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by Melissa Stoller The year 2022 is filled with the number 2. So for my first Blogfish post of the year, I’m going to have some fun with this number. And hopefully, if you play along, you will find some inspiration as you set up your writing life for the next 12 months!  Pick 2 projects you want to work on this month. Perhaps you will pull them out of a forgotten file on your computer or in your drawer? Or maybe they are 2 new-ish projects. Spend time revising or fleshing them out. See where your creativity will take you. Find 2 ideas that you think are worthwhile and commit to pursuing those story ideas in the next 2 weeks. Or, if you are stuck for a new idea, look out your window. Write down the first 2 things you see. Try to incorporate those things into a story. Or, find 2 images online and write stories about those 2 images. Or think of the titles of your 2 favorite songs or movies and pick 2 words from those titles to incorporate into a story title. The possibilities are endless. Read 2 mentor texts in the next 2 weeks that will help you along your writing journey (or 2 per week, or more!) Or, pick 2 genres outside your normal genre and read 2 books in those areas. Experiment, play, and learn. Read 2 writing-related blog posts and leave 2 comments. Interact with 2 writing friends online. Or watch 2 writing-related videos. Take notes using a #2 pencil :) I hope you have fun with these mini-challenges. Cheers to writing in 2022!  BIO: Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Building Bridges: Peace, Salaam, Shalom releases in 2022. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and long beach walks. www.MelissaStoller.com CONNECT: https://www.MelissaStoller.com https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com  
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by Laurie Smollett Kutscera
As writers, we all know inspiration can come from just about everywhere. Listening to a child’s conversation, or watching critters outside interact on a crisp autumn day. Sometimes inspiration comes from the memories woven into a faded photograph, or the grief that follows the loss of a friend. I’m hoping to help you find the heart of your story by sharing how I found the heart of my 2nd published book – Maya’s Treasures. Maya’s Treasure Summary: Each morning when the sun rises, Maya and her sister, Alita, go to the shore to collect the beautiful seashells the waves wash up on the beach overnight. The sisters scrub their finds until they sparkle like stars, then string them together to make beautiful jewelry they can sell to the people in their island village. When Alita discards shells she deems too broken or ugly, Maya rescues them and remembers the words of her grandmother: ''Even the tiniest nub can be quite beautiful. You just have to find the magic in it.'' But can Maya turn the cast-off shells into something truly special? 
It was an overwhelming feeling of loss that inspired me to write Maya’s Treasure. I wanted to put into words the ‘gifts’ my friend Enid had shared with me, and everyone who knew her.
Wherever we were, sitting on the porch of their vacation cabin in Grand Lakes Stream Maine, or just traveling down a quiet road near our home, Enid would always notice something remarkable happening that none of us were paying attention to. “Did you see that gnarly tree?” Or, “Ohhhh, did you notice the wings on that turkey vulture?” She saw beauty in everything. Enid taught me to connect with the magic around me, and when she passed away, I felt lost. That’s when the words came to me. I sat down and began writing about a girl, who guided by her grandmother’s words, finds beauty and purpose in the shells used to make jewelry that her sister deems damaged. That first draft was beyond helpful to me emotionally. To share what Enid had meant to me and get it down on paper was in many ways healing. But I also knew if this was to be a picture book I needed to make sure the heart of the story was strong enough to connect with young readers. 
I continued to write and rewrite. With each new draft I added another layer— more tension between the siblings, problem solving opportunities for Maya, and finally, the all-important environmental obstacle that helped bring Maya’s Treasure to a satisfying ending. Each new layer building on the other through the use of lyrical language. It took me two years, but I had finally created the emotional arc that made the heart of the story even stronger.
Now it was time to work on the illustrations. Having found the perfect model for Maya, the dummy and final sketches came together quickly. But choosing the right medium was another dilemma— it was as crucial as my choice of words. Digital wasn’t going to work for this project. I needed a medium that would evoke more emotion. I started playing with watercolor and colored pencils but I wasn’t feeling “the heart” in either. I wanted a medium that would add richness and vibrancy to Maya’s world. Pastel, I thought, would be the perfect choice. Deep, starry night blues and dark, stormy purples added quite a bit to the dreamy quality of the story. An organic and more textural material, pastel gave Maya’s Treasure the “visual heart” I was looking for. After subbing Maya’s Treasure for over a year, I was excited to receive an offer of publication from Peter Pauper Press. At the same time, I also found representation with my wonderful agent, Matt Belford at Tobias Literary. My journey to publication began in 2016 and the book was just released last month, November 2021. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the idea of being a published author. Don’t rush. Let changes percolate for a while. If you take your time and give your work room to blossom, getting to the heart of the story will be a much more rewarding experience. So now I’d like to ask you to dig deep into something tender or touching in your story and see if perhaps that might be the heart of your story. Then ask yourself how you can focus on that to make it even more meaningful, poetic, and touching Laurie Smollett Kutscera was born in New York City, and studied fine art and children’s book illustration at Queens College. Her love for art, storytelling, and most of all those stories representing characters who discover hidden strength flourished throughout her graphics design career, leading her to illustrate Ravita and the Land of Unknown Shadows. Maya’s Treasure, her second solo project after middle-grade novel Misadventures of a Magician’s Son, also shares a story inspired by a dear friend. Laurie lives on the north shore of Long Island with her husband, and rescue dog Abby, where she continues to bring her stories to life. Laurie is also a Children’s Book Academy graduate She is available for lively virtual visits for schools and other groups interested in kidlit art and children’s literature. Find Laurie here and participate in her giveaway twitter:@lkutscera instagram:lauriesmollettkutscera website: LSKillustration.com Purchase Maya's Treasure here: https://www.amazon.com/Mayas-Treasure-Laurie-Smollett-Kutscera/dp/1441337628 And now for some great news! Laurie is giving away either a signed book for someone in the US or a 500 word or less PB critique to some lucky winner. All you need to do is follow Laurie on Twitter or Instagram and tag her with #MayasTreasurePB and post something meaningful or touching from your own life below. You have 10 days to enter until January 13th! Fingers crossed for you. Wish I could enter. Oh my, I couldn't resist making a wee video review for this book because I loved it so much. So proud of Laurie and her beautiful and meaningful work. I hope you like it and get a sense of how lovely this book is. By Sharon Giltrow Wow! I can’t believe a whole year has gone by, since I started blogging for The Children’s Book Academy. Over the past year, I have shared fantastically funny books by fellow Aussies. I hope these books added joy and laughter to your world. The books that I chose contained one or more humorous elements, such as...
Well, that’s it from me for 2021. See you in 2022, with more fantastically funny, Aussie book. GIVEAWAY For a chance to win a book of your choice,
BIO: Sharon Giltrow grew up in South Australia, the youngest of eight children, surrounded by pet sheep and fields of barley. She now lives in Perth, Western Australia with her husband, two children and a tiny dog. Sharon has taught for all of her career. Previously a teacher of children who are hearing impaired and Deaf-Blind, she now teaches young children with Developmental Language Disorder. Her humorous debut PB, BEDTIME DADDY! released May 2020 through EK books. Sharon’s humorous follow up PB, GET READY, MAMA! Is due to be released through EK books in April, 2022. Her third PB, LET’S GO SHOPPING, GRANDMA! is due to be released through Dixi Books in 2022. SAMARA RUBIN AND THE UTILITY BELT, book one in Sharon’s early MG series – THE UTILITY BELT, will be released in 2022 through Clear Fork Publishing. With book two TOBY KING AND THE UTILITY BELT to follow. CONNECT: Website
by Bryan Patrick Avery Well, we’ve almost made it through another year. I have one more writing deadline for the year before I take a short break for the holidays. This past year, I’ve had the pleasure of introducing a number of new characters to world including Sidney (who graced the pages of THE FREEMAN FIELD PHOTOGRAPH) and Mr. Grizley and his creative, kind, and caring class, including Cecilia (CECILIA’S FUNDRAISER), Mordecai (MORDECAI’S MAGIC), Shaw (SHAW’S SOLO), and Emily (EMILY’S BIG SHOT). This January, readers will get to meet middle grade sports stars turned sleuths Gabriella (SOCCER SUSPICIONS) and Jayden (OFF BASE). Thinking back over all these characters I’ve been privileged to create, I decided I’d use this month’s blog post to share some holiday-themed questions you can ask you characters to get to know them better. I’ve included some of my characters answers as well. Here goes:  1. How do you spend your holiday break? Where do you go (if anywhere) and what do you do? Gabriella: I love the holidays. We stay home so, with no school for almost three weeks, I get to play soccer pretty much all day, everyday. Plus, I can watch all of the English Premier League festive fixtures  2. What, if any, events (Hannakuh, Christmas, Kwanzaa, etc.) do you celebrate? Cecilia: We’re Catholic, so my family celebrates Christmas. Before that, though, is my favorite celebration, the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It starts early in the morning on December 12th. There's singing and praying, then we have a mass with a Mariachi band. When it's over, we get tamales and hot cocoa. I love it!  3. What is your least favorite part of the holidays and why? Mordecai: I like the holidays but, since my Dad is in the military, we’re always someplace different. The worst part is we don’t usually get to see my grandparents over the holidays. We just moved to a new town again. The good news is we might be able to see Grandma and Grandpa this year!  4. Does your family have any special traditions (e.g. gumbo on Christmas Eve) for the holidays? Jayden: We’ve celebrated Kwanzaa for as long as I can remember. We also celebrate Christmas but Kwanzaa gives us a chance to celebrate our African heritage and culture. My favorite day of the Nguzo Saba is Kujichagulia. It’s fun to say but, more important than that, it represents Black people determine our future and how we’re seen by the world. It reminds me that I have to work hard to succeed and help others do that also. I encourage you to ask your characters these questions. It may help you unlock a part of the backstory or personality that will really make a difference in your story. I’d love to hear how your characters answer these questions. Feel free to leave a note in the comments. Well, that’s all for this month. I wish you all a happy, and safe, holiday season. Have a magical new year!  At the age of 7, Bryan Patrick Avery discovered a love of reading and mysteries after receiving his first Bobbsey Twins Mystery Book. Today, he is an award-winning poet and author of books for children. His middle-grade story, “The Magic Day Mystery”, appears in SUPER PUZZLETASTIC MYSTERIES, an anthology from HarperCollins and the Mystery Writers of America. His debut picture book, THE FREEMAN FIELD PHOTOGRAPH, illustrated by Jerome White, was published by Clearfork Publishing/Spork. His early reader series, MR. GRIZLEY’S CLASS, illustrated by Arief Putra, is available now from Picture Window Press. He is the 2021 recipient of the SCBWI Work in Progress Award for his chapter book mystery THE ROBOT IN THE LIBRARY.
Bryan serves on the board of directors of the Northern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and is a 2021 Amplify Black Stories Fellow, a joint program presented by the Brown Bookshelf and the Highlights Foundation. Bryan lives in Northern California with his family. by Melissa Stoller As we get ready to welcome 2022 – it’s time to take stock of the year that is about to end and to plan and set writing goals for the upcoming months.
 Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season, Happy New Year, and cheers to creativity in 2022!  BIO: Melissa Stoller is the author of the chapter book series The Enchanted Snow Globe Collection - Return to Coney Island and the picture books Scarlet’s Magic Paintbrush; Ready, Set, GOrilla!; and Sadie’s Shabbat Stories. Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom (co-written with Callie Metler and Shirin Rahman, illustrated by Kate Talbot), released from Clear Fork Publishing in October, 2021. Melissa is a Blogger and Course Assistant for the Children’s Book Academy, a Regional Ambassador for The Chapter Book Challenge, a volunteer with SCBWI/MetroNY, and a founding member of The Book Meshuggenahs. She also interviews authors on her blog, This Writing Life, and offers book tips and resources. In other chapters of her life, Melissa has worked as a lawyer, legal writing instructor, freelance writer and editor, and early childhood educator. She lives in New York City with her family, and enjoys theatre, museums, and long beach walks. www.MelissaStoller.com CONNECT: https://www.MelissaStoller.com https://www.MelissaStoller.com/blog http://www.facebook.com/MelissaStoller http://www.twitter.com/melissastoller www.instagram.com/Melissa_Stoller www.pinterest.com/melissa_Stoller https://www.TheBookMeshuggenahs.com  |
We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our awesome new bloggers!!
Here's our lineup: 1st Mondays begin with Clear Fork/Spork editor/art director, & CBA Director Mira Reisberg PhD who is handing her Mondays over to awesome former now trad. pubbed students to widen their audience. 2nd Mondays will feature super smart Melissa Stoller whose career is taking off with several new books. 3rd Mondays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things. 4th Mondays feature funny Aussie author Sharon Giltrow sharing awesome Aussie books. And 5th Mondays will feature Libyan American author Koloud Tarapolsi sharing wonderful diverse books. Archives
January 2022
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