WELL, HELLO THERE!

I’MMMMM BAAACCCCKKKK…

I will be completely honest with you… if you’re still out there…listens for an echo or crickets… 

I COMPLETELY forgot I had this blog…so much so that a couple years ago I started a website over on Wix. I was just getting ready to start all over from scratch over there and reconfigure what I’d created but I couldn’t find my wix address so I Googled myself in hopes of finding it and I found THIS.

Imagine my surprise!

So, if you don’t follow me anywhere but here, I assume you think I fell off the face of the earth. I did not. Life got in the way.

I’ll catch you up quickly.

The IN TOO DEEP series is now called the FALLING FORWARD series and is available on Amazon. The story was edited and is a stronger Gracie and you’ll love it all over again. Each book has new covers and new titles. In Too Deep = Going Under, On Solid Ground = Reclaiming Grace, and Above The Noise = Played.

I didn’t want to change them THAT much but it’s an Amazon thing, if you re-pub with a new publisher, those deets have to change.

WHEN I LIED is still available on Amazon as well.

I have not released anything since the re-writes of Gracie & Jake’s story which wrapped up in 2019.

However, I am working on my 5th novel which is a Young Adult Road Trip Romance. And I’m on the hunt for an agent that reps multiple genres as, of course, I am also always sketching and coming up with picture book ideas.

If you stick around, I will be updating this blog more often…as a fun place to share my journey and encourage others to get their stories out there for people to read.

Hope to hear from all you crickets.

MKB

Writers love winter...

I'm actually NOT a fan of winter. I hate to be cold. I hate to be wet. I don't like wind. I can't stand to play in the snow. Why? Have you not been paying attention?

Playing in the snow = cold, wet, wind = Grumpy Writer

But, what I do like about winter is being forced to stay inside during blizzards and snow squalls. A fire in the fireplace makes everything a little cozier. My favorite fleece blanket from my BFF and a cup of something hot makes a winter day complete perfection!

Christmas is 22 days away and the thermometer is climbing past 65 as I type. I love sunny, warm days but something in me wishes it was gray and snowy outside so I could sit curled up with my Hot Toddy and my laptop. Inspiration is induced when I am ridiculously comfortable.

Comfort for me is the sum of soft sweats, no bra (sorry if that's TMI), cozy slippers, warm fuzzy blanket, steaming cup of yumminess and my current WIP. I had this beauty last week during the big Nor'easter  that came to the East coast. I have about six chapters to finish tweaking and polishing and the sun is making me feel guilty for copping a squat on the couch. But I tell myself, this is my equivalent to a desk job...just without the dress code, boring meetings and a boss. Not a bad set up.

My current yet-to-be-requested novel is a New Adult novel: In Too Deep

I am in love with this story. Gracie and Noah couldn't be more opposite but when they cross paths the summer between their freshman and sophomore year of college there are fireworks...literally. Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when he unexpectedly falls for Gracie who is beautiful and sweet but probably way too naive to date Noah and stay that way. But their picture perfect love that stuns Noah's friends and scares Gracie's, is headed for turmoil. When Noah is initiated to Sigma Chi, the hottest fraternity on the campus of The University of Tennessee, something within Noah rears its ugly head and he becomes emotionally abusive and Gracie takes it blow by blow waiting for "her Noah" to come back.

As Gracie's sanity is threatened, Jake, Noah's former roommate and Gracie's best friend, can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch. But will Jake's devotion to his best friend show a broken Gracie that she is worth so much more or will his devotion turn into unexpected love? A love triangle like you have never known with the gore of violent heartbreak and the beauty of a fairy tale all in one book.

Emotional abuse leaves wounds no one sees, but true love will walk beside you as you heal.

I hope you will fall in love with this story as it is very close to my own heart.
So, put the shades down, pretend it's snowing (even if you hate winter like I do), find your best snuggly blanket and follow a journey that will bring Gracie, Noah, Jake and their collegiate friends to life.

I am currently participating in PitchWars and am  looking forward to December 12th when the announcement of which of over 30 published authors and PitchWars mentors choose the one author they want to help adjust and polish their finished manuscripts and ready them for awaiting agents. I am so excited to even be participating but am obviously crossing my fingers and toes (and I am double jointed so I can cross each twice - well, almost) that one of my three chosen mentors believes in Gracie and her survival as much as I do.

I want to publicly thank Summer Heacock, Elizabeth Prats and Shelley Watters for taking time out of their own writing to be coaches for all of the many entrants and for being awesome enough to be chosen by moi.

Stay tuned, there are more contests coming up the pike and I am revved and ready to go with another manuscript, my YA WIP. I will fill you in on a dark soul named M, yes...just M, in another post. She's a very complicated soul that needs her own post. She'd never share space with a goody two shoes, virgin geek like Gracie.

Stick around. I'd love to meet you so introduce yourself.
Find me on Twitter @flowermonkeyz
Peace.

Managing Submissions

I've got myself in quite a pickle!

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Because I am very impatient and have a creative mind that NEVER shuts off I have sort of shot myself in the foot..maybe.

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Four years ago when I wrote my first book and started submitting, I got into a nasty habit of collecting only a handful of rejections before putting THAT book on hold and starting something new.

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Therefore, I have collected about 15-20 picture book manuscripts in varying degrees of completion.

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A writer-friend of mine recently told me about a friend of hers who had never written anything, never gone to a conference, never read how-tos for the children's publishing industry but she garnered herself a book deal with the VERY FIRST THING SHE HAD EVER WRITTEN!

.

WHAT??!

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She simply sat down with the CWIM and started at "A" and went clear to "Z" making a list of all of those publishers whose needs fit her book. She got one call. ONE. From Walker & Co.

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Walker! "W"

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Had she stopped after "M" she would STILL be wallowing in self-pity...maybe...I would be! LOL!

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I don't give up easily - obviously - I have been at this for FOUR YEARS and counting.

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So today I decided to sit down and do the same thing. I chose my TOP 5 favorite picture books I have written and I am making a list. I am making a list in a way that I can simply cc and paste the publisher's address into my Query letter and hit PRINT....then on to the next one.

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I have also given myself specifics that I can add into my query like, looking for special needs stories, want to inspire and ignite a passion for reading, etc.

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My list looks something like this:

Helen Harriss
Freesone/Peachtree, Jr.
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
*animals, folktales, special needs, humor
*send full MS?
*responds to queries/mss in 6 mos
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Thomas J. Greene, Publisher
Greene Bark Press
P.O. Box 1108
Bridgeport, CT 06601-1108
*originality, imagery & color. Intention is to fire up a child’s imagination
*prefers full MS w/ illustrations
.
Editor
Health Press NA, Inc.
P.O. Box 37470
Albuquerque, NM 87176-7479
*complete MS
*responds in 3 mos
*100% 1st time authors
*simult subs

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So, 37 years from now when I have made my rounds with these 5 books, I will tell you how it went!

Happy Writing!

A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT...

Meet Sarah...coming to a BOOKSTORE near you!

(not like tomorrow, or even next month...but she's on her way)

The book is called SARAH IN THE BUBBLE.

Sarah is a little girl who feels very different from everone else so she keeps to herself...inside a bubble. Her bubble protects her. It keeps her IN and the world OUT.

There is no mention in the book of WHAT Sarah is dealing with...maybe it is simply shyness, maybe it is a learning disability or some other affliction that keeps her seperated from her peers.

In the end...Sarah grows and beauty abounds.

A beautiful story of confidence and perseverence.

STAY TUNED!

Peace.

TVEC School Visit 2010 at OneTrueMedia.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

At the end of my presentation I read one of my latest manuscripts called FREE ROCKS FOR SALE. It's a simple story with a message of turning a 'grumpy' into a 'happy' and giving it away.

The children drew two cold, ugly, bumpy rocks and thought cold, ugly, bumpy, grumpy thoughts. We then thought of happy thoughts and turned our rocks into beautiful masterpieces that made us happy. The kids gathered from the story that 'happy' shouldn't be kept to ourselves, we should give it away.

I told them they could keep one of their beautiful rocks to remind them of our time together and FREE ROCKS FOR SALE but they needed to GIVE ONE away to make someone's day.

As the last class of the day waved goodbye, I received these BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECES!

Thank you Brianna, Alayna, Elle and Dayton!

And THIS is why I do what I do!

Peace.

It's National Authors & Illustrators Week!

If you are reading this blog - you love children and children's books. This week is an awesome time to celebrate those books that mean the world to you.

Maybe they make you giddy.
Maybe they make you think.
They might remind you of a special time in your childhood.
They may remind you of the person who gave books as gifts.

This week is a time to give back...thank an author and/or an illustrator for inspiring every child that picks up their book.

How many times have you heard a keynote speaker talk about his/her favorite childhood book? We may never know the magnitude our written word has on the world. But we can trust that there are children smiling because of something we wrote. That is AWESOME!

Head over to FACEBOOK and "friend" all your favorite authors! Send them a note and thank them for what they do!

I wanted to upload pics of illustrations I am working on and blurbs of some stories I am weaving but Blogger won't let me upload anything today. :(

Peace.

Where the Wild Things Are...October 16th!

A bigger story in the hearts of children, there is not!

A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.

336 words

A TIMELESS TREASURE!




IN THEATERS OCTOBER 16TH!


Peace.

NEW RELEASE: Calvin Coconut: The Zippy Fix by Graham Salisbury

Wendy Lamb Books· Hardcover · Ages 7-10 · September 8, 2009 · $12.99 ·

ISBN# 978-0-385-73702-9 (0-385-73702-5

Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

Just released on September 8th, this hardcover book is the first in a series that I imagine will fly off the shelves and to the register in many 'tween boys' hands!

This is a great story of a boy who is faced with a live-in babysitter that he does NOT like. As some/MOST boys will, he devises a plan to control the situation and get Stella to leave. When he realizes his plan went too far and in addition to trying to get her to leave, he puts her health in jeopardy, he has to make it up to her. But how?

Boys NEED books where the HERO is someone respectable. Someone they can look up to. So much of what our children see/hear/witness today does not fall into the "Do unto others" category and that is NOT in our best interest in raising the kids of tomorrow.

Head out and grab this book! My son will be reading it and I look forward to more from Graham Salisbury.

“Meaningful fiction may just possibly urge kids to think about a few things while it entertains them. It can enlighten. It can suggest options and possible consequences. It can offer hope in an often frightening and uncertain world."—Graham Salisbury

Peace.

Jess M. Brallier + Peter H. Reynholds = Tess's Tree from HarperKids

There is something magical about a story that can touch the soul of a child and an adult simultaneously. It is proof positive of the extraordinary talents of both author and illustrator when the emotions within the pages jump straight to your heart.

If you have not yet read Tess's Tree, I encourage you to go grab yourself about 10 copies. This will be one of those gifts that you will give over and over again.

As explained by the author, Jess M. Brallier, Tess's Tree is a story of loss, celebration of life and the beginning of healing.

No matter the loss, this book will have your heart smiling. Healing takes time and Tess's Tree will hold your hand for the test of time.

Hear about this amazing book from Jess M. Brallier and Peter H. Reynolds:



Watch the resplendent talents of Peter H. Reynolds:






It is an honor to share the same passion for children with these amazing men!


Peace.