Sara J. Henry's Blog, page 25

PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ Up for an Edgar!!!

I simply have to rant here that my friend Amy (A.S. King) has just been nominated for an Edgar Award for her (fabulous, wonderful, amazing) book PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ!!!



BEST YOUNG ADULT NOMINEES

The River by Mary Jane Beaufrand (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (Alfred A. Knopf)

7 Souls by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando (Delacorte Press)

The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price (Farrar, Straus, Giroux Books for Young Readers)

...

Order Now to Get THE LINEUP 4

If you love language and you love poetry, here's a treat for you: THE LINEUP 5: POEMS ON CRIME.



Reed Farrel Coleman, one of the editors and contributors, says:

Although the marriage of poetry and crime may seem an odd one at first, they are actually natural partners. Poetry is often best when it is about life's extremes. Cops, surgeons, and soldiers will tell you they never feel more alive than when faced with life and death situations. The poets included in this issue of THE LINEUP...

The Most Succinct Writing Tips I've Seen

Just stumbled across these writing tips on the site of newly agented YA writer Monica Bustamante Wagner, which are are possibly the best and most succinct tips I've seen:

The wastebasket is the writer's best friend.*


There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.


Sleep with your characters even if your spouse gets jealous.


Your work starts once you write "The End" in the last page. 


Join a critique group, or maybe even two groups.

The Best and Most Succinct Writing Tips I've Seen

Just stumbled across these writing tips on the site of newly agented YA writer Monica Bustamante Wagner, which are are possibly the best and most succinct tips I've seen:

The wastebasket is the writer's best friend.*




There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.




Sleep with your characters even if your spouse gets jealous.




Your work starts once you write "The End" in the last page. 




Join a critique group, or maybe even two groups...

So You'll Know How Very Funny My Friend VodkaMom Is

VodkaMom is a kindergarten teacher, who adores her little charges - here's one of her recent posts on some of their escapades (names have been changed - including hers):

"Where did Hong-Bo go??" asked Frank.

"Oh you know, E.S.L." said George.

"No," shouted Suzy, "It's P.S.L!"

"It's E.S.L!" George said again.

"It is not. It's P.S.L.!" said Suzy, with authority.

George looked at her like a forty-year-old exhausted with the conversation. "It's ESL. It's English as a Second...

A Lot Can Hinge on Where Your Book Description is ...

... truncated. So it may behoove you to pack a lot into that first line or two.



Goodreads lists books for giveaways, but the main page shows only the first bit of your carefully composed book description. Like this:

RINGING TRUE is a novel of our times about a group of Seattle twenty-somethings who take it upon themselves to do something about the sorry state of

... of politics? the homeless problem? the jazz scene? gun control?

You don't need a special talent to learn to play the...

To Heck with the MacBook Air, I Want the Dinner with David Pogue

There's a contest over at Nova - which I am NOT linking to, as I don't want you to win it, and the grand prize is a MacBook Air and either a video chat or dinner with David Pogue. You don't know who David Pogue is!?!? He's the tech writer at the New York Times, and I am his number one groupie. And proud to admit it.



Who am I kidding? Of course I want the MacBook Air as well, but my hopes aren't high - someone else got all three of the first answers already and I've only gotten two, after enl...

OK, I'll Admit It - I'm a Sap

This did choke me up a bit. This is 8-year-old Elizabeth Hughes singing the national anthem at an AHL Norfolk Admirals game last Friday- watch what happens when her mike cuts out.

What a Vermont Front Porch Looks Like Right About Now

Here's a view of the snow on the railing of my front porch (can and soda bottle added for size - no, they aren't stored there).

How to Spot a Scam Response

Sometimes I rent out my house when I'm away for the weekends (never fear, I tuck away the mixing bowls my sister gave me when I was in college, my signed favorite books, my toolbox and some other things). Sometimes I get dubious responses:

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Hi

My name is Sandra Brown, I saw your add on Craigslist and was wondering if the last two weekends in January are  still available?  I won't know...