Happy Friday, everyone. We have about 100 people reading the blog every day now. Not too shabby! But it would be even better if we could use this space to get to know each other a bit.
So, if you’d like to, please use the comments to introduce yourself. If you have a blog or a website, include the link. Think of it as a virtual kid-lit drink night, only during the day and without the drinks. Actually, don’t, because that makes it sound lame. Just introduce yourself!
Thank you,
Martha
Fine! I'll start. 🙂 I'm Martha and I write picture books and YA novels.
Here's my website: http://marthabee.com. And here's my grammar blog: http://grammatically.blogspot.com.
Okay, Martha, I'll be the first to say, "Hi, 99 other people reading this blog." I'm the author of Whose Feet?, A Practical Guide to Monsters, and about a dozen books written from the educational market. I'm also a children's book editor at Mirrorstone Books (www.mirrorstonebooks.com), and a writing instructor at the UW's Extension Writing for Children Certificate program.
I love the up-to-the minute kids book news you get on this blog. I read tons of children's book related news feeds every week, and our own Chinook Update is by far the best!
Nina Hess
Great idea, Martha, and greetings to the one hundred!
The Chinook Update is one of my daily "must read" blogs.
I write YA and was recently awarded a WIP Grant from SCBWI which I'm using to attend the SCBWI Winter Conference in January. Anyone else planning to go? Please get in touch.
Website:http://yascribe.home.comcast.net
Blog: http://www.yascribe.blogspot.com
A huge thank you to Martha and to everyone else who makes the Chinook Update happen.
Angelina
Great idea, Martha!
I'm Kjersten Anna Hayes and I update the calendar in the left sidebar (sweet!) and try to get corresponding blog posts put up here in a somewhat timely fashion.
I'm a paper collage artist/illustrator and I write picture books too.
Website: http://www.kjerstenannahayes.com
blog: http://kjerstenannahayes.blogspot.com/
I love the Chinook Update!
Great idea!
I'm Kim. I'm the Assistant Regional Advisor for our group (the one who talks a lot at meetings).
I'm working on a middle grade novel right now, and you can see my blog at: http://waggingtales.wordpress.com/
I'm so thrilled to be part of such an exclusive group! (Believe me, after graduating from a high school class of 400-ish and a college class of much more, 100 seems like nothing!)
I'm Val. I write YA, more on the darker side than the puppies and daisies side (tho I do love puppies and daisies). I've taken a mess of children's writing classes at various times and places to improve my writing and I hope to take the UW's Editing Certificate program starting this winter once I get my childcare ducks in a row to improve my critiquing.
You can follow my novel progress at my blog: http://valserdy.blogspot.com/.
Thank so much for this blog! I love it! Even when I have trouble keeping up with it! So much good stuff.
Fun idea! My name is Emilie Bishop and I'm currently working on a middle grade historical novel and some random articles and short stories. I blog with my two best friends from grad school, who also write historical stuff, at
http://www.damselsinregress.wordpress.com
Please come visit! We would love to have new readers!
Hi, my name is Helen Landalf. I have two picture books out and I currently write YA novels. I'm one of that vanishing breed of authors that don't yet have websites (but I hope to soon.)
This blog is a great resource. Thanks to Martha and everyone else who puts it together!
Greetings! I'm Annie and I just bid a fond farewell to a middle-grade novel that resurrected itself as YA. I have had magazine stories published.
My website is mostly about the writing activities I do with kids, but it has fun tidbits about me and writing, too.
http://www.anniegage.com
Oh, and I'm the Hospitality Gal on the Advisory Commitee.
How fun! I wanna play!
Hi everyone, I'm Kerrie, and I just joined SCBWI-WWA. I'm a former newspaper editor, corporate editor, and now I'm a part-time copywriter for a company that publishes DVDs and software. I've yet to write a book, but I want to. I HAVE to! I'm aiming for the YA market, and I will be participating in NaNoWriMo in…oh my gosh, about a week.
Right now, I practice writing a lot on my blogs:
http://www.sanitydepartment.com (a mom blog)
and
http://momvsmarathon.blogspot.com (a daily blog about a mom — me — training for her first marathon).
I'm also on Twitter. http://www.twitter.com/kerrie_turcic
Can't wait to check out your sites!
Hi! I'm Deb Cushman and I love Chinook Update — read it every day and always learn something new. You do a terrific job.
I have two blogs:
The Adventures of Freckles and Deb, Bunny Bloggers, where my rabbit and I share our adventures from each of our points of view.
http://Frecklesanddeb.blogspot.com
Writer Sites – a place to organize links to writing websites and blogs so I can find them. I post a screenshot a brief description of a new site every day.
http://writersites.blogspot.com
I'm Joni, co-RA and official SCBWI WWA hermit-in-the-mountains. That's all you need to know about me. 🙂
If you have some kind of insomnia disorder or are trying to get fired from your day job, my website is at http://www.jonisensel.com and the group blog I contribute to, The Spectacle (which focuses on speculative fiction for young readers and is actually fairly cool), is at http://thespectacleblog.wordpress.com/
Thanks Martha for this great idea. This blog is amazing.
Hi, I'm Debbie. My current WIP is a Picture Book. I also work on magazine articles. I have an idea for a middle grade novel, so I think that I might try it for NaNoWriMo….
I am also one of the few writers without a blog or website. I think it might be time.
Great to meet everyone here.
Hi everyone!
I'm Robin and am currently working on a middle grade novel, and trying to decide if I'm ready to submit a picture book/early chapter book.
I also have a blog: The Book Nosher, which is geared for parents and teachers who are looking for great book recommendations, and corresponding activities. http://thebooknosher.blogspot.com
Nice to virtually meet everyone!
Martha, great blog and spiffy idea. I'm Dana Sullivan and I'm trying to break into writing and illustrating picture books and/or graphic novels. I'm primarily an illustrator, but working on learning more words. My Sticky Love blog is at http://danastickylove.blogspot.com/
and my web site is http://www.danajsullivan.com
Hope to see you all at BookFest today!
What fun reading everyone's intros! I'm co-RA of SCBWI-WWA (the one who DOESN'T talk much at the meetings) and it's really great to see you all here! I write easy readers, picture books, and middle grade fiction and nonfiction. You can follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LaurieThompson or I occasionally manage to post on my poor, neglected blog at http://lauriethompson.com/blog.
Paul Schmid here, picture book author/illustrator.
My blog: http://paulschmidstudio.blogspot.com/
And hey! I'm on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Book-Amy-Krouse-Rosenthal/dp/0061429740/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256420282&sr=1-1
I like this idea! I'm Kate, I write and illustrate picture books. My first picture book got orphaned by the publisher due to the 'economy'. I'm still trying to get over that. Reading the Chinook update and belonging to SCBWI keeps me going. I'm currently working on 3 other picture books and one middle grade novel. And I'm looking for an agent – working directly with publishers is hard work! I need an advocate. I blog whenever possible at http://kathleenhiggins.blogspot.com
Hi Everyone,
My name is Michele.
I write middle grade and YA stuff. It's always great to see what is happening in the bigger world beyond my desk.
My blog is http://michelemuse.blogspot.com/
This is Jennifer Phillips. I've been a member for a few years but a bit of a hermit in getting involved due to my work/family schedule. But I lurk and learn, constantly inspired by the other members' activities. And I need to come out of my shell more. I have a new website, http://www.noseinabookpublishing.com, where I'll be posting some short stories for downloading, listing my other works and who knows what else. I'm still submitting to traditional publishers but decided to leap into self-publishing as well. My first middle grade biography is now available. If anyone else is on the learning curve about self-publishing, I'd love to touch base. Thanks for the great work you do with Chinook Update!
Hi! I love this idea! It's great to get connected with all of you. I'm Molly Hall – I've been a part of SCBWI for several years. I'm still in the "aspiring" phase of my writing career, but good things are happening. I write YA, mostly in the fantasy/romance/paranormal department. I am having a lot of fun with it. I took the Writing for Children class at UW Extension and met many of you there. : ) I don't have a website or blog yet, but I'm inspired to start on after seeing Greg Pincus! Happy Writing to all of you!
Hi to fellow writers and illustrators in SCBWI. I'm Janet Lee Carey. Love this new Chinook format and the updates that pop into my email. Thanks for the innovation to set the Chinook Update up this way.
As a working writer I learn so much by staying in touch with everyone in our local chapter and worldwide.
Happy writing, illustrating and collaborating to you all.
Be well
http://www.janetleecarey.com
blog:
http://dreamwalks.blogspot.com
Oh dear, it's Monday already…hope it's still okay to introduce myself. Great idea to do it this way!
I am Jennifer Mann, an aspiring writer and illustrator of picture books. I've been a member of SCBWI for several years. You can visit my website at
http://www.jenniferkmann.com
and comment on my blog at
http://www.jenmann.blogspot.com
Hi All,
I'm Kimberly Bateman and I'm an artist and writer working on a middle grade novel and a picture book.
Martha, I love all the great links you find for us.
Hi everyone! I too love the new blog…so much great info!
My name is Deborah Reber and I write mostly nonfiction self-help type YA books, although my first YA novel, a romantic comedy, comes out in June. I also edit a series a teen-authored memoirs called Louder Than Words, and keep a blog for teen girls.
http://www.deborahreber.com
http://www.smartgirlsknow.com
http://www.louderthanwordsbooks.com
A fine idea indeed!
I'm Erik Brooks, also a picturebook author & illustrator. I live on the east side o' the Cascades. I can't many very many meetings on the "coast" so these updates are a great way to stay touch. Keep up the great work all 🙂
http://www.erikbrooks.com
http://erikbrooks.blogspot.com
Hi, Everyone! This is starting to feel like a party!
I'm Holly Cupala, debut YA author of TELL ME A SECRET (June 2010), former asst RA & Chinook designer, and general huge SCBWI fan. I've been a member/regional subscriber for about 10 years now. Janet Lee Carey, right above, spoke about The Writing Life at my very first mtg years ago! I also work with readergirlz and am an occasional contributor to this here Chinook blog. 😉
http://www.hollycupala.com
holly's blog
readergirlz blog
Greetings, all! I'm Liz Mills, I'm a freelance children's book author and editor. I've written board books, picture books, middle-grade and YA nonfiction. I'm currently working on a book of science experiments for grade-schoolers. I am also the articles editor for the printed Chinook. Yay to Martha and Yay to the Update blog! It's awesome!
I hope to have my web site up soon. In the meantime, I'm on facebook, twitter, linkedin, and jacketflap.com.
J. Elizabeth Mills
Hi! My name is Brian Moen. I am an elementary school teacher and an aspiring writer. I am currently working on a middle reader manuscript, a magazine article, and my website. I also blog about kids, teaching, the trials and tribulations of writing, and more.
I'd like to invite everyone to visit my website and blog at:
http://www.brianmoen.com
http://www.brianmoens.blogspot.com/
Hi, friends! I'm Jolie Stekly.
Ack…I'm so late to the game on this post. But for good reason. I spent the week wrapping up work and getting it off the the appropriate peeps. That felt great!
So, if Joni is the hermit-in-the-mtns then I'm the fairy-of-the-ferries, spending much time sailing across the Sound!
I *heart* this blog and this region and SCBWI. I'm a writer of young adult novels, the region's retreat director, and I'll be speaking at the December mtg (yay!).
You can find my blog at: http://cuppajolie.blogspot.com
I'm also a member of SCBWI Team Blog. Don't miss the live conference blog here:
http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com
You can find me on twitter as cuppajolie!
Jolie Stekly