Children's Author Blog Hop

This week I am participating in the Children’s Author Blog Hop.  For this Blog Hop, participating authors were asked to answer four identical questions and then invite additional children’s authors to join in the “Hop.”  My invitees are Ansha Kotyk  and Laura Pauling.

I am so grateful that my dear friend, the picture book goddess, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, was kind enough to reach out to me via social media and ask me join in the fun.

Joyce Shor Johnson & Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
The Meeting of two great minds
(2009 NESCBWI Conference)

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen writes across the spectrum. Her work includes picture books, fiction and non-fiction for both children and even adults. Her upcoming middle grade chapter book series, Spectacles of Destiny, and her latest picture book Duck, Duck, Moose! illustrated by Noah Z. Jones is coming out January 2014.  You can find Sudipta at these social media sites: Website, blog, which she shares with author Kami Kinard, Facebook, Twitter.

Blog Hop Interview of Joyce Shor Johnson

What are you working on right now? 
Over the last year, while Co-Directing the 2013 NESCBWI Conference, I had been toying with an idea for a contemporary young adult novel. Now that my two-year commitment to NESCBWI is complete, I have started writing again and I am two chapters into my WIP. This is the fun part, because I am still learning about my characters, which often leads to unexpected developments.
I’ve also been outlining and working on a number of non-fiction picture books, including one about the art of keeping secrets.

How does it differ from other works in the genre?
My first two books, THE CASTING and HOUSE OF GIRLS are historical fiction. My current work-in-progress is contemporary and focuses on how social media has become ruling factor in how we communicate. The two non-fiction picture books are experimental, and I’m waiting to see how they turn out.

Why do you write what you do?
I write for children because my characters always seem to be kids on the threshold of change. 

What is the hardest part about writing?
Finding the time to outline and then the time to write the first draft. Once I know where I’m going and have the time, the writing is easy.  

Here are the two talented writers that I’ve invited to the Blog Hop, (I wanted to invite everyone I knew, but there are limits).

Ansha Kotyk lives in Massachusetts where she writes upper middle grade stories full of adventure in the modern day with a twist of fantasy. What that fantastical twist is… well, it depends on what her cat whispers in her ear while she’s writing.

Her characters have strong family ties, and value their friendships. They also seem to get into a great deal of trouble and meet some seriously evil bad guys in their stories. You can find Natasha at these social media sites:

Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

GANGSTERLAND, her first novel, spent 3 weeks in the top 10 of Hot New Releases in children’s books about bullies, is a story about a boy, a bully and a magical comic book that transports its readers to the gangster era of the 1920′s. Book #2 in the Ink Portal series follows the friends on a Geo-caching treasure hunt in a mysterious haunted mountain range, Apocalypse Junction will be out later this year.

Laura Pauling writes about spies, murder and mystery. She’s the author of the exciting Circle of Spies Series, and the time travel mystery, Heist. She’s a former elementary teacher and currently lives in New England. After spending time reading books to her kids and loving a good plot turn, she put her fingers to the keyboard. Don’t ask her about the unfinished quilts and scrapbooks. Stories are way more exciting. She writes to entertain and experience a great story…and to be able to work in her jammies and slippers. You can find Laura at these social media sites: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

HEIST, One night Jack travels back in time to one of the world’s largest art thefts, known as the Gardner Heist. Why that one moment in time? And what does it mean for Jack?
When he returns, his world is different. His best friend is rougher, meaner. His dad hasn’t been around in years. And then there’s Jetta. The girl who took over his heart the moment she stepped into his life. No one is safe. Each time Jack goes back to the heist to fix his mistakes, he returns to face the fallout. Disaster strikes in the present until Jack must make a choice. His family and his own happiness. Or the girl he loves. Except, he learns that his sixth sense was right. Someone has been watching him and wants him dead.  

Author Spotlight

It's always nice to open an email to find that you are the subject of a nice blog post at someone else's blog. To read the interview, click on the links. Enjoy!



http://clcreviews.blogspot.com/2012/11/award-winning-author-joyce-shor-johnson.html





http://www.authorsbistro.info/2012/11/author-spotlight-joyce-shor-johnson.html

Ammi-Joan Paquette, Children's Author

It's Wenesday and that means another New London, New Hampshire Market on the Green.

Kendra Johnson and Ammi-Joan Paquette

This week's Children's Author was Ammi-Joan Pauqutte.


Joan's latest picture book Tip Toe Guide to Mermaids is just delightful. It is the companion book to Tip Toe Guide to Faries.


 

Joan is also the author of Nowhere Girl, a middle grade novel that is beautiful, evocative, and full of rich language that lingers long after the book is closed (via Kate Messner's Goodreds Review). Luchi Ann only knows a few things about herself: she was Born in a prison in Thailand, Luchi Ann knows only that her American mother was an inmate there. With her mother's death, Luchi must leave the only place she's ever known. Being neither Thai, because of her fair skin and blond hair, nor a foreigner, because of her knowledge of Thai life and traditions, Luchi feels as though she belongs nowhere. Nowhere Girl is a beautifully rendered story of courage, resilience, and finding the one place where you truly belong.



Visit Ammi-Joan Paquette's website to learn more about her and her books.



On July 11th, the Children's Author at New London, New Hampshire's Market On The Green is Jane Sutcliffe.

I hope to see you there! Get Directions

Ann Haywood Leal, Children's Author

Ann Haywood Leal braved the 98 degree temperature to spend time at Market on the Green in New London, NH to sign her books, A Finder's Keepers Place and Also Known As Harper. It was a pleasant (and very hot) afternoon.

An interested reader get's to meet the author.





















 Boys do read!

Ann and my daughter, Kendra had so much to talk about.
You can follow Ann @AnnHaywoodLeal


Thanks for sharing your wonderful books!

New Arrival!

I came home to a box with copies of The Casting!

Enter The Casting Give@way Now

Only 4 days left to register to win 1 of 5 copies of my debut middle grade novel, THE CASTING!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Casting

by Joyce Shor Johnson

Giveaway ends March 21, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Hapenny Magick by Jennifer Carson

Hapenny Magick by Jennifer Carson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story! The illustrations are wonderful.

Maewyn may be the smallest of the small, but she has so much heart and determination on her side. When she learns the terrible secret to her brutally mean guardian, and finds out that she has magick she finds two wizards to teach her how to use it to protect the villagers she loves. Through all of her travails, Maewyn learns about friendship and family and sacrifice.

Beautifully written. If you enjoy fairytales, then you'll enjoy Hapenny Magick!


For more about Jennifer, go to her website.



View all my reviews

Revision Checklist

Revising is often the most dreaded part of the writing process. But having a checklist can help you in the process. Here are 10 things I think about when revising.

1.     What is the real story that I am telling?

2.     How will my character change?

·      Does my character get to where s/he needs to be?

No – How do I make her change?

~  Introduce a crisis situation that makes my character  change.

Yes – Do the things that happen along the way help get my character where s/he needs to be?

3.     What does it mean to move forward?

·      Reveal something about the character.

·      Propel the plot.

·      Build a relationship that is important later in the book.

4.     Summarize the things that don’t move the story forward.

·      An example of this is Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy speaking, but the adults always sound like, “Blah, blah, blah.”

·      One sentence summary of the scene.

5.     Is my main plot a character development arc?

·      Subplots

~  Do they fit in?

~  When do they resolve?

~  How do they resolve?

6.     Characters

·      What are my character's quirks and personality traits?

·      Do my secondary/minor characters grow with each appearance they make in the book? 

7.     Dialogue

·      Do my characters have unique voices?

·      Do they reveal everything about their characters?

An example of this is sub vs grinder (sandwich) 

Their socio-economic placement

·      Does the dialogue let their relationships evolve?

·      How authentic do they sound?

8.     Setting and Description

·      Picture it then brushstroke the description. Let the reader envision it, unless it must be specific.

·      For it to be specific, it must be important later in the book. If not, take it out.

9.     Wordsmith

·      Search for commonly used, but unnecessary words.

~  Examples are just, so, next, that, but.

10.  Show, don’t tell.