Thought for the Day:
“The writer must have a good imagination to begin with, but the imagination has to be muscular, which means it must be exercised in a disciplined way, day in and day out, by writing, failing, succeeding and revising.”
~ Stephen King ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
I keep saying one of these days I would like to try my hand at writing a mystery. HERE is a wonderful article by Wendy Gee writing for Writer’s Digest with 10 Steps to Maximize Research for Mystery Novelists.
This is a post for picture book writers, but I found the point-of-view discussion interesting. I believe some of these ideas should be considered by all writers. And I know I have picture book writers reading this blog, so HERE you will find Experimenting with Narrative POV in Picture Books by Emma Walton Hamilton.
Plot twists will keep your story from becoming predictable and dull. HERE Jan Fields from the Institute of Children’s Literature has an excellent post on plot twists for all levels of children’s books.
My daughter turned me on to a sleep app a year or so ago. All I have to do is wear my smartwatch to bed, and it tells me just how long I slept and whether my sleep was light, still, or deep. After my trip, I didn’t seem to feel rested for several days until one miraculous night my sleep app told me I had almost ten hours of sleep, and four hours were deep sleep. I can’t remember the last time I felt that good when I woke up in the morning. My mom used to say there is nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure. I think she was right. Leapfrog Press just closed its novel contest a few days ago. I have a manuscript my critique group has been after me to submit. It’s what I would call a Tween book. The contest asked whether the manuscript was middle-grade or young adult. So frustrating. I sure wish they would bring back the Tween category. I put it in as a YA. Fingers crossed!
Last week, I offered a signed paperback copy of Mike Steele’s new book, NOT LUCILLE. Danielle Hammelef always shares my link for an extra chance, and this time it paid off. Congratulations, Danielle! Thanks for sharing my link. I appreciate it. I’ll get your book out to you soon.
I always keep my eye out for books about kids in foster care. I don’t think there are nearly enough. There are a great many kids in foster care, and they deserve to have books in which they can see themselves. I think my favorite is ONE FOR THE MURPHY’S by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. I read it when it first came out in 2012, and I still think about it often. If you somehow missed it, please find a copy and read it. It’s so good. While I’m on the topic of foster kids, I also want to give a shout out to one of my favorite charities. It is One Simple Wish. It’s kind of like Make a Wish for foster children. If you click on the name, you can see their listing on Charity Navigator. Anyway, when I saw SAM by the very prolific Eric Walters on the review list for the Manhattan Book Review, I saw that great cover and read a synopsis and knew I had to read it. It is such a good and important book. I’m really glad I found it. Here is the review I wrote for MBR.
Sam is a freshman in high school. He’s in the latest of several foster homes he’s lived in since his parents died three years ago. His bright red hair makes him stand out, especially, it seems, to bullies. When he’s leaving a convenience store in a foul mood after the owner tried to cheat him, Sam bumps into the high school football quarterback and hits him, breaking his nose. Things go downhill in a hurry, and Sam ends up in Juvie. He finds there are bullies there too, but also some good people ready to help him. He makes a good friend with another newbie, Nigel, who helps Sam control his temper, but others do everything to rile him up.
Eric Walters has written a real page-turner of a book that has great characters, serious and very believable problems and situations, and a most compelling story. The first-person point of view, allowing Sam to tell his own story, is a powerful choice. The dialogue is spot on for all the characters, but especially the young people. While young readers will certainly love this important book, it deserves readership well beyond its intended audience.
I have a gently-read paperback to give to one of you. All you need to do is be a follower (it’s free and easy — see the top, right corner of the post) with a US Address, and leave a comment. If you share the link to this post on social media, please let me know in your comment, and you will get an extra chance. And please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Sam sounds right up my alley. I love One for the Murphys.
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You will like SAM. It’s so worth the time. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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My favorite MG/Tween books continue to be realistic fiction and Walters’s book seems like it might be a great teaching tool about maintaining one’s self-control. Books that entertain while teaching lessons that aren’t overly preachy are the best.
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I’ve only read a couple of Walters’s books, but I’m really impressed. I’ll be reviewing another of his books soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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Rosi, as always your blogposts speak to my heart and mind which is what all good writing should do. Thank you for all the links you provided for writers. I have a few critique partners who were working on mysteries and I am going to share the whole post with them but one of the links was especially pertinent to something we had discussed at a meeting a while back.
Good luck in the contest. It’s such a wonderful thing to put your work out in the world no matter what happens. I am writing that last sentence more for myself than to you because I have put all querying and contests on hold since the preparation for moving started and now that I’m here and doing some critiquing, I need to get my own work out there. I copied the sentence and am emailing it to myself. 😉
If you haven’t read Lauren Kerstein’s picture book, HOME FOR A WHILE, illustrated by Natalia Moore it handles the foster care system in a beautiful way. Lauren is a therapist and a good friend but I highly recommend this book. There’s another new picture book on the topic which I’m forgetting but she’ll know what it Is if you’re interested.
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I’m so pleased you got so much out of my post! Thanks for telling me and for the good luck wishes for my novel. Thanks for sharing my link with your critique partners. I got two new subscribers this week. Maybe thanks to you? I ordered a copy of Lauren Kerstein’s HOME FOR A WHILE. Thanks for the heads up. Good luck in the drawing.
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I also am drawn to stories about children in foster care. I have several friends who foster and have worked with a few students coming out of foster care. So I agree it’s very important! One of my favorites in this genre is Don’t You Dare Read This, Ms. Dunphrey (YA and more about neglect than foster care, really) by Margaret Haddix and Wish by Barbara O’Connor.
Thanks for bringing another to my attention! Just by your description this sounds like a book that would be hard to put down.
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I have had WISH on my TBR list for far too long. I really need to get to it. Thanks for the nudge. This is a terrific book that you will like. If you would like to be in my drawings for books, please subscribe to my blog. It’s free and easy. Thanks for the comment.
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Books about foster kids are important for readers young and old alike. I’m looking forward to reading this story thanks to your review. The links were impressive today especially the one on plot twists. Best of luck in the contest. Waiting for the results is always the most difficult part. Happy MMGM!
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This is a really good book, Greg. You will like it. Glad you found links to your liking. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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This is a grabbing read…I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it, too.
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I really did like it. You will too. Thanks for the comment. I see you are not a subscriber. If you would like to be in the drawings for my giveaways, please subscribe. It’s free and easy.
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NIKKI GRIMES also has a great book on kids in foster care. Count me in. I’d like to have one of my tween/teen reviewers read it. Thanks.
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I’ll look for Nikki Grimes book. Thanks for the heads up. I think you would enjoy reading this book before you hand it off to your reviewers if you win. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in
the drawing.
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I love today’s quote.
And this book sounds really good. I’d love to win the copy.
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I’m surprised you have time to read and respond with all your wonderful travels. I love all the pictures you’ve been posting. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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Best of luck with the competition, Rosi, and well done for submitting to it! Thanks for the links as always – I would like to write a mystery one day so I am very interested in that particular article! I have read other reviews of ‘Sam’ and it sounds really good, and great to highlight kids in foster care! Thanks for the review and have a great week!
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Thanks for the luck, Valinora. It’s always hard for me to put my stuff out there. Glad you like the links. SAM is great. I hope you can find it over there. Thanks for the comment.
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