Picture Book Critique with author/teacher/mentor Denise Vega #KidLitForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITI: Denise is giving a picture book manuscript critique

Denise Vega

Denise Vega earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA and graduate degree at Harvard (I love bragging on behalf of Denise, since she never brags herself). She served as the RMC SCBWI Co-Regional Advisor for a decade where she not only organized our group of writers and illustrators (and avoided cheese at all costs), but she also taught many writing workshops.

I first purchased a Denise Vega book out of sheer love for Denise; now I purchase Denise Vega books out of sheer love for her writing! Her debut novel  CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I SurvivedSeventh Grade)  was a bestselling title in the Scholastic Book Club and won the Colorado book award for YA literature—but of course it did—she is a master of creating compelling characters—real and flawed people whom you want to follow—and she knows the art of creating the page turn.  

ATTENTION PICTURE BOOK PEOPLE: Denise teaches picture book writing workshops at LighthouseWriters Workshop. I had the privilege of attending one of Denise’s eight-week picture book workshops. At these classes, she coaches writers into making every single word and movement matter. She teaches the art of listening for the melody of language, how to allow room for the illustrations to carry meaning in the story, how to book end a tale, how to use the rule of threes, how to write so possibilities explode in a child’s mind, how to write character-driven stories (if that’s your intent), how to use meter and rhythm for those who want to rhyme, how to write the various types of picture books (a three-act picture book, a concept book, etc.) Can you say magic? Yep—Denise teaches all that and much much more! Denise also serves on the faculty for Big Sur in the Rockies Children’s Book Writers Workshop where she critiques and guides critique groups. My point—a critique from Denise Vega can help your story come to life!

Books by Denise Vega include: 

Grandmother,Have the Angels Come (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)

Build a Burrito A Counting Book in English and Spanish (Cartwheel Books, 2008)

CLICK HERE (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade) Little Brown & Co 2006)

Fact of Life#31 (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2008)

Access Denied (Little Brown & Co.2010)

RockOn  (Little Brown & Co.2012) 

And coming soon:

If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed (Knopf/Random House, Spring, 2017)

And…(we’ll let you know!)

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here  

Details on critique:  You’re bidding on a Picture Book Manuscript critique from Denise Vega up to 1000 words. Please format your manuscript in Times Roman, double spaced, one inch margins. This critique will happen via email.

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section below this post by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does this particular auction item close?

**This Auction will close on December 15**11:59 PM mountain time = 10:59 PM Pacific Time= 12:59am next day Central Time=1:59am next day Eastern Time This auction item is now closed. Thank you!

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

What happens if I win?

I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in two in touch J

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here 

Middle Grade or YA Critique with Tricia Lawrence from Erin Murphy Literary Agency #KidLitForHaiti

TRICIA LAWRENCE

KID LIT FOR HAITI:  Tricia is offering a critique of the first fifteen pages of a novel (middle grade or young adult).

I met Tricia Lawrence at an SCBWI conference J and was truly impressed with her both personally and professionally. In panels and workshops, Tricia spoke with knowledge and excitement about the publishing industry. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and I am certain she works hard for her clients. I was most impressed when I listened to her provide critiques at the first-pages breakout session. Her feedback to participants was spot-on, but her input was delivered with a gracious touch. She always found something positive to say, while also providing the necessary criticism and fix-suggestions.

Tricia is the "Pacific Northwest branch" of EMLA—born and raised in Oregon, and now lives in Seattle. After 19 years of working as a developmental and production-based editor (from children’s books to college textbooks, but mostly college textbooks), she joined the EMLA team in March 2011 as a social media strategist.

As associate agent, Tricia represents picture books/chapter books that look at the world in a unique and unusual way, with characters that are alive both on and off the page, and middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction that offers strong worldbuilding, wounded narrators, and stories that grab a reader and won't let go.

Tricia loves hiking, camping out in the woods, and collecting rocks. She loves BBC America and anything British. She has way too many books and not enough bookshelves. You can find Tricia's writing about blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, and other social media topics (for authors and the publishing industry at large) 

If you’d like to know more about Tricia, visit my interview here.

Details on critique:  You’re bidding on a FIFTEEN PAGE manuscript critique (middle grade or young adult manuscripts only) from Tricia Lawrence to be exchanged via email. If you win, please format your manuscript in Times Roman, double spaced, one inch margins. 

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid by a minimum of $10 increments. Remember--all proceeds go to a 501 c 3 charity and benefit students in Haiti. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does the Auction for a critique with Tricia Lawrence close?

**This Particular Auction will close on December 15, 2014**

Official UPDATE: Auction items close on their respective date at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)

here's the math time for U.S. residents (you can simply Google the time comparison if you live somewhere else in the world) :

 Pacific Time is one hour behind mountain time; central time is one hour ahead of mountain time; eastern time is two hours ahead of mountain time so:

11:59 om MST = 10:59 pm Pacific Time or 12:59 am Central Standard Time or 1:59 am Eastern Time

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

What happens if I win?

I will contact the winning bidder (as long as you remembered to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in two in touch 

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

Set of 8 Books for Book Club or Classroom by Denise Vega #KidLitfForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITI: Hello Bookclubs!! Denise Vega is donating a set of 8 books to use for a book club or classroom—auction winner’s choice of a set of eight copies of one of the following:

CLICK HERE (and find outhow i survived seventh grade),

ACCESS DENIED (and other eighth grade error messages),

FACT OF LIFE #31  

ROCK ON (a story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls and a Brother)

The books may be hardcover or paperback, depending upon author’s stock. Author will ALSO include either unit plans (for a classroom) or discussion questions (for a book club).

CLICKHERE (to find out how I survived seventh grade) was the 2006 Winner of the Colorado Book Award and bestselling title in the Scholastic Book Club.  This book is loved by readers and librarians alike (check out the rave reviews on Goodreads!) Imagine if all your personal thoughts about crushes, fears, enemies, and even kissing practice ended up on the Internet for everyone to read. That's what happens to Erin Swift when her super-secret blog and all of her musings on navigating the treacherous waters of seventh grade--including her feelings about herself, her best friend Jillian, her crushes, and growing up--are accidentally uploaded for the whole school to see!
Written with warm, knowing humor, this story perfectly captures seventh grade life. (Fiction for readers 8-13)

ACCESSDENIED: and other 8th grade error messages

Computer whiz Erin Swift is ready to start eighth grade. The Year of Humiliating Events (aka, seventh grade) is behind her and she's ready to rule the school. But eight grade comes with its own set of problems for Erin to navigate, including her first boyfriend, her first break-up, and the fact that her mom has been treating her more like an eight year old than an eighth grader. Even worse, there's a new girl at MollyBrownMiddle School who is determined to remake Erin in her bad-girl image, and former crush Mark "Cute Boy" Sacks has been acting strange lately.

But as Erin's school year once against hurdles toward disaster, a personal tragedy forces her to realize that things, and people, aren't always as bad as they seem. Can she save what's left of eighth grade before it's too late?

   

FACT OF LIFE #31: Winner of the Colorado Book Award for Young Adult fiction, Cybil nominee. Fact of Life #129: Some people put you where they want you to be, not where you actually are.16-year-old Kat Flynn believes in going with the flow. She practices yoga, works with her mom at Abra’s Midwifery, and watches the Perfect Couple in the hall at school. But when she finds herself in the middle of the Perfect Couple’s drama and some drama of her own (including an unexpected romance), Kat has to decide whether going with the flow is really the best way to come back to herself. (Fiction for readers 8-13)

Colorado Book Award *  Colorado Authors League Award       “… Told in Kat’s passionate voice, this coming-of-age novel, with its romantic subplot, snappy dialogue and strong secondary characters, will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen.”  —  KIRKUS REVIEWS…

ROCKON:  Ori Taylor is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the Band To Be Named Later, a garage band he started with his friends. After years of being known only as the kid brother of sports star Del, Ori is looking forward to stepping out of his older brother's shadow, learning to perform in public, and rocking the Battle of the Bands contest. Oh, and maybe finally working up the nerve to talk to a girl in person instead of just over e-mail. But when Del suddenly returns from college, he expects Ori to step back into his role of little brother, just when Ori is starting to come into his own.

With his confidence wavering, will Ori be able to overcome his stage fright and lead the band to rock glory? Will the Band To Be Named Later ever get a real name? Will their best performances remain in the garage? (Fiction ages 12-17)

Denise Vega's deft exploration of brothers, bands, friends, and crushes promises to have readers tuning in page after page, because among all the ups and downs of being a teen, one thing's for sure: We all just want to rock on.

Denise Vega

Denise Vega earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA and graduate degree at Harvard (I love bragging on behalf of Denise, since she never brags herself). She served as the RMC SCBWI Co-Regional Advisor for a decade where she not only organized our group of writers and illustrators (and avoided cheese at all costs), but she also taught many writing workshops.

I first purchased a Denise Vega book out of sheer love for Denise; now I purchase Denise Vega books out of sheer love for her writing! In addition to middle grade and young adult titles, Denise also has the following picture book titles:

Grandmother,Have the Angels Come (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)

Build a Burrito A Counting Book in English and Spanish (Cartwheel Books, 2008)

And coming soon:

If Your Monster Won’t Go to Bed (Knopf/Random House, Spring, 2017)

And…(we’ll let you know!)

You’re bidding on  a gift from author Denise Vega and she is willing to ship ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD—a set of 8 books to use for a book club or classroom—Auction winner gets to choose a set of eight copies of one of the following:

CLICK HERE (and find outhow i survived seventh grade),

ACCESS DENIED (and other eighth grade error messages),

FACTOF LIFE #31  

ROCK ON (a story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls and a Brother)

The books may be hardcover or paperback, depending upon author’s stock. Author will ALSO include either unit plans (for a classroom) or discussion questions (for a book club).

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question in the comment section or at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

Want to know when new things are posted to this blog?
Stay up to date on new auction items by entering your email in the upper left corner of this blog--you'll only receive an email if this blog has a new post!

When does this auction for 8 books from Denise Vega close?

**This Auction Item closes on December 15, 2014**

What other items are available in the Kid Lit for Haiti auction?

As Denise would say--CLICK HERE 

What happens if I win?

I will contact the winning bidder (please! provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donation link and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Please also email your shipping address! Then I will send this information to Denise.

Want to know more about Denise? Visit her FAQ link  click here  

Want to visit an indie bookstore: try Tattered Cover or Boulder Book Store

Official UPDATE: Auction items close on their respective days at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)

here's the math time for U.S. residents (you can simply Google the time comparison if you live somewhere else in the world) :

 Pacific Time is one hour behind mountain time; central time is one hour ahead of mountain time; eastern time is two hours ahead of mountain time so:

11:59 om MST = 10:59 pm Pacific Time or 12:59 am Central Standard Time or 1:59 am Eastern Time

Signed Advanced Reader Copies from Kate Messner #KidLitForHaiti

KATE MESSNER 

 

KID LIT FOR HAITI:  Kate is donating signed advanced reader copies (ARCs) of her two January 2015 books, ALL THE ANSWERS (Bloombery) and RANGER IN TIME (Scholastic). She will mail the books directly to highest bidder; bidder must have U.S. mailing address.

I became a huge fan of Kate Messner after I heard her speak at an SCBWI awards ceremony. Her beautiful book OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW won the Golden Kite Award for nonfiction picture book text.  Kate Messner has a colossal fan-base—she has almost a million views on her TED talk “How to Build a Fictional World.”

More about the books you’ll win in this auction:

ALL THE ANSWERS: What if your pencil had all the answers? Would you ace
every test? Would you know what your teachers were thinking? When Ava
Anderson finds a scratched up pencil she doodles like she would with any
other pencil. But when she writes a question in the margin of her math
quiz, she hears a clear answer in a voice no one else seems to hear.
With the help of her friend Sophie, Ava figures out that the pencil will
answer factual questions only – those with definite right or wrong answers
– but won't predict the future. Ava and Sophie discover all kinds of uses
for the pencil, and Ava's confidence grows with each answer. But it's
getting shorter with every sharpening, and when the pencil reveals a scary
truth about Ava's family, she realizes that sometimes the bravest people
are the ones who live without all the answers...

RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL: Meet Ranger! He's a
time-traveling golden retriever who has a nose for trouble . . . and always
saves the day! Ranger has been trained as a search-and-rescue dog, but
can't officially pass the test because he's always getting distracted by
squirrels during exercises. One day, he finds a mysterious first aid kit in
the garden and is transported to the year 1850, where he meets a young boy
named Sam Abbott. Sam's family is migrating west on the Oregon Trail, and
soon after Ranger arrives he helps the boy save his little sister. Ranger
thinks his job is done, but the Oregon Trail can be dangerous, and the
Abbotts need Ranger's help more than they realize! 

More about Kate:

More about Kate from her publishing house bio:

“Kate Messner grew up in Medina, a small town in western New York. She received her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University and spent seven years as a television news producer and on-air reporter before returning to her family's passion of teaching. "I grew up in a family of educators, but it took me a little time to find my way to the field," Kate says. "Somehow I felt the classroom was calling me, so I went back to school to get my teaching degree."

Kate's been teaching middle school English in Plattsburgh, New York, since 1996. She says that her favorite part of teaching is reading and writing with her students. "My classroom is very workshop oriented, so we're all on this reading-writing journey together. We share books, conference about our reading, recommend titles in person and on Goodreads, and spend lots of time reading and reflecting."

Her first national book for young readers, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z., was published in 2009; since then, she's written more than a dozen other books for young readers. "I write every night at home and I share both my successes and my struggles with my kids," says Kate. "I bring in revision letters from my editors so they get a good look at revision in the real world and know that it's not just a classroom exercise."

Kate is a National Board Certified teacher. She lives on Lake Champlain with her husband and two kids and loves spending time outside--cross-country skiing and skating in the winter, and hiking, swimming, biking, and kayaking in the summer.”

This auction item: signed advanced reader copies (ARCs) of Kate Messner’s two January 2015 books, ALL THE ANSWERS (Bloombery) and RANGER IN TIME (Scholastic). She will mail the books directly to highest bidder; bidder must have U.S. mailing address.

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; you can ask me question here or at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does this item auction close?

**This Auction will close on December 12, 2014** at 11:59PM

Official UPDATE: Auction items close on their respective date at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)

here's the math time for U.S. residents (you can simply Google the time comparison if you live somewhere else in the world) :

 Pacific Time is one hour behind mountain time; central time is one hour ahead of mountain time; eastern time is two hours ahead of mountain time so:

11:59 om MST = 10:59 pm Pacific Time or 12:59 am Central Standard Time or 1:59 am Eastern Time

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?


To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

What happens if I win an auction item?

I will contact the winning bidder (remember to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donationlink and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com Then I will put you in touch with Kate  

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.

Critique with Writers House Agent, Dan Lazar --First Three Chapters of Your Manuscript #KidLitForHaiti

KID LIT FOR HAITI:  Dan Lazar is donating a critique of the first three chapters (up to 50 pages!!!) of a middle grade or YA novel. Auction Closed! Thank you for participating!

I met DanLazar at the SCBWI conference in California; since then, he has been a generous source for quotes and interviews for the articles I’ve had published in the Bulletin (SCBWI’s member magazine). Dan is an editorial agent and has an impressive client list.

Writers House is one of the largest literary agencies in the industry. As a company, they represent a wide range of adult and children's fiction and non-fiction.

Dan is always on the lookout for distinct fiction and great, lively non-fiction. He represents adult and children's books (and for children's books, he focuses mainly on middle grade and YA). For fiction, he love stories that introduce him to new worlds -- or even better, recreate the ones he may already know. He also especially loves historical fiction of all kinds. For non-fiction, he enjoys memoirs, narrative non-fiction, all stripes and studies of pop-culture, and even small gifty books that strike his fancy and make him smile. He’s a huge fan of graphic novels and memoirs. And as the oldest child of six who has changed many, many diapers in his life, he’s equally intrigued by any book with unique views on parenting and family life.

Dan’s interests include: Literary and commercial fiction, Women's fiction, Historical fiction, Thrillers, Mysteries, Gay and Lesbian, Young adult, Middle grade, Graphic Novels or Memoirs, Judaica, Memoir, Narrative Non-fiction, Fitness, Pop-Culture, Humor

Dan has represented many adult titless, and he represented the following sales in kid lit:

Children's titles include:
DORK DIARIES, Rachel Renee Russell (Aladdin) -- TIMMY FAILURE, Stephan Pastis (Candlewick) -- POPULAR, Maya Van Wagenen (Dutton) -- JUST JAKE, Jake Marcionette (Grosset & Dunlap) -- LIFE OF ZARF, Rob Harrell (Dial) -- MOSQUITOLAND, David Arnold (Viking) -- GALACTIC HOT DOGS, Max Brallier and Rachel Maguire (Aladdin) -- STARBIRD MURPHY AND THE WORLD OUTSIDE, Karen Finneyfrock (Viking) -- THE ODD SQUAD, Michael Fry (Hyperion) -- DESMOND PUCKET MAKES MONSTER MAGIC, Mark Tatulli (Andrews McMeel) -- THE MONKEY GOES BANANAS, CP Bloom (Abrams) -- THE ORIGINALS, Cat Patrick (Little Brown) -- THE BOY RECESSION, Flynn Meany (Little Brown) -- SERAPHINA, Rachel Hartman (Random House) -- CHEESIE MAC IS NOT A GENIUS OR ANYTHING, Steve Cotler (Random House) -- THE POPULARITY PAPERS, Amy Ignatow (Abrams) -- BROTHER FROM A BOX, Evan Kuhlman (Atheneum) -- THE DEFENSE OF THADDEUS LEDBETTER, John Gosselink (Abrams) -- I'LL GET THERE, IT BETTER BE WORTH THE TRIP, 40th Anniversary Edition, John Donovan (Flux) -- MIDDLEWORLD, JP Voelkel (Egmont) -- WILL & WHIT, Laura Lee Gulledge (Abrams) -- ALFIE IS NOT AFRAID, Pat Carlin (Hyperion) -- 33 MINUTES, Todd Hasak Lowy (Aladdin)

This auction: is for a three chapter critique (up to 50 pages!!) of a Middle Grade or Young Adult manuscript with agent Dan Lazar (critique via email). If you are the winner, please format your pages in Times Roman, 12 pt. font, double spaced.

How do I bid?

Place your bid in the comment section by increasing the previous bid by increments of $10. Please include information about how I may contact you if you are the winning bidder; I can be reached for questions in the comment section here or at  ktomsic@gmail.com . 

When does the auction for a Dan Lazar critique close?

**This Auction will close on December 12, 2014**

Official UPDATE: Auction items close on their respective date at 11:59 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST)

here's the math time for U.S. residents (you can simply Google the time comparison if you live somewhere else in the world) :

 Pacific Time is one hour behind mountain time; central time is one hour ahead of mountain time; eastern time is two hours ahead of mountain time so:

11:59 om MST = 10:59 pm Pacific Time or 12:59 am Central Standard Time or 1:59 am Eastern Time

What are other items on the Kid Lit for Hait (#KidLitForHaiti) Auction?

To Visit a full list of all the auction items featured on Kid Lit for Haiti: PLEASE CLICK HERE

What happens if I win this item?

I will contact the winning bidder (remember to provide your contact information!). You will make your donation at this donationlink and then you will email a copy of your receipt to me at ktomsic@gmail.com and I will put you in touch with Dan  

How do I know when new auction items are posted to this blog:

You can receive emails when new auction items are listed. Simply enter your email address in the upper left corner of this blog where it says "Follow by email". You will only receive an email when a new post is created on this blog.