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!

Spring Fling Hop W1nners!

The winners are:

Drum roll please....

Bridget H.

Melissa F.

Tobi H. 

 The winner of Timeless will receive their ebook copy in June when the book is released.

Thanks to all who entered! Check back often so you can enter the next book giveaway coming this summer.

Thanks

W is WIN A Book!

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop

Win 1 of 3 Books!

Click Here For More Spring Fling Giveaway Excitement!

Can't Wait To Win It? Buy it Now

Robyn must decide her future at the coming of age ceremony, but choosing the right path is a challenge. Most girls in Robyn’s village will choose traditional roles of healing, midwifery or farming. None of these choices appeal to Robyn. Instead, she yearns for the red-hot crucibles full of molten bronze and the roaring fire of her father’s foundry. But her future brother-in-law, Gilhey, her most ardent challenger at the foundry, has other plans. Will Robyn find the courage to stand up to Gilhey and become the bronze caster she longs to be?

Can't Wait to Win It? Buy it Now

As the littlest Hapenny, Maewyn Bridgepost spends her days from breakfast to midnight nibble scrubbing the hearth, slopping the pigs, and cooking for her guardian, who never spares a kind word. Mae dreams of her long-lost mother, the day she can be rid of Gelbane and finding a life worth living. As if life as a servant wasn't bad enough, Mae learns that Gelbane is a troll-and Hapennies are a troll delicacy.

New eBook Available June 1, 20

This Young Adult Romance Anthology makes its way through time, visit the Holy Roman Empire, French Revolution, Victorian England,











Giveaway Details 
1 winner will win any one of the above titles.
Paperback to US only, Ebook open Internationally
Ends May 8, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quality Books

Quality Books! That's what Pugalicious Press is all about. My "Partner-in-Publishing," Jen Carson and I, have been so impressed with the many wonderful manuscripts we have received for consideration.we are amazed at the amount of talent out there. And you are a talented bunch of writers!

You can review the guidelines here.

But think long and hard about whether your manuscript is polished draft. Because most often, we reject because they aren't. The ones we accept are.

So if you want to be let into the Doghouse, send us your very best.

Being Brave

Bravery isn’t the same for everyone. 

Sometimes, the bravest thing to do is to go about your day without worrying what others think of you. 

Sometimes, it’s walking into a classroom knowing that your bully is there, waiting for you. 

Sometimes, it’s all about facing the real truth, yours not theirs.

Sometimes, it’s about not giving in because it’s the easiest thing to do.

The brave are often the least recognized.

Courage doesn't always roar.  Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.  ~Mary Anne Radmacher

Who do you know that is brave and should be recognized?

Amazing - The Casting is out!

Please celebrate with me! The Casting debuts today. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this process. I am so excited. Please if you read the book, take a moment to comment on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, etc. It really does make a difference.

You can order the softcover book here 

and the hardcover here

and don't forget to support your local independent bookstore. BUY LOCAL. Just ask them to order The Casting for you. I'm available for author signings and school visits as well! Just drop me a line.

THANKS!

New Arrival!

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

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

Check It Out!

NESCBWI 2012 Conference

It’s closer than you think….

Kickstart a Dream!

A close friend of mine, you may even know her, is looking for funding on Kickstarter.com to fund a fantastic middle grade book project. Check it out and think about giving!

Jennifer Carson

Jen's first book To Find A Wonder, was published by from LL Dreamspell.

Her second book Hapenny Magick, with help from wonderful supporters, will be published through Pugalicious Press.

   

Here it is! NESCBWI 2012 "Keeping it Real" Conferenece

I can only give you a glimpse of things to come but we did change things up.

Registration opens January 23, 2012. Get your manuscripts and agent quick queries ready! Deadlines for submitting for critiques close early for the upcoming conference due to the dates being in April.

Kudos to Jen Carson for all she's done with her work on the newest version of the postcard and in such a teeny-weenie amount of time.

NESCBWI 2012 Call for proposals

It's official! Today the call for proposals for the 2012 NESCBWI Spring Conference "Keeping it Real: Reality and World-building in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Illustration" is out. 

Reality doesn't often get the spotlight in the post-Harry-Potter world of children's literature, but even in fantasy or highly stylized illustration, a believable world is fundamental. Also, there is so much we all can learn from nonfiction research and writing techniques. Finally, how do you stay realistic and focused on your future in this rapidly evolving industry?

As always, the conference will have a strong focus on craft. This year, we are moving to a new venue with more space available for workshop sessions. We'd like to invite more small, hands-on workshops. Of course, larger lecture-style workshops are still welcome as well.

This is one of the largest regional SCBWI conferences, and last year we sold out the conference in two weeks. We welcome proposals from everyone. We also encourage artists and writers of color, those who are differently abled, and others from underrepresented groups to propose conference workshops.

What YOU Need to know: Important Information

Conference Dates: Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, April 20-22, 2012
Conference Location: Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel, Springfield, MA
To Submit a Proposal: Please complete a conference proposal form. Separate submissions are required for multiple presentations or workshop/intensive versions of the same presentation.

Proposal Due Date: September 16, 2011
Presenter Notification Expected: November 1, 2011

Types of Presentations: 55-minute workshops; 120-minute intensives

 
What are we looking for?

55-minute workshops

• Presentations that relate to our conference theme.
• Presentations that last 55 minutes in their entirety. When planning, leave time for participant questions and any required audiovisual setup.
• A range of presentations for all SCBWI members, including illustrators and writers in all genres.
• Leveled presentations. We are not trying to find one presentation that everyone can attend. Instead, presenters should direct material toward a specific experience level. For example, an "advanced" illustration presentation should not begin with "Why you should carry a sketch book," and a "beginner's" writing workshop should not address marketing a contracted novel. 
• Focused presentations with clear learning outcomes. These should be clear, tangible "final products" that attendees take away. Plan the presentation thinking, "I want participants to leave with these three tools or ideas." A few examples: ideas for a new direction or revision in their own work; increased understanding of a specific genre, style, area of craft, art media, etc.; a step-by-step plan of attack for marketing, revisions, problem-solving, etc.
• Hands-on workshops where attendees spend significant time in writing, illustration, or marketing exercises applying ideas to their own work.
• Lecture-style presentations  with information that participants can take back to their desks to ponder and play with. 
• Presentations that include a range of examples rather than drawing solely from the presenter's experience or body of work.
• Presenters who are published members of SCBWI, as well as editors, agents, MFA graduates, and other industry professionals. Past presentation experience is appreciated.

120-minute intensives

Intensive proposals should meet all of the criteria listed above for 55-minute workshops. Also consider the following:

• 120-minute intensives typically take place on Sunday, and there are fewer slots available for these workshops.
• Two hours are provided, so plan exercises or some interactive element in the workshop. An intensive should not only be a lecture.
• Past presentation experience and in-depth knowledge of the topic are required.
• Partner presentations are welcome.

Note: If you apply to present a 55-minute workshop or a 120-minute intensive and we feel your presentation may better fit the other format, we will let you know!

Selection Criteria and Topics

Every year SCBWI New England receives many excellent proposals, more than can fit into a conference schedule. Therefore, we must choose on the basis of experience, quality, variety, novelty, attendant costs, and other factors. Please use the NESCBWI Workshop Rubric for more explicit selection criteria and standards.

We would love to see presentations on the following topics. If you are an expert on one of these topics, we would love to see your proposal.

• Hands-on writing workshops: tools, tips, outlining, character sketching, etc.
• Hands-on illustration workshops
• Publishing 101 session for authors or illustrators
• Developing an idea from conception to completion
• Nonfiction and fiction research
• Secrets of Story Arc
• How to lay out a picture book dummy
• How to start your own publishing company
  
• Gesture and emotion for illustrators
• School and library visits and promotion
• Writing nonfiction articles and short stories
• Mystery writing
• Creative writing courses in the New England area
• Game plan for leaving a full time job to become a freelancer

I hope to see you there!

Why a Trusted Beta Reader is a Valuable Addition to Your Toolbox!

You’ve completed your manuscript, edited and revised, read it aloud, and now you want to have a trusted reader complete a beta read.

As a writer, I crave feedback from my peers. I want honesty. I want to know what works and what doesn’t. Which all boils down to having another writer to be my beta reader.

Most writers understands that criticism isn’t about the person, but the manuscript. But, sometimes getting criticism is painful (I remember one very specific occasion where I cried) and can be very difficult to hear. Even for a seasoned, well-critiqued writer.

I want honest and well thought out feedback from someone who recognizes structure, story arc, dialogue, developing characters, plot, and who the intended audience is. Their constructive criticism will empower my creativity and bring with it a desire to continue revising until I get it right.

There are numerous ways to find a trusted reader. Recently, I found a writer who does all of this for me. We’ve swapped manuscripts a few times now. I have learned so much about my writing by reading and offering feedback to her about her work.

I have known her for several years and we first met as members of a critique group. I contacted a critique group that was listed on the NESCBWI.com critique group page. They were looking to grow the group but after a short time the group disbanded. To this day, she and I laugh about it. What I ended up with was a wonderful beta reader and a super writer friend. A girl can get lucky!

You might already be a member of a writer's group. But a fresh reader, someone who hasn't heard all about your struggles with the story is essential when you are preparing for a final round of revision before sending your manuscript to agents or editors.

Do you have a beta reader? if so, how did you find them? I'd love to hear you suggestions and tips.

What Are You Waiting For? NESCBWI 2012 Conference

If you were in attendance at last weekend’s NESCBWI 2011 Conference in Fitchburg, MA., I want to hear from you!

• Tell me what you loved.
• Tell me what you didn’t love.
• Did you step our of your comfort zone and introduce yourself to someone new?

The NESCBWI 2012 Conference - Keeping it Real: reality and world building in nonfiction, fiction, and illustration is all set for April 20-21, 2012 and will take place at the Sheraton Hotel of Springfield, MA, so mark your calendars.

Tell me what you would like to see at next year’s conference.

Now think about this.
Do you have what it takes to be a workshop presenter? Start putting your proposal together. The call for proposals will go out sometime mid to late June. Be ready to submit, because we want you!

Q is for Questions Asked by First Time Conference Attendees

Are you going to your first writer’s conference this year? Are you wondering how to get the most from your first time?

If your first time is a large regional conference, I recommend you focus on craft. The New England chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators Conference is designed to have something for all levels of experience.

For first-timers, there is a Friday afternoon workshop, Conference Orientation. This workshops is an excellent way to get a quick over view and great tips on making your first conference work for you.

Peer Critique Workshop will explain how to give and receive critiques. Other writers are some of the best sources for Learning from. Most have been exactly where you are, at the beginning of their writing journey. And remember, there is something to be learned from each person, even if you don’t agree with their style or comments. Dig deep and be objective. Take what you learn home and start your own critique group.

I hope you registered for Saturday’s Publishing Basics: The Myths and Realities. You’ll learn about the basics of manuscripts, researching and finding publishers, agents, how to handle rejection, and what to do when you sell your first book.

Sunday has a great workshop for beginning illustrators. The Illustrator’s Academy focus on revision in illustration.

Most of all, relax and smile. Say hello and introduce yourself. We’ve all been a beginner at something. Writing can be solitary but that doesn’t mean you are alone.

What tips and suggestions can you give first time Writer conference attendees?

Labyrinth, Lost, Ladder, and Lager

Sometimes you become tangled in the structure of your book. You go back to check a detail or fact, and you find yourself lost in a labyrinth full of dead ends. The structure you thought you had so carefully crafted, has unraveled. 

Being lost is not the worst situation to find yourself in. We all have a writer’s toolbox, but do you have an escape route?

How about a ladder?

Sometimes you need to be able see the whole structure and rise above the Labyrinth to find your way around the dead ends. My ladder does this.

It's my outline.

When I started my first novel, chapter one spilled out. Wow, writing was so easy! After six months, I had a perfect chapter one and no more. I knew where I wanted my book to end, but I had no idea how to get there.

A very wise, very well published writer said to me, write an outline. I cringed. That would be so much extra work, I said.

The look she gave me conveyed how lazy she thought I was and that I would never be a real writer. What she actually told me was was:

1.     Write one or two sentences about what needs to happen in each chapter.

2.     Don’t feel locked into the outline; let it be alive and allowed to change.

I started with a ten-chapter outline. I know, I can see your eyes rolling, only ten chapters, but from that short outline I was able to expand and build my story’s structure. The final revision of my middle grade novel has twenty-eight chapters and clear path.

Lager!

I just like how this word makes my mouth move - say it! Lager.

K is for Kendra

This is an abridged version of an earlier post.

Well it’s official, my daughter is a poet. This year has marked a major change in how Kendra’s feels about writing. A positive change, something I was sure would never happen.

Everything changed in October 2009, once she was diagnosed with Dyslexia. Kendra hated writing, cried on the mornings she had to go into school knowing it was spelling test day.

This is what dyslexia looks like to Kendra.

Kendra figured out how to compensate for her dyslexia, and overcame the dyslexic obstacles preventing her from reading. To this day she can’t explain how she figured it all out, she just did. Now, two years later, she is an avid reader, who cannot spell at all. I don’t know how she does it, but it is amazing!

Kendra keeps trying though. She writes her own poetry and stories, and spell check is her pal. On most days, writing is all done with a pencil, and on these days she is still frustrated. She has to go back and read what she has written, which is hellish for her. It’s not easy to read her writing, everything looks the same to her. Phonetically spelled words are never written the same way twice. It’s hard work. But, she keeps trying and this is why I am so proud of her.

The poem below is beautiful, just like Kendra. Here it is:

What If Trees Had No Leaves

By Kendra Johnson

What if trees had no leaves?

They would look bare,

shiver in the cold,

look lonely, like all their best friends

will never come back.

And everything would darken in the snow,

Finally, the snow melts,

The leaves don’t come back.

Though it is lighter than in winter,

The trees were yearning for their leaves.

After crying a hundred tears of missing them,

the trees finally go silent.

Dystopian, Not Didactic

Dystopian novels continue to be popular with Teen readers.

Is this because many dystopian worlds mimic current trends in today’s young adult society?  Or, could it be, this group of readers more closely identify with oppression and control and how it leads to rebellion?

Teens want to be allowed to chose their friends, destinations, and relationships without parental intervention. In The New Yorker article Fresh Hell, writer Laura Miller says, “The world of our hovered-over teens and preteens may be safer, but it’s also less conducive to adventure, and therefore to adventure stories.”

Today’s teens live in well-defined, segmented worlds. Their days cycle through home, school, activities, sports, all of which have rules set forth by adults and must be followed. They can be reached by parents at all times by cell phone and texting.

Many Dystopian worlds emulate the oppression and control which many teens feel they are made to endure. For today's teens, their everyday encapsulated worlds are really dystopian in nature and camouflaged as daily life.

These dystopian heroes do what many teens cannot, they go beyond questioning, they resist authority, and in the end successfully rebel. Often, finding the outcome far from perfect, but knowing change occurred.

If you were to write a dystopian novel, what would your world be like?

Recommended Reading List
The Ember Series by Jeanne Duprau
Feed by MT Anderson
The forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
The Giver by Lois Lowry
How I live Now by Meg Rosoff
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suazanne COllins
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Moon Crash Trilogy by Beth Pfifer
Birthmarked byCaragh M. O’Brien
Matched by Ally Condie
The Uglies Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld

The Importance of Crafting Compelling Characters

You know Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, and Bella Swan - these aren’t just names, they’re characters whose secrets you know, desires you understand, and whose fears you wish you could quell. Characters so alive, you’ve fallen in love with them.

Why does this happen?

Not by accident.

These characters are carefully crafted so their actions, dialogue and choices show (yes, show) how they think and what they believe. Crafted to make their flaws stand out, their secrets weigh heavy, to allow their fears to be exploited.

As my character’s life unfolds, my goal is to make it easy for the reader to get caught up in the character’s actions and words.  If I do it right, I can facilitate an internal dialogue where the reader reacts emotionally and wants to tell my character not to make that choice or say those words. Where the readers wants to send warnings, because they care about what is happening the character.

Of course my character will make the wrong choice or say the wrong thing, they have to. The reader can’t change what will happen, but they will love my character more for making mistakes, for being human.

Ultimately, I want my reader to cry when my character pays the price for their mistakes, and laugh and cheer them on when they grow and change. Most of all, I want to make reader believe in my character. 

Once a reader believes a character can save the world, fight evil wizards, or love a vampire, you've succeeded in creating a compelling character.