Hello, wonderful readers! Welcome back to KidLit Oasis ― the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy, because today we have another awesome creative on the Chitchat series... children's author Karla Valenti is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, she's giving away a copy of her new book, Alan Turing and the Power of Curiosity to one lucky winner! Welcome, Karla! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. KV: Brief does not describe my journey! :) Like many authors, I’ve been writing my whole life, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I was able to take my storytelling seriously. I began by learning everything I could about kidlit publishing and the craft of being a pro storyteller (by the way - two of the most valuable things I did in this regard were joining Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 challenge and becoming an SCBWI member). Like everyone in this shared journey, I wrote and wrote and wrote. I queried and queried and queried. I was rejected and rejected and rejected (between us, I stopped counting after 500). So naturally, I fretted and despaired and dabbled with the thought of giving up. And then this little boy showed up in the deepest recesses of my mind to tell me a story of such profound grief that it broke my heart. I had no choice but to sit down and write it. 40,000 words poured out into a MG novel that resulted in three agent offers (elation!). Most importantly though, I was back at my desk writing (which helped when the novel went out on submission and never actually sold). Eventually (and for unrelated reasons) I parted ways with my agent. Even though I was (sort of) back where I had started, I had a lot more resilience, some important knowledge about the business of being an author, and the courage to put my heart onto a blank piece of paper. Fast forward many years and I found out about a call for submissions hosted by a global science association looking to partner with an author to write a picture book about Marie Curie. I do not write non-fiction, and there were already many great biographies of Marie Curie. However, I saw an opportunity to flex my creative muscles and in the process deliver a new perspective of what it means to be a scientist. The premise was simple: the book would not be a biography of Marie Curie, but rather a story about a trait, a skill, a super power she embodied and which played an important role in helping her succeed in life. Drawing on select moments of Marie’s life, the story would highlight how she used that power (persistence!) in overcoming challenge after challenge—represented by her nemesis, a monster aptly named, Mr. Opposition—to ultimately reach her dreams. I submitted the story to the science association, and to my great delight, they loved it! I began working with them on an Indiegogo campaign to fund the publication of the book. Before the month was over, we had far exceeded our fundraising goal and Sourcebooks had made us an offer for world rights to the story. The whirlwind that followed was magical, and “Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence” came out in April 2020. We are now launching book two in the My Super Science Heroes series, this time with a focus on the power of curiosity. The brilliant Alan Turing is our hero, as we focus on select moments in his life that showcase his unfailing curiosity and how it helped him solve some of the most enigmatic challenges of his time (including battling his nemesis, Miss Enigma, who only speaks in code)! My journey started over ten years ago, and so much of it has been heart-breaking and confidence-shattering. Fortunately, the kidlit community (all the authors and illustrators and storybook makers), is unparalleled in kindness, generosity, and support. Without them, I would never be where I am (I just sold my 7th book!). Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: Most challenging - being patient! Ugh, the worst. Most rewarding - 1. Working with so many creative and inspiring people. 2.Reading all the beautiful stories coming into the world by so many creative and inspiring people. Most motivating 1. My critique partners who are incredibly smart, supportive, and invaluable in helping me shape my ideas. 2. Illustrators. All of them. I’m especially grateful to Annalisa Beghelli, whose inspiring artwork graces the pages of the My Super Science Heroes series. 3. My amazing agent (shout out to Ammi-Joan Paquette!) who is a real pro and makes me feel like one too. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: I tend to overthink all of my stories and also pepper them with darlings (so many darlings!). This makes revisions a nightmare. I have found that the very best thing I can do is fall in love with something new (i.e. write a new story) and put my current WIP away for six months (or more!). I have to put a ton of distance between me and the story in order to be able to see it with fresh eyes and be inspired by it once more. It also helps that I write both picture books and novels. Jumping between genres is a great way to disconnect from whatever I’m working on and gain a fresh perspective. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: My debut MG novel, LOTERIA (Knopf) comes out September 7, 2021. Set in Oaxaca, Mexico, this magical realist adventure follows a young girl who becomes an unwitting pawn in a high-stakes game of Lotería being played by Life and Death. If your readers are interested, the book is now available for pre-order on my site (and there’s a great interview by Mr. Schu!) I also recently sold two new pictures books (which I first wrote in 2014). Moral of the story: keep writing, keep revising, stay in the game! Thank you, Karla -- it was a pleasure chatting with you and learning more about your amazing journey! Wishing you many more successes and all the best with your books! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- G I V E A W A Y ! ! ! Comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Karla Valenti's book, Alan Turing and the Power of Curiosity And the winner of the copy of Alan Turing and the Power of Curiosity is... Claire Freeland!!! Congratulations! Author Karla Arenas Valenti writes stories for and about kids, taking readers on journeys seeped in magical realism and philosophical questions. Her storytelling is heavily influenced by her Mexican heritage and layered with ideas and concepts she’s picked up in her many travels around the world. She currently resides in the Chicagoland area with her husband and three kids, two cats, and hundreds of books. Karla writes picture books (she is the creator of the “My Super Science Heroes” series) and middle grade novels. ................................................................................................................................................................. Connect with Karla Valenti Website: karlavalenti.com Twitter handle: @KV_Writes In other news. . .
I'm super excited to share this!!! Read the article HERE Have you added Sunday Rain to your picture books bookshelf yet? ;)
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Jackie, congratulations on your new editor position at Blue Whale Press! This is such happy news and the beginning of an exciting journey! I am thrilled for you, and honored to have the exclusive interview with you as an editor — thank you for being my guest! Please tell us a bit about your background and how you stepped into the editor position. What led to this new role, how did you get the news, and what was your initial reaction? JK: I served as the Regional Advisor for my chapter of SCBWI from 2016-2019. During this time I met incredible kitlit creatives including Blue Whale Press editor Alayne Kay Christian. We became fast friends and attended many SCBWI events together. I was nervous to submit my work to a friend as I didn't want our friendship to seem contingent on career advancement. I ultimately chose not to submit. We were out to lunch one day when she asked, "why haven't you submitted to me?" I confessed my apprehension and she assured me she knew I was not angling for a contract. She also told me one would only be offered if my work was up to par and not because we are friends. I decided she was exactly the type of no-nonsense editor I wanted to work with, so I sent in a project I had been working on for a few years. After a couple of revise and resubmit rounds she offered a contract for my upcoming picture book Mixed-Up Menagerie. When Alayne decided to retire from BWP she suggested me as her replacement to our parent publisher Clear Fork Publishing. I was honored, elated, speechless, and a million other adjectives! I had a Zoom interview with Callie Metler, whom I had also met during my time as SCBWI Regional Advisor, and now here I am being interviewed as an editor. Life is certainly unpredictable. Life certainly is unpredictable! And I'm glad that you and I have been friends for many years and I can say I knew you back when... Okay, so what comes next? What are your duties at Blue Whale Press? What does your day-to-day look like? JK: My responsibilities at BWP is to read and review picture book manuscripts before presenting potential acquisitions to the Clear Fork Publishing advisory board. I am also a participating member of the advisor board which means I get to review manuscripts and proposals from other imprints. I love this part of my job! I get to read excellent works and discuss marketing strategies for upcoming releases. Once a manuscript is acquired for BWP it is time to find an illustrator, create a story board, and ensure the final product is polished to perfection. As far as my day-to-day, I like to read submissions in the morning over a cup of coffee. Once my editor duties are done then I can focus on my personal projects and fun stuff like a blog interview with my good friend Rosie. Ah, glad to be contributing to the fun stuff of your day, my friend, as I wouldn't want to add more work or chores to it ;)! On a broader scale, what is the Imprint's mission overall with the books they publish? Do you anticipate any changes now that you've taken over? JK: My predecessor, Alayne Kay Christian, had a wonderful eye for quality writing and a passion for projects that were informative and timeless. I mirror her vision and will focus on fiction and nonfiction for mass market distribution. It is my goal to see BWP books in every library, store, and gift shop as well as featured on blogs, podcasts, and other social media outlets. I want to help jump start careers and smile with pride as our amazing authors and illustrators find success in the literary world. Are you actively acquiring new books at this time and are you currently open to submissions? Who can submit -- authors, illustrator or both? Do you take agented, unsolicited, or both? Do you reply to all submissions or only if interested, and what is the timeframe for a reply? I will be open to submission for the month of March (with a few exclusive opportunities...wink wink). I will then be closed for a few months as I ease into my new role, but plan to open again later this year. Follow me on Twitter @JackieKruzie and like Blue Whale Press on Facebook to stay informed. Wink wink back -- I am honored, Jackie, and thank you for your generous offer to my readers! (See below for details.) What kinds of books will Blue Whale be publishing? How many per year? What would be the focus of your titles? And more personally, what appeals to you? What types of stories are you looking for? Where can we find the complete submission guidelines? JK: The BWP imprint acquires picture books with a STEM focus. A few of our current titles include Randall and Randall, Who Will? Will You?, The Weed that Woke Christmas, and An Old Man and His Penguin all which have STEM related storylines. I will continue to search for books that are entertaining and informative. Though picture books will be my focus I would love to see a short chapter book in inbox. I personally love books that are fun to read out loud. As a former librarian I understand which books make wonderful storytime reads and which do not. As an author I know that I want my books read to as many young readers as possible, so for me having a book featured in a library storytime is the ultimate compliment. I am looking for books that librarians and teachers will be excited to share with eager young minds. What should writers not submit to you? JK: I am not the right fit for novelty/board books or graphic novels. I am also not looking for middle grade or young adult novels, however our parent publisher, Clear Fork Publishing, has other imprints that focus on these books. You can learn more about them on the Clear Fork website https://www.clearforkpublishing.com/copy-of-our-imprints What projects are you working on right now for Blue Whale's list? I know that your own book , Mixed-Up Menagerie, was previously acquired by Blue Whale, could you give us an update on that? Where is the book in the process and could you share any behind-the-scene tidbits? What else are you excited about from the upcoming list and why? Any other Blue Whale titles in the pipeline you could share with us? JK: My book Mixed-Up Menagerie is scheduled for release in Spring 2022. Nicole Allin is an amazing artist and is currently working on illustrations. I am so excited for this book and cannot wait to share it with the world. As for other projects, Alayne will continue to work on the manuscripts that she has acquired seeing them through to completion. I will be observing every step of the way absorbing all I can from Alayne. Any advice to authors/illustrators who plan to submit to you, beyond following the submission guidelines, of course, and targeting their submissions to your wish list? JK: I love one sentence tag lines. I am always impressed with authors who can hook me with a few short words. Often the pitch you create will be used on the back cover of the finished book so it must be flawless. My favorite one-line hooks are from Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levin and Princess in Training by Tammi Sauer. Author Susanna Hill has a feature on her website called Would You Read it Wednesday where authors submit their pitches for review. This is a wonderful resource to learn the art of creating a seamless pitch. Also, take advantage of your local library or bookstore and read the back covers of picture books to hone this invaluable skill. Are there any events/workshops/conferences you'd be a part of? JK: Not yet but hopefully soon! Thank you, Jackie, for spending time with me and my readers and for giving us the scoop! I wish you all the best on your journey, both as an author and an editor, and I can't wait to celebrate the many exciting milestones with you as we continue to nurture our wonderful friendship! We've been supporting each other over the years and we've grown together as writers, and I am very thankful to have you in my life! Also, thank you kindly for the generous offers of a picture book critique that you're giving away to one lucky reader of KidLit Oasis, and an exclusive submission opportunity window for all of my readers!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Special offers from Jackie Kruzie to KidLIt Oasis readers: PB critique giveaway >Subscribe to KidLit Oasis (via the pop-up or the upper right corner form) >Leave a comment for this post >Share this post on Facebook or Twitter (don't forget to tag me @RosiePOV) Exclusive Submission Opportunity Window for KidLit Oasis Readers 4/20 to 4/30 >>>>>This Submission window is now closed<<<<< And the winner of Jackie's picture book critique is. . . Dedra Davis!!! Congratulations! Jackie Kruzie is the Acquisitions Editor at Blue Whale Press, an imprint of Clear Fork Publishing, and author of MIXED-UP MENAGERIE, a STEM picture book introducing fascinating animals and their unique traits. It is scheduled for release in Spring 2022. Jackie has master’s degree in Library Science and is a contributing author to a sensitivity and inclusivity training textbook published through the American Library Association. Her contribution educates and informs librarians on how to better serve library users who use AAC devices to communicate. As a parent of an AAC device user this project is near and dear to her heart. When not sharing stories or writing her own, Jackie enjoys farm life on a 60-acre farm with her husband where they raise a mess of kids, horses, cows, longhorns, sheep, goats, and a cacophony of chickens, roosters, ducks, and turkeys. Find Jackie’s Storytime Picks and Book Talk videos on her website at jackiekruzie.com and follow her on Twitter @JackieKruzie ................................................................................................................................................................. In other news. . .
Check out my upcoming Picture Book Writing class, pictures from a "princess model" photo shoot for Sunday Rain, and the parent review that almost made me cry tears of joy. "My kiddo is obsessed! Sunday Rain is intelligent, beautiful, and age appropriate! My daughter has requested we read it together at least one hundred times. A must buy for the little readers in the family!" --Amazon Customer
Hello amazing readers! KidLit Oasis is back with a new author interview and a giveaway! I can't wait to dive in and hear my guest's words of wisdom, learn about her publication journey, and get the scoop on her past, present, and future projects. I hope you're curious to learn more, too, and you're cozy, comfy, and ready!
So, without further ado, welcome, Patricia! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: I met my first agent at a conference sponsored by SCBWI, and she sold my first book. After she retired, I attended another SCBWI conference where I met my second agent Deborah Warren at East West Literary, during a face-to-face critique. She said, “If you are ever looking for an agent, please consider me.” I was and I did, and we’re still together after sixteen years! After our first book sale, we had a looong dry spell. One day I opened my calendar to Dec. 31, 2012 and wrote, “Quit if no sales.” But in August of that year, Carol Hinz at Millbrook Press purchased Plastic, Ahoy!, which went on to win several awards. Carol and I have published six books together, including Sea Otter Heroes, which received a Sibert Honor from ALA, and this month’s Planet Ocean. So, it pays to persevere. You never know what’s around the next corner. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: The waiting and proposal writing. The waiting induces stress and stress induces self-doubt. But the cure for waiting is to immerse myself in a new writing project—and I seem to have a limitless supply of ideas. Remember, your books might not be published in the order you write them. Because most of my work is middle-grade nonfiction, I create a proposal to sell the idea to an editor—an overview of the idea, a chapter outline, and marketing information. (Writers, see this article I wrote on proposals.) Proposals are difficult because I create them before I’ve completed my research. I do a lot of reading and searching for sources. Then I have a brief conversation with the scientists. I don’t yet have a sale and don’t want to take up a lot of their time. I have to strike a balance between gathering enough research to find the narrative thread and the hook for a young reader and overdoing it before I have a sale. I’ve managed to survive the proposal process several times, so I know I can do it! I compare proposals to the Fire Swamp in The Princess Bride. Before I enter the metaphorical swamp, I remind myself that I’ve been here before and know the secrets and have emerged relatively unscathed. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: Mentor texts are wonderful tools. I find a book I admire – maybe for the language, maybe for the format – and study it to see why it works. I usually type in the text – the complete text for picture books and a selection for longer works – without the images to get a feel for how the words were put together. As a NF author, I have to think about the format of my book. Will it have sidebars? If so, how long should they be? What should be included in the back matter? Should the text be accompanied by photos or illustrations? Do I have enough photos for a MG title? How much do the photos cost and will the copyright holders extend permission to use them? I’m much better at revision than rough drafts. I have a sense of where the book is going when I finally begin to revise. I write tighter and I organize my thoughts on a whole different level. Even though I often work from a proposal, I try not to let that outline tie me down. I want the creative process to take over. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: Planet Ocean just released on March 2. Annie Crawley and I teamed up for our third book together. We focused on how we have an unbreakable connection with the sea and how to empower readers to become the voice of the ocean through storytelling. Watch this video to find out why your (home, school, classroom) library needs Planet Ocean.
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In fall 2022, I have a new nonfiction title coming out. Instead of photographs, it will be illustrated by the talented Natasha Donovan. I wish I could tell you the title, but we’re still working on that. I can tell you it’s a happy conservation story. Thank you, Patricia -- it was great chatting with you! Thanks again for being on KidLit Oasis, and all the best on your journey! I look forward to all of your future books and projects! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their books through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — shares are appreciated. Thank you! Check out the giveaway below! Connect with Patricia Newman: Website: https://www.patriciamnewman.com/ Twitter: @PatriciaNewman Click on the book cover to order a copy of Planet Ocean
Patricia Newman’s books show young readers how their actions can ripple around the world. Using social and environmental injustice as inspiration, she empowers young readers to seek connections to the real world and to use their imaginations to act on behalf of their communities. A Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient, Patricia’s books have received starred reviews, ALA Notable recognition, Green Earth Book Awards, an Outstanding Science Trade Book Award, a Parents’ Choice Award; been honored as Junior Library Guild selections; and been included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists.
One Texas librarian recently wrote, “Patricia is one of THE BEST nonfiction authors writing for our students in today's market, and one of our MUST HAVE AUTHORS for every collection.” Patricia frequently speaks at schools and conferences to share how children of any age can affect change. Her presentations are described as “phenomenal,” “fantastic,” “mesmerizing,” “passionate,” and “inspirational.”
G I V E A W A Y !
Comment on the post for a chance to win either a copy of Planet Ocean or a picture book critique from Patricia (please indicate your preference). *US addresses for the book only, winner will be announced next week. And the winner is . . . Danielle Hammelef! Congratulations!!!
If you're enjoying my posts and would like to support my work, please consider requesting my new book, Sunday Rain, from your local library or purchasing a copy. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are
very much appreciated, too! Order here Welcome to KidLit Oasis! I am excited to chat with the talented Erin Dealey and find out more about her author journey, books, and her best writing tips! Join me for this inspiring conversation and enter the double giveaway at the end! Welcome, Erin! Thank you for being my quest on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: First of all, thank you for inviting me to be on your blog, Rosie. As for my journey, it has come full circle with the recent release of PETER EASTER FROG, Illus. by G.Brian Karas. Caitlyn Dlouhy, my editor, is the same amazing human who pulled my very first manuscript, GOLDIE LOCKS HAS CHICKEN POX, out of the slush pile 22 years ago. LITTLE BO PEEP CAN’T GET TO SLEEP (both Atheneum / Illus. Hanako Wakiyama) followed soon after. I am so thrilled that PETER EASTER FROG has found a home with Caitlyn Dlouhy Books / Atheneum/ Simon & Schuster, where she is now VP/ Publisher of her own imprint. And yes, there were many years in between where I submitted manuscripts to Caitlyn that were not quite right for her list. Fast forward to the moment when Caitlyn said, “Yes!” to PETER EASTER FROG, and we all did a happy dance! I love this book SO MUCH. That thing about writing #kidlit and never giving up? It’s real. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: For me, the waiting is the hardest part. I always tell students that if they want to know what their grade is the second they turn in their assignment, waiting is 100x harder when you submit a manuscript. That’s not to say that I haven’t had some quick YESes (and NOs…) but for the most part, we wait. A lot. Right? PETER EASTER FROG is my 16th book and the waiting still happens. I try to remind myself that there are many other hoops that little manuscript has to jump through, and in the long run, the YESes are always worth the wait. Having young readers find themselves –or a giggle or a hug or possibly some eco-friendly motivation—in my books is the BEST. Getting to put the stories from my heart on paper and see some of them become books is such an honor. Seriously, aren’t we lucky? Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: My “technique” starts with paper and pencil—or possibly a pen. If my idea book isn’t handy, I write my first drafts out on a legal pad or in a regular old notebook. I feel like this connects more with the crazy world in my brain than typing. I know some who go straight to their computer keyboards, but to me—and I’ve said this before-- that’s like Michelangelo heading to the scaffold in the Sistine Chapel without sketching things first. Your story will change and evolve, but the initial ideas flow much more freely on paper. Writing is our art form. The first draft is your sketch. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: Next? Yikes! PETER EASTER FROG hopped onto shelves on January 19th, barely a month after DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 (Illus. Luisa Uribe/ Harper Collins / an Indie Next/ Kids’ Pick) so I think next up is some time to catch my breath--haha. No, really, there are certain manuscripts currently out on submission, whose titles shall not be named at present—one which involves a big switch in genres, so send good thoughts, please friends! Thank you, Erin -- this was fun and so insightful! Congrats on all your success! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. D O U B L E G I V E A W A Y! Comment on this post and share it on social media for a chance to win a PB critique or a copy of PETER EASTER FROG. Two winners will be announced next week. (US address for the book please.) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Erin Dealey: erindealey.com @ErinDealey Erin Dealey's original career goal was Olympic Gold Medal tetherball player. When that didn't pan out, she became a teacher, theater director, actor, mom, and author--and welcomes any opportunity to visit schools (or zoom) around the world. She lives in northern California with her husband and a very energetic Golden Retriever. Now go read (or write!) a book. : ) ..................................................................................................... Order Peter Easter Frog HERE And the winners are. . .
Danielle Hammelef won the PB critique and Eloise Freeman won a copy of Erin's book!!! Congratulations, Danielle and Erin!!! Happy New Year! Welcome back, dear readers! We are starting 2021 with a delightful double interview in the Chitchat series! So, get comfy and cozy, and get ready to read because you are undoubtedly getting a double dose of literary mood boost! Lauren and Evelyn, take it away! LHK: Captain Green is a perfect balance of being kid-like and a thoughtful hero kids can aspire to be. What writing techniques did you use to capture his voice and develop his personality? EB: Thanks so much Lauren. First and foremost, it was important for me that the story entertain children and not be didactic, and that readers would feel inspired to do their bit to look after our planet, just like Captain Green and the children in the story. In order to keep it light and fun, I looked for opportunities to show Captain Green as a lovable little guy with a good heart. I made use of lots of superhero language, powerful verbs and portrayed Captain Green as someone who is so eager to help animals but doesn't always go about it the best way, because he is still learning. When the story opens, Captain Green is happily working away, building a superhero invention, but he isn't quite sure what he will use it for. Then he is called to save one animal after another whose trees have been destroyed. Captain Green decides to use his invention to plant trees in a super-duper fast way (which ends in disaster!). I wanted to show that the main character doesn't have to know everything to make a difference, that it is ok to fail at first, and that we learn from our mistakes. EB: Lauren, I'd love to ask about your adorable main character Calvin. From the very first spread, the emotion just jumps off the page and I felt myself rooting for this sweet but troubled boy. What techniques did you use to show readers what Calvin was going through? LHK: First, I just love your answer. It is so important to show children that you don’t have to know everything or do things perfectly to make a difference. Learning from our mistakes is so important. Thank you for your kind words about Calvin. His story is a story from my therapist heart. I really forced myself to dig as deeply as possible into the work I did with children in the day treatment center preschool program I ran. I honed in on the juxtaposition so many of the children experienced—they wanted to be wanted, but also felt unworthy and untrusting as a result of past rejection. I wanted Calvin to be as authentic as possible so that readers would root for him. I’m so glad you did. LHK: There is so much compassion and beauty built into your book. I particularly love the spreads where Captain Green rescues Orangutan. The art and the text are fabulous. What is your favorite spread in the book? EB: Thanks so much Lauren. Danny Deeptown is an incredible illustrator and a joy to work with. He has done a truly outstanding job of portraying Captain Green's emotions towards the animals that are in danger. Danny's love of nature and wildlife shines through in the way he has illustrated both of the Captain Green books. I adore all of the illustrations, but my favorite is a double page spread where Captain Green has rescued all of the animals and they are safe again among some stunning rainforest. The character's emotions are shown so tenderly. LHK: Yes! I couldn’t agree more. He really is so talented! EB: Natalia Moore's illustrations in HOME FOR A WHILE are especially gorgeous. She's created a cozy, safe world for Calvin, and Maggie is the most wonderful foster parent. The love that grows between the two characters shines out in the art. I was struck by the very first image where Calvin, full of apprehension, climbs the stairs to a waiting Maggie. The separation between the two characters speaks to the distance in the relationship that eventually melts away as they get to know each other. Do you have a favorite illustration? LHK: Thank you! Natalia truly brought this welcoming and inviting home to life. You know, it is so interesting to read your question. I never consciously thought about the ways in which Natalia shows the distance between them in that opening spread. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it that way, but I didn’t and that is why it works so incredibly well. My favorite spread is the one in which Calvin and Maggie are holding hands on a walk. The scene is so soothing and serene. I just love the feeling Natalia was able to evoke with her illustration. It matches the emotional transition Calvin is making so beautifully. EB: Aw, that is such a lovely moment in the story and depicted so tenderly by Natalia. LHK: I loved the first book in the Captain Green series as well. Both Captain Green and the Plastic Scene and Captain Green and the Tree Machine highlight the positive and negative ways we can/do impact our Earth. You provide such helpful strategies and ideas for all of us as we navigate repairing our world. What specific challenges did you face in writing a sequel? What were the positives associated with writing a sequel? EB: Thanks Lauren! There were indeed challenges. I wanted to show that the main character, Captain Green had grown since his first eco adventure, but was still the same, lovable superhero who tries his best but often needs others to help him figure out the best path. I found it a challenge to decide what Captain Green's next eco mission should be. I had drafted a story focused on climate change, set in the Arctic. I batted with it for a long time, and then one day, decided to take elements from it (like Captain Green's FREEZE MACHINE) and use them in a new story about deforestation (now with a TREE MACHINE!). It is said that nothing is wasted in writing! The initial draft seemed to just write itself, and it felt right and more the story I wanted to tell. I think there are a lot of positives to writing a sequel. I knew who Captain Green was and what he sounded like. I knew what he looked like. Having worked with Danny before, I could visualize his style of art while I wrote, and that helped me build scenes in my head. I knew that I wanted the book to have similarities to the first but to be able to stand on its own too, and for it not to be important whether or not readers had read the first one. So, there were a lot of elements to think about, but overall, it was very positive. Would you say the same with writing your very fun series, ROSIE THE DRAGON AND CHARLIE? Was it more positive than, say, 'challenging'? LHK: Yes! I agree with what you said, nothing is wasted, even in writing. I pulled from the many sequels I’d begun to draft and played around with the strongest scenes. The fact that I could visualize Nate Wragg’s art style helped me so much as well! I really felt like I could imagine what he might do with scenes, which helped with the writing. It was fun to spend time with Rosie and Charlie again, especially since I knew them so well. If I were to ever write a sequel to Calvin’s story (which I hadn’t thought about until now), I feel like I would really know how he might react in different situations in a deeper way. I think my knowledge of him would enhance the sequel for sure. LHK: I’d love to hear about what inspired you to write a story about deforestation. EB: Trees and forests have always been special places for me. I played for hours in the trees at the back on our house growing up in Ireland. Thirty years ago, my father decided to grow a forest that is now maturing nicely. I love to visit it when I return home and learn about the different trees, plants and animals living within it. I am proud of this little green ‘lung’ that has been nurtured by my family. While living in Asia for 10 years, where I worked as an international school teacher, I had the opportunity to visit Borneo and other parts of Indonesia and witness some of the intense deforestation of ancient rainforest, often to make way for palm tree plantations or farm land. I experienced weeks of intense air pollution in Singapore when the burning of rainforest in the region prevented people from safely leaving their homes. So many aspects of my childhood and travels have fed into this story. Trees are vital to our survival and I hope this story will inspire more trees to be planted and protected. The back matter presents some simple facts on the topic and real ways that families can help. EB: Lauren, I’d love to hear more about your inspiration for HOME FOR A WHILE and how your background as a social worker may have inspired it. LHK: First, what a wonderful relationship you’ve had with trees. You’ve seen and experienced so much around the world. I love that your family has created their own beautiful green ‘lung.’ Thank you for asking that question. Children inspire me. They are resilient, strong, incredible beings. I worry that we as grownups spend too much time focusing on challenges, rather than reinforcing strengths. I wanted to pay homage to all of the children who let me walk beside them for a while. I have so many children with whom I’ve worked who will live in my heart forever. I also wanted to offer a story about the power of focusing on strengths. When we look through a strength-based lens and help others do the same, we can change their lives forever. EB: That is a beautiful message Lauren and it shines through in HOME FOR A WHILE. In the story, Calvin learns to calm his thoughts and feelings through breathing. As a Special Educational Needs teacher, I encourage children to do the same. Is this a technique you have used with children as a social worker or as a parent? LHK: I use so many strategies with children both as a parent and as a social worker. I try to match the intensity of emotion to the intensity of a strategy. Breathing is a wonderful way to decrease intensity, but it is only the beginning. I love how Maggie shifts Calvin’s attempts to manage his emotion into strategies that are more effective and adaptive. I would imagine you work with many students around emotion regulation in your work too. Captain Green also has to manage his emotions in order to find a solution. His line, “It seems easier to ruin a forest, than to grow one” is so poignant. What qualities do you see in Captain Green that help him be so resilient? EB: Wow! What a super question Lauren. I would say that mostly it’s his passion for protecting our beautiful planet that inspires him to push through, no matter what. EB: HOME FOR A WHILE ends with a beautiful scene as Calvin accepts his new home, and asks to be hugged. It is such a satisfying and heartfelt ending. I would love to know more about your decision to end the story showing Calvin settled, at last, but with his foster parent rather than reunited with his own mother, who we see in Calvin's drawing. LHK: I am so happy to hear you found the ending satisfying and heartfelt. I must admit: I couldn’t read this book out loud without crying the first twenty or so times. I knew if I teared up, I’d hopefully achieved the level of resonance I wanted. I felt very strongly that I wanted Calvin’s emotional arc to be centered around Maggie and living in her house. I wanted him to learn to trust her in ways he hadn’t been able to before. In order to do this, I needed him to remain in this setting. Although reunification is always incredibly important, I felt the safety and security Maggie provided needed to be front and center. I felt the open-ended nature of this final spread was authentic and hopefully provided a satisfying resolution to Calvin’s emotional arc. LHK: I have one final question for you, Evelyn. Captain Green offers such important ways to make a difference in the world. I would imagine this might spark wonderful classroom conversations (either in person or via video). As a teacher yourself, in what ways do you imagine a teacher might use this book in their classroom with their students? EB: Thanks Lauren. I wanted the tips for saving forests to be things that classes or families could easily achieve in their day-to-day lives. As with the first Captain Green story (about ocean pollution), teachers can use this story as a fun introduction to a conservation topic. It’s a light-hearted ‘way in’ to the problem that should not overwhelm and offers a happy ending and positive solutions. I hope that classes will have lots of share with each other afterwards. I always love to look at the little faces in front of me as I read Captain Green to groups and watch the genuine concern as children follow along. They are usually buzzing with information to share on their own experiences afterwards. In the words of Jane Goodall, I believe that, “Children can change the world.” LHK: YES! Children can most certainly change the world! Calvin and Captain Green are each superheroes in their own way! I love it! I think they’d most certainly be wonderful friends! Thank you for putting such wonderful books into the world! EB: Two sweet boys with big hearts! Fantastic! This has been fun Lauren. Thanks for the fantastic questions, sharing your thoughts so brilliantly, and for your wonderful stories. LHK: And thank you, Evelyn! I’ve learned so much and had a wonderful time interviewing each other! RJP: Lauren and Evelyn, thank you both -- what an amazing interview! It was a pleasure having you on KidLit Oasis and I hope you'll be back to share more of your wonderful books in the future! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>Click on the book covers to order your copies of Lauren's and Evelyn's books!<<< Lauren Kerstein is an author and psychotherapist. She is a Jersey girl at heart who currently lives in Colorado with her husband, their two dragons...er, daughters, and their rescue dog. Lauren is the author of the Rosie the Dragon and Charlie picture book series (Illustrated by Nate Wragg/Two Lions). Her latest picture book, HOME FOR A WHILE (Illustrated by Natalia Moore/Magination Press) moves into shelves February 2, 2021. Lauren also writes books in her field. Lauren is one of the founders of #ReVISIONweek, a judge with Rate Your Story, runs a critique business, and is a long-time member of 12x12 and SCBWI. Her writing goals are simple. Read voraciously. Embrace feedback. Grow each day. Work hard. Be passionate. Write courageously. Touch children’s hearts. You can visit her at www.LaurenKerstein.net, and follow her on Twitter and Instragram (@LaurenKerstein) and FB (https://www.facebook.com/laurenkersteinauthor). Evelyn Bookless grew up on a farm in the west of Ireland where she loved to make forts and play in the trees with her siblings. She is a nature lover, mum, teacher and writer. Evelyn spent ten wonderful years living in Asia but was saddened to see beautiful rainforests cut down during her travels around the region. She recently moved to the Netherlands, where she enjoys cycling her blue bike, Betty. Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/evelynbookless Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/evelynbookless Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/evelynbooklessauthor Website: http://www.evelynbookless.com Sunday Rain will release very soon! If you'd like to add it to your child's library or donate to a teacher and support the book, you could also win a gift! Just drop me a line to let me know you pre-ordered the book and you'll be entered into a drawing for 1 of 3 swag packs (includes: crown, kitty notebook, bookmarks, postcard, signed bookplate, button). Ends 2/16/21, US only.
Hello and welcome back to KidLit Oasis -- the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! We continue the Chitchat series with another awesome creative. It's my pleasure to welcome my friend and wonderful author, Melissa Berger Stoller! I can't wait to hear about Melissa's journey, her new projects, tips on revising and much more. Melissa is also generously giving away a picture book critique AND a copy of her new book so be sure to enter the giveaways! We will have two lucky winners with this interview! Now, without further ado, here's Melissa. . . Welcome, Melissa! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: First of all, thank you for welcoming me to your blog, Rosie! I’m happy to be here and enjoyed answering these thoughtful questions! :) My journey to publication has been long and windy. The short version starts with my career as a lawyer and legal writing instructor, moves to my work as a freelance writer and editor, and also early childhood instructor, and lands on my dream job: children’s book writer. I have four books published so far. All my books were inspired by observations in my world, questions I asked, or family connections. SCARLET’S MAGIC PAINTBRUSH stemmed from a question I asked while standing in front of a Monet painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC (my favorite museum): What would it be like to paint with a magic paintbrush? READY, SET, GORILLA! was inspired by a billboard I observed in Times Square that said, “Ready, Set, GO!” - I imagined a little GOrilla racing a GOpher! And my chapter book, THE ENCHANTED SNOW GLOBE COLLECTION: RETURN TO CONEY ISLAND, and my latest picture book, SADIE’S SHABBT STORIES, were both inspired by family history. I have many wonderful storytellers in my family including my parents and grandmother, and these books honor the stories I cherished growing up and beyond. SADIE’S SHABBAT STORIES is really the story of my heart. Lisa Goldberg’s gorgeous Chagall-like illustrations brought the characters and scenes alive in such a beautiful and moving way. The book is about Sadie, who loves hearing her Nana tell stories about their family heirlooms, relating to the candlesticks, Kiddush cup, and challah cover they use to celebrate the Jewish Shabbat. Sadie longs to find her unique voice and tell her own special stories, just like Nana. When writing, I also thought about my three girls, and I wanted to depict Sadie as a strong girl growing and using her voice. I’m so thankful to Callie Metler-Smith at Clear Fork Publishing for believing in this book, and to Mira Reisberg for her amazing editing and art direction. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I find most challenging the waiting we all do in the publishing world. From sending out queries to agents and editors, to waiting for the finished book to appear in our hands, it’s often a long wait at every turn. But when I share a book with children at school visits, the smiles, head nods, questions, and comments remind me that it’s always worth the wait! Connecting with readers is one of the most rewarding and motivating parts of the publishing world, aside from the moment you hold a finished book in your hands for the first time. That is truly a moment to take a deep breath and celebrate! Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: When working on a project, there are many craft techniques that are helpful. I always pay attention to pacing and page turns in picture books. Good pacing ensures that the reader will want to turn the page. I often use sticky notes on blank pages of paper and I move text around to capture the perfect page turn. Also, I write a mission statement/pitch at the top of every manuscript and also list mentor texts. I keep an eye on the mission statement to ensure my manuscript is moving in the correct direction in terms of plot and theme (and sometimes I change the mission statement if the story is moving in a different and better direction!). When revising, I try to make sure that the story has enough heart, humor, or whatever the voice is. Heart is always at the center of every story. Of course, my critique partners are so vital to the process. They comment on big picture and small picture items, and always spark revision ideas. Sometimes during revision, I may totally change the point of view or add or subtract characters. Anything can happen! Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: I’m so happy that RETURN OF THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH will be releasing in 2021. It’s the sequel to SCARLE’T MAGIC PAINTBRUSH, and it’s all about friendship and second chances. It also includes colors and nature – both STEAM themes. The illustrations I have seen so far from artist Sandie Sonke are amazing! Also, I’m collaborating on a project with Callie Metler-Smith and Shirin Shamsi – a new picture book series. The first book is PLANTING FRIENDSHIP – PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM. It’s about three girls from different faith traditions who find friendship while cultivating plants at school. Callie, Shirin, and I are from the same faith traditions as the girls, and we have had so much fun sharing ideas as well as our unique heritages while writing the story together. I can’t wait for this book to be out in the world as it celebrates kindness, cultures, and kids. Thank you so much for chatting with me, Rosie! I can’t wait to add your latest book, SUNDAY RAIN, to my picture book collection! You're very welcome, Melissa! Thank you for your continuous support of my work and thank you for being my guest on KidLit Oasis! I hope you will be back to chitchat about your future releases, too. Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — social media shares and boosts are greatly appreciated. Thank you! To enter the giveaways, please leave a comment and indicate your preference of critique or a book. Connect with Melissa Berger Stoller: Website: https://www.MelissaStoller.com Twitter: @MelissaStoller *Click on the book cover to order a copy of Sadie's Shabbat Stories Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island (Clear Fork Publishing, 2017); and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush, Ready, Set, GOrilla!, and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories (Clear Fork, 2018 and 2020). Upcoming books include Return of the Magic Paintbrush. Melissa is a Blogger and Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a Moderator for the Debut Picture Book Study Group, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and long beach walks. G I V E A W A Y!!! Leave a comment below and let us know if you're entering for a book or a critique. Good luck! If you'd like to support my work and get a signed copy of Sunday Rain from my local indie bookstore, order it HERE
Hello everyone! It's another terrific Tuesday and you're back at KidLit Oasis. Thank you for visiting! As you know, this is the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost. Are you comfy and cozy? Are you ready to welcome this week's guest? The multi-talented Author and Librarian, Kena Sosa is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Welcome, Kena! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: It’s strange how the most healing practice in my life is writing and my most major writing accomplishments seem to partner with downturns, like writing was there for me during my harshest trials. I discovered how easily words took me out of my pain as a teenager. I was grounded and thought I would literally die of boredom. I found a typewriter and let it free me. In publishing I started out writing travel pieces and articles as well as reviewing children’s books. I wrote and wrote and wrote, for myself mostly but after moving to Dallas and attending SCBWI, I thickened up my skin and started submitting. There were rejections, as there are in life. I kept trying. My first book was released by 4RV Publishing in 2015. It was such a victory, and then months later, my household tore apart. It was painful to meet people and force a smile, but I knew this was my chance to prove that I could be an author. I am immensely thankful to the authors I met during that first year who shared their expertise, their techniques and their stories with me. Their kindness and friendship kept me from giving up. I wrote my second book based on what I learned during a travel and research grant, but many found the subject matter a bit controversial for a picture book. 4RV took it on, but had me rewrite it as a chapter book, a new challenge for my squirrel-like attention span. How right they were! That book, Kindertransport-a child’s journey, earned my first award as an author, a Children’s Literary Classics Award in historical fiction in 2018. Soon after my third book, The Unhuggables, emerged after my son asked me what would happen if you hugged a porcupine. That book, under River Road Press, won an award as well, The Enchanted Page Book Award in 2019. With each heartbreak, a victory, and with these experiences I can say, it has been a life worth writing about. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: I think one measures challenges in the same way one measures success, through the lens of perspective. I have always struggled the most with the gaps between projects. Like Tom Petty sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.” You are filled with anticipation, excitement, or anxiety simply waiting for an acceptance or rejection, waiting to see a finished product, waiting to find out how your creation will be received. Coming in at a close second is editing. It is so necessary like going to the dentist, but never something one looks forward to as a writer. To get through it, I try to make the journey of editing like a mental puzzle, to challenge myself to make it better by arranging the pieces in ways they work better. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: As far as my writing process goes, I always keep a scrappy notebook. Whenever a little spark flickers at me, whether it is a name I like, a phrase or a plot twist, I jot it down before I forget. I don’t typically sit down to write an entire story from conception to birth in one sitting. It needs time to grow and develop. So, I let those snippets sit in the notebook until they find each other organically and weave themselves into a story I can tell. That’s when I take a seat and let the story tell itself from start to finish. I give it a day or two to settle, and then from the scrappy notebook, where the story may be written in the margins, backwards or upside-down, however it decided to be, and type it up. I edit mostly during this stage. Once it is in the e-world, I employ tools to help me polish it up. I just learned recently that Word will do a readability check for you which tells you the reading level of your manuscript, including incidents of passive voice and counts the number of words per sentence. My inner child may write through me; however, she writes too mature for her age. This tool helps me figure out how to rewrite and adjust my voice to the right audience before it is ever seen by an editor. There is also a citation checker built in. I am a firm believer in working smarter, not harder so any trick to get things moving is a plus in my book. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: Although many aspects of life have slowed, I am still coming down off the thrill of winning the Enchanted Page Book Award in 2019 for The Unhuggables. Considering current events, most of us have not held in-person events and have turned to technology to pursue our dreams as authors. I have been learning to adapt like the rest. I worked on improving my website and updating my social media presence as well as opening my mind to more unconventional opportunities. Meanwhile, these days appear to be the perfect time to speak less and read more. I can help with that. I am happy to announce that I am anticipating a new release in 2022! I can’t wait for you to read it! Thank you, Kena -- I can't wait to read your new book! It was a pleasure having you on the blog! I wish you all the best on your journey and many more successes! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are appreciated. Thank you! Connect with Kena Sosa: Website: www.kenasosa.com Twitter: : @sk_kso School librarian by day and writer by night, Kena Sosa adores words. She also loves playing the drums. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Our Lady of the Lake University and her master’s degree in bilingual education from Southern Methodist University. Her first children’s book, Rey Antonio and Rey Feo, was born of the celebration of her childhood in San Antonio. Her second book, Kindertransport: A Child’s Journey, is about the escape of children on the Kindertransport train just before the outbreak of World War II. Kena Sosa has lived in Japan and Mexico, but sharing stories with her two sons and other eager readers has been her favorite adventure yet!
Piles of multi-colored leaves, rainy, chilly days, warm drinks and cozy sweaters. . . Are you enjoying fall? What have you been reading? Well, just in time for Halloween, I am pleased to introduce to you a new picture book and interview its author! So, once again dear readers, welcome to the KidLit Oasis ― the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! It's great to have you here! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for an awfully fun and sweet chitchat with children's author Sandra Sutter who is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the giveaway at the end of this interview. Welcome, Sandra! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: Stan’s Frightful Halloween was one of the first stories I wrote when I began my (serious) writing journey in 2017. But after a few critiques with my newly-formed critique group, it sat untouched in my computer while I worked on other projects. Meanwhile, my debut picture book, The Real Farmer in the Dell, was picked up by Mira Reisberg and Callie Metler at Spork, an imprint of Clear Fork Publishing. I got to know Callie through that process, and when I saw she didn’t have a Halloween-themed story on her list, I showed her my manuscript. Callie loved clumsy werewolf Stan as much as I did, and now he and his story can be shared with everyone! Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: There are a lot of challenging aspects of the Kidlit publishing world. The biggest challenge is staying motivated in the face of rejection and long waits. There are a lot of both! But being a part of the community – building friendships, learning, giving back – and sharing stories and information with children are incredibly motivating rewards. And, for me, the creative process isn’t optional. The need to do it IS motivation. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: My brain generates a lot of ideas, often at random times when I can’t get around to working on them (on a mountain bike, at the grocery store, in the shower, while driving). So, I email myself when an idea takes root and tuck it away in a special computer file. When I’m ready, I revisit the idea. I’ve found it helpful to add details – to note the word, image, or memory that prompted the idea – so when I circle back to it, the spark is still there. My revision process always begins with sending the work to my critique partners. I need feedback! It doesn’t matter if I agree or disagree, the feedback itself is incredibly valuable and I trust my critique partners always have my best interest at heart. Sometimes I set the work aside for a while to allow things to sink in. Other times, I revise right away because I am too excited about making the story better. I really, really love the feeling that a “missing piece” has been found and my manuscript “puzzle” is almost complete. Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: I’m incredibly excited about the release of Stan’s Frightful Halloween and sharing this loveable character with the world. Stan has a lot going on for such a young werewolf, so you might get to see more of him in the future. Due to COVID and remote-schooling two young kids, my time devoted to writing has been … limited. But, I do have some exciting plans in the works which I hope to announce soon. You can follow me on Twitter or visit my website for more information, and please stop by the Wonder of Words blog, which I run with five amazing critique partners. Every three months I host the PITCH IT TO ME CHALLENGE, where an author pitches a story idea and a “celebrity” guest and I craft our own and put it to a vote. It’s always fun and a great way to see multiple pitch ideas. Thank you, Rosie, for having me here today. It’s been a pleasure to share a bit about my journey and creativity with your readers. You're very welcome -- that was wonderful, Sandra, and I can't wait to hear more about the exciting plans you'll be announcing! Wishing you all the best on your journey and many more literary successes! Readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post — comments and shares are greatly appreciated. Let's spread the word! Thank you! Connect with Sandra Sutter: Website: www.sdsutter.com Twitter: @sandradsutter (click on the book cover to order a copy) Sandra is the author of THE REAL FARMER IN THE DELL (Clear Fork Publishing, 2019), a modern, gender-bending take on the popular children's song, and STAN’S FRIGHTFUL HALLOWEEN, a spookily fun story of a clumsy, but determined young werewolf. She is a member of SCBWI and an assistant with the Children’s Book Academy. When not writing, Sandra is a mountain-biking mom and jewelry-making hobbyist with a knack for finding life's silver linings. Connect with her at www.sdsutter.com, or on Twitter @sandrasdutter. G I V E A W A Y ! ! ! Comment on this post for a chance to win a picture book critique by Sandra Sutter! Welcome, Maria! It's a pleasure having you at KidLit Oasis and I am super excited about our chitchat! I can't wait to get the scoop, the behind the scene at Cardinal Rule Press, and a peek at your upcoming list! I know our readers are eager to know more about all of that, too, so let's dive in. Q: Please tell us about your mission at Cardinal Rule Press and the big picture goal of your publishing house. Your website states that you focus on picture books that "empower children through meaningful stories." Could you tell us a bit more about that? A: Here at Cardinal Rule Press, we are dedicated to producing children’s realistic fiction that reflects modern day diversity. We think stories that are timeless but allow children to see themselves within the pages of the book are needed and we are responding to help fill that void. We are a beautiful, colorful society and children should be able to experience that in books. Q: I know you're about to open up to unsolicited submissions (November 1st, 2020 ― February 1st, 2021) and I'm sure a lot of writers are planning to submit to Cardinal Rule Press, just waiting for the "gates" to open. Naturally, for those submitting, doing their research and following the guidelines is very important. It's also important for writers to know the publishing model of the company they are submitting to in order to make an informed decision when sending their work out. In that regard, many authors would want to know the answer to this question when it comes to smaller presses: Do you pay your authors advances against royalties or is it royalties only? A: We do pay our authors an advance upon signing and the remainder once the manuscript is edited with our team. We also pay royalties and report twice a year on earnings to our authors. Q: And speaking of submissions, just to clarify, do you accept agented submissions year-round or only within your annual submission window? A: We accept unsolicited and agented submissions during our annual submission window. We set up our acquisitions model in this way in order to be strategic and successful in our campaign efforts. Our team has created a timeline that has allowed us to be super efficient with industry deadlines, marketing our new releases, acquiring new work and educating our new team of authors on strengthening their brands as well as hosting quarterly masterclasses with speakers for past and current authors. Q: I am really impressed with Cardinal Rule Press' social media presence and the different ways you connect with the community! I'd like to go a bit deeper behind the scenes though and learn more about your marketing strategies and distribution channels? How do you support your authors and illustrators and how do you promote your titles? A: Thank you! We are proud of the community we have built and we appreciate your kind words. Our new authors go through a six week mentorship, where we empower them with knowledge and skills to prepare their brand for a successful launch. Our team of authors with backlist titles are invited to quarterly masterclasses where we hire speakers outside of our organization to educate our team on current trends in the book industry and how we can get behind those trends to help our own brand succeed. We also create a customized marketing campaign for each author that is unique to their title. It tells them exactly what our team will be doing each month, six months leading up top their book release. It gives them suggestions on what we think they can do each month leading up to the launch as well. We try to be very clear on expectations and clear up any gray areas. Q: How do you find and select the illustrators for your projects? Do you ask your authors for input? Once you've signed the illustrator for the book, how involved is the author throughout the illustration process? Do they see initial sketches or the finished art or something in between? A: We have stopped accepting illustrator submissions and work with agencies like Advocate Art and Astound to find our creative artists. We ask authors to describe their main character and ask for input on the initial character sketch. The author also sees the artwork laid out and is asked for feedback before it goes to print. Q: During one of your agent interviews on your Cardinal Rules Press Facebook Page you shared that you have an assistant who filters the submissions for you to weed out the ones that don't follow the guidelines--like the fact that you only publish stories with human characters. So after the rest of the submissions -- or the ones with the strongest potential―get to you, how do you evaluate them for your list? Any more specifics on what kind of projects you look for? When you read a submission, do you know immediately if it's one you want to acquire? What grabs you in a manuscript? Any pet peeves? A: Yes, we have a team to help with the process. There are two of us who read through and narrow down titles. We keep a spread sheet with comments. It is important for publishers and editors to be up to date on titles that are out there so we are not duplicating stories that are already out there. That is a pet peeve of mine, reading stories that have already been done. I expect writers to research their theme and title before submitting. The cover letter (inquiries) are more important than you think. We read those before opening up the manuscript. We want to hear about your experience of writing, whether or not you have a platform and why you think the book would be successful in the world. Near the end of our selection process, we share the top 6-10 stories with a BETA team of readers that give us their opinions. This team of five is made up of an editor, parent, children and a teacher. Q: Could you tell us about some new or upcoming projects that you're particularly excited about and why? A: We are in the illustration process of our Fall 2021 title and the character is a Latinx child who has a love of books! Our Spring 2021 title is at the printers and is filled with kindness, empathy and community! Q: Where do you see Cardinal Rule Press in five years? A: I would love to bring on team members as full time staff once their children are a bit older (we have a lot of work from home mothers on our team) and in five years I would like to see us taking on more titles per year. We believe slow and steady wins the race and we have been in no hurry to increase our list just yet. Getting your standard operating procedures nailed down in a business is key, as well as timelines and workflows for marketing campaigns. I am proud of the pace we have chosen, even when sales have surpassed our predictions, we remain steady with our processes. Thank you so much for your time, Maria, and for chatting with me! This was wonderful and very informative, and I am really happy that you shared all that insight with me and my readers. I'd like to wish Cardinal Rule Press the best of success and I look forward to your upcoming titles! You have our support here at KidLit Oasis and I hope you'll be visiting again in the future! Award-winning author and founder of the publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, Maria Dismondy inspires and educates others in the book industry. When Maria isn't working, she can be found embarking on adventures throughout southeast Michigan and beyond, where she lives with her husband and three book-loving children. Updates:
Signed copies of Sunday Rain available for pre-order exclusively through my local indie bookstore, Interabang Books! Place your order HERE (Matching bookmark included, while supplies last) Teachers and Librarians, if you'd like to get some SUNDAY RAIN bookmarks for your classroom or library, contact me HERE and I'll be happy to mail you some! (U.S. only, while supplies last) Hello readers and welcome back! Once again, you are at KidLit Oasis ― the place to refresh your spirits, recharge your creativity, and get a literary mood boost! Now, stretch your smiles wide and get comfy and cozy for a lovely chitchat because today we have another awesome creative on the Chitchat series... Children's author Laurel Neme is here to share some wisdom, insight, and inspiration with us! Plus, check out the DOUBLE giveaway at the end of this interview! Welcome, Laurel! Thank you for joining us on the blog. Please briefly describe your journey to publication. A: It IS a journey—and a long one at that—which is why seeing THE ELEPHANT’S NEW SHOE in print is so exciting for me. I started writing this manuscript in 2014—three years after I first met Nick Marx, the rescuer in this story. After many revisions and critiques, in late 2016 my agent submitted it. While Scholastic was interested, the manuscript itself didn’t connect– probably because I had gotten so bogged down in the details. Thankfully, the editor provided me with a few examples, and that felt like an “AHA” moment for me. I ended up completely rewriting it, and this time, it DID connect. By August 2017, we had a contract, with the wonderful Ariel Landy on board as illustrator. After that, there were some edits—first to expand the story, and later, after the illustrations came in, to fit it better on the page—which all helped to make it a better book. I’m thrilled with the final result and so happy with the folks at Scholastic, who have been a dream to work with. Q: What do you find most challenging in this business, either on the creative or publishing side of things? What do you find most rewarding? What helps you stay motivated? A: For me, the biggest challenges stem from the long time period that everything seems to take. It’s hard to wait six months or a year to get feedback on a manuscript. But any frustration or impatience disappears when a child reads my book and it connects. That’s the reward that keeps me motivated. Q: Could you share any craft tools or techniques that you find most helpful to you when working on a project? What does your revision process look like? A: When I’m writing, I find it helpful to page out the text. Some people do this by making dummy samples, but I tend to do it in the text itself. Basically, I start the story on pages 4-5 (page 1 is the title page and 2-3 are the copyright and dedication), and then write in two-page chunks. In this way, I can get an overview of the book. I can see and compare spreads, identify where there are too many or too few words on a page, check that there’s something different to illustrate, and ensure that the action flows. It is a technique I learned from Jane Yolen at her Picture Book Boot Camp that I’ve found enormously helpful. As to my revision process, it’s always a long one. I often let a manuscript sit for a while and then go back to it with fresh eyes. I also always share it with several different critique groups before sending it to my agent. Then, from there, there are always more revisions! Q: What's coming up for you next? Please tell us about any new releases, exciting news, upcoming events or anything else you'd like to share with our readers? A: Virtual school visits! While we all prefer to be in person, I love sharing stories with kids and I’m planning to do a number of virtual visits with schools and individual classrooms. Thanks to some amazing help from Kate Messner and her intensive workshop on Reimagining Virtual Visits, I’ve been reworking how I approach school visits to adapt what I do to the virtual world—hopefully in ways that take advantage of the medium and allow me to share some things that I couldn’t if I was in person. For instance, Chhouk the elephant in my book had to be trained to allow Nick to put on and take off his boot without any anesthesia. To illustrate that process, I’m planning to show kids how I trained my dog—a super smart German shepherd—using the same techniques. Our dog loves to clean up his toys and do laundry—so, who knows?!? Maybe he’ll inspire kids to do the same. Thank you, Laurel! This was quite interesting and it was great to learn about your path to publication, writing process, and also get some tips and insight, too! Dear readers, please support our featured authors/illustrators by following them on Twitter, requesting their book through your local library, posting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and of course, purchasing their books. I hope you enjoyed this post! Social media shares are much appreciated. Thank you! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Laurel Neme: Website: www.LaurelNeme.com Twitter: @LaurelNeme Laurel Neme always dreamed of helping animals. At first, she wanted to be a large animal veterinarian. Later she planned to be an animal scientist like Jane Goodall. Eventually, she decided to help animals in her own way—by telling their stories. She’s the author of ANIMAL INVESTIGATORS: How the World's First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species, ORANGUTAN HOUDINI, and THE ELEPHANT’S NEW SHOE, about an elephant with a prosthetic foot and the rescuer who saves him. She also contributes regularly to National Geographic and Mongabay.com. D O U B L E G I V E A W A Y ! ! ! This time, we will have two winners! Comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of The Elephant's New Shoe (US only please) or a picture book critique! Please indicate your preference. Good luck! * * * If you'd like to support my work, please consider pre-ordering Sunday Rain Thank you in advance for your support! Pre-orders are very important for a successful book launch and your help is greatly appreciated :)
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About Rosie J. PovaRosie J. Pova is a multi-published, award-winning children's author and kid lit Writing Coach. She's the creator of Picture Book Mastery System™ that is proven to help emerging children's writers advance their career and get closer to their publishing goals.
Rosie's latest picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. Her upcoming picture book, The School of Failure: A Story About Success will be released in the spring of 2022 in both China and the USA. Rosie also loves to visit schools and her interactive workshops empower students to unleash their creativity and grow in confidence through reading, writing, and creating. Teachers and librarians love Rosie for her bubbly, upbeat personality which captures students' attention, encourages them to think creatively, and motivates them to pursue big dreams. She has been featured on TV, radio, podcasts, and print media, and also speaks on women's and moms’ topics, sharing her journey from a Bulgarian immigrant to a published author. Find out more about Rosie's online courses, mentorships, and her work by visiting her website: RosieJPova.com Check out her Critique Services here, her Workshops here, and her school visits page here. Rosie is represented by Jennifer Herrington of Harvey Klinger Literary. Twitter: @RosiePOV Archives
March 2024
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