BOOK REVIEW: STAND UP AND SING!
I don’t normally review picture books, but when one of my fellows at The Winged Pen mentioned there was a chance to review STAND UP AND SING! Pete Seeger, Folk Music and the Path to Justice, I jumped at the chance. As a singer, social justice advocate, and fan of Pete Seeger, how could I not? The truth is, this book is important–not only because … Continue reading BOOK REVIEW: STAND UP AND SING!
Bill Blume and the Teenager Vampire Hunter
Bill Blume Website: http://www.billblume.net/gidion01.html Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers. Despite the red covers, little blood is spilled. Gidion is the younger male version of Sookie Stackhouse and Veronica Mars. A fast-paced thriller. A witty boy. Written by a police expert. Fresh spin on the vampire trope from the hunter’s perspective. … Continue reading Bill Blume and the Teenager Vampire Hunter
First Pages: My Search for the Un-put-downable Start of a Story
I’m revising manuscript number five of my not-yet-illustrious writing career. The story is complete, has been read one critique partner and revised, and is ready to go to beta readers. This story has heists, fight scenes and even kissing (new for me since my prior stories were middle grade), and I’m very excited about it. I dream of agents begging me for this manuscript…if they … Continue reading First Pages: My Search for the Un-put-downable Start of a Story
The March #Fouron400 Kidlit Writing Contest Window is now Open!
Q: What is Four on 400? A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback on their work from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply comment at the bottom of this post! At 4pm (EST) … Continue reading The March #Fouron400 Kidlit Writing Contest Window is now Open!
Interview and Swag Giveaway with Debut Author Jennifer Park
Tragedy. Romance. Mystery. Bigfoot. Jennifer Park’s young adult novel, THE SHADOWS WE KNOW BY HEART (Simon Pulse, March 14th) has it all! Today, I’m thrilled to interview our very own Winged Pen member and help her celebrate her upcoming debut with a swag giveaway. Jennifer, congratulations! Tell us about your book. Thanks so much!! THE SHADOWS WE KNOW BY HEART is a contemporary retelling of … Continue reading Interview and Swag Giveaway with Debut Author Jennifer Park
Picture Book Author Interview: Camille Andros
I’ve been obsessing about this picture book for almost a year now. Finally, finally, finally March is here! CHARLOTTE THE SCIENTIST IS SQUISHED releases March 14th and would make THE. BEST. EASTER/SPRING. GIFT. POSSIBLE! Charlotte is a serious scientist. She solves important problems by following the scientific method. She has all the right equipment: protective glasses, a lab coat, a clipboard, and a magnifying glass. … Continue reading Picture Book Author Interview: Camille Andros
Tame Your Revision: 7 Tips to Finish Your Novel Before Your Battery Dies
Revising a novel is a form of bookkeeping. So many moving parts!! How do you keep from losing your mind? Never fear, writer friends! The Winged Pen is here! Ta daaaa! Give your revision Wings: Download the Tame Your Revision Infographic here. INVENTORY Make a scene list. Timeline Map of Major Scenes Draw, Doodle, Diagram, Index Card, Cut up Manuscript, Synopsis, Query Letter, Colored Markers. … Continue reading Tame Your Revision: 7 Tips to Finish Your Novel Before Your Battery Dies
The Mesmerist! Interview with Ronald L. Smith
I’ve got an irresistibly spooky #FridayReads suggestion for you today! Ronald L. Smith, Winner of the 2016 Coretta Scott King New Author Award for his debut middle-grade novel HOODOO, has a new book out. Cue the fog machine! THE MESMERIST, a thrilling mix of creepy, urban fantasy and historical fiction, released on 2/21/17. Perfect for fans of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series and Lockwood & … Continue reading The Mesmerist! Interview with Ronald L. Smith
Author Interview: Ali Standish
Today we welcome debut middle-grade author Ali Standish to The Winged Pen. Ali is the author of THE ETHAN I WAS BEFORE, which released on January 24th! Pull up a chair and get comfy, Ali! Thank you so much, and thanks for having me! Congrats on your debut middle-grade novel, THE ETHAN I WAS BEFORE. It has been described as a beautifully written mystery about … Continue reading Author Interview: Ali Standish
BRAVE NEW GIRLS: STORIES OF GIRLS WHO SCIENCE AND SCHEME
BRAVE NEW GIRLS: STORIES OF GIRLS WHO SCIENCE AND SCHEME will be released August 2017! This YA sci-fi anthology (edited by sci-fi authors Paige Daniels and Mary Fan) features stories about girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)… Girls who engineer, tinker, hack, and more, using their smarts to save the day. It’s got space operas, sci-fi mysteries, steampunk, cyberpunk, all kinds of punk! … Continue reading BRAVE NEW GIRLS: STORIES OF GIRLS WHO SCIENCE AND SCHEME
DIY Infographics and other Cool Marketing Things
If you’ve spent any time online recently (which, yeah, maybe you’ve been avoiding it as much as we have!), you’ve probably seen these cool graphic communication tools known as infographics. Infographic is really just a fancy way of saying “a picture and a few words working together to communicate key information or important messaging.” They give people an easy, at-a-glance way of gathering info, and … Continue reading DIY Infographics and other Cool Marketing Things
Creating Your Website
Welcome back to my series Basic Marketing for Authors. In the last blog post of this series, Creating Your Brand, I mentioned there are many uses for your brand including social media, promotion material, and websites. Today we are focusing on websites. A scary, but necessary part of your platform and career-long marketing. (Who am I kidding? It’s all scary!) Okay, you have your brand. How do you use that … Continue reading Creating Your Website
