Oregon Coast Children's Writer's Workshop, July 13-17, 2009. Oceanside, Oregon. It was great!
"This Book does NOT Stink"
It's a Horatio Wilkes mystery, (based on Hamlet,) written by my fellow SCBWI Carolina-ite Alan Gratz. Have you read it? Or its sequel "Something Wicked" (er, Macbeth?) A whole new twist on Shakespeare for our time.
Recommended YA/MG Book of the Month
Skulduggery Pleasant. A MG fantasy by Derek Landy, published by Harper Collins Childrens Books (US) 2007.
The cover of this story is brilliantly illustrated, and it sums up all that you really need to know. Yes, the fire throwing Skeleton really is the good guy! Skulduggery Pleasant is a detective, a sorcerer, a fashion icon, and a witty, unexpected mentor to 12 year old Stephanie Edgely. Stephanie's uncle has just been killed by the manuscript of a murder mystery. (Yep, you heard me right.) Together, Stephanie and Skulduggery must form an alliance against paper assassins, and element- changing villians, brought to life in the service of an ancient evil -- one that Skulduggery Pleasant has fought for hundreds of years. Will the bad guys win in the end of this book? If so, it's over his dead body!
Janelle's Awards and Fun Stuff
Janelle's first two novel manuscripts were both awarded Honorable Mentions in the 2007 Writers Digest Annual Competition for Children's Fiction (hooray!)
CHECK THE BOOKSHELF for our prior "Recommended Books of the Month:"
Can't see 'em all? Click the `next' button for more.
"Through the rest of Pennsylvania, up into New York, Massachusetts, onto 95 up the New England coast, into New Hampshire and then crossing the border into Maine, we stopped only for gas (the Jag gulped it) and to pee, and once to pick up a lobster sandwich at the McDonald's drive through."
- from The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey
Sure, this is a run on. But it works in this case. It's a good example for those of us who have trouble moving time forward quickly in our stories. Here we travel from Pennsylvania to Maine, get gas and eat lunch, without even taking a breath.
THE 2008 CYBILS ARE OVER (Oct-Feb (2009). Go to http://www.cybils.com/ to find out who won! Look for your chance to nominate books for next year's cybils in Mid-October, 2009. A portion of the price of nominated books purchased at Amazon during the competition each year goes to support the CYBILS.
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About Janelle
I've dabbled in writing since I was in elementary school. I co-wrote my first mystery with a friend on an old typewriter on the floor in about 4th grade. Then I tried my hand at a fantasy novel in junior high after discovering Tolkien's books. : ) Alas, my story was plot-less! In 10th grade I wrote several short stories in English class and was honored and surprised when my teacher wrote on one of them, "When you write your first book, I'll be your first editor." Thanks Mrs. Tetor, for your confidence! I put off writing all the way through college, grad school, and into another profession. Then in 2004 I decided to give it a shot. I've now been published in magazines for kids and adults and am finishing up my first (and second) novels for teens. I'm a member of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators,) and two writers' critique groups. I've learned so much from other authors over the past 5 years that I wanted to share what I now know with other new writers. Thus the blog -- Welcome.
Words to Live by:
"The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with." -- Marty Feldman
What Janelle's Working On... In case you're just dying to know.
It's October. I'm waiting nervously to hear back from an agent who has my POCL manuscript, and trying to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground related to that. And I'm outlining the second half of a new dark YA novel manuscript -- The Choosers. Plus, two of my writer friends just talked me into nano-ing again, this year too, so I'm preparing for November. : ) Busy, Busy... www.nanowrimo.org
Illustrator's Turtle Tie for Charity
Congrats to Author/Illustrator Ian Sands for the success of his turtle tie fundraiser to support the kids in the Triangle Special Hockey Association!
I wrote 50,000 words in November '07. Whew! www.Nanowrimo.org
BIG THANKS
Big thanks to 4 of the wonderful authors who have been my mentors and teachers thus far:
4 comments:
Merry Christmas to you Janelle. Great picture!
Thanks Bish! Merry Christmas to you!!!
What a cool picture! Hope you had a great Christmas!
Joan
Thanks Joan! You Too! Happy New Year!
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