December Book Giveaway and 2016 Preview

December Book Giveaway

December is winding down, but there is still time to enter to win these books.

A Writer's Reference 2nd Ed by Diana Hacker

Who couldn't use a handy dandy desk reference? This book has side tabs for quick viewing. Are you looking for effective sentences? Word choice? Punctuation? This book has it and is light weight so it's easy to take with you where ever you go to write.

It also has an index in the back.

The Odd Squad Bully Bait by Michael Fry This is a hilarious book of one twelve year's battle with a bully. When the guidance counselor assigns him to mandatory safety patrol, things get a lot worse. The bully is talking to Nick's alternate universe girlfriend Becky and he collapses in an ant mound.

With the help of teacher, Mr. Dupree; Molly, Karl and Nick learn how to defend themselves against the bully.



2016 book giveaways

These are the books I have lined up for 2016 giveaways.

Please spread the news!

Please leave a comment if you have won a book this year.

If you have a book coming out next year, I would like to feature it here.



Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

See you next week.

I will the winners January 3rd 2016.

Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split Book Review

Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split  by Anica Mrose Rissi

Illustrated by Meg Park

Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

2015 110 pages. Black and white illustrations

I was reading The Writer, January 2016 issue article: One True Rule by Anica Mrose Rissi. She was talking about her debut children's book. She came up with the title first. Which told her it would be a chapter book, target age 6-10, the tone would be funny and even had the conflict there. Anica said even with all that she still felt something was missing. While walking her dog she had an idea: add a dog!

Now all she had to do was write the thing, and boy did she!

Two best friends, one a little bossy and one a little passive. Anna has her birthday wish all planned out, but somehow Sadie talked her out of it at the last minute and it came true!

Sadie told Anna to wish for a pony. Where was she going to put a pony? She got a necklace with a pony pendant. Sadie tried it on and wouldn't give it back. They have a fight and Anna is miserable. She tries to apologize the next day, but Sadie is having none of it. Things go from bad to worse. Finally Anna is mean back to Sadie. Anna has a new best friend and things are just fine. Or is it? Will Sadie and Anna ever be friends again? And now that Anna has a new friend can she have two best friends?

This is written in first person POV and it really draws the reader in. Good job Anica on your first book. And if you like this one there's another one on the way! Anna, Banana, and the Monkey in the Middle.

The illustrations are right on target too! The eyes are so expressive, even Banana's.

Don't forget to enter for a chance to win books!

See you next week,

Sheila

Contests and Book Giveaways

I'm excited to tell you about this contest. It is fun, short and you add your story with a link to your blog so you get blog exposure as well. Head over to Susanna Leonard Hill
blog to enter the Holiday contest or just to enjoy the stories. Starts today and ends on the 12th. No fee! 350 words with theme.


Next up is the WOW contest. I love these because you can actually get your story critiqued. The cost is $10 and an additional $10 for critique. This is an open prompt contest 250-750 words.




This months' giveaway:
The Odd Squad by Michael Fry
A Writer's Reference 2nd Ed by Dianna Hacker


See you next week!
Sheila

A Goal is a Dream with a Deadline

While enjoying the Black Friday deals and browsing the shops, I came across this saying:
A Goal is dream with a deadline.


That caught my eye because I am a goal setter. A list maker. I like to cross things off my list.
This past week while my boss was on vacation, he gave me a list of things to have done by the time he came.
I finished the last one and enjoyed the feeling of accomplishment.
For those doing the NaNoWriMo or something close to it, the time is getting near. Have you reached your goal? Don't you love the feeling that you have accomplished more this month?


Did you set goals for this year? Did you cross any of them off?
This year I had set a goal of reviewing two books a month and then giving them away.
I have done this every month.
By doing this I  made some new friends and reconnected with old friends. It was a happy day when on Friday I received a rejection notice, because in the mail that same day I received a thank you note from one of the winners. Even though we haven't met I felt a connection that far out weighed the rejection notice.


It is not too early to be thinking about next years goal. And it's not too late to enter to receive one of the two books I'm giving away this month.


What have you marked off your list? What would you like to accomplish next year?


See you next week and I'll announce the winners so check back to see if you won!
Sheila

Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin

There are seven more days until the drawing for the books: The Writer's Adventure by Sexton Burke and Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin.


Crossing Jordan was Adrian's first book for young readers. Since then she has written many more. Some of the books use the same characters.


Crossing Jordan won:

• VOYA top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers
• ALA (YALSA) Best Books for Young Adults
• IRA Notable Books for a Global Society (Honor Book)

Crossing Jordan is about the unlikely friendship between a white girl and a black girl.
They become neighbors and share the love of running, but Cass's father has decided he doesn't want to be neighborly.
This book shows how even grownups can grow and change in a story.
The book is set in Tallahassee, Fl, where Adrian lives.
Please leave a comment or enter using the rafflecoptor.


See you next week,
Sheila

YOU’LL COME OUT SOMEWHERE by Patricia Weaver

 

This week I have a special article to inspire you! My friend Pat Weaver wrote this and it was first published in 2007 at ICL. She has been around horses and dogs all her life.

Hope you enjoy.
Don't forget to enter for the book giveaway: The Writer's Adventure by Sexton Burke and Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin.

YOU’LL COME OUT SOMEWHERE

 

 

One evening a fellow writer commented that her writing was “a thousand miles from nowhere.”  I think all writers have moments that their stories seem to be going nowhere and they are lost in the emotional sea of writers’ block.  Her comment triggered a memory of what my mother would tell me when I was discouraged, “When you’re in the pits of nowhere, start walking.  You’ll come out somewhere.” 

One of my goals has been to write a “Getting Started” article, but I’ve always hit the proverbial brick wall on ideas.  I decided to use my mother’s advice and start walking.  Taking a pen and pad, I started to put my ideas down in clustering form.

As a new writer that is older than dirt, I have become comfortable with my style of writing and try to write every day.  I read the new “How to” books and magazine articles, but I’ve found that other writers help me in a more personal ways.  Here are the six most important points I have used to help develop my writing skills.

1. There comes a time that you have to stop reading and start writing.  If you don’t write, you won’t get published.  I’m not saying stop reading altogether, but sometimes the fear of rejection keeps us looking for the rejection proof technique of writing.  Let me save you the effort, there’s not one.  Let me share my first polished ready to submit story.  It started about two and half years ago, when I looked in the mirror and saw an old woman who had not achieved her dream of writing for children (or a romance novel but that is another story).  I bought every best seller “How to” book on writing, subscribed to all the top writing magazines, joined writing groups and took basic writing courses, but four months later I still had no story.  I had a wonderful game plan for my writing career, write two hours every day, read one hour every day, submit two stories every month; but no story was in my writing file on my computer.  I was scared.  Would any one like what I wrote?  All that changed the night my husband ask me “When are you going to stop reading about how to write and start writing?  Seems to me you’re just wasting your time if you never write anything.”  Bless his heart; he gave me the gentle shove I needed.  Two years later, my game plan is in place.  I submit at least four manuscripts every month to a publishing house, contest or magazine.
2. Never change your unique style of writing to fit the mainstream.  Polish it, enhance it but don’t try to change it.  Your unique style is what makes you different in the ocean of unpublished writers and might be what makes your writing saleable.
3.  Have some way of keeping all the wonderful ideas that pop into your head while you are driving, sitting at a doctor’s office, cooking supper, at a sport event or relaxing in a hot bubble bath.  I keep a small tape recorder in my car and another one at home.  I found that I lose notes written on paper and if I do find them I usually can’t get the “big idea” from my hastily written notes.  My tape recorder picks up the excitement of my emerging story idea and I can explain what gave me the idea.
4. You can not force a story.  You have to let it simmer and stew before it is finished.  I usually just write, not worrying if it makes sense.  I know I can connect the dots later to make a wonderful story.  When I first started writing, I would put a note on my computer to remind me of deadlines.  That was a bad idea because I would worry about the pending deadline every time I sat at my computer and I never write well when I’m worried.  By the time the deadline came, I hate the story and received no joy from the finished manuscript.  Now I have a program that starts reminding me ten days before the deadline.  The first day it reminds me once, second day three times and on the tenth day every hour.  I get the manuscript ready long before the tenth day (I hate pop-ups).  Problem solved. 
5. Use every tool available to improve your writing.  I check out every web site that is recommended to me, chat with on-line friends that keep me current on all writing events and enter contests that I feel I might have a chance of winning.  If I don’t win, at least I have a polished story ready to submit.
6. My final tidbit of wisdom, “believe in yourself.”  Belief in your abilities and writing skills is not an ego trip.  Ego trippers believe everything they write is publishable without changes.  Belief in yourself is knowing you have the ability to make a story sing, maybe not the first time or the tenth time but eventually
   Okay, now I’m at my somewhere, the end of this article.  Remember, if you believe in yourself, achievement will follow.
    
   Happy Writing.
    Patricia J. Weaver          

Wild Irene Latham's Blogiversary

Today is Irene Latham's 10th blog anniversary. It has been 10 years since she first began her blogging adventure. She has invited me as well as a host of many other talented writers to celebrate with a blog roundup.


The wild ponies of Assateague Island

The theme? Wild! I had a lot of pictures to choose from but there were two that I couldn't do without. The first:

.

This pony escaped the roundup and seems to be enjoying a peaceful day alone. Who says wild can't be peaceful?

The other photo that won out was this one:



I never thought I would ride a roller coaster again, but after this one I was hooked and wanted to ride again and again.
I hollered and screamed and loved it!
Thanks for a wild ride and theme and Happy Blogiversary, Irene! I hope to read many more!