tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39025319088459411392024-03-05T02:49:32.457-05:00Janet Sumner JohnsonPicture Book and Middle Grade Author
Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.comBlogger500125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-76886136754839235332024-01-16T08:00:00.001-05:002024-01-16T08:00:00.136-05:00Virtual Launch Party for Not My Circus!<p><br />Greetings, friends! It's been way too long since I posted in this space. The <a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781645951964" target="_blank">Winterton Deception 1:Final Word</a> is out and doing so well. A huge thanks to everyone who's read and recommended it to others. That is the best way for a book to succeed!</p><p></p>Now I'm excited to be celebrating my most recent picture book release, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184969418-not-my-circus" target="_blank">NOT MY CIRCUS</a> which was illustrated by Patrick Corrigan and published by Capstone. Here is the official cover copy:<br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrzyLqBvNswcw0XOpSbGpEXQUen9IobH1pqSmKQJyDcL7hFOZ3YGx4orVEzJ_s1TIlJgbzRejGujBJ_MfHtyQXMOCJL4DVzsL3GnTLI3cq_xM-DsvfjAwubo07iQUN98BbYmdmpktqUmvjFv_TK8oTJe9zAuru71NuYz02SO81TWZKzrPrPoCsSJ0xug/s1500/Not%20My%20Circus.Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1207" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrzyLqBvNswcw0XOpSbGpEXQUen9IobH1pqSmKQJyDcL7hFOZ3YGx4orVEzJ_s1TIlJgbzRejGujBJ_MfHtyQXMOCJL4DVzsL3GnTLI3cq_xM-DsvfjAwubo07iQUN98BbYmdmpktqUmvjFv_TK8oTJe9zAuru71NuYz02SO81TWZKzrPrPoCsSJ0xug/w161-h200/Not%20My%20Circus.Small.jpg" width="161" /></a></div>Olivia was supposed to buy eggs at the store. Instead, she bought a circus! Between food fights and a lack of potty training, her mom is not thrilled. When Mr. Victor refuses to take the animals back, it's off to the zoo for Olivia's new friends . . . unless she can find a way to prove that she is in control of her circus</i></blockquote><br />This time, with the help of my own friends, I'm trying something new. I'm going to be celebrating at a virtual launch via Zoom!! On <b>Thursday, 25 January 2024</b>, from <b>10:30-11:00 AM MST </b>(that's 12:30-1:00 pm Eastern), a panel of amazing authors will interview me about hidden behind-the-scenes secrets of the story and the writing process. To attend, you just need to register, which you can do <a href="https://forms.gle/TPRA5EDi6dZgCMdB6" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauWmVf-qVhIbPDptCqurkV66_-4H-ByNn0pM8jN7H7H7ARhvyDOkw4zwR-d85vVIpi5STD8yUeXWOzhWBhJj0Ga1dwLpVsx1Sfhh0LhoMZkwmmMdzfQ9iq-VG9yf73HpO0vV_eifbiLu9SSjVdgK-HS8YajSrodERO2-z_8c8i-C8BfaCGEVUB_FBMJ4/s940/FB%20-%20Circus%20Virtual%20Launch.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauWmVf-qVhIbPDptCqurkV66_-4H-ByNn0pM8jN7H7H7ARhvyDOkw4zwR-d85vVIpi5STD8yUeXWOzhWBhJj0Ga1dwLpVsx1Sfhh0LhoMZkwmmMdzfQ9iq-VG9yf73HpO0vV_eifbiLu9SSjVdgK-HS8YajSrodERO2-z_8c8i-C8BfaCGEVUB_FBMJ4/w400-h335/FB%20-%20Circus%20Virtual%20Launch.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>We set the time during the day so we could invite classrooms to join us! If you are a teacher, we welcome you to join as a class. For those who can’t make it during that time, the launch will be recorded, and everyone who registers will receive a link to the recording that will be available for 30 days following the event.</p><p>Author interviewers include:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.shawnajctenney.com/" target="_blank">Shawna J. C. Tenney</a> (<i>Brunhilda's Backwards Day</i>; <i>Pirates Don't Dance</i>; <i>Anonymoose</i>; illustrated <i>Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink</i>)</li><li><a href="https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/contributor/melissa-seron-richardson/" target="_blank">Melissa Seron Richardon</a> (<i>The Last Slice</i>; <i>Five Words That Are Mine</i>) </li><li><a href="https://www.laurelneme.com/" target="_blank">Laurel Neme</a> (<i>Animal Investigators</i>;<i> The Elephant's New Shoe</i>; <i>Orangutan Houdini</i>), </li><li><a href="https://anniebailey.com/" target="_blank">Annie Bailey</a> (<i>10 Little Tractors</i>; <i>10 Little Excavators</i>; <i>10 Little Race Cars</i>; <i>10 Little Construction Trucks</i>; <i>Hush, Little Hero</i>; <i>Mud!</i>)</li><li><a href="https://www.annettebaypimentel.com/" target="_blank">Annette Bay Pimentel</a> (<i>Girl Running</i>; <i>All the Way to the Top</i>; <i>Before Music</i>; <i>Before Color</i>; <i>Pura's Cuentos</i>, and more) </li><li><a href="https://www.angielucas.com/" target="_blank">Angie Lucas</a> (<i>My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon</i>; <i>My Big Embarrassing Elephant</i>)</li></ul>These authors are smart, kind, compassionate, and give amazing writing suggestions. They have watched <i>Not My Circus</i> take shape from the very beginning, and I’m so thrilled to be celebrating with them! Plus, you won't want to miss the animal hats we'll all be wearing, or the secrets like where I got Mr. Victor's name. That's a story you don't want to miss, lol! <p></p><p>Don't forget to register <a href="https://forms.gle/TPRA5EDi6dZgCMdB6" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and I hope you decide to join us!! </p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-41937532243293561842023-04-12T13:11:00.001-04:002023-04-12T13:11:42.340-04:00Cover Reveal! THE WINTERTON DECEPTION 1: FINAL WORD<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I’m so excited to finally share the cover of THE </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">WINTERTON DECEPTION 1: FINAL WORD </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">with you! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It is a middle grade puzzle mystery and comes out through <a href="https://holidayhouse.com/site/pixel-ink/" target="_blank">Pixel + Ink</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">on Oct. 24th, 2023. Cover art is by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/FranciscoFonscaShop" target="_blank">Francisco Fonseca</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> who does amazing work. I’m just thrilled with this cover. The lighting, that house! The dark corners and little details tucked in throughout . . . the feel of mystery just exudes from his work. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJlzf0RWkSi4d7KPcFwSiUY6bJYmsPJgfhEi9ZLEhH7InaINJLsIEoPm6gRYOGT5GWe0P16JXkd4sgZLpkAzf0hYwvWnV_KiuiYdIdWV10a6PTPVxZtGUVBQlJILx9Xt0uYZ3KtX5lwGAb2Wor6mK1weMU5vP0zOgoMHcQPqN1kvufxUrpULrwsQU/s2550/Final%20Word.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1688" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJlzf0RWkSi4d7KPcFwSiUY6bJYmsPJgfhEi9ZLEhH7InaINJLsIEoPm6gRYOGT5GWe0P16JXkd4sgZLpkAzf0hYwvWnV_KiuiYdIdWV10a6PTPVxZtGUVBQlJILx9Xt0uYZ3KtX5lwGAb2Wor6mK1weMU5vP0zOgoMHcQPqN1kvufxUrpULrwsQU/w424-h640/Final%20Word.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This book is now available for pre-order at your favorite bookstore or wherever books are sold online. You can also add it on Goodreads so you're sure to get a reminder when it comes out. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> For purchase link options or to connect to Goodreads, click </span><a href="http://janetsumnerjohnson.com/books/" style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> for my "Books" page.</span></p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And I'm sure you're wondering what this book is even about! So let me tell you. Or rather, let me share the official flap copy:</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"In this twisty middle grade mystery for fans of Knives Out, The Inheritance Game, & The Westing Game, thirteen-year-old twins Hope and Gordon enter a spelling bee in a last-ditch effort to save their family from financial ruin, only to find themselves in a cut-throat competition to uncover a fortune and dark secrets about the wealthy relations they’ve never known.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Hope Smith can’t stand rich people—the dictionary magnate family the Wintertons most of all. Not since she and her twin brother, Gordon, learned that their dad was one. So when Gordon enters the family into the Winterton’s charity spelling bee, Hope wants nothing to do with it. But with their mom losing her job and the family facing eviction from the motel where they live, they desperately need the money, and it looks like Hope doesn’t have much of a choice.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"After winning the preliminary round, the Smiths are whisked to Winterton Chalet to compete in the official Winterton Bee against their long-lost relatives. Hope wants to get in and out, beat the snobbish family at their own game, and never see them again. But deceased matriarch Jane Winterton had other plans for this final family showdown. Before her death, she set up a clue hunt throughout the manor—an alternate way for Hope and Gordon to get the money that could change their lives.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Still, others are on the trail, too. With tensions at an all-time high, a fortune at stake, and long-simmering family secrets about to boil to the surface, anything could happen.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"A tense, clever clue hunt unafraid to tackle the challenges and secrets often kept behind closed doors, Final Word is a gripping series starter sure to satisfy even the most voracious armchair detectives."</span><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Perhaps you've heard the advice to authors that you should write what you want to read. That is why I wrote FINAL WORD. I love puzzle mysteries so much. They are my favorite. But there aren't nearly enough of them. Of course, after writing one, I can understand why . . . they are ridiculously hard to manipulate into readable form. But with the help of my critique partners, friends, daughter (who is as mystery-loving as me), agent, and editor, I have done it, and I can hardly believe this is going to be a published book! (*dancing ensues*)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I hope this cover gets you as excited as I am! </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br /></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-5469408306311605162023-03-17T08:00:00.001-04:002023-03-17T08:00:00.171-04:00Acknowledgement Page - The Recess Genius 1: Open for Business<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcOsuaoOg5EtxWZK1qDRd3KUETOs8m0ckCuGZUO0Ff8MLgf3ebiVuXq3Kk6y7l-aA4ftiyMnUocw0AD36cld216VTOhlgNmMAKnZcMkIvxMcG-Sq-1Uxi0mvVt1dkVz_hDmdba3t-2fzPfSFYKMst2IODS9ez-4WAD44OOOJ4eWtufhbPAuzhiXhL/s1074/The%20Recess%20Genius%201_Open%20for%20Business.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMcOsuaoOg5EtxWZK1qDRd3KUETOs8m0ckCuGZUO0Ff8MLgf3ebiVuXq3Kk6y7l-aA4ftiyMnUocw0AD36cld216VTOhlgNmMAKnZcMkIvxMcG-Sq-1Uxi0mvVt1dkVz_hDmdba3t-2fzPfSFYKMst2IODS9ez-4WAD44OOOJ4eWtufhbPAuzhiXhL/s320/The%20Recess%20Genius%201_Open%20for%20Business.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>Happy book birthday to THE RECESS GENIUS 1: OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I know I have been shouting about this a lot lately, but I wanted to </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">take the time to thank all the people who helped make this book what it is. (The one bad thing about picture books is that there is no acknowledgments page.)</span><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My beta readers and close friends <a href="https://patriciabaileyauthor.com/" target="_blank">Patricia Bailey</a> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and <a href="https://www.deeromito.com/" target="_blank">Dee Romito</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. They not only read my many various drafts, but they are quick to build me up and keep me from crashing on this rollercoaster ride of publishing. Love you both!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">First, I give huge thanks to my critique partners: <a href="https://www.angielucas.com/" target="_blank">Angie Lucas</a>, <a href="https://www.annettebaypimentel.com/" target="_blank">Annette Bay Pimentel</a>, <a href="https://anniebailey.com/" target="_blank">Annie Bailey</a>, <a href="https://anniebailey.com/" target="_blank">Shawna J.C. Tenney</a>, Melissa Richardson, <a href="https://www.robynbuttars.com/" target="_blank">Robyn Buttars</a>, and <a href="https://www.laurelneme.com/" target="_blank">Laurel Neme</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">. Ya’ll are the best!! So grateful we connected. You not only make my writing better, but you make this journey a joy!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My agent, <a href="https://lkgagency.com/about/" target="_blank">Lauren Galit</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, who I ADORE. I am so lucky to work with someone who is not only brilliant at her job, but someone I call friend, too. I count my blessings every day!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My editor, Alison Weiss, who makes writing fun, and revising as painless as possible. She builds me up and explains, and is quick to respond to my every question. It has been a joy working with her!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The brilliant illustrator, Stacy Ebert, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">who brought this book to life with her beautiful art. I couldn’t be happier to be on this journey together.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The wonderful team at Pixel + Ink, including Bethany Buck, and all the wonderful marketing and publicity team that has worked to hard to help make this book a success, Sara DiSalvo, Mary Joyce Perry, Michelle Montague, Terry-Borzumato-Greenberg, Alison Tarnofsky, Kayla Phillips, and Darby Guinn. Thank you!!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I want to thank my parents, Janet and Wayne for all their unwavering support over the years and their belief in me. Love you!</span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My in-laws, Ray and Marilyn, who have been my biggest cheerleaders! You make me feel so loved, and I’m so grateful I get you as family!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My brothers and sisters (through marriage or not): Kim, Steve, Paul, Lana, Mike, Jeralynn, Becca, Greg, Michelle, Rob, and Tiffany. Thank you for your constant support, for always cheering me on, and for being as excited as I am about every book. I really hit the jackpot with you all!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My children, who listen to all the early versions of my stories and give their (very) honest opinions. Your love and support mean everything to me! I hope you all know you can do it. You can reach your dreams.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And finally my husband Rick who is the reason I have had any success in the writing world. He rides the highs and lows with me and cheers me on and up whenever I need it. He pushes me to be better and reminds me what I have accomplished and what I will accomplish in the future. He's my best friend, and I’m so glad we have eternity. Love you! 😘</span> </p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-52439441839104008412023-02-01T23:20:00.003-05:002023-02-01T23:20:27.039-05:00WRAD 2023 by the Number<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj098ATGP_KUDNeWAgbQCK03KauwG1zo4sKuf6kC8r9_9nGBE3QlqiaP-XXdLKxOWjTkpcXYJH0cB_0oa_UPHaeojn4H-IKzhaw_nrKi5d-lCClk1hBwSHoDL9O9eWFk2lPnXmF-KErHD6xTHqc1okUj2eAYGCaXLwxKMJkFGLtFZ1haDwRbd26wKDK" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj098ATGP_KUDNeWAgbQCK03KauwG1zo4sKuf6kC8r9_9nGBE3QlqiaP-XXdLKxOWjTkpcXYJH0cB_0oa_UPHaeojn4H-IKzhaw_nrKi5d-lCClk1hBwSHoDL9O9eWFk2lPnXmF-KErHD6xTHqc1okUj2eAYGCaXLwxKMJkFGLtFZ1haDwRbd26wKDK" width="240" /></a></div>Yesterday (Wednesday February 1st) was World Read Aloud Day, otherwise know as WRAD. This event was created by the non-profit LitWorld, and is sponsored by Scholastic (the creators of this awesome badge!). Here is a description from scholastic's website: <p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">"For 13 years, World Read Aloud Day has called attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read-aloud! The global effort, . . . is celebrated annually in over 173 countries and is all about bringing people together through the shared connection of reading aloud in all of our communities."</span></div></blockquote><p>I have been participating in WRAD since 2016 (so for 8 years now!!), and I love doing it! It's so fun to meet young readers and share my love of reading with them. </p><p>This year, my schedule was PACKED, and I thought it might be fun to give a rundown of numbers, stats, and basically, just do a little WRAD summary thread. I posted most of this on Twitter as a thread, but I'm adding a few things here.</p><p></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuiTL9oR_AIc_1auOZrpdj_JlYS5LwQXB8WLmZKwxUc2cJtOxFGYrsME9Un9XU78EQ1vgS6DM9C28XAlwOWkYkHTkBrgi_dvff_mlb3GElir_x6h6qSbpr3ST3qqMRxLsLQpGlx6Bw_PZm89oXARZ403iNeH5lio-X00JALgsTJnaIuPXz-5uaEnD/s4032/IMG_7596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="image of a computer on a shoe box, and a stack of books next to it." border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMuiTL9oR_AIc_1auOZrpdj_JlYS5LwQXB8WLmZKwxUc2cJtOxFGYrsME9Un9XU78EQ1vgS6DM9C28XAlwOWkYkHTkBrgi_dvff_mlb3GElir_x6h6qSbpr3ST3qqMRxLsLQpGlx6Bw_PZm89oXARZ403iNeH5lio-X00JALgsTJnaIuPXz-5uaEnD/w320-h240/IMG_7596.jpg" title="My WRAD set-up" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My WRAD set-up</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I hope you enjoy this inside look!</div><div><br /># of visits booked: 16<br /># of requests I couldn't accommodate and referred to others: 2<br /># of visits made: 13<br /># of states: 9 + 1 outside the US<br /># of visits cancelled for weather: 1</div><div># of visits cancelled for time zone issues: 1<br /># of visits cancelled for unknown reasons: 1</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Closest visit: Colorado<br />Furthest visit: Dominican Republic<br />State that cancelled for weather: Texas (!!!)<br /><br />Grades I visited:*<br />Pre-K: 1<br />K: 7<br />1st: 5<br />2nd: 3<br />3rd: 1<br />4th: 1<br /><br />*At some schools, I visited several grades at once, so the numbers won't match my number of visits</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ay8SQk3yXd3WlFcgTO0SRpZm5-NESP_R9PCJvsrfMerqWmvgMXmjRU6M47UTnL5wPMMHRbsVx0rhN0b_ipOcNpErY0uWqqX09OwglRvlKICTlw2ArkBRqFp7pqJAtcQMPINMK4Zx6xGbdr6y_11OEqKw2xLNXcKwIwq2oExMaowgrBjtRFzlYg3V/s2000/Image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Ay8SQk3yXd3WlFcgTO0SRpZm5-NESP_R9PCJvsrfMerqWmvgMXmjRU6M47UTnL5wPMMHRbsVx0rhN0b_ipOcNpErY0uWqqX09OwglRvlKICTlw2ArkBRqFp7pqJAtcQMPINMK4Zx6xGbdr6y_11OEqKw2xLNXcKwIwq2oExMaowgrBjtRFzlYg3V/s320/Image.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Books requested:<br /><br />Help Wanted: Must Love Books: 4 times<br />Braver than Brave: 5 times*<br />The Recess Genius: 5 times<br /><br />*I only read this one 4 times because of the weather cancellation</div><div><br /></div><div>Book I am best at reading aloud: Help Wanted</div><div>Book I love reading aloud best: Braver than Brave <span style="font-size: x-small;">(seriously, the ending blows kids minds, and I swear you can see it changing their world view just a little)</span></div><div>Book I can't wait to read more: The Recess Genius</div><div><br />Most Popular Question: How many books have you written?<br /><br />Question I expected, but wasn't asked: How old are you?<br /></div><div>A close second: Where do you get your ideas?</div><div><br /></div><div>Favorite Question: What would you do if you weren't an author?</div><div>Best Question: So, in Braver than Brave, Wanda was brave, but the boy didn't think she was brave?</div><div><br /></div><div>Quick pause to address that question. SO perceptive! This sweet girl almost whispered this question, and she was so brave to come up and ask it. We had a wonderful discussion about how sometimes when we're brave, others won't see how brave we are being. And that's okay, as long as we know inside ourselves that we were brave. It was a moment. The best kind of moments. The exact kind of moment that reminds me why I write the books I write. 💗</div><div><br /></div><div>Okay, moving on:<br /><br />Most unexpected questions (but I still loved them!):<br />-How do you make the shiny plastic covers?<br />-How do you make the words small & black?<br />-How do you put the pages together to make books?<br /><br />(clearly I need to visit a book printer and learn all these things!)<br /></div><div><br /></div><div># of illustration questions I was asked*: 5<br /><br />-How do you draw without smudging the pictures?<br />-How do you decide what to draw on the covers? (2x)<br />-How do you decide what the characters look like?<br />-How did you create the art in Braver than Brave?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>*Not including the questions about working with an illustrator</div><div><br /></div><div># of times kids thought I was less cool when they found out I didn't illustrate the books: 13 😅</div><div><br /></div><div>(Okay, okay, that is just my perception, but it felt true, lol!)<br /><br /># of others' books I shared: 15 (some multiple times) </div><div>-9 PBs<br />-5 MGs<br /><br />Questions I struggled most to answer:<br />-What is your favorite book that you wrote?<br />-What is your favorite book?<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj15jtfTyQYZca8HfjRjJZdluim_OzJVyJ9HmBj2ldBF7jGFrDaNAMlXPjfXnZP4TtCeVrueXgevXeGAgX6cA-5CqfVKxoB6xCJpE6lGExH04SLAXlEG4lpKFPrkYP8b2rimr5TwRwSUSX4yMKmzJESgemKQe6lgKfVuZwPfOjMykJe6nJj6QK5k0L/s2000/Image%20(2).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj15jtfTyQYZca8HfjRjJZdluim_OzJVyJ9HmBj2ldBF7jGFrDaNAMlXPjfXnZP4TtCeVrueXgevXeGAgX6cA-5CqfVKxoB6xCJpE6lGExH04SLAXlEG4lpKFPrkYP8b2rimr5TwRwSUSX4yMKmzJESgemKQe6lgKfVuZwPfOjMykJe6nJj6QK5k0L/s320/Image%20(2).jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Things that helped w/WRAD visits:<br /><br />-Using a Sign-up Genius to schedule visits<br />-Getting on @KateMessner's list<br />-Having work samples nearby to show<br />-Setting up my station the night before<br />-Using a slide presentation for book images<br />-Reading from a hard copy while kids view slides<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Things I WISH I had done:<br /><br />-Printed off a picture of my dog & family to show<br />-Asked teachers in advance to enable screen sharing<br />-Included a question on my sign-up about which book they wanted read & which state the school is in<br />-Recommended classes prepare questions in advance</div><div>-Requested that they don't mute the students as I read <span style="font-size: x-small;">(The interaction always makes read-alouds better.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div>And one last thought. </div><div><br /></div><div>I didn't mean to book so many visits. I failed to do the math when I set up my sign-up (lol!). And while I loved every visit, I only made it through 10 before my voice started giving out. Next year, I'll do fewer.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt1lPjEJttu8hl8W4Yj8HaLcTwXBx0iQnYd7kj8EQ3l3vTEiWDpzltTI0Cz5K1vp8JW_L-Pdy3qAB-DMJkeHBrjZofkIeYueqPSRTxcxQnJc5-zB4uJNXEmLjhwV7QO24gunpRKVjVTkflEZhx3iChBn4lAA9XQxex788eyeR6slfZ798pUoW3-QL/s2532/IMG_7597.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJt1lPjEJttu8hl8W4Yj8HaLcTwXBx0iQnYd7kj8EQ3l3vTEiWDpzltTI0Cz5K1vp8JW_L-Pdy3qAB-DMJkeHBrjZofkIeYueqPSRTxcxQnJc5-zB4uJNXEmLjhwV7QO24gunpRKVjVTkflEZhx3iChBn4lAA9XQxex788eyeR6slfZ798pUoW3-QL/w185-h400/IMG_7597.PNG" width="185" /></a></div><br /><div><div>I just love visiting with students!</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy World Read Aloud Day!! Keep Reading!</div></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-52496550469937071712022-10-24T16:26:00.002-04:002022-10-24T16:26:20.750-04:00Fall Updates<p>This fall has been a busy, full fall, and I wanted to share some of the things I've been up to!</p><p><br /></p><p>First, I've been <b>working on Book 2</b> of my middle grade series. It has been fun to revisit my characters, and learn all the things they are struggling with, and celebrating. Creating a mystery based off a bit of history has been a challenge, but delightful at the same time. I'm about 3/4ths of the way done with the first draft, and hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks. (Then comes the hard work of revising it into the story it can become!)</p><p>Next, I've done some <b>fun signing events</b> with the brilliant author/illustrator <a href="https://www.shawnajctenney.com/" target="_blank">Shawna Tenney</a>. We've been at the Orem B&N, the Layton B&N, and we currently have two more events coming up. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HWcElyuMBRKKuechtvZmqc4773O8egumwpzQbD6fEMKAiRL1Ipj0FoNaLnrl6Zf2HTC3KOiLJaghcCLkfI_iq9-cvqdzgM1ta8uBZXvloWK2HLL8RQt54GhgmhTyVs006uNed7X8fENsXXiLTc2WDe0J13KXoMuQNHT0RZz83t4ptR9NDpF-AVLV/s3088/IMG_5887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4HWcElyuMBRKKuechtvZmqc4773O8egumwpzQbD6fEMKAiRL1Ipj0FoNaLnrl6Zf2HTC3KOiLJaghcCLkfI_iq9-cvqdzgM1ta8uBZXvloWK2HLL8RQt54GhgmhTyVs006uNed7X8fENsXXiLTc2WDe0J13KXoMuQNHT0RZz83t4ptR9NDpF-AVLV/w150-h200/IMG_5887.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3l3ZFmyHRmcUPKvp13O8fIOfnpfsD7_GtwmWekHTA_srxKG7lG7GRDoDqHLXD4J1AUAo4YnM7czCP28AHu6e64xe6lpb84hpV9P1Lm_ULjX3gtqG2H_UMjp6h2lY2WW0SyDbc5tK6VhX7jfg7N8CIkFEDK1x1TmV7SeX24tXneYARQE0IBdaiIQu/s800/IMG_7687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3l3ZFmyHRmcUPKvp13O8fIOfnpfsD7_GtwmWekHTA_srxKG7lG7GRDoDqHLXD4J1AUAo4YnM7czCP28AHu6e64xe6lpb84hpV9P1Lm_ULjX3gtqG2H_UMjp6h2lY2WW0SyDbc5tK6VhX7jfg7N8CIkFEDK1x1TmV7SeX24tXneYARQE0IBdaiIQu/w200-h200/IMG_7687.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><p><br /></p>We'll be at the <b>Provo Library, Read Local! Event on November 5th, 10 AM - 4 PM</b>. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipovNQFrB523hOkonjP0PQJLjctjdyvPG9zRc8Gu75H3JAseiLACv0wInlkizsDZ9vgYFV3nx4vHzzuhkOy5TaFf4HdIvnxFGUxW2I7vLFopsr95OUU01xHZLlip4QpnWWxSHBugKRk01Y40BMInM784TDiaE2fYWAyj0H5oAIl0TvlnZhAb20g1Yy/s3300/RL%202022%20letter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipovNQFrB523hOkonjP0PQJLjctjdyvPG9zRc8Gu75H3JAseiLACv0wInlkizsDZ9vgYFV3nx4vHzzuhkOy5TaFf4HdIvnxFGUxW2I7vLFopsr95OUU01xHZLlip4QpnWWxSHBugKRk01Y40BMInM784TDiaE2fYWAyj0H5oAIl0TvlnZhAb20g1Yy/s320/RL%202022%20letter.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>And then the next week, we'll be at the <b>Layton, UT B&N for Storytime on Saturday November 12th, 12-2 PM</b>. Hope to see some of you there!</p><p>Shawna and I have also been doing some school visits together. It is so much fun talking about how Authors work versus how Illustrators work. Meeting kids, and getting them excited about books and reading is one of my very favorite things to do as an author. And it's even more fun to do it with a friend!</p><p>Then, if you can believe it's been so long . . . I revealed the cover for The Recess Genius: Open for Business. Stacy Ebert is a brilliant illustrator, and I'm so excited for the rest of you to read our book. It comes out on February, 7th, 2023! Here is the cover:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm0nBGcaa7B-RaRlcyPFzPYFFtYL9Vjn3wHQ7ZsiPOgZ4azreM8kF4rCK5iEEZMnbrE4uRFCg-WFaN2A9lKn8Xl8gFGwrLYk3wW5mu0Swm7QHhmbDxSDU1s_QqoE2jg1CBly8zdBowvOAsu4gd4E8Ftt8Z_zWAkTGew-xAbqDY0Xe0fniOAnHR-B3/s1074/The%20Recess%20Genius%201_Open%20for%20Business.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="888" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMm0nBGcaa7B-RaRlcyPFzPYFFtYL9Vjn3wHQ7ZsiPOgZ4azreM8kF4rCK5iEEZMnbrE4uRFCg-WFaN2A9lKn8Xl8gFGwrLYk3wW5mu0Swm7QHhmbDxSDU1s_QqoE2jg1CBly8zdBowvOAsu4gd4E8Ftt8Z_zWAkTGew-xAbqDY0Xe0fniOAnHR-B3/s320/The%20Recess%20Genius%201_Open%20for%20Business.png" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p>And, of course, as any good fall should include, I've been busy with my kids activities as well as helping them put together their dream Halloween costumes. What do you think?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZTcAOKvUrHJGGZcJlQvkZ3swF_WJ0vRirZwhF_tNhNlSwqAT8VZfv5-L8lnO8qUKVCig8KorO1V2lBptkQRQ--bHS5YiyQZfWPaD_uk5xyDVkF3qz488MgqcYFpcooyIXev5LfJXBGF98Wi-Dr-Fe4XtAuPP6hhx89OWVSlWlvsUYPLEiWLcMMTd/s4032/IMG_5985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZTcAOKvUrHJGGZcJlQvkZ3swF_WJ0vRirZwhF_tNhNlSwqAT8VZfv5-L8lnO8qUKVCig8KorO1V2lBptkQRQ--bHS5YiyQZfWPaD_uk5xyDVkF3qz488MgqcYFpcooyIXev5LfJXBGF98Wi-Dr-Fe4XtAuPP6hhx89OWVSlWlvsUYPLEiWLcMMTd/s320/IMG_5985.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbXgJAfp6OWlPV-zG_7xSIKoKpcROV1i8vA9r-WCgZ7uhIna0RfplZVazFzskD9UDaXjCfIU1xxsqsK2OWSZPDguL-mTbO0qQWXfF18o2YtfbkTUNBnrpCTuciU0wMdaopjB3M3sjWsZmS2-kxPiNPyit_MghiTIiRc0kMr7NiRsqGWisIlZJeJp2/s4032/IMG_6041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbXgJAfp6OWlPV-zG_7xSIKoKpcROV1i8vA9r-WCgZ7uhIna0RfplZVazFzskD9UDaXjCfIU1xxsqsK2OWSZPDguL-mTbO0qQWXfF18o2YtfbkTUNBnrpCTuciU0wMdaopjB3M3sjWsZmS2-kxPiNPyit_MghiTIiRc0kMr7NiRsqGWisIlZJeJp2/s320/IMG_6041.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>What are your fall plans looking like?</p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-50505753363846855662022-08-22T16:46:00.003-04:002022-08-22T16:46:45.465-04:00Cover Reveal - A Bad Case of the Almosts<p>Things are starting to happen fast over here! <i>Braver than Brave</i> has been out in the world for three weeks now, and it got an "Editor's Pick" flag on Amazon, which is really exciting!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX3MhtxvNqttRgOLZ7JaJjvAp32mOvpZw_MD63aV_cEAi2ckz5JzIoLYdXac_shUntccStgkySRBVocdrr5j8NS-XL0NXKZ6sqSYVLDyLtNguRU6W1lGuHVV74d65xotZTL9NJPpRD7DyNvmUfixae6_dGL7jKtstAS7weF74GngivnVyKoYzlV2-/s1347/Braver%20Than%20Brave.EditorsPick.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="1347" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtX3MhtxvNqttRgOLZ7JaJjvAp32mOvpZw_MD63aV_cEAi2ckz5JzIoLYdXac_shUntccStgkySRBVocdrr5j8NS-XL0NXKZ6sqSYVLDyLtNguRU6W1lGuHVV74d65xotZTL9NJPpRD7DyNvmUfixae6_dGL7jKtstAS7weF74GngivnVyKoYzlV2-/s320/Braver%20Than%20Brave.EditorsPick.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>It's a little fuzzy, but feel free to head on over and see it live for yourself! And if you've read it and want to leave a review on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60387230-braver-than-brave" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Brave-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465001" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braver-than-brave-janet-sumner-johnson/1140968971" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, I'd greatly appreciate it. 😁 </p><p>However, today I'm not on here to talk about <i>Braver Than Brave </i>(as much as I love doing that). Today, I'm on here to share the cover of my next book, <i>A Bad Case of the Almosts</i>! It is set to release on January 1st of 2023, which is not all that far away.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3GuEco5HXESE2rGI5Q935fwsA2ftO6Uo7zWPBFGTRCKxCS8e--vBSBI1T2HWtkk-SK9jPcV4mWLcaEpz2X9TL5lA31tyfpSdIBR1JYDL1pjNmZorpqZWMs6xv2uM5zCYyFlmAPQRPDuQZWNtUXxCZQakj4DUUcmDD4we5Lw8iMYvIBegeROP79bUt" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3GuEco5HXESE2rGI5Q935fwsA2ftO6Uo7zWPBFGTRCKxCS8e--vBSBI1T2HWtkk-SK9jPcV4mWLcaEpz2X9TL5lA31tyfpSdIBR1JYDL1pjNmZorpqZWMs6xv2uM5zCYyFlmAPQRPDuQZWNtUXxCZQakj4DUUcmDD4we5Lw8iMYvIBegeROP79bUt=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div>Before I do, I wanted to share a little about how this book came to be. In January of 2020 (yep, just before everything hit), I was participating in a thing called <a href="https://taralazar.com/storystorm/" target="_blank">Storystorm, a yearly event hosted by Tara Lazar</a>. Storystorm is all about building your list of story ideas. During the month of January, Tara Lazar hosts a new author every day who shares an idea for a way to find story ideas. It's a super fun event with prizes, and such, so if you are a writer, you should join in next year. It's phenomenal!<br /><br />So there I was, on the hunt for new ideas, and one of the blog posts had said that titles of other books can be good inspiration for a new story. If you look at just the title, imagine how you would write it, and then you can see if it's similar or not to the actual book that accompanies that title. You'd be surprised how often the two are not similar at all.<br /><br />I saw the title "Almost Every Time." . . . or at least, that's how I read it. Long story short, that wasn't the title at all! My eyes had skipped down to the next line, and that combination of words really intrigued me. I thought, what if instead of "Almost Every Time," it was "Almost. Every Time!"<br /><br />This character leapt to life. This character who got so close to achieving her wants and her goals, but then didn't get it. EVERY TIME!! That would be so frustrating! And honestly, I could kind of relate. Except not kind of. I could SUPER relate.<p></p><p>That's how I felt about my attempts to sell another picture book. I'd had multiple books go to multiple acquisitions meetings, and some amazingly wonderful rejections (yes, they really can be wonderful), but it felt like I couldn't quite get past that last step. It was "Almost" EVERY TIME.</p><p>This book took a bit more brainstorming, but when I dared show it to my critique groups, I was surprised at their enthusiasm. I guess they understood that feeling, too. And I was surprised at my agent's enthusiasm (you know, after some revision rounds). And I was surprised at how quickly my editor at Capstone was able to get it through acquisitions. Because she understood the feeling, too.</p><p>So without further ado, I share the cover of A Bad Case of the Almosts, featuring the beautiful artwork of <a href="https://thebrightagency.com/us/childrens-illustration/artists/alexandra-colombo" target="_blank">Alexandra Colombo</a> who really brought Abby, my main character who is a huge science enthusiast, to life. And if you like the cover, I can't wait for you to see what she did with the art inside!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUt7knOmgRcn8WjjMwdi03M5lk15U1ZEhT-2oZOuJ_dtfMNFBmUGWePGHMelwQJ7vtGp5HGvRXHS3neVLpcEWFcE_Ao3uXf-dbiO7omO3Yz5Y-RlDNxHsFzUrFggsYPgo8Sjpu8JgtLIIj_EjxF6vK3OpZlv_ckXVdUv2hoVM-EimudxRG89wrh0C/s3075/Almosts.Cover.HighRes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="2475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUt7knOmgRcn8WjjMwdi03M5lk15U1ZEhT-2oZOuJ_dtfMNFBmUGWePGHMelwQJ7vtGp5HGvRXHS3neVLpcEWFcE_Ao3uXf-dbiO7omO3Yz5Y-RlDNxHsFzUrFggsYPgo8Sjpu8JgtLIIj_EjxF6vK3OpZlv_ckXVdUv2hoVM-EimudxRG89wrh0C/w323-h400/Almosts.Cover.HighRes.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><br /><p><i>A Bad Case of the Almosts</i> is now available for preorder at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Case-Almosts-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465370" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bad-case-of-the-almosts-janet-sumner-johnson/1141743927" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>, as well as most places books are sold. You can also add it to your "Want To Read" list on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62023247" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> to be notified when it comes out.</p><p>And for all you book reviewers out there, an ARC (Advance Reader Copy - for those wondering) is also now available on <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/266339" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>! </p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-31971814023951918162022-08-01T08:00:00.002-04:002022-08-01T08:00:00.161-04:00Release Day for BRAVER THAN BRAVE!<p>It's Release day for BRAVER THAN BRAVE!! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1cNR0bzOcnUd5oQUVtDtPfBDP5Cx6RvLdf46ozbpRoI-wcjiGrxVwCvypF0qCj3E-9R9iVlSmjEtniS-lWxt-N8Xbq3sS3CLZtjdtP_CUtzoQquanYnLRyxnWcZKM5JTAMuuCyWQ-sUBAuEMVR5lG-wUiFA0LOFjZejoq5wNr7ygGVPaG0Tt_-Wq/s3075/Braver%20than%20Brave.FrontCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Book cover of Braver than Brave. Wanda, a tan-skinned girl with curly brown hair stands in front of a roller coaster" border="0" data-original-height="3075" data-original-width="2471" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1cNR0bzOcnUd5oQUVtDtPfBDP5Cx6RvLdf46ozbpRoI-wcjiGrxVwCvypF0qCj3E-9R9iVlSmjEtniS-lWxt-N8Xbq3sS3CLZtjdtP_CUtzoQquanYnLRyxnWcZKM5JTAMuuCyWQ-sUBAuEMVR5lG-wUiFA0LOFjZejoq5wNr7ygGVPaG0Tt_-Wq/w321-h400/Braver%20than%20Brave.FrontCover.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><p>So funny thing. Picture books don't have acknowledgment pages, so I'm going to just go ahead and do it here. For a book to come out in the world, it takes so many people! I could not do it alone. No doubt I will miss someone, and I'm apologize in advance, but here goes . . .</p><p>I'm so proud to share this book with <a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a> who brought the story to life. Her illustrations are so perfectly perfect. I'm grateful to my editor, Christianne Jones who loved this story from the beginning, and who helped me make this story shine. Huge thanks to Nathan Gassman who designed the book, and to Jennifer Glidden who has done so much to market this book and get the word out. An all-around thank you to <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/consumer/products/braver-than-brave/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a> for publishing it! My agent, <a href="http://lkgagency.com/" target="_blank">Lauren Galit</a> has always encouraged me in all my writing, and I owe so much to her. <br /><br />I'd be remiss not to thank the many people who read early versions and gave such helpful feedback. <a href="https://patriciabaileyauthor.com/" target="_blank">Patricia Bailey</a>, <a href="https://www.deeromito.com/" target="_blank">Dee Romito</a>, <a href="https://anniebailey.com/" target="_blank">Annie Bailey</a>, Melissa Richardson, <a href="http://www.annettebaypimentel.com/" target="_blank">Annette Pimentel</a>, <a href="https://www.angielucas.com/" target="_blank">Angie Lucas</a>, <a href="https://www.laurelneme.com/" target="_blank">Laurel Neme</a>, Robyn Buttars, and <a href="https://www.shawnajctenney.com/" target="_blank">Shawna Tenney</a>. I'd be lost without them! And I have to thank the 12x12 members who read a very early version. Thank you for the encouragement!</p><p>I'm enormously grateful to my extended family--both the Sumners and the Johnsons who have always supported me in my writing and cheered me on. I feel so lucky to have such amazing family on both sides. And of course, my children who not only cheer me on, but also inspire me with all the best ideas. They are my pride and joy! </p><p>I give my biggest thanks to Rick, husband extraordinaire who has always been my biggest cheerleader. He carries the weight for both of us when I sneak away to write, and he constantly looks for ways to give me more writing time. He inspires me and makes me Braver than Brave in all my writing endeavors. If not for him, I may never have sent off that first manuscript in my journey to publication.</p><p>Finally, I want to thank all my readers. Without you, there would be no point in what I do. THANK YOU!! I'm so grateful I get to be an author and share the stories that are tumbling around in my head with the world. I couldn't do that without you!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Thank you to everyone who has requested a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE or any of my books from their library, and to everyone who has ever left any of my books a review. It means so much to me!<br /><br />If you want to get your own copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE you can order it at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781684465002" target="_blank">The King's English</a><span> </span> <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/braver-than-brave/9781684465002" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Brave-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465001" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braver-than-brave-janet-sumner-johnson/1140968971" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> </span></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-64495354112645032372022-07-31T08:00:00.004-04:002022-07-31T08:00:00.168-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 25 - 26<p>Today is the final day of facing down the chicken exit! BRAVER THAN BRAVE comes out tomorrow. I have been waiting for this for so long and I can' believe it's almost here! But in the meantime, I <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">present Days 25-26 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>! I hope you enjoy!</p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 25: ??? I left today open for all of you to share your own stories of facing down the chicken exit. I hope you've been inspired after reading so many great stories. I hope you've been thinking about the moments in your life when you've faced down your chicken exit . . . whether that means taking the exit, or doing THE THING. I hope you know that there are SO MANY WAYS TO BE BRAVE. You are Brave! And I hope you'll comment and share your own story. I would truly love to hear!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 25: ??? </b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">I left today open for all of you to share your own stories of facing down the chicken exit. I hope you've been inspired after reading so many great stories. I hope you've been thinking about the moments in your life when you've faced down your chicken exit . . . whether that means taking the exit, or doing THE THING. I hope you know that there are SO MANY WAYS TO BE BRAVE. You are Brave! And I hope you'll comment and share your own story. I would truly love to hear!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKE-ThacMd7KbaHO6umNVsY_aoX5FINir8T59T0xRuMK3jVhR9QZjKkjtEl3bWRYBQvRtvt-KrJkVqwdckyTi1ASge9r-O3Y_oGbmWsP16_KkdoMNbUy2m5_fw6qcXJ_LGY7tbtPk9608VmGazCdOKbPGhldv6mdn-i4uLlX7aJGNAC0788xKHLdY/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An open doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a yellow sign that reads, "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKE-ThacMd7KbaHO6umNVsY_aoX5FINir8T59T0xRuMK3jVhR9QZjKkjtEl3bWRYBQvRtvt-KrJkVqwdckyTi1ASge9r-O3Y_oGbmWsP16_KkdoMNbUy2m5_fw6qcXJ_LGY7tbtPk9608VmGazCdOKbPGhldv6mdn-i4uLlX7aJGNAC0788xKHLdY/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b style="font-family: inherit;"><p><b style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></b></p>DAY 26: Back to Wanda</b><p></p><div><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 26: Back to Wanda After reading so many stories of facing down the chicken exit, I bet you CAN'T WAIT to hear how Wanda faced hers. Of course I can't tell you how the book ends! That would violate all of my reading principles. But know that Wanda is BRAVE. In fact, she's BRAVER THAN BRAVE. If you want to know more, you can buy your own copy or request one at your local library (if they don't already have it). Thanks so much for coming along this journey of facing down your chicken exit! I hope you have recognized all the ways you are Brave in your own life!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 26: Back to Wanda After reading so many stories of facing down the chicken exit, I bet you CAN'T WAIT to hear how Wanda faced hers. Of course I can't tell you how the book ends! That would violate all of my reading principles. But know that Wanda is BRAVE. In fact, she's BRAVER THAN BRAVE. If you want to know more, you can buy your own copy or request one at your local library (if they don't already have it). Thanks so much for coming along this journey of facing down your chicken exit! I hope you have recognized all the ways you are Brave in your own life!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After reading so many stories of facing down the chicken exit, I bet you CAN'T WAIT to hear how Wanda faced hers. Of course I can't tell you how the book ends! That would violate all of my reading principles. But know that Wanda is BRAVE. In fact, she's BRAVER THAN BRAVE. If you want to know more, you can buy your own copy or request one at your local library (if they don't already have it). Thanks so much for coming along this journey of facing down your chicken exit! I hope you have recognized all the ways you are Brave in your own life!</span></span></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-QcqsR8VXrNpQTrKgfdBFaljHZSYXCcjLVOmZeWpWPZzQHwsFtZnZfwI7rMFsqtMnNIapl1DyHABFTrGsZbSmDXHWMXPHDFT-GYPH8PlrZ19EOym1wlBC7-kyQkxEQPY6dQBo7MoYeYISVzoUePzcVgBiygk2PDTAlj6k3ut1Blc7CtKzSzb2mfo/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Wanda1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wanda, a cartoon girl with dark skin and brown hair in a yellow and pink sweater, stands in a real life doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-QcqsR8VXrNpQTrKgfdBFaljHZSYXCcjLVOmZeWpWPZzQHwsFtZnZfwI7rMFsqtMnNIapl1DyHABFTrGsZbSmDXHWMXPHDFT-GYPH8PlrZ19EOym1wlBC7-kyQkxEQPY6dQBo7MoYeYISVzoUePzcVgBiygk2PDTAlj6k3ut1Blc7CtKzSzb2mfo/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Wanda1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">I hope you enjoyed Days 25-26, and I hope you've enjoyed the whole series. I really wanted to highlight the idea that being brave looks different for everyone. Sometimes we are Brave by doing THE HARD THING, and sometimes walking away from it takes all the Brave. A huge thank you to everyone who shared their story. That took courage, too! I love you all!<br /><br />And dearest readers, I would really love to hear your story of facing down your own chicken exit in the comments! </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">If you want to learn more about Wanda's Chicken exit, you can pre-order (or is it plain old order now??!) a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781684465002" target="_blank">The King's English</a><span> </span> <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/braver-than-brave/9781684465002" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Brave-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465001" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braver-than-brave-janet-sumner-johnson/1140968971" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">If you've missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-8-10.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 8-10</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-11.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 11-14</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-15.html" target="_blank">DAYS 15-17</a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-18.html" target="_blank">DAYS 18-20</a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-21.html" target="_blank">DAYS 21-24</a></p><div><br /></div></div></div><br />Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-67251763809746030992022-07-29T13:11:00.001-04:002022-07-29T13:11:11.479-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 21 - 24<p>Today we're continuing with the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 21-24 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."}"><b>DAY 2<span style="font-family: inherit;">1: </span></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>PB Character, Little One</b></span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A monarch caterpillar named Little One from HELLO, LITTLE ONE, exists in a lonely green world. It longs for a friend. One day an orange butterfly lands nearby and makes a connection. Although embarassed, Little One is brave and responds, making a new friend to end its loneliness. </span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~by Zeena M. Pliska, art by Fiona Halliday</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmbaswFavcYiEuYA2Un868_Ah9RHmd-R0IcCVThiGkz0W2l1NhLt7koVBx-JC7Y_q7HOiY5CgR3Dj_TWizwFFH68oDcJF2HmS82NV8mHSmamATKwBf_gGlbVovjUfATVpY0cE23fAf-vJXAc4BsnzJxeFD8fFqXtbIaq7I_Z9ue59mGhbQKuh1bHG/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Little%20One3.Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cartoon monarch butterfly and caterpillar float before an open door with a real-life roller coaster behind it. Above the door is a yellow sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmbaswFavcYiEuYA2Un868_Ah9RHmd-R0IcCVThiGkz0W2l1NhLt7koVBx-JC7Y_q7HOiY5CgR3Dj_TWizwFFH68oDcJF2HmS82NV8mHSmamATKwBf_gGlbVovjUfATVpY0cE23fAf-vJXAc4BsnzJxeFD8fFqXtbIaq7I_Z9ue59mGhbQKuh1bHG/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Little%20One3.Cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 22: Mr. Janet Sumner Johnson \"I don’t like water sports. I know a lot of people love swimming or boating or whatnot. I don’t really. I think it goes back to almost drowning as a child or something. Now, I have worked on it because others have said I was silly for being afraid of water; but you know except for cruises and calm lake kayaking I still don’t like water or water sports. What inspires me to be braver in many aspects of my life is when I rock climb regularly. I have never been very good at it but I have certainly felt braver in many areas of my life when I struggled against that infuriating over hang or when I actually could complete the climb as planned. It was all about besting myself. Strange rock climbing over water skiing!\""}" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 22: Mr. Janet Sumner Johnson </b></span></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 22: Mr. Janet Sumner Johnson \"I don’t like water sports. I know a lot of people love swimming or boating or whatnot. I don’t really. I think it goes back to almost drowning as a child or something. Now, I have worked on it because others have said I was silly for being afraid of water; but you know except for cruises and calm lake kayaking I still don’t like water or water sports. What inspires me to be braver in many aspects of my life is when I rock climb regularly. I have never been very good at it but I have certainly felt braver in many areas of my life when I struggled against that infuriating over hang or when I actually could complete the climb as planned. It was all about besting myself. Strange rock climbing over water skiing!\""}" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 22: Mr. Janet Sumner Johnson \"I don’t like water sports. I know a lot of people love swimming or boating or whatnot. I don’t really. I think it goes back to almost drowning as a child or something. Now, I have worked on it because others have said I was silly for being afraid of water; but you know except for cruises and calm lake kayaking I still don’t like water or water sports. What inspires me to be braver in many aspects of my life is when I rock climb regularly. I have never been very good at it but I have certainly felt braver in many areas of my life when I struggled against that infuriating over hang or when I actually could complete the climb as planned. It was all about besting myself. Strange rock climbing over water skiing!\""}" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I don’t like water sports. I know a lot of people love swimming or boating or whatnot. I don’t really. I think it goes back to almost drowning as a child or something. Now, I have worked on it because others have said I was silly for being afraid of water; but you know except for cruises and calm lake kayaking I still don’t like water or water sports. What inspires me to be braver in many aspects of my life is when I rock climb regularly. I have never been very good at it but I have certainly felt braver in many areas of my life when I struggled against that infuriating over hang or when I actually could complete the climb as planned. It was all about besting myself. Strange rock climbing over water skiing!"</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJsMa0xbByiY58tflBdGAumbtzP9en4HFPiboK4AsH9uRg37feyCb5YoiNzLDMXPets7WImPqD810e8C765yrlpKm3iQREPUPLwfw1k5r6ukmqvDQRdLCY1ePrjFnqbkjp_azPgcJnybrtIm4nNHrVzVRiw5dXz2PIs4Ci9qFKJCVScEml2MrsmeZ/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Rick.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A light-skinned man with gray-blond hair wearing a light blue t-shirt and dark shorts is standing in front of a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a yellow sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJsMa0xbByiY58tflBdGAumbtzP9en4HFPiboK4AsH9uRg37feyCb5YoiNzLDMXPets7WImPqD810e8C765yrlpKm3iQREPUPLwfw1k5r6ukmqvDQRdLCY1ePrjFnqbkjp_azPgcJnybrtIm4nNHrVzVRiw5dXz2PIs4Ci9qFKJCVScEml2MrsmeZ/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Rick.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b><br /><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 23: Janet Sumner Johnson One morning, when I was 6, my brothers and their friends built a bike ramp to jump off while waiting for the bus. I was new at riding my bike, and the jump was too big and scary for me. I sadly made my way home while they stayed and jumped. Not long after that, one of my brothers came home with bloody hands and cuts on his face. The ramp had collapsed when he tried to jump it. Suddenly I was glad I’d taken the chicken exit! Sometimes the chicken exit is the best choice, even if you don’t realize it at the time."}">DAY 23: Janet Sumner Johnson (Me!), author of BRAVER THAN BRAVE</span></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 23: Janet Sumner Johnson One morning, when I was 6, my brothers and their friends built a bike ramp to jump off while waiting for the bus. I was new at riding my bike, and the jump was too big and scary for me. I sadly made my way home while they stayed and jumped. Not long after that, one of my brothers came home with bloody hands and cuts on his face. The ramp had collapsed when he tried to jump it. Suddenly I was glad I’d taken the chicken exit! Sometimes the chicken exit is the best choice, even if you don’t realize it at the time."}"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 23: Janet Sumner Johnson One morning, when I was 6, my brothers and their friends built a bike ramp to jump off while waiting for the bus. I was new at riding my bike, and the jump was too big and scary for me. I sadly made my way home while they stayed and jumped. Not long after that, one of my brothers came home with bloody hands and cuts on his face. The ramp had collapsed when he tried to jump it. Suddenly I was glad I’d taken the chicken exit! Sometimes the chicken exit is the best choice, even if you don’t realize it at the time."}">"One morning, when I was 6, my brothers and their friends built a bike ramp to jump off while waiting for the bus. I was new at riding my bike, and the jump was too big and scary for me. I sadly made my way home while they stayed and jumped. Not long after that, one of my brothers came home with bloody hands and cuts on his face. The ramp had collapsed when he tried to jump it. Suddenly I was glad I’d taken the chicken exit! Sometimes the chicken exit is the best choice, even if you don’t realize it at the time."</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 23: Janet Sumner Johnson One morning, when I was 6, my brothers and their friends built a bike ramp to jump off while waiting for the bus. I was new at riding my bike, and the jump was too big and scary for me. I sadly made my way home while they stayed and jumped. Not long after that, one of my brothers came home with bloody hands and cuts on his face. The ramp had collapsed when he tried to jump it. Suddenly I was glad I’d taken the chicken exit! Sometimes the chicken exit is the best choice, even if you don’t realize it at the time."}" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlEW1RlBeA1xMNw4hPD4MvDawENjbWr3rnP-ld2ri5DjGbhOHZwyQHeXKAb1ATwaHMnz4GOAou7UVDbFT2IwcqQdk9LWTU87w8TS3en7of_iff4e95Vo0vzE28EWGzY1Bs62WH9JgsfBl8aSbIU0SUmWlaWFlG_VSQI-2lWLP_JLtzGSMiJIbCcLL/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Janet3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A light-skinned, blond girl in a blue dress with white lace, stands in front of a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the door is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlEW1RlBeA1xMNw4hPD4MvDawENjbWr3rnP-ld2ri5DjGbhOHZwyQHeXKAb1ATwaHMnz4GOAou7UVDbFT2IwcqQdk9LWTU87w8TS3en7of_iff4e95Vo0vzE28EWGzY1Bs62WH9JgsfBl8aSbIU0SUmWlaWFlG_VSQI-2lWLP_JLtzGSMiJIbCcLL/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Janet3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 24: Jessie Oliveros, author of THE REMEMBER BALLOONS When I learned how to drive as a teenager, I refused to drive through the heart of the city. I couldn’t handle the lane changes and traffic! So for years I took the “chicken exit” by taking the highways around the city and that worked out great! Then years later I went home to help a family member in the hospital and had to see and hear and do hard things. The first night I left the hospital, I could have gone around the city like usual. But what I had done that day was so hard that suddenly driving through the city didn’t seem so scary anymore. So I did! And I was okay and I’ve done it many times since. Sometimes we can take the chicken exit until we are ready not to!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 24: Jessie Oliveros, author of THE REMEMBER BALLOONS When I learned how to drive as a teenager, I refused to drive through the heart of the city. I couldn’t handle the lane changes and traffic! So for years I took the “chicken exit” by taking the highways around the city and that worked out great! Then years later I went home to help a family member in the hospital and had to see and hear and do hard things. The first night I left the hospital, I could have gone around the city like usual. But what I had done that day was so hard that suddenly driving through the city didn’t seem so scary anymore. So I did! And I was okay and I’ve done it many times since. Sometimes we can take the chicken exit until we are ready not to!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 24: Jessie Oliveros, author of THE REMEMBER BALLOONS</b> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 24: Jessie Oliveros, author of THE REMEMBER BALLOONS When I learned how to drive as a teenager, I refused to drive through the heart of the city. I couldn’t handle the lane changes and traffic! So for years I took the “chicken exit” by taking the highways around the city and that worked out great! Then years later I went home to help a family member in the hospital and had to see and hear and do hard things. The first night I left the hospital, I could have gone around the city like usual. But what I had done that day was so hard that suddenly driving through the city didn’t seem so scary anymore. So I did! And I was okay and I’ve done it many times since. Sometimes we can take the chicken exit until we are ready not to!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 24: Jessie Oliveros, author of THE REMEMBER BALLOONS When I learned how to drive as a teenager, I refused to drive through the heart of the city. I couldn’t handle the lane changes and traffic! So for years I took the “chicken exit” by taking the highways around the city and that worked out great! Then years later I went home to help a family member in the hospital and had to see and hear and do hard things. The first night I left the hospital, I could have gone around the city like usual. But what I had done that day was so hard that suddenly driving through the city didn’t seem so scary anymore. So I did! And I was okay and I’ve done it many times since. Sometimes we can take the chicken exit until we are ready not to!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"When I learned how to drive as a teenager, I refused to drive through the heart of the city. I couldn’t handle the lane changes and traffic! So for years I took the “chicken exit” by taking the highways around the city and that worked out great! Then years later I went home to help a family member in the hospital and had to see and hear and do hard things. The first night I left the hospital, I could have gone around the city like usual. But what I had done that day was so hard that suddenly driving through the city didn’t seem so scary anymore. So I did! And I was okay and I’ve done it many times since. Sometimes we can take the chicken exit until we are ready not to!"</span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHxS4Oz26AWDebanuReQZWDS3qWi13SwCoI13r1rjkrisKvr-7HqtBzDdVYRGsRspYLzHHXtWUR6IBfmpd_5ZuO0j03tW8Hzbm31-dO4T-eBZIV_crP345y0I8NixDvLuWLR8JzkTIn2Foz1iS8n4CShIcaYr24BIRbaUUkiRStjvrjwJA3RKbuJM/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Jessie%20Oliveros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="a light-skinned woman with blond hair in a yellow shirt and blue shorts is standing in front of an open doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Over the doorway is a yellow sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHxS4Oz26AWDebanuReQZWDS3qWi13SwCoI13r1rjkrisKvr-7HqtBzDdVYRGsRspYLzHHXtWUR6IBfmpd_5ZuO0j03tW8Hzbm31-dO4T-eBZIV_crP345y0I8NixDvLuWLR8JzkTIn2Foz1iS8n4CShIcaYr24BIRbaUUkiRStjvrjwJA3RKbuJM/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Jessie%20Oliveros.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">I hope you enjoyed Days 21-24! </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">If you want to learn more about Wanda's Chicken exit, you can pre-order a copy of BRAVER THAN BRAVE at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781684465002" target="_blank">The King's English</a><span> </span> <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/braver-than-brave/9781684465002" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Brave-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465001" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braver-than-brave-janet-sumner-johnson/1140968971" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">If you've missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-8-10.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 8-10</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-11.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 11-14</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-15.html" target="_blank">DAYS 15-17</a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-18.html" target="_blank">DAYS 18-20</a></p></div><br /></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-54785397601405800422022-07-25T08:00:00.036-04:002022-07-25T08:00:00.158-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 18 - 20<p>Today we're continuing with the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 18-20 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of MY BIG, DUMB, INVISIBLE DRAGON</b> </span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 18: Angie Lucas, author of My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I rode the roller coaster of infertility for 12 long years. After three consecutive losses, I gathered every remaining ounce of courage to try ONE more time. And that's how I got my wonderful son, Wyatt, who just turned 5."</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrrxNqFqPqozdMXi_z4-b3q666VJSCXbrurzUW_xb_A7aLca4Yv2I7fOCSScVlcwKaf0IYF0mgOhkcE9z9BD098WQ8haSOAdbJzIyykK5DlE6NKd-4WQuKHj_S-UHL-LN2erCfZf9PSGedRH60pmhtCRtL5RJc_BR33RMR82zHqcAZrHGMOx853SX/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Angie%20Lucas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A white boy with brown hair in a black shirt and camo pants stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrrxNqFqPqozdMXi_z4-b3q666VJSCXbrurzUW_xb_A7aLca4Yv2I7fOCSScVlcwKaf0IYF0mgOhkcE9z9BD098WQ8haSOAdbJzIyykK5DlE6NKd-4WQuKHj_S-UHL-LN2erCfZf9PSGedRH60pmhtCRtL5RJc_BR33RMR82zHqcAZrHGMOx853SX/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Angie%20Lucas.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><b>DAY 19: PB Character, Morah</b></p><p>In MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR FLOATIES, Morah faces a chicken exit when she elects to learn to swim instead of keeping her floaties on.</p><p>~by Rachelle Jones Smith (@writerachelle), art by Jairalin Repalbor</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LrwjSO92MZlW5oODdlwkTgetar_QGrQ4YEWKPk-lDnfOkQLam5Y-il85HWuoDZPhIjSbqbfRB6ygSHpcfdTXq43gtOwwZJG-pJHX3LJUVn_0rAWWbLehRSJiNLVDIj5KRHvdEqgs_hma0ESIu-8Fa5cbUaTHFVdFPCDk0Y6WvPBgB3wn-nWCpA9Y/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Morah.Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cartoon girl with red hair and light brown skin, wearing a blue shirt and red striped pants and holding a wrapped present, stands in front of a real life door with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the door is a yellow sign that reads "Chicken Exit"" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LrwjSO92MZlW5oODdlwkTgetar_QGrQ4YEWKPk-lDnfOkQLam5Y-il85HWuoDZPhIjSbqbfRB6ygSHpcfdTXq43gtOwwZJG-pJHX3LJUVn_0rAWWbLehRSJiNLVDIj5KRHvdEqgs_hma0ESIu-8Fa5cbUaTHFVdFPCDk0Y6WvPBgB3wn-nWCpA9Y/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Morah.Cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":6915,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":16777215},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 20: Gabi Snyder, author of COUNT ON US! As a young adult I went skiing for the first time with friends who were seasoned skiers. They said they could teach me to ski and we got in line for an intermediate slope. I could barely stand in the skis. The idea of starting with an intermediate slope terrified me. Even the chairlift terrified me! So another friend and I happily took the chicken exit and spent the afternoon taking lessons on the bunny hill. The chicken exit was definitely the right choice!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 20: Gabi Snyder, author of COUNT ON US! </b></span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":6915,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":16777215},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 20: Gabi Snyder, author of COUNT ON US! As a young adult I went skiing for the first time with friends who were seasoned skiers. They said they could teach me to ski and we got in line for an intermediate slope. I could barely stand in the skis. The idea of starting with an intermediate slope terrified me. Even the chairlift terrified me! So another friend and I happily took the chicken exit and spent the afternoon taking lessons on the bunny hill. The chicken exit was definitely the right choice!"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"As a young adult I went skiing for the first time with friends who were seasoned skiers. They said they could teach me to ski and we got in line for an intermediate slope. I could barely stand in the skis. The idea of starting with an intermediate slope terrified me. Even the chairlift terrified me! So another friend and I happily took the chicken exit and spent the afternoon taking lessons on the bunny hill. The chicken exit was definitely the right choice!"</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1XKWrYdQz47xtTkabmIgP9yBtg54J3QFSShPrjbNhLxc4vIVpW7QGVYSt3DpCv8jn-boKUPZ03IPLVevYCjzXLwHISWkbTkT2ZH2EPzAs2wwLAAUTm2W6CxB2s5nWy_jgVv4IoMNZj_IpFXWqH6gSaxshnHSJ6NPpLELWtWKyiquwI_LTvttxgNz/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Gabi%20Snyder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A light-skinned woman with blond hair in a dark grey shirt stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1XKWrYdQz47xtTkabmIgP9yBtg54J3QFSShPrjbNhLxc4vIVpW7QGVYSt3DpCv8jn-boKUPZ03IPLVevYCjzXLwHISWkbTkT2ZH2EPzAs2wwLAAUTm2W6CxB2s5nWy_jgVv4IoMNZj_IpFXWqH6gSaxshnHSJ6NPpLELWtWKyiquwI_LTvttxgNz/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Gabi%20Snyder.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">I hope you enjoyed Days 18-20! Now, I want to give a huge thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways on Twitter and Instagram. Today I'm announcing the winners!!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">First up, we have the winner of the Twitter giveaway:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #45818e; font-size: medium;"><b>Mrs_Alexa_Terry (That.Tall.Teacher)</b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Congratulations!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">And next we have the winner of the Instagram giveaway: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Ryann Jones (ryann_jones117)</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Congratulations to you, too!! I hope you both enjoy the book and swag! And if you didn't win, you can pre-order your own copy at any of the following links (or wherever books are sold):</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781684465002" target="_blank">The King's English</a><span> </span> <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/braver-than-brave/9781684465002" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Braver-Brave-Janet-Sumner-Johnson/dp/1684465001" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <span> </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/braver-than-brave-janet-sumner-johnson/1140968971" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">If you've missed the previous Facing Down the Chicken Exit Posts, you can find them here:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-8-10.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 8-10</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-11.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 11-14</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-15.html" target="_blank">DAYS 15-17</a></p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-49787649985015566092022-07-22T10:00:00.030-04:002022-07-22T10:00:00.184-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 15 - 17<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">On with the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 15-17 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</span></p><p><b style="font-family: inherit;">DAY 15: Girlie </b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"My friends wanted to do a play and I decided to do it with them, but I don't like being looked at by a lot of people, so more or less stage fright. So my friends hyped me up and I just didn't look at anyone in the audience, and everything went well."</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL3uE5ibCbKnU897LQzDYxeRcMNt7749Cphr0RVT1Xo1CVa4HhnBA_fLV6FyKzGVf0v7jUxJN24BE6OCu1FQKK99cBpeodEkhgb5fcZpG_cOuYjW-DFpJHEQpxrsPiKaM_DBqEiNCBZtla-ZDOR6gEYmC5l9wS3iJnily8_-Jk1mW3k9suUi7vDlD/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Girlie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="A white teenaged girl with blond hair, wearing jeans and a t-shirt stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAL3uE5ibCbKnU897LQzDYxeRcMNt7749Cphr0RVT1Xo1CVa4HhnBA_fLV6FyKzGVf0v7jUxJN24BE6OCu1FQKK99cBpeodEkhgb5fcZpG_cOuYjW-DFpJHEQpxrsPiKaM_DBqEiNCBZtla-ZDOR6gEYmC5l9wS3iJnily8_-Jk1mW3k9suUi7vDlD/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Girlie.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>DAY 16: My Mom, author of me! </b> </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I have a couple of stories about facing a chicken exit. The first was one day when we all went to Lagoon, our local amusement park. I spent the first half going on rides with you (that’s me! Janet Sumner Johnson). Somehow, we ended up in the Colossus line—the ride with 2 upside-down loops—and we happened to be first to enter. I wasn’t excited to sit in the front seat, but you were, so I did it for your sake. I was scared to death, but I felt like it was what I had to do. I made the mistake of closing my eyes in the scariest parts and got the worst case of motion sickness I have ever had. You had to go around with someone else the rest of the day. I wish I had been brave enough to keep my eyes open. But I’m still glad I did it! </span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">"The second story I thought about was when, as a youth leader, I took a large group to a waterslide park. You should know that I hate waterslides. I don’t really like slides of any kind. Everyone there encouraged me to go down the dark slide. I still remember that you all had a great laugh at the look on my face when I came out! There again, it was what I thought I had to do, BUT I’m really glad I did it. So I think that bravery is doing what you have to do even if you don’t really want to and it scares you.face when I came out. It was what I thought I had to do. So I think that bravery is doing what you have to do even if you don’t really want to and it scares you."</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtk0-uGN4IvMmRZu_ONjfpwyIDYUKsMVfGfaRCwdeDSwyF2wk8-4ZS0aDOGApvGxL6vPRleEkUdaUpeiSP7TVCC11UIya8YVW1HmOHqi_hmbrbXF0Mc2RRI2wpTQY8jbbYXyW095uAncSB3lFHyWDyU-7pkAkxo0of6cBPk2_3oZWwmev-J-cD8jg/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Janet, a light-skinned woman with light brown hair in a red shirt stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the door-frame is a yellow sign that reads "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtk0-uGN4IvMmRZu_ONjfpwyIDYUKsMVfGfaRCwdeDSwyF2wk8-4ZS0aDOGApvGxL6vPRleEkUdaUpeiSP7TVCC11UIya8YVW1HmOHqi_hmbrbXF0Mc2RRI2wpTQY8jbbYXyW095uAncSB3lFHyWDyU-7pkAkxo0of6cBPk2_3oZWwmev-J-cD8jg/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Mom.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>DAY 17: <a href="https://www.alsonnichsen.com/" target="_blank">A.L. Sonnichsen</a>, Author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/red-butterfly/9781481411103" target="_blank">RED BUTTERFLY</a></b></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;">"My husband had to get a cyst removed from his earlobe. I said I wanted to be in the room with him when the procedure happened, but I got so woozy watching the doctor dig into his flesh that I took my chicken exit and hightailed out of there, just in time before I passed out. I sat on the floor in the hallway with my head between my knees deep breathing. No more surgery observations for me!"</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTDsoLsvh__Fc-Ss7ZESe68u9KKrglDEupV6h_bCu_h8yYBgfFM4s4tT5-2y05pbLILm7wmeL46kfuCOzsIgoL2DD2UpUexVZx7o_O6v1rwpMNNBYZ_fHJMlSyAavv1dF8kqLZJMKY4D6VEfv0eKbVZwZvzYSwDyHP226F1R9gbPq75qkGhmFKX0P/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Amy%20Sonnichsen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A white woman with dark hair in a blue patterened dress stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTDsoLsvh__Fc-Ss7ZESe68u9KKrglDEupV6h_bCu_h8yYBgfFM4s4tT5-2y05pbLILm7wmeL46kfuCOzsIgoL2DD2UpUexVZx7o_O6v1rwpMNNBYZ_fHJMlSyAavv1dF8kqLZJMKY4D6VEfv0eKbVZwZvzYSwDyHP226F1R9gbPq75qkGhmFKX0P/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Amy%20Sonnichsen.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. And one on Instagram, which you can enter </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever </span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"> delivers. Good luck! </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-8-10.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 8-10</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-11.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 11-14</span></a></p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-10323002575451074222022-07-19T10:00:00.029-04:002022-07-19T10:00:00.166-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 11 - 14<p>Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 11-14 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 11: <a href="https://www.sharongiltrowauthor.com/" target="_blank">Sharon Giltrow</a>, author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/bedtime-daddy/9781925820386" target="_blank">BEDTIME, DADDY!</a> </b></span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself "I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do." So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit."</span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEowbUoWYtoTi4AvgnfEDs2Vxu46HuiaqKHa-lg_t6brW_Y_lg7Vkn-6cmWoKl41xPvVSzpRIHdjDIFgPUNAHFSYIw9IVBTxV4g4bmjze0lhdDSX0KcQrXzoo5i6UcH8vjfOnz5HUsetDi18lPE54OThLithLxwaK-gTLU6NWKtFpjcgB6CJYzcDm/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Sharon%20Giltrow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A white woman with dark hair in a dark, flower-print shirt sits in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEowbUoWYtoTi4AvgnfEDs2Vxu46HuiaqKHa-lg_t6brW_Y_lg7Vkn-6cmWoKl41xPvVSzpRIHdjDIFgPUNAHFSYIw9IVBTxV4g4bmjze0lhdDSX0KcQrXzoo5i6UcH8vjfOnz5HUsetDi18lPE54OThLithLxwaK-gTLU6NWKtFpjcgB6CJYzcDm/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Sharon%20Giltrow.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 12: PB Character </b> </span></span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chicken Frank in <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/chicken-frank-dinosaur/9780807511411" target="_blank">CHICKEN FRANK, DINOSAUR</a> had to push past the doubters and naysayers in order to finally win understanding and support from his friends for the theory of evolution and his connections to dinosaurs. Along the way he also learned something new himself. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~by <a href="http://www.skwenger.com" target="_blank">S.K. Wenger</a> & art by <a href="https://www.jojoensslin.de/" target="_blank">Jojo Ensslin</a></span></span><br /></span><p></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsZ1lNMhLFk4c1YJEDKcudl2RhzQpOBdrR8u-32mZVJ5I1uM1doEOtlizHeqri_ILfH9ls9N8d6m0FGx8WmH8zu7yckWjUYQ_Qcmk7ekBtQ9WhnfK1fW6U9c5UH31l744ljAd_FR7VNKUmq4tKqtAtAeFlwYSt5WSaJtghNlv3A3Mq0GcGT7x7QWJ/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Shaunda.ChickenFrank.Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An illustrated chicken stands in front of a real life doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Over the door is a sign that says "Chicken Exit"" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsZ1lNMhLFk4c1YJEDKcudl2RhzQpOBdrR8u-32mZVJ5I1uM1doEOtlizHeqri_ILfH9ls9N8d6m0FGx8WmH8zu7yckWjUYQ_Qcmk7ekBtQ9WhnfK1fW6U9c5UH31l744ljAd_FR7VNKUmq4tKqtAtAeFlwYSt5WSaJtghNlv3A3Mq0GcGT7x7QWJ/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Shaunda.ChickenFrank.Cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":6915,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":16777215},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 13: Wendy MacKnight, author of THE FRAME-UP I was 9 years old, the last kid on my street to ride a bike because I was scared of falling. “Enough,” I said finally, staring down the slight incline at the top of my street. It took five tries, a few falls, but I did it - total bike boss, chicken no more!\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 13: <a href="http://wendymcleodmacknight.com/" target="_blank">Wendy MacKnight</a>, author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-frame-up-9780062668301/9780062668318" target="_blank">THE FRAME-UP</a></b> </span></span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 11:Sharon Giltrow, author of BEDTIME, DADDY! \"I thought 'The Little Mermaid' roller coaster at Disneyland Tokyo would be doable. I lined up with my then 9-year old daughter and I inched to the front of the line. I said to myself \"I am a 43 year old woman, I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.\" So I bravely turned left and took the chicken exit.\""}"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":6915,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":16777215},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 13: Wendy MacKnight, author of THE FRAME-UP I was 9 years old, the last kid on my street to ride a bike because I was scared of falling. “Enough,” I said finally, staring down the slight incline at the top of my street. It took five tries, a few falls, but I did it - total bike boss, chicken no more!\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I was 9 years old, the last kid on my street to ride a bike because I was scared of falling. “Enough,” I said finally, staring down the slight incline at the top of my street. It took five tries, a few falls, but I did it - total bike boss, chicken no more!"</span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNnbXFmcNoPGogCrXPrVsqDZBoG4z0Gw-UiY8A23KhMRbb7RrUeoFglO2Z3Ctm6XvQIR3BfsWlPFk39e1J-SuIiZOcQJ6l4xNMqRrZ8yOjPsNbItRFoLeAZIwgkBjEXw0LCw59uJKNImvOkUcZyVcSMjss3PV7iv-q9K_xIKJHuF0su3szBjzCsnO/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Wendy%20MacKnight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A white woman with red hair in a green coat and black dress stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNnbXFmcNoPGogCrXPrVsqDZBoG4z0Gw-UiY8A23KhMRbb7RrUeoFglO2Z3Ctm6XvQIR3BfsWlPFk39e1J-SuIiZOcQJ6l4xNMqRrZ8yOjPsNbItRFoLeAZIwgkBjEXw0LCw59uJKNImvOkUcZyVcSMjss3PV7iv-q9K_xIKJHuF0su3szBjzCsnO/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Wendy%20MacKnight.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>DAY 14: <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/fort-builders-inc-the-birthday-castle/9781534452381" target="_blank">Fort Builders, Inc</a>. Team </b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Fort Builders team faced their chicken exit when all their hard work was destroyed and they had to decide whether to give up or find a way to make it work! </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~by <a href="https://www.deeromito.com/" target="_blank">Dee Romito</a>, art by <a href="https://thebrightagency.com/us/childrens-illustration/artists/marta-kissi" target="_blank">Marta Kissi</a></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMc3J7Lo-LglB39dRr0LnfO0KcHt6rgWbvLPgd51s4cj4nPvc6QjH4wQic7T6RudzxTBDuUcuOH-ag9G2P8T29BNsBjH03ElU5Ut3QY5YWwfewJrQiLoXEZB4vW4v8KSbSD38xwhTozSlGFTfzArjKH2etc1zXzdE0KuTeHHElyBXRBcdNVt6rNBi/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.FortBuilders.Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="four illustrated children stand in front of a real doorway. In the background is a rollercoaster. Above the door is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheMc3J7Lo-LglB39dRr0LnfO0KcHt6rgWbvLPgd51s4cj4nPvc6QjH4wQic7T6RudzxTBDuUcuOH-ag9G2P8T29BNsBjH03ElU5Ut3QY5YWwfewJrQiLoXEZB4vW4v8KSbSD38xwhTozSlGFTfzArjKH2etc1zXzdE0KuTeHHElyBXRBcdNVt6rNBi/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.FortBuilders.Cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. And one on Instagram, which you can enter </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever </span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"> delivers. Good luck!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-8-10.html" target="_blank">DAYS 8-10</a></p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-10398599237081861332022-07-15T10:00:00.012-04:002022-07-15T10:00:00.163-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 8 - 10<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 8-10 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 8: PB Character Diante in BRAVE IN THE WATER does (spoiler alert!) finally put his face in the water instead of running away.\n~by Stephanie Wildman (@stephanie_wildmansf), illustrated by Jenni Feidler Aguilar\n"}"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAY 8: Picture Book Character </span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diante in BRAVE IN THE WATER does (spoiler alert!) finally put his face in the water instead of running away.</span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 8: PB Character Diante in BRAVE IN THE WATER does (spoiler alert!) finally put his face in the water instead of running away.\n~by Stephanie Wildman (@stephanie_wildmansf), illustrated by Jenni Feidler Aguilar\n"}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~by <a href="https://www.stephaniewildman.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Wildman</a>, illustrated by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artwithmrsf/" target="_blank">Jenni Feidler Aguilar</a><br /></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLRhlrAbNDcOqAFyfmAm4UP0JKmsh7w1-FRFvMcszuuqjZyNbhvkt8AZiNk2xKMG3YJPM6VB5LkoSS72STYBoenEIb_ObxcQPvrI-tAkpmZQcAbE0E-AvBnJdtQwiXhBXxUG2dfqBECS-fSG_qrlEjR6zrerkAGSiK4gEfc61yrr-XznxGLq_FSpk/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Diante.Cover.Brave%20in%20the%20Water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="A cartoon of the top half of a head of a dark-skinned boy with black hair peeks into a photograph of a non-cartoon doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihLRhlrAbNDcOqAFyfmAm4UP0JKmsh7w1-FRFvMcszuuqjZyNbhvkt8AZiNk2xKMG3YJPM6VB5LkoSS72STYBoenEIb_ObxcQPvrI-tAkpmZQcAbE0E-AvBnJdtQwiXhBXxUG2dfqBECS-fSG_qrlEjR6zrerkAGSiK4gEfc61yrr-XznxGLq_FSpk/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Diante.Cover.Brave%20in%20the%20Water.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAY 9: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/caseyklyall/" target="_blank">Casey Lyall</a>, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS </span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄"</span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 9: Casey Lyall, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS \"My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI48BFtaey_S8MpD6cDVqUMWWWOFFRFQNAEDNr_wzXYyWrZyRbO00LDfaVqGhwZx5fqBf4q4UuIeLH_ioxkEe_qJYlStP4lbG44o2pMSMZMwm-5C5R6cHhYNniZ93FcLLjav34HwQiFWOqPaIGeel-EG5BmFDERjHJq_oUZtFNiE4l7xn9-qBR6Q6j/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Casey%20Lyall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A white woman in glasses peeks in from the bottome with only her eyes and nose showing. She stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI48BFtaey_S8MpD6cDVqUMWWWOFFRFQNAEDNr_wzXYyWrZyRbO00LDfaVqGhwZx5fqBf4q4UuIeLH_ioxkEe_qJYlStP4lbG44o2pMSMZMwm-5C5R6cHhYNniZ93FcLLjav34HwQiFWOqPaIGeel-EG5BmFDERjHJq_oUZtFNiE4l7xn9-qBR6Q6j/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Casey%20Lyall.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 9: Casey Lyall, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS \"My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄\""}"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAY 10: Picture Book Character </span></b></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 9: Casey Lyall, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS \"My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shailey, from HELP WANTED: MUST LOVE BOOKS, faced down her chicken exit by standing up for herself to find a new bedtime storyteller. ~by <a href="http://janetsumnerjohnson.com/" target="_blank">Janet Sumner Johnson</a> & illustrated by <a href="https://www.courtneyjdawson.com/" target="_blank">Courtney Dawson</a></span></span></p><p><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":33555201,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"28":1}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 9: Casey Lyall, author of A SPOONFUL OF FROGS \"My chicken exit story is that I was in a haunted house with three of my friends and we were all hanging onto each other so tight none of us could even make it to escape through the chicken exit. So I guess sometimes you need your friends to help you be brave. 😄\""}"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fgUmQGip1H8_Unbgon09e7lOy0I_22Xdb2HX17UjFivl07rGV5e9Nii2R_dHl0_J5wSc2GoRjgeYNVpx5t_zdWzBaROvMwLgP-uBTy2R3Ou0DJli8N7vz2gVOGuWd3JImJD_MLWXMIiHyLxnlvrxPsxn4oK9vCqTp5V_05nIX9Uz0K23SGb0aMd8/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Shailey.Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cartoon of a dark-skinned girl with dark curly hair in a bun holds an orange book and stands in a photograph of a non-cartoon doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2fgUmQGip1H8_Unbgon09e7lOy0I_22Xdb2HX17UjFivl07rGV5e9Nii2R_dHl0_J5wSc2GoRjgeYNVpx5t_zdWzBaROvMwLgP-uBTy2R3Ou0DJli8N7vz2gVOGuWd3JImJD_MLWXMIiHyLxnlvrxPsxn4oK9vCqTp5V_05nIX9Uz0K23SGb0aMd8/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Shailey.Cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. And one on Instagram, which you can enter </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever </span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"> delivers. Good luck!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-5-7.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 5-7</span></a></p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-15152512512156174352022-07-12T10:00:00.042-04:002022-07-12T10:00:00.165-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 5 - 7<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/braver-than-brave/9781684465002" target="_blank">BRAVER THAN BRAVE</a>, illustrated by <span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 5-7 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="{"2":769,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0}" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"DAY 5: Girlie \"My friends wanted to do a play and I decided to do it with them, but I don't like being looked at by a lot of people, so more or less stage fright. So my friends hyped me up and I just didn't look at anyone in the audience, and everything went well.\""}"><b>DAY 5: </b></span><b><a href="https://patriciabaileyauthor.com/" target="_blank">Patricia Bailey</a>, author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-tragically-true-adventures-of-kit-donovan/9780807581438" target="_blank">The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan</a> </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband wanted to learn to paraglide and wanted me to learn with him. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, despite being AFRAID of HEIGHTS</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">and easily MOTION SICK, I agreed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I kited on the training hill. (FUN!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I took a tandem paragliding ride off of the top launch of the mountain. (SCARY and MOTION SICK MAKING! NOT FUN!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But despite being scared and sick, I decided to pluck up my courage and keep trying. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, I learned how to handle the wing (FUN!) and how wind works (INTERESTING!) until I was able to I fly by myself off the training hill (SO MUCH FUN!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was time to put all that training to work and fly for real off the middle launch of the very big mountain.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One by one my training partners launched off the mountain. One by one they soared over the trees, navigated the power lines, and landed in the field below.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was my turn. I looked the treetops below and the power lines in the distance. I thought about what I'd learned, and I thought about all the things I needed to remember in order to fly down safely and land. And I knew that the minute my feet left the ground it was all me. I knew if I was too scared I would crash.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I knew I was too scared. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So I took the Chicken Exit. I stayed on the ground and cheered the others on while they soared through the air again and again. (FUN!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm still not sure what kind of bird I'll be in the future – if someday I'll fly off the mountain or if I'll stay close to the ground forever. I'll just keep picking my brave day to day and we'll see.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eea8Pp3-Ki2lCTcA63YkeAqioV8BZLXAVPwdRUeFHmbmbg-2BR96SAeItpb74-EK9c-BAJe9W738F5A1qChZYVBbtLGe_59s_e0NcyzK2Ydq-XjLBbHGHo6NKM2f1V8zNSaO5Tsri13uwzkpZ3QzxF5AvUBlmM1jdtEtgFnaa6_fxhMYUzFftBix/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Trish.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Trish, a white woman with light brown hair wearing a blue dress, stands in an open doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the door is a yellow sign that says "Chicken Exit"" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eea8Pp3-Ki2lCTcA63YkeAqioV8BZLXAVPwdRUeFHmbmbg-2BR96SAeItpb74-EK9c-BAJe9W738F5A1qChZYVBbtLGe_59s_e0NcyzK2Ydq-XjLBbHGHo6NKM2f1V8zNSaO5Tsri13uwzkpZ3QzxF5AvUBlmM1jdtEtgFnaa6_fxhMYUzFftBix/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Trish.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><b style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>DAY 6: PB Character </span></b><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Sister and Little Sister in <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/when-water-makes-mud-a-story-of-refugee-children/9781950169436" target="_blank">WATER MAKES MUD: A STORY OF REFUGEE CHILDREN</a> faced down their chicken exit when escaping war with nothing by creating their own toys and keeping hope alive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">~by <a href="https://www.janiereinart.com/" target="_blank">Janie Reinart</a> and illustrated by Morgan Taylor</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jhHlvWxY_gbOTecV4WrxBam5NL3rWBV2NdmEJrbvU3MRUYvV2qvjz8ZN-Dh2317Wmb-IOsd6Ut4HowJhxlSnQrlCgk0lR_n8z_6wdhA2xhe0oDtaFeA_TL03oVjhobPaMj1v_3YRHnOGjQbluyDPUXwzyEsGwcLu9jsZVlpnxMrXRqJxEh7JhobB/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.WaterMud.Cover.Janie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="A cartoon of two young girls with dark skin. One wearing a purple dress, the other a yellow dress, sit in a photograph of a non-cartoon doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jhHlvWxY_gbOTecV4WrxBam5NL3rWBV2NdmEJrbvU3MRUYvV2qvjz8ZN-Dh2317Wmb-IOsd6Ut4HowJhxlSnQrlCgk0lR_n8z_6wdhA2xhe0oDtaFeA_TL03oVjhobPaMj1v_3YRHnOGjQbluyDPUXwzyEsGwcLu9jsZVlpnxMrXRqJxEh7JhobB/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.WaterMud.Cover.Janie.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAY 7: <a href="https://www.deeromito.com/" target="_blank">Dee Romito</a>, author of <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/fort-builders-inc-the-birthday-castle/9781534452381" target="_blank">FORT BUILDERS, INC</a>.</span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"When I was teaching, we went on a field trip to Rock City. We had to take the “swinging” bridge, walking on creaky wooden slats across the empty space below. My students thought it was funny that I was so scared and made sure that bridge shook. When I got across, a bunch of the kids were already there. “How did you get across?” I asked. They pointed and said, “We took the stone bridge.” If I had known I had the option, I would have totally chickened out!"</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzroQei1p7-aE0jFqlwfTnHHHfU_2NlHxmwgoZdhsrEac70kvyeQRuwIEjEQqHJbUx9Sedb9Y9OcQXVF7L4J2gYJY6M4UdKdPbGNOSkiO_fVSy0mKnxKc-HkwX_SgC5u1EaQh77ckRYt-A8UYjAW1coxsbJT93weiITZrEgn9_fsN2pZANl8p74vtt/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Dee%20Romito.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="A white woman with dark hair in a pink skirt and navy shorts stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzroQei1p7-aE0jFqlwfTnHHHfU_2NlHxmwgoZdhsrEac70kvyeQRuwIEjEQqHJbUx9Sedb9Y9OcQXVF7L4J2gYJY6M4UdKdPbGNOSkiO_fVSy0mKnxKc-HkwX_SgC5u1EaQh77ckRYt-A8UYjAW1coxsbJT93weiITZrEgn9_fsN2pZANl8p74vtt/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Dee%20Romito.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. And one on Instagram, which you can enter </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;">. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever </span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626;"> delivers. Good luck!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: inherit;">Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-days-2-4.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">DAYS 2-4</span></a></p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-18461950827465347872022-07-09T10:00:00.012-04:002022-07-09T10:00:00.170-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAYS 2 - 4<p>Today, we continue the countdown to the release of my upcoming picture book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, illustrated by <span data-keep-original-tag="false" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;"><a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span data-keep-original-tag="false" face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #262626;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. I present Days 2-4 of </span><em>26 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit</em>!</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>DAY 2: Wanda, mc of Braver than Brave</b></span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Wanda wants to be Brave like her big brother Zane who is the bravest kid she knows. She tries the monkey bars, Skeleton hill, and even camp Wakalaka. But they are not her Brave. Will Wanda ever find HER Brave?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I love this picture of Wanda. </span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl notranslate _a6hd" href="https://www.instagram.com/eunji.illustration/" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; vertical-align: baseline;" tabindex="0">@eunji.illustration</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> really captures Wanda’s emotions. All the fears. All the doubts. Wanting to be Brave so badly, but so uncertain if she’ll ever manage it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I feel that way all the time. How about you?</span><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbDUkgGHB6mSSq5Sv0p2z_huwlvYuywHXCmRZMemKwpc6hZi2GA8t6trEfJCqp6bx5mxwYpur4ckzmgfL1O8hub3uK64KLnlK9AQiuQ0bWDc0tPf1qUHkcjrHSUAPREq2WWN8XiuQXnMgP4TroDZ3X-9nVetG5Cv1lrkvzd2rrY3734Y2i_SrpPuN/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Wanda2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cartoon of a dark-skinned girl with dark curly hair, wearing a yellow sweater stands in a non-cartoon photograph of a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbDUkgGHB6mSSq5Sv0p2z_huwlvYuywHXCmRZMemKwpc6hZi2GA8t6trEfJCqp6bx5mxwYpur4ckzmgfL1O8hub3uK64KLnlK9AQiuQ0bWDc0tPf1qUHkcjrHSUAPREq2WWN8XiuQXnMgP4TroDZ3X-9nVetG5Cv1lrkvzd2rrY3734Y2i_SrpPuN/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Wanda2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">DAY 3: Eunji Jung</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, Illustrator of Braver than Brave</span></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"At the opening reception of my solo exhibit, I was so nervous and scared to do the artist talk in front of a lot of people, but I faced down my own chicken exit by thinking about the reward I would get for being a little brave. In the end, people loved my speech and art!"</span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pNj4jW_8Hie9mbq0IibXFsTSjU47kboLFX7p5Ap4m7SbCWkVRYRZkvgWpbQgejXXQTg1IGmAq9wYlAYnLmXwJVHmnTRiGTSjVLuOTjZEpn_2zPEgwExfdK7-AC3XcxcXXuXdPK71fiHj9jvdm6hrQsM7Y8ikSgCp3sWX877ZKRsWdskrn_LBphVC/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Eunji%20Jung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eunji, an Asian girl with bleached hair wearing brown slacks and a gray shirt, stands in a doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pNj4jW_8Hie9mbq0IibXFsTSjU47kboLFX7p5Ap4m7SbCWkVRYRZkvgWpbQgejXXQTg1IGmAq9wYlAYnLmXwJVHmnTRiGTSjVLuOTjZEpn_2zPEgwExfdK7-AC3XcxcXXuXdPK71fiHj9jvdm6hrQsM7Y8ikSgCp3sWX877ZKRsWdskrn_LBphVC/w300-h400/Chicken%20Exit.Eunji%20Jung.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>DAY 4: Picture Book Character</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mama, from GET READY, MAMA, had to be brave and say goodbye to her daughter when it was time to go to school.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">~by Sharon Giltrow & illustrated by Arielle Li</span></div><div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6JfuAifru7ntIbiMNMgDMOTeQK95fCHuXvOry6u18P89HwAMeo_43LOtVuSMxWhK2mSZC0US05g6kmBPGzLRWLWFqqLC7K2sb6xD7x7lZKb78PT9CfeLHbMwXIyPaxvxVK_b46Tv1KiZkla1Ok-DUVaKx3wCjBxBZKcGEouQKIhVvN3e4qVpWDa2/s4032/PBChicken%20Exit.Mama.SharonGiltrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A cartoon white woman with dark hair in a brown skirt and white shirt stands in a photograph of a non-cartoon doorway with a rollercoaster in the background. Above the doorway is a sign that says "Chicken Exit."" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ6JfuAifru7ntIbiMNMgDMOTeQK95fCHuXvOry6u18P89HwAMeo_43LOtVuSMxWhK2mSZC0US05g6kmBPGzLRWLWFqqLC7K2sb6xD7x7lZKb78PT9CfeLHbMwXIyPaxvxVK_b46Tv1KiZkla1Ok-DUVaKx3wCjBxBZKcGEouQKIhVvN3e4qVpWDa2/w300-h400/PBChicken%20Exit.Mama.SharonGiltrow.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;">In celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter </span><a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;">. And one on Instagram, which you can enter </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">HERE</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;">. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever </span><a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Book Depository</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;"> delivers. Good luck!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;">Check out other days of Facing the Chicken Exit:<br /><br /><a href="https://janetsumnerjohnson.blogspot.com/2022/07/26-days-of-facing-chicken-exit-day-1.html" target="_blank">DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</a></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p></div></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-74694427769910830662022-07-06T09:30:00.031-04:002022-07-08T09:56:18.484-04:0026 Days of Facing the Chicken Exit: DAY 1<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My next Picture Book, BRAVER THAN BRAVE, comes out in 27 days!!! (August 1, 2022) It's illustrated by the amazing <a href="https://eunjijung.com/" target="_blank">Eunji Jung</a>, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and published by <a href="https://shop.capstonepub.com/library/brands/capstone-editions/" target="_blank">Capstone Editions</a>, a Capstone Imprint. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Woo hoo!!!!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I'm counting down with 26 days of Facing The Chicken Exit, and today is DAY 1. Here we go!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>DAY 1: The Legend of the Chicken Exit</b></span></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When my kids were young, we went to an amusement park that had some amazing rollercoasters. My kids were little, but middle child was determined to go on the smallest of them. We waited in line, but the closer he got, the less certain he was about riding it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We got to the front, and lo and behold, we found this "Chicken Exit." That moment became a key moment for him as he had to decide what to do.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It also became the inspiration for my upcoming book BRAVER THAN BRAVE! So of course we had to take a trip back to that very amusement park to visit the inspirational Chicken Exit and get some pictures.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-zDB6AUFG_zETjBr4zcSVcndOjqqeXQiR1EQaZUVBPv4fbsvcr9DeVPsfx7IufqYF1mwSL7SY54e6R-v5FdKYzSNQB7bztdHnRDvB2s2YN2qmQzBcENtxmpGY8dtCgoyf1U70yVeCH1NiyUPTC8Ym-kebGSL2BkKjs3frYcoVCkz4Cy_BBaS2Y5_/s3088/Chicken%20Exit.Janet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-zDB6AUFG_zETjBr4zcSVcndOjqqeXQiR1EQaZUVBPv4fbsvcr9DeVPsfx7IufqYF1mwSL7SY54e6R-v5FdKYzSNQB7bztdHnRDvB2s2YN2qmQzBcENtxmpGY8dtCgoyf1U70yVeCH1NiyUPTC8Ym-kebGSL2BkKjs3frYcoVCkz4Cy_BBaS2Y5_/w240-h320/Chicken%20Exit.Janet.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Here he is, standing in that exit now that he's grown and more experienced. </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Oh how I wish I had a picture of him back then.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> It was an easy decision to march past it this time</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">, but little him really struggled. </span><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Little him HATED the idea of going through that chicken exit, but the roller coaster was big & scary. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The Ride Attendant said, "After the first hill, the rest is easy."</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">So little him did it.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqHsOmknBGOmAC6ZmfMhtWdenLj4kMMBeC4JhYtJ2QkhDkzvydpSRh1J68INjqArmNdYx5nX9O2q7Xl-MUPKXg-g_rzIx5qZK3k7NbSFdpLKySHjbTG_xlauYoNVsJrCC5uzClzvMoMQ4lSmXfU95p0g_jdudqUMZfQm0Q0Jijr_2g7_cPk5RAIZR/s4032/Chicken%20Exit.Brandt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqHsOmknBGOmAC6ZmfMhtWdenLj4kMMBeC4JhYtJ2QkhDkzvydpSRh1J68INjqArmNdYx5nX9O2q7Xl-MUPKXg-g_rzIx5qZK3k7NbSFdpLKySHjbTG_xlauYoNVsJrCC5uzClzvMoMQ4lSmXfU95p0g_jdudqUMZfQm0Q0Jijr_2g7_cPk5RAIZR/w240-h320/Chicken%20Exit.Brandt.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div>I've thought a lot about what it means to be Brave. Sometimes it's Brave to ride the coaster. Sometimes it's Brave to take the chicken exit. It's different for everyone, because WE are all different. We all have different needs. Different talents. Different fears. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7Ba_hD2nfWU8MT2I-VJU4tL-3FfEjKLKBzMnHBMVyM6Qyk_tIx0Akz3mvq8A_lpAVTqMkICg1Eoaqih0ZHOlrq8RUt7FoyHgWBLWT_TBCGTCor0o79g9z4ga9IuDT9fH99eyzVb3hv2vqYZVFqwMWCsXttvOWqL7dXo5z1AM2SonT0fVfZJH_76a/s1800/Rollercoaster.Thumbs%20up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR7Ba_hD2nfWU8MT2I-VJU4tL-3FfEjKLKBzMnHBMVyM6Qyk_tIx0Akz3mvq8A_lpAVTqMkICg1Eoaqih0ZHOlrq8RUt7FoyHgWBLWT_TBCGTCor0o79g9z4ga9IuDT9fH99eyzVb3hv2vqYZVFqwMWCsXttvOWqL7dXo5z1AM2SonT0fVfZJH_76a/w256-h320/Rollercoaster.Thumbs%20up.JPG" width="256" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We all face figurative chicken exits as we go through life, and I'm so excited to share a new story each day this month of how people and picture book characters have faced down their own chicken exits!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, in celebration of the upcoming release of BRAVER THAN BRAVE, I've got two giveaways going on right now. One on Twitter, which you can enter <a href="https://twitter.com/MsVerbose/status/1544373040812683264" target="_blank">HERE</a>. And one on Instagram, which you can enter <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfoSeezj_Sa/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. They both open through July 23rd, and they are both open to wherever <a href="https://www.bookdepository.com/" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> delivers. Good luck!</div></span></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-34986560212480275502022-04-18T12:33:00.002-04:002022-04-18T12:58:34.203-04:00Pacing Problems and Hidden Repetition<p>It has been a long time since I've written about writing. I've been so busy doing the actual writing, that I haven't thought about much else. This past weekend I've been thinking about Pacing. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL6LUF6GMuVbjdKOZ7KQmWhJZwInkf6X2Jlq4s9IOgetcwsz64a1O3eMGfSsIpJlhbIuXLk6Eq_UoZnbG6ILUX67BJqWfxxZ0ZV4-s31DNDXYxT6yz3to6hHAN8V68oHEUGI17wic9Y9wHJnTu-w0wIndTr7umvNwCeZlUO8x5aJg6SPVOkoQExrL/s1170/IMG_3450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Speed Limit Monitor showing the speed limit as 25 and your speed as 6." border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1170" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTL6LUF6GMuVbjdKOZ7KQmWhJZwInkf6X2Jlq4s9IOgetcwsz64a1O3eMGfSsIpJlhbIuXLk6Eq_UoZnbG6ILUX67BJqWfxxZ0ZV4-s31DNDXYxT6yz3to6hHAN8V68oHEUGI17wic9Y9wHJnTu-w0wIndTr7umvNwCeZlUO8x5aJg6SPVOkoQExrL/w200-h198/IMG_3450.jpg" title="Speed Monitor" width="200" /></a></div>Pacing can be a tricky thing. You think you're moving along at 25 mph, when you're actually only going 6. Usually, you don't even notice until someone points it out with feedback like this:<p></p><p>"Pacing's off." </p><p>"This feels slow."</p><p>"This feels rushed."</p><p>"Something's off, but I can't pinpoint the problem."</p><p>Maybe you haven't gotten such comments, but I sure have. And it can be frustrating feedback because it's not always clear how to fix it. Especially when you feel like you are only giving your readers the information they need.</p><p>Recently, I was revising a middle grade book, and one of my big concerns was cutting back the word count. It was long for a middle grade, but it was an intricate, complicated plot, so finding places to cut proved difficult.</p><p>Luckily I had the help of some amazing CPs (critique partners) and my agent, but as I worked through their suggestions, I discovered that <b>Hidden Repetition</b> was the the reason behind probably 95% of what I cut. Okay, that number is completely non-scientific, but you get the idea.</p><p>So what is Hidden Repetition, you ask? Let me tell you!</p><p><b>Hidden Repetition is when an idea is repeated using different words. </b></p><p>As humans, we do this all the time. It's so imbedded into the way we think, it's not surprising that it creeps into our writing as well. Think of a few common expressions:</p><p>"Safe and sound."</p><p>"Plain and simple."</p><p>"Slip and slide."</p><p>But it's not just about overused synonyms. Hidden Repetition can be found at all levels of writing. At the word level (as shown above), at the phrase level, and at the scene level. </p><p><b>Paragraph Level</b></p><p>To find Hidden Repetition at this level, you have to take a closer look at your writing to find the problem. For example, here's a paragraph from my own work:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Exactly what you'd expect from the Wintertons. They were rich. They had money to waste on such things.</i></p></blockquote><p>Looking at actual words, there isn't much repetition. Only the intended emphasis on "They." But those last two sentences express the same idea. So it's better to choose the sentence that says more.</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Exactly what you'd expect from the Wintertons. <strike><span style="color: red;">They were rich.</span></strike> They had money to waste on such things.</i></div></blockquote><p>Yes, there is such as thing as nuance, and truthfully, that double emphasis might be fine . . . but when you compound many such repetitions, it adds up and slows the pace. Here is another example:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The rain roared in my ears, and I shivered. All I wanted was to leave. "Please can we go?"</i></p></blockquote><div>Again, there is no obvious repetition, but do you see it? Do you know what needs to be cut?</div><div><br /></div><div>This kind of repetition falls into the "show and tell" category. Yes, I made that up, but it's spot on. As writers, we've all heard the expression, "Show don't tell." That's a whole other topic that I could spend a lot of time on, but you know what I mean. Show what happens to your character instead of telling your readers what happens.*</div><div><br /></div><div>We know this, so we do the work and show it. But then we worry our reader won't get it. They won't understand that <i>thing</i> that we're trying to convey. So we do both. We show AND tell, which is exactly what I've done above. Here is my edit:<br /><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The rain roared in my ears, and I shivered. <strike><span style="color: red;">All I wanted was to leave. </span></strike>"Please can we go?"</i></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>The rain and the shivering and the question are enough to inform the reader that she wanted to leave. I didn't need to tell them. And by cutting that repetition, I tighten my story and give it a cleaner and smoother feel.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Scene level</b></div><p>At the scene level, the question we have to ask ourselves is whether or not the scene is giving new and necessary information to our readers. The writing may be good. It may be giving our readers information about our characters, but is it new? And is it necessary? Let me share an example to show you what I mean:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>In the school, signs pointed audience members one direction and contestants another. We followed the signs down the trophy hall. The Region Soccer trophy that Gordon had helped win stood front and center with a light shining down on it. Behind it was a picture of the team. The state Mathletes trophy was in the corner behind some smaller trophies. And there was certainly no picture of our team. </i></p><p><i>Would we have been front and center if Jennifer hadn’t ditched? I couldn’t imagine the Wintertons accepting anything less. But I was just a lowly scholarship student. And Mathletes wasn’t soccer. </i></p><p><i>At the end of a hallway, a sharp-dressed woman about Mom’s age stood behind the check-in table. </i></p></blockquote><div>In this scene, I was trying to build the tension between my MC and her brother. I was trying to show how she might be jealous of him and the attention he is getting for doing what she deemed as less. Truthfully, in my humble opinion, it's a good scene. It does exactly what I was aiming for without saying that she was jealous.</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT, this scene did not pass the test. First, while the information was new, I had already established that there was tension between them. And second, this information was not necessary. Not only had I already established the tension, but the tension I build in this scene is coming from the wrong place. The tension I wanted to build wasn't from jealousy, it was from a difference of opinion about an important issue. </div><div><br /></div><div>In short, this scene, though well-written, was not serving my story. It was slowing down the action and distracting my readers from what I was really trying to say. So here is what that scene became:<br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><p><i>In the school, signs pointed audience members one direction and contestants another. We followed the signs <strike><span style="color: red;">down</span></strike> <span style="color: #38761d;">to the end of</span> the trophy hall <span style="color: red;"><strike>The Region Soccer trophy that Gordon had helped win stood front and center with a light shining down on it. Behind it was a picture of the team. The state Mathletes trophy was in the corner behind some smaller trophies. And there was certainly no picture of our team. </strike></span></i></p></div><div><p><i><span style="color: red;"><strike>Would we have been front and center if Jennifer hadn’t ditched? I couldn’t imagine the Wintertons accepting anything less. But I was just a lowly scholarship student. And Mathletes wasn’t soccer. </strike></span></i></p></div><div><p><i><span style="color: red;"><strike>At the end of a hallway</strike></span><strike><span style="color: red;">,</span></strike> where a sharp-dressed woman about Mom’s age stood behind the check-in table. </i></p></div></blockquote><p>I got them where they needed to be without the little side trip. Again, I didn't cut it because it was poorly written, but because it wasn't serving my story. It doesn't matter how well-written a scene may be, if it's not serving the story, it is slowing the pace and preventing your readers from getting the information they need. </p><p>While this example is just a small scene (because it was easier to show you), the same principles apply to longer scenes. Sometimes, you may end up cutting a whole chapter or more. I've done it. And my stories have been the better for it.</p><p>Though I don't have time to tell you about all the places and ways Hidden Repetition can sneak into your writing (for example, sometimes a whole character can be hidden repetition!), hopefully this discussion has been helpful! I was honestly surprised to find out just how much there was in my writing. Once it was cleared, the story flowed better and the pacing was no longer an issue. </p><p>Let me know if you have questions, or if there's another topic you'd like me to discuss. </p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*I feel compelled to mention that there is a place for telling in your writing. This rule should not be taken as gospel 100% of the time. Perhaps I'll do a post on this in the future.</span></i></p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-22172187684086849732022-04-11T12:19:00.001-04:002022-04-11T12:19:43.897-04:005 MG Books I Can't Wait to Read <p>I've been so immersed in picture books the last little bit, that I've neglected talking about MG books. So today I am making up for that. There are so many great books coming out in 2022, and I'm going to share 5 MG Books that I'm excited for! (I'm excited for way more than that, so I may have to do another post like this one. Twist my arm a little!)</p><p>First up is <b>EDEN'S EVERDARK by <a href="https://www.karen-strong.com/" target="_blank">Karen Strong</a>.</b></p><p>I fell in love with Karen's writing in her first book, JUST SOUTH OF HOME, and I cannot wait to read this one. It comes out September 6th, 2022, but I may have had the good fortune of snagging an ARC (advance reader copy), so watch for a review. My 12-yo is also a big Karen Strong fan, so her review may come first. So excited!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg42SflBhUQZKYPPudM1SCmFTTyh11J3LY1IPfRbDVanBUd7Ruwuodg_helrPnaHMoVZqUir_rVUosPcXdsd_GkzYEIUu-uAhrwdKMa6r2lGqtarvoyAXLMmNr7lpwM3bbiXhwZrXkyKniGPg6DFQXeAb-F2p1WS1lFjrOvyy6oKLsyZEJ87IQ_1c7Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg42SflBhUQZKYPPudM1SCmFTTyh11J3LY1IPfRbDVanBUd7Ruwuodg_helrPnaHMoVZqUir_rVUosPcXdsd_GkzYEIUu-uAhrwdKMa6r2lGqtarvoyAXLMmNr7lpwM3bbiXhwZrXkyKniGPg6DFQXeAb-F2p1WS1lFjrOvyy6oKLsyZEJ87IQ_1c7Q=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Here is the blurb:</p><p><i>Hailed by Newbery winner Kelly Barnhill as “stunning, moving, and marvelously strange,” this tale of a young girl who stumbles into a magical realm ruled by a wicked witch is a haunting and ultimately uplifting middle grade novel about grief, family, and decades-old magic.</i></p><p><i>Still grieving the loss of her mother, Eden visits Safina Island, her ancestral home, as a healing balm. But when she discovers an old sketchbook that belonged to her mother, she’s haunted by the images she sees drawn there. A creepy mansion covered with roots and leaves. A monstrous dog with dagger-sharp teeth. And a tall woman with wind-blown hair and long, sharp nails who is as beautiful as she is terrifying.</i></p><p><i>Days later, exploring the island alone, Eden follows a black cat through a rift in the bright day. She stumbles into Everdark, a parallel world where the sun never rises, where spirits linger between death and the afterlife, and where everything from her mother’s drawings is all too real—especially the Witch of Everdark, who wants to make Eden her eternal daughter.</i></p><p><i>Can Eden find a way to defeat the witch’s magic? Or will she remain trapped in Everdark forever?</i></p><p><br /></p><p>Next up is <b>A DUET FOR HOME by <a href="http://www.karinaglaser.com/" target="_blank">Karina Glaser</a></b>.</p><p>You may have heard of Karina's VANDERBEEKER series which is like a warm hug in book form. If you haven't read those, get on that right away! A DUET FOR HOME was supposed to be her second book, so I'm all the more excited to finally get to read this one. It just came out last Tuesday, April 5th, 2022. My copy is on the way to my house from <a href="https://booksofwonder.com/" target="_blank">Books of Wonder</a> (a great place to order from!) as I type. And yep, you guessed it, a review will be coming for this one, too.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr8Xt6rE6RbmNI1BFr1TBnjWDCV0jkQRT-IDdj4xvVDTIcuySbvMye5bj4FZjV6JtDZ9BmkVM9bsCHBIxZEZBya_9zvuoDbfKDkXkgGOdOWkyugFJXK_cu2dWS5EH-e1kjf5_tKURK_IXBqb8Fq88iT4PwHC80d9xw40Wgbm97PTGgBeznpC1t8Vl9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhr8Xt6rE6RbmNI1BFr1TBnjWDCV0jkQRT-IDdj4xvVDTIcuySbvMye5bj4FZjV6JtDZ9BmkVM9bsCHBIxZEZBya_9zvuoDbfKDkXkgGOdOWkyugFJXK_cu2dWS5EH-e1kjf5_tKURK_IXBqb8Fq88iT4PwHC80d9xw40Wgbm97PTGgBeznpC1t8Vl9=w213-h320" width="213" /></a></div><br />Here is the blurb:<p></p><p><i>From the New York Times bestselling creator of the Vanderbeeker series comes a triumphant tale of friendship, healing, and the power of believing in ourselves told from the perspective of biracial sixth-graders June and Tyrell, two children living in a homeless shelter. As their friendship grows over a shared love of classical music, June and Tyrell confront a new housing policy that puts homeless families in danger.</i></p><p><i>It's June’s first day at Huey House, and as if losing her home weren’t enough, she also can’t bring her cherished viola inside. Before the accident last year, her dad saved tip money for a year to buy her viola, and she’s not about to give it up now. Tyrell has been at Huey House for three years and gives June a glimpse of the good things about living there: friendship, hot meals, and a classical musician next door. Can he and June work together to oppose the government, or will families be forced out of Huey House before they are ready?</i></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>A PERFECT MISTAKE by <a href="https://www.melanieconklin.com/" target="_blank">Melanie Conklin</a></b> has had me excited since I first read the blurb. Mystery? Intrigue? Hidden Secrets? Sign me up! This one comes out on July 12th, 2022, and I canNOT wait!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkgOACg1FfGtmV7Pd-VkgGYDRIfr9i5XRdWHU6tKyFXePy6VIGEpGbb0ga6tjm_SN52iIovc2NwKHEtPs46Il8DA3HviPNXgo_09lBl5VMAjNru5HjiQDD0VvmhN2_qVJUrGSIg9nefntqHdZdYRBLcSMD7U6Cg9c4kj02zdw-FxkOdDwxElokbMb1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="488" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhkgOACg1FfGtmV7Pd-VkgGYDRIfr9i5XRdWHU6tKyFXePy6VIGEpGbb0ga6tjm_SN52iIovc2NwKHEtPs46Il8DA3HviPNXgo_09lBl5VMAjNru5HjiQDD0VvmhN2_qVJUrGSIg9nefntqHdZdYRBLcSMD7U6Cg9c4kj02zdw-FxkOdDwxElokbMb1=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Here's the blurb:<p></p><p><i>A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.</i></p><p><i>Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma. </i></p><p><i>When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b>THE BUTTON BOX by <a href="http://bridgethodder.com/" target="_blank">Bridget Hodder</a> and <a href="http://fawziagilani.com/" target="_blank">Fawzia Gilani-Williams</a> </b>is on the very top of my TBR pile (literally. My copy arrived last week!). I love learning about other religions and cultures, and this one has both a Jewish and Muslim main character. A book of inclusion is exactly what the world needs, and what I'm craving, right now! This book just came out on April 1, 2022. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV4J6cWq0wcZ_cYplce-yJgzl8LzZLS6wnuklsZSQsD-rpK8tKY9iRo3VbC_fkfatdHk2wcT2TweLVgb11sAeRq4e1ToVJDJFBzhCRKmesZM5zvG_SbCk2Q8Nz3wFg7_Uzj9OmwZ5D9YlEqIY5RsmS5RW6eln6bGwJszI0x-okzBf6InoBxOhYBx30" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="461" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhV4J6cWq0wcZ_cYplce-yJgzl8LzZLS6wnuklsZSQsD-rpK8tKY9iRo3VbC_fkfatdHk2wcT2TweLVgb11sAeRq4e1ToVJDJFBzhCRKmesZM5zvG_SbCk2Q8Nz3wFg7_Uzj9OmwZ5D9YlEqIY5RsmS5RW6eln6bGwJszI0x-okzBf6InoBxOhYBx30=w235-h320" width="235" /></a></div><br />Here's the blurb:<br /><p></p><p><i>If a magical button and a mysterious cat could transport you to the past...would you save the future?</i></p><p><i>After Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her Muslim cousin Nadeem are called hateful names at school, Granny Buena rummages in her closet and pulls out a glittering crystal button box. It's packed with buttons that generations of their Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny's mysterious cat Sheba, Ava and Nadeem discover that a button from the Button Box will whisk them back in time. Suddenly, they find themselves in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem's ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can Ava and Nadeem help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a legendary Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians?</i></p><p><br /></p><p>And my final book is <b>WHERE WE USED TO ROAM by <a href="https://jennbishop.com/" target="_blank">Jenn Bishop</a></b>. Okay, I'm cheating just a bit on this last book, since it actually came out last year. BUT, the paperback just came out on April 5th, 2022, so I'm counting it! This book deals with some pretty heavy issues (sibling drug use), and I love that MG is getting more inclusive to deal with things kids really face. In fact, I could have used this book when I was a kid. So it will have to suffice that adult-me gets to read it.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKqI_CWvSCmfKL-ptVe3D4Lvh_FcdfGcBcuEuangFzIoSRVIuG9W9SzfJhs2ug58nBrOSdu1W0acxgcz-XMOm7GjxwEE3KAGrSIda89aUGiaY4BeCWdBFRbdSrCmUuiB9T9KH6Q-z5bK9CIL15IGNsiHpQFJDIEjU29fYAd-Q8HMbOSBVlrOhTlojb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2114" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKqI_CWvSCmfKL-ptVe3D4Lvh_FcdfGcBcuEuangFzIoSRVIuG9W9SzfJhs2ug58nBrOSdu1W0acxgcz-XMOm7GjxwEE3KAGrSIda89aUGiaY4BeCWdBFRbdSrCmUuiB9T9KH6Q-z5bK9CIL15IGNsiHpQFJDIEjU29fYAd-Q8HMbOSBVlrOhTlojb=w212-h320" width="212" /></a></div><br />Here's the blurb:<div><br /></div><div><div><i>When Emma starts sixth grade, things finally begin to change. She may still be in the shadow of her older brother, Austin, the popular high school quarterback, but she’s made artsy new friends who get her way more than her bookish best friend, Becca.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>But things are changing for Austin, too. After undergoing surgery for a football injury, Austin has become addicted to opioid painkillers. By the end of the school year, everything blows up with Austin—and Becca. When their parents decide to send Austin to rehab and Emma to stay with family friends in Wyoming for the summer, Emma seizes the chance to get away.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Wyoming turns out to be a perfect fresh start, especially after Emma makes friends with Tyler, a kindred spirit who doesn’t judge her—then again, he doesn’t know what she did to Becca. Still, Emma can’t hide forever…or go back to the way things were with Austin or with Becca. But can she find a way to confront the truth and move forward?</i></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>What books are you looking forward to reading! Let me know in the comments so I can add to my TBR pile!</p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-5218358954769018142022-03-28T11:25:00.000-04:002022-03-28T11:25:10.190-04:00A Book Deal and Publishing Secrets<p>I'm so excited to share that my next picture book, <i>A Bad Case of the Almosts</i>, was finally announced last week! (My third picture book, and my fourth book!!! But who's counting?) </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQoIB1IuCWJfN95EtQDyUcdoEhH_8cjDo3MgsSGxw_6kxRIyPnJdmvEZIyJkjiynj6V-rQ5jGMRuhJefuK_HDcY04_Uz2RdERDJQX0R1zA9I5-E6Ggppe0BLBoKYx3jNcZD2x9bQsxi64mIiUnZ5Q9kfYdBLz2Nh4yTxfaf6ggr1Uv2-db0bpsNlq/s1600/Untitled%20design%20(6).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzQoIB1IuCWJfN95EtQDyUcdoEhH_8cjDo3MgsSGxw_6kxRIyPnJdmvEZIyJkjiynj6V-rQ5jGMRuhJefuK_HDcY04_Uz2RdERDJQX0R1zA9I5-E6Ggppe0BLBoKYx3jNcZD2x9bQsxi64mIiUnZ5Q9kfYdBLz2Nh4yTxfaf6ggr1Uv2-db0bpsNlq/s320/Untitled%20design%20(6).png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>In case you can't read that, here's what it says:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Christianne Jones at Capstone has acquired world rights to <i>A Bad Case of the Almosts </i>by <b>Janet Sumner Johnson</b> (l.), illustrated by <b>Alexandra Colombo</b>. In this book, Abby conducts an experiment to discover if "almost" can be a good thing. Publication is set for spring 2023; Lauren Galit at LKG Agency represented the author, and Emmajane Turner at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.</p></blockquote><p>I wrote A BAD CASE OF THE ALMOSTS when I was struggling with them myself. I'd had a few books on submission that *ALMOST* sold, and it felt like "almost" was my destiny. Not quite there. Not quite good enough.</p><p>I commiserated with a good friend of mine, and she encouraged me. Told me to keep going and that she thought I was about to break through. That I was *almost* there. She could feel it.</p><p>I couldn't, but it made me reassess. What if "Almost" wasn't the stumbling block I thought it was?</p><p>I'm just thrilled to share this book with you, and I hope a few of you can relate to how it feels to be so close to something, then not quite make it.</p><p>So. You may have noticed that it's slated for a spring 2023 release. That might seem fast for a picture book, but I have a secret to share with you about the publishing industry. I actually signed this picture book contract last June. Yep, 9 (NINE!!!) months ago. </p><p>With picture books, the announcement takes a while because once the author signs the contract, the publisher has to find an illustrator and get them to sign a contract before the book can be announced. And every publisher works slightly differently. Some publishers might jump right on finding an illustrator. Others might wait a bit because they are busy working on other projects. Some contracts are more complicated, so it might take more time to negotiate that contract. And it also depends on when the book is slated to be published.</p><p>All of that means nine months of waiting for an announcement is pretty typical when it comes to picture books. I even know some authors who have waited over two years for a book to be announced! And let me tell you, it can be pretty hard to keep a secret for that long. So it's an amazing day when we can finally share about a book that we are so excited for!</p><p>And one final note, for those with curious minds: Longer books, the kinds that don't have an illustrator, those announcements can come much faster. Though not always . . . because negotiating a contract can still take time, which means months can pass between when an author first gets an offer and when the contract is finally signed.</p><p>Publishing is an industry of secrets and a test of patience. Which is why you will so often hear an author say: "I got great news today!! But I can't talk about it yet." Because like I said, keeping secrets--like a book deal!--is HARD! And when you've got good news, all you want to do is shout about it to the world.</p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-70514953263379506642022-03-21T06:00:00.014-04:002022-03-21T11:54:27.770-04:00Author Interview: Cindy Williams Schrauben<p>Good morning! Today I am thrilled to have debut author Cindy Williams Schrauben here on my blog. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of her book THIS COULD BE YOU (April 1, Cardinal Rule Press), illustrated by Julia Seal. I loved it so much, I reached out to the publisher to hook us up. </p><p>Cindy graciously agreed to an interview, and here we are! It was such a joy to get to know her better, and I'm excited for all of you to meet her as well. Also, you can read my review <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4583922417" target="_blank">HERE</a>. So enough of my jabbering, let's meet Cindy! (As always, I'm in green.)</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZMhuCOtzRoT5sguAGh1rt7PVbz07iOwwEHNC6Wj8XqkySz1zViVyZPut604UhBPpo2XIvXHhhupKNMwf2lACTKb4NiAzGjEaU2qqaxK5ISBgdIZvc-nY_YhAdmSdFtz-BJkl2-n-XCUzBZpsvERJToZIPxRH0MRtSZv-cpyFO24FzzBOrAuw1ziK1=s6215" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6215" data-original-width="4143" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZMhuCOtzRoT5sguAGh1rt7PVbz07iOwwEHNC6Wj8XqkySz1zViVyZPut604UhBPpo2XIvXHhhupKNMwf2lACTKb4NiAzGjEaU2qqaxK5ISBgdIZvc-nY_YhAdmSdFtz-BJkl2-n-XCUzBZpsvERJToZIPxRH0MRtSZv-cpyFO24FzzBOrAuw1ziK1=s320" width="213" /></a></span></b></div><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Hi Cindy, welcome to
my blog!</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks so much
for having me. I’m thrilled to be here.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Can you tell us a
little about yourself and how you came to write children's books?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">As a mom, grandmother, and former teacher, books have always
played a big part in my life. My
favorite memories involve kids in my lap reading. Though I have always enjoyed
writing, and dreamed of writing a picture book, It wasn’t until my daughters
moved out that I took it seriously – I knew I needed my own passion. I attended
the NYC-SCBWI Conference early on and the energy and kindness of the kidlit
community had me hooked right away.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Conferences are the best. The energy is amazing! Please tell
us about your upcoming book, THIS COULD BE YOU.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZF7oYCQ7QX3io2AevvB4mhDfePuFPLTE6TFQpCrqX26RhMhw2_5UnzQm8xrnv7xW23oqe7qyP6Z_IBpMFEXvSrz7H3OHWNCPzSFF5Pc49rlzrByfC9LC2mnLOTZZpqyRladeIAtoIbFdk3lA8D9HoWE1ERDve0yT4BmK9K80Bn3kqZt0IHCTx8eO=s1500" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1233" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDZF7oYCQ7QX3io2AevvB4mhDfePuFPLTE6TFQpCrqX26RhMhw2_5UnzQm8xrnv7xW23oqe7qyP6Z_IBpMFEXvSrz7H3OHWNCPzSFF5Pc49rlzrByfC9LC2mnLOTZZpqyRladeIAtoIbFdk3lA8D9HoWE1ERDve0yT4BmK9K80Bn3kqZt0IHCTx8eO=w164-h200" width="164" /></a></div>Unlike many of my books, This Could Be You started out with
an intentional message and goal – to inspire kids to believe and achieve by
empowering them with growth mindset principles. I set out to create a book in
which all kids could see themselves persevering. Each spread stars a different
group of children living out their dreams – and, sometimes, struggling along
the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being able to learn from our
failures is a crucial part of a growth mindset. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I completely agree. We all go through failure, but it doesn't define us. Kids need to see that! Your book creates such a hopeful
feeling for your readers. What inspired you to write it?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My grandsons and the realization that I didn’t always
encourage a growth mindset in my girls when they were young. Well-meaning
comments like, “you are so smart” and “math is just easy for you” can have
unintentional negative connotations. Instead, statements like, “Wow, you really
worked hard for that” help them to realize that it is ok if something is hard
because effort will help us get there. Our talents and skills are malleable. I
hope that this book, which features extensive backmatter for adults, will help
us all use more intentional language with our kids. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">Such great advice! I've been working on that as well with my kids. And so much great back matter!<br /><br />Speaking of work, your rhymes and rhythms are just plain fun to read. Writing in
rhyme feels so daunting to me (I clearly need your book to build up my growth
mindset!). Your stanzas all sound so perfect, they feel like it must have come
out that way, but I'm sure you worked hard at it! Could you share a little bit about your revision process?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every story in my head comes out in rhyme first – I often realize
that rhyme isn’t right for a story, but for this one, I think it works. That
isn’t to say that it was perfect (or even good) at the beginning. Rhyming
requires a great deal of assessing and maneuvering. I often read out loud while
tapping out beats like a conductor (I have to be careful who’s watching my
loony antics). That is part of what I love about it, though – it’s like a
puzzle. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Love that! I'm sure all us writers look a little loony when in the zone. And so fascinating that you start in rhyme. So, my favorite stanza
was, of course, the one about writing. Do you have a favorite stanza? What do
you love about it?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fun fact #1 – the illustrator used a childhood photo of me
to draw the young author on that page. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Really??! That is so cool! <i>*runs off to find that page*</i></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Picking my favorite is tough, but I think it is this:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><o:p> </o:p>Who has <b>keen-design</b>
flair,</p><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">an artist’s <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">time-to-shine</b>
flair,</p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">sketch-and-then-refine</b>
flair?</p><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Create. It could be you!</p><p></p></blockquote><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Why? It shows a character who tries and fails, but doesn’t
give up.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">The refinement part is key to success. Such a great stanza.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Moving on to the art . . . it's so
expressive! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/julia_seal_illustration/" target="_blank">Julia Seal</a>, the illustrator, did an amazing job! I love the simplicity of the kids, and how well it captures their
emotions. Did you have any input on the art or illustrator? What was your reaction
at seeing the art? (so many questions!)</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I cried! It’s as if Julia Seal was in my
head when she created the illustrations. The diversity, the color, everything.
I didn’t have any input into the process at all, which was terrifying, but I
couldn’t be more pleased.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">It IS a terrifying process, but illustrators can do magic. And seeing your characters brought-to-life is a magical moment.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fun fact #2 – I LOVE the endpapers. My illustrator deserves
all the credit for this – she proposed that we ask children we know (along with
some winners of a contest) to draw pictures of their dream jobs. Those Jr.
Illustrators include my grandsons, nieces, nephews, etc. They loved being a
part of it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I LOVED the endpapers! Brilliant idea from Julia. And so exciting for those kids!</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Can we talk writing
for a minute? How many picture books would you say you wrote before finally
getting a deal on this one?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Oh boy. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many unfinished
stories I have, but as far as completed, ready to submit stories, close to 20. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Wow. But it really shows you are living the message of THIS COULD BE YOU. What helped you the
most on the path to publication?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The number one most important part of my journey has been
the kidlit community – from critique partners to contest organizers and
bloggers. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have kept going without them. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="color: #38761d;">So much truth. The kidlit community is so uplifting. 💜</span></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Now on to the speed round of
favorites!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Ice cream:</span> </b>Vanilla
with lots of chocolate, caramel, and nuts. But, I don’t think there is a flavor
I would pass up. Ice cream is my weakness.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Color:</span> </b>Coral<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Time of day</span>: </b>Late
at night<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Sport:</span> </b>Baseball<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Musical instrument:</span> </b>Piano<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Animal:</span> </b>Dogs<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Word:</span> </b>Grow<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Picture Book (that
you didn’t write):</span> </b>Three Ninja Pigs by <a href="https://www.coreyrosenschwartz.com/Home.html" target="_blank">Corey Rosen Schwartz</a> and illustrated by <a href="https://dansantat.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Dan Santat</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I love how much we can learn from one-word answers. Love it all! (And Three Ninja Pigs is a favorite of mine, too!)</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">One last question. I
have a fascination for personalized license plates. What do you think your
characters might choose for their personalized license plate? You have 8
characters. Go!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>YesICan<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><span style="color: #38761d;"> So perfect! </span></o:p></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Thanks so much again!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you! This has been lots of fun. <o:p></o:p></p>~~~<p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">Cindy
Williams Schrauben<i> lives in Michigan where she writes books for kids that range
from the truly serious to the seriously silly. Before embarking on this path,
she held positions as a preschool administrator, teacher, and assistant
director of a children’s museum -- always striving to empower kids. When not
writing or honing her craft, Cindy might be found dissecting her grandsons’
shenanigans for story ideas, reading on the floor in the bookstore, or eating
ice cream… ideally all at once.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You can
connect with Cindy at <a href="http://www.cindyschrauben.com" target="_blank">her website</a> or her <a href="www.direct.me/cindywilliamsschrauben " target="_blank">Direct Me page</a>, and she's also on <a href="https://twitter.com/CindySchrauben " target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cindy.w.schrauben " target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cindyschrauben/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">You can purchase THIS COULD BE YOU through <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/this-could-be-you-be-brave-be-true-believe-be-you/9781735345130 " target="_blank">Monkey See, Monkey Do books</a>, or wherever books are sold.</span></span></p></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-29033910573779181812022-03-07T06:00:00.003-05:002022-03-07T14:05:38.499-05:00Author Interview: Dee Romito<p>Sometimes, hosting an author interview is a great way to meet some fantastic authors. And sometimes, hosting an author interview is a way to spend time with a great friend! But it is always a way to share some amazing books with you, my readers. Today, I'm super excited to have children's author, Dee Romito, here on my blog! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_81xUKUAQ_5m3Y3td4lmeLlLKx-rLPm9JLEVbPYocGG4f5UmZAOIYbdNyorRy22BldEXX_ZJWCYsnHwkE1gCSOvZewQNQD9wOjKsvXKVtaqLFSD_u4AIdlk748wcW4GFpL4NFfDwF1gDG22DlNw0qryH5WgkIk657b2nDc6uOmQVh_tQEUxPRfZ02=s800" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_81xUKUAQ_5m3Y3td4lmeLlLKx-rLPm9JLEVbPYocGG4f5UmZAOIYbdNyorRy22BldEXX_ZJWCYsnHwkE1gCSOvZewQNQD9wOjKsvXKVtaqLFSD_u4AIdlk748wcW4GFpL4NFfDwF1gDG22DlNw0qryH5WgkIk657b2nDc6uOmQVh_tQEUxPRfZ02=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div>We met almost ten years ago through Pitch Madness (which was a contest that allowed you to get your work in front of agents). Since then, we have debuted our middle grade books together, taken picture book classes together, attended writing conferences and book festivals together, chatted for countless hours via text, phone, and zoom, and most recently, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZjnLy4Fisw/" target="_blank">I even convinced her to do a Reel on Instagram with me</a>! (Seriously, you should follow that link . . . just not until you've finished reading here. 😁)<p></p><p>From when I first read her work, before either of us were published, I loved it! Dee writes super-relatable, hard-to-put-down, intriguing-plot stories. So it was no surprise when she sold her chapter book series, Fort Builders, Inc. in a 4-book deal! The fourth book just came out, and I'm thrilled to have her here to talk about it. So let's get started! (As always, I'm in green.)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Dee, will you tell us about your new chapter book series, FORT
BUILDERS, INC.?</span><o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 11.5pt;">Fort Builders Inc. is about a group of friends
who decide to start their own fort building business. They use teamwork,
creativity, and their individual skills to navigate each challenge.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzI8bQKkqSeHR194trum_mM42iEnt80dSOZr-_M6EV9qeoKwdXdS2aECEVo-w51-HzRMSSjASTVZXcLEXJtTtocdhM8PqrqEuDgdmN5s0F498y11M6bu9Ddz4zEzqmH70PQAjukTdIUSMb3bBjV1-8QGjjwg3fhpsuTfY0GPwu2ZQNetAPP5aVqQa4=s800" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="800" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzI8bQKkqSeHR194trum_mM42iEnt80dSOZr-_M6EV9qeoKwdXdS2aECEVo-w51-HzRMSSjASTVZXcLEXJtTtocdhM8PqrqEuDgdmN5s0F498y11M6bu9Ddz4zEzqmH70PQAjukTdIUSMb3bBjV1-8QGjjwg3fhpsuTfY0GPwu2ZQNetAPP5aVqQa4=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></span></b></p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I love this premise so much! It's b</span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">rilliant! What inspired you with idea? Because honestly, w</span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">hat kid hasn't wished they could build forts as a job? </span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And kids are so good at it! I was trying to think of an idea
for a chapter book series and asked myself, “What do kids like to do these
days?” Right in front of me was a box fort my kids had made. I had my answer!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdnq3wCReTi-iNzKAM8RJF_PsoDk2253UcPR7xSL3D1TFu8AuxVEv7TbVI3AdnUF23TegyST6tEHQRHo1RhUsaG4MZQnLU3BJpWxcoDmnsCVgQtXifIUBFJ8P3wUO0b9C2UoPqtwN6MOtzDFR9dMKiaJHcGnCaxXBGSuU1Qhnl6vtgqXckV9nZiS5t=s2550" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1728" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdnq3wCReTi-iNzKAM8RJF_PsoDk2253UcPR7xSL3D1TFu8AuxVEv7TbVI3AdnUF23TegyST6tEHQRHo1RhUsaG4MZQnLU3BJpWxcoDmnsCVgQtXifIUBFJ8P3wUO0b9C2UoPqtwN6MOtzDFR9dMKiaJHcGnCaxXBGSuU1Qhnl6vtgqXckV9nZiS5t=w136-h200" width="136" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Kids bring so much inspiration to our writing lives. Love it! So I happen to know that you built a fort or two as
research for your books. Can you tell us about that? Did you build any specific
forts from your books? What was the hardest part?</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I did! For the first book, I had to make a drawbridge, and
then I had to give my family the instructions I’d written to see if the steps
made sense. Watching them helped me fine tune what went in the book.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also built a pet fort for a litter of kittens we were
fostering. The kittens loved it, and they posed for some book promo photos too!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT7C4RJ0ivuh74UsB3YpG3zmRBPBZ-nHPTJU8kF4BMBYluIkkLHgpLXI3_w2q3ClH-zAcrXRBfPmNr92wDI5C5khgBVflPuDZY39cQXZ_3F0UBSrVwsKAHWHePgvNE3wfeJ8Lv9j7rYI6Yw6fkSS0ZcqqJPKuBfHOJjv5rH5LIc4X_4eLQA0Xgvlq5=s640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT7C4RJ0ivuh74UsB3YpG3zmRBPBZ-nHPTJU8kF4BMBYluIkkLHgpLXI3_w2q3ClH-zAcrXRBfPmNr92wDI5C5khgBVflPuDZY39cQXZ_3F0UBSrVwsKAHWHePgvNE3wfeJ8Lv9j7rYI6Yw6fkSS0ZcqqJPKuBfHOJjv5rH5LIc4X_4eLQA0Xgvlq5=w150-h200" width="150" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMbZQZ9IpngNHXkEcvNn4cfXjX3MLvk7B8bY3wm8HuE5d3_xcYOaLIhIl2WoQJDrCUp8RFQhLyb-XQW7HPdNW1acausNElctUFv27RbismGVkZXNgyNc5HXgSbAegJ7yvqQ3YoyTW2M7SKUPZLUUjTwDeAjasVBZOhK45M8KROcm20nI9lerU93u_g=s640" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="640" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMbZQZ9IpngNHXkEcvNn4cfXjX3MLvk7B8bY3wm8HuE5d3_xcYOaLIhIl2WoQJDrCUp8RFQhLyb-XQW7HPdNW1acausNElctUFv27RbismGVkZXNgyNc5HXgSbAegJ7yvqQ3YoyTW2M7SKUPZLUUjTwDeAjasVBZOhK45M8KROcm20nI9lerU93u_g=w200-h178" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #38761d;"><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="color: #38761d;">Those kittens are adorable! </b><b style="color: #38761d;">If you were part of Fort Builder's, Inc., what would your
job be in the fort-building team?</b></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’d probably end up being the organizer like Caleb. I like to figure out
what everyone is good at and then delegate tasks. I also like to encourage
everyone and be a sounding board if there’s a problem to solve.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87v4MafyJwiZzvrWmoBE7wDZXcodqK5yGUCwl61E5srlh-oTxww8DjULiLfWaf5x-5ituylUdvLMuvJt-mAi21D_BY9JsHPx3JJXEB7odE0OiuGhAEuAH-PN_36z6wqNGvc0eP_D3rIPZIdzAG1iI1pwIaUoIJ4gKQkCIrXzgo2LU5JVWdPSvlj2v=s2550" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1724" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi87v4MafyJwiZzvrWmoBE7wDZXcodqK5yGUCwl61E5srlh-oTxww8DjULiLfWaf5x-5ituylUdvLMuvJt-mAi21D_BY9JsHPx3JJXEB7odE0OiuGhAEuAH-PN_36z6wqNGvc0eP_D3rIPZIdzAG1iI1pwIaUoIJ4gKQkCIrXzgo2LU5JVWdPSvlj2v=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></b>Oh yeah. I can totally see that. I think I'd be like Kiara, doing the planning. 😂</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, I'd love for our readers to learn more about you, so what is one thing about you that might surprise us? </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I live in Buffalo, NY, which is very close to Niagara Falls
and Canada. Around here it’s not a big deal to say you’re going to Canada, but
when I talk to kids in other parts of the country and say I can go there for
the day, they often look surprised, like I have a secret passage to far away
land.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRuz0mE-beu_aoWXeKWWNiqybPf7sD9gOSIqDZRnQJ5sTlcx6EQfExyxxjc4AsHE5coIhf0cb5B0gEnB-9-akr0p51F-BZmWSWnNFhOH0I7OtDbz2-1ohrAAIxq2iK6yAqgqtD-YaWssmWNQApg3jo1vpkkdrmxUQhhff2QvA7r_Eu2XoMzlJr-M1M=s2550" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1724" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRuz0mE-beu_aoWXeKWWNiqybPf7sD9gOSIqDZRnQJ5sTlcx6EQfExyxxjc4AsHE5coIhf0cb5B0gEnB-9-akr0p51F-BZmWSWnNFhOH0I7OtDbz2-1ohrAAIxq2iK6yAqgqtD-YaWssmWNQApg3jo1vpkkdrmxUQhhff2QvA7r_Eu2XoMzlJr-M1M=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></div><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Oh, but you do. Canada is definitely a secret faraway land to those of us not by the border. </span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">What did you do before you were an author, and why did you decided to become one?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before I was an author, I was a teacher. And I love that I
still get to go into schools and classrooms and talk to students; it’s just in
a different role now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had always wanted to write a book someday and see it on
the shelf at a bookstore with my name on the cover. But it wasn’t until I was
home with my kids and my son asked me a question that sparked an idea for a
story. From there, I decided to learn how to write a book and get it published.
After a lot of hard work, I did get to see my book on the shelf at a bookstore.
<span face=""Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif" style="mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol-ext; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: "Segoe UI Emoji";">😊</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Way more than one, now! Because w</span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">ith the release of FORT BUILDERS, INC. you have published in 3 genres: Middle Grade, Picture Books, and Chapter Books. </span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Clearly,
you are amazing, as each is so different. </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Did you have to make any adjustments
to your writing process while working on FORT BUILDERS, INC.? </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ha ha. I would first argue that YOU are amazing, but back to
the question … Yes, I had to learn a whole new way to write a story. It seems
like it would be much easier to write a shorter book, but I had to learn how to
fit a story into 4,000 words instead of 40,000! My editor kept telling me to
make things happen sooner. You don’t have as much lead in when the story is chapter
book length and the plot points are closer together.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4NayG-WJfBuMFW9XCDzvKT51UWkYYv7S-fx7kMh3evwvnI9oxkcVsTvdeU2m6r0NB9SmtWlmC7vaJRLWYi-04S9T7rH2mPVfeaIUUb1ZI6SQAlaWiO9knTef_30kAsfmC_eY6dpTzWCDkoDY9MSoBDTRjhnjHEXBjsP2UoYgOU9pHBxhP0ZyTg_uY=s2550" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2550" data-original-width="1721" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4NayG-WJfBuMFW9XCDzvKT51UWkYYv7S-fx7kMh3evwvnI9oxkcVsTvdeU2m6r0NB9SmtWlmC7vaJRLWYi-04S9T7rH2mPVfeaIUUb1ZI6SQAlaWiO9knTef_30kAsfmC_eY6dpTzWCDkoDY9MSoBDTRjhnjHEXBjsP2UoYgOU9pHBxhP0ZyTg_uY=w135-h200" width="135" /></a></span></b></div><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Aww, thank you! 😊 But for real. Telling a whole story <i>with chapters </i>in 4000 words??! Seriously impressed over here. </span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Do you have a favorite category to write in?</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I really like variety and have a lot of different interests,
which is why I write in different categories. Each one is so different, and
it’s fun to explore them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">SO different. And being in two categories myself, I have to agree. </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, time to pick up the pace for the speed round!</span></b></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Favorite candy?</span> </b>Anything chocolate!</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Favorite color?</span> </b>Yellow</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Cake vs. Cookies?</span> </b>Cookies for sure</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Winnie-the-pooh character?</span> </b>Winnie the Pooh</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Patriot's game w/front row seats vs. Trip to London?</span> </b>Ha!
Easily London. </p></blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Considering I’m a huge Buffalo Bills fan and London in my
favorite city in the world, I feel like that last one is a trick question. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Haha! You know me too well. Just curious if I could pull one over on you in the quickness of it all. 😉 How about Buffalo Bills front row seats vs. Trip to London?</span></b> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Still London. But you know I love my Bills!!!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Without question! Buffalo Bills, all the way!</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, final question. License Plates. I always have to ask.
What would the Fort Builders, Inc. crew choose for personalized license plate
if they were old enough to drive? You have 8 letters, and GO!</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What a great question! I’d have to go with:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">FORT BLDR</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">It's perfect! Love it! Dee, thanks so much for hanging out with us today. So fun!</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">~~~</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Dee Romito<i> is an author of books for young
readers and a former elementary school teacher. Her middle grade books
include </i>The BFF Bucket List<i>, </i>No Place Like Home<i>,
</i>Postcards from Venice<i>, and co-authored </i>Best.Night.Ever<i> (Aladdin/S&S).
Her debut picture book, </i>Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore
Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott<i> (Little Bee Books)
received a starred review from Booklist and a Crystal Kite Award. Her latest
release is a chapter book series titled </i>Fort Builders, Inc<i>. (Aladdin/S&S).
Dee blogs about writing at </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"><span style="background: white; color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="http://WriteforApples.com">WriteforApples.com</a></span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"> and is Co-Founder of Buffalo-Niagara Children’s Writers and
Illustrators. While she does her best to be a grown-up most of the time,
giggling with her BFFs is still one of her all-time favorite things. You can
visit her website at </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.deeromito.com/"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">deeromito.com</span></a></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;">.</span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-style: italic;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">You can learn more about Dee and her books on </span><a href="http://deeromito.com" target="_blank">her website</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">, and she's also on <a href="https://twitter.com/writeforapples" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeeRomito.author" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/writeforapples/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8557376.Dee_Romito" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;">You can order all of Dee's books through <a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/fort-builders-4-book-release-celebration" target="_blank">Monkey See, Monkey Do Bookshop</a>, and everywhere books are sold!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-43827514066006872552022-03-01T07:00:00.001-05:002022-03-01T07:00:00.174-05:00Book News and Bits and Bobs<p>Hello! Now that it is 2022, I feel like I'm speeding towards the release date of BRAVER THAN BRAVE! There is so much going on.</p><p>Next Monday (3/7), I will have the fabulous children's author Dee Romito here on the blog, talking about her chapter book series, FORT BUILDER'S INC. Trust me, you don't want to miss that!</p><p>On March 21st, I will have picture book author Cindy Williams Schrauben here to talk about her debut book THIS COULD BE YOU. And no worries, I promise to remind you as it gets closer.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq6pUBIyMxYiaYYaviRj-cN9yUADOD8c_bjLXsRdakoHfmv88nuRJ3us1Urc-yiPzXQCj05iq64-yn1_jYN0vSKTnsscR3GNyw6963jAeC7NdU19tfiG4-UMkyvBYl6IbCTSDqWIkvG06iHI2p4mhWk-cnNWLBfifDwUilpchp_VI-YECs_JaOc2H_=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiq6pUBIyMxYiaYYaviRj-cN9yUADOD8c_bjLXsRdakoHfmv88nuRJ3us1Urc-yiPzXQCj05iq64-yn1_jYN0vSKTnsscR3GNyw6963jAeC7NdU19tfiG4-UMkyvBYl6IbCTSDqWIkvG06iHI2p4mhWk-cnNWLBfifDwUilpchp_VI-YECs_JaOc2H_=w200-h200" width="200" /></a></div>Today, even though I am here telling you about all these fun upcoming posts, I am actually over on <a href="https://www.boonewrites.com/post/six-questions-with-janet-sumner-johnson" target="_blank">the brand new blog of children's author Mary Boone</a>! She has a fun new series called "Six Questions." So you can read all about my writing process, what I was like as a kid, and get some insider information on BRAVER THAN BRAVE which releases on August 1st of this year. I hope you check it out (link is above)!<p></p><p>Finally, in case you missed it and are extra curious about my upcoming book, I was also recently on <a href="https://taralazar.com/2022/02/22/braver-than-brave/" target="_blank">Tara Lazar's blog Writing for Kids (While Raising Them)</a> for a cover reveal. On that post, I share the genesis for the story idea for BRAVER THAN BRAVE. </p><p>And okay, one last thing. I've discovered a love of making humorous Reels on Instagram about family life and being an author. If you want to see what I'm up to, come find me! I'd love to connect over there. My username is @janetsumnerjohnson. :)</p><p>Though I'll definitely be talking about my upcoming book here on my blog over the next several months, I also plan to tell you about other great books releasing into the world, and their amazing authors. Thanks for hanging around, and if there's anything particular you'd love for me to post about, let me know! </p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-14936736538752893772021-12-06T09:37:00.002-05:002021-12-08T11:36:49.675-05:00Author Interview: Zeena Pliska<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d5xGgfwEYjvZMZf94HaAhoQPf73a70dkOiUT1rmrC9KIFcyL0gpGlyTgK_Jx-ltWUaW_umIczxKWvWWVBgzCwlEL_LkHMD3k3TmKchVGHSu1no0pq8LKKBQDjrrlXNfrSAhTFPGRCxQ/s3184/DSC_0640+%25282%2529.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Latinx woman, Zeena, with black curly hair, and a maroon shirt, smiles at the camera" border="0" data-original-height="3184" data-original-width="2659" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8d5xGgfwEYjvZMZf94HaAhoQPf73a70dkOiUT1rmrC9KIFcyL0gpGlyTgK_Jx-ltWUaW_umIczxKWvWWVBgzCwlEL_LkHMD3k3TmKchVGHSu1no0pq8LKKBQDjrrlXNfrSAhTFPGRCxQ/w167-h200/DSC_0640+%25282%2529.JPG" width="167" /></a></div>Today, I'm excited to welcome Author Zeena Pliska to my blog! Her debut, <i>Hello, Little One! </i>(Page Street Kids, 2020), illustrated by Fiona Halliday, came out in 2020. It is beautiful and touching, and if you haven't read it . . . well, then I'm extra excited to introduce you to Zeena and this lovely book. <p></p><p>I am in green!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Hi Zeena, welcome to my blog! </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks so much for having me, Janet. It’s truly an honor!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #38761d; font-weight: bold;">The honor is all mine. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to
write children's books?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>I spend my days immersed in the joy of
5-year-olds. I’m a kindergarten teacher by day and a children’s book author by
night in Los Angeles, California. As a progressive public-school educator, I
believe that the most important aspect of teaching is listening to children. Often, children’s stories come through me
rather than from me. A lifetime storyteller, I have facilitated stories as a
theater director, visual artist, photographer and journalist. I think <i>“in stories,”</i> in narratives,
and am enchanted by all the stories that surround me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">I wrote my first
picture book in 1995 but was too involved in theater directing to really pursue
another direction at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years
passed. I developed as an exhibiting visual artist and lived with other artists
in a loft. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">When I had my
daughter, painting and photography were replaced by parenting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was no longer feasible to create stories
in mediums that literally took up space and required a studio/loft. Those delightful and play-filled years of
early parenting consumed my time and became my “artistic” pursuit. When my
child entered her teenage years, my storytelling reemerged in the form of
picture book manuscripts (they didn’t take up physical space and could be
stored on a computer.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">I’ve now entered
that world as a children’s book author and feel like I’ve found my sweet
spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, theater directing,
filmmaking, painting, and photographing still call out, seeking my attention…</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">I love that you've been involved in so many different creative pursuits. And I agree, it can be hard to settle on just one, but I completely agree that writing picture books is a sweet place to be! Can you please tell us about your book?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGM6vFoU4bzhYmlxfYEpl0-Vw7ws2PaDEf8ZMDpCzZ3A-8CsTtqHCbPg3xiWqUeSSh7Fc9jKd0E6JXAdiUfofZ145l3VvHwih3Wy4cwrhL7MZU3WmwGXZOBbA9I36MFweNVR8Y0MXXSU4/s2048/hello+little+one.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Book cover with a monarch butterfly talking to a catterpillar and the title Hello, Little One: A Monarch Butterfly Story" border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="2048" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGM6vFoU4bzhYmlxfYEpl0-Vw7ws2PaDEf8ZMDpCzZ3A-8CsTtqHCbPg3xiWqUeSSh7Fc9jKd0E6JXAdiUfofZ145l3VvHwih3Wy4cwrhL7MZU3WmwGXZOBbA9I36MFweNVR8Y0MXXSU4/w200-h178/hello+little+one.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><i><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/hello-little-one-a-monarch-butterfly-story/9781624149313" target="_blank">Hello, Little One: A Monarch Butterfly Story</a></i>
is a fictional picture book about a young monarch caterpillar who longs for
friendship. Having hatched among leaves of a Milkweed plant, it crawls from
green leaf to green leaf looking for a friend. And then, it sees Orange, an
adult monarch butterfly as it flits, flutters, and flies. When Orange lands on
a flower near Little One, the two strike up a friendship. Together they move
through the lifecycle as their friendship grows, each sharing their unique
point of view with the other.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">It’s a story of longing. Youth wanting to catch up with
age, and age savoring its memories of youth. The two at different stages of
their lives, meeting in that wondrous two-week window when both are able to
connect, love, appreciate, and admire each other.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The story came to life in my kindergarten world of
youthful energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally titled <i>Orange</i>,
it is a story of friendship, love, loss, grief, and renewal.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">So fun to learn it had a different title! And I have to say, your book really tackles all those topics in such a sweet and tender way. What
inspired you to write it?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">When I close my eyes, I am right
back in that moment when the story of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>Hello, Little One</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> jumped into my
heart.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">The school where I teach is
located in the Mar Vista/Venice Beach area. We are a waystation for
monarchs so it’s not unusual to see these beautiful creatures grace our
playground. In fact, they are our official mascot. They flit, flutter,
and swoop as children's laughter and sounds of play can be heard in the
background.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">One day at recess time, I was
walking on my way to the main office. In between the classrooms, a majestic
monarch butterfly fluttered about, landing on the flowers in the garden
boxes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was mesmerized by the
moment. I wondered, <i>“What must that butterfly see and
experience?”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">As I wondered, I was
struck by the sad, bittersweet thought that the life cycle of this monarch was
almost done. It had only about two weeks to live. I was struck by both the
strength of this creature and the fragility of life. In that moment, the
character of Orange was born.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I am a great lover of irony. The story developed around the friendship between a young
caterpillar at the beginning of its life cycle and an elder butterfly at the
end of its life cycle. The story was anchored in the two points of view
from the different stages of the life cycle and the perspectives each can
offer the other. A caterpillar who sees everything in life for the first
time and can’t wait to grow up and fly with its friend and a butterfly
who fondly remembers its youth while sharing the beauty and wonder that comes
with experience and age. It was important that the story not
just focus on the perspective of the adult, but respect the voice
of the child, giving equal value to both viewpoints. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">You can definitely feel that as you read. The wonder of Little One, and the wisdom of Orange. But I'm sure that beautiful balance you captured didn't happen without work. Would you mind sharing a little about your </span>revision process?</b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">I wrote the story 7 years prior
to its publication. I have been a teacher in Los Angeles for many
years. The scientific principles embedded in the story were already a
part of my working knowledge as I have taught them to kindergarteners for a
long time. I developed as an educator during the years of whole language,
core literature, and thematic teaching when picture books were at the
center of learning science and social studies concepts. It was a
different time, before scripted curriculum. </span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">It is still how I teach, using picture
books to draw out student inquiry and student-led projects. Teaching
informs my writing. The scientific concepts emerged in the story
authentically and organically. While I researched specific facts
and details for the back matter, I did not do any research for the initial
story. Because the science concepts were just there, it was
the emotional story that really drove my process.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">One of the first times I shared my story with a large,
public critique group of children’s book writers, I read the manuscript not
knowing what to expect. I didn’t understand rhythm, word choice, lyrical
language etc. It was both exhilarating and terrifying to reach the end
and experience the response. A woman sobbed. She had connected with
the grief in the story. It had triggered her own loss and touched her.
The room was moved. The story had taken listeners to a place where they had
felt big emotions. I thought I had done my job as a writer. But the
manuscript had miles to go and so did I, in my development of
craft.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">The word
count was way too long and suddenly, the manuscript was a play. I was
delighted to work with my young students to build the story and present it at a
dedication ceremony to unveil a section of our campus, known as The Wildlands. The characters became more fully developed as I co-created with
5-year-olds. The play was performed by students who culminated from
our school in 2020, the year the book was released. Bittersweet. I
can still hear their youthful and poignant delivery of the lines as they flit,
fluttered, and flew around the outdoor native garden. It was a
beginning.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;">My
story of a little caterpillar and Orange had come to life but it was still not
ready for submission. The manuscript stretched beyond what was
reasonable for a picture book, well over 1200 words! Like many novice
picture book writers, I did not yet understand the concept of word count and
the process of precise word choice. It went through many revisions. Then,
it went through many rejections. Rejections inform revisions. Revisions made me a stronger writer. They helped me develop my craft and
the story that it finally became.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Word count and precise word choice can sound so simple, but it is definitely an art! And speaking of art . . . the art is gorgeous! The detail and intricacies are
breathtaking. Fiona Halliday really brought everything to life. I’d love to
hear about your process with the illustration. Did you get to help in choosing the illustrator? Did you include art notes? And
what was your first reaction to seeing these gorgeous illustrations? Do you
have a favorite image?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">I was very lucky as a debut
author. Page Street Kids asked for my input regarding the
illustrator. They sent some suggestions to me. Fiona’s work was stunning
and unique. The editor and I were in agreement that Fiona was a great
choice. The editor also knew she could depict the emotional connection
between the two characters which was an essential piece of the storytelling.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had put very few
illustration notes because I don’t <i>see</i> stories when I am writing them, I
<i>hear</i> them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is so strange
because I am also a visual artist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think I hear them because of the countless picture books I read aloud to my
students as a teacher every day.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">Fiona Halliday is a Page
Street Kids author/illustrator. Her picture book, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>Numenia and
the Hurricane: A True Migration Story</i></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> came out in January 2020. And, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>The
Legend of the Storm Goose</i></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> comes out in February of 2022. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">Fiona lives in Austria. We did not meet
or communicate directly during the process.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">
</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">There was a strict firewall for good reason.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">We did finally meet 4 months after the
release of the book at a virtual event. The event was </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">hosted by Second Star to the Right Books in
Denver, Colorado and</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">designed to reveal
our first meeting with each other and to answer questions as the author and
illustrator of </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><i>Hello, Little One</i></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">. </span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">It’s so strange to co-create a
story and never meet during the process of creation but I think this is pretty
standard in the industry. There were some moments during the process when the
sketches looked completely different than the final art. The style and
depiction didn’t seem to tell the same story I was trying to tell. I thought
they were the direction that the illustrations were going in.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">It wasn’t until I met Fiona at the virtual
event that she communicated her process and I understood that they had been
very rough, first sketches when she was exploring the possibilities.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I love promoting this
book so much because the illustrations are absolutely stunning. When I saw the
illustrations for the first time, I think my heart skipped a beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They tell the story in a way that could never
have been told with words alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
the magic of a picture book told through the words of the author and the
pictures of the illustrator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My favorite
image is the image of the two nestled up against each other as their separation
becomes inevitable.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSVO4jFRAsg7y89joGJ05FEkCMFaUWzeW0xe-ciIIK_rBwm-dZdSZTxQqRz9zafbCTpHuj4vozV5FpwpllpybE5P3eL9VlhHOGXt0FpiYiemvqVP10_bIqk2idhNuMErtnbgjcl53AAg/s2048/Hello+Little+One+friends+snuggle.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="illustration of a monarch caterpillar and a monarch butterfly snuggling with a flowery background" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwSVO4jFRAsg7y89joGJ05FEkCMFaUWzeW0xe-ciIIK_rBwm-dZdSZTxQqRz9zafbCTpHuj4vozV5FpwpllpybE5P3eL9VlhHOGXt0FpiYiemvqVP10_bIqk2idhNuMErtnbgjcl53AAg/w320-h240/Hello+Little+One+friends+snuggle.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Such a gorgeous image. The illustration process is so fascinating. It really is amazing to watch a story come to life from a second point of view. So now that <i>Hello, Little One</i> is out in the world, what is your favorite part of being an author? And
what is next for you?</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">I am a storyteller by nature, and I believe in the power of
story. Irony is also an element that weaves its way through my work. Playfully
recognizing irony is very much part of how I experience the world. Although I
am never trying to “teach” a lesson in my writing, i</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">t is always my hope that my work will create discourse.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"> </span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;">I have several picture
book manuscripts on submission through my agent Abigail Samoun of <a href="https://redfoxliterary.com/" target="_blank">Red FoxLiterary</a>. Themes that emerge for me presently in my picture books are
stories of resistance and resilience. I like to challenge the status quo,
giving children the opportunity to rethink possibilities not yet imagined as
they navigate their world.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">I have just written a graphic
novel and am working on a contemporary YA novel. I love to tell stories
in different formats. Each story that finds me and demands to be told has
its own form that best suits it. So many stories, so little time.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Cambria",serif;">My next picture book, <i>Egyptian
Lullaby</i>, published by Roaring Brook Press comes out in 2023.</span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Congratulations! I can't wait to read it. And I love that you are writing in so many forms. I agree that every story demands its own form, and it can be fun to explore that!</span></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b></span></p><p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, are you ready? Speed round!</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Butterfly vs. Caterpillar? </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Butterfly! I don’t mind crawling
along and looking at life in detail through newborn eyes … but oh how I love to
fly and see the world in all its vastness!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Ocean vs. Mountains?</span></b> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Ocean. I live 7 minutes from the ocean
and the final version of <i>Hello, Little One</i> that made it submission-ready was
written while looking out at the ocean in Playa Del Rey, CA.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Halloween vs. New Year’s Day?</span></b> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Halloween! Who doesn’t love transforming into any
character they want for a whole night? The possibilities are endless…</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Winnie-the-pooh character?</span></b> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Tigger. I love his youthful
energy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Ice cream vs. Cake? </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ice cream, though it’s hard to imagine
eating them separately. I guess that’s
the basis for my answer. I can eat ice
cream without cake but I can’t eat cake without ice cream.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Love it! So fun to learn more about you. </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, I have one last question. I have a fascination for personalized
license plates. Obviously, your characters couldn’t have them, but if we
imagine a cute little caterpillar car, what do you think Little One might
choose for their personalized license plate? You have 8 characters. Go! </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do You!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Love it! And for those of you who don't get it, you'll have to read the book! </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">~~~</p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Zeena M. Pliska spends her days immersed in the joy of 5-year-olds. She is a kindergarten teacher by </i><i>day and a children’s book author by night in Los Angeles, California. A progressive public school </i><i>educator, she believes that the most important aspect of teaching is listening to children. A social </i><i>justice activist and organizer for over 30 years, she brings race, class, and gender analysis to everything </i><i>she does. A lifetime storyteller, she has facilitated stories as a theater director, visual artist, </i><i>photographer and journalist. Her debut picture book, </i>HELLO, LITTLE ONE: A MONARCH BUTTERFLY STORY <i>from </i><i>Page Street Kids came out May 12, 2020. Her second picture book </i>EGYPTIAN LULLABY<i> from Roaring Brook </i><i>Press is due out in 2023.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">You can learn more about Zeena and her books on </span><a href="https://zeenamar.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #2276c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">her website</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">, and she's also on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/zeena.mar.315/about" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/ZeenaMar1013" style="background-color: white; color: #2276c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> and </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/zeenamar/" style="background-color: white; color: #2276c5; font-family: Georgia, serif; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">.</span></p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-49413130072924749442021-08-30T08:00:00.001-04:002021-08-30T08:00:00.252-04:00Author Interview: Nadia Salomon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5CZ-9IA3ZYZELO6DDXkh9TQ8Y-giLZShJ2nqIpB0JcnJfYzRQ2QcXmhY9qVj2Y2wMBT-uNRySzq5kx8yig-ITfvjwUa8WRTqseGB_nwTkXBmu3b2Lr4HJAkj27eaer-Kl5sPwLCFdiE/s2048/NadiaSalomon_Full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1662" data-original-width="2048" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5CZ-9IA3ZYZELO6DDXkh9TQ8Y-giLZShJ2nqIpB0JcnJfYzRQ2QcXmhY9qVj2Y2wMBT-uNRySzq5kx8yig-ITfvjwUa8WRTqseGB_nwTkXBmu3b2Lr4HJAkj27eaer-Kl5sPwLCFdiE/w200-h163/NadiaSalomon_Full.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I'm so excited to welcome Nadia Salomon, author of <i>Goodnight Ganesha </i>(Philomel, Aug. 2021), to my blog! I was fortunate to get a sneak peek at this beautiful book, and I can't wait for you all to read it as well. Nadia is a genuinely lovely person and talented author, and I'm thrilled to introduce her to all of you. <p></p><p>As always, I'll be in green.</p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Hello Nadia! Welcome to my blog! I'd love to learn more about you. Can you tell us a little about yourself, and what led you to begin writing picture books?</b></span></p><p> Thank you for having me on your blog Janet! I'm a former television journalist turned kidlit author. And I always dreamt of writing picture pictures, but wasn't sure at what point in my life it would happen, until I became a mom.</p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Oh wow! It's always so fun to know what other jobs authors have had. I bet you have a lot of stories you could tell. But today I'd love to hear about your upcoming book. Could you tell us about it?</b></span></p><p>GOODNIGHT GANESHA is a gentle bedtime story featuring two children sleeping over at their grandparents' home in India and the various ways their culture plays a role in their nighttime routine.</p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>I really loved seeing the relationship between the grandparents and children and the bond they have. So beautiful. What inspirations led you to write Goodnight Ganesha?</b></span></p><p>My child. </p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">What better inspiration could you have? Okay, I'm trying not to give too much of a spoiler here, but I laughed when Tata fell asleep. What is your favorite bedtime memory?</span></b></p><p>Bedtime tenting in our back yard. It was loads of fun. </p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Me, too! We used to sleep outside on the trampoline. There's something special about being outside at night. </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #38761d;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nJm6yFn_bF9A1tg3I6Co3bBCb5mEsGZO776LSBSoBPUarrwmCGB6mOnlNdfrCrrZs22bmL1PSLARfE7wIuoNNU7KFpy7t-9fRJRXUz3RvASu8sJZMalv3aiJK93CQp6B4DIjtVtlt_Y/s2048/9780593203613.+-+GG+final+front+coverjpg_01262021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1449" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nJm6yFn_bF9A1tg3I6Co3bBCb5mEsGZO776LSBSoBPUarrwmCGB6mOnlNdfrCrrZs22bmL1PSLARfE7wIuoNNU7KFpy7t-9fRJRXUz3RvASu8sJZMalv3aiJK93CQp6B4DIjtVtlt_Y/s320/9780593203613.+-+GG+final+front+coverjpg_01262021.jpg" width="226" /></a></b></span></div><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Of course I have to talk about the art. It's breathtaking and pairs so perfectly with the text. What was your reaction after seeing it for the first time? Also, did you have the opportunity to give input?</b></span><p></p><p>The art is incredible. Breathtaking for sure. And Poonam elevated my text to something - amazing. I don't think there are enough words in my vocabulary to express how I felt seeing the art for the first time. Poonam knocked it out of the universe to infinity. Still in awe. And yes, our editor and art director gave me the opportunity to provide input after sharing the initial sketches. It was a very collaborative and respectful process.</p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Knocked it out of the universe, for sure! Goodnight Ganesha is your first book, so congratulations! What has been your favorite part about the publishing process and being an author?</span></b></p><p>Thank you! Yes. GOODNIGHT GANESHA is my debut. I'd say the best part of the publishing process is getting to collaborate with a 'team' of people who genuinely support you, your book, your vision, and do everything possible to produce the best end product and experience for your audience: kids and their adults! They help you create magic! </p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Magic is a great word for it. And your book certainly does that! </span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Okay, one last question. Here on my blog, I have a fascination for personalized license plates. What do you think your main character would put on her license plate (even though she's definitely too young to drive!)?</span></b></p><p>Peek-a-boo!</p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Haha! Love it! Such a fun one.</span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #38761d;">Nadia, thank you so much for coming on my blog and sharing about your beautiful story. To my readers, please see below for information on how to purchase you own copy of <i>Goodnight Ganesha!</i></span></b></p><p>~~~</p><p><i>Nadia Salomon lives in northern California with her family. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Public Policy from Emerson College and has worked in television and print news. She writes picture book, middle-grade, and graphic novel manuscripts with themes of South Asian and Caribbean culture, STEM, non-fiction, and humor. Nadia is the winner of the 2020 SCBWI Service Award and the 2019 SCBWI WOOP Honor Award for work of outstanding progress on her non-fiction, picture book manuscript, MYRLIE: A VOICE OF HOPE.</i></p><p>You can learn more about Nadia and her wonderful book on <a href="www.nadiasalomon.com " target="_blank">her website</a>, and she's also on <a href="https://twitter.com/Nadia_Salomon" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nadiasalomon.author/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p><p>You can use <a href="https://linktr.ee/nadiasalomon" target="_blank">Nadia's linktree</a> to purchase signed copies of <i>Goodnight Ganesha</i> from her favorite indie bookstore, Flashlight Books. Her book is also available as an audiobook and E-book.</p>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3902531908845941139.post-56061783711592670282021-04-12T20:26:00.000-04:002021-04-12T20:26:21.436-04:00Book Review: Kindness is a Kite String<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Recently, I got the chance to read and review a newly released picture book titled </span><i style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Kindness is a Kite String: The Uplifting Power of Empathy</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Claire LaForte.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">This is a subject I've thought a lot about. Kindness is so important, yet it feels as though it's more and more rare. What a difference kindness could make in the world! So of course, I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Kids need to be taught about kindness now, and what better way than through picture books?</span></p><p><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">This book did not disappoint!</span></span></p><i style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCizfxzL8lk7JsikV3VYa6jIQJdQe-cL1JddjOCz0ZZozJXq4CPMkmL_RLfWCyk8YFFmdVhKSQCbratEzZ_wXsgkp2Y5yDcWpfa8d_EOCZvu7nyyNckL3LExlwnm3ifkioR0nqddaScI/s2048/IMG_6831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kindness is a Kite String Book image" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCizfxzL8lk7JsikV3VYa6jIQJdQe-cL1JddjOCz0ZZozJXq4CPMkmL_RLfWCyk8YFFmdVhKSQCbratEzZ_wXsgkp2Y5yDcWpfa8d_EOCZvu7nyyNckL3LExlwnm3ifkioR0nqddaScI/w240-h320/IMG_6831.JPG" title="Kindness is a Kite String" width="240" /></a></div>Kindness is a Kite String</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a poem that suggests different ways to spread kindness. From hugs, to sharing a book, to visiting sick neighbors, this story gives a lot of great ideas for ways to spread kindness. But more than that, it teaches kids that Kindness is something that grows and spreads whenever you share it.</span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Kindness is a kite string. </i></div><div><i> Let it out.</i></div><div><i>See Spirits lift.<br style="background-color: white;" /></i><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Kindness is powerful, and small acts of kindness can make a big difference in the world.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">I especially enjoyed the pictures. They built on the ideas in the words, and then showed the interconnectedness of kindness and how it spreads. You'll want to go through the book more than once to see how the lives of the characters intersect, and how a good deed passed on to one person might just eventually come back to you. Also of note is the inclusiveness and diversity shown in the pictures.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Kindness is a topic that we need to talk more about, and this book is a wonderful start for both kids and adults alike. If we all took this message to heart, we just might find ourselves in a better world.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You can learn more about the author, Michelle Schaub, <a href="http://www.michelleschaub.com/" target="_blank">at her website</a>.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">You can learn more about the illustrator, Claire LaForte, <a href="http://clairelaforte.com/" target="_blank">at her website</a>.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Kindness is a Kite String</i> is available through <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/kindness-is-a-kite-string-the-uplifting-power-of-empathy/9781733035989" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a>, your <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781733035989" target="_blank">local indie</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kindness-is-a-kite-string-michelle-schaub/1137471049" target="_blank">B&N</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kindness-Kite-String-Uplifting-Empathy/dp/1733035982" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</span></div>Janet Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.com2