Finding Keepers: A Blog, A Book, and a Market (Oh, My!)

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My, oh my. I love books! And I especially love winning books! So, when I saw that I’d won a copy of Crocodaddy by the gifted (and funny-face-making) Kim Norman, I was pretty much beside myself. Want to know how I won?

Here’s the scoop: I popped into Sally Apokedak’s blog All About Children’s Books. Where she just happened to be giving away Crocodaddy. All I had to do was leave a comment with my own version of a Crocodaddy poem. Actually, I wrote three poems, because that’s the way I roll. Not that it gave me a better chance to win. I’m just lucky at winning books. (Some day I’m going to figure out how to transfer that luck to selling books…but that’s an entirely different post.)

Sally reviews lots of books and participates in blog tours and such, and stopping by to see what she’s schmoozin’ about is a great way to get the scoop on what’s hot in the children’s world of literature. And you might meet a witty author, or win a great book.

And now, because a good market is hard to find, I’m throwing in the call out for Learning Through History. If you’ve got an idea for a thrilling article Ireland-related, circa 19th century, you have till June 15th to send your pitch. Remember that LTH is for readers aged 12 – 17 years.

As promised…a blog, a book, and a market. Oh, my. I’ve outdone myself!

Finding a Winner for Through Endangered Eyes

When I read Jeanne Birdsall’s wonderful books about the Penderwicks, I was quite taken with Hound. Next time I have a contest, I thought, I’ll use the old “Hound Chooses” method. I mean, if it’s good enough for an award-winning writer, it’s certainly good enough for old Cathy C. Hall. So, here is what happened when I let my hound, Sally Hall, choose the winner for Rachel Dillon’s beautiful book, Through Endangered Eyes.

dscn2331Notice the two scraps of paper (those are just a few of the scraps of paper with names of the contestants) and Sally nonchalantly looking the other way. Oh, don’t kid yourself. Sally knew what was expected of her. But dang if that dog wasn’t ignoring me.

She eventually deigned to paw a piece of paper with the name…Maddie! So congratulations, Maddie! You are going to LOVE this book! I hope it’ll be a big help in your workshop! (Perhaps by the time Through Endangered Eyes comes in the mail, Sally will be out of the doghouse.)