It’s VALENTINY Time! Susanna Hill’s Pretty Much World Famous Valentine Contest, 2019 edition!

February 13, 2019

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Yes, it’s time once again for one of Susanna Hill’s Pretty Much World Famous and Totally Amazing writing contests — THE VALENTINY CONTEST! The rules are simple. Write a Valentine story for kids, no more than 214 words (2/14. Duh.) in which someone feels guilty. And so, without further ado (or adon’t) I present my entry. AND be single, double, TRIPLE sure to pop by Susanna’s blog and read all…

What I'm Reading

FIERCE: WOMEN WHO SHAPED CANADA by Lisa Dalrymple — MG

February 10, 2019

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I’ve just started reading this, and had to come to my blog to urge you to find it and read it too. From the blurb on the back cover, “Meet 10 remarkable women you’ve probably never heard of. They battled bears and cougars, traversed mountains and extreme terrain, endured hardship during wartime and challenged ideas of what was appropriate for women in their time.” From the acknowledgements, I can tell…

LOVE LIKE SKY by Leslie C. Youngblood (MG)

December 26, 2018

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This is another book that I’m just setting down long enough to post about it, then going right back to reading. It is moving and real. I was immediately drawn to G-baby (Georgie), the main character, who is trying so hard to get used to being part of a “blended-up” family. She’s torn between a little sister, Peaches, who needs more reassurance than G-baby can give and an older step-sister,…

Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days of Christmas for Writers 2018 Edition!

December 20, 2018

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Woohooooooo! Julie Hedlund has just announced the 2018 edition of her fabulous 12 Days of Christmas for Writers. If you read my post on Monday, you’ll know I’ve been pacing around with my fingers crossed, eagerly awaiting this announcement. To find out more and to sign up, go to this link: 12 Days of Christmas for Writers 2018. I recommend this experience very highly for all writers, no matter what…

The Importance of Taking Stock and Setting Goals in a Writer’s Life

December 17, 2018

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In this brief time before the end of the current year and the beginning of the New Year, I like to pause and look back over what I have achieved – and what I haven’t achieved – and what I want to do in the coming year. I do this in a variety of ways. I create a vision board that includes my writing goals, hopes, and plans for the…

MERCI SUAREZ CHANGES GEARS by Meg Medina (MG)

December 11, 2018

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Just a few pages in, I can already tell this book is going to be excellent. Author’s website Publishers Weekly review Horn Book Review

Beth’s Faves — Top Middle Grade and YA Books I’ve Read This Year

December 10, 2018

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As promised last week, my fave Middle Grade and Young Adult reads of the past year. (There won’t be as many MG and YA as there were picture books.) As I said last week, please note that not all these books were published this year. I chose from what appealed to me, as well as what I hadn’t yet read, and so those choices spanned many years. I rely solely…

Beth’s Faves — Top Picture Books I’ve Read This Year

December 3, 2018

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At the beginning of 2018, I had the intention of reading one picture book every morning throughout the year. I did well for the first half of the year, then not so well the second half – but I’ve still read a LOT more picture books than I would have otherwise, and many of them have been stellar. In this post, I want to share some of my faves, since…