Uncanny Gifts
Earlier this week, I was in Miami for a partly-expected but still surprising Christmas gift. Last fall, when I heard The Killers would be touring in January, I asked my husband to get us tickets. He did, but in a typical Bob-fashion, instead of buying them for our local Philadelphia show, he bought them for the Miami show and planned a mini-vacation around it.
The concert was AMAZING, but that’s not what I’m writing about today. The day after the show, with Change Your Mind and All the Things That I’ve Done still ringing in my mind, we visited Coral Castle in Homestead, Florida.
You may be familiar with Coral Castle, sometimes known as “America’s Stonehenge,” especially if you watch TV shows about unsolved mysteries. This bizarre rock garden, filled with carved stones weighing thousands of pounds each, was built in the 1930s by a single man using only handmade tools. Edward Leedskalnin, a Latvian immigrant who weighed less than 100 pounds and was only 5 feet tall, excavated these stones and assembled the structures by himself, working only at night and in secret. To this day, no one knows how he did it. read more…
Anatomy of a Pitch
This past weekend, I attended the Baltimore Book Festival, a 3-day event located along Baltimore’s scenic Inner Harbor. I happened to share a tent with author/illustrator team, Stephen McGill and Ronald Campbell.
Stephen and Ron have a book that debuted in April, The Electrifying Adventures of Mr. Powers. I was immediately impressed by the way they pitched their book to readers. They sold out in the last hour of the last day of the festival, which is pretty much the definition of bringing exactly the right amount of stock.
Summer 2017
Apparently, “not returning to a regular blogging schedule” means “not blogging until people start asking if I’m okay.” Since two people have asked this week why I haven’t updated my blog, I thought I’d make an entry and let you all know I’m not dead. I’ve been devoting more time to writing, which is a good thing, I think.
My husband and I just returned from a week’s vacation in Europe. My youngest daughter, Gina, is still there, enjoying a few more days without us. Don’t worry! She’s not alone, as you will see.
We started out in Munich, Germany.
One of the most amazing sights in Munich for us were these surfers. They are surfing across the width of a man-made channel under the bridge where the Englischer Garten meets the streets of Old Town Munich. read more…
Catching Up
Hello, all! It’s been awhile since I posted here, and I feel a little guilty about that. Not a lot, though. You see, since I’ve been here last I have:
- Driven 1800 miles and flown 1550 miles for book events
- Given 11 large group presentations
- Conducted 3 writing workshops
- Delivered 1 keynote address
- Virtually visited 3 classrooms via Skype
That was all pretty exciting, and more driving than I’ve ever done in my life. Thank heavens for Waze, my new favorite app! I’ve been all over the state of Pennsylvania – southeast, northeast, central, and southwest. The only area of PA I haven’t visited is the northwest. Anybody out in Erie want to invite me your way? read more…
Happy New Year
Wishing a very happy new year to all my wonderful blogging friends!
I’m taking a hiatus from blogging for a couple months. I hope to be back and visiting you all later this year!
All the best ~~~ Dianne
Deja Vu Blogfest: The Day of the Do-Over
I’m ending the year of 2016 on my blog by participating in DL Hammons’s inspired Deja Vu Blogfest, in which we replay a post from the year that we are particularly proud of.
I’ve chosen to share my January post on Celtic Mythology in The Morrigan’s Curse. I had to wait a long time to share this information, so I’m gonna go ahead and share it TWICE. read more…
The Year in Numbers
One of my favorite recent tweets …
2016 — Good-bye and good riddance.
Although it hasn’t been a bad year for me personally. Granted, it started off kind of rough, but if you discount the world and national news, it wasn’t all bad. Here’s the accounting of my year:
- 1 broken foot and 3 weeks of immobility
- 1 new release, The Morrigan’s Curse, and 1 paperback release, The Inquisitor’s Mark
First Impressions: CURIOSITY KILLS
This is the last First Impressions post for 2016! Our author is Jasmine, a middle school student, and this is the first page of her science fiction novel, CURIOSITY KILLS.
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The air was light and crisp, the wind lightly flowing through the trees, gently shaking the leaves which slowly moved their way down to the soft dirt ground. The mood slowly departed to let the sun take over the sky. Purples, pinks, oranges and reds all painted the sky like a brand new canvas waiting to be framed. Axel sat patiently on his smooth wooden windowsill seat. He waited for the perfect time for the sky to set in its place.
“Bingo.” With his notebook in hand, he very gently and gracefully colored a picture of the sky in all its beauty. He grabbed all different kinds of colors form the new pencil set he bought from the store. He had finally saved up enough to buy the best pencils in town. Many of the townspeople would tell him that it was a waste to buy pencils when he could spend his money on something more useful and important. He was very talented, though many people did not approve. He didn’t listen, though. He made quite a good profit by selling all of his artwork, proving to people that it wasn’t a waste. Despite always being busy helping his mother around the house, he usually found time to relax and draw. read more…
WriteOnCon is Returning February 2-4, 2017
“From 2010 to 2014, the popular online kidlit conference WriteOnCon offered writers a unique opportunity to learn and grow their craft, all from the comfort of their own homes. Over 13,000 people attended during the last year! Unfortunately, increasing time commitments meant the organizers were unable to continue the event in subsequent years. But now WriteOnCon is returning, with a new organizing team but the same purpose: to provide an affordable and fun conference experience that’s accessible to everyone.” ~ The 2017 WriteOnCon Team
Writing a Trilogy: Interview with Crystal Collier
Welcome Crystal Collier here today! She’s going to be talking about her new book, Timeless, and the adventure of writing a trilogy.
In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.
Can Alexia escape her own clock?
First Impressions: UNTITLED
This month we have a First Impressions submission from a seventh grade writer. This story was written for a class assignment, and she’s seeking feedback from a wider audience.
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Tightly clutching a twenty dollar bill in her hand, 23 year old Maya approached the counter at an Asian takeout restaurant.
“Uhm, could I have an order of spring rolls?” she uttered.
“Is that all?” The woman at the counter inquired.
Maya nodded.
“That will be 11 dollars.” The woman added. read more…
The Evolution of a Story: Interview with S.A. Larsen
Happy Halloween! Today, Sheri Larsen is visiting us to talk about her new release, Motley Education, and how it evolved over time.
Forget having a lively after school social life, Ebony Charmed is fighting to keep the entire afterlife alive.
Ebony’s less-than-average spirit tracking abilities are ruining more than sixth grade at Motley Junior High: School for the Psychically and Celestially Gifted. Her parents argue so much her dad’s moved out. And, even though he’s scared of his own shadow and insists on bringing his slimy, legless lizard everywhere they go, Ebony wouldn’t survive without her best friend, Fleishman.
When Ebony’s Deadly Creatures & Relics’ project goes missing she learns her missing project is one of the keys to saving the spirit world. Now Ebony and Fleishman must battle beasts from Norse mythology to retrieve her project before spirits are lost, the Well of Urd dries up, and Ebony loses all hope of reuniting her family. But someone lies in wait, and he has other plans…including creating a new world of spirits without them in it. read more…
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