dulemba

76th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition, Honorable Mention!

Now this is what you wanna hear!! This letter just arrived in the mail today. It says:

Dear Elizabeth,

One of my most enjoyable tasks as editor of Writer's Digest is passing along good news to writers. This is one of those fun occasions. It is my pleasure to tell you that your manuscript, Queen Bea, has been awarded Honorable Mention in the Children's Fiction category of the 76th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. Enclosed is your Certificate of Achievement to honor your accomplishment. (It's purty.)

This year's contest attracted over 19,000 entries. Your success in the face of such formidable compteition speaks highly of your writing talent, and should be a source of great pride as you continue in your writing career.

I congratulate you again on your accomplishment, and wish you the best of luck in your future writing.

Respectfully,
Maria Schneider, Editor
Writer's Digest

     Oh wow. Oh wow, oh wow. Yippee!! Wippee!!!
     This is the THIRD Honorable Mention this story has received. (One was from the SCBWI-Southern Breeze, and another from the Storydynamics- "Discovering Ease" story competition.) I am so, so incredibly thrilled! 19,000 entries!!! You think maybe, maybe, I got sumthin' here? Oh wow.
     So what do I frame? The certificate or the INCREDIBLE LETTER!!??
     (And yes you hungry publishers, it is still available! Call, let's talk - hehe.)

76th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition, Honorable Mention!

Gettin' down to the Backstreet Boys!

I'm sorry, but when they make me cry from laughing so hard - I have to share!

Right brain or left brain dominant?

     Okay - this is just plain cool. Go see if you are right brain or left brain dominant. (Click the image to go to the animation.) If the dancer is spinning clockwise, you are right brain dominant. If she's spinning counter-clockwise, you are left brain dominant.
     She spun clockwise for me and staring at her today, I couldn't get her to go counter-clockwise for nuttin' although several of my friends could. So, I took it as confirmation of what I've often suspected - my left brain is in atrophy.
     Thing is, I'm writing this blog on my right screen while the dancer is up on my left screen (I have dual monitors), and y'know what? With my peripheral vision, I can make her go counter-clockwise. That is just so freaking bizarre. What's it all mean?
     Anyhow, you gotta check it out.

Go Carve a Pumpkin!!

Don't have kids? Or a front stoop? You don't have to miss out on the fun. Go carve a pumpkin online! Course, I don't know how you're going to roast the pumpkin seeds . . .

It's Snowing . . . Illustrator Interviews!

     I've already shared the story behind Robert's Snow, the fundraiser for cancer research, but there's a new side to it. Bloggers have stepped forward to do their part - they are interviewing the illustrators who created snowflakes for Robert's Snow. The 200 participating illustrators are impressive and all are worth checking out. So, here's the list.
     Check back, because I'll make each name a live link to their website and add static links to the blog interviews (the links will take you straight to the interviews) as they are posted.
     See my snowflake here and read my interview at sruble's world on Sunday, November 11th.
     And don't forget to go bid on a snowflake - they make an important and beautiful gift or collection.

Monday, October 15
Grace Lin at In the Pages
Randy Cecil at Chat Rabbit
Michelle Chang at The Longstockings
Kevin Hawkes at cynthialord's Journal
Barbara Lehman at the excelsior file
Tuesday, October 16
Selina Alko at Brooklyn Arden
Scott Bakal at Wild Rose Reader
Alexandra Boiger at Paradise Found
Paige Keiser at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Janet Stevens at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Wednesday, October 17
Rick Chrustowski at laurasalas
Diane DeGroat at Jama Rattigan's Alphabet Soup
Ilene Richard at Something Different Every Day
Brie Spangler at Lectitans
Don Tate at The Silver Lining
Thursday, October 18
Brooke Dyer at Bookshelves of Doom
D.B. Johnson at Lessons from the Tortoise
Erin Eitter Kono at Sam Riddleburger's blog
Sherry Rogers at A Life in Books
Jennifer Thermes at Through the Studio Door
Friday, October 19
Graeme Base at Just One More Book
Denise Fleming at Mother Reader
Jeff Mack at AmoXcalli
Jeff Newman at A Year of Reading
Ruth Sanderson at Book Moot
Saturday, October 20
Linas Alsenas at A Wrung Sponge
Theresa Brandon at The Shady Glade
Karen Katz at Whimsy Books
Judy Schachner at Kate's Book Blog
Sally Vitsky at Shelf Elf: read, write, rave
Sunday, October 21
Matthew Cordell at Just Like the Nut
Maxwell Eaton III at Books and Other Thoughts
Roz Fulcher at Goading the Pen
Susie Jin at sruble's world
Susan Mitchell at Check It Out
Monday, October 22
Rose Mary Berlin at Charlotte's Library
Christopher Demarest at Writing and Ruminating
David Macaulay at Here in the Bonny Glen
Mark Teague at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Sharon Vargo at Finding Wonderland
Tuesday, October 23
Carin Berger at Chasing Ray
Sophie Blackall at not your mother's bookclub
Erik Brooks at Little Willow/Bildungsroman
Marion Eldridge at Chicken Spagetti
Brian Lies at Greetings from Nowhere
Wednesday, October 24
Sheila Bailey at Lizjonesbooks
Frank Dormer at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Elisa Kleven at Rozzie Land
Jimmy Pickering at Shaken & Stirred
Consie Powell at Becky's Book Reviews
Thursday, October 25
Margaret Chodos-Irvine at redergirlz
Julia Denos at Interactive Reader
Rebecca Doughty at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Brian Floca at Fuse #8
Friday, October 26
Margot Apple at Jo's Journal
Julie Kangas at Sam Riddleburger's blog
Ginger Nielson at Miss O's School Library
David Ezra Stein at HipWriterMama
Saturday, October 27
Sarah Dillard at The Silver Lining
Julie Fromme Fortenberry at Your Neighborhood Librarian
John Hassett at cynthialord's Journal
Abigail Marble at Please Come Flying
Sunday, October 28
Ashley Wolff at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Barbara Garrison at Brooklyn Arden
Kelly Murphy at ChatRabbit
Monday, October 29
Dan Santat at Writing and Ruminating
Joanne Friar at The Longstockings
Alissa Imre Geis at Wild Rose Reader
Diane Greenseid at Just One More Book!!
Sean Qualls at Brooklyn Arden
Tuesday, October 30
Ann Koffsky at Book Buds
Bill Carman at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Gretel Parker at Finding Wonderland
Matt Phelan at A Year of Reading
Stephanie Roth at Writing with a broken tusk
Wednesday, October 31
Shawna Tenney at Kate’s Book Blog
Adam Rex at Booktopia
Mo Willems at MotherReader
Rolandas Kiaulevicius at a wrung sponge
Thursday, November 1
Karen Lee at sruble’s world
Diana Magnuson at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Melissa Iwai at Brooklyn Arden
Victoria Jamieson at AmoXcalli
Molly Idle at The Shady Glade
Meghan McCarthy at A Fuse #8 Production
Friday, November 2
Tracy McGuinness-Kelly at Sam Riddleburger’s blog
Sara Kahn at Kate’s Book Blog
Sylvia Long at Whimsy Books
Jeremy Tankard at the excelsior file
Holli Conger at Please Come Flying
Saturday, November 3
Susan Miller at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Ellen Beier at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Hideko Takahashi at The Silver Lining
Judith Moffatt at Jo’s Journal
Wendell Minor at Wild Rose Reader
Sunday, November 4
Joy Allen at Check It Out
Robin Brickman at Greetings from Nowhere
Lauren Stringer at laurasalas
Nancy Wallace at In the Pages . . .
Monday, November 5
Anna Alter at The Longstockings
Laura Huliska Beith at Just One More Book!!
Cece Bell at Jo’s Journal
Denise Ortakales at cynthialord’s Journal
Tuesday, November 6
Carol Heyer at The Shady Glade
Joe Kulka at ChatRabbit
Steven James Petruccio at Blog From the Windowsill
Carol Schwartz at jama rattigan’s alphabet soup
Wednesday, November 7
Jeff Ebbeler at Sam Riddleburger’s blog
Scott Magoon at Just One More Book!!
Connie McLennan at The Shady Glade
Julie Paschkis at the excelsior file
Thursday, November 8
Geneviève Côté at a wrung sponge
Linda Graves at Your Neighborhood Librarian
James Gurney at Charlotte’s Library
Matt Tavares at Please Come Flying
Friday, November 9
Susan Kathleen Hartung at Wild Rose Reader
Mary Peterson at Brooklyn Arden
Annette Simon at Check It Out
Mélanie Watt at Whimsy Books
Saturday, November 10
R.W. Alley at Jama Rattigan’s Alphabet Soup
Jeannie Brett at cynthialord’s Journal
Daniel Mahoney at Paradise Found
Amy Young at Kate’s Book Blog
Sunday, November 11
Tim Coffey at The Silver Lining
Elizabeth O. Dulemba (that’s ME!), featured by Stephanie Ruble at sruble’s world
Chris Gall at Through the Studio Door
Amy Schimler at Please Come Flying
Monday, November 12
John Nez at ChatRabbit
Liza Woodruff at Check It Out
Jane Dippold at Just Like the Nut
Mike Wohnoutka at laurasalas
Tuesday, November 13
Cynthia Decker at The Silver Lining
Cecily Lang at Kate’s Book Blog
Jane Dyer at Whimsy Books
Akemi Gutierrez at AmoXcalli
Lee White at Please Come Flying
Wednesday, November 14
Philomena O’Neill at Jo’s Journal
Maggie Swanson at Chicken Spaghetti
Timothy Bush at Here in the Bonny Glen
Peter Emmerich at A Life in Books
Thursday, November 15
Yangsook Choi at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Laura Jacques at cynthialord’s Journal
Mary Newell Depalma at Wild Rose Reader
Leanne Franson at Just Like the Nut
Friday, November 16
Mary Haverfield at Your Neighborhood Librarian
Lisa Kopelke at Lisa’s Little Corner of the Internet
Salley Mavor at ChatRabbit
Greg Newbold at The Longstockings
Elizabeth Sayles at AmoXcalli
Saturday, November 17
Paul Brewer at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
Aaron Zenz at Jo’s Journal
Wendy Edelson at What Adrienne Thinks About That
Joan Waites at Chicken Spaghetti
Sunday, November 18
Annie Patterson at Check It Out
Teri Sloat at The Miss Rumphius Effect
Anette Heiberg at Lisa’s Little Corner of the Internet
Wade Zahares at Wild Rose Reader

Coloring Page Tuesday! - Ghost with Pumpkins

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted and to view more coloring pages - click here!

     It's getting closer - I love Halloween!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send it back (small and low res) and I'll post it!
     For more coloring pages, go here.

Click the iPhone to learn about my new app - Lula's Brew!

Illustration Friday: Extremes

Again from Paco and the Giant Chile Plant. Paco's father must go to extremes to keep anybody from climbing the giant chile plant again! (click the image to see it larger)

An Interview by the National Writing for Children Center

As an interesting segue to my week at the Muse Online Writer's Conference (unrelated events), Wednesday at 2:00pm cst I will be interviewed by Suzanne Leurience, head of the National Writing for Children Center,

for her Book Bites for Kids LIVE radio show at blogtalkradio.com! I'll talk about inexpensive marketing tips to help illustrators break into children's publishing. The show is 30 minutes long and will be archived if you're not able to make the actual LIVE broadcast - but I hope you will. I'm looking forward to some great questions! The number to call during the show is 1-646-716-9239, at 2:00pm central standard time, October 10, 2008..
Hope to hear you there!

Update: Hear the interview!

Coloring Page Tuesday! - Pumpkins and Cats!

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted and to view more coloring pages - click here!

     We're creeping up on my favorite holiday - guess what it is!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send it back (small and low res) and I'll post it!
     For more coloring pages, go here.

Click the iPhone to learn about my new app - Lula's Brew!

Muse Virtual Writer's Conference!

Kicks off today!
I'll be giving a talk about breaking in to children's book illustration Wednesday night and I'll be available to answer questions in the forum all week.
It's too late to sign up this year, but if you didn't know about it, mark your calendar for next year. This is a fantastic, free event and a great new way to use this cyber-universe of ours. I'm thrilled to be a part of it!

Illustration Friday: Open

This is from Paco and the Giant Chile Plant, Raven Tree Press 2008. I can't wait for the release of this book!

Coloring Page Tuesday! - Reading Fairy

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted and to view more coloring pages - click here!

     A benefit of creating coloring pages for you every Tuesday, is I've created a few pieces which work well for the SCBWI Bulletin. You may recognize this reading fairy, it's in the current September/October issue. Hope you enjoy it!
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send it back (small and low res) and I'll post it!
     For more coloring pages, go here.
     This image will be available as a RUBBER STAMP at The Greeting Farm as of December 1, 2009.

Learn about my Cinderella story picture book, The Prince's Diary, click the cover.

Please follow my copyright policy when you use my images! And share your creation on the Coloring Page Tuesday facebook page!

Look what Annette made!

And Rufus for Operation Write Home:

The Cybils - Nominations Open Today!

It's the second year for this new award driven by a book's merit and popularity, and nominations for your favorite books of 2007 open today! Per the Cybils website:

When we say "the public," we mean it. Anyone with an e-mail address may nominate one book per category. Then groups of bloggers get to work. First, a nominating committee reads ALL the titles in a given category. After nearly two arduous months, this committee winnows the nominees to five finalists. A second committee of bloggers considers the shortlist and, after much debate, chooses the best of the best for 2007.

I don't have an eligible book for 2007, but I have lots of friends who do - Go vote!

Buy a Friend a Book Week!

It's Buy a Friend a Book Week! (Maybe one of mine?)
What a great way to share literary love!