#Wipmadness October Check-In Five

Morning all!

Happy Monday and here we are on the last Monday of October. Thanks so much for coming to my blog to check in, share your stories, your ups, your downs. All of you are _so_ inspiring. And I want to say to you what I told our Angelina. The books and stories you work on make their way to kids who want and need to read them. I've seen the power of story first hand, the connections, the differences. You make a difference in a child or teens life when you connect with them in a story that makes them laugh, takes them on a wild adventure, makes them cry or makes them go "hey, that's me, I know what that's like". I could tell you story after story of experiences I've had when handing kids books. I won't right now. Why? 'Cause we got some #wipmadness to do!

School is done! So here is my #wipmadness for this week.

• Get organized and started with NANO and PIBOIDMO
• Read, read and read for #Cybils MG realistic fiction panel
• Start writing blog posts for the above reads!

That's it for me. What about you? How was your last week? What are your plans for this week?

AND---see you all over @ Hanging on to Wonder for our November check-ins.

Thanks again for hanging out here. Shout out and thanks to Jaye for taking on Novemeber! Happy Halloween!

#Wipmadness October Check-In Four

Greetings all #wipmadness peeps, new and old! It has indeed been a busy week of schooling for me. But, midst it all a possible NANO novel came to mine. Granted it is another idea and one entirely different from the other one I've written a synopsis for. This one is middle contemporary and is about coping with grief. I wrote about 500 random-ish words from the pov of a possible almost thirteen year old character. A working title is LITTLE GIRL BLUE. It's still tumbling about my head, so we shall see where it goes this week. Speaking of this week, it's still all about the school and getting it done, with bits of time captured here and there for writing. That writing to include prepping a picture book for next round of crits for my picture book group and getting crits done for members of that group. And-thinking more on LITTLE GIRL BLUE.

Now.

Way more that enough from me.

I'm looking forward to seeing where you all are with #wipmadness and reaching/adjusting/moving your goals from last week. And really looking forward to hearing how SIWC went for all you writing roaring twenty-ers!

Let's rock and write this week and with that in mind, I leave you with this:

May your imagination soar to the top of a mountain, set sail across the ocean blue, traverse the frozen north or swing through the rainforest. May it take you to just where you need to be with no limits, no boundries. May it let you soar and do what imagination does. If you need to take your inner editor with you for revisions. Just let her know to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Editing this post to share Brain Pickings post on Freud, Dreams and Creative Writing! 

MMGM and Last Day for #Cybils Nominations!

Oh how I love MMGM! Today I am over on Shannon Messenger's blog sharing my thoughts on one of the #Cybils Middle Grade Realistic Fiction nominees, THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage. I'm sharing the cover here, too. I forgot to mention in the post how I like it. It's speaks volumes about what the book is about and so kid friendly.  Shannon's doing a giveaway on the book. Thinking you might want to enter.

And speaking of the Cybils. As many of you know today is the last day to get your nominations in. After that, I'll be in some reading kind of heaven. What? Housework? Sorry, I have to read. 

Finally-I'm hosting a giveaway of Heather Beck's HAUNTED.  'Tis the season to get your scare on...BOO!

For more Middle Grade Marvelousness make a stop over on Shannon's blog and see who's talking about what.

#WipMadness October Check-In, Week Three

Slowly but surely.

Pedal to the metal.

Book deals that happen when you keep on forging ahead even when the going gets tough.

However we need to do it, we will do it we will get there. That is evident from all the responses to last week's post. I'm pretty darn glad we are taking this journey together and mighty grateful for the inspiration you provide to just keep on keeping on and looking forward. So, THANK YOU, for sharing.

This past week I've been slammed with course work as I try to get it done by the end of _this_ week. Decided to go this route so I can give my writing and reading next week my all and everything. SO--this week will be all about getting my assignments in and getting those exams writ. Not quite the #wipmadness I was going for when I stepped into October, but I think this change in plan is going to work. Feeling in the zone. 'Course, there will be the odd break in the schooling and you can bet I will do me a bit of writing.

How about all of you? Sticking with the plan? Changing the plan, even scrapping it for another? Looking forward to hearing how you are all doing. And hope to all of our  #wipmadness peeps heading to Surrey and the SIWC this week...have a blast and learn lots!

Now, as NANO doth approach I shall leave you with this short 'n' sweet TED TALK. Has me thinking about other 30 day possibles to try out once NANO has come and gone. They could be writing, reading...anything. Enjoy the week and go, go GO with #wipmadness!

Oh MGYA Canada Giveaway of HAUNTED by Heather Beck

Heather Beck, a Canadian author and screenwriter, contacted me some time ago about doing a possible interview and giveaway. After checking out her site and asking her what she had to offer middle grade wise,  I suggested we do something a little closer to Halloween. The following is what book she had offered to do a giveaway for. You'll see why mid-October is a good choice (although scary is good anytime of year when you get down to it!)

From the author's site:

When darkness falls and the air turns cold, ghosts come out to play.

Heather Beck presents Haunted, an anthology of ghostly encounters and paranormal events.

Ghost Park

After discovering a mysterious playground in the woods, Chase is stalked by angry ghost children.  

  

A Haunting Past

Truce’s class trip to an old native reserve turns deadly when Bear, an infamous chief who died two hundred years ago, blames him for the tribe’s extinction.

The Manor On The Rocks

Grey, damp and surrounded by jagged rocks, Calla Lily’s new home isn’t only unpleasant, it’s also haunted by the world’s most evil boy.

A Medieval Nightmare

When Ellie and Brandon get trapped in a medieval museum that’s a bit too real, they fall under a spell and become pivotal players in a ghostly regime.

A Watery Grave

A camping trip becomes a heart-pounding race for survival when Justine meets a ghost who’s determined to change her fate by trading bodies with a living entity.

Haunted includes volumes 1-5 of The Horror Diaries series.

Heather has been busy out in the blogosphere. Here is one of her most recent interviews. She is one busy writer!

Book Labyrinth: Interview with Heather Beck 

If you'd like to win a copy of this all you need to do is leave a comment by MIDNIGHT Monday, October 15, 2012. Yes, you read that right. When the witching hour tolls, the giveaway will end. Much thanks to Heather for offering to do this giveaway. Good luck to all the enter-ers...and, BOO!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and Marvelous Middle Grade #Cybils

As you all know I love, love MMGM Monday's. Thanks to Shannon Messenger's idea we have an opportunity to blog hop and find some great middle grade reading. And we can join in the fun with our own posts about what we've been reading. Last couple of Mondays I've missed posting and reading as I try to get myself all organized for reading and posting about some of the #Cybils nominations for the realistic Middle Grade category. In the weeks to come, though, there will be posts a comin' and not just on Monday's. In the meantime here are a couple I'd like to share with you, no review attached yet.  One I am reading today, the other I've read.

UNGIFTED by Gordon Korman.

The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It's usually more like Don't try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he's finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn't exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn't be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

THE DOGS OF WINTER by Bobbie Pyron.

A small boy, a cruel city, and the incredible dogs who save him.

Based on a true story!

When Ivan's mother disappears, he's abandoned on the streets of Moscow, with little chance to make it through the harsh winter. But help comes in an unexpected form: Ivan is adopted by a pack of dogs, and the dogs quickly become more than just his street companions: They become his family. Soon Ivan, who used to love reading fairytales, is practically living in one, as he and his pack roam the city and countryside, using their wits to find food and shelter, dodging danger, begging for coins. But Ivan can’t stay hidden from the world of people forever. When help is finally offered to him, will he be able to accept it? Will he even want to?

A heart-pounding tale of survival and a moving look at what makes us human.

Enjoy your MMGM. In fact, I am off to check out more links over on Shannon's site!

#wipmadness October Check-In Week Two!

First up!

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! Hope you are all turkey filled or on your way to being so.

Second up!

This turkey filled writer peep is looking forward to another week of #wipmadness. What about all of you? Did it go well? Mine went pretty well. Got that work for hire project in the mail, another query sent out, some reading for #cybils done...oh! and a picture book popped into my head so I wrote it down fast. Also started reading Denise's book,  Writing with a Heavy Heart. It's good. Yep, it is.  Goals this week are to carry on with:

-writing each day
-finish reading, do some of Writing With a Heavy Heart exercises
-explore more work for hire possibilities
-#cybils...gathering more of the nominees, btw if you haven't yet do check it out and make your noms!


Third up!

Those of you who need to send your inner editor on a vaca here:

If that doesn't work. Use this:

And fourth...hope all you writer friends at SIWC have a fantabulous time and our very own Heather is going to be there signing her book. Maybe you could find some time to swing by her table and say hi!

Finally is have a great week and looking forward to seeing what you are all up to!