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Bea Book Launch Updates + Swag Pack info!
It’s an exciting season here, and I’m thrilled to share everything that’s blossoming in the world of Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures!I have a very important update to share regarding the launch date. Due to unforeseen circumstances the official release date has been pushed back from July 15th, 2025 to August 19th, 2025. If you have preordered, you may have received an email notification from your vendor notifying you of this change. Just as Bea had to wait for her balikbayan box to arrive to her family abroad, Bea’s story will take a little longer to make her way out to all of you! As a thank you for all your…
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FREE Badge Tracker and 30 Days of Writing prompts with newsletter sign up
I’m so excited to embark on year two of the Grow Your Writing Challenge in 2024! Check out these two awesome freebies for email newsletter subscribers! Grow Your Writing 2024 Badge Tracker and 30 Days of Writing Prompts Hop on over to the Grow Your Writing Challenge 2024 page to learn more about how to participate in our fun, low-pressure, self-paced, and FREE challenge to # grow your writing skills, snag a free water bottle sticker and social media badges, sign the pledge, and grow in your journey as a kidlit creator! Shine On,
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GrowYourWriting Creator Interview: Author, Brittany Pomales
Hello and welcome to my ‘#GrowYourWriting Creator Interviews’ blog series. My goal is to shine a spotlight on kidlit creators and their fabulous projects and allow them to share their tips and tricks to grow your writing. Today I’d like to welcome Author, Brittany Pomales. Her debut picture book IT STARTED WITH A P will be published by Flamingo Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, and releases in Spring 2025! We are so excited for you, Brittany! Brittany is a talented author and Etsy shop owner. You can connect with Brittany on X/Twitter – https://twitter.com/BrittanyPomales and at her Etsy Shop – https://www.etsy.com/shop/WordsYouCanWear Stay tuned all the way to the end of…
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How I landed my Agent and a picture book deal!
I’ve been writing and submitting my picture books for a long time. You might remember my epiphany post in 2010 if you are a longtime blog reader. Wow, have I grown as a writer since then!! So, where do I begin? As I shared in my epiphany post, I discovered my passion for publishing my picture books when I was in the 4th grade. I had the opportunity to write, illustrate, and bind my first picture book. I was so fascinated with the bookbinding machine. I was in awe of every picture book I read. I wanted to escape inside their pages. Of course, growing up, my writing path meandered and stalled…
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GrowYourWriting Creator Interview: Carrie Karnes-Fannin, KidLit Creative
Hello and welcome to my ‘#GrowYourWriting Creator Interviews’ blog series. My goal is to shine a spotlight on kidlit creators and their fabulous projects and allow them to share their tips and tricks to grow your writing. Today I’d like to welcome Carrie Karnes-Fannin. She is is a full-time writer and occasional artist. When not writing or drawing, she enjoys photography, hiking, and re-reading the works of comedic genius Douglas Adams. She firmly believes “42” answers “the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything,” but unfortunately has mislaid her towel. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia with her husband, plus two fur kids: a groovy dog named Bodhi,…
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GrowYourWriting Creator Interview: Sara Kruger, Children’s Picture Book and Middle Grade Writer
Hello and welcome to my new blog series, ‘#GrowYourWriting Creator Interviews’. My goal with this series is to shine a spotlight on kidlit creators and their fabulous projects and allow them to share their tips and tricks to grow your writing. Today I’d like to welcome picture book and middle grade writer, Sara Kruger. She’s been writing picture books on and off for nearly a dozen years, and actively querying for the last four years. One of her stories, Waiting for Faith, was featured in the winter 2023 edition of Little Thoughts Press and her MG micro fiction story, The Glitch, won third place in the 2023 Kids’ Choice Kidlit Writing…
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GrowYourWriting Creator Interview: Tara Trudel, Children’s Book Author and Songwriter
Hello and welcome to my new blog series, ‘#GrowYourWriting Creator Interviews’. My goal with this series is to shine a spotlight on kidlit creators and their fabulous projects and allow them to share their tips and tricks to grow your writing. Today I’d like to welcome our first participant, Children’s Author and Songwriter, Tara Trudel. Tara, can you please tell us how the idea for FRACTURED came about and a little more about your process as songwriter for kid’s books? FRACTURED combines my background in children’s songwriting, comedy, and musicfor kidlit. I wanted to write a family music album that was structured like a sketchcomedy show with elements like comedic characters, callbacks, and an…
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Introducing my Kid Lit Pitch Pie FREE resource
I’ve been a member of writing Twitter since 2010 and have participated in dozens of pitch events. But you know how long it took before I got my first heart? Ten years!! In 2021, I received my first ❤️ during PBPitch from a wonderful and kind agent. I submitted my story right away, and she requested several additional manuscripts! That’s when a buzz filled my heart and spoke to me, saying — this is possible! I began honing my pitch writing skills, learning more about the process, and dove right in. I studied successful pitches and trends during events and entered another pitch event. Four hearts this time and 7…
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12 Days for Writers: Day 3
Children’s author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year’s resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity – what DIDN’T get done or achieved in the previous year. Instead, she suggests we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I decided to participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2021. My writing successes in 2021! First and foremost… I’m showing up! Whether thinking of ideas while homeschooling my children or taking them to the park, or writing during…
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Writing and rain
I opened up the front door earlier this evening to check for packages on my doorstep, and while I was not blessed with a bundle of goodies, I did get to take in a deep breath of damp, cool air with a slight musty smell that only comes with new rain. Though it is hours later now, I can still close my eyes and re-create the serenity that washed over me during that moment. I carried my daughter outside to show her the wonder of evening rain. She delighted in it so much, she ran inside telling her Dad “it’s raining.” Later, when putting her to bed for the…
