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I’m a 12×12 Winner!
12×12 Winner Badge I’m a Winner! I can scarcely believe it. As you can probably tell by my lack of blogging, writing has not been my main focus for the past few months. I was actually on track to finish the 12×12 challenge on time or even early, but then November came and went and… no draft. Then December ALMOST came and went, and I was down two drafts! Eek! On Dec. 30th I sat in front of the blank screen, all these horrible voices in my head saying I couldn’t do it, and I just jotted down an idea or two, and began writing…. and here I am! I…
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An awesome place to read Children’s Books Online: We Give Books
I have recently discovered a wonderful resource for children’s books online called “We Give Books,” a relatively new digital initiative that allows anyone with internet access the ability to read a large, quality selection of children’s book titles. Check out there video below to find out more. So far I have read and loved the following stories: Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd – A witty, modern day parody of a classic picture book. Start Saving, Henry by Nancy Carlson – A fun tale that illustrates the benefits of saving vs. spending. Dog Wants to Play by Christine McDonnell – Sparse with words, but fun and slightly rhyming. Follows dog on a search…
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The Liebster Blog Award
The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Thank you Krissy for tagging me and giving me this award. I love the graphic and will proudly post it on my blog. Please visit Krissy’s blog The Brain of a Children’s Author to find out more about her. The Rules: 1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves. 2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and create eleven questions for the people you’ve tagged. 3. Choose eleven people and link them in your post. 4. Go to their page and tell them. 5. Remember no tag backs! Krissy’s 11 Questions for me and My Answers:…
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Quiet Thoughts in the Night … A Touch of Sea Glass
There were many presentations from the SCBWI Summer Conference this year that resonated with me, but last night when I couldn’t sleep, the one that stood out in my mind was Deborah Underwood’s keynote on the “Power of Quiet.” After I set aside all the thoughts rummaging around keeping me awake in the first place, I settled into the quiet. (Ok, it’s true, I also chanted, ‘please let me sleep’ several times.) My reflection time led me to an idea for a new pb that I am hoping will be my October 12×12 manuscript, in addition to the following thoughts…Imagine you’re on a beach searching for that perfect piece of sea…
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Library Days: Laguna Beach Library
Today, the hubby and I spent the day in Laguna Beach. A cozy breakfast at Heidelburg Cafe followed by a casual stroll and a breezy ride on the free shuttle. I took many deep breaths of salty, fresh-sea air. And then do you know where I wanted to go? The library, of course! We both brought our laptops and found comfy chairs to lounge in. We had a lovely ocean view. The sunscreeny smell throughout constantly reminded me that the beach was only yards away. We stayed for hours. I explored the children’s book section and found so many amazing picture books to read. Like these ones. All the new…
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Ripples…One Year Later
Last year I heard the amazing, Bruce Coville speak at my very first SCBWI 2012 Summer Conference. Here are a few quotes from his keynote “Ripples in the Pond: Why What We Do Matters…and Matters…and Continues to Matter”: “Start ripples throughout the world” and “You cannot know how you’ve affected the world; make ripples anyway.” Powerful words, right? Every time I hear them, I my heart melts. I threw my tiny rock in the pond in 2010. That’s when I attended my first ever writing conference, the Central Coast Writing Conference at Cuesta College. I met Children’s Book Author, Merrily Kutner, who told our class that the best thing we…
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Picture Book Review: A Balloon for Isabel
Sometimes there are books that touch my heart so much, I can’t help but review them. A Balloon for Isabel by Deborah Underwood is one of these books. Here are a few reasons why I love this book. 1) It has a clever, witty plot and is an all around fun read. 2) The main character is an adorable little girl named, Isabel. She also happens to be a porcupine who wants a balloon, and for obvious reasons can’t have one. Brilliant. 3) It’s filled with vibrant, colorful illustrations. 4) Isabel’s best friend is Walter. His Dad owns a candy shop. But what does Walter love? Broccoli, of course. What…
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YA Novels: Hooked in Five Sentences or Less
It’s late at night. You’ve just finished a book on your e-reader and are dying for something new to read. But how much time will you give a sample chapter to lure you in? For me personally, I’ve found that new late-night reads need to hook me in five sentences or less, that way I can sink my teeth into them right away I’ve chosen three excerpts from books I’ve loved that have ‘hooked me in five sentences or less‘. I’ll tell you why they appealed to me as a READERS and what we can take away as WRITERS. From The Selection by Kiera Cass When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her plan brilliant plan was me. AS A READER: I’m loving the title, and the fact that there is a mysterious letter. I love mail! I also immediately like this girl. AS A WRITER: Right away we are hearing the MC’s voice and already know of a conflict brewing. From…
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Muddy Feet Story and a Very Muddy Recipe
Rio with puppy, Aria in the bath I’m over the moon today. My short story Muddy Feet is the ‘Story of the Day’ at Knowonder!. This story was inspired by my Mom’s red and white English Bull Terrier, Rio (pictured at left). She is a beautiful dog with a gentle, loving disposition. She’s also known as the cling wrap dog, a clown, and a mother hen. Check out the story to see what Gina thinks of her dog, Rio. In honor of Rio’s muddy feet I decided to share a recipe for Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Peanut Free Muddy Buddies*. (We have some food intolerances in our house. Can you tell?)…
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11 Tips for Maintaining a Daily Writing Habit
This summer I’ve made a deal with myself — write something new every morning, Monday-Friday. I can’t move on (with submissions, revisions, etc.) until I’ve written something new. At first it was like scratching nails over a chalkboard. I’d talk myself out of it for at least a dozen different reasons. It’s been a few weeks now, and I’m on the daily writing train showing no signs of derailing. I decided to share 11 tips that have helped me so far: 1. Set a schedule and stick to it! 2. Make new writing the first thing you do in your writing time. 3. Avoid Social media and the Internet…
