the price of admission right there! Any serious children's writer knows it's almost impossible to submit to top houses without an agent. And it's extremely difficult to get an agent without a published book! It's a chicken vs. egg theory. I always feel inspired after attending any of the SCBWI conferences - wherever I am in my writing career. If an aspiring author, it's a great way to learn the market and gain insight. Now I attend with the intention of sopping up the valuable experience of established writers and editors. Check out the link of the NJ chapter and the editors/agents that attended. www.newjerseyscbwi.com

Helpful Links For A Writer

It's taken me almost two years to find some great links that helped me with my writing - thought I might share a few:


http://www.easybib.com/ submitting a bibliography for a magazine article you wrote? Has it been a few years since you were in high school? Check out this website, type in your information and voila! Easy bib can format online sources, newspapers, email interviews, you name it! Things have sure changed since I was last writing bibliographies.

http://www.rhymezone.com/ writing a book in verse? Can't think of a word that rhymes with "amazing"? Type in your word and rhyme zone will give you rhyming words - even offering you syllable choices. Maybe it's a dictionary you need or a thesauras - get it here. As a writer who often finds herself writing in verse, this site has saved me hours of frustration.

http://www.amazon.com/ You have a great idea or a terrific title, but wait a minute....are there similar books already on the market? The Amazon site can tell you. Some of the books even offer text stats such as word count, etc.

http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/ The Institute of Children's Literature offers great tips online and also a newsletter. The RX for Writers is free. Archived interviews and articles are also available.


http://www.underdown.org/ Harold Underdown is an editor who offers a terrific website for aspiring authors. He has recently published the third edition of An Idiot's Guide to Publishing. Also good tips on choosing a reputable agent.


http://www.scbwi.org/ The SCBWI bears mentioning again. A great organization of writers (published and aspiring). The website is a valuable tool and the workshops offer a writer the best chance of meeting an editor.