Book giveaway winner | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Libby often joins me when I’m reading on the deck and I thought I’d let her pick the winner of There’s a Hamster in My Dashboard by David W. Berner. Wouldn’t that just be cute as a button?

But Libs (formerly known as The Tiny Terror) hasn’t quite got going this morning. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Libs is scrunched under her covers, snoozing away. And lest you think that I’m just being a meanypants, let me say that it’s 10:15 here, people.

10:15.

And so Libs (now known as Lazy Bones) did not draw a name. I had to rely on Random.org who (that?) fortunately is always awake and rarin’ to go. And so this terrific book of essays goes to…Kidlit Gail!

I am thrilled that Gail won this book as she just recently got a pet of her own, a beautiful black lab known as Pippi. But that’s another story, friends, and maybe someday, Gail will write it for us!

I didn’t get back from the Week of Writing Retreat till yesterday and though I learned a ton and had an AMAZING time with a bunch of new, wonderful writer friends, I did spend a week up in the North Georgia mountains where the dragonflies were the size of a Buick and the towels remained damp all day and the phone service and internet were sketchy. So I walked in my house, took a deep breath and clicked my heels:

There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home…

And now, I have a TON of work to do and a bunch of amazing ideas and a whole bunch of thank you’s to write to wonderful agents and editors (who feel like my new best friends, too). But first, I thought you might enjoy a little insight into the pitching process, which culminated on our last day at the retreat. I shared that information over at The Muffin today.

Um…I should probably mention that you might not learn a ton about pitching. I mean, it was ten o’clock last night when I wrote The Muffin blog post and though my brain was going for AMAZING, I think what my fingers typed was more…well, a little less than wonderful. But it was witty. Sort of. Maybe.

Well…whatever. I hope you enjoy it. (I’m pretty sure the moth on my mirror–yes, he or she stayed with me all week long–would’ve laughed its teensy little butt off. And speaking of laughing one’s butt off, PATRICIA CRUZAN, you won Not Your Mother’s Book…on Family! Wheee! I’ll be in touch!)