I honestly can't remember where I read about Brooke White, but when I did, I knew she was someone I wanted to showcase on my blog.Brooke is a fifth grader at Charlotte Preparatory School in my hometown of Charlotte, NC. You can read her first interview here when she was featured on her school's blog. Besides… Continue reading IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START: An Interview with author, 5th grader, Brooke White and her "agent" mom, Colleen
Last week in Part I, I reviewed Christine Kindberg's debut novel, The Means That Make Us Strangers. Today she shares her passion for racial equality and her path to publication. And as promised, I'll tell you how she and I are connected. AUTHOR INTERVIEWCAROL: Everyone always wants to know how author’s get their ideas for their… Continue reading THE MEANS THAT MAKES US STRANGERS: Author Interview with Christine Kindberg and Giveaway–Part II
Congratulations to Jana Leah for winning Lights Out on last week's blog. Thanks for all the entries! **** Today I have a special treat for you. Cat Michaels, a fellow SCBWI-Carolina member, asked if I would help her and her co-author, Rosie Russell with the launch of their new middle-grade book, Just Between Sam and Me.… Continue reading Getting Started With Co-Authoring: A Conversation with Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell
On last week's blog, Vijaya Bodach shared her inspiration for her debut YA novel, BOUND. This week she provides insights into her publishing journey and she and I talk shop. PATH TO PUBLICATION CAROL: Did you try to publish BOUND through “normal” publishers? If so, was there a pattern to your rejections? VIJAYA I tried the… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Bound: Author Interview Part II
Within the first pages of Bound by Vijaya Bodach, the reader realizes that this is going to be a book that deals with serious issues. The main character, Rebecca Joshi who was adopted from India at birth, was burned six years earlier over 50% of her body; her older sister, Joy, is intellectually impaired; their mother… Continue reading BOUND: A Review and an Autographed Giveaway
Facebook can be a huge distraction but it also can be a way to connect with people and find out what's going on in their lives. I'm never sure who I'm going to read about, but at times I find out interesting tidbits about a friend's life. For example, several months ago Janice Hardy, author… Continue reading A Chat with Janice Hardy: What Would You Ask the Person Behind Fiction University?
This is my final post from the 2015 Florida SCBWI young adult workshop with Erica Rand Silverman, an agent with Sterling Lord Literistic, and Jacquelyn Mitchard, author and editor-in-chief at Merit Press. Click here for Part I (Why Write Young Adult); Part II (Querying); Part III (Pitches); Part IV (Marketing Yourself and Your Work); Part V (Building a Lasting Career), and Part VI (Finding a YA Voice). As promised, this post is… Continue reading SCBWI Florida Workshop Part VII- Questions, Answers, & Gold Nuggets
Congratulations to Wendy Hostetter Davis who won an autographed copy of Tameka Brown's picture book, My Cold Plum Lemon Pie Bluesy Mood. Wendy is not only the daughter of one of my close writing friends, Joyce Hostetter, but she is a "closet singer-songwriter." I love having such talented people as my blog readers! Christy was… Continue reading Christy Allen: Guest Instructor #3 and a Giveaway!
The following is an interview with Laura K., a graphic artist who designs covers for the largest self-publishing company in the industry. Here she shares some insights which she has learned in the last two years in the business. Carol: Are there any benefits to self-publishing a book? Laura: Yes, it allows the author to keep creative control of her book. Like with Indie art, music, and… Continue reading An Insider's View of Self-Publishing
Two weeks ago on this blog, Harold Underdown answered general questions regarding writing and publishing for children. In this follow-up post, he answers questions posed by some Carolina illustrators. Question: I am worried about the ease with which people can download artwork/images from the internet. It seems as if it will be much harder to enforce… Continue reading Interview with Harold Underdown- Part II