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What Is #MGGetsReal?
Marketing can be a drag for writers, it can feel so self-promotional. And it requires a lot of time. But with the notion that good teamwork makes any effort easier (and more fun), author Shannon...
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#MGGetsReal A Chat With Shannon Wiersbitzky
Hi Shannon! Thanks for chatting with me about Middle Grade books in general and your novels in particular. Thank you! Happy to be here.What book or books from your childhood left a lasting impression...
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#MGGetsReal--A Chat With Author Kathleen Burkinshaw
Hi Kathleen! Thanks for stopping by to chat about the books that influenced you as a child and books that served as mentor texts when you were writing, THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM.Thanks for inviting...
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#MGGetsReal--A Conversation With Kerry O'Malley Cerra
Hi Kerry, Thanks for answering my questions about middle grade novels in general, and your own book, JUST A DROP OF WATER in particular!Thanks for inviting me. What book or books from your childhood...
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#MGGetsReal--A Conversation With Joyce Moyer Hostetter
I first read Joyce Moyer Hostetter's book, BLUE in 2006. I was especially drawn to BLUE because of its setting--rural North Carolina, near where I grew up. In BLUE, Ann Fay's daddy has gone off to...
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August--#MSBookFest And #MGGetsReal!
Whew! August was a busy month. I attended the Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson.Here I am on a panel moderated by Deborah Wiles. The other authors are John Claude Bemis, Augusta Scattergood, Esta...
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#SIBA16, #TRIO, And RUBY LEE AND ME Dolls!
Fifteen books were selected to be part of TRIO 2017, and I'm excited for RUBY LEE & ME to be among them. You can see all fifteen books chosen at the SIBA website:For each book selected, a...
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SCBWI Book Blast!
When it comes to marketing, it's hard to know what actually moves the needle, but that said, SCBWI's Book Blast is fast and cheap. They provided a template; I filled in the information and paid $25.At...
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Bluffton Book Festival
Bluffton is the most charming low country town I've ever been to, and I was thrilled to participate in the first ever Bluffton Book Festival. I spoke for half an hour on school integration, the teacher...
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An Author Podcast And #SHOPSMALL
On Saturday, I participated in my first ever podcast along with fellow Middle Grade author, Monika Schroeder. Our host was Ken Butcher, and you can listen to us at The Middle of the Air. Here's a...
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#LitChat
Yesterday the ladies from #MGGetsReal, participated in a twitter chat. We discussed our books and tackling touch topics for a Middle Grade audience.If you missed our chat, you can quickly read through...
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Middle Grade Book Panel #MSBookFest
This past August, I participated on a middle grade panel at the Mississippi Book Festival. We were moderated by Deborah Wiles, and the other authors who took part were: John Claude Bemis, Augusta...
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Ruby Lee & Me Is A Finalist for the 2018 Nebraska Golden Sower Award
Making the Nebraska State list may be the coolest thing that's ever happened in my writing career. It's especially sweet since I lived in Omaha in the early 1990's. My son was even born there--Go...
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New Interviews About Ruby Lee And Me!
I'll be Skyping with Margaret Simon's class on March 7th, and she interviewed me for her blog. Margaret and I were both elementary school students during school integration and both of us were taught...
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World Read Aloud Day! #wrad17
On February 16th, I participated in my first World Read Aloud Day. I Skyped with kids in Asheville, North Carolina, Hagerstown, Maryland, Hutchinson, Kansas, and Romeoville, Illinois. Since a couple...
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CLiCK Conference--University of South Florida
On March 6th, I met fellow Middle Grade authors, Kerry O'Malley Cerra, Augusta Scattergood, and Taryn Souders at the University Of South Florida. Our mission was to present to 600 students from Title I...
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RUBY LEE & ME Makes the Keystone, (PA State List)!!
This is my second state list. Congratulations to all the other nominees!
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#NCRA2017 and Friends of the Library
March was a whirlwind month! I traveled to Raleigh for the North Carolina Reading Association Conference.This photo is from a book signing session. Starting at the top left is John Claude Bemis, author...
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A Eulogy For My Uncle Harold
My dad and his brother, Harold, were real characters. Neither ever met a stranger, both always lived on our family farm, and even in their seventies, still liked new toys.Dad on the red lawnmower and...
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Cover Reveal of ONE TRUE WAY! (Scholastic, Feb. 2018)
I'm excited to share my cover with the world today!And if you'd like to know why these girls are hiding their friendship and the inspiration behind ONE TRUE WAY, head over to the GROG for an exclusive...
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RUBY LEE & ME FAN MAIL
I've been away on vacation and had a nice surprise when I got home. A sixth grader in Ohio had sent a letter telling me how much she loved RUBY LEE & ME. She had even included a braided yarn...
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ChLA Conference--Just Say Yes!
When Dr. Joan Kaywell asked me to be a co-presenter at the 2017 ChLA Conference, I said yes first and asked questions later. The reasons I automatically said yes were:1. I love Dr. Joan!2. The...
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RUBY LEE & ME--Nominee for Iowa Children's Choice Awards!
I just found out this morning that RUBY LEE & ME is a nominee for the Iowa Children's Choice Award! List of NomineesThat's RUBY LEE & ME's third state list: Pennsylvania, Nebraska, and now...
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Rural Settings And Friendship
It was a nice surprise to see RUBY LEE AND ME on the Top Ten Books With Rural and Small Town Settings list by Elaine Fultz! (Nerdy Book Club)And RUBY LEE AND ME also showed up on Better Together 10 of...
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My #FAME17 Experience!
Attending the Florida Association for Media in Education Conference was a wonderful experience!Right off the bat, Sharon Powers and her son made me feel like a rock star. When they picked me up at the...
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