Thank U: Poems of Gratitude, published by Lerner, will be out in September 2019. I am honored to have been included with such poets as Jane Yolen, Naomi Shihab Nye, Gwendolyn Hooks, and many other poets. The poem is part of an anthology, a collection of diverse poems by 32 children’s authors which centers the theme of gratitude in all seasons—making it a title to be grateful for all year long. Each poem is a different type or style of poetry. My poem is titled: No More Holes for Broken Soles.

To order, click on title: Thank U: Poems Of Gratitude

A quote to Inspire you each and every day: You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream. – C.S. Lewis

Author signing at publisher’s booth.

I attended the Texas Library Association (TLA) conference in Austin, Texas, a couple of days ago. It was packed with librarians, authors, illustrators, book vendors, publishers, agents, and lovers of books. It was a fantastic experience that brought book lovers together. The sessions were inspiring, the panelists super interesting, and the overall camaraderie among the attendees was contagious. Next year, the TLA conference will be held in Houston. If you can make it, I highly recommend it.

This is the weekend for the San Antonio Book Festival! Held on Saturday, April 6, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., this promises to be a day for book lovers and artists and everyone else. Authors and illustrators from around the nation will be signing their books and speaking on panels.  

Plus, there are events for children and book readings by the authors themselves in the Children’s Book Tent. And food! Food trucks are available on the grounds plus plenty of parking and dozens of craft booths to visit. So, what are you waiting for? It’s FREE! Come join us! For more info, go to their website: https://festival.saplf.org/festival-info/

My first meeting as Regional Director for the (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators)  SCBWI,  Southwest Texas chapter on March 23, 2019, was great. I was presented with some awesome SCBWI gifts before the meeting started. We hope to make this a great year for our chapter. If you are in the Southwest Texas area, and wish to join our group, go to the main SCBWI website, www.scbwi.org, and click on Regional Chapters, Southwest Texas. Loads of information there. 

We discussed craft books on writing. Some members brought their favorite books on the topic and shared their comments with one another. I shared with the membership that our regional team is there to support, inspire, and encourage our members, writers and illustrators, to pursue their craft and dreams.

Here is a list of books we talked about and recommended.

Writing With Picture: How to Write and Illustrate Children’s Books, by Uri Shlevitz © 1997

Sowing Seeds: Writing for the Christian Children’s Market, by Kathleen m. Muldoon © 2010

The Magic Words: Writing Great books for Children and Young Adults, By Cheryl B. Klein © 2016

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert © 2015

Your Elusive Creative Genius – Ted Talk – Elizabeth Gilbert © 2009

Writing Down the Bones: Feeling the Writer Within, By Natalie Goldberg © 1986

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write with Confidence, by William Kenower © 2017

Save the Cat! The Last Book On Screenwriting That You’ll Ever Need, By Blake Snyder ©2005

Children’s Book Illustration: Step by Step Techniques, By Jill Bossert © 1998

Directing The Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation, By Francis Glebas ©2009

Writer’s first Aid: Getting organized, Getting inspired, and Sticking to It

By Kristi Holl ©2011

Take Joy: A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft, by Jane Yolen © 2006

2000, by Noah Lukeman ©2000

Illustrating Children’s picture Books, By Steven Withrow, Lesley Breen Withrow ©2009

The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children’s Books: From Creating Characters to Developing Stories a Step-by-step Guide to making Magical Picture Books, By McCannon, Thornton & Williams ©2008

Write it Right: Seven Steps to Revising, Editing, and Polishing all Kinds of Writing, By Ron Benson ©2010

Here’s a cool article on descriptive writing, “Why You Need Physicality in Your Descriptive Writing,” written by Laura Ojedga Melchor, on the Re-Fiction Blog. She touches on the five senses: Touch, Taste, Sight, Sound, and Smell. Great info for writers.

“The imagination is a muscle. If it is not exercised, it atrophies.” – Neil Gaiman

I have been super busy these past few days as I take over as Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) for the Southwest Texas chapter. Although it’s been a bit overwhelming getting started, I welcome the challenge and am looking forward to inspiring writers and illustrators to reach their goals. I have a lot to learn, but I also have some experience in getting published, freelancing for magazines, publishing poetry anthologies, short stories, and essays. I hope to bring some of this experience to the table.

I just finished six school visits in Duncanville, Texas, a couple of weeks ago. It was fun! The librarians were awesome and so were the students. Several Texas authors and illustrators were also on board for these school visits.

Next on my agenda is a presentation for El Día de los Niños/Libros, or Day of the Children/Books. Author Pat Mora founded this fantastic annual event and I am happy to be part of it.

Open Submissions:

The Emma Press – picture books

Authors Publish – this is a long list of publishers seeking submissions. A must see.

“Every success sits atop a stack of failures.” – Heidi Stempler

Many writer’s conferences are being offered right now. I’ve been to several in the past few years and am debating which ones to attend this year. Most of them are very good.  I always come back inspired and ready to work. As most writers know, writing is a pretty lonely profession at times. Getting out and meeting with one’s peers who share the same passion for writing and books can be good for the soul.

Besides meeting super interesting people at these conferences, you also come back with tons of reading material, workshop experience under your belt, and new ideas that you’re ready to work on as soon as you get home. Not to mention the fabulous speakers at these conferences who provide words of wisdom and encouragement to writers.

Chautauqua

If you’re interested in attending a writer or poetry conference, check out the dates and the websites. There might be some in your own area. Here’s a post on TCK Publishing titled, How to Get the Most from Writers’ Conferences: An Insider’s Guide. Do your homework and then decide whether a writers’ conference is for you. Best of luck!

It’s Rodeo time in Texas. The Longhorn cattle drive coming down a main street in downtown San Antonio draws hundreds of spectators.  Only in Texas!  Awesome!

The list is out! The winners and honorees of the American Library Association (ALA) Youth Media Awards books for 2019 is out! Here is the link to the American Library Association: ALA Book Awards.

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. I feel honored that I know some of the authors and illustrators on those lists. I’ve read some of their books. The others I shall have to read. Absolutely fantastic!

If you are writing picture books, take a peek at this post, “The Wonderful Rule of 3”  by Natascha Biebow, on the Picture Book Den blog.

Visit the Susan Uhlig blog if you are interested in writing for kids’ magazines. Very useful information on that topic.

Keep writing!!

Our San Antonio SCBWI-SWTX chapter had the pleasure of featuring the awesome twosome, writer Xelena Gonzalez, and illustrator Adriana M. Garcia, at our monthly meeting.  They spoke of their experiences bringing their award-winning picture book, All Around Us, (Cinco Puntos Press) to fruition.  

To get you started on your writing and publication for 2019, here are a few publishers who are taking submissions:

Penny Candy Books – Hurry on this one. Deadline is from March to April 2019.

Lantana Publishing

The Old Farmer’s Almanac   Hurry on this one. This essay contest of only 200 words has a deadline of January 25, 2019.

And I’m sure you need no introduction to famous author Judy Blume. Here’s a link to her advice for aspiring writers. Great read!

First lines in picture books. It’s been a while since I posted on my blog. I have been so busy with writer conferences, school visits, and presentations. Plus, I’m getting ready for our annual family Christmas Cookie Exchange which I am hosting this year. Where in the world did the year go?

In the middle of all this busyness, I am trying to work on revisions for a non-fiction picture book that an editor has shown interest in. I came across this very helpful post by the Institute of Children’s Literature blog, “Every Book Begins Somewhere. Picture Books: First Lines.”

The post gives examples of great first lines in picture books and lists what a writer should look for when working on a picture book. For example:

The opening lines set the tone and pace.

The opening lines can introduce a character.

The opening lines can help readers connect.

The opening lines can introduce the theme.

This information was very helpful to me a few days ago when I did a presentation on “Why Picture Books Are Important,” at a book festival. Visit the website for more details.

Hi There!

Happy Writing and Happy Holidays!!