7 Random Questions with Laura Gehl

Laura has written a picture book I can't wait to get my hands on. (It's available September 9th.) I've been critique partners with Laura for almost two years. Her work is always the perfect balance of clever and adorable. I think everyone will become a Laura Gehl fan.

To learn more about Laura, check out her website. http://www.lauragehl.com

 7 Random Questions with Laura Gehl

1-What’s the last book you bought? 
On a bookstore trip with my kids this summer, my 6-year-old picked “Battle Bunny” and my 4-year-old picked “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse.”  My 10-year-old picked “The Lemonade War” and my 8-year-old chose “The Greatest Moments in Sports: Upsets and Underdogs.”  For myself, I recently bought Liane Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies” to read on my Kindle while on the exercise bike. 

2-If you had to dedicate your book to a thing (and not a person), what would that thing be? 
Definitely the public library!  How could I live without libraries???  Although a brownie sundae with hot fudge…source of much happiness, energy, and inspiration in my life…comes in second. 

3-What’s an interesting tidbit readers might not know about you or your books? 
I taught in Morocco for a year after college.  I have a story in the back of my head inspired by my time in Morocco…we’ll see if that story turns into a book one of these days.

4-If you could have any career, what would it be? (And it can’t be “author”.) 
Broadway star or principal dancer for the Boston Ballet.  It doesn’t matter that I can’t actually sing or dance, right?       

5-Do you prefer the sunrise or the sunset?
I’m not a morning person, so sunset for me.  However, my husband and I watched the sun rise above the clouds at the top of a mountain in Hawaii on our honeymoon, and that was spectacular.  Plus, it is easy to get up for the sunset in Hawaii if you live on the east coast, because the time change has you waking up at 4 am anyway.

  

6-What is the name of the protagonist in your work-in-progress? 
The protagonist in my middle grade work-in-progress is named Soup, short for Suprabhat.  Soup loves making colored smoke, exploding ketchup, and other cool science tricks.

7-What’s your favorite word? 
It’s a tie between bushwhack (so descriptive!) and defenestrate.  My kids vote for defenestrate, although they are annoyed that I will not allow them to defenestrate one other.

 

MEMORIAL DAY... Remember the Fallen

I wrote this last year, but wanted to share it again. While thankful for all our Veterans and those who serve, remember, today is about the fallen.

From 2013...

My family, like many, will grill steaks and hot dogs on Memorial Day. If the weather is nice, we may go to the pool. If it’s raining, we’ll probably play an epic battle of Trivial Pursuit. No matter what we do or eat, there will be one man in our hearts and minds all day. Uncle Brian—as my children call him. He was my brother-in-law. My husband’s brother. And Nana and Poppy’s (or McParents—as I call them) beloved son.  MSgt Brian P. McAnulty is what is on his grave.

I heard some “fun facts” about Memorial Day on the radio today (as I drove around buying groceries for our cook out).  I just wanted to share them so as everyone enjoys their day, we all take a moment to remember the reason behind the holiday.

Decoration Day

Memorial Day began as Decoration Day—a time when women’s groups in the south decorated graves of the fallen from the Civil War. Exact origins are unknown and highly debated.

May 5, 1868

General John Logan declared Decoration Day as May 30. Flowers were to be placed on the grave of Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington.

May 30

This is the tradition/original day of observance for Memorial Day. In 1971, the government changed the date to create a 3-day week end.

Waterloo, NY

In May 1966, Lyndon Johnson declared this the birth place of Memorial Day. Waterloo celebrated its first Memorial Day on May 5, 1866.

Last Monday in May

It’s the unofficial beginning of summer. And since 1911, it's the week end (not the day) of the Indy 500.

1971

It became an official Federal Holiday in 1971. (No mail. No banks.) Also the year it changed from the 30th to the last Monday. (As previously mentioned.)

WWI

It wasn’t until after WWI that Memorial Day included all soldiers killed in conflict. Until this time it was to remember soldiers from the Civil War.

The Flag

The US Flag should be at half-staff from sun-up until noon.

3:00PM

In 2000, the National Moment of Remembrance was passed. It asks all Americans to take a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to Taps.”

 

I hope everyone enjoys their Memorial Day. I will. I hope everyone had family and friends to share it with. I will. And I hope everyone take a moment at 3PM to remember the fallen. I will.

We miss you, Uncle Brian. And we think about you every day. We send our love. 

MSgt Brian McAnulty 

Memorial in Iraq

All About Picture Books

Thanks to those who came out last night to hear me talk about picture books. here's most of the reference I spoke about. Feel free to e-mail be questions at kidlitcoach (at) gmail (dot) com or stacy (at) stacymcanulty (dot) com.

Thanks again!

Website: www.stacymcanulty.com
Other Blog: www.kidlitcoach.com
Twitter: @stacymcanulty

RESOURCES:
• $$ Society of Children Books Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) www.scbwi.com : Paid membership. Great information and conferences. A must for serious kid lit writers.
• Accelerated Reader (AR) Book Finder www.arbookfinder.com : Useful for looking up word count in select books.
• Author Tara Lazar http://taralazar.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout : This is specifically about layout but play around because she has other great info and she runs NaPiBoIdMo in November.
• $$ Julie Hedlund 12x12 http://www.juliehedlund.com/12-x-12/ : A year-long challenge to write 1 PB per month. Offers access to agents and has an active FB page
• $$ The Children’s Book Academy http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/ : Offers classes for writers and illustrators.
• $$ Gotham Writers http://www.writingclasses.com/ : Offers classes in all things related to writing. Has some great teachers.
• $$ The Highlights Foundation http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/ : Excellent retreats! Highly recommended.
• $$ Lulu http://www.lulu.com/ : A company for those looking to self-publish (print on demand).
• $$ Brenda Novak Auction http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/ : Offers access to editors, authors, and agents through the auction. Only in May. Can be pricey.
• Twitter www.twitter.com : Use hashtags to find information such as #iamwriting #pitchmadness and follow agents, editors, and authors. @brendadrake does a lot for writers.
• Agent Query http://www.agentquery.com/ : Information on this site is supplied by the agents. May or may not be up-to-date.
• Query Tracker http://querytracker.net/ : Fairly up-to-date info on agents and publishers. Fellow authors post lots of helpful information.
• $$ Writers Market http://www.writersmarket.com/ : A paid website and may also be available in book form. 2014 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market
• $$ Big Sur Writing Workshop http://bigsurwriting.wordpress.com/ : Spend the weekend with a group of agents from the Andrea Brown Agency. Great access to great agents, but very competitive and expensive.
• $$ Xuni Website Design www.xuni.com : Designs great websites for authors.

OTHER RESOURCES RECOMMENDED BY MY CRITIQUE GROUP:
http://www.childrenswriter.com/
http://writeforkids.org/
http://rateyourstory.blogspot.com/
http://designofthepicturebook.com
http://thispicturebooklife.com
http://www.scbwi.org/boards/index.php

Thank You Notes From Mom

Happy Mother's Day (a little late)
Check out this video I helped write. It will make moms smile.

http://vimeo.com/93530404

Things I Learned Today - Staying Mad, Snap-Crackle-Pop, and "Closing Time"

Here's what I've learned today.

1. I can stay mad without much dissipation over time. Have you even found out one of your kids did something wrong and then you had to wait until they got home from school to blow up? It happens. It gets resolved. Life goes on. But my mad-meter did not waver all day.

2. About the Rice Krispies Trio: Snap and Pop appear to have the same barber while Crackle seems to have a starfish on his forehead. My kids pointed this out at breakfast.

 3. The song "Closing Time" is about childbirth. I learned that one from an interview with Dan Wilson on NPR. It's about being sent from the womb, hence this line "This room won't be open till your brothers or your sisters come"

Things I Learned Today: Costco, Grilled Cheese, & Apps

Here's what I've learned today.

1. Costco on a Saturday is awful. I'm talking Ikea-on-a-Saturday dizzying. Tons of people, tons of unhappy kids, tons of jammed aisles that your oversize cart can't maneuver. Free samples aren't worth the pain.

2. It's grilled cheese sandwich day. Yum. But unfortunately I'm on a Paleo diet. That means no cheese, no bread. Kinda takes the fun out of grilled cheese day.

3. Creating Apps is probably hard. I don't really know because I can't move beyond the starting point, which is find a descent book on the subject. I do have a GREAT idea for an app, but I can't tell you or you might run away with my million dollar idea.

Things I Learned Today: Siblings, Stomach Bug, & Leave the Couch Alone

Here's What I've Learned Today.

1. Yesterday was SIBLING DAY. Of course, I only learned this through Facebook and not until today. Happy belated sibling day to my brother and all my step siblings.

I'm the cute blond with the bad haircut.

2. You can catch the stomach bug over the phone. While not scientifically proven, this must be true. My 6 year old is home with the stomach bug. Two of our relatives had it first, but we haven't seen them (and they live 700 miles away). We've only talked to them on the phone. I don't think you can catch this virus from the Internet but I'd recommend Cloroxing your mouse and keyboard anyway.

3. Rearranging furniture always seems like a good idea until you break a toe. I didn't break a toe today--that was last year when I moved the couch--but I did move another couch, a bed, and a bookcase. The room is still a disaster and I don't have the energy to move it back.