Stacy S. Jensen

Perfect Picture Books: Bless this House

2012-03-09T00:01:00.008-07:00

Today, I've chosen Bless This House for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Bless This House
Written and Illustrated by Leslie Staub
Harcourt, Inc., 2000

Suitable: Ages 2 to 4

Theme/Topic: Prayer, Environment, Rhyme

Opening: Bless this house and bless this room.
Bless the big bright blue-white moon.

Brief Synopsis: Part of the editorial review on Amazon from the American Library Association says, "With simple chant and bright oil paintings, a bedtime ecological prayer connects a child in his room with all the animal life on the planet... ."

Link to Resources: I think an easy one to do day or night is to look out your child's window and talk about the environment outside. Even in a planned subdivision, there are sometimes unexpected animals like coyotes and deer roaming the paved streets.

Baby Center has a Bless this House poem/prayer to say with your children.

The PBS Kids Lab has a Build Me a House activity.

The site eslflow.com has some environmental lesson plans. I found an endangered species vocabulary & speaking worksheet with pictures.

Why I chose this book: I found this book at a library book sale, because it had a torn page or two. With a little tape, I fixed it up.

The simple language is good for any age as the illustrations add so much to the story. The opening line reminds me of Goodnight Moon a bit. The story takes its reader outside of his own world at his house and takes him into a world filled with wonderful creatures "even the bugs."

I hope you are able to find a copy at your library. I noticed Amazon had a few used copies including a "bargain price" for a new hardcover at $5,555.51. Used copies were much cheaper.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill'sblog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: A new story

2012-03-08T05:57:00.000-07:00

It's a little iPhone action fuzzy, but I hope you get the idea.

Last week, I lost sleep over a crib jail break situation. This week, I'm grateful for all the new stories after we converted the crib to this toddler bed arrangement. If he's missing, I know where to look after I saw this.

I also wanted to thank Lara Schiffbauer at Motivation for Creation for giving me the Dream Launcher and Sunshine Awards. Her posts are always fun and helpful. In her awards post, she shared the "most important thing that happened to me this year." She shared a critique experience at a conference that influenced her self-esteem as a writer.

Plus, I discovered we both have Viszlas. Her Viszla in Raymi.

Ours is Mauly — as in Mauly Bones.

Mauly points at cats and deer. She's supposed to point at birds.

Now that I've mentioned my kid and dog, I believe this officially falls into that note in my posting schedule: "Sometimes, life in general sneaks into a post."

Book Launch Party: A Few Dead Men

2012-03-07T00:01:00.004-07:00

Today, I'm welcoming Nancy Lauzon to talk about her new book A Few Dead Men — a Chick Dick Mystery. Her book launch party began March 1 and ends March 8.

I wanted to help during her book launch, because I enjoy Nancy's writing style. Her blog is fun — can you say Bag Hag Saturday. She is generous — she throws a Book Shower for authors to welcome their babies (books) into the world. Nancy Drew fans will love Nancy too.

And now to learn more about A Few Dead Men and a chance to win her book.

The Party: Book Launch Party! A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery — March 1 - 8

Drop by anytime at http://chickdickmysteries.com/ during this week to join in the fun! Play games, nosh on virtual goodies (a.k.a. recipes) and win prizes!

Leave a comment on Nancy Lauzon's blog to win a FREE copy of A Few Dead Men.

If you like what you read, post a review on Goodreads, Amazon or the website of your choice anytime to win another FREE copy of any Chick Dick Mystery!

The Blurb: A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery

Life has dealt part-time mystery novelist Darcy MacDonald a lousy hand. The men she knows are either missing, dead, drunk or demented.

Lying next to the corpse of her boyfriend, the head of Bloodhound Investigations, definitely qualifies as lousy since he’s the man who also issues her paychecks.

The doctor says her boss had a massive heart attack during an orgasm, and it wasn’t Darcy’s fault. But she can’t help feeling guilty, since his orgasms were her responsibility. Or so she believed, until his grieving widow shows up, along with a mysterious, punk rocker chick who weeps inconsolably at the funeral and claims he was murdered.

The Post:

Are there more Dead Men than Live Men?

By Nancy Lauzon

My latest mystery novel, A Few Dead Men, was inspired by my youngest daughter's disastrous dating history. The 'dead men' in the novel are composites of every boyfriend and/or bad date my daughter ever had. Believe me, I had lots of material to choose from. In fact, I didn't have room for all the 'dead men', since I didn't want to go over my word count.

This book raises several questions: Who exactly are dead men, metaphorically speaking? How did they become dead? Are there more dead men than live men? And where do you find live men?

But the book is also about a young woman compelled to solve the mysteries around her, like her favourite amateur sleuth, Nancy Drew. She doesn't go about it in exactly the same way.

Previous stops on the Blog Tour: My Interview with Annie Acorn at http://annieacorn.com and How Does a Dead Man Become Dead? at http://limebirduk.wordpress.com/

I hold onto the hope that here are more Live Men than Dead Men in this world, because I have some Live Men in my life already (my husband and my son-in-law are excellent examples). But there seem to be a lot of Dead Men out there, too. From my perspective, lately they outnumber the Live ones. I hope I'm wrong.

Some of my friends were (or still are) married to Dead Men. Did these women know these men were Dead when they got married, or did they turn Dead later on?

The few Live Men my daughter has met are taken already. They have steady girlfriends, a fiancée, or a wife. It stands to reason. Live Men are snapped up at an early age and their women hang onto them for dear life. That's what happened when I met my husband at age 20.

On occasion these men have flirted with my daughter, despite their 'taken' status, and so she realizes they're actually Dead Men, they just don't know it yet.

Next stops on my Blog Tour:

Thursday, March 8 - http://lenahillbrand.blogspot.com/

I'm a guest at Write My World, Lena Hillbrand's blog. She's the author of vampire fiction, The Vigilantes and The Superiors.

I'll blog about the question: Where Do You Find Live Men?

Saturday, March 10 - http://www.nancydrewsleuth.com

Calling All Sleuths! I'll be blogging at the 2012 Nancy Drew Web Con. What is a Web Con you may be wondering? It's simply a convention on the web! The subject of my blog will be Nancy Drew with a Twist of Lemon.

A Few Dead Men - a Chick Dick Mystery is available now at Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/129059 Coming soon to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters/Indigo/Kobo

Nancy's Bio:

Nancy Lauzon worked nine years on a hospital ward as a cardiac nurse before the night shifts turned her into a zombie. She got a day job in health promotion and began to write health-related articles for magazines and newsletters.

Life threw out a few curve balls, and to relieve the stress, she began to write fiction part-time. Five years later she sold two different manuscripts to two separate small-press publishers, using a pseudonym. She left nursing in 2003 and began to write full-time. Nancy lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Visit her website. Join the Chick Dick Mystery Group on Facebook

Follow her on Twitter (I love her profile picture on Twitter. - ssj) Friend her on Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by Nancy. I appreciate you including us in the party. Good luck with A Few Dead Men and the live ones in your life. — Stacy

Do you read and return?

2012-03-05T00:01:00.013-07:00

Sit and stay a spell. Let's talk.

I've been wondering about blog comments recently. I try to respond to each one. Blogger's new function to have nested comments — or the ability to reply to each individual post — is nice. I like the conversation.

A little problem arrived in my inbox on Saturday and Sunday as I responded to comments. My inbox filled up with all the notifications when a comment is posted. Then, it hit me. Everyone who who signed up for comments is getting all those comments too.

On high traffic days, say Perfect Picture Book Fridays, I don't sign up for comment notifications. I'm not a numbers gal but multiple the participants by comments by responses and you have a flooded inbox. So, if I ask a question, I return to the post.

I've noticed some people don't respond to comments in the blog, rather they send an email response to comments. Waving to Robyn Campbell from Putting Pen To Paper. Robyn does this with her Blogger blog and kindly explained the highly scientific way to do this (or just hit reply to the email notification).

Keli Gwyn has a WordPress blog and does this. That's how I found the correct answer to her Friday Fun Victorian Style post last Friday.

Laura Barnes wrote a post about this topic back in October 2011. I found Comments, Comments, Comments through her search button. She offers tips on how to respond to comments and asks the question: Is it silly to expect people to return to your blog to read your response to comments?

It's a valid question. I may try an experiment this week and respond to comments like Robyn and Keli via email. I'll answer questions on the blog.

Do you care if a blogger responds via email to your comment or do you prefer to check the original post? I'm interested in the feedback.

On Wednesday, dead men will be here.

Just kidding. Author Nancy Lauzon will stop by to talk about her new book A Few Dead Men. I hope you are able to meet her.

Update: Wouldn't you know I would begin a conversation and then be away from the computer. I saw the first comments via my iPhone in a doctor's waiting room (all is OK) and decided not to email responses, because it sounds like everyone is getting too many emails.

Perfect Picture Books: Snuggle Puppy

2012-03-02T00:01:00.018-07:00

Guess who owns this board book? Note the corner.

Today, I've chosen Snuggle Puppy for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Snuggle Puppy
Written and Illustrated by Sandra Boynton
Workman Publishing, 2003
Snuggle Puppy is based upon the song of the same title from Boynton's book/cd set, Philadelphia Chicken.

Suitable for: Ages 2 and up. We've been reading this to Enzo before he was born.

Theme/Topic: Family, Encouragement, Love

Opening: Well, I have a thing to tell you,
and it won't take long —
The way I feel about you is kind of a song.

Brief Synopsis: A parent sings a love song to his/her child. I can't tell if the dog is the Mom or the Dad.

The back cover says: Ooo, Snuggle Puppy of mine. Everything about you is especially fine. And, enourgaes you to check out eight more books from Boynton.

Link to Resources:
The Mommy and Me Book Club offers a craft, a song and activities using conversation hearts to go with the book.

I've had parenting issues on my mind this week, so here's a link for parents to a discussion about how we raise our children. A blog comment I made about being CEO of Enzo Corp. made Sharon Bially's post. The comments add another layer to her post looking at how Americans and French parents do it. Posts like this are why I love Veronica's Nap, the blog and the book.

As always, fun illustrations from Boynton.

Why I chose this book: As CEO of Enzo Corp., I focused on market research (or asked other parents for suggestions). My parenting conundrum: Enzo seems too young to move to a toddler bed, but he's jumping the crib railing. He hasn't fallen. He's tall for his age (everyone tells me) and hooks a leg over the top rail. His freedom soon turns to panic and cries as he clings with all his might until I rescue him. He's done this twice at random.

A temporary solution courtesy of a Facebook friend involved rearranging his room. I slept little this week. The toddler bed transition will create it's own challenges, but I'll feel better as he'll be closer to the ground.

How this relates to Snuggle Puppy? Enzo chose this book one night before bed. His giggles at the singing and smooching gave me a much needed boost of energy.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Alice J. Wisler

2012-03-01T00:01:00.027-07:00

As a journalist, I loved picking up the phone. You never knew who it could be — an anonymous news tip or someone complaining about her kid making the arrest report. I dreamed (oh how I dreamed) it would be an anonymous tip for a big story. It rarely was a big tip. I answered the phone anyway.

I take a similar approached to blogs. Links from one can take me down a rabbit hole or a link might help me find the one big quote I need to hear or the one resource I can't live without — even though I just stumbled upon it.

Today, I wanted to share a writer I met via a random blog post. Last September, I wrote a Thankful Thursday post about Author Jordyn Redwood's Redwood's Medical Edge — Medical Fact for Your Fiction blog. Later, I read this post on Redwood's site: One Brave Cookie: Alice J. Wisler.

Alice shared the story of her son Daniel, who at the age of 4, died of cancer. It's a tough topic to read and at the end I spotted her bio. She's authored four novels. The line that struck me: "In memory of her son, she teaches online grief-writing courses and at conferences across the country."

I wondered, if it could help me write my memoir about my late husband? I visited her website, but was too late for a class under way. A link to her Writing the Heartache Workshop floated around in my email inbox from October to December when I signed up for the course.

It began late January and ended last week. If anything, my efforts to write the vomit draft of the memoir, hindered my full participation in the class. Some days, I felt too drained to think about my assignment.

I completed my homework each week and have three short essays, a letter and one poem. One assignment will show up in my A to Z Challenge posts in April. Another I submitted to The Day, a writing opportunity, shared at Kathy Temean's Writing and Illustrating blog.

The class is low key (you don't read or critique anyone else's work). You read lessons emailed to you. Alice sends feedback about the work you submit — not a critique. The cost is $35. You don't have to be a writer to participate in her class.

This is from Alice's website on the class:

I started this workshop in 2001 for those, like me, who lost a child to death. Others who had a loved one (not a child) die took the course and found it beneficial. Then, those who had suffered wounds in their lives (significant sorrow and losses) participated in the workshop and told me that this course is for anyone who has experienced heartache. The testimonies speak loudly —writing through anguish brings healing, no matter what path you are on.

Alice blogs at Writing the Heartache.

I found the Writing the Heartache workshop through one of those rabbit holes I fall into while online. I'm grateful I had time that day to read Alice's post and follow the links.

What secret treasure have you found following links online?

The End

2012-02-27T00:01:00.054-07:00

A sample of some of my source material for my MIP — Memoir in Progress.

I hope to type The End on my vomit draft of my memoir this week. Those two words don't mean I'm finished.

After reading Marion Roach Smith's The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life, I set a goal to write five pages, five days a week. My new focus gave me a fresh hour to write. Most days, I managed to write my pages, make notes on where I should begin the next day and comment on a few blogs before Enzo woke up. I completed five pages every day but one.

I did a lot of the legwork for the memoir several years ago. I received several "send its" at a conference and a request for the full book proposal and chapters. Nothing happened, but my proposal helped me during this draft phase.

I wrote most of the vomit draft fresh. I scrapped more than 125 pages of already written, critiqued material in the process. I deleted a couple of chapters. I added new ones. I saved 21 pages.

By mid-week, I hope to type The End and move on to goal No. 3 for the year — read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I've explained the why here in No. 7.

Once I finish the Harry Potter series, I'll revise the vomit draft. It's going to be fun to fact check my own work. I inserted notes as I typed to remind me to check a source for specific details.

What sources you might ask? Well, my late husband communicated primarily with an auditory scanning system, so I had to write down each letter as he spelled out his words. This old post explains how we communicated one letter at a time.

I have a box of notebooks with many of our conversations, my journal, his journal, newspaper articles and my newspaper columns on the topic of those four years after his stroke and before his death. Had I stopped to check these sources during my vomit draft, well, I might still be writing the first chapter.

As I enter the editing phase, it makes me wonder if I can begin a new project or whether I should just focus on my revisions. Do you write and revise at the same time or focus on just one manuscript?

Perfect Picture Books: Someday

2012-02-24T00:01:00.022-07:00

Cover image via Amazon.com

Today, I've chosen Someday for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Someday
Written by Alison McGhee
Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, February 2007

Suitable for: Ages 4 and up

Theme/Topic: Family, Growing Up

Opening: One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one.
One day the first snowflakes fell, and I held you up and watched them melt on your baby skin.

Brief Synopsis: A mother shares her love for her daughter and her hopes for the milestones to take place someday. From the book jacket: "A mother's love leads to a mother's dream — every mother's dream — for her child to live life to its fullest."

Link to Resources: Parents can talk to their children about life milestones. Perhaps focusing on milestones at home, community, church or school. Parents might also let their children think about milestones in their parents' lives — high school, college, marriage, etc. For older children, you could talk about the support network of parents, family, teachers and in the community needed to accomplish goals. I wasn't able to find a specific lesson plan for this book. I found a lesson plan on Community — Goal Setting for children to set personal and academic goals.

Dads can take their children to Peter H. Reynolds website to send a Mother's Day eCard based on the book.

Peter H. Reynolds has a page on his website about Someday. I could get lost on his site for hours.

Writers might find the online store on Alison McGhee's site interesting. She writes Haiku for You to benefit charities or you can order a signed copy of her books. She also offers manuscript critique services for full-length novels, but I thought the Haiku for You is a unique item. She blogs here.

Why I chose this book: I'm a sucker for this story and the illustrations. It reminds me of those early wiggle days of my son's life and makes me look ahead to the events to come. Hence, this sentence in a School Library Journal review "However, its greeting-card quality will appeal more to new mothers and gift-givers than to children." I think that's fair, but I want my son to love this book like I do. So, I'll keep reading it until he says, "Mama stop it."

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Writer Unboxed newsletter

2012-02-23T00:01:00.001-07:00

I've written about my love of Writer Unboxed in this Thankful Thursday post.

Today, I wanted to mention a new feature — a newsletter. WU promises fresh content from a variety of writers and industry sources like Donald Maass, Chuck Sambuchino, Victoria Mixon, Erika Liodice, Vaughn Roycroft, Jan O'Hara and others.

The newsletter begins in March. This post has all the details and the sign up box.

If you don't know about Writer Unboxed, you should check it out. It's one of the few daily blogs I follow. It offers a variety of monthly contributors on craft, research, the writing life and PR to name a few topics. Authors and website Founders & Mamas Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh created a real go-to for writers.

Some recent posts include:

M.J. Rose on Making and Learning from My Mistakes with PR
Lydia Sharp on Editing to Life — Characterization
Sophie Masson on Make the Most of School Visits
Yuki Zalkow on Non-Crappy Writing Groups I don't normally watch videos, but his are hilarious.
Vaughn Roycroft on Community — What's In It for Me?

The Facebook group is a wonderful community of writers. Writers at all levels ask questions and share information. I learn a lot from the WU blog posts, the comments and the interaction among the Facebook group. Now, I'm looking forward to the newsletter.

I don't know how the WU folks keep up with everything they do for the writing community, but I am grateful they do. Their efforts are appreciated by many.

I've over at Clarbojahn's Blog today

2012-02-21T00:01:00.034-07:00

Another Tuesday and another interruption from me.

I'm not here today. I'm over at Clarbojahn's Blog talking about social media and keeping up with it all or not — as seems to be my case over the past weekend. So, you can read my guest post with a dash of "my how ironic" or "hey, I might try that."

If you are behind like me this week, please make a note to visit Clarike's blog. She always has great books for Perfect Picture Book Friday, interviews and reviews. I know I'm preaching to the choir as many of you already follow Clar.

Have a great Tuesday!

Knock Knock

2012-02-20T00:01:00.001-07:00

Photo by Tracy S. Williams

Who's there?

Behind.

Behind Who?

Look behind you, because I'm way behind on everything.

Where did the weekend go? Hubby was away last week for work. Some of our weekend involved kiddo reminding his Da Da what he missed like elbows in the nose and a little body wiggling all over the place.

I revised my February 12 x 12 in 2012 picture book manuscript and shared it at our local SCWBI critique group meeting. All three in the picture book group are doing the 12x challenge. These meetings give me an opportunity to get feedback on my work, to catch errors (some are pointed out to me and others are found when I read my work to an audience) and to learn from the critique of other writer's work. I always get a mini-lesson from the critique sessions.

Sunday morning vanished in the kitchen as I made a dessert/breakfast pizza concoction for church. The mother's group provided refreshments between services. Ever realize way too late that you should have set your alarm for an hour earlier? Live and learn.

I felt busy this weekend, but I didn't make it through my To Do list or the Perfect Picture Book Fridays' linky list. Today is Presidents' Day in the U.S., of course, this means Hubby is home, so my day might be different.

We'll see if I can catch up on some things or stay behind.

Either way, I'll be blogging on Tuesday over at Clarbojahn's Blog.

What happened in your world over the weekend or are you just looking forward to this new, bright and shiny week ahead?

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: We All Went on Safari

2012-02-17T00:01:00.001-07:00

Today, I've chosen We all Went on Safari: A Counting Journey through Tanzania for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

We All Went on Safari: A Counting Journey Through Tanzania
Written by Laurie Krebs
Illustrated by Julia Cairns
Barefoot Books, 2003

Suitable for: Ages 5 and up

Theme/Topic: Safari, Animals, Counting-out rhymes

Opening: We all went on safari,
When the day had just begun
We spied a lonely leopard.
Arusha counted one.

Brief Synopsis: The book's summary: Arusha, Mosi, Tumpe and their friends embark on an exciting counting adventure through the grasslands of Tanzania, discovering all different kinds of African animals as they count from one to ten.

Link to Resources: The book includes a two-page spread on the animals of Tanzania, a page on the Maasai people, a page on Swahili names, a page on counting in Swahili and a fact page about Tanzania along with a map. On Laurie Krebs' website, she shares what she does on author visits. She shares pictures of the animals mentioned in the story and the children learn Swahili greetings. This lesson plan On Safari in Kenya from Homeschool Creations shows a cool 3-D scene, which could be made to represent this book.

Why I chose this book: It's a book we've checked out of the library multiple times. A sign I need to purchase my own copy. While sources say the age range is five and up, Enzo enjoys the illustrations and the rhythmic language. On the back flap of the dust cover, the author's bio says, "After a visit to Africa, Laurie wrote the original version of We All Went on Safari, as a way of introducing the world of Tanzania to her students and grandchildren." She does a wonderful job. It's entertaining and educational.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Beverly Diehl

2012-02-16T00:01:00.119-07:00

While I get a bit squeamish about romance (see my Valentine's post), I'm grateful writer Beverly Diehl at Writing in the Flow is not. She writes erotica and romance.

I may be a little "oh my" when thinking about reading erotic romance, but I'm never that way about reading Beverly's blog.

When I read 10 Questions answered by Erotic Author Roni Loren, I was shocked to read No. 5 and the link to what happened to erotic romance author Judy Mays. Here's another post by Beverly on The Outing of Author Judy Mays. Parents were upset an erotic romance author was in their children's classroom. Think about the books you read — do you believe the author "lived" the fiction he or she wrote? If readers don't apply that logic to Stephen King, etc., why would they do this to an erotic romance writer?

Some posts I have enjoyed:

This week, Beverly wrote: Captain Condom: Cover me, I'm Goin' In!
In January, I participated in her Got Racism? Discrimination? MLK BlogFest on these Issues
She shared Why I love My FaceBook Fan Page and a Little #ManCandy at the end of January. She shares the benefits of a personal page vs. a fan page.
Why I'm Still Pro-Choice, Even After Our Family Lost a Baby or Mike McQueary - Coward, Scapegoat or Imperfect Hero?

She explains her blog's name in Why Writing in the Flow? She shares her writing path and writing credits on her about me page.

I like Beverly's blog, because it makes me think about writing issues and about life as a woman, wife and mother in new ways. Plus, Beverly is super nice. I've emailed her before with Blogger questions and she's helped me. Thanks to her I have those fancy follow buttons and am participating in the Blogging A to Z Challenge in April.

Now, I'm going to write about a talking tumbleweed. Please don't judge me like people do erotic romance writers, just let me talk to the tumbleweed. I promise I'm okay.

I also wanted to thank Susanne Drazic at Putting Words Down on Paper for giving me The Versatile Blogger Award. She's a 2011 NaNoWriMo winner and will participate in the A to Z Challenge in April. Thanks bunches Susanne for the award.

Happy Valentine's Day: The Doctor's Lady Contest

2012-02-14T00:01:00.011-07:00

'His fingers closed around hers with the softness of a caress. And when his thumb brushed against the pulse in her wrist, her heart tumbled into a dizzying spin.'

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today, I'm participating in Catherine Johnson's Valentine's contest. This quote is from The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund. She shares wonderful writing tips on her blog. Here's a link to her articles on writing.

Catherine's contest is to find a photo that fits the quote.

I'm a bit squeamish about romance, so this is as steamy as I get. What's happening behind the flowers? I'll never tell.

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved ones.

Story Contest: A star-crossed starter and dessert

2012-02-13T00:01:00.014-07:00

Here's my entry into Susanna Leonard Hill's children's Valentine's story contest:

A star-crossed starter and dessert

Classmates Belgian and Dijon

“Make a Valentine,” Belgian and Dijon groaned.

Mrs. Chef insisted her students get on board. “Write anything,” she said. “Just try.”

So, Belgian grabbed a bright, yellow paper and wrote to Dijon:

Be mine in a brine!

“Here’s one,” Dijon said scrawling on a green heart:

You make my cake!

Belgian scribbled on a white heart:

You always have to be first,

When others are full of thirst.

Dijon’s face turned red, “Here!” she said throwing a pink heart at Belgian:

You always go last,

Which helped me in my cast.

Belgian’s face turned red now. Dijon tried to be nice. So, he wrote on a red heart:

Oh you are smelly

You hurt my belly

You are so spicy

“I’m not spicy,” Dijon shouted. Determined to end this. On a brown heart with red glitter, she wrote:

Oh you are smelly

You hurt my belly

You are so sweet

“What does that mean?” Belgian asked.

“It means you’ve got to say you’ll be my Valentine or we won't get to play,” Dijon said.

“Okay,” Belgian said. “Race you outside.”

“You can’t win,” Dijon said. “I’m always first.”

The End

What Belgian really wanted to write!

What Dijon really wanted to write!

If you've made it this far, you might be wondering about me or this story. The rules require writing a children's story — poetry or prose — maximum of 200 words "about unlikely Valentines." Stories began posting to this link on Feb. 11. There's still time to enter — if you post by today (Feb. 13) at 5 p.m. EST.

The inspiration. Bonus, Hubby let me keep the candy bar. Sweet.

I love both chocolate and mustard (you can read about it in my About Me page) and decided they should love one another in his and her own way.

I'll be back for a little bit of Romance on Tuesday. I'm not sure I can top combining chocolate and mustard, but I'll have some help from a special doctor's lady.

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: Sheep in a Jeep

2012-02-10T00:01:00.001-07:00

Today, I've chosen Sheep in a Jeep for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Sheep in a Jeep
Written by Nancy Shaw
Illustrated by Margot Apple
Houghton Mifflin, 1986

Suitable for: Ages 1 and up

Theme/Topic: Animals, Sheep, Rhyming

Opening: Beep! Beep!
Sheep in a jeep
on a hill that's steep.

Brief Synopsis: A review line from the Boston Globe on the author's website sums it up best: "A rollicking, simple story that never loses its bounce."

Link to Resources: The board book version of the book includes a "Make your very own soft and fluffy sheep!" on the last page. The author Nancy Shaw has a page of activities to go with her books. The Safety activity goes with this book. She has seven sheep books listed on her website. A to Z Teacher Stuff has a Sheep in a Jeep Lesson plan.

Why I chose this book: Enzo's book benefactor Betty Williams gave him this as a Christmas gift. He has received books directly from Mrs. Williams and indirectly through his cousin Rosa, who is Mrs. Williams' granddaughter. This is a board book, so it makes it sturdy in toddler's hands. The rhyming language is easy and fun.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Supportive network

2012-02-09T00:01:00.001-07:00

A pair of zebras resting in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.

I loved watching zebra run, walk and rest while on safari in Africa years ago — seems like a lifetime ago and in many ways it was. When zebras rest, they often do so like in the photo above. My first safari guide mentioned this pose and said zebras do this to look out for predators. Two sets of eyes can take in the 360-degree view.

When I see a zebra, I think of the zebras I saw in Tanzania and Kenya — friends looking out for each other. I consider my bloggy friends — especially writers in this way. Many have helped me by sharing information or saying, "Hey you have a huge typo!" I appreciate finding myself among such a supportive network of writers.

This week was no different.

I was pleased with the feedback I received from my guest post at Julie Hedlund's Write Up My Life blog for the 12x12 in 2012 pre-published participants. I look forward to all the Tuesday posts in the series.

Plus, I received several awards this week. So instead of sharing one specific resource on this Thankful Thursday, I'll share something about the writers, who shared their awards with me.

Kelly Korenek — Land of the Librarian Adventures in Reading and Writing — Each week, Kelly introduces me to a new picture book for the Perfect Picture Book Fridays series. I'm never disappointed with Kelly's selection. I loved this PPBF — Ruth and the Green Book.
Beth Stillborn — By Word of Beth — Beth Stillborn on Writing, Reading , the Arts and Life — Beth is doing a three-part seres on copyright in blogging. If you missed these posts, it's worth reading. Here's one on Copyright and "Fair Use" in Blogging: Part Two, Others' Content.
Diane — The Patient Dreamer — Writer and Dreamer at Work — Patient Dreamer —This is the type of post I love, but I believe it speaks to supportive network. Diane was the victim of a "smash and grab" recently. Her computer was taken from her car. She received a lot of ideas on how to reclaim her work and it was a sober reminder to many of us to backup or email a copy of our work in progress. She shared her experience here: I'm back in "Action" and wanted to Thank You All.
Christy Farmer — Escpate to a Spellbound World — She's a Southern writer. I'm going back to December to share one of her posts. I loved this one: How to Survive A Dysfunctional Family Christmas!
Catherine Johnson — She's a poet, picture book and middle grade writer. She often shares information about writing poetry. I enjoyed this one: Immersed in Verse and results of Giveaway! She also has a wonderful banner photo on her blog.

Thanks to you all for adding a little pizzaz to my week. Have a wonderful Thursday!

An award from Kelly Korenek, Beth Stillborn, Catherine Johnson

An Award from Kelly Korenek, Diane The Patient Dreamer, Catherine Johnson

An award from Christy Farmer

I'm over at Write Up My Life today

2012-02-07T03:01:00.003-07:00

It's Tuesday.

Please forgive my interruption in your day.

I typically don't post on Tuesdays, but wanted to point out that I'm not really here. Instead, I'm over at Julie Hedlund's Write Up My Life blog.

She's hosting pre-published children's writers on Tuesdays as part of the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge.

I share a little about my writing process — rules or no rules? To find out, please stop by Julie's.

How do you blog?

2012-02-06T00:01:00.009-07:00

Photo by Tracy S. Williams

I read a lot of blogs. I'm a reader, stalker and groupie.

As I wrote in a guest post for The Word Shark Karen S. Elliott — "I get around. Some people might say a lot." Just like those boats, I see a lot of blogs that look the same, but they are different.

Some are on real websites and others are on formats like Blogger or WordPress.

Last week, I noticed Roni Loren, who uses Blogger, decided to move her Fiction Groupie blog to her website. She has a huge following — by my standards. Then, I noticed another writer C. Hope Clark is leaving Blogger too. These ladies are part of the reason, I always remind myself "it's okay to have a blogspot.com address." When I read their reasons for leaving — especially about the ability to maintain control over one's own content — I got the itch to create a real website again.

I own my domain name. I have website notes scattered here and there. I have ideas from other writer's websites. I have a list of Wordpress Themes. I have a list of web designers.

I don't have a published book yet.

With my new writing schedule and goal for a completed draft of my memoir before April, I can't build a website anytime soon. So, I hope to satisfy that website building itch with a conversation here.

Can you tell me do you have a website or blog (Blogger or WordPress)?
Are you a DIYer — Do it yourself — or did you hire someone to do it for you?
Anything you wish you had known before you jumped into the blog/website process?
Or anything else you want to tell me. I'm listening.

I'll be a guest blogger at Julie Hedlund's Write Up My Life site on Tuesday. She's hosting unpublished children's writers as part of the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge. I'll post a reminder here, if you are interested.

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: Alphabet

2012-02-03T00:01:00.016-07:00

I promise this is my final A to Z reference for the week. I'll bombard you with letters during the A to Z Challenge in April. As I wrote this post, there were 446 participants. Sign up continues.

Today, I've chosen Alphabet by Matthew Van Fleet for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Alphabet A Paula Wiseman Book
Written and Illustrated by Matthew Van Fleet
Edited and Art Directed by Skip Skwarek
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008

Suitable for: Ages 2 and up

Theme/Topic: Alphabet, ABCs

Opening: The title page welcomes you with a cast of animals spelling out Alphabet with their bodies, beaks and tails.

The first page includes: Scaly green Alligators, Bristly yellow Bees, Scratcy pink Cougar tongues, Blue Dragonflies ... shimmery.

Brief Synopsis: From the back cover — An amazing ABC safari for Preschoolers! In Matthew Van Fleet's incredible new multiconcept book, over 100 creatures and plants from A to Z hilariously demonstrate action words, synonyms, opposites, and more. Young explorers are challenged to spot four plants or animals that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Twenty three textures plus foils, flags, pull tabs, and even a scratch-and-sniff scent add to the interactive surprises on every page."

Link to Resources: K-3TeacherResources.com has some free alphabet posters. The iTunes store has some free apps to download for your iPhone or iPad to practice writing or tracing the alphabet. The Super Teacher Worksheets site has several free alphabet worksheets.

I've cut off some of the two-page spread, but wanted you to see inside. Isn't the artwork a delight?

Why I chose this book: I'm on my A to Z kick this week. The illustrations are beautiful. The textures added to the animals are perfect. The flaps and pulls are in the right place. The book also includes a large ABC poster with 26 pop-ups! Stimulation overload for mom and kiddo. Enzo received this book for his first birthday. I promptly put it away, because he wanted to destroy it. I'm sticking to the age limit on this one. He will see it again on his second birthday.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Picture This!

2012-02-02T00:01:00.006-07:00

I found children's author Rob Sanders' blog in November during the Picture Book Idea Month Challenge. Both his blog Picture This! and website are filled with wonderful resources, fun illustrations and information.

Since I have A to Z on the brain this week, I wanted to highlight his recent series the Picture Book Writer's Glossary. He shares definitions to various writing terms. Many of the entries have links to previous posts he's written.

His blog makes me feel like I've won the picture book information lottery.

On his website, Rob Sanders Children's Author, welcomes visitors to his site as "A home away from home for writers, teachers, and kids. Come back often, the door is always open." I would encourage this.

Rob says, "I'm a writer who teaches and a teacher who writes." His blog posts are always informative and helpful. His first picture book Cowboy Christmas is scheduled to be released by Golden Books-Random House in the fall.

If you click on the "Hey Kids" icon, you can find downloadable writing activities — a couple with a cowboy theme just like his book — and cowboy recipes.

Teachers can find a page on "Tips for helping kids find their writing voice!"Parents can find a sheet of writing tips sheet. His writing pledge is for kids, but honestly it wouldn't hurt for me to recite it every day.

Rob also offers critique services too.

While his sites are focused on picture books, I believe they offer any genre writer a great example of how to offer unique information to a both readers and fellow writers. If you study author websites, add Rob's site to your homework list.

I also want to thank Kelley Lynn at Between the Bookends. She gave me the The Thumbs Up From Skunk Award — a stinkin' cute award — as well as the Liebster Award.

Don't get too distracted by the skunk's cuteness. Kelley mentioned in her award post about a pitch contest. You may want to hop over to Forever Rewrighting to read the details of what agent Tricia Lawrence will read in the contest. It's open from Feb. 13-17. Lawrence is a new agent and is well established in YA/MG.

Happy Groundhog Day!

A to Z challenges, pages and books oh my!

2012-01-30T00:01:00.006-07:00

Who says you can't jump into a good book?

Today, I signed up for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out began the challenge back in 2010.

The challenge — blog every day except Sundays for each letter in the alphabet. My plan is to write an A to Z memoir — short personal essays that focus on that day's letter. So, I'm using this challenge to hone my essay skills.

My topics chose themselves as I wrote down the letters. It seemed like a number of travel, life and thoughts raced through my head. By looking at my entire list, I have a general outline of what I want to write. I have drafts of A through F. Plus, this gives me time to find photos to represent those moments.

My A to Z posts will be written in advance, so I can manage my time better during the month. I will continue with Perfect Picture Book Friday posts, but will skip Thankful Thursday posts for April. I'll spend time getting to know new bloggers and will keep track of my regular friends too. Other writing projects include the ongoing 12 x 12 in 2012 picture book challenge and I'll attend the Pikes Peak Writer's Conference.

I hope to have a full draft of my memoir manuscript by April. I'm doing the vomit draft I talked about earlier this month — five pages, five days a week. When I sat down at my computer this morning, I had 103 pages or more than 29,000 words.

Trust me, it needs work. If I get stuck or am missing a detail, I type TK — to remind myself there's a hole — and move on. If I didn't do this, I might still be on page 5. While I'm fairly close to details, it's been a decade since some of these events happened. Was it a $10 or a $15 check I wrote for the procedure that triggered my late husband's catastrophic stroke? Do I need that detail? Maybe, if I'm illustrating the importance of health insurance coverage. I can research and/or delete these items in the revision phase.

I've found myself behind on blog reading and commenting, but I'm delighted in the forward motion with this manuscript.

And, about that picture above. Enzo began exploring some of the books I found at the library's weekend book sale. We stopped at 20 books.

So, how are your writing goals going?

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: Learning to Fly

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001-07:00

Today, I've chosen Learning to Fly for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

Learning to Fly
Written and Illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser
Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 2006

Suitable for: I couldn't find an age range for this book. I think Ages 2 to 6 would be happy to read this.

Theme/Topic: Animals-Penguins, Determination

Opening: Last winter, I found a penguin.
He told me he'd been flying.
But ... penguins can't fly.

Brief Synopsis: A man meets a penguin who gives flying a try. Together, they work to find a way for the penguin to fly again. From the back cover — Penguins can't fly. Of course they can't. It's not possible. Or is it? A contemporary fable about believing in the impossible — and in yourself.

Link to Resources: Penguin Links and Mrs. Kilburn's Kiddos Penguins Post.

Why I chose this book: The illustrations add a fun touch of humor to the story. At first, I thought they were all black and white, but there is a dash of color on most pages. Just enough. I found a review of this book from January 2006, which mentions this story was first published in Germany.

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

Thankful Thursday: Opportunity

2012-01-26T00:01:00.003-07:00

Photo by Tracy S. Williams

I received a rejection letter last week.

A person who gave me a reference suggested it was a conspiracy and I should "be on the lookout for a hitman for at least six months." I don't believe either point, so I immediately laughed.

Back to that rejection. I was one of 37 people, who applied to serve on a city committee about oil and gas development. I know I said in my goals that I had come to terms with the idea that I most likely can't attend many public meetings on a topic of hydraulic fracturing.

To refresh, goal No. 10:

Frack — I mentioned this issue of hydraulic fracturing to obtain oil and gas deposits last year. While I would like to get involved more at a local level, I've decided county and city meetings and my baby sitting budget (zero) don't go together. There are plenty of ways to stay involved, despite my inability to attend 10 a.m. meetings. I can watch meetings on TV/online; read city, county and state regulations proposals and offer comments; and stay informed on national issues. My frack blog is not a priority, but has been a good place to store articles on the topic. It's personal research really, but who knows — maybe I'll write a fiction piece on fracking in 2013.

Two days after I posted this, I saw a news article asking for committee volunteers. Hubby and I talked about it. I fretted. If we didn't try, how would we feel? While it would be expensive to find a babysitter and a significant investment of time, how could we not afford to do this? Would there be any regret?

Yes. I would have regretted not trying.

I plotted out different scenarios to make it happen. By talking to lots of moms, throwing out ideas about bartering a day of childcare and squeezing out dollars in the weekly budget, I felt comfortable to submit the requested two-page resumé, letter of interest and three short essays. I admitted I am not a fan of fracking and disclosed my blog commentary on the topic.

By the time I turned in the material, I had several babysitter options lined up and had mentally carved out time in my schedule for three-hour long meetings for 19 weeks plus homework assignments.

On Friday, after a nice dinner with my family, I saw an email that I wasn't selected to serve. The city selected seven strong candidates to work on the issue. While I won't be serving, I can continue to stay informed on the issues and speak my mind to our elected leaders.

This wasn't a futile exercise. Several fun things happened along the way to rejection:

I tried a new recipe for a breakfast pizza. Yummy.
I met a neighbor, who also liked the breakfast pizza, as we talked about babysiting.
Instead of attending the oil and gas committee meeting today, I'm going to spend my morning writing. I scheduled a baby sitter to watch my son, just in case I was selected. I didn't change those plans.

I was disappointed I wasn't selected, but I am grateful I had the opportunity to try.

Have you had any opportunities fall in your lap recently?

Today, I'm also thankful for Mark Koopmans at Aloha, and Hi! from HI. He gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. He's a stay-at-home dad of three boys, homeschools his oldest and is co-writing a memoir. With everything going on, I wasn't able to participate in this cool "Follow Your Dreams Contest" he's hosting at his blog. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST, Friday, Jan. 27 to enter or just stop by to say Aloha.

Kindle Fire meet iPad

2012-01-23T00:01:00.001-07:00

My Kindle Fire meets the Gummy Bear video playing iPad

Our family grew in recent weeks. An iPad arrived on our doorstep courtesy of my Mom and Dad. It's really not for me or Hubby as the inscription on the back says:

Let's Facetime! Love Grandma and Grandpa

With no warranty available for damages, I've been hesitant to let Enzo "go crazy" with it.

I wrote about the Kindle Fire here. I continue to enjoy the ereader, especially the ability to highlight and type notes as I'm reading books. A key reason for getting the Fire is it offered iPad like options without the price.

We like our Apple products in this house, so iPad was welcomed with open arms. I've had to fight off Hubby and Enzo for time to test its capabilities. Enzo thinks the iPad should be playing the Barkside Ad or the Gummy Bear videos. He gives a belly laugh no matter what language we choose from the You Tube app.

I've found several ways to use the iPad, while away from the Apple desktop.

Plaintext is an app that offers a clean writing environment. No bells or whistles. It's free. I can create different folders of files. I can get the word count of a current document. I can email it to myself. I can also put it in an off-site storage site and then open it on my iPhone or my desktop computer. It doesn't create a Word document, but with a few keystrokes on the desktop I have the material in a Word document.
As I wrote this post, I discovered I could put my iPhone apps on the iPad during the sync process. I use an app called BlogPress from my iPhone to draft blog posts. I'll have to see how it works with the iPad.
Children's books are interactive on the iPad. I saw the review and interview with Bella Goes Bump in the Night authors Derek and Gina Roché on Children's Books Heal. What a fun experience with Enzo! We have the option to listen to the book, read the book or auto play. Plus, Enzo can color pages from the book on the screen.
I organized the iPad with folders for different categories of apps. Apps are the software programs available from businesses, software developers, authors, etc. I have folders for writing reference apps, Social Media apps, Enzo/educational apps, Hubby apps, book apps, news apps, etc.

The majority of apps I have on the iPad are either free or were downloaded from my iPhone. I've never paid more than $2.99 for an app. I studied reviews of several word processing apps for writers to use on the iPad. I seriously considered one for $9.99.

After a little analysis of how I am able to use the iPad around Enzo, I decided to go with the basic writing environment of the free Plaintext app. It's sufficient at drafting longer notes and thoughts while Enzo is awake. If it's naptime, I'll go to the desktop to work on a software program I already own for more detailed work. If I begin using the iPad as more of a laptop, I might reconsider.

Another great gift from my parents was the iPad Camera Connection Kit. This allows me to download photos from my SD card to the iPad.

The SD card fits into the little connection device in the iPad

I can send photos via email to the grandparents more quickly with this device. Smart thinking grandparents! I typically use the iPhone camera for blog photos, because it eliminates a download step to the computer. This connector may make me rethink how I take my photos.

The kit also includes a connector to use with a camera cable.

I could envision the iPad might make it easier to blog on the run. You would just need a WiFi connection. For those using WordPress, there are several WordPress apps too.

Here's the iPad in use in the kitchen by Hubby to display a new recipe he tried on Saturday night.

I think 2012 will be filled with lots of technology exploration at our house. We are grateful my parents gave us such a fun gift.

If you have an iPad, how do use it? If you don't, do have a vision of how you would use it?

For the record, I haven't used the iPad to read a book yet.

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: What Daddies Do Best

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I've chosen another Laura Numeroff book for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

What Daddies Do Best
Written by Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1998
Enzo has the First Simon & Schuster miniature edition, 2001

Suitable for: Ages 1 and up — I also think this story makes a nice gift for new fathers or soon-to-be fathers.

Theme/Topic: parents, growing up

Opening: Daddies can teach you
how to ride a bicycle,
make a snowman with you,
and bake a delicious cake for your birthday.

Brief Synopsis: Illustrations and brief text describe all the things that daddies do for their children, most importantly giving lots of love. —From the book's summary.
Link to Resources: This site shares a list of books about families, including What Daddies Do Best. Activities include making a family shield, tree and puppets. This link has a number of activities. I learned at Laura Numeroff's site this book is part of a series. She has one for mommies, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas.

When Enzo and I read this, we add lines to the story about specific things Enzo's Daddy does for him.

Why I chose this book: It's one of the first books I read to Enzo. It's an easy read for a young child. I counted 111 words. Plus, Hubby (that's Enzo's dad) did another fun "What Daddies Do Best" activity this week. He helped Mommy. He took care of Enzo's night time routine one day, so I could attend a panel discussion on self-publishing. Hubby rocks!

To find more picture books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog and look for the Perfect Picture Books page.

I wake up on Friday's ready to read all the PPBF posts. Then, the day catches up with me and I find myself reading them on Saturday morning. It's fun to be introduced to new books any day of the week!

Thankful Thursday: Veronica's Nap

2012-01-19T00:01:00.001-07:00

I'm reading this book Veronica's Nap. I'm resisting the temptation to return to my bookmarked page on the Kindle.This book has been in front of me for a long time, but I ignored it. What was I thinking?

The talented author Sharon Bially has a blog where she has been sharing installments of the book. I follow the blog. I don't like reading books on the desktop computer.

I missed out.

A wonderful story was in front of me and I looked away.

Safely in my Kindle, I plan to finish the novel as my end-of-week reward. I have a few more pages to write, a blog post or two and some networking. Then, I can return to Veronica's story.

It makes sense that I would like the novel, as I love Sharon's blog. It speaks to me as a writer and as a mom.

After I read this University of Life post, I shared it with a clerk at a craft store as she lamented she couldn't afford college right now.
For those considering self-publication, she shared helpful hints this week in Leveraging the Power of Amazon. Veronica's Nap hit #1 in Kindle's Jewish fiction category.
In December, Sharon announced several Changes including launching herself as a book publicist and writing a new novel.
Type in Motherhood in her blog's search bar and you'll find several posts about women, who are mothers and writers. I always find useful information in these posts. I found what appears to be my first comment on her site (oh, our Internet DNA lives forever) on the post Women Creating Success.
She writes guest posts on Writer Unboxed. She wrote one called Invest in Yourself. She talks about factoring in publicity as part of your writing expenses like manuscript consultations, editing and design. Read the comment near the end from her client. I love this thought. I don't mean to be sneaky, but seriously — I think it's worth the read. Go here, please.

If you want, check out Veronica's Nap it's available on Kindle or paperback at Amazon or you can grab a paperback at Barnes & Noble.

I'm grateful Sharon put Veronica's Nap in Kindle format. I'm enjoying it.

I also want to thank Kelley at Between the Bookends. She's a YA writer. She participated this week in the Can You Hit a Perfect Pitch? She gave me both the Versatile Blogger Award and the Kreativ Blogger Award.
I shared 10 things about myself here.
Thank you Kelley!

MLK Blogfest

2012-01-16T00:01:00.003-07:00

I hope this video works. It's my favorite speech from Martin Luther King Jr. on serving.

Beverly Diehl of Writing in the Flow is hosting an MLK Blogfest to discuss racism and discrimination today. It's a holiday in the United States to remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who used non-violence as a way to eliminate poverty, racism and violence.

I grew up in the South long after the battles of the Civil Rights movement. These are a few thoughts that came to mind when I considered the MLK Blogfest.

In my hometown:
The KKK sometimes visited to hold a rally on the town square. I'm not sure why. The community was all-white, so I guessed they wanted to make sure it stayed that way. Now, the community is less white as it has a growing Hispanic population from Mexico and Central America. The agriculture community attracted migrant workers and many stayed.

Last fall, a KKK group held a rally on the square and many residents came out to say: We don't want you here.

At University:
In college, my sister and I shared a dorm room. Friends visited often. One friend, a black male, irked the frat, white boyfriends of girls in the dorm. We discovered nasty and racist remarks scrawled on our door's message board. No one in our dorm knew what to do about the messages. We were two white girls. Was it an act of racism, if the remarks were directed at white girls?

When we had our winter break to observe Martin Luther King's birthday, I traveled with friends to visit The King Center in Atlanta, Ga. It was the only logical thing to do that year.

In Italy:
I studied Italian in a summer abroad program in Florence. The international school was filled with students from across Europe. One day, the civil classroom turned a bit angry as all the students criticized the United States for its history of slavery and segregation. I didn't defend the past, but thought the present looked pretty good in comparison.

The classroom discussion was different than my personal experience in Florence. I spoke to everyone in the piazza's. If someone said, "Ciao!" and wanted to talk — I did. A few times, I spoke to North African immigrants.

My Italian house mother was mortified when the subject of Africans came up. Later when an Italian friend was picking me up, she forbid him from coming to the door thinking he was African.

In 2005, when riots in France highlighted racial discrimination of African and Muslim immigrants, I thought about those students, who frowned on the United States as being intolerant. It still exists.

In South Africa:
While the apartheid system of racial segregation ended in 1994, you could see signs of racial discrimination in South Africa when I visited in 2006. In Johannesburg, I visited the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum. The 12-year-old boy died in 1976 when South African police fired on students during a Soweto uprising.

After the museum, I visited a section of the slums. I wrote a little about the visit here.

In a Border Town:
Years later, I moved to a Texas border town. Here, I was a minority — called an Anglo by some. The majority were either Mexicans or of Mexican descent. Some adults didn't know English. The first time I went to the post office. I had my "Dorothy moment." I wasn't in Kansas. I was in a different territory of the United States.

Here, I understood how one could live in the United States and not speak English. I took a Spanish class before we moved, but lost interest in learning the language after the third or fourth time a clerk speaking Spanish switched to English as I approached her.

A day with the U.S. Border Patrol gave me a new insight into how hard it is come into the United States illegally. I shared a little about the border here.

Stories of discrimination — past and present — break my heart. On days like today, I think about the victories to remove racial discrimination and hate from our society.

The Perfect Picture Book Fridays series has highlighted several picture books that focus on the civil rights movement. These interested me:

Whether today is a day of rest, reflection or service, I hope you have a wonderful Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Perfect Picture Book Fridays: If You Give a Pig a Pancake

2012-01-13T00:01:00.005-07:00

Here's a snapshot of the "If You Give ..." series found around our house.

This week, I've chosen If You Give a Pig a Pancake for Perfect Picture Book Fridays.

If You Give a Pig a Pancake
Written by Laura Numeroff
Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Harper Collins Publisher, 1998

Suitable for: Ages 3 and up

Theme/Topic: Cause and Effect, Friendship, Playtime

Opening:
If you give a pig a pancake,
she'll want some syrup to got with it.

You'll give her some of your favorite maple syrup.
She'll probably get all sticky,
so she'll want to take a bath.

Brief Synopsis: A young girl gives a pig a pancake. This leads to a series of events from bubble baths to mailing letters to building a treehouse. Dont' forget the decorations!

Link to resources: A Virtual Vine lesson plan for the If You Give a ... Mouse, Moose and Pig books. One fun activity is to create brown circles for pancakes and yellow squares for butter with rhyming word. Then children can match the pancake with its butter.

Laura Numeroff has a link of story starters and links for teachers at her website.

There is also a website MouseCookieBooks.com with games and character introductions. An interesting note from illustrator Felicia Bond from her bio on this site: "Time has really passed — the six books in the series were painted over a span of twenty-one years. Wow."

I agree — wow.

Why I chose this book: While my son may not be able to think about cause and effect, the story seems familiar to us. Let me think: If you give your kid a cookie, he wants milk to go with it. When he spills the milk, you grab a towel to clean it up ... Oh, I've lived this fun circle.

Laura Numeroff has a list of 10 tips for writers. Her no. 10 is to write because you love it "and not because you are looking to make money!"

To find more books and resources, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog. There is a page dedicated to Perfect Picture Books.

I struggled with how to label the theme/topic for this book. Suggestions? Have a great Friday the 13th!

Thankful Thursday: 12x12 in 2012

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

The 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge is well under way. I know many of you are participating, but some may not be familiar with the picture book challenge.

Children's Book Author Julie F. Hedlund organized the event, so we write up our some of our 2011 Picture Book Idea Month Challenge ideas.

The challenge: write one picture book draft each month in 2012.

Official sign up ends Jan. 29. This makes sure you are eligible for prizes.

Julie has all the information on her Write Up My Life blog.

Here are some links:

12 x 12 in 20120: Frequently Asked Questions
Katie Davis' Brain Burps About Books podcast featuring Julie and the 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge
Sign up here: http://writeupmylife.com/2011/11/30/12-x-12-in-2012-picture-book-writing-challenge/
Tara Lazar Launches 12 x 12 in 2012
Grab a participant badge designed by Linda Silvestri here.
Join the Facebook Group

If you haven't visited Julie's site, it's not all picture books. I always find encouragement from Julie's posts — no matter what the topic. Her Gratitude Sunday posts are always a treat.

How am I doing in the challenge? Well, I've been "liking" all the other participants posts on Facebook saying "I'm done." I've been writing, but my draft is not complete.

Today is my self-imposed deadline for my picture book draft. As I wrote this late Wednesday, my manuscript is still in the draft-draft stage. I have the rest of the day to add, rearrange and delete the 250 words already on the page. I'll return to my Word document for another go or two at it. With a lot on our family plate this week, I'm not freaking out. I just plan to write. Plus, I have the support of hundreds of other writers, who are doing the challenge too. For this, I am thankful.

If you are participating in the 12 x 12 in 2012 challenge, how are you doing? If not, how are your writing goals this week?

I'm creating vomit

2012-01-09T00:01:00.002-07:00

Photo by Tracy S. Williams

Well, I'm creating the written variety.

Since Jan. 2, I've been getting up early, walking down the hall and sitting at my desk. How is this different than my Jan. 1 routine? I'm not reading news sites, commenting on blogs or checking the weather — out the window or on an app. I'm putting "butt in chair," opening a Word file and writing.

One of my 2012 goals is to write five pages a day, five days a week.

I won't bore you with the details every week, but for my first week — it worked! I have 25 pages or around 6,500 words.

I came up with this routine after reading Marion Roach Smith's The Memoir Project: A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life. I found this book through Jeff Goins blog when he interviewed Smith. I checked out her website and purchased her book for the Kindle to read over Christmas.

After extracting the Kindle from Hubby's Angry Birds-playing-hands, I finished reading Smith's book before New Year's Eve. She shares wonderful stories to illustrate her points on writing memoir whether it's a book for publication, an essay or a treasured family memory.

Several points in Smith's book struck me as doable for my memoir-in-progress manuscript:

Start small
Write with intent
A punch list for a memoir project

Here's a video from Smith's website:

"The Memoir Project" from Marion Roach Smith on Vimeo.

Here are some recent posts on her site:

Memoir Writing Resolutions. Number One: No More Writing Exercises
Writing Memoir: Learning Your Limits — with an example of one of her essays
Writing Memoir: The First Draft. Wretching and Moaning All the Way. — This explains the vomit draft
Blog topics include creative inspiration, dog memoir, food memoir, memoir how-to, my memoir writing, news you can use, NPR essays, parenting memoir, recommended memoirs

By the time I read Smith's book, I already decided this would be the year for a completed MIP draft. Her book gave me a nudge to make sure it happens in five pages a day.

Are you trying a new writing method this year or want to share what works for you?

Perfect Picture Books: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on The Bed

2012-01-06T00:01:00.003-07:00

Here's my selection for the Perfect Picture Books series. Visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog to see other selections.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Written and illustrated by Eileen Christelow
Clarion Books, 1989. The cover ilustration for the board book has a 2004 copyright

Suitable for: Ages 3 to 6

Theme/Topic: Bedtime, Counting

Opening: It was bedtime. So five little monkeys took a bath.

Brief Synopsis: Five little monkeys get ready for bed followed by jumping and injuries. No one listens to mama or the doctor.

On the author's page about the story, she relates how she adapted "the old finger play and jump rope rhyme" Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed into this picture book. She also notes: "There are many rhymes and finger plays in the public domain that authors and illustrators adapt into picture books."

Link to resources: Author and Illustrator Eileen Christelow has a Classroom Connections page on her website. For the Five Little Monkeys series there are math, writing, compare and contrast, repetition and prediction and more exercises. There is also a page with more details about the story —where the author got the idea and other information.

Why I chose this book: It's one of the many books Enzo received for Christmas. With so many to choose from, I decided to feature this one since Enzo fell while Facetiming (video chatting) with his grandparents and "bumped his head."He's fine and jumped in my lap with this book in his hands. This is a fun story with lively illustrations.

I could spend all day at her website, too. Among her many fiction and non-fiction titles are: What Do Authors Do? and What Do Illustrators Do?

She also has an interactive feature on the website called How Do You Illustrate? It shows the tools and techniques used to illustrate her books.

Thankful Thursday: Positive Parental Participation

2012-01-05T00:01:00.001-07:00

This is why my blog's editorial calendar is fluid. I had another blog scheduled to mention today, but on Wednesday author Vivian Kirkfield gave me The Versatile Blogger Award.

Vivian's blog Positive Parental Participation is on my future calendar for a Thankful Thursday post. I guess you see where this is going — instead of sharing seven things about me, here are seven about Vivian and her blog.

Vivian and I met through the Colorado group at Bloggy Moms. I followed her blog and Twitter accounts. When she ran a special on her book, Show Me How! Build Your Child's Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking (Positive Parental Participation), I snagged a copy for my Kindle.
Several weeks later, we met across the table at a local SCWBI meeting several weeks later. I'd like to say there was an immediate recognition of our Twitter avatars, but that didn't happen. It was a gradual "Hey you are ... " moment. We exchanged picture book manuscripts and feedback. She was very helpful.
Vivian's about page explains her background as a parent and educator. I really like this part: I formulated a unique program that utilized children’s picture books as a valuable tool, not only for entertainment and enjoyment, but also for helping children deal with the many issues they encounter in their early years.
Her Show Me How! book is an interesting collection of picture books paired with a craft or cooking experience. It has six chapters. Each is filled with 15 or more picture books. For each story, Vivian has written a summary, provided a Positive Parental Participation note, an arts and craft project and a cooking project. I haven't read the entire book, but have skipped around checking out picture book titles and crafts.
Her posts make me think about parenting issues — Will The View and The Chew Be Replaced in 2012
She shares tips like her Make-A-Meal Mondays: Child-Friendly Traveling Trail Mix post or this one on How to Create More Free Time and Save Money.
Vivian is very positive. I enjoyed these memories in her post: Why I LOVED the start of school

I'm grateful Vivian thought about me for this award.

Enzo and I read a lot of picture books, but we haven't ventured into the crafting and cooking arena together. I have Vivian's book when we are ready to embark on this journey together.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

12 goals for 2012

2012-01-02T00:01:00.005-07:00

Happy 2012!

You may see these guys a lot in 2012. See goal No. 7.

I chose 12 items for my goal list this year:

Deadline — I'm participating in the 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge created by Julie Hedlund at Write Up My Life. The goal: Create 12 picture book drafts in 12 months. I'll be using ideas I jotted down during Picture Book Idea Month in November or anything that strikes my fancy. My goal is to have my new draft complete by the 12th of each month.
Memoir — Write five pages a day, five days a week until I have the draft of my memoir-in-progress completed.
Harry Potter — When I finish the first draft, I'm going to read the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I wrote about why I haven't read this book here. It's number seven on the link.
Revise — After I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and maybe another book or two, I can return to my manuscript for edits and rewrites.
Housekeeping — I will personalize my blog banner ~~and streamline the subscription process with buttons.~~ The banner is sketched out. To better organize myself, I've created an editorial calendar with ideas for blog posts and hope to utilize Hootsuite more for social media too.
Baby book — I'm like a carpenter with an unfinished house. I'm a writer with an unfinished baby book. Now, I just need to gather up those notes and tidbits of information about his first years.
Photos — I will use a photo with every blog post. I have a stockpile of my own photos and a handful of sites to find free ones. I can do this!
Recipes — Once a month, I will use a new recipe for a family meal.
Submissions — I anticipate at least six submissions this year. I will keep an open mind about submissions to contests and literary magazines, but don't want to distract myself from my manuscript goal. I must write, revise, revise again and then consider submission.
Frack — I mentioned this issue of hydraulic fracturing to obtain oil and gas deposits last year. While I would like to get involved more at a local level, I've decided county and city meetings and my baby sitting budget (zero) don't go together. There are plenty of ways to stay involved, despite my inability to attend 10 a.m. meetings. I can watch meetings on TV/online; read city, county and state regulations proposals and offer comments; and stay informed on national issues. My frack blog is not a priority, but has been a good place to store articles on the topic. It's personal research really, but who knows — maybe I'll write a fiction piece on fracking in 2013.
Challenges —In addition to the 12 x 12 in 2012 Challenge, I'm committing to a few others this year. For a blog challenge, I'm signing up for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April. I'm going to do the National Picture Book Write Week or NaPiBoWriWee in May and do the Picture Book Idea Month in November.
Read More — It's essential to improve my writing. My reading will include picture books, memoir, fiction and writing craft books. I have a pile of books on my bookshelf to be read and some bloggy friends have releases this year, so I'm not writing out a list. I'm keeping it fluid.

Update: Oh, I fixed the buttons on Jan. 1.

What are your goals for 2012?

Perfect Picture Books: There's Just Something About a Boy

2011-12-30T00:01:00.012-07:00

Here's an entry into Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books series.

There's Just something About a Boy
Written by Jenny Lee Sulpizio and Illustrated by Peg Lozier.
Ajoyin Publication Inc., 2011

Suitable for: Ages 2 and up

Theme/Topic: Family, Mother-Son relationship

Opening:
Recalling the moment, that special day
Your tiny image took my breath away.
A precious baby with nothing to hide
My sweet, little son nestled inside.
There's just something about a boy ...

Brief Synopsis: From birth to adulthood, a mother shares the special moments in her son's life that make it clear "There's just something about a boy" and about a mother-son bond.

Link to resources: There are lots of resources about mother and son activities on the Internet. The story offers some hints on mother-son activities. A mother and son can create a scrapbook or journal about their daily adventures big and small. Mother and son can create a baby book to include milestones, pictures and memorable events.

Why I chose this book: The story is very touching and sweet. A bonus: Lots of humor in the illustrations. Jenny shared ideas here in November. This is her second book. The first is Mommy Whispers. In October, Jenny talked about her publication journey over at Marcy Kennedy and Lisa Hall-Wilson's Girls With Pens blog during their self-publishing week.

Perfect Picture Books: Read With Me Bible

2011-12-23T00:01:00.003-07:00

Here's another entry into Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book series.

I'm sharing this picture book today, because on Sunday I'll be celebrating Christmas with my family. While sometimes I have a difficult time expressing my faith — I'm not so good at Bible studies nor specific verses.

Thankfully, as a Christian you don't have to be perfect. I'm glad because I recently helped another mother ignite Baby Jesus' birthday cake on fire. I had to own that inferno and laugh a bit too. Plus, this is experience speaking: Don't light those tiny wax candles too early — the frosting will burn.

I know I'm digressing, but this book is a way for my family to remember the reason for the Christmas season.

I understand this book doesn't appeal to everyone, but I believe it can be used for personal family time, a home-school program or an illustrated way to learn about different faiths.

Read With Me Bible — An NirV Bible Storybook with Illustrations by Dennis Jones
Zonderkidz, 2000. This illustrated storybook uses scripture from the Holy Bible the New International Reader's Version.

Suitable for: Ages 4 to 8

Theme/Topic: Religion, Christmas

Opening: I skipped to the story of Jesus' birth —Luke 2

Caesar Augustus required that a list be made of everyone in the whole Roman world. All went to their own towns to be listed.

Joseph went to Bethlehem, the town of David. He went there with Mary. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting a baby.

Brief Synopsis: The illustrated Bible includes both Old and New Testament stories. The book includes an extensive index and a glossary of "words you should know."

Resources: I found a Christmas Bible Quiz to test your knowledge. This site has several resources for talking about the story and doing activities with your children. Families may want to compare the story in different versions of the Bible. This online resource: BibleGateway.com has more than 30 versions of the Bible in English, as of this posting.

Why I chose this book: With its illustrations, this storybook is a good way to introduce Bible stories including Jesus' birth.

I hope you have a wonderful celebration this week. Merry Christmas!

Like many, I'm taking a break for a few days. I'll be back next Friday with another Perfect Picture Book.

Thankful Thursday: 2011

2011-12-22T00:01:00.012-07:00

I'm grateful for a fun and productive 2011.

Looking back, we took lots of trips — New Mexico, Iowa, Idaho, Wyoming (if you count the overnight stays on the way to Idaho), South Dakota and Georgia twice.

We are more involved in our church. My favorite activity is seeing an elderly friend with dementia. For the 30 minutes Enzo visits, it helps us all. She becomes a grandma again. Enzo gets to be around an older person, because all his grandparents live in other states. The visits remind me to be present and enjoy the moment.

I joined a Mothers of Preschoolers group. I met more people in my neighborhood.

My Hubby survived Enzo's first birthday where I created multiple monkey cupcakes, two monkey shaped cakes and cake bites. We had more treats than people. He also survived a 50th wedding anniversary party including planning, the event and shipping the couple off on an Alaskan cruise. Oh, and I turned 40 in the middle of all the May mayhem.

Here's a recap of some of my writing activities:

An essay I wrote about my dog Eddie in 2010 was published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul Book My Dog's Life.
I had no luck finding a home for other personal essays this year. I wrote 10 and submitted them to publications and contests. While these pieces were not published, each made me sit down and write. Who knows there may be a revision and re-submission in my future?
I took a short online course on personal essays. I attended part of a writer's conference.
I wrote two picture books. Well, one had about six complete rewrites.
I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and attended a picture book retreat.
I participated in the Story A Day in May Challenge. I wrote micro-stories. This helped me fine tune a few thoughts about my Memoir-in-Progress.
The Picture Book Idea Month Challenge kept me on my toes in November. I'm enjoying the Perfect Picture Book posts on Fridays.
I wrote four stories for blog challenges. While just for fun, these entries made me focus on content, rules and deadlines.
I participated in the Writer's Platform-Building Campaign. I connected with writers through blogs, Twitter and Facebook personal and group connections.
I found several writing groups. After attending several meetings, I made decisions on which ones helped and which ones didn't.
I wrote this blog to myself in January, because no one read it or followed it for many weeks. I wrote every day then gradually found a schedule. (You'll see some older posts from 2009 and 2010 from previous blog attempts.)
I found bloggy friends. They eventually found me.

I've been writing and revising my 2012 goals for a while — a note here and a deadline there. I'll share those on Jan. 2.

So, what's on your thankful list for 2011?

'Twas the Flight Before Christmas

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, I love Christmas tree decorations.

Imagine my panic when Susanna Leonard Hill decided her holiday contest would be a rhyming challenge like Clement C. Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. She kindly provided an out: "... if the idea of rhyme strikes fear and loathing in your heart, you may write a prose version instead ... "

If you make it to the end, I have a note.

Here's my entry:

'Twas the Flight Before Christmas

By Stacy S. Jensen

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the space

I pack, check and fret as we ready to fly to Grandma’s place.

Did I complete the things on my long, long list?

Mail cards. Wrap gifts … I fear something is missed.

I double check each bag as Hubby carries them to the car.

Then I see Henry, our toddler, through the door ajar.

I shoo him away and consider all the things we’ll need,

As other moms gave kid travel advice for me to heed.

As visions of spit ups and diaper blowouts float through my head,

Henry grabs a carry-on bag with clothes and books to be read.

I think of Hubby as I pack one with pants and size 15 shoes,

So he has clothes, if the airline chooses his checked bag to lose.

With luggage ready to go, I carry Henry to bed.

He refuses to go night-night and his PJs are shed.

Hubby arrives to re-dress and rock Henry to sleep.

Minutes later exhausted Hubby and I fall in a big heap.

The trip to the airport was quick for an early Christmas flight.

At security, we put our stuff in trays as Henry clings tight.

He doesn’t like the buzzers and noises at the screening station.

TSA officers pat us down and send us to our gate location.

Hubby taps his watch pointing out our three-hour wait.

I smile unfazed by the time, as I hate being late.

Henry stares at a soldier and a girl’s neon tights.

He wanders over to the windows to check out the sights.

Hubby runs over to buy bottled water from an airport store.

As I guard Henry, a stroller, a car seat and bags galore.

When the announcement is made for an early boarding call,

We leap up with a cheer to line up against the wall.

At the plane’s door with Hubby, attendants and me right there,

Henry walks across the threshold hugging his brown bear.

I scoop him up in the narrow aisle, so I can quickly find our seat.

We stow bags above our head and stuff Henry’s things at our feet.

All buckled in tight with trays upright, it becomes clear,

Hubby has second thoughts and doesn’t want to be here.

Ah, this is what I forgot: Hubby doesn’t like to fly

I pat his leg and silently pray nothing goes awry.

Our plane takes off with us crammed in seats 26B and C,

When Hubby sees Santa by the window with a list on his knee.

Santa laughs with a twinkle in his eye and adjusts his light.

“No worries,” he says. “We’ll fly away and have a good flight.”

So, here's my note:

I tried.

On Sunday, the local Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators group had a critique and holiday gathering. I took a version of this entry with brownies. I received kind feedback. The main one: Get the rhythm to match the original 'Twas the Night Before Christmas poem.

I pulled out my Poem Making: Ways to Begin Writing Poetry book and found a specific reference to the meter — the anapest, which has a rising foot. The dust jacket says the book is for ages 9-13. I believe the book is in Greek, because I can't understand it. I'm stuck on how to fix the meter.

I changed my point of view, names and cleaned up a few lines. Thanks ladies at the Colorado Springs SCWBI meeting for the input, especially Debbie.

So, I ask: What's a good resource to study meter? I need an aha meter moment.

To enter the contest, post your story on your blog or in the comments section of Susanna's blog between today and Dec. 22.

Thank You Mr. Bill — Wrap It Up

2011-12-16T01:02:00.001-07:00

I learned about the Wrap It Up - Blogfest through Leigh Covington. She planned to celebrate her birthday (Happy Birthday Leigh!) with a blog hop, but decided to join the one by David Powers King and J.A. Bennett — both are reaching 500 followers and wanted to celebrate.

Here's my entry:

Dear Mr. Bill,

Thank you. Thank you. I don't know how Santa knew. My new toy wasn't in my letter and I never asked for it. I never dreamed of asking for such a cool thing.

I rolled my cars over and under it. I cooked food in my plastic pots and pans on it. I built a wall with my blocks around it.

I pushed my baby sister around the floor in it. I stuffed my Blue Bear, Cow Bunny and dog in it. Mom searched for 10 minutes calling my name — downstairs, upstairs and across the living room — as I hid in it.

I kicked my balls — one, two and three — into it. I grabbed my blanket, prairie dog and lovey and took a nap in it. Dad shook his head and said something about my toy kitchen, when he joined me inside it. Santa has great taste, because I use it all the time. I will play with it every day.

I love my box!

Sincerely,

Rick

P.S. Dad doesn't believe an elf would be named Bill. He said your name would be Jingles. I showed him the paper you left in my box, which had your name Bill printed on it. Well, it had Receipt on there, too, but I told my dad Elf Receipt would be a silly name. Elf Bill makes more sense. Please tell Santa I said thank you, thank you. I loved my surprise. My box is my favorite Christmas present. See you next year.

About my entry: I'll let you decide whether the note is to a fictional or real person. It's in the form of a 253-word Thank You note. I didn't value Thank You notes in my late teens/early 20s. Once I embraced them, well, it changed everything. I love writing Thank You notes. They are handwritten hugs.

There is still time to enter the contest today. Have a great weekend!

The rules:
Write a piece of flash fiction, poem, or song (300 words or less) for someone you know (real or imaginary). It may be in any genre, but it must have a holiday theme (real or fictional). Post it on your blog anytime between now and when the linky closes. You will then give it to that someone, sometime before the new year.

Give it in the form of an email, on fancy stationary, or laser-etched onto a solid gold plate. Your choice. Telling us who you're giving it to is optional.

Every eligible entry will qualify for a chance to win one of a few special gifts. The linky will close at 11:59 PM, Friday the 16th (MST). J.A., Leigh, and David will then read, debate, and decide on five winners for the following:

1st: An Amazon Gift Card for $15
2nd: "Champaginer Challenges 2011" and "Totally Clichéd" E-books
3rd: A 5-page critique from David Powers King
4th: A 5-page critique from J. A. Bennett
5th: A 5-page critique from Leigh Covington

Judging will be based on the effectiveness and quality of your writing. There is no point system, no popularity votes, and you do not have to follow (the organizers) to participate.

Perfect Picture Books: Time for Bed

2011-12-16T00:01:00.022-07:00

Here's another entry into Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book series.

We eat. I mean read this one a lot at our house.

Time for Bed —

Written by Mem Fox and Illustrated by Jane Dyer

Red Wagon Books Harcourt Inc., 1993

Suitable for: Ages 1 to 3

Theme/Topic: Bedtime, Rhyme

Opening: It's time for bed, little mouse, little mouse,

Darkness is falling all over the house.

For writers, read how Mem Fox developed the idea for this book. She was preparing a workshop and came up with the first lines — then completed a first draft in one evening.

Brief Synopsis: (from back cover) Day is done. Darkness is falling everywhere, and little ones are getting sleepy. This gentle book, with its rhythmic verse and peaceful, loving illustrations, will lull toddlers whether it's bedtime, nap time, or simply time for a snuggle.

Link to resources: Here is a lesson plan for grades pre-K-5. A few quick tips include having children list rhyming words and have children rewrite the story using other animals and their babies.

This site offers different ways to discuss the book through the vocabulary used in the book to the things the children do to get ready for bed. Here is an author study unit plan about Mem Fox.

Bonus: Mem Fox's Ten Read Aloud Commandments

Why I chose this book: I enjoy Mem Fox's wonderful rhyme in this book. Sometimes the "rhythmic verse and peaceful, loving illustrations" soothe me more than my son at the end of a long day. I don't like the snakes in the book, so I sometimes skip over those pages.

Please visit Susanna Leonard Hill to see the books and resources recommended by other writers.

Thankful Thursday: Beth Vogt

2011-12-15T00:01:00.222-07:00

Do you know who Beth Vogt is? She's a talented writer. I've been following her for a while at her blog In Others' Words.

When I moved to Colorado Springs, I heard about her through the director of a local writer's group. I never quite understood her name. All the other ladies nodded knowingly, if Beth's name was mentioned. I made a mental note to look up this author and editor.

Then one day, I ran across a post at the My Book Therapy blog — A Sure-Fire cure for Writer's Block That blogger's name sounded familiar. I liked her tips. Her name while wearing her editor's cap — The Evil Editor (TEE).

In May, I saw a post on literary agent Rachelle Gardner's Facebook page. It included a picture of Rachelle and her client Beth Vogt with a link to Beth's post about a new book contract. I read the post: Burnout & Hearing Voices: Why This is a Good Thing. And, here's where my "Oh, this is Beth Vogt" moment arrived.

See, Beth writes nonfiction, but got burned out. She began writing fiction. The conversation between Beth and her husband in the post is very funny. She began writing a novel — "Just for fun. No one will ever see it." She embraced change, worked on her craft and inked a book deal. Wish You Were Here, a contemporary romance, will be published in May.

In many ways, reading that post alerted me to my own bend in the road. I had read several blog posts about memoirs that were discouraging. As the deadline approached for a picture book retreat, I decided to go for it. Take time. Write something different. Take a break. Refresh.

I enjoy Beth's blog posts, so I recently checked out her book: Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood after 35 at the library. I wish I had had this book when I was pregnant at 38 in Del Rio, Texas with a limited network. There was no one with a Mommy-Come-Lately life experience around me.

Beth's story and those throughout the book reminded me that I am not alone. With the book fresh on my mind, I shared a few thoughts with another mother at church on Sunday. She knew about Baby Changes Everything, but didn't feel like it fit her. I encouraged her to take another look. I learned a lot through Beth's story.

And all this, months later, reminds me that I need to convert my memoir-in-progress into a completed manuscript. I hope my unexpected life experience — not about parenthood, but as a caregiver — might be helpful to someone in a similar situation or to someone just trying to live in this world.

I'm grateful Beth wrote Baby Changes Everything and look forward to her novel debut in May. Please check out her blog — it's encouraging, funny and thoughtful.

Have you ever read a blog post that hit close to home or changed the way you do something?

Extra! No more capcha for me

2011-12-14T00:01:00.005-07:00

After my post on Monday, I made a few changes.

No more capcha — I removed the capcha function on comments. Several commenters mentioned their dislike for it in the post. We'll see if my fear of spammers is warranted or not. I think I unchecked the correct box in Blogger to achieve this.
Filters on my inbox — I added three filters to my gmail inbox. I'm beginning with a few to see 1) If I'm doing it correctly and 2) How this works for me. I created one filter specifically to deal with the blog I cannot unsubscribe to through regular channels. The email will go directly to my trash. We'll see if this solves my problem.
A button adjustment — I moved the button to subscribe to posts via readers or Atom feeds up higher on the page.

I also decided to make this my last Wednesday post. I really like writing three posts a week. I've been doing four recently with the Perfect Picture Book series on Fridays. So, I'll post on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. I may randomly show up on another day, but I don't want to abuse your time. I've been writing down my goals for 2012 and it's best to commit to three posts.

Are you ready to leave a comment to see if the dreaded capcha function is there or not?

If the capcha has successfully been removed, you win the joy of commenting without a capcha.

If the capcha is there, you win the opportunity to tell me about it.

Or, you can just tell how lame I am if I think that's winning. I guess I need to revisit Laura Barnes' post about marketing a contest and see how Julie Hedlund is implementing those tips. A writer's work is never done.

Extra! Extra!: I saw this post The Art of Unsubscribing from Alexis Grant — The Traveling Writer this morning after I posted my thoughts. Alexis provides a link on creating filters for your inbox. I'm reading this to see how to improve mine.

Are you easy?

2011-12-12T00:01:00.021-07:00

The sign says one thing. The trail says another.

I look at this blog sometimes and wonder: Am I easy? You know easy to follow.

After participating in the Picture Book Idea Month Challenge, I found myself introduced to a number of new writers. I also found myself frustrated when I couldn't easily subscribe to a blog.

Here are a few observations:

While I prefer to subscribe to posts via email, not everyone does. I struggle with a cluttered inbox, but it's the easiest way for me to subscribe. Offer several options. In Blogger, I know you can offer email, RSS feeds and Google Friend Connect options. You can also connect through Facebook with networked blogs. I haven't figured out how to add this. I also haven't figured out how to streamline my subscription options with little buttons despite great tips from writer Lynda R. Young. Sounds like another goal for 2012.
Let me know when you post, because it might determine how I subscribe to your posts. If you post daily, I may choose the weekly email option from WordPress or use the Google Reader to follow along on my Kindle Fire app.
What time do you publish your posts? It may seem silly, but think about it — when do you read blog posts in the morning or afternoon. I tend to read in the morning, so I schedule posts to publish at 12:01 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. So, I'm two hours behind my East Coast friends. I think it's early enough, because I often wake up to several comments on posting days.
If you have a WordPress blog, but maintain a Blogger profile — make sure it is up to date. I click through Blogger profiles and sometimes I can't find your blog. Two recent scenarios: Your author website doesn't have a blog tab that I can easily find or your Blogger profile has your old Blogger blog, but doesn't offer a link to your WordPress site. Blogger allows you to add a website in your profile. Add your WordPress site and hide the Blogger blogs no longer in use.
Sign in and comment with the correct profile. Nina Badzin recently asked me why I used my Twitter account when commenting on blogs. I don't have an active Wordpress blog, so I took a shortcut and signed in with my Twitter profile. Nina's question made me think. I even quizzed Laura Barnes on the topic. I "social media" searched — is that what you call it instead of soul searching? With Laura's help, I figured out a way to comment on a WordPress blog with my email, name and Blog URL — so with one click people are at my blog.
Is there a way to unsubscribe to your posts? With the email feed from my Blogger account, there is an unsubscribe option at the bottom of the email. I subscribed to one blog months ago and cannot figure out how to unsubscribe. It's a WordPress blog and doesn't match any of my passwords.
Is there a way to contact you through your website? I like it when I can email someone. If you don't want to post your email address, why not make it clear you respond to comments or via Twitter. Hey, you never know who might be trying to reach you.

Do you have a tip or strategy to share about following blogs or a pet peeve? Maybe a tip for me to improve my blog's accessibility — I don't want to be like that sign I found at Mount Rushmore. I'm all ears.

Blog Tour for Julie's A Troop is a Group of Monkeys:
If you haven't voted for Julie Hedlund's A Troop is a Group of Monkeys story in the MeeGenius Author Challenge please consider stopping by and giving it a Facebook like. Here's her post on the story: The Story Behind the Story: My MeeGenius Entry.

Julie is running a contest to help round up more likes for her story. Please spread the word. Julie works very hard on her stories and provides a wonderful blog Write Up My Life.

Perfect Picture Books: Cowboy Bunnies

2011-12-09T00:01:00.073-07:00

I'm joining in Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

Cowboy Bunnies —
Written by Christine Loomis and Illustrated by Ora Eitan,
G.P. Putnam's Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 1997

Suitable for: Ages 2 and up

Theme/Topics: Rhyme, Southwestern

Opening:
Cowboy bunnies
Wake up early
Ride their ponies
Hurly burly

Brief Synopsis: The cowboy bunnies do their chores around the ranch from sunup to until they have some fun before bedtime.

Link to resources: While trying to find resources for this book, I found everything from preschool with classes named "cowboy bunnies" to materials about the Easter bunny to cowboys. Here's a variety of activities for different age levels involving cowboys. This Utah Education Network has a page of materials on What Does a Cowboy Do? I found lots of coloring pages too for cowboys, cowgirls and bunnies.

Why I chose this book: I love books with a ranch southwestern theme. This one is perfect. It's fun for me to read and Enzo enjoys it too. The illustrations are unique. I even read the fine print — "The art was done in gouache on plywood panels."

Enzo held the book for me to take a picture.

Thankful Thursday: @imaginationsoup

2011-12-08T00:01:00.002-07:00

Melissa Taylor has her bowl full of Imagination Soup.

This is why I like her blog — directly from her about page:

I blog several times a week on topics I feel are interesting to you and important to me – especially about reading and writing, book recommendations, education and learning issues, imaginative play, and products that make learning fun.

Her Twitter bio @ImaginationSoup:

mom, playful learning blogger, freelance writer, teacher, book editor, CO delegate for @momcongress 2011,@melissawrites, literacy advocate

I've enjoyed roaming around her site and reading her blog posts.

Gift guides — We celebrate Christmas at my house and I've been interested in a series of posts she has had about possible gift ideas. I liked this one on Creativity Gift Guide: Play, Art, Music and Nature Gifts for Kids.
A Mom — Melissa wrote this post Me Time and a Wish for You at the end of November. As a former caregiver of my late spouse, I learned a few lessons about taking a break. This post shares a valuable lesson about "me time." And, it made me grateful that her friends did this for her.
Books and words — This Word Collection Jars activity could be used with any number of the books. Melissa provides a list some favorite word books too.
I enjoy looking at the tabs for reading, writing, science & math, books & toys, preschool and elementary to see what posts I've missed in the past. This link Funny Books for 8-year-old boys has several helpful suggestions.

I think there are tons of fun activities on Imagination Soup for writers, parents and grandparents. It's been helpful to me as both a mom and a writer.

I'm also thankful for Jennifer E. McFadden, who recently presented me with the Liebster Award. I'm grateful for her friendship over the last year. She is a busy writer and mom. She won NaNoWriMo this year. Her blog is Epic Tales. She has a children's book Rusty My Playful Cat and writes fantasy and science fiction novels.

Kindle Fire - Am I using this right?

2011-12-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

I received a Kindle Fire for Christmas.

Here's my Kindle Fire. I like the red case, because it's easy to find inside a black or brown purse.

Since it was an early gift, I'm still in the test drive phase.

We chose the Fire for several reasons:

Ereader — I wanted an easier way to read digital books. While, I've enjoyed having access to digital only titles, I found it uncomfortable to read on the desktop Kindle program or the Kindle app on the iPhone.
Price — The Fire is less expensive than an iPad. It's not fair to compare the two products. They are different.
Color — While not an iPad, it has several features like the color touch screen that make it seem more picture-book friendly than the first generation Kindles.
Apps — I'm still sorting through the app store to find tools to maximize the Fire's potential. I found a free Google reader app, so I can see all the blogs I subscribe to through Google. I rarely look at the reader on my computer. So, the Fire has re-introduced me to several blogs.
Documents — I can add PDFs and document files to the Kindle. I had to read the instructions online a couple of times, so I can send copies of my work in progress or an ebook in a PDF to my Fire.
Music, movies and photos — The Fire allows you to watch movies and listen to music. I haven't tried this yet. I'm too busy reading and sending documents to my new tablet.
Email — I can easily check email from the Fire, as long as I have wifi service.

There are plenty of negative reviews of the Kindle around the Internet. A major complaint seems to be that the Fire is not an iPad. Apparently, some people were thinking they were buying an iPad-like product for $300 less.

I learned about a privacy issue through the negative reviews. I can't figure out how you allow or disallow a user access to material. So, a kid reading a picture book will have access to a thriller, suspense novel you are reading with more adult topics.
If you need something on the Fire, make sure it is downloaded to the device prior to leaving wifi service. If you don't have wifi, you might not be able to retrieve your book or PDF. Downloading from the "cloud" — the off device storage — is simple (just a a quick tap of the book cover).
Not all my books appeared on my Kindle or in my Kindle Cloud. So, I had to search the iPhone Kindle and the computer Kindle to track down one book. It took a few extra steps, but I "delivered" it to the Fire.
The function to navigate from a page in a book to the "homepage" seems a bit jumpy.
I've used the note app a few times and haven't figured out how to turn off the "auto correct" function. I don't like it and need a better app for writing notes, ideas, etc.

I'll figure all this out eventually.

Do you have a Kindle — want to share a tip or shortcut you discovered or an unexpected way you use the ereader?

Frack — A problem that has little to do with writing

2011-12-05T00:01:00.012-07:00

I live in Colorado Springs. It's a sprawling town with the beautiful Pikes Peak towering over us and a city park aptly named Garden of the Gods.

I've written before about the trials we had finding a house when we moved here. Despite our efforts to check into our subdivision when we purchased, the sprawling master planned community filed bankruptcy the day before our moving truck arrived or three days after we closed on our home.

Over the summer, 18,000 acres of the development were purchased by a Texas oil company. City officials are negotiating with the company in and out of court about the annexation agreement tied to the land. It is zoned for residential and commercial development.

I've been dealing with this issue for several months, but last week it hit me. You know in your gut like a realization that you can't do anything, no one will listen to you and others don't really care.

I am not a NIMBY — a Not in My Back Yard person. I swear. As a journalist, I reported on enough people, who were NIMBY's to know it makes no sense.

The technology to be used to extract oil and gas from the Niobrara Shale formation in Colorado Springs bothers me. I've studied the hydraulic fracturing or fracking process since July.

This video explain the process:

I have read reports from oil and gas associations, federal reports on fracking and news reports on the process. I have watched the documentary Gasland. I have read the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission's response, which disputes some of the cases presented in Gasland. I watched Split Estates in horror. I have attended two county-sponsored oil and gas summits.

I am not a scientist, so I don't understand how a person's water is perfectly normal until fracking takes place nearby. The most common example is where methane gets released into the water system and a person can light their water on fire — from his or her faucet. Regulators say the methane isn't related to the oil and gas production. If it's naturally occurring methane, then it isn't ruled to be related to the drilling. However, most property owners contend the water was fine — without smell or flammable — prior to drilling.

Oil and gas officials will tell you there are no cases of water contamination related to fracking. I've heard them say this at meetings and heard it on documentaries. They will tell you the cement casing and the pipe protect the groundwater supply that is a few hundred feet below the surface.

Most oversight for natural gas exploration is on the state level as federal legislators exempted natural gas from regulations like the Safe Drinking Water Act.

I use several techniques to track fracking trends:

I search material daily through Google Alerts on the topic.
I post stories on a blog Frack I Find.
I evaluate the source of the materials I find — I question affiliation, presentation and spin.

I worry at random about property values; the quality of the neighborhood in a few years; whether we will be able to open our windows in the summer or not; and whether Colorado's environment is a good choice for our family. I know that last one sounds a little surreal. We moved to a master planned community, not a master planned oil field.

Of course, I don't worry a lot. Last Wednesday, I wrote "deep sigh" when I sent a Tweet to Robyn, who kindly shared a guest post here. I was dealing with an unexpected meeting on the oil and gas issue. I wrote a letter to city council members and then went about my day — there was no time to find a babysitter and well, Enzo deserved a regular day.

This whole fracking business is a tough one for lots of communities. I consume oil and natural gas products, so I understand the importance of reaching these oil and gas deposits. I wish it could be done differently.

You may already be familiar with fracking, as it's being used in 34 states in the U.S.

France banned the practice in June. In the United Kingdom this year, the country's first recorded earthquake was caused by fracking.

I never thought about checking into the practice until it arrived in my community. Have you?

Perfect Picture Books: Goodnight Moon

2011-12-02T00:01:00.011-07:00

I'm joining in Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

You can see how Enzo likes to snack on his board book.

Goodnight Moon
Written by Margaret Wise Brown and Illustrated by Clement Hurd, Harper & Row Publishers, Inc. 1947

Suitable for: Ages newborn and up

Theme/Topics: Bedtime

Opening:
In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of —

Brief Synopsis: A little bunny says goodnight to his room and his world before drifting off to sleep.

Link to Resources: Along with the Harper Collins one page activity sheet this link offers additional worksheets including matching games, rhyming words, coloring sheets and a "goodnight" activity with your child's room. At our house, we play the "hello" world game in the morning by naming objects in Enzo's room.

Why I chose this book: It's the first book I purchased for my son before he was born. I read it was a must for any child, so I purchased a copy. The genius of the book didn't strike me when I first picked it up during my pregnancy. After Enzo's arrival and multiple readings, I appreciate the simplicity of the words. I think it's a brilliant story. Oh, and "rookie parent tip:" Buy the board book version. The paperback version is no match for little, grabby hands or emerging teeth. Enzo received the board book version as a gift.

P.S. I don't know why I'm having some formatting issues with the blog this week. It looks fine. I hit publish and things change. I'll put on my technical hat and see if I can tinker with it over the weekend ... now how do I raise the lid on this thing to check the engine.

Thankful Thursday: Picture Book Idea Month

2011-12-01T00:01:00.017-07:00

I survived the Picture Book Idea Month challenge in November.

Last week, I used this post to give a shout out to PiBoIdMo mama Tara Lazar.

Today, I wanted to share what I did over the 30-day challenge.

My stats:

On index cards, I scribbled 55 ideas.
On my iPhone, I tapped out 153 ideas onto the yellow-looking notepad app.
In a random spiral notebook, four ideas are outlined.

Before anyone freaks out, let me explain. I wrote down every idea.

If it popped into my head, I wrote down my thoughts.
If I began writing and thought it could be a repeat idea, I ignored the thought.
If I continued to write, I added a new angle or details.

My love of six-word stories shows through in a few ideas as that's all I have. For others, I wrote until no more words fit on my index card.

Some common themes involve dogs, family and rules — well, a child breaking rules mostly. The presence of several flag ideas indicates that November was a windy month.

While I managed to meet my idea goal, I failed to finish reading and work my way through Ann Whitford Paul's book Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication. A few excuses are involved with this one — the baby ate my homework. Well not exactly, but I'm sure Enzo would eat the book if given the opportunity. Several nonfiction titles I had on hold at the library arrived and I needed to read them, so I could pass them on to the next reader.

I also:

dabbled in some goal setting for 2012
wrote a first draft of a personal essay
wrote a devotional for my church's Advent devotion book (My first one! Yikes!)

I was honored to have these wonderful ladies share their time and talent here. I'm grateful they wrote guest posts on picture books:

I still have a lot of work to do with my ideas — sorting, deleting, writing, thinking, deleting again, etc. I have to stay focused, because Julie Hedlund at Write Up My Life has a 12 x 12 in 2012 Picture Book Writing Challenge — an effort to spur us on to write those ideas (or at least 12) into manuscripts.

See I really need to read Ann Whitford Paul's book!

Thanks again to Tara Lazar for organizing the challenge. If you missed a post during the challenge or need another dose of inspiration, visit her blog Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). I'm so thankful I participated in the challenge this year.

So, how did your November writing challenge go or just with your writing in general?

Writing Picture Books is Not for Wimps!

2011-11-30T00:01:00.030-07:00

Picture book and middle grades novel writer Robyn Campbell joins us today to talk about the tough business of picture books:

By Robyn Campbell

Stacy, thank you for this opportunity and a huge thanks for your month of PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) posts.

Writing Picture Books is Not for Wimps!

"Writing a picture book is like writing 'War and Peace' in Haiku." Mem Fox (Isn’t that cool?)

As I talked on the phone with a man (who is in publishing and shall remain nameless), he mentioned that anyone could write a ten page picture book. (He doesn’t understand that ten pages makes for a long picture book.) This man thinks it is the novel writers who flex their muscles daily. To say I was not amused is a definite understatement. I mean, I write novels too. But. I know that not everyone can write a picture book. Over these last few years I’ve met a lot of folks who think they can though. Have you ever told someone you write picture books and heard them answer with, “I’ve been meaning to sit down one afternoon and write one?” *cringe*

Let’s face it. The majority of the population will never write a picture book. Never. And of those who do, most will not be published. I saved this onto my computer to look at every so often about a year ago. It reminds me of why I write and who I write for. If I didn’t love doing it, I definitely wouldn’t. It’s from the site of Elizabeth O. Dulemba:

81% of the population feels they have a book inside them . . .

20% would do a picture book, cookbook, etc.

6 million have written a manuscript.

6 million manuscripts are making the rounds.

Out of every 10,000 children's books, 3 get published."

- Jerrold Jenkins. 15 May 99.

More tough news. A common misconception is that all published authors must be rich. So, is there money in it? The stats are as follows. In all the arts:

3% make the 'big bucks' (these are the creators most people have heard of).

12% make enough to live on (and boy is that relative).

85% make under $10,000 to $12,000 a year.

This should show us that we are not in this to make gobs of money. *sob* We’re doing it because we love the little kiddies of the world and because we love to write. That’s it, period.

Yet most people feel they have a picture book inside them. Go ahead. Ask some folks you see at the grocery store or doctor’s office. You will soon discover that a lot of folks think our job is easy peasy.

So it’s PiBoIdMo! We’re reading all these excellent posts about ideas and coming up with about fifty new ones every day. *wink* We’re dreaming about our $50,000.00 advance on our next picture book that we’re going to write and how Nickelodeon will turn our book into the next big preschool cartoon. And that’s more money. *slaps face* Sorry. I have this dream every day.

I am going to ask you a very important question in a moment. But first, think back to the man I talked about at the beginning of this post. He said that everything you work for, every story you write, can be easily written by someone else. Not just someone else, anyone else. I don’t think he had the right to say this. If I told you who he was we could always go all ninja on him. *evil smile* But I won’t. What I will tell you is this. Never let anybody dis what you do. Just politely remind them that if they think they can write a picture book then that is what they should do. Do suggest they be prepared for a lot of criticism and a lot of rewrites. Tell them that writing picture books is not for wimps.

And now for that question: What are you going to do with all those ideas?

Robyn Campbell writes picture books and middle grade novels. She lives on a farm in North Carolina with her family and assorted farm creatures. When she is not writing down at the barn, she is sure to be found on one of her horses or taking an early morning run. Robyn believes boys need more books and has several of them stirring and whirling in her computer and in her head. You can find her blogging at Putting Pen To Paper.

Stacy here — So glad Robyn joined us today. You can also find her on Twitter @authorswrite.

Monday idea: Photo prompt for PiBoIdMo

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's your final photo prompt for Picture Book Idea Month. I was thinking about my NaNoWriMo friends when I chose this one.

I hope the photos have been helpful. You'll find another prompt on Facebook too.

On Wednesday, picture book and middle grades novel writer Robyn Campbell from Putting Pen to Paper will visit to talk how writing picture books is not for wimps!

Good luck turning all those picture book ideas into stories.

Perfect Picture Books: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Colorado

2011-11-25T01:01:00.003-07:00

I'm joining in Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book series. Visit her site to see the other books recommended.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Colorado —
Written by Linda Ashman and Illustrated by Dawn Beacon, Sterling Children's Books, 2011

Suitable for: Ages 5 and up

Theme/Topics: Holiday, educational

Opening: The book begins with a letter to Sophie about her upcoming visit to Colorado from her "favorite cousin" Zach.

Brief Synopsis: From the dust jacket —

"Ready to greet you are 12 skiers swooshing, 11 horses prancing, 10 covered wagons, 9 woven baskets ... and much more from the Centennial State.
Zach is so excited about his cousin Sophie's visit to Colorado that he gives her one of these VERY unusual gifts on each of the twelve days of Christmas, and Sophie writes lively letters home to tell her mom and dad all about her trip. Lucky readers are in for a wild Christmas countdown!"

Link to resources: In addition to the information provided about Colorado through Sophie's letters to her parents, the book includes Colorado facts such as the state tree, bird and fossil as well as some famous Coloradans. Linda Ashman shares some thoughts about the book here.

This book is part of a series called Twelve Days of Christmas, State by State from Sterling Children's Books.

Why I chose this book: This is actually the second time I've chosen this book. When Julie Hedlund interviewed Linda on her blog recently, I raised my hand saying "Pick me! I want this book."

Why? I attended a picture book retreat Linda taught in July. She's great at rhyme and storytelling. Plus, I'm not a Colorado native, so I knew I would learn something. Christmas arrived early at my house when I received this book.

For now, Enzo and I are skipping the letters Sophie writes. They are packed with a lot of information and intended for an older audience. At 18 months, my son is amused by the shorter parts. He follows the gifts through the twelfth day without a problem.

This book will make a fun gift year round to other families, who are new to Colorado. You might be able to find one in the series focusing on your state.

If you get a book, please let me know if your state has a state fossil. I'm excited to know Colorado's fossil is the stegosaurus. This detail just makes me smile.

Thankful Thursday: @taralazar

2011-11-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm grateful to be sharing a wonderful meal with my family (Hubby and Enzo) and friends. I hope you have been able to take a break from all the November writing challenges for this one day.

Since Picture Book Idea Month is wrapping up, I thought it appropriate to highlight Tara Lazar — the mama (or creator) of the whole idea.

When I first began stalking (er following) blogs, I found Tara's Writing for Kids (While Raising Them). Her Who's Tara? page has some interesting facts like the library drop-off box location in relation to her house.

This line in her bio makes me smile: Tara Lazar is a children's book author, mother, foodie and boogeyman assassin (currently booked at 3 am nightly).

This line in her bio inspires me: Her first two picture books, The Monstore and I Thought This Was a Bear Book, will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Some fun posts from her site:

Since late October — Daily posts to encourage participants in the PiBoIdMo Challenge.
400+ Things That Kids Like — The list is aimed at children 8 and under.
79 + Things Kids Don't Like — She notes there may be some exceptions like "kids out there who drool over asparagus."
Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout (Picture Book Dummy) —A good post to read during the revision process. Do you know where your logical page breaks fall in your picture book?
Sneak Peek: The Monstore character sketches by James Burks! — A look at her characters from her book.
New to Children's Writing? A To-Do List — A good list to consider whether you are new or "been doing this for a while."

The PiBoIdMo challenge has been a tremendous help to me. On the site, Tara says it's "the picture book writer's alternative to NaNoWriMo and encourages picture book writers to create one new picture book idea a day for 30 days."

I have some new note-taking habits as well as a ton of ideas (well, I'll give you an official tally after I've turned the page on my calendar) from this challenge.

I really appreciate Tara's efforts to help writers capture their wild ideas.

She can also be followed on Twitter @taralazar or liked on Facebook.

Catherine Johnson shares picture book ideas, books

2011-11-23T01:01:00.001-07:00

Children's writer and poet Catherine Johnson joins us today to talk about ideas.

By Catherine Johnson

“Characters don’t pee in stories.” Anne Whitford Paul - Author of Writing Picture Books

(Don’t give too many details.) This is brilliant if you remember more than the pee part lol.

Here is a list of the best illustrated books of 2011:

Along a long road by Frank Viva
A ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka
Grandpa Green by Lane Smith
Ice by Arthur Geisert
I want my hat back by Jon Klassen
Me…Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Migrant by Maxine Trottier

With my picture book Everglator (a.k.a. Big Al of the Everglades) I surprised myself and chose the setting first and when I think about it I chose the setting first on another pb To the Beach. This is very unusual for me, but in choosing two very original settings: the first is the Everglades and I don’t know about you but I haven’t seen many picture books about the Everglades. And the second is based on my local beach when I lived in New Zealand. It is the most amazing black sand beach where you can drive on it with your car and do all sorts of sports. So unusual that I thought it would work.
How do you come up with ideas? What has worked for you? What could you switch around a bit? Have you considered changing your setting at the last minute? I don’t have any picture books published yet, so I cannot spout wisdom to you, but I know what it feels like to read something amazing. And don’t forgot we are not re-inventing the wheel here folks, you can mix a couple of old ideas together to make something new. Look at it like an old recipe where you change only a couple of things and hey presto! everyone thinks you are Martha Stewart. (Okay that never happens in my house ;)

These are some picture books I’ve read recently and they are all wonderful. I do encourage you to check them out, you may just get some new ideas!

A Nap in a Lap by Sarah Wilson - This one is for pre-schoolers and goes through some brilliant places different animals take a nap in. The twist at the end is the narrator, a little girl, says the nest place for a nap is in a lap (I.e. mommy’s) so really cute and nice how they finished on the title.

Dancing Feet by Linsey Craig- is really cute and also for pre-schoolers.

Noises at nightby Beth Raisner Glass and Susan Lubner -This is a good one for boys who are scared of noises with wonderful rhyme. The location is the bedroom, but with each different noise a different scene is pictured, fabulous!

Tiger Can’t Sleep by S.J. Fore - This is such good fun. There is a Tiger in the closet making crunching noises, scaring the boy silly until he realises the tiger is so funny eating chips etc. Great use of senses in this book, something I’d like to use more in my stories.

Bella and Stella Come Home by Anika and Christopher Denise - This is my favourite of all my recent reads because not only is it a nice subject (moving house) to cover for kids but her cuddly bear Elephant is just s cuddy bear on some pages and on others its enormous. So imaginative and I love the illos!

Tip Tap Pop by Sarah Lynn is my next favourite. It is about a girl who dances with her grandpa even when he gets quite old, so cute.

Down to the sea with Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen is a fab rhyming book.

Where does Thursday go? by Janeen Brian This was my son’s recent favourite and he is so fussy it perked my interest. Kids love wonder and wondering where a day went is quite interesting to them. If you are interested in layering in pbs, this is a perfect example because as adults we often wonder where a day went n’est-ce pas?

Hope this helps and you manage to find some of these titles. Do share some of your own in the comments if you’ve read any stunners recently. Have fun creating!

Catherine Johnson is a British ex-pat living in Canada after four years in New Zealand. She lives with her husband, two young children and a puppy called Sandy. Catherine has several poems and a flash fiction piece published in Static Poetry II, IV, Yarns for our Youth and Pot Luck. She loves writing picture books too and would love to write MG one day.

Stacy here - So glad Catherine joined us today. You can also find her on Twitter @CJohnsonWriter Also, if you missed it, she recently shared her story Kangaroobee on her blog. The story is a fun treat.

Thanksgiving contest: Off to Grandma's House

2011-11-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry into Susanna Leonard Hill's Thanksgiving Contest. Writers are linking their entries to this post. So, get a little Thanksgiving cheer by stopping by and reading the stories.

Off to Grandma's House

By Stacy S. Jensen

They were supposed to go to Grandma's for Thanksgiving, but the blizzard came in fast.

Henry popped his head from under his covers. “What?”

“We can’t make it to Grandma’s house,” Mom said again.

“ That’s what we do,” Henry cried.

“We can’t,” Mom said.

“I can,” Henry said jumping out of bed and looking out the window to see the streets empty and everything covered in snow.

Henry dressed in his long johns, sweatshirt and snowsuit.

He fixed a ham sandwich, potato chips and water.

“Where are you going?” Mom asked.

“To Grandma’s” Henry said.

“You can’t,” Mom said.

“I can,” Henry said pulling his backpack over his jacket.

In the garage, Henry put on his snowshoes.

Dad walked by and asked. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to Grandma’s,” Henry said.

“You can’t,” Dad said.

“I can,” Henry said grabbing the rope to his sled.

Dad shook his head at Henry. “Wait a minute,” he said and returned in his own snowshoes.

“We’ll go together,” Dad said.

Father and son walked down the neighborhood through piles of snow. Henry slid down the hills.

It took a while, but Henry made it to Grandma’s house. She hadn’t fixed a meal as all the family stayed home due to the storm.

“I don’t have anything,” Grandma said.

“I do,” Henry said. “We’ll share.”

After lunch, Grandma made hot chocolate with a white frothy top for Henry.

“Now this is Thanksgiving,” Henry said slurping his drink.

A note:

I sought snow guidance from Hubby, who grew up in Iowa. He was quite the Debbie Downer on how to get Henry to Grandma's house in a blizzard. Henry would be featured on a Dateline Special/news drama show had I used Hubby's realistic advice.

Earlier this month Jennifer Young from Castles in the Sky gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. I'm grateful she thought about me. She has a wonderful blog. She wrote a great piece earlier this month on Why I Write.

I know I've been a bit wacky with my posts this month as I've been focusing on picture books and participating in a few extra events. I promise to return to my regular three posts a week in December.

Monday idea: Photo prompt for PiBoIdMo

2011-11-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

Here's your Monday photo prompt for Picture Book Idea Month.

You'll find another prompt on Facebook too.

On Wednesday, children's writer and poet Catherine Johnson will share how some of her picture book ideas develop and picture books she's recently read.

Here's to ideas!

Perfect Picture Books: Owl Babies

2011-11-18T01:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm joining in Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Book.

Visit her site to see the other books recommended by other picture book writers and readers. It's the first week and may change a bit.

I'm participating for two reasons: I like the idea of finding more picture books to read and as a mom, I haven't explored adding resources and activities to my son's reading experience. My son loves board books. He eats them and gladly hands me ones to read to him.

Owl Babies —Written by Martin Waddell and Illustrated by Patrick Benson

Candlewick Press, Text copyright 1992, First board book edition 1996

Suitable for: Age 1 and up

Themes/Topics: Separation

Opening:

Once there were three baby owls:
Sarah and Percy and Bill.

Brief synopsis: The baby owls think their way through their mom's absence. Or as the cover says: "(The book) ... offers the gentle promise needed by every young child that Mommy will always come home."

Link to resources:
Free Owl Babies lesson plans and lap book
An Owl Babies story pack
For more books with resources please visit Just Right Books!

Why I chose this book: My son has reached the separation stage. He gets anxious and cries sometimes when I leave. He received this book as a gift. He likes the actions of the owl siblings. I like their message that Mommy returns. For now, I think it soothes me more than him.

Thankful Thursday: Children's Books Heal

2011-11-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

I met Patricia Tilton of Children's Books Heal through the recent Writer's Platform Building Campaign.

Her blog about children's book is truly a niche one.

On her about page, she explains her passion for words began as a child. Later she spent years as a journalist and in public relations. Now, she's returned to writing for children. She says:

My hope is to write books that are healing for children, particularly those with special needs. This theme is reflected throughout my blog.

I've found the blog useful as a mother and a writer. She finds books that have meaning to all parents — not just those with special needs. I find myself jotting down book titles and authors to check out at the library and to refer to friends — those who may be dealing with similar topics.

“E-mergency” by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer — an inspiring collaboration between an author and a boy with high functioning autism.
Author Interview with Rukhsana Khan — An author who writes multicultural books.
The Best Worst Brother — National Down Syndrome Awareness Month — Patricia mentions in her review that the book never labels the brother as having Down Syndrome, so it gives the book a more universal appeal.
"I'm here" by Peter H. Reynolds — Autism Spectrum — This appeared on Nov. 14 (My apologies, I couldn't get a link to this. I'll hopefully figure my glitch out and correct it.) I like this review, because again she mentions the universal appeal of the book. The author doesn't label the boy as autistic and as Patricia writes "he could be any sensitive or shy child."

Patricia shares books and topics that families and classrooms are dealing with on a daily basis. They deal with difficult topics in a great way to help children (and adults too). I'm grateful I found Patricia as a writer learning the craft of picture books and also a mom, because I'm sure her suggestions will be useful as we're having "talks" about a variety of topics.

Cultivate your voice

2011-11-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

Children's book author and freelance writer Julie Hedlund from Write Up My Life joins us today to talk about voice.

By Julie Hedlund

Thanks to Stacy, for inviting me to celebrate PiBoIdMo with a guest post on picture books!

Julie Hedlund

About a month ago, I opened an email from The Boulder Bookstore announcing that none other than Jon Scieszka would be coming to give a talk and to sign books. After busting open the picture book genre with The True Story of the Three Little Pigs in 1989, he's gone on to write a passel of picture books, chapter books and books for toddlers. In 2008, he was named the first-ever National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Librarian of Congress. But the best thing about Jon Scieszka? He's funny. Really funny. So he writes funny. And that brings me to my topic for this post - voice in picture books.

The kids and I settled into our seats that day at the BoulderBookstore, and Jon started to speak. Within minutes, everyone was laughing. My daughter leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Mommy, he sounds just like his books!"

That, my friends, is voice.

Last May, I wrote an entire post on voice. The cliffnotes version is that it is personal and unique to the author, and it must project authority and confidence in the writing. Andrea Brown, president of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, said there are only so many universal themes in literature. They’ve all been used – over and over again. She said there is no such thing as a fresh idea, only a fresh voice.

Take the theme of a child's anxiety about a new baby in the family. What separates On Mother's Lap, by Ann Herbert Scott from When I Was King, by Linda Ashman is voice. Here are a few other examples:

Making Friends by Sharing

The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister

Mr. Duck Means Business, by Tammi Sauer

Giving Up Your "Lovey"

Knuffle Bunny Free, by Mo Willems

Owen, by Keven Henkes

Special Friendships

Cowboy and Octopus, by Jon Scieszka

Harry and Horsie, by Katie Van Camp

Bedtime

Time for Bed, by Mem Fox

Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, by Bob Shea

And the list goes on and on. Picture book writers have special challenges in projecting voice because a lot of the "voice" is in the illustrations. If an author is not the illustrator, the words need to ooze with voice in order for the illustrator to truly feel the story and then add his/her own dimension. Also, with most picture books at far less than 1000 words these days, PB writers do not have the luxury of "finding" their voice in the first few pages. The voice needs to be clear from the very first sentence.

There's a reason why Mem Fox said, "Writing a picture book is like writing War and Peace in haiku." Writing picture books with voice is an art form. I am still learning, but happily, my voice is becoming louder and clearer the more picture books I write. When I first started writing, I wrote like I thought picture books were "supposed" to sound. Now my books are sounding more like me. Here are a few of my strategies I use to cultivate my voice:

Free-write the first draft. Just write it all down without thinking so you turn off the internal editor and give your voice free reign. Write way more words than you will use so you are not censoring your ideas or your voice. Dictate your story if it helps you bring your voice forward. Speech recognition software like Dragon Dictation will transcribe your speech to a laptop or mobile device in real time.
Evaluate your draft for voice. Is it showing up as tender, funny, silly? Is there more than one voice? If so, does the story need more than one? Once you decide, pare down the manuscript to the theme and words that express your voice(s) the best.
Then, build up the voice. Add more silliness, tenderness, humor, etc. Take risks. Be as "you" as you can.
Cut out every unnecessary word so the voice shines.

Do you have any special strategies for finding your voice in your writing? Please feel free to share in the comments!

Julie Hedlund is a picture book author and freelance writer who left her "real" job in 2010 in order to pursue a career in writing. She blogs about the craft of writing, publication, her own writing process, and "life" at Write Up My Life. She lives in Boulder with her husband and two children, and when she is not mothering, writing or reading, she enjoys running, hiking, skiing, cooking, yoga, and savoring a great glass of red wine at sunset.

Stacy here - So glad Julie stopped by. You can also find her on Twitter @JulieFHedlund

Monday idea: Photo prompt for PiBoIdMo

2011-11-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

Here's your Monday photo prompt for Picture Book Idea Month.

This guest photo prompt is courtesy of Karen S. Elliott - The Word Shark.

Karen also has a fun contest going on at her blog called The "Paint the Writer's Wagon" Contest. She lives in Minot, North Dakota. She lost her home to the floods almost five months ago. She just recently moved into this FEMA box. There are prizes for the best entry, but you know I think helping Karen spruce up her new digs (even if it's just on paper) is a great idea.

You'll find another photo prompt on Facebook too.

On Wednesday, children's book author and freelance writer Julie Hedlund from Write Up My Life will visit to talk about voice in picture books.

If you aren't familiar with Julie's website, take time to visit. She has a "How I got My Agent" Series with fun interviews and helpful information. She has a sidebar filled with links. And, every Sunday she posts a "Gratitude Sunday" post filled with little and big moments and end with a question: What are you grateful for this week?

So, how are your picture book ideas flowing so far during the challenge? Or, how is NaNoWriMo treating you? I hope your Monday is filled with ideas.

Hibernation: Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza

2011-11-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry in the Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza:

Something hiding in the grass in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania.

Today's word is HIBERNATION.

I don't know why the minute I read hibernation I thought about this photo of something that appears to be hidden.

What is it?

A black Rhinoceros, according to my safari guide five years ago.

Fun Friday Foto Fextravaganza is the creation of Susanna Leonard Hill and Catherine Johnson. There will be links to more photos at their sites.

Perhaps the photos will give you a story idea or two.

Two of my favorite picture books with a safari theme are Starry Safari by Linda Ashman and We All Went on Safari: A counting journey through Tanzania by Laurie Krebs.

Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served including my Hubby.

Thankful Thursday: Darcy Pattison

2011-11-10T01:01:00.000-07:00

Darcy Pattison is a children's book author and writing teacher. While I'm focusing on her resources for picture books, her Fiction Notes blog is for all types of writers.

The about page says Fiction Notes is an ongoing, innovative, in-depth guide to revision.

In her blog's header, it says: "Believe in your story."

She offers a variety of tips on writing picture books:

Shakespeare Helps You Write a Better Picture Book
Write the First Draft of a Picture Book
Messages, Morals and Lessons in Picture Books
How to Write a Rhyming Picture Book — Since I commit crimes of rhyme, her first sentence in this post spoke to me.
Check Your Picture Book's Story Arc

For those participating in Picture Book Idea Month, you could easily study a post a day from Darcy to improve your picture books in a month.

Here other Resources include:

Get a free children's book written by Darcy:

Darcy's story 11 Ways To Ruin a Photograph recently won Take Part's children's story contest in conjunction with the release of the movie The Help.

She mentioned her winning entry as a way to celebrate Picture Book Month and Veterans Day. With so many service men and women being deployed, her book is timely. Our military families sacrifice for us all. This link has access to a free download of the book. It is available through Amazon and Nook for a fee.

I live in a military town, so I've shared the link with friends as well as through the newspaper's military section.

I appreciate Darcy's writing advice and stories.

Giving Back: Ideas that Move

2011-11-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

Picture book author Jenny Sulpizio joins us today to talk about ideas.

Jenny Sulpizio

By Jenny Sulpizio

It’s PiBoIdMo 2011! Now, for those of you who think I may be speaking another language, picture book writers know exactly what I am referring to. You see, this month we are hard at work (and play), bursting with creativity and jotting down thirty (+) ideas for future picture books. That’s one idea per day, folks and while it does manage to absorb most of our brain power, there’s nothing more fun then gathering inspiration from one’s environment and turning it into a story for little ones to enjoy.

In fact, when you think about it, anything and everything has the potential to be turned into a storyline for a children’s picture book (and I mean everything). Take a plain, old tree for example (yes, I said a tree). I mean honestly, what sort of story can result from something as simple as a tree you might ask? Now, don’t get me wrong, I think that trees are beautiful, provide much needed shade, and have a general overall purpose-but how does the existence of a “tree,” result in a revered children’s keepsake title that spans the generations?

The answer is simple-IMAGINATION!

You see, if you take an ordinary object and provide it with a voice, a personality, and throw in the ingenious, creative talents of a children’s book author, something as simple as a “tree,” can become something extraordinary. I bet Shel Silverstein felt the same way years ago when he sat down to develop his own picture book manuscript. His inspiration? None other than his surrounding elements and yes, you guessed it-a plain old tree. The result? The Giving Tree has grown to become an all-time children’s classic that has not only appealed to younger readers, but also holds a special place for its adult audience as well. Packed with an endearing message, this book describes the love, compassion and sacrifice that one little tree exhibits towards a human boy during various stages of his life. The Giving Tree in essence, is a book that continually gives back to the reader by reminding us that nothing is more important than the bonds we share with others. No matter what we have or don’t have in this world, the love we have for one another is truly all we need.

Like Shel Silverstein, the majority of children’s book writers want to bring that same type of magic to life in each of our stories, no matter who (or what) the main character may be. As we rack our brains this month searching for new ideas, and plots that have yet to be written, have you asked yourself what your writing goal is? What it is that you want to accomplish in this big, crazy world of publishing? We all have a desired goal in common on our paths to publication, but what are the hopes that we have for our words? What is the message that we want our precious readers to understand? The question we have to ask ourselves as authors is, how are we giving back and just who are we writing for?

For me, this answer is pretty simple. After producing two children’s picture books (Mommy Whispers: Isaac, 2010 and There’s Just Something About a Boy: Ajoyin, 2011), I can honestly say that my audience is at the forefront of my mind when I put pen to paper. Not only do I want to initially capture their attention, but I also want to write material that they can grow with and enjoy as adults…material that spans generations if you will. Like The Giving Tree, I want to be able to give something back to my readers, to bless them with the content of my stories, peak their imaginations, and have them get lost in my words. I want to provide each of my readers with something extraordinary.

How about you? How do you want your readers to respond to your works and what is your main goal when developing your stories?

Jenny Lee Sulpizio, M.S. is a wife, business owner, and mother of three residing in Boise, Idaho. She is an active member within her church and community, and enjoys tapping into her creative side whenever she gets the chance. Mommy Whispers, an ode to mothers and daughters everywhere was the first children’s picture book released in a series that also includes, There’s Just Something About a Boy. Jenny is a member of SCBWI and is currently represented by The Seymour Agency for her Women’s Christian Non-fiction works-in-progress.

Please visit Jenny at www.jennysulpizio.com to learn more about her projects, or to read her blog.

Monday idea: Photo prompt for PiBoIdMo

2011-11-07T01:01:00.000-07:00

Here's your Monday photo prompt for Picture Book Idea Month.

You'll find another prompt on Facebook too.

Here's to ideas!

Picture book author Jenny Sulpizio joins us here on Wednesday to talk about ideas, too.