Happy Birthday, Phyllis!

It's Groundhog Day again...and this year, it is also Punxsutawney Phyllis's 10th birthday! Phyllis is author, and super nice person, Susanna Hill's literary baby.

In honor of this lovable little groundhog, I've penned a (quick...sorry, Phyllis; didn't have much time) ditty. :)

There once was a groundhog named Phyllis
Whose birthday calls for parades and floatillas.
But she wanted something worse:
Birthday wishes penned in verse!
*sigh*
If it doesn't make us stronger, it'll kill us...

Do I hear collective groans? Thank you; thank you very much!
  
Have a lovely week, hopefully free of bad limericks after today!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Susanna made me do it

As if my month wasn't busy enough, Susanna Hill decided to throw in an illustration contest. And because she is so danged sweet, I couldn't say no.

The rules of her "The First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest for Children's Illustrators!!!" say to illustrate a mock cover for one of the winning stories from her March Madness Fractured Fairy Tales Writing Contest.

I couldn't decide which story to choose to illustrate (and was too lazy to think deeply about it), so I went to my good buddy, Random.org, and had it choose a number for me...this number turned out to correspond to the story "The Jackrabbit Who Cried Gila Monster" by Elliah Terry (edited to note that I just realized I forgot to put her name on the cover art...sorry!).

Here's my rough for how I pictured the cover to look like:

And this is the final product:

I tried to make the lettering look like 2x4s nailed together...you'll have to click on the image to get a better view of that.

Since I'm posting this on Friday instead of Monday, I will be taking a blogging day off on Monday...to hopefully finish the writing I have to do. :)

Hope on over to Susanna's blog to see the other entries in this contest, and have a great weekend!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Susanna Hill's fabulous Holiday Contest

This is my second pre-empt of the month! I'm on a postponing roll (not nearly as good as jellyrolls).

Last week, I pre-empted My Favorite Scene to start posting about our Big Trip, but this week, I'm pre-empting the continuation of the Big Trip photos to post my entry for Susanna Hill's holiday contest. Next week, I promise, I will continue with our travelogue with pictures of Shanghai.

Susanna Hill, besides being an all-round wonderful author and person, also holds regular super-fun writing contests on her website. This time, she has really outdone herself with the incredible prizes for the Holiday Contest. I'm not just entering for those prizes, mind you; I have the much loftier goal of entering the contest to support Susanna. *snort* Okay, I'm in it solely for vying for one of those prizes. I cannot lie, or Santa won't bring me those extra hours per day for me to read and write in. ;)

Here is my entry:

A Home for the Holidays  (338 words)

Dora scurried into her burrow, tail twitching with excitment.  “I found us the perfect home,” she announced.

“What’s wrong with this one?” asked Cousin Pip.

“It’s in the ground, and is dark and dank,” said Dora.

“Mice live in the ground, you silly,” said Pip.

“We’re Pacific Jumping Mice,” said Dora. “We don’t have to live in the ground.”

“That’s right! Great Grandpa Fuzzy used to tell us stories of how his papa lived in a tree,” Millie, Dora’s sister piped up.

“And that’s just what I found for us,” said Dora.

Millie’s eyes grew wide. “You found us a tree?”

“Uh huh; want to see?” asked Dora.

“Yes!” Millie clapped her paws.

“No,” said Pip with a sniff.

Dora and Millie ran and ran through brush until they came to a tall white pine where no tree had been before.

“Ooooh!” said Millie, bouncing up and down.

They scampered up the trunk to a small, cozy hole. Lining it with pine needles, they took a deep breath of the fresh, sweet scent - “aaaaah!” - before snuggling together for a nap.

Rattle, rattle, shake, shake! Doris and Millie woke up with a jolt.

“It’s an earthquake!” Millie squeaked.

Shake, shake, rattle, rattle, bumpity-bump!

“What’s happening to our new home?” Doris groaned.

Pine needles flew every which way. Doris and Millie huddled together, paws over their eyes.

Finally, the bumping and shaking stopped.

“I can’t bear to look,” said Doris.

The rattling was replaced by rustling, and…giggles and laughter. Lots of giggles and laughter.

“Maybe we should look?” said Millie.

They crept to the opening of the hole, brushed aside the pine needles, and peeked out. Glittery tinsel sparkled by the glow of tiny, shiny lights all around the tree. Silvery bells tinkled faintly as Doris stepped out on a branch. Millie peered under her arm.

“It’s magical!” squealed Millie.

“It’s our magical new home,” said Doris.

“It’s our magical Christmas tree,” said the little girl gazing up at the tree with eyes as sparkly as the lights.  

* * * * * *

If you like those prizes Susanna is giving away, you still have time to enter! Just post your story anytime this week to your blog and add yourself to her contest blog roll (or post it as a comment to her blog if you don't have your own blog).

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

My Favorite Scene

I know you've been waiting in breathless anticipation for this month's installment of "My favorite scene"...well, if you have absolutely nothing else going on in your life except de-linting sweaters and cleaning the laundry tub.

There have been audio problems in the past, and I've done some adjustments to the computer settings so hopefully you can hear me this time. If not, turn up your hearing aid! Sorry...projecting again.

The wonderful book I'm presenting today is Not Yet, Rose by the lovely Susanna Leonard Hill. Susanna, as I mention in the video, teaches an excellent course on how to write picture books called "Making Picture Book Magic" which I highly recommend to anyone who wants to write one but doesn't know how. No, I don't get any commission for recommending it, but I think it is the best money and one month I ever spent on a course. :)

Yes, that is a Maxfield Parrish print in the back. ;)

Hope you'll read the rest of Not Yet, Rose; it is one of the cutest and sweetest books, and anyone who is expecting a second child will relate to it!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Susanna Hill's Fourth of July contest + WoW: Non-Fic Pic!

Before we go into the main post, I'd like to announce the winner of the pie cookbook from last week's post: it is....

Alli!

Because there were so few entries, I just did the old fashioned method of writing names on pieces of paper, tossing them around and pulling one out. Congrats to Alli!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susanna Hill sucked me in with yet another fun contest. This time it's a July 4th themed one. Her rules are to write something about the 4th of July in which a secret is revealed or mystery is solved. Max of 400 words. Luckily for me, she's not too strict with her rules!

Because of this special, time-restricted event, I've pushed the "My Favorite Scene" segment back a week, and will present it next Monday.

Here's my entry, clocking in at 397 words:

--------

Who's Katy?

“Abby, Great Aunt Millie invited us to spend Fourth of July with her,” Mom announced. “You’ll like her farm in Spenser, Indiana! She has chickens and goats.”

“Spenser?” thought Abby.

Mom and Dad piled luggage into the car. They drove and drove for what seemed like days to get from San Francisco to Spencer.

“Where is the ocean? Why is it so flat here?” asked Abby when they pulled into Great Aunt Millie’s driveway.

“Where are the neighbors? Why is it so quiet here?” asked Abby after Great Aunt Millie gave her a great, big hug.

The adults laughed, but Abby really wanted to know.

The chickens confused her. They pecked at her shoes, but squawked and flapped away when she tried to pet them. The goats scared her with their sideways eyes and blaaaahhh-blaaaahhh bleating.

Mom and Dad were busy helping Great Aunt Millie prepare for the festivities. Abby was bore with nobody to talk to or play with.

She poked around a clump of oak trees in the front yard, trying to find something to do.

“CHE-che-che!” A loud maracas sound came from near her.

Abby whipped around, but didn’t see anyone.

“CHE-che-che!”

“What made that noise?” Abby asked Mom and Dad who had just come out of the house.

“Katydid,” Mom said. “We have to run to the store; be good for Great Aunt Millie.” They drove off.

“Katy?” Abby thought. “Who is Katy? Does she live close by? Maybe she’ll be my friend!”

“CHE-che-che!” went the sound again.

Was Katy behind the trees? No. Did Katy climb a tree? Abby looked up into the leaves. No.

The sound mysteriously vanished, just like Katy.

After a marvelous feast, her parents surprised her with fireworks.

Abby wandered around the yard with the sparklers. Near the oak trees, she heard “CHE-che-che!” again. Katy was back!

Abby tiptoed around a tree. She saw nothing but a large, green insect with long, back legs on the trunk. As Abby stared, it called, “CHE-che-che!”

“So you’re Katy!” said Abby.

“CHE-che-che!”

“What are you doing, Abby?” asked Dad.

“I found Katy,” said Abby, pointing to the big, green bug.

He laughed. “That’s not Katy; that’s a katydid.”

“Oh,” said Abby. She held out a hand and it climbed onto her finger.

“I think I’ll call you Katy anyway,” she said. “You can be my friend. Would you like that?”

“CHE-che-che!”

-----

The other exciting thing for me this week, besides entering this contest, is doing Week of Writing: Non-Fiction Picture Books, or WoW: Non-Fic Pic! 

WoW: Non-Fic Pic is the brainchild of the brilliant Kristen Fulton. I hope I can keep up and get some great drafts done! I love non-fiction but haven't written too much of it in the past. I invite you to join us...there are some really awesome prizes!!

Happy July to you all, and happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Can't Sleep Without Sheep!

I just got back late last night from the most incredible time at the Wild, Wild Midwest SCBWI Conference, and then had to get up bright and early this morning to bring Son1 to his wisdom teeth extraction surgery. Plus, there was a mountain of laundry to do and bread to bake for breakfast tomorrow...which is my very boring way to say I'm too swamped to write a real blog post today.

BUT, one of my literary idols, Susanna Hill, has exciting news! Her cuter-than-kittens-videos picture book Can't Sleep Without Sheep will be out in ebook format!! I was thinking I'd get the e-version for myself but the paper copy for one of hubby's cousin's kids.

I'll be back next week with, hopefully, some thoughts on the conference. Have you had an incredible weekend too?

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Don't know much about...picture books

Or at least that's what I used to sing. Now that I've completed a course called The Craft & Business of Writing Children's Picture Books offered by the lovely Mira Reisberg in her Picture Book Academy, I can say I know a good bit picture books. And I've been writing picture book stories too, hoping that one day, I can pen one that will be as timeless as "Ferdinand."

Next up, I'll be taking Mira and Marsha Diane Arnold's Writing Wonderful Character-Drive Children's Picture Books in May and Susanna Hill's Making Picture Book Magic and The Craft and Business of Illustrating Children's Picture Books in June!

If you want to write for children, I highly recommend taking any and all of those courses!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

I won!!

Remember my last post about entering a story for Susanna Hill's "In Just Spring" contest? Well, guess what? I bet you couldn't guess from the title. I won! Check out Susanna's hilarious post about it.

I'm doing the Snoopy happy dance! You're lucky you can't see me.

I have been so busy trying to do a bunch of writing (and getting far too distracted by Facebook once again...but it's mostly to do with the writing groups that I'm in, so it can't be helped), that I forgot I didn't have a post for today. Duh. Worked out fine anyway since I wanted to let you know how I did in the contest. ;)

So, I'll just show you that spring is really getting close to being here. It's already here, spring equinox wise.

Spring-y outside (pardon the reflections off the window)

Spring-y inside (these are around 2 weeks old)

Happily, Winter Storm Virgil didn't dump on us like it was forecasted. So, while there is some snow on the ground, it should be gone by mid or late week.

Next Monday, you'll get another mouth-watering recipe. Bet you can't wait! Has Spring come to your corner of the northern continent yet?

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Susanna Hill's Spring Story Contest

If you have little ones who love picture books or are a picture book writer yourself and you've not been over to Susanna Hill's blog yet, you are missing out! Susanna is the author of some really fun picture books, like Punxsutawney Phyllis, and is an amazing teacher of writing children't lit too.

Plus, she runs these fabulous writing contest with great prizes! This time, the topic is Spring. The rules are in her blog post.

So today's post (which will be in lieu of Monday's post) is an entry for her contest. 

~~~~~

What Henry Knew (237 words) 

Henry spotted snowdrops unfurling their leaves and bobbing their little white heads.

“Look, Pappy,” he said to his grandfather. “Spring is here!”

Pappy scratched his white-as-snowdrops head. “I don’t know, Henry,” he said. “Sniff the air; does it smell like spring yet?”

Henry took a deep breath. “I smell snowy clouds and drippy icicles,” he said.

Pappy nodded. “Me, too.”

“Not spring yet,” said Henry.

The next morning, Henry awoke to a light snow covering everything, including the brave little snowdrops that had tried to bloom yesterday.

But the sun came out and melted the snow. Henry spied some pointy crocus leaves piercing the soil.

“Look, Pappy,” he said to his grandfather. “Spring is here!”

“I don’t know, Henry,” said Pappy. “Does it smell like spring yet?”

Henry took a deep breath. “I smell frosty air and frozen ponds.”

Pappy nodded. “Me, too.”

“Still not spring yet,” said Henry.

The next morning, Henry awoke to a frosted yard and icy plants. The crocus tips sparkled like glass.

But the sun came out and thawed the frost. Henry saw the golden glint of daffodils up by the house.

“Look, Pappy,” he said to his grandfather. “Spring is here!”

“I don’t know, Henry,” said Pappy. “Does it smell like spring yet?”

Henry took a deep breath. “I smell wriggly worms and muddy grass.”

Pappy smiled. “Me, too. And look, there’s a grape hyacinth!”

Henry knew Spring was really here!

~~~~~

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams

Winning and Phyllis the Groundhog

I had the best start to February. Yes, Son1 turned 17...but that's not the good news, though his being potty-trained is pretty nice. ;)

On Friday, I received a large envelope from Children's Writer magazine. I'm a subscriber but I get the electronic edition now, and the snail mail version usually comes in a #10 envelope. And this envelope had a big "Do Not Bend" order written on it. I had no idea what I received.

This was what I found when I opened the package:

A merit certificate for winning 2nd place in their Young Adult Short Fiction contest which they ran in the Fall of 2012, a congratulatory letter, and, the icing on the cake, there was also a check for $250!

It's really nice to get validation like this every once in a while, because it's hard being a writer. Unless you're Stephen King, you're more likely to get rejections than acceptances. Most days, I'm more discouraged than upbeat about the process. But, when you have a story, or two, or fifty, fighting to get out, you can't stop even when rejections pile high and outnumber acceptances 1,000 to 1.

While we're on the topic of writing, talented children's lit writer Susanna Hill sent forth her groundhog friend Phyllis to have her own Groundhog Day fun. So did Phyllis see her shadow at my house in southern Indiana?

Well, the day was sunny but frigid (highs in the low 20s Fahrenheit), and Phyllis isn't dumb. She wasn't about to venture out and have her breath freeze on her cute little nose. When I finally found Phyllis, she was hiding in my yarn stash, playing dress-up with my sparkly yarn. That little stinker! ;)

I don't know about spring, but Phyllis did say that the prognosis of an early knitting project is very good!

"I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." ~ Douglas Adams