A Great List of Books, Publishing Opportunities, etc.

Courtesy of Christina Farley, I just found the most awesome list of books for kids. Check it out.

Courtesy of my friend Christine Taylor-Butler, check out the following links:

April 29-May 9: Manuscript Critique Auction!
If you’re looking for feedback on your fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young adult or middle grade novel, or picture book, then Hunger Mountain’s spring ebay auction is the thing for you. This is our last biannual auction—there won’t be another until next spring. So hurry to bid on manuscript critiques with literary agent Adia Wright, Jedediah Berry , Meliss Febos, Allegra Huston, David Jauss, and other poets, fiction writers, literary agents and editors. For more information, visit Hunger Moutain.

April 30: postmark deadline for Hunger Mountain Young Writer’s Prize.
If you know talented high school students who would like to enter their poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction in our new contest, let ‘em know as soon as possible! Winners receive $250 and publication! The prize is judged by National Book Award winner M.T. Anderson. The postmark deadline is only ten days away—April 30th! For full guidelines, visit this contest’s prize page.

June 11-16: Stage and Screen Conference at Vermont College of Fine Arts Script writers and playwrights, here’s your change to work on your craft! There are a couple spots still open, and the deadline has been extended, but only for a limited time. Interested? Visit the link above for all the details.

June 30: postmark deadline for Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction PrizeThe judge of this year’s Howard Frank Mosher Short Fiction Prize is Steve Almond! Winner receives $1000 and publication. Please see the link above for guidelines.

June 30: deadline for Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing Enter your young adult and middle grade writing, or your writing for young children. Winner receives $1000 and publication. Runners-up in each category receive $100. This year’s judge is Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles series. The guidelines are at the link for the contest above.

And this was so good, I had to come back and add it. It just arrived in my inbox:

Your Novel or Short Story a Movie?
In the spirit of great marketing, that is always give people a little more than you promised, here’s something new: If you have a novel you think would make a good movie, check out this media release. This BooksforFilm exposure is a service of iFogo Village headed by Gene Cartwright. My novel This Is the Place is listed on the site, and I have my fingers crossed.

Links, Links and MORE Links

Iya. It’s been a week, folks, so this will be short and sweet.

Check out another interview here with author Laura Manivong about her book, “Escaping the Tiger,” which I reviewed earlier this month. There are also great examples on how to use authentic cultural details to define your setting.

For some great news and contests links, take a peak at Julie Dao’s blog.

Addedums: This is a wonderful list of words to search for and remove from your ms where possible. I have a longer list here. Keep in mind, no list is definitive, but they are great tools.

Thanks to Jeannie Lin for this site. Kung Fu action theatre does audio podcasts and readings. I’ve read my book aloud enough times, I know I should never try to do a reading for a crowd. I’ve got a nice voice to listen to, but I DRONE when I read. I don’t sound like that in my head…. Does anyone else have that problem?

Lastly, I swear, I really do plan to get back to a more normal blogging schedule soon. Somehow everything got thrown OFF this month and I’ve just waded through over 200 emails. I’m still backlogged, but things have improved. I even wrote a note for my next book (joyful clapping) and a REAL blog entry. LOL.

More to come soon. 🙂

Love Without Boundaries Auction

Hi, folks. Many of you know my husband and I adopted our daughter, hence the Holt Adoption Ad. What some of you may not know is, she has special needs. While none of her needs could be met in China with surgery, (we’ve corrected some things here, but many of her special needs will be life-long issues) some children DO receive life-saving procedures while living in the orphanage. The cost of these surgeries are covered by the orphanage’s adoption fees and the generosity of people who love children. If you are inclined to help orphans, please select the link in the title of this post.

I’m told there are over 300 items up for auction this year. Bidding begins Thursday, April 22, at 11 a.m. EST/8 a.m. PST and will close throughout the day on Tuesday, April 27.

If, like me, you have no money right now but want to help, please post the information on your Facebook, Twitter and blog accounts.

Laurel’s Leaves Competition

Cool news for yours truly! Laurel and Laurel’s Leaves chose my scene from “Mourn Their Courage” as her first runner up scene in her Eleventy One Contest. I’m thanking God for this and the Sandy. They’ve given me hope this month. As an addendum, I encourage everyone to check out all of Laurel’s comments. She’s got some great insights, not to mention a very gracious style.

Laurel’s contest centered around a dialogue-driven instance of negotiation or persuasion. In my scene, the former Chancellor/would-be usurper uses persuasion. All comments, suggestions and critiques are welcome.

An ascetic, narrow-faced man covered with scars approached. At first, Xiongli believed he was another servant. Then he noticed the direct gaze and confident stride, so he rose and nodded his greeting to Yang Wu, Guild Master of the Brothers of Life.

Wu returned the nod, but did not bow. Xiongli smiled. Everything he’d heard of this man might be true, then.

“We can return to my office where it’s warmer, my Lord,” Wu said. He politely did not comment on Xiongli’s guards who stood within sword range.

“Forgive my reaction to recent attacks on my person, Guild Master Yang.”

“It is an overreaction, my Lord. This is a guild. We have no political goals.” Wu gestured to the marble bench, and they sat side by side as if they were old friends.

Birds sang and the creek feeding the pond continued its chatter, but Xiongli clutched a dagger inside his sleeve.

“You have political ties and power,” he said. The smile felt painted on his face, but he wanted to put Wu at ease. “You have a traitor amongst you, Guild Master.”

Yang Wu produced a rice cake and crumbled pieces into the pond. Mustached, gasping mouths rushed to the surface. “One man does not equal the guild – Chancellor.”

Xiongli’s face flushed and the smile vanished. He calmed himself. If Wu wanted to attack, he would have done it by now. This man had ambitions, and Xiongli knew how to work with men like that.

“Tell me, Guild Master, has Tong Zhang written requesting money and food yet?”

“He has.” Wu crumbled more of his rice cake into the waiting mouths below. “You ought to know I cannot deny a guild member his rights-“

“I do. How long have you held your office, Yang Wu?”

Wu stiffened. It was the slightest of reactions. A flick of rice cake. A tic of facial muscles. Yet the implied threat was received. Now the enticement.

“You can deny him whatever you wish,” Xiongli said. “He is a traitor to the Empire and should be denied.” Silence reined for a moment as Xiongli let his words sink in.
Then he turned to Wu again and allowed the painted, friendly expression to return to his face. “You and your guild would be compensated.”

“A traitor to the Empire is still not a traitor to his guild, Lord Hu.”

“Ah, but if he is not a traitor to his guild, then what Empire does the guild serve?”

Threat, offer and threat were made. Now Xiongli forced himself not to smile. Yang Wu crumbled the last of the rice cake between finger and thumb.

“And if I were to give Zhang his money and food,” Wu raised his hand to stop Xiongli’s response, “but gave you the location for those deliveries, would that be sufficient?”

Xiongli didn’t answer. Let him sweat. At last, he nodded. “That is acceptable, Master Yang.”

“Zhang tells me they expect their first delivery in Xien Ye, a month from now.”

“Excellent. I will leave you, as I am sure you have business to attend to.”

“Please excuse me for not seeing you out.” Wu stood.

“Of course,” Xiongli murmured.

He left Yang Wu standing beside the pond where carp swam their placid, uneventful courses amid a garden of cypress and bird song.

Upcoming Local Event

This may interest you if you’re in the Kansas City area, at least:

On May 1st, join us at the Blue Valley Library for our fifth annual fun-filled event for the entire family as we celebrate and learn more about Asian culture with music, dance, crafts, art, and food.

There will be events in celebration of the Asian culture in the morning featuring classes from the Kansas City Kendo Club, a presentation on Asian Textiles, a performance by the Nathan Indian Dance Group.

The afternoon sessions will include a class on Stories from Asia, a meeting from the Taiwanese Association of Greater Kansas City, and author Laura Manivong.

If you plan on attending, let me know! I’d love to meet you there. 🙂