It’s a beautifully rainy autumn morning and my hope continues gathering and pooling, like the sloshy puddles on our sidewalk. In querying, no news is still good news, in my opinion. Yet, new opportunities are falling upon me plentifully.
#PBCritiqueFest is underway and I’m fully enveloped in promoting and lifting up the author participants who are so generously giving away critiques. To do this, I’m really flexing my social media creativity muscles, and I actually enjoy the challenge!
In honor of #PBCritiqueFest, I’d like to highlight three author participants who are close to my heart.
Tara Lazar: I was first introduced to Tara Lazar through her event, #StoryStorm the brilliant and extremely helpful beginning-of-year #PB Idea challenge. It’s through this event I learned of so many wonderful authors, both veterans and new to the scene, reading their interesting ideas and honestly some tough truths. Around that same time, I did a mass reserve of everything they had of hers at our Metro Library. That did not disappoint! Somewhere between Normal Norman and Little Red Gliding Hood, I fell in love! Tara’s writing is a surprise at each turn. Never a dull moment! Plus, some of the lyrical moments reminded me of me. I’m so honored to be somewhat acquainted with her through Twitter and I look forward to years and years more of her dazzling personality coming through on the page.
Josh Funk: My oh my, can this guy rhyme! I CANNOT believe it! I first discovered Josh Funk after his Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast series was recommended to me as mentor texts. Now, I don’t write in rhyme, but I do LOVE anthropomorphized food! Big time! And this guy’s series takes the cake! Ha!
Lori Degman: I’ll never forget the first time my daughter and I read (together) Lori Degman’s Cock-A-Doodle Oops! We giggled and guffawed, but even better, my daughter took an active interest in reading the words on the page. A memory that will last my lifetime! I also truly admire her full career of teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing children. I have a deep love and passion for children and adults of different abilities and I believe Lori’s writing is informed and inspired by that love as well.
So here’s to #PBCritiqueFest! To find out more about the event and it’s talented creator, Brian Gehrlein, visit pbspotlight.com May the authors, illustrators, and agents be ever-uplifted!
And now I continue… Watching and waiting and participating as my hope overflows into the next big opportunity.
My Pilgrimage to Publication and Beyond 