Greg Fishbone on Greg Fishbone: “My mother is a microbiologist and my father is an electronics engineer. I hope I’ve inherited some of their attention to detail even without having to peer through scopes at tiny organisms or circuits. I grew up admiring Dad’s work ethic and Mom’s storytelling skills, including her ability to describe her daily events in a perfect narrative arc.
Category: General
Blogger Transition
Cynsations is caught in some kind of limbo between Blogger 1 and Blogger 2 (on the off-chance that someone can help, my dashboard is on 2, but, after a few days, the blogs themselves still haven’t been moved over).
Following the troubleshooting directions has been hit or miss. I have managed to log in at least once daily,
Bookseller Insights: Elizabeth Bluemle on Promotional Bookmarks and Postcards
Many bookmarks and get overlooked, thrown away, or otherwise ignored. You don’t want your hard-earned money to be wasted. Here are some tips:
(1) Make them as pretty/handsome as possible.
(2) A simple, striking image from the cover is always successful.
(3) Three book covers can work beautifully,
Continue Reading Bookseller Insights: Elizabeth Bluemle on Promotional Bookmarks and Postcards »
Author-Illustrator Interview: Wallace Edwards on The EXtinct Files: My Science Project
Wallace Edwards on Wallace Edwards: “born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1957; graduated Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Ontario 1980; worked as freelance illustrator for magazines and books and a variety of clients for 25 years; work primarily in watercolour and pencil; paintings hang in private and public collections in Canada and abroad;
“Storming the Castle: Blacks in Children’s Literature”
The January 2007 issue of Children’s Writer: Newsletter of Writing and Publishing Trends (Vol. 16. No. 6) offers a recommended article, “Storming the Castle: Blacks in Children’s Literature” by Chris Eboch.
It briefly chronicles the history of African American children’s literature and then highlights its state today. Sources include Don Tate,
Continue Reading “Storming the Castle: Blacks in Children’s Literature” »
Author Interview: Lauren Myracle on ttyl and ttfn
Lauren Myracle is the author of six novels for tweens and teens with many more in the works. Her breakout success came with the publication of ttyl (Abrams, 2004), the first-ever novel written entirely in instant messages. Both ttyl and its sequel, ttfn (Amulet, 2006), are New York Times Best-Sellers, and readers eagerly await the third instant messaging book,
Continue Reading Author Interview: Lauren Myracle on ttyl and ttfn »
Thank you, St. Francis School
Thank you to everyone at St. Francis School in Austin for a wonderful visit!
Keep reading! Keep writing! Keep those goldfish flying!
Cynsational Notes
After presenting information on my own writing life and published books, it was my great pleasure to work with the students on a writing exercise that was a spin-off of my character-building process for Indian Shoes (HarperCollins,
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Look for Story of a Girl by debut YA novelist Sara Zarr (Little Brown, 2007). This is another fabulous book for which I had the honor of offering a blurb.
I also met Sara in person this past fall at NCTE/ALAN, and she’s not only a talented author, but also the kind of newcomer we all really want to cheer–smart,
Beauty Shop For Rent by Laura Bowers
Of late, I had the honor of offering a blurb for Beauty Shop for Rent by debut author Laura Bowers (Harcourt, 2007)(excerpt). My take?
“Beauty Shop for Rent is a down-home, whole-heart story. It’s about a strong girl bolstered by love, shaking off lies, and finding the courage to take chances.
Nebraska-Based Series of Novel-Writing Retreats
Fremont, Neb.–Nebraska children’s author N. L. Sharp is hosting a series of writing retreats entitled “Novel Secrets: A Novel Retreat in 3 Acts” at the St. Benedict Retreat Center in Schuyler, Nebraska.
Unique in the world of writing retreats, the intent of this series of three retreats it to help writers move from the first inklings of an idea toward a publishable novel in twelve intensive months.
Continue Reading Nebraska-Based Series of Novel-Writing Retreats »