Will Write for Cookies: Peter McCleery + Giveaway

Posted on February 25, 2017 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

PETER MCCLEERY

Because my picture book was slated to pub in 2017, I was lucky enough to become part of a great group of 2017 debut picture book authors and illustrators. They’ve been truly lovely and haven’t kicked me out of the group, even though Sweet Dreams, Sarah was pushed back to 2018. Which is fine by me because it’s given me a chance to be part of the chain mail exchange of ARC’s and F&G’s. (ARC’s are Advanced Reading Copies. F&G’s are Folded and Gathered…the actual pages of the finished book before they are bound together). And it’s also given me a golden opportunity to connect with all of these talented creatives, review their books, and feature them on my blog.

Peter McCleery is the author of the hilarious Bob and Joss series of children’s books, Bob and Joss Get Lost! (available February 2017) and Bob and Joss Take a Hike! (coming in 2018). He lives with his wife and two children in Portland, Oregon where he occasionally gets lost. His favorite things include kids (and adults) who laugh. He’s also written for Highlights magazine and for grown-ups on the McSweeney’s humor website.

Peter…we are so darned excited to have you here…I’ve truly enjoyed your debut picture book…as well as the wonderful post you did for the Picture the Books blog. I urge you all to read this…Peter did a survey and interviewed some of the debut authors…it’s an inside peek into why they wrote what they wrote on the dedication page.

Dear friends, I want to remind you that if you leave a comment below, you’ll be entered into the giveaway of a copy of Peter’s debut picture book, BOB AND JOSS GET LOST which I reviewed yesterday on Perfect Picture Book Friday.

And now we are going to get an inside peek into the who, what, where, when, and why of Peter McCleery.

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

PETER:

I was a big fan of Babar and had a bunch of those books growing up, which I still have. I remember being easily engrossed by Brunhoff’s fanciful illustrations. I could just pop open a page and become immersed in the scene. I especially loved the unique architecture of Celesteville and the how each animal had their own type of building that perfectly suited them. When I got older I sort of skipped typical middle-grade and YA novels and read a lot of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. What’s funny is that none of that style is apparent in my writing now!

ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

PETER:

How to be patient. When I first started writing I thought I could crank out great stories and be done. It doesn’t really work that way. I learned to slow down and take my time with a manuscript. (Some might say too slow.) Even if I write a draft really fast I will let it sit and steep like a good tea. Sometimes a solution or a new idea will pop in my head during this “downtime.” It’s important to make space for that to happen. The hard part is balancing that notion with actually getting things done.

Or all of that might be an excuse to procrastinate.

ME: Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook?

PETER:

I work in a bunch of different places. Sometimes at home or in my local coffee shops.

Although recently, to help increase my production (see answer above), I started renting a small office. It’s a very basic space in a medical/health office building. Gray carpet, white walls, etc…It’s me and a bunch of orthodontists and physical therapists! It’s funny to be doing creative work in such an uncreative space. We’ll see if it works!

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?

PETER:

I find that mid-day is my most productive time. Early on I tried working at night after the kids went to bed but I realized that my brain was fried and writing was a struggle. Being a stay-at-home dad allows me to write during the day when my kids are in school and in between errands or their activities.

ME: Why do you write for children?

PETER:

This is such an interesting question! I think a big part of it is that I feel very comfortable with that age audience. They take easily to the absurd. They don’t quite know what the “rules” are yet. Every time they read a book they are learning, “this is what a book is. This is how a book works.” I want to leave them with the impression that books can be fun and weird and full of clever delights.

ME: Peter, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

PETER:

I think some of the best writers are the ones most connected to kids’ sensibilities. Whether it’s humor, light or dark emotions, understanding relationships, etc., they get how kids think, how they see the world. Sure, adults should like and appreciate what you do (after all they are the ones making the purchase), but first and foremost the thing you are making should connect with kids.

I always try to imagine myself in front of a bunch of 6-year-olds (or whatever age range I’m writing for) with just my manuscript. It’s a scary thought, right? And it should be. Kids have no patience for the dull, the flat or the self-indulgent. Then I ask, can I honestly say this will hold their attention? Are there parts that would make me hesitant to present in front of them? If so, why?

Thank you so very much, Peter! This was amazing. I love that you suggest we connect with young kids if we are going to write stories they will love…it’s obvious that your connection with them is super strong!

And for all of you who want to find out more about Peter and his books, you can find him at http://www.petermccleery.com and at Twitter @pmccleery.

Okay friends…you know what they say…it’s not over until the cookie recipe is shared!

PETER:

This cookie recipe is an old family traditional recipe. My mom makes them every holiday and so did her mother. While it’s a Greek recipe, my grandparents actually immigrated from Albania but there is a lot of cultural overlap. It’s not a very sweet cookie, in fact they taste best at breakfast with tea or coffee. The sesame seeds seem like an odd choice for a cookie but it works. Perfect for dipping!

My goodness…this is amazing! I love the way they look, Peter! And I’ll bet they taste even better. Not sure that the heavy cream, 4 cups of sugar, cup of butter and 12 eggs are quite what the doctor ordered…but hey, writers need nourishment…and eggs are very nutritious, right?

I know we all join together to thank Peter for his insights…and his wonderful recipe!

I hope your weekend is sprinkled with joy. And I hope you are all getting ready for #50PreciousWords…Challenge post goes live on Dr. Seuss’ birthday, Thursday, March 2.

Will Write for Cookies: Annie Silvestro

Posted on February 4, 2017 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

ANNIE SILVESTRO

Today I’m thrilled to help you to get to know a little bit more about another 2017 debut picture book author.

Annie Silvestro is a lover of books who reads and writes as much as possible and can often be found shuffling piles of them around so she has a place to sit or someplace to put her teacup. Her picture books include BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB, illustrated by Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Doubleday Books for Young Readers), MICE SKATING, illustrated by Teagan White (Sterling, Fall 2017), and THE CHRISTMAS TREE WHO LOVED TRAINS, illustrated by Paola Zakimi (HarperCollins, Fall 2018). Annie lives by the beach in NJ with her husband and two boys who like to read, and a cat who does not.

So, without further ado, let’s welcome Annie!

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

ANNIE:

There are so many! For a start, I loved William Steig, Richard Scarry, James Marshall, the BABAR books by Jean de Brunhoff, AMELIA BEDELIA by Peggy Parish, MADELINE by Ludwig Bemelmans. Growing older I was crazy about Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, and L.M. Montgomery.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

ANNIE:

Don’t rush! Everything in publishing takes time and patience. Wait to submit your work until you have several stories (at least) under your belt and have spent a good amount of time reading and writing and practicing and researching.

ME: Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook? And when do you find time to write?

ANNIE:

I mostly use the computer on the desk in my office to write. Most ideas, though, start as written “drafts” in a notebook or on a scrap of paper. As nice as it is to have a notebook in my purse and next to my bed, more often than not I end up writing on an old receipt I find in the car or whatever is closest at hand at the odd moment when inspiration strikes.

ME: When during the day (or night) are you most productive? Do you set a schedule for working or do you write/draw when the muse speaks?

ANNIE:

I like to write in the morning but a lot of times I end up writing late at night when my kids are finally asleep. I don’t have any set schedule, but since I work part time I try to use my days off as writing days as best I can. It’s easy to get sucked in by laundry, grocery shopping, etc., but I try hard to protect that time..

ME: Why do you write for children?

ANNIE:

My father is an amazing storyteller. When I was growing up, he would invent the most wonderful bedtime stories. My favorite was called The Marshmallow Pillow. He inspired me to become a storyteller myself.

Also, the books I read as a child still mean so much to me. Books are incredibly powerful and provide children with their earliest connections to and understandings of the world. What a gift to have the potential to make that type of meaningful connection! Or to make a child smile, laugh, or feel understood or comforted in some way. Not to mention the profound opportunity to encourage kindness and empathy.

ME: Annie, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

ANNIE:

For aspiring writers:

Being a member of the SCBWI has been invaluable to me. I have been involved with my local NJ chapter for many years and have learned so much and made so many wonderful friends and connections. It is an incredible organization!

ME: I agree 100%. The SCBWI is an organization that stands ready to assist writers and illustrators in so many ways.…joining in the fun is the best way to learn and grow. Annie…this was so much fun…we all appreciate what you shared.

Visit Annie online at: http://www.anniesilvestro.com and on Twitter and Instagram: @anniesilvestro

And now for one of my favorite parts of Will Write for Cookies…the cookies!

Annie is sharing an unbelievable treasure with us…a recipe, actually written by her grandmother!

The photo is of my grandmother’s recipe for Anisette Biscuits (biscotti) along with my latest batch. They were my favorite treat as a child and I love baking them for my children. They never turn out exactly the same as my grandmother’s biscotti did, but I will keep trying! The smell of them in the oven brings back the very best of memories.

Oh my gosh…I am going to gain lots of pounds this year with all of these incredible recipes!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Next week, we’ll be reviewing another 2017 picture book, THE GREEN UMBRELLA. And we are going to have a SPECIAL blog post on Monday…the COVER REVEAL for..well…that would be telling!

Yup…2017 is a wonderful year for picture books! And I thank all of you for joining me on this journey.

Will Write for Cookies: Lori Degman PLUS Giveaway

Posted on January 21, 2017 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

LORI DEGMAN

Many of you know that I’m a lover of rhyme and a fan of rhyming picture books. So when Lori Degman agreed to participate in Will Write for Cookies, I was thrilled.

Lori Degman writes in rhyme, most of the time – but not always. She is the award winning author of 1 Zany Zoo, illustrated by Colin Jack (Simon & Schuster, 2010 – Winner of the Cheerios New Author Contest, Illinois Reads featured title, and South Carolina Picture Book Award Nominee); Cock-a-Doodle Oops!, illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Creston Books, 2014 – International Literacy Association Honor Book); Norbert’s Big Dream, illustrated by Marco Bucci (Sleeping Bear Press, 2016); and the forthcoming Just Read (Sterling, 2018). Lori lives near Chicago – home of the World Champion Cubs! (She says she is sorry about the plug, but it’s been such a LONG wait!)

Before we begin with the Q&A, I want to remind everyone that there will be a giveaway of Lori’s newest picture book, Norbert’s Big Dream, so please stick with us throughout the post and then leave a comment at the end. How about telling us what your biggest dream was when you were a kid.

Lori, I’m thrilled to welcome you to Picture Books Help Kids Soar!

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

LORI:

My favorite picture book authors & illustrators were Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, PD Eastman, William Steig, Shel Silverstein & Else Holmelund Minarik.

ME: What do you know now that you wish you had known when you first started writing for children?

LORI:

I first started writing before the Internet existed (I don’t like to brag, but I’m pretty old) so I’d never heard of SCBWI and I had no idea there was a whole kid-lit community out there. I think, if I’d known about SCBWI, it wouldn’t have taken so long to get published – or maybe it would have, but I’d have had more fun along the way!

ME: Where do you like to write/draw – inside, outside, a special area in your home, on the computer, in a notebook?

LORI:

I always write on my laptop – I type faster than I write and I don’t usually have trouble reading it later. I flip-flopped my living and dining rooms and now my dining room table is by the front window, so I can look outside while I write. I’ve become a bit of a Gladys Kravitz (the <40’s can look her up), but that’s part of the fun!

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?

LORI:

I do my best writing in the morning – unless I’m totally inspired, then I can write anytime! I still teach full-time (this is my last year!), so I do most of my original writing in the summer and on breaks and I mostly revise during the school year. Sadly, I go for long stretches when I can’t get any writing done – but that’s going to change in June.

ME: Why do you write for children?

LORI:

The main reason I write for kids is to make them laugh and instill a love of books! When my sons were young, I read to them all the time and they loved the funny books best. I really wanted to write books I could read to them that would make them laugh! (unfortunately, they were in their 20s by the time my first book was published). I love knowing there are kids reading my books and hopefully enjoying them!

ME: Lori, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

LORI:

My advice to aspiring writers is to join SCBWI, get into a critique group with writers whose opinions you value, write – write – write, and don’t give up!

My advice for parents and teachers is to let kids focus more on story-telling and less on the mechanics for their first drafts. There’s always time to go back and clean things up!

Lori, thank you so very much…it’s been an honor to have you here!

And for all of you who want to find out more Lori and her wonderful books or get in touch with her:

Website – http://loridegman.com/loridegman.com/Home.html

Blog – http://loridegman.blogspot.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lori.degman

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LoriDegman

Okay friends…you know what they say…it’s not over until the cookie recipe is shared!

LORI:

I’m not a good baker – I think it’s because I’m not precise enough, so the desserts I make are usually no-bake or things that don’t rely on precision. The closest thing to a cookie that I make is called a Cheese Blintz Roll-up. I make them every year for Thanksgiving and they’re gone in minutes! I don’t have any pictures of them and I didn’t want to make a whole batch because I’d eat them all, so I found a picture that looks just like them on the website Amish365.com.

Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened

1 egg yolk

¼ cup sugar

¼ tsp lemon juice

1 large loaf of white bread

1-2 sticks of butter

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350. Cut the crust off the bread and flatten the slices using a rolling pin.
Combine the cream cheese, egg yolks, white sugar and lemon juice.
Spread the mixture over each slice of bread and roll up the bread to enclose the filling.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
Melt the butter and brush it on all sides of each roll and then roll them in the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Place the rolls on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least three hours. Cut logs into thirds after frozen and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm.

OH MY GOSH! I’d make these immediately, but I am missing several of the ingredients…white bread, butter, cream cheese…not my usual fare…HOWEVER…I think I need to give this one a try…it sounds somewhat decadent, rich, and…perfect for a long night of revision.

And while I’m enjoying one of these treats with a cup of tea, I’ll be reading your comments and then Random.org will choose the winner of a copy of Norbert’s Big Dream. Don’t forget to share what YOUR biggest dream was when you were a kid.

Dear friends, thank you for spending your time with Lori and me…next week I’ll have another wonderful guest as I turn the spotlight on one of the debut picture book authors of 2017: Andrea Loney. Don’t miss it!