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Life on the Deckle Edge

Calling historical fiction writers: Children's Writer contest

Are you crazy about historical fiction like I am? I love to read it; I love to write it. Recently I completed my first manuscript for a historical novel, and I'm looking forward (with crossed fingers) to the publication in Highlights this spring of a story inspired by my mother's childhood.

If you need a wee bit of motivation to complete that historical story your Muse is pushing you to write, look no further thant he current contest being sponsored by Children's WriterRead More 
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Kristin O'Donnell Tubb Does Things Different

Before I turn things over to this week’s fabulous award-winning author, Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, let me tell you why I especially love her first book, AUTUMN WINIFRED OLIVER DOES THINGS DIFFERENT (Yearling/Random House, 2008). When my brother and I visited my grandparents in Knoxville, we often drive into “the hills” to Gatlinburg (for my fellow Georgia residents, imagine Helen on steroids – lots of steroids). Even more special were trips into the Great Smoky Mountains, where my grandparents had hiked and explored back in the 1930s, and where we wandered barefoot through pebbly streams. For many reasons, the little village of Cade’s Cove at its entrance is a place I’ll always treasure.

Welcome, Kristin, and congratulations on such a successful writing career! In your delightful novel, 11-year-old Autumn becomes wrapped up in how the opening of a national park affects her small community. Autumn is definitely feisty! How long had you been living with this character before she made herself known on the page?
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Praise for Berry Blue Haiku

I'm thrilled to have a poem featured in the second issue of the new online haiku magazine for young readers, Berry Blue Haiku. This digital publication is brimming with beautiful poetry, gorgeous art, and fun activities. The target audience is children through age 13, and from the simplest poems reinforcing colors and numbers to more subtle celebrations of the natural world, there is something for everyone (adults included!). Read More 
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Head down, into the wind

Did you catch any of the US Open tennis championships? I watched several matches, and there were some terrific ones. The Americans couldn’t quite hang in there. I found myself pulling for Rafael Nadal, the amazing young Spaniard, and he deserved that fourth jewel in his grand slam crown. What does this have to do with writing? Read More 
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Just One Bite with Lola M. Schaefer

My office kitty, May, with a spread from Lola M. Schaefer's JUST ONE BITE
Today I'm thrilled to feature award-winning author Lola M. Schaefer and her hot-off-the-press new picture book from Chronicle, JUST ONE BITE. Exactly how much food can a rabbit eat in just one bite? How about a Komodo dragon? An elephant? Would you believe this volume offers life-size illustrations (you read that right) for bitefuls of food for eleven different animals, from a worm to a sperm whale?  Read More 
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Amazing Faces

Tomorrow kicks off a week of "Random Acts of Publicity" in the children's lit world, thanks to Darcy Pattison (our keynote speaker for the SCBWI Southern Breeze fall conference, by the way). See http://www.darcypattison.com/pr-notes/random-acts/

I have too many authors to brag about for just one week, so I'm stretching it out for the next month or so. I'd actually like to usher in all this fun with a poetry anthology just out this summer. Lee Bennett Hopkins's AMAZING FACES (Lee and Low), illustrated by the award-winning Chris Soentpiet, amazing himself, lives up to its title. Read More 
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Historically Speaking from the Decatur Book Festival

Greetings from Decatur, Ga., where thousands of folks have been enjoying the gorgeous weather and taking in all-things-books! Between shifts at our SCBWI PAL booth near the Children's Stage, I was able to listen to some fabulous authors speak about writing historical fiction. Here's a gem or two from several participating in a couple of different sessions:  Read More 
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