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Authors and Readers Should Know...

This link didn't seem to post, but go here:

http://maggie-stiefvater.tumblr.com/post/166952028861/ive-decided-to-tell-you-guys-a-story-about

Mallory Heart's Cozies: DOG-GONE DANGER by Linda Joy Singleton_Review

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JUNE 13TH IS THE BOOK RELEASE BIRTHDAY FOR: A CAT IS BETTER



Cynsations: Guest Post: Linda Joy Singleton on Novels to Pictu...: By  Linda Joy Singleton for  Cynthia Leitich Smith 's  Cynsations When I joined SCBWI , my biggest dream was to sell a middle-grade n...

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HAWK OF THE CASTLE! Interview with author Danna Smith

What inspired the idea for your picture book HAWK OF THE CASTLE.


Believe it or not, The Hawk of the Castle is based on a true story. This book is about a little girl who goes out with her father, the falconer at a medieval castle, to train his hawk. My father was a falconer, and I was fortunate to learn the ancient sport first-hand from him. I chose to place the story in medieval times to add interest and additional opportunity for learning about the history of falconry.

Share a memory of your favorite teacher or librarian?


At age seventeen, I knew that one day I wanted to write picture books. My high school creative writing teacher complimented my budding talent and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I still remember feeling so proud that my teacher believed in me!

What advice would you give to a new writer?


Read. Write. Learn and repeat. The more you read in the genre you want to write, the more you practice writing, and the more you learn about the craft of writing the closer you will come to achieving your goal.

Share something most people don't know about you.


I can ride a unicycle.

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Free CCSC spy kit for young readers!

For kids who love ANIMALS and SOLVING MYSTERIES the Curious Cat Spy Club wants you😻

Click the email link st www.lindsjoysingleton.com to request a
FREE spy kit with puzzles to solve, tips on how to help animals, your spy name and more!!

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A sneak peek at the opening to CCSC #4....

CURIOUS CAT SPY CLUB #4 - SECRET OF THE SHADOW BANDIT will be out in just 3 weeks!!

Here's a sneak peek at the opening chapter! (Sorry if the formatting is wonky)








CHAPTER ONE: MONSTROUS!

A shrill scream rips through the house.
I jump off the window seat, fling my mystery novel aside, race out of my bedroom and-
Wham! Solid mass of big brother.
“Whoa, Kelsey!” Kyle’s hair is mussed like he just woke up from a nap. He puts his hands on my shoulders and peers into my face. “Why’d you scream?”
“Not me…Kiana or Kenya,” I say as another scream echoes through the hall. I whirl around, and with my brother close on my heels, run into the twins’ room.
My older sister Kiana is perched on her bed, clutching a pink stuffed bunny to her chest like a shield. “Get the monster out of here!” she shrieks.
“What monster?” Kyle scrunches his forehead, looking around.
“It moved too fast to get a good look but I think it’s a fanged snake or horned lizard with a spiky tail,” Kiana says in a rush.
A fanged horned monster with a spiky tail?
I want to believe Kiana because she’s the nicer twin and sometimes she even helps me with my homework. But there’s no monster in her room—only the usual mess of clothes, shoes and makeup my sisters never bother to put away. There are still moving boxes, too, even though it’s been a week since we moved from our cramped apartment into a two-story “Cottage.”
“It’s in my closet!” Kiana points a shaky finger. “I saw a horrifying shadow on the wall then heard claws running into my closet so I kicked the door shut. And it’s still there!”
“You only saw a shadow?” Kyle scoffs. “Don’t you know that shadows are always more exaggerated than reality? I’m not surprised you’re imagining monsters after you and Kenya stayed up late watching Jurassic Park.”
“That has nothing to do with this…this CREATURE!” Kiana squeals from high on her bed, her gaze glued to the closet. “I came into my room to get my backpack and heard a crunching sound—and look! That THING chewed my book report!” Kiana picks up a shredded piece of paper from her bed and waves it at us.
I stare at stripes of claws and needle-sharp punctures, and my stomach knots. As Spy Tactics Specialist in the Curious Cat Spy Club, I’ve trained myself to observe and analyze evidence. The claw and teeth marks are proof I can’t ignore. A horrible suspicion grows in my mind.
“A monster ate your homework?” Kyle throws back his head and laughs. “Try getting that story by your teacher.”
“It’s true! And it’s probably devouring my clothes and best shoes right now!” Kiana twists a curl of her dark hair around her finger. “Hurry, Kyle! You’re older and stronger than we are. Get rid of it!”
My brother’s smile fades fast. While he’s tall and can play a mean game of hoops, he’s not made of muscles or courage. And lately he’s been too busy researching colleges to play any sports. He glances uneasily at the closet, backing into the hall like he’s poised for a quick getaway. “I’ll go ask Mom to help. Catching animals is her job so she’ll know what to do.”
“She’s working in the garden,” Kiana says.
“No need to bother Mom on her day off,” I say calmly although my heart is pounding. I step forward. “I’ll do it.”
My brother and sister stare at me, shocked. I’m the youngest in the family, after all, the little sister who’s usually so quiet no one notices me. They probably think I’m trying to prove I can be brave but my offer has nothing to do with bravery. It’s the opposite. If my suspicion about the “monster” is right, I’m going to be in big trouble. My only hope is to get my sister and brother out of the room.
“I can handle this.” I visualize I’m a fearless detective from one of my novels and lift my chin confidently. “I’ve learned a lot about dealing with wild animals from hanging out with Becca at her Animal Sanctuary. Alligators, lions and bears—they don’t scare me. Becca’s taught me how to protect myself but I can’t protect both of you so wait in the hall.”
Kiana frowns at her ripped homework then jumps off her bed and comes over to me. “I can’t leave you in here alone,” she says.
“Really, it’s okay. Don’t worry. I won’t get hurt.” As I say this I hear rustling sounds from the closet and wonder what will happen if I’m wrong. Could there really be a spiked-tail snake/lizard in the closet?
“Kel knows a lot about wild animals, so she can take care of this,” my brother says with a shrug. “Come on, Kiana. Let’s get out of here.”
“But Kelsey could get hurt.” She tugs my hand. “Better my shoes get eaten than my baby sister. Let’s all leave and go get Mom.”
“Get Mom to do what?”
I swivel around as Mom strides into the room. Curly brown hair falls out of her red scarf and her gardening gloves are dirt-stained. Before she became a County Animal Control Officer, she worked for a florist because she loves gardening. I just wish she’d stayed outside in the garden.
Things get worse when I hear Kenya’s and Dad’s voices.
Drats! Now my whole family is here.
“What’s going on?” Dad squeezes in beside Mom. He must have been in the kitchen working on a culinary masterpiece because he’s wearing his Eating is a Necessity but Cooking is an Art apron.
“Kiana, did you scream?” Kenya pushes past everyone to hug her twin. They both have long dark-brown hair like Mom’s and full lips like Dad, and everyone says they’re identical. But they can’t fool me because I can tell them apart. It’s Secret 28 in my Notebook of Secrets.
“Mom, Dad!” Kiana gestures to the closet. “There’s a monster in my closet!”
Dad wipes his hands on his cooking apron as he chuckles. “Aren’t you a little old for imaginary friends?”
“It’s not a friend or imaginary! See what it did to my book report!” Kiana waves the ripped homework in the air. A corner breaks off and flutters to the carpet.
Mom pushes her hair from her eyes, leaning in for a closer look at the paper. “Hmmm,” she murmurs. “What does this monster look like?”
“Horrifying! It was huge like a giant lizard or dragon with wicked fangs!” Kiana spreads her arms and juts out her teeth like fangs. “And it had a spiky tail!”
“But you only saw its shadow,” I point out, hoping to calm everyone down and convince them to leave. “I’m sure it’s just a harmless rat. I can get rid of it.”
“No, you will not, Kelsey,” Mom says firmly as she steps in front of me. “Rats carry diseases. Kyle, go out to my work truck and grab my net.”
“Sure Mom.” Kyle runs down the hall.
We all wait, as if frozen in a movie frame. Kiana and Kenya stand close, their hands dramatically clasped together and their gazes fixed on the closet door like they’re actors in a horror movie. Dad stands by awkwardly like an extra, while Mom waits to direct the action.
Minutes later, Kyle’s footsteps pound down the hall and then he hands Mom the net. “Here.” He quickly darts back into the hall.
Mom holds the net in one hand, reaching for the closet door with the other.
I hold my breath as Mom twists the knob.
Slowly, the door opens….

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SNEAK PREVIEW! After years waiting MEMORY GIRL -- a YA about the risk of living forever -- is out!!!

In 2009 I woke up one early morning with words in my head screaming to escape. So I got up and wrote 4 pages.
I was busy writing the DEAD GIRL trilogy at the time, so put the pages aside. But they haunted me. Finally when my career hit a low; lost a publisher and agent, I had time to write this book. So I did. I got a new agent, and she loved it. She sent it out to a dozen publishers and two of the Top Five took it to acquisitions. But a few months later, it was still unsold. Rewrites happened. Two more publishers interested. But months and rewrites later: rejection. My agent was discouraged, and she dropped me. I put the manuscript aside...

But in 2014, while I was promoting my picture book SNOW DOG, SAND DOG, at a library conference, I ran into an editor-friend who was looking for a YA book. "I have one!" I told her excitedly, then submitted to her. And she loved it.

MEMORY GIRL is now a hardback novel from CBAY Books and it already got a good review from Kirkus. Hollywood is even interested!

Here's a link:

Here's a sneak preview from the ending of Chapter One:

....

Soon I’ll have a Family, a new name, and a forever role in ShareHaven society.

But will I still be me?

“I have to go . . . I’m sorry,” I say and turn my back on my friends.

I untwist the wires so they fall to the sides like the open mouth of a jagged-toothed monster. I’ve grown up with warnings of claws and snakes outside ShareHaven. But while I’ve heard roars beyond our boundaries, I’ve never seen monstrous creatures. Day by day, I only see the same eternal faces.

Everything except my face will change when I belong to a Family.

I don’t want to think on this and push through the narrow opening, legs dangling as I balance precariously on wire. I’m only a jump away from the forbidden side of the Fence.

They are no more warnings from my best mates. I’m tempted to look behind me. Instead, I lift my gaze to the gray-blue horizon that stretches forever. Chilly sea fills me with an ache so deep I want to cry, although I have no idea why. Am I flawed somehow? Why can’t I behave the expected, dutiful way, like Lorelei, and be studious, like Marcus? Why am I always yearning, frustrated, even angry sometimes for no sensical reason? Why can’t I accept all I’ve learned from the Instructors? Instead I am tormented with questions.

My mind slips into familiar groves of wonderings—whispers shared in darkness about belonging to a Family. Since our birth, we’ve been on the same path with the same destination—to reach age fifteen, join a Family, and receive memories of a Lost One. There’s a retro word that comes to mind: recycling—when rare resources like metal or plastic are melted and reshaped into something new.
Why can’t I stay in this shape?

With a fierce look at the sky, I suck in salty freedom. I look over at the safe side of the Fence, relieved yet a little disappointed too. No one is there.

In the distance, I spot Lorelei and Marcus walking away.

Clinging to the wire, I whisper over and over, “I am Jennza . . . I am Jennza . . . I am Jennza . . . .”
I spread my arms wide.
And jump.

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The B Word

A TV show this morning warning about how watching computer screens isn't good for the growth of a child's brain made me think about when I was a kid (pre-computers) and my best friend and I would sit in my room, talking about how bored we were....until we'd come up with ideas for new games, creating crafts or outside adventures.

Next time I get bored, I'll try to avoid the habit of picking up my iPad.

Instead I'll remind myself to look around, think deep thoughts or talk to someone. Reading is always a great option, too (g).

Boredom isn't the enemy, it's a staircase to new ideas and creativity. Embrace your boredom

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Note from Linda Joy Singleton:
I am relieved to say that my new mystery series, CURIOUS CAT SPY CLUB, does not have sabotage as a plot in all 4 books (in the works). In fact, after reading some of the Nancy Drew fans comments about wanting more classic series themes like missing heirs, theft and hidden treasure--all 4 themes are in my work-in-progress SECRET OF THE SHADOW BANDIT (Fall 2016).

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8 REASONS WHY WRITERS SHOULD WATCH REALITY TV

Every summer I have an obsession.

It's not illegal or immoral yet when I tell people, I get the kind of looks you'd give a crazy person.

I confess, I watch the reality show Big Brother.

"Why would you want to waste your time watching such a fake show?" I'm asked.

I answer, "The setting is artificial but the people are real. I am NOT wasting my time--I'm doing character research for my writing."

Where else would I watch interactions between a wrestler with a master in literature, a gorgeous woman who used to be a man, a rock star dentist, a surfer and a top woman poker player?

While I enjoy the CBS show which is on TV 3 nights a week, that hour-long show is NOT what I'm talking about. It's not just the dramatic moments Production chooses to show on TV. What people see on that hour is NOT the reality feedsters watch.

IT'S THE LIVE FEEDS. 24 hour cameras film the houseguests. Some might call this being a voyeur, but I think of it as social research. For a writer, when I watch the feeds, I pay attention to:

1. How people speak at different ages. As I get older, I seldom hear casual conversation with younger generations. While I avoid using slang in my books, I often learn a phrase or way of expressing something that I can pass on to my own characters. I learn which words and activities are outdated.

2. It's interesting to discover what people younger than myself care about; dating, social media, their phones. Values, though, are often the same; most houseguests put their families and faith above all else. Once the houseguests have been there for awhile, they forget about the cameras and just do their daily routine--fixing their hair, eating, washing clothes, etc. And without any phones or internet or even books (except Bible) to read, all they have to do in down time is talk to each other. And it's real, not scripted. Sometimes they just sit around not even talking--boring like real life.

3. I listen for interesting stories that spark ideas for settings or situations in my future books. For instance, I loved Donny from Season 16 so in an upcoming book, there's a character with a similar name and the same job. Little details from reality enhance writing.

4. I note contradictions and commonalities in different age groups; social-economic backgrounds, singles-vs-married, etc. Most writers will tell you they live quiet lives without a lot of social interaction so there aren’t many opportunities to observe real people. And yes--the houseguests are REAL people. Sure some of them are "mactors" hoping for a career break, but even aspiring actors/models have to wash their hair, brush teeth, prepare meals and just hang out making small talk. And when pitted against each other in a game for a $500K prize, conversations can get VERY interesting.

5. I also pay attention to behaviors I love and hate about houseguests. Emotions are the glue to hold a story together. Realizing what actions bring out specific emotions is a useful tool for a writer.

6. I don't just watch to study characters. I LOVE THE GAME. It's fun to root for a favorite character -- very much like football obsessed fans who cheer on their favorite players. When anyone tries to understand what I love about Big Brother, I compare it to watching sports (beating up people on a playing field is an acceptable American pastime). Big Brother is my sport and the houseguests are playing a game with high stakes. Instead of a ball, they're playing with skills, words and strategy.

7. Do you ever wake up at night and can't go back to sleep? Often houseguests are enjoying quiet moments in the night where a few people just hang out, talking about life, families and strategy. Sometimes emotions flare into anger or confidences warm into comforting hugs. Very few of these moments are shown on TV -- too ordinary, too boring, too real to fit in with the production of a TV show. But these ordinary moments are what fascinate me as a writer.

8. What I also find interesting is comparing what I've watched on the feeds to what CBS shapes into a TV storyline. A houseguest that I know is really nice may be only shown at their worst. Or someone I think is superficial and mean, comes off like a saint. Production is brilliant, really, because they take 24 hours x 7 days a week and shape it into a one hour drama.

A little bit of reality TV can spark ideas and awareness of the interaction of different personalities. I truly believe watching reality shows keeps my character's dialog realistic (think about it--where do teens get most of their sayings? From the commonality of TV/movies).

So if you want to improve your writing, watch a reality show. For me, it's Big Brother. I can't wait to find out who wins BB17.

Latest books by Linda Joy Singleton:
SNOW DOG, SAND DOG (picture book) from Albert Whitman
CURIOUS CAT SPY CLUB (midgrade series) Albert Whitman
NEXT BEEN TEXTED (young adult) August 2015, Leap Books
Free short stories: www.lindajoysingleton.com
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Do you know what a SOLAR DANCER is?

Watch the newest collecting craze dance in the sunshine!!

http://youtu.be/eHezwblkbRE



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHezwblkbRE&sns=tw via @youtube

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FROM PSYCHICS TO SNOW DOGS

or
How a Multi-Published Author Became a Debut Author

Blame it on SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators). When I joined SCBWI over two decades ago, I’d already sold a middle-grade and was interested in writing young adult books, too. Yet most of my writer friends wrote picture books. Whenever I went to SCBWI conferences, I attended many presentations by talented PB authors and illustrators. I listened to so many PB talks that I joked I could teach a picture book writing class myself. But write a picture book? Nope. Not interested.

2009 was the year I sold my 37th book, BURIED/YA mystery (Flux)—and the year I wrote a picture book. This PB idea struck with no warning—like summer rain or falling in love. I was driving to a SCBWI retreat with authors Verla Kay, Danna K. Smith and Linda Whalen when my thoughts jumped to the childhood photo Verla had showed me of a snow dog. A word storm of Inspiration flooded my head. When we stopped for lunch, I grabbed a napkin and wrote a story that began: More than anything, Ally wanted a dog—but dogs made her ACHOO. So Ally drew pictures of dogs….

Jump five years and that napkin-scribbled book is now my debut picture book, SNOW DOG, SAND DOG (Albert Whitman). And my box of author copies arrived this week (YAY!). But it’s not like I stopped writing MG/YA. I still do that, too.

How did this genre hopping happen? Thinking it over, it’s more of a surprise that I resisted writing PBs for so long. Whether I’m writing for big or little kids, I love the rhythm of lyrical, active and funny words. Studying the art of picture book writing has actually strengthened my novel writing. Sentences roll and sway like songs from thoughts to finger-tips.

For example (from a MG work-in-progress):
I’m squashed like a human pretzel and struggling not to sneeze at dog hair or freak out as I imagine creepy crawlies creeping and crawling all over me.
This is a sentence from a middle-grade book yet fun words like sneeze, creepy and crawling create a rhythm like when I’m writing pictures books.

From SNOW DOG, SAND DOG:
They heated popcorn and played fetch with straw brooms. They napped with a scarecrow then danced to the music of wind chimes.

I love the craft of word play; molding words like clay until they’re shaped into sentences that make children smile. Writing words for children brings out the child in all of us—and it’s fun.

But it’s hard work, too. I consider picture books the hardest format to write. There’s no room for even one sloppy word. Every word counts and the story arc should rise and fall with character growth like a novel.

It took five years for SNOW DOG, SAND DOG to become a published book. It went through editors, agents, rejections and rewrites. I rode a roller coaster of disappointments and hopes. The day it sold, my agent told me, “You’re now a picture book author.”

And this MG/YA author is very proud to be a picture book author.

WHY PICTURE BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT

My first picture book, SNOW DOG SAND DOG, was featured on the November Book Month






Why Picture Books Are Important by Linda Joy Singleton
The first picture book I remember loving was The Poky Little Puppy. It was an early copy with gorgeous art and a thick colorful cover. Years later, as an adult, I spotted this book on my grandmother’s shelf and couldn’t resist reading it. There’s a special feeling children reserve for the books they fall in love with, and holding this book made me feel like a child again.

It wasn’t until I had children of my own that I pursued my writing career. I quickly realized I loved kids books the best. While I happily published midgrade and teen books, I also admired the picture books by my writing friends. I thought, “It would be so cool to have an artist draw pictures for my words.” And I dreamed of having a picture book of my own.

Still it took a while to write a picture book that was good enough to publish. Writing picture books is hard! Every word has to sing with meaning, plot, and character. All this is a super short format–usually less than 500 words. What a challenge!

But I thrive on challenges, and I never give up on my dreams. My first published picture book was about dogs—one for each season. I was lucky my publisher found an amazing illustrator who shared my love of books and dogs. And now I get to read my own picture book to kids. It’s SO fun! They laugh, smile and ask great questions. Kids really connect with the art in picture books and the art of telling a story just for them.

A picture book can transform a lap into a magical carpet that takes both reader and listener on an amazing journey. Words and pictures are like food for the soul, nourishing young minds and hearts. In my case, loving a picture book about a poky puppy was the beginning of a future of writing for kids—which is a wonderful honor.

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Snow Dog, Sand Dog

Snow Dog, Sand Dog

Snow Dog, Sand Dog

Snow Dog, Sand Dog


My picture book!

NAME THAT SNOW DOG CONTEST

BIG CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT:::



"SNOW DOG NEEDS A NAME" Contest

A panel of kids readers will select the top three names and the winners will receive:

* Autographed SNOW DOG, SAND DOG book by Linda Joy Singleton & Jess Golden

* A set of Albert Whitman books for your favorite library/school.

* And for FACEBOOK friends--I will also put YOUR name in a future published book.

It's easy to enter:

Email your name suggestion to: ljscheer@yahoo.com with subject: SNOW DOG CONTEST

Include your email/mailing contract information.

Contest ends September 1st. Winners will be notified by email and the name for Snow Dog will be announced online.

http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Dog-Sand-Linda-Singleton/dp/0807575364/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1405610097&sr=8-8&keywords=linda+joy+singleton

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TURN A PHOTO INTO A PICTURE BOOK!

When I saw this photo, an idea clicked in my head.

I was writing YA at the time and gaining fans for my THE SEER & DEAD GIRL series.

I didn't write picture books, but suddenly an IDEA was there. I couldn't ignore it.
I found a napkin and wrote: MORE THAN ANYTHING ALLY WANTED A DOG, BUT DOGS MADE HER ACHOO.

Within a few days, I had a rough draft. But it took five years and many rewrites before the photograph became a picture book, which recently was published by Albert Whitman.

SNOW DOG, SANND DOG -- my first ever picture book!

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WHAT HAPPENS IN SMALL MOUNTAIN TOWNS STAYS THERE (unless someone blogs about it!)

TALENT IN A RURAL MOUNTAIN TOWN???? READ MORE TO FIND OUT WHAT I FOUND OUT.....

The population sign shows just over 700 people live in the small town my family traveled to last night. We drove high into forest rimmed roads that twisted and twisted for miles with few homes or towns. It took over an hour to reach our destination.

Our group included 3 little kids, two parents and two grandparents. We embarked on this trip to watch seven year old Nik perform a musical number on his recorder (like a flute). Nik wore a pin-striped dress shirt and looked excellent. Little brother Pat was also styling like a gentleman, despite his energetic habits of looking for trouble. And 3 year old Bee charmed everyone with her purple-streaked blond hair, deceptively-innocent big blue eyes, velvety prom-styled dress and wicked-cute attitude.

I'm used to going to suburban kid activities like soccer, t-ball and gymnastics. But I hadn't been to a talent show--especially one so far out in the rural mountains, so I didn't know what to expect.

We parked off the main road and entered the Community Hall. I was glad I'd decided to dress up at the last minute as others shined in their best clothes. One model-thin young woman wore a tight business suit with her hair-pulled back elegantly, more like a New Yorker at a cocktail party--but later I found out why--she was in costume for one of the acts. A performance that had the audience laughing. But I'll get to that later....

Not only was this event a talent show, but there was a baked goods raffle and ice cream social. Count me happy! Who can resist ice cream? It was served between acts. And those raffled pies, cakes and cheese cake were raffled off for $50-$125.

Soon the lights dimmed...and the performances begin!!

The first few were what proud parents expect. A gorgeous blond girl (think Taylor Swift). If Simon from American Idol were judging he might have been harsh for some off-key notes but her confidence and grace wowed the audience. She belted out a song like a big star in a small sky.

Next came the little kids (including our own amazing Nik). Cute little kids with lots of relatives in the audience to enthusiastically applaud piano keys, ukulele strums and sweet recorder notes. Nik was a little shy but wonderfully composed for a seven year old. And when he bent over in a formal bow after his performance, the audience LOVED him even more.

The next performer shifted the night into a surprising realm of talent. Kellsey was a 20-something, flowing dark-haired beauty with curves...and when she stood on the stage to sing, I thought I was on Broadway or at an opera. Her voice was larger than the stage, the room, the town. She belted out a song from Phantom of the Opera that had the audience standing up for an ovation. So what's she doing hidden away in a mountain town? Get out to Broadway, Kellsey!

The next singer, a spunky country singer sang a bouncy song called "Dead Skunk." As someone who travels on country roads often, dead skunks are a familiar rural perfume.

The lights went out and movement rumbled from behind the stage--then four black-lit figures looking like shadows with only stick-figure shapes glowing from costumes that seemed made of glow sticks. And when they turned around to dance, their backsides glowed with circle butts, which they booty-shook to bursts of laughter. Very funny dance.

Lots of creativity and hometown support for little kids. I was impressed but figured that the opera singer was a fluke, that everything else would be the average talent show fair. But then the next singer stepped up to the piano and sung an original song she'd written herself which was bouncy and crafted with the skill of a pro; uplifting and sweet like an Elton John tribute to Disney.

We left a little early due to little kids falling asleep or crawling under the table, so the last act I watched was a definite "finale" in humor. A skit of "Jeopardy" in a small mountain town. Each "contestant" portrayed a stereotype of country residents. The elegant woman spouting off NPR, the New Age free-spirit, the savvy grandma and the good-old gal who loves to drink "cold ones." Very funny questions and crazy answers. I loved how everyone made fun of their own stereo-types, and how well rehearsed they were, too.

So in closing, all I can say is that all those America Talent Shows on tv, should look closer into the rural towns, even if it means driving for hours and miles, through wooded, curvy roads. The talent is amazing (including our Nik).

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How many faces do you recognize in this video?

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How many faces to you recognize in this SCBWI video?
(And if you like it, please share. It would be cool if it went viral). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaaXk58b6xQ

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Do You keep a LIST?

Does anyone else keep a list of the books they read?

I keep my list in a small notebook which I keep on my computer desk. I number each book, put in the date, title, author name then give it up to 5 stars.

Some of my 5-star reads this year:
ROOFTOPPERS (midgrade)
OUT OF EASY by Ruta Sepetys Smith
THE CUCKOO'S CALLING by J.K. Rowling
THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Jeanette Larson
NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson
THE SILVER BOWQL by Diane Stanley
GRIMM LEGACY by Polly Shulman
FIFTY WAVE by Rick Yancy
CONJURED by Sarah Beth Durst

Amazing books!! Read them and enjoy