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MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: From Page To Screen

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Middle Grade FictionMIDDLE GRADE FICTION: From Page To Screen

What does it take to turn your middle grade fiction novel and turn it into a screenplay?  There isn’t a one-word answer, but there are some secrets to consider.

First off, let’s face it…as writers, we are somewhat of an odd bunch.  I mean, who else can stand to sit in a room by themselves for hours on end.  This says nothing of the fact we are known to talk to ourselves now and again.  Someone once said… Read more

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: Read Across America

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Saltwater TaffyREAD ACROSS AMERICA

READ ACROSS AMERICA celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday every year and children’s book authors across the country visit schools to read to children.  This year was a great even!   Dodger great “Sweet Lou” Johnson, the Laker Girls, and Saltwater Taffy helped kick off the amazing event.

I was able to read to 3 different 5th Grade classrooms and then gave away a whopping 375 copies of Saltwater Taffy to every kid in the entire school.  We are rapidly approaching giveaway copy #5,000!!!!  How cool is that?  5000 kids energized about reading again?  Here are some images from today’s visit: Read more

Read Across America GIVEAWAY

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Read Across AmericaA SAWEET READ ACROSS AMERICA GIVEAWAY

Read Across America 2012.  In honor of the man, the non-myth self-publishing writer, and a true legend, Dr. Seuss, I am going to be reading Saltwater Taffyto Los Angeles area kids during READ ACROSS AMERICA day.

I will also be giving away 2 signed copies of Saltwater Taffy, along with bookmarks, stickers and even one of the super cool Saltwater Taffy baseball hats!  How do you enter?

1.FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER and TWEET THE CONTEST LINK:

  • TWEET: Read Across America GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/4vuepnl

2. JOIN THE FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND POST THE LINK ON YOUR PAGE

  • POST: Read Across America GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/4vuepnl

3. LINK TO US: Post the www.whatagreatbook.com in your blog or website!

4. POST A COMMENT anywhere on the Saltwater Taffy website.

* Contest ends FRIDAY March 4, 2011 @ 11 am PST.

**  SAWEET SECRET TIP: Do all 4 above and yes, you’re entered 4 times the fun!!!!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: Children’s Book Tour

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children's book tourMIDDLE GRADE FICTION: Children’s Book Tour

A Children’s book tour can be so taxing, I am not sure how Teachers do it day in and day out.  Children are amazing, but wow…I’m exhausted from the tour.  It’s 4:18 pm on Presidents Day and I’m in bed.  Not because i’m sick, and not because I’m…whatever.  It’s because I am FINALLY HOME…at least for 4 days.

Looking at the run from December and the Big Giveaway to the Southern California Writer’s Conference Key Note last night….I am T-I-R-E -WHOOPED.  See, you thought I was going to write, TIRED, didn’t you.  I’m not tired, I’m whooped.  16 cities and 1000’s of kids.  As far east to Nashville, south to New Orleans, and North to Seattle.  On this leg of the Saltwater Taffy Children’s Book Tour, Largest Assembly was 400 middle school kids.  One mic, one author and 400 kids in one auditorium?  It was awesome.  When you book your children’s book tour, make sure to pencil in some time for you to do simply NOTHING.  It will help, trust me.  Lesson learned.

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION: You Have To Really Want It!

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Middle Grade FictionMiddle Grade Fiction: You Have to Really Want It

Writing a Middle Grade Fiction novel has taught me many things, but the one thing it’s really taught me is that you have to really want it.  After 7 cities and a grueling 14-day tour that took me as far as the Big Easy of New Orleans, Louisiana, I am back on the road of adventure that will make Saltwater Taffy a best selling book for Tweens.

We have had some amazing things happen at the Saltwater Taffy Network as of late, most of which will be a mention in the upcoming issue of Scholastic Instructor Magazine, hitting shelves in May.  Yes, that is HUGE for an independent book, but as one Teacher of the Year remind me in an email, ‘it is not a surprise.’   Read more