Literacy AND building homes for the needy? Um - yup. You go girls! Two efforts near and dear to my heart. Here is the gang sporting their lovely t's on work day:
Midland Need To Read
Recently the Midland Need to Read program got in touch. They wanted to use my Reading Octopus on t-shirts as they volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
Literacy AND building homes for the needy? Um - yup. You go girls! Two efforts near and dear to my heart. Here is the gang sporting their lovely t's on work day:
Literacy AND building homes for the needy? Um - yup. You go girls! Two efforts near and dear to my heart. Here is the gang sporting their lovely t's on work day:
Harry Potter cakes - yay and nay
Harry Potter-themed cakes and cupcakes seem to be all the rage lately. Some are adorable:
Some are... *ahem* ... not quite as successful:
Some are... *ahem* ... not quite as successful:
Click on each image to go see more examples of the awesome and the not so awesome at CakeWrecks.
Thanks to PW Children's Bookshelf for the heads up.
And we have Bubble Writing Winners!!!
Woosie! I make it easy on you asking for only 15 comments, and you guys went nuts - yahoo! So the drawing ended up being from all 33 comments (at the time of this post). And the winners of two copies of How To Be The Best Bubble Writer In The World Ever are.... Diane and Cathy Hall! CONGRATULATIONS you bubble writers to be!!! Email me at elizabethdulemba at mac dot com and I'll arrange to get them to you.
Since I'm hosting more giveaways at dulemba.com I suppose I should lay down some ground rules. At this time, winners must live within the continental United States - shipping is just too expensive for this poor writer otherwise. Sorry! If I don't have a contact email either in your comment or your blogger ID, you won't win because I can't get in touch with you and for some reason people often don't come back to find out if they've won. (I have yet to hear from the winners of the Writing YA book!) Also, if a giveaway has not been claimed within a week, I will move on to somebody else on the list. (So you still might win later on!)
Okay - so there's my semi-legal mumbo jumbo. So y'all be sure to have some sort of contact info. And even if you're outside the US, I hope you'll still play. If the books can be directly shipped from the publisher, there may be some in the future you could still win.
How To Be The Best Bubble Writer In The World Ever (giveaway!)
How To Be The Best Bubble Writer In The World Ever (Laurence King Publishing) is a new book by Linda Scott and the trailer is just adorable! So is the book.Were you like me as a kid, always writing things in strange and wacky ways? I actually worked at "The Popcorn Factory" (remember those?) painting bubble letters on the cans for people! Well, here's a book on how to do it!
I'll make this one easy on you - once we reach 15 comments, I'll host a drawing for a free giveaway!!! And once again, I have TWO books to give away - so leave a comment!
How to Be the Best Bubblewriter in the World, Ever! from Laurence King Publishing on Vimeo.
PS - Does anybody know how she got stripey nails? How cute is THAT!?
Update: Click Here to see the winners!
We have a winner!
Ding! Ding! Ding! We ended up with more than 25 comments on Thursdays giveaway post for WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES by Deborah Halverson. I did my drawing for the TWO free copies and the winners are... (drum roll please) .... Alison (I need your email chickie!!!) and Avery Michaels! Congratulations guys!BIG NEWS: I'll have another giveaway tomorrow - so y'all come back now, y'hear?
Book Brahmin: Vicky Alvear Shecter
Book Brahmin: Vicky Alvear Shecter Go Vicky, Go Vicky! It's all about CLEOPATRA'S MOON at Shelf Awareness! :)
AND #1 Recommendation of "Best Teen Books for Moms and Daughters" via Family Goes Strong and Newsweek!
The LA Times loves her too!
They just keep coming - here's another great review in the Wall Street Journal!!
AND #1 Recommendation of "Best Teen Books for Moms and Daughters" via Family Goes Strong and Newsweek!
The LA Times loves her too!
They just keep coming - here's another great review in the Wall Street Journal!!
Coloring Page Tuesday - Crab!
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Feeling crabby? Maybe because you haven't been hanging out under the sea enough with this guy!
Where are you heading on vacation? (And can you take me with you?)
Keep adding your images to my brand new, all shiny, Coloring Page Tuesday GALLERY at dulemba.com! (Click the icon below.)
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.
Chuck Little Photography
Donna Bowman (photographer, author, jewelry maker) recently turned me onto the photography of Chuck Little. Chuck has been a surfer for most of his life, so when his wife asked for an ocean picture for their house, he said 'no problem.' That was four years ago, and his photography career has been soaring ever since. Check out ClarkLittlePhotography.com to see his amazing work and learn more about him. Meanwhile, this is why not just anybody could do what he does:
Puma Bag Disappears in Water!
Yes, please - can we switch to these? Immediately please?
How cool is that? Cornstarch, amazing stuff. It's estimated this one bag switch alone will save 192 tons of plastic and 293 tons of paper each year. Wow. Read more about it at Care2.
How cool is that? Cornstarch, amazing stuff. It's estimated this one bag switch alone will save 192 tons of plastic and 293 tons of paper each year. Wow. Read more about it at Care2.
WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES by Deborah Halverson (giveaway!)
Today I would like to introduce you to Deborah Halverson, author of WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES. Deborah was an editor for Harcourt Children's Books for ten years, is an author (HONK IF YOU HATE ME and BIG MOUTH), and is also the creator of the wildly popular blog "DearEditor.com." In other words, she really knows her stuff. Deborah stopped by dulemba.com to answer some questions. She also kindly donated TWO books to be given away right here! As usual, once I have 25 comments, I'll do a drawing - so leave a comment! But that's not all. There's more free stuff. Read...
Q. This is the first book on writing Young Adult fiction in the For Dummies series - how did the project come about?
A. An agent who knew of Wiley’s interest in publishing a book for YA writers knew of me—that I’d edited picture books as well as teen and tween fiction for Harcourt Children’s books for ten years, that I’d written my own teen novels, and that I’d taught classes about writing for young people. She knew about my experience on both sides of the editorial desk . . . but she didn’t know me because we hadn’t met. For all she knew, I was a big dud. So when she sent me an email to gauge my interest, she was vague about the actual project, referring to it just as a book about the craft of writing YA fiction. I was feeling playful that day and replied with a lighthearted bit of banter, unwittingly replacing her question mark with a solid check mark: my “voice” was just right for the funny yet informational For Dummies series. The book’s editors were wonderful about letting me shape the book as I saw fit, encouraging and supporting me as I filled it with the information I know writers want/need to know thanks to my years in the trenches. And these ladies were funny, too, making the editing and revising process a real hoot. I’m hoping that this playful spirit comes through to readers, making it fun for them, too.
Q. The YA market is huge right now - how do you see the current reading trends and are there any themes that seem to be doing especially well?
A. Dystopian is riding a frothy wave, with Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy on the crest. The much buzzed about film version of her bestselling The Hunger Games is further increasing the interest in dystopian YA fiction—and by extension all fiction for young people. That ripple effect is fabulous. I’m particularly excited about next month’s publication of Jeff Hirsch’s dystopian novel The Eleventh Plague (which features a blurb from Ms. Collins on the cover, incidentally). Jeff’s writing is deep and strong, with characters you’ll really worry about and with adventure and emotion in equal quantities.
Q. Do you think a certain mindset is necessary to write YA (as opposed to Mid grade or Adult fiction)? If so, what might that be?
A. Whether they’re aiming at a YA or a middle grade readership, writers of young adult fiction must respect and reflect the sensibility of their young readers. These are not laws of nature by any means, but in general tweens (ages 9-12) tend to be focused inward, with conflicts stemming from their struggles to find out who they are, while teens (ages 12 and up) are starting to look outward, finding their places in the world and realizing that their actions have consequences that affect others in the grander scheme. Adults are capable—if not always willing—to apply more mature self-analysis to their behavior than either group of young people.
Q. Many of my readers are probably writing YA manuscripts right now - what will they face when it's time to submit?
A. While all of publishing is facing tough times due to the struggling economy and the institution-rocking popularity of e-books and self-publishing, young adult fiction is one of the highlights saleswise. This means there’s opportunity for your YA/MG writers to land their book deals with traditional houses despite all the industry belt-tightening. The key to making that contract happen is offering editors a project with strong writing and a saleable hook—that is, a premise that at once fits into a particular market while standing out as something fresh, entertaining, and irresistible.
Q. I've seen press for WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES all over our kidlit blogosphere - this is obviously a much needed book. How do you feel it fits the need?
A. I worked hard to arm writers with the tools they need to become successful YA authors. That means I cover targeting your audience and developing a youthful voice, shaping your plot, creating teen-friendly characters, writing natural dialogue, and using setting to illuminate characters and plot, and I guide you through self-editing, revising, and preparing a stand-out submission package. But I didn’t want to stop with a published book. There’s more opportunity than ever before to spread the word about your book, so I wrote an extensive chapter on self-marketing to help writers move boldly into the realm of self-promotion. Above all, I hope to guide writers in developing a style that appeals to young readers. Finding one’s own voice and style is especially important to me.
Q. What else can you tell us about the book that makes it a must read?
A. I’m very honored to feature the insights of 13 National Book Award winners and finalists, Newbery medalists and honorees, and other award-winning luminaries in sidebars throughout the book. I think readers will be fascinated to see how each one wields writing techniques to create their amazing and distinct novels. I know I was!
Note: Contributors include: M.T. Anderson, Karen Cushman, Jennifer Donnelly, Jane Yolen, Gary Soto, Deborah Wiles, Kathi Appelt, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Mary E. Pearson, Jean Ferris, Darcy Pattison, agent Erin Murphy, and Senior Editor Kate Harrison of Dial Books for Young Readers.
Thanks Deborah!!
GIVEAWAYS!!!
Deborah is offering a free printable Cheat Sheet at www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/writingyoungadultfiction along with sending me two, TWO copies of the book to give away!! Just leave a comment below and when we reach 25, I'll do a drawing!
This isn't Deborah's only stop. Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies will be on tour all week. Here is the blog tour schedule:
1. July 18: Shrinking Violet Promotions
2. July 19: SCBWI blog
3. July 20: QueryTracker.net
4. July 21: Elizabeth O. Dulemba Blog
5. July 22: Cheryl Rainfield Blog
6. July 25: Story Connection
7. July 26: The Got Story Countdown
8. July 27: FREE “Writers & Artists” webinar w/ Katie Davis
Update! Click Here to see the winners (who have one week to get in touch with me or the books go to somebody else)!
Coloring Page Tuesday - SHARK!
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On vacation? At the beach? Don't run into any of these guys! (Although the little sand sharks are kinda cute.)
Keep adding your images to my brand new, all shiny, Coloring Page Tuesday GALLERY at dulemba.com! (Click the icon below.)
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.
Check out what Martha Steele created for the Missouri City Branch Library! (Click here to see all of the banners she created.)
On vacation? At the beach? Don't run into any of these guys! (Although the little sand sharks are kinda cute.)
Keep adding your images to my brand new, all shiny, Coloring Page Tuesday GALLERY at dulemba.com! (Click the icon below.)
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Click the covers to learn about my picture book, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.
Check out what Martha Steele created for the Missouri City Branch Library! (Click here to see all of the banners she created.)
Swings: Los Angeles
I hope they come to Atlanta! What an awesome project - stop and swing. Relax, take a chill, swing. Perfect. And some of them are in amazing places!
Swings are by Jeff Waldman. Learn more by visiting swingsetting.org.
Thanks to SwissMiss for the heads up.
Swings are by Jeff Waldman. Learn more by visiting swingsetting.org.
Thanks to SwissMiss for the heads up.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Movie Trailer!
Here it comes - a first peek at the movie version of the Caldecott winning Hugo Cabret. What do you think?
Broccoli House
I'm listing this under 'treehouses' - it counts, yes? A tree house for very tiny people...
Originally posted at This Is Colossal, it's the mad creation of Brock Davis, who couldn't build a real tree house for his son, so built this instead.
Thanks to SwissMiss for the 'heads' up!
Originally posted at This Is Colossal, it's the mad creation of Brock Davis, who couldn't build a real tree house for his son, so built this instead.
Coloring Page Tuesday - Reading Dragon
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I'm so glad y'all enjoyed my mosquito last week. I've already seen some adorable creations with him.
This week I offer you another dragon - this one loves to read!
And I have big news - I finally have a Coloring Page Tuesday GALLERY at dulemba.com! (Click the icon below.)
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.
I'm so glad y'all enjoyed my mosquito last week. I've already seen some adorable creations with him.
This week I offer you another dragon - this one loves to read!
And I have big news - I finally have a Coloring Page Tuesday GALLERY at dulemba.com! (Click the icon below.)
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.Google's Search by Image
This is a pretty big idea for artists, and one more tool to protect ourselves from copyright infringement:
Antimosquito Fumigator app!
Thanks to SwissMiss for the heads up.
Interviews with Children's Book Creators
The Cilip Carnegie and Kate Greenway Children's Book Awards (UK) honored their winners by interviewing them. So now, you can enjoy the creators behind the stories too. For instance, there are interviews with picture book creators Catherine Rayner (Ernest), Bob Graham (April Underhill Tooth Fairy), Anthony Browne (Me and You), Grahame Baker-Smith (FArTHER), and Mini Grey (Jim). Click here to visit the site and get watching.
Stan is HOME!!!!
Crazyman has finished his Iron Butt Motorcycle Rally and returned home. He's red as a beet, with bad sunburns on his wrists, and strange pock marks all over from things that flew at him on the road. But mostly, he's OKAY, except for a few adventures... His foot hit a road reflector on day 3 apparently and is (thankfully) "not black anymore" (I quote - hm.). His ears are swollen from 20+ days of ear plugs. And a tumbleweed actually penetrated his kevlar riding suit head on at some point. (He says his mechanics will be pulling tumbleweed out of the engine for years.) Gads. But what an expression, eh? This is his first step off the bike.
(Click to get a better look at the sunburned mug.)
Be prepared to be blown away - here is his ENTIRE route over the last month - starting from Atlanta...
I'm so glad to have him home safe. :)
(Click to get a better look at the sunburned mug.)
Be prepared to be blown away - here is his ENTIRE route over the last month - starting from Atlanta...
Coloring Page Tuesday - Mosquito
Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted each week and/or click here to view more coloring pages!
It's mosquito season here in the South and please pardon me if I have no sympathy for the little blood suckers. I have one word for them: SPLAT!
I also happen to love the phrase "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" from Mary Chapin Carpenter's "The Bug."
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.
It's mosquito season here in the South and please pardon me if I have no sympathy for the little blood suckers. I have one word for them: SPLAT!
I also happen to love the phrase "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" from Mary Chapin Carpenter's "The Bug."
Click here to view the entire Coloring Page Tuesday collection.
Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send your colored image (less than 1mb) to coloringpages@dulemba.com and I'll post it to my blog!
Learn more about my fun picture book Glitter Girl and the Crazy Cheese - click the cover.Happy Independence Day!!!
I have lots of July 4th coloring pages - CLICK HERE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
He Did It!!!
My hubbie is officially an Iron Butt Motorcyclist! He just arrived in Ontario, California (Los Angeles) to the final checkpoint at 5:30 am (PST). He said he got to see the lights of L.A. in the valley as he rode in - kinda celebratory. The man sounds happy and relieved.
He says he has a photo, which I'll post as soon as I get it. The banquet is tonight, and then he begins the journey back to Atlanta. Can't wait to have my hubbie home. What an accomplishment!!!
PS - Funny story - he rode through a dust storm yesterday and said he'd never been so dirty in his life. He's showered since then... Here is a photo of his bike (which is still filthy) last night in Barstow.
He says he has a photo, which I'll post as soon as I get it. The banquet is tonight, and then he begins the journey back to Atlanta. Can't wait to have my hubbie home. What an accomplishment!!!
PS - Funny story - he rode through a dust storm yesterday and said he'd never been so dirty in his life. He's showered since then... Here is a photo of his bike (which is still filthy) last night in Barstow.
LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG DAY giveaway winner!!
I received over 25 comments on my Blog interview with Katie Davis - illustrator of LITTLE CHICKEN'S BIG DAY, so I did a drawing for a free copy of the book! And the winner is....(drum roll please)....AMBER!!Congratulations Amber and thanks for your comment - I'll be in touch via email to get your book to you ASAP!
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