ALL who add a comment will get a pdf copy of my FREE "Fairdinkum Aussie Recipe Book."
Recipes for the food I loved to eat while growing up Down Under.
YUM!
*********************
DISCLAIMER:
These Dreamatime Man copies arrived with a small pale gray mark at the bottom of some verse pages.
The problem has now been fixed, and I decided to give away the originals. My lyrically rhyming tale, based on Aboriginal history, and the glorious illustrations, are not affected in any way.
AFTER THE GHOST ARRIVED, WHAT COVERED EVERY SURFACE IN FRANNIE'S ROOM LISTEN to my video reading for CLUES - LINK ABOVE.
Answers go in the COMMENTS
Come Back Here
for A NEW QUESTION every day.
WINNER'S CIRCLE **Monday's winner was - Susan Hornbach
** Tuesday's winner is - Susan Berg ** No winner for Wednesday - BUMMER! ** NO TAKERS for Thursday, either! What's with this disinterest in my great FREE Kindle ghost mystery?
To WIN, your class must agree to read the book you choose, and then write a CLASS REVIEW and put it on Amazon. I offer a choice of 4 mid-grade books: 2 adventures for boys and tomboys,
+ 2 books for
both girls and boys. The first teacher
to contact me gets to choose the book she wants. mfinke@frontier.com
PLUS: a FREE
Skype Author Visit
to classes that read my books and write a CLASS REVIEW for Amazon. I will chat about how I write and
where my book ideas come from.I am also
happy to answer any questions the classes have.FREE "Sneak Peek"Inside ALL my books - Books on AMAZON
List of FREE BOOKS to choose from
*Taconi and Claude Double Trouble– Set in the Aussie
outback circa 1945.A coming of age tale
about a young aboriginal boy and the problems he faces: a man ceremony, his crazy dad, Dreamtime Spirits, and the
chatty and wise Claude - a cockatoo. .
*Survival by Walkabout– A follow up to Taconi and
Claude - current Aussie outback.Sibling rivalry and lies light the fuse that drives
this dangerous adventure. The Aussie outback is unforgiving and so is the Medicine
Man. Will Josh and Bindi survive, or will the wild dingoes pick
their bones? .
*Down Under Calling- When a
reluctant grandson in Oregon is pressured into writing to his grandma in
Australia, wonderful things happen. Both have a need for love and reassurance.
Back and forth the letters go: Josh shares his daily problems, and Grandma Rose
shares memories from her childhood, plus
tales that astonish her grandson and his
friend Kelly. Together these three shrink the Pacific Ocean into a puddle they
can easily ford.
*The Revenge of Thelma Hill– When Frannie and her twin
brother Jeff move to Oregon, ghosts are not on Frannie’s mind.She worried more about making new friends and
the sibling rivalry between her and Jeff.But Frannie discovers that a persistent ghost is hard to refuse. She and
her very reluctant twin are soon plotting to trap the ghost’s dangerous killer,
and trying to keep it all from their overworked Dad.
"Fairdinkum Aussie Recipe Book"
Seeing I'm a transplanted Aussie now living in Oregon, and 3 of these books feature Australia, it's animals and customs, I am also offering my FREE, fun, "Fairdinkum Aussie Recipe Book." Teachers or students who would like to read about, or try the Down Under Tucker I grew up eating, will receive a FREE copy.
On Tuesday evening my magic carpet of books flew to New Delhi, India.
I
visited with a classroom of enthusiastic and talented teens who soaked
up my words and writing suggestions with sponge like eagerness. Bright,
smart faces looked back at me from a crowded classroom as I read to
them from Taconi and Claude - Double Trouble. The Q and A session took us into overtime (1 1/4 hour total time), as students peppered me with question after question.
I
came away from this Skype session feeling completely jazzed and
energized - wonderfully bright and eager students, keen to know how
books were written.
and HERE IN THE US
My Magic Carpet Worked Overtime!
This week I have SKYPED with three different classrooms on the East Coast. Seeing
those eager smiling faces looking out at me was a terrific day
brightener. My adrenalin raced. Again, I saw the interest in books,
reading and writing stories soar. Encouraging young kid's minds to
develop a love of writing, and HOOK them on reading, always gives me a
thrill.
Books I read from for these classes: *Down Under Calling - grade 4 and 5
*Kangaroo Clues - grades 3 and 4
* Mama Grizzly Bear - kindy and grade1
Books I showed:
*Rattlesnake Jam - PB ( they laughed at the illos and first two verses) *Horatio Humble Beats the Big D - dyslexia. - PB *The Revenge of Thelma Hill - young teen
I will be flying my Magic Carpet of Books to
different states in the coming weeks, with the possibility of a return
visit to that wonderful New Zealand school I visited earlier.
If I could hug Skype I would!!
**************************
How my Well Oiled Magic Carpet Flies
*I design a special chat scenario for each grade level.
*I show Aboriginal Art with my Aussie themed books
*I read a complete PB, or a chapter from a young teen book
*A
week ahead of time I email (attachment) the teacher an Order Form to
send home to the parents + my Introductory Letter. This letter
introduces me, and includes an email and web address, so parents can
contact me or look over the books on my Order Form.
*If appropriate, I include pictures on the Aussie/US animals, plus an Aussie word glossary.
*I also let the teacher know that I will fit in with her class needs whenever possible
*I try to make this Skype Magic Carpet Adventure as easy as possible for the teacher.
BUY DIRECT FROM ME - mfinke at frontier.com AND GET A $2 DISCOUNT ON EVERY YOUNG TEEN BOOK
My writing is a habit I can't kick - an addiction if you will. To not write is unthinkable! Over the years my best stories came to me in the middle of the night. They had me creeping into the bathroom to write them down before they became lost, along with my other dreams.
Some flowed into my computer as smooth and easy as honey on hot toast. Others were stubborn, difficult, or just plain antsy. I had to cajole, threaten and bribe the characters to stick with the program - MY program. I won some and I last some. Yet however the story finally ended, I fell in love with it. I even admit that the characters sometimes had better plot ideas than I. Shush. . . don't spread that around, mates.
I wrote each story with the idea of HOOKING kids on reading. Teach a child to love books at an early age, and you make them into lifelong readers. And the way to do that is to read them books that have giggles, fun, adventure, love, and that unique WOW factor that makes them into re-readable favorites.
I love each book I wrote, and I am hoping to make converts out of YOU!
A coming of age adventureset in the Aussie Outback.
Blimey, whoda thunk that a sulfur crested cockatoo named Claude could become such a great character, along with a young aboriginal boy called Taconi, + a Man Ceremony, a bunch of witchetty grubs, and a freaked out emu.
THE SEQUEL
coming soon
Featuring the grandchildren of Taconi and the Boss, in a fight to survive an outback walkabout, a crazed Medicine Man, and sibling rivalry that begins with a lie and expands to threaten friendship and family. .
A ghost with a determination to make her killer pay, has searched forty years for help. Frannie James is her last chance. The ghost, and her giant arachnid "familiar," are hard to resist. Add a twin brother, a missing Mom, a few e-mails, and a handy frying pan. Killer is caught!
.
If these tantalizing story tit-bits don't whet your reading appetite. . .
7x Passionate Authors from Guardian Angel Publishing ( affectionately known as GAP ) STILL Blogging 'till their Fingers Wear Out for Children's Book Week May 7th - 13th, 2012 (See list of other GAP bloggers below) .
.
GAP Authors also offer 2x FREE GIFTS
WIN
A cool tote bag of books by GAP authors
a FREE Picture Book Critique - by me!
Don't forget to sign up to WIN! ( entry form at the end of this post )
.
*************** .
So. . . let's get to it, mates. My Topic for Today, Thursday, May 10th
What Beginning Writers Need to Know How to Reel in
an Editor with Your Writing ( Borrowed frommy Musings Column )
If you want to reel in an editor, think fishing strategy.
Know where the editor
fish swim.
Prepare the appropriate
bait.
Assemble a variety of hooks.
Practice spreading ‘chum.'
Make sure your line is
strong.
Hook the editor fish
early.
Play the line out --
craftiness counts.
Land your editor fish
-- (don't let him/her get away at the last moment)
Your
First Paragraph: This is your chance to hook the
‘editor fish' early.
If a few sentences of instant appeal do not come to mind, leave your first
paragraph until later. Rummage for the distinctive words you need when your
story is finished, and your plot and characters are as familiar as the taste of
your favorite food. Think dramatic moment, wild humor, or even angst ridden
inner turmoil. Consider making your first paragraph a splendid link into the
heart of your main character, or perhaps, a powerful hint about future actions.
Your First
Page: Fling in morsels of chum, and bait a
small hook.
What is chum? For big game fishermen, chum is bloody fish entrails, red
meat, and other offal. This is thrown into the water to bring sharks and large
fish closer to their boat. Get it? For writers, chum becomes the clues, hints,
innuendo, characters, gossip, and whatever else we use to draw in readers. Make
your first page a reading frenzy. Include the time, the place, and the names of
your main characters. Now, plan something dramatic, significant or funny, for
your second page. Then, in the last paragraph on your first page, leave a clue
to whatever is about to happen. This is your hook, baited, and ready to
lure the editor into turning the page.
Trawl
Chum on Every Page: This is where you play out your line, use different hooks, and try assorted
bait.
The chum you scatter throughout your chapters depends on the type of
story you are writing. The basic idea, is what you write on one page should
lure readers into reading what you've written on the following page. Not only
that, you must have fine writing, characters that kids will root for, and a
plot that keeps reader interest to the last page. Flabby writing will get you
eaten by an editor shark!
The
Mystery/Adventure:
The style of your hooks depends on the type of book you are writing. A
mystery or an adventure demands a strong and dramatic hook at the end of each
chapter -- your main character faces disaster, is about to make a vital choice,
or is on the brink of peril. Devising hooks for the end of your chapters has a
lot to do with pacing. You must plan ahead. An end-of-chapter hook is always
the moment before something physically or emotionally earth shattering
happens. If your readers want to know the outcome, they must read on.
Keep the tension at a heart-pounding level, by regularly offering snippets
of pertinent information, hints and clues. These are the small hooks you must
keep baited throughout your chapters. Your readers don't want to be told about
what happens. They want to be a part of the story: to see, feel, and hear the
action as it happens. Splash around the dialogue: it is a wonderful tool for
defining characters and setting a pace that crackles.
Emotional
or Fun Stories:
Poignant stories also need end-of-chapter hooks. A tale about school and
bullies, the story of a dying parent or friend, a funny romp at a
holiday camp: these books all need lots of the right bait, on the right
sized hooks, to reel in an editor. Ending your chapters with a question, a
fear, a dread, or moment of panic, works extremely well. Readers identify with
these emotions, and they hate for them to go unanswered. If the chapter that
follows your hook provides satisfactory answers, your reader will keep reading.
As the author, you make a tacit agreement with your reader to provide a
satisfying conclusion to the story. Break this agreement at your peril!
Character development is vital in all children's books. Kids want to feel
that they know the characters. Make sure you weave in background, past
mistakes, and the relationship between siblings and parents. Your POV's (point
of view) inner thoughts can offer important insights. Allow your main character
some faults, plus the ability and courage to grow out of them. Offer a
secondary plot line. Keep tabs on where your plot and characters are going.
Don't allow your reader to feel up a creek without a paddle. Dialogue is vital
to any story -- fresh, on the money, and dynamic. Attention to small details
pays off.
Your
Last Chapter -- You Must Deliver! You get to land the editor-fish.
You've made it thus far -- DON'T BLOW
IT! Craft a first paragraph that keeps readers guessing (mystery/
adventure), or unsure about what your main POV will decide (poignant or other
story). Then tie up those loose ends ASAP - unresolved loose ends will allow
the editor fish to escape. Check that your solution or ending is logical,
and based on the main areas of the plot. Is that last minute confession too
bizarre to be reasonable? Would your heroine really decide to settle a dispute that
way?
Final
Note:
If your grammar or punctuation is not what it should be, now is the time to
enlist help. Have your trusted critique members check out your manuscript for G
and P errors, as well as anything else that might make an editor fish
shy away - weak plot, character problems, wordiness, or a particular word or
phrase that constantly pops up, to name a few.
That complete, you are now ready to catch an editor fish. Bait your query
hook!
Uh-oh. . . Sorry, Queries are a whole other blog.
And do please add YOUR favorites to the comments below.
========================
NOW .
Surf on over to some of
the other Guardian Angel Bloggers and enjoy their Children's Book Week
posts.
Entry during the Children's Book
Week celebration by Guardian Angel Publishing does not guarantee winning the
FREE tote bag of Guardian Angel Publishing books, or the FREE picture book
manuscript critique by Margot Finke. Winner of the FREE picture book manuscript
critique by Margot Finke shall not hold Ms. Finke liable in publication success
of submitted picture book manuscript.
