tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63223115208972201082024-02-07T01:48:25.584-07:00STARSONGS MAGAZINEVOICES OF THE FUTURE LEARNING HOW TO BE HEARD...Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-75528628975384373562013-03-21T21:58:00.005-06:002013-03-21T21:58:56.777-06:00<span style="font-size: large;">I'm no longer with Starsongs magazine or Written World Communications, due to some health issues my husband faced recently that I thought would require several months of care. I can't say where <i>Starsongs</i> information has moved to, so I would advise you to continue checking out <a href="http://www.written-world.com/">www.written-world.com</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, I hope to soon develop an area for young writers on my web site at <a href="http://www.pattishene.com/">www.pattishene.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-51431035216125125212012-11-13T19:57:00.000-07:002012-11-13T19:57:37.838-07:00Night Flight by Diane & Dave Munson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Today, it is my pleasure to introduce husband and wife writing team Diane and Dave Munson and their exciting new YA thriller, <i>Night Flight. </i>Welcome to both of you.</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks for interviewing us. We're excited to be here.</span></i><br />
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<b>Your writing gives readers the inside scoop as courageous federal agents track down the guilty. What prompted you to write <i>Night Flight</i>, your recent thriller for Young Adults?</b><br />
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We are a husband and wife that write and travel the country meeting readers and speaking about God’s love in tough times. Because Diane is an attorney and former Federal prosecutor and David a former NCIS agent (before serving as an undercover Federal drug agent), we love creating heroes for readers to believe in. Our writing, though fiction, is inspired by our exciting and dangerous careers where God has protected us. This is especially true for David as he has traveled the world to bring criminals to justice.</div>
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One night we finished editing our last thriller, <i>The Joshua Covenant</i>, and David became convinced we should write a novel using the teens from Joshua. Filled with tomorrow’s headlines, we reveal in Joshua what happens when CIA agent Bo Rider is assigned to our embassy in Israel. His wife Julia and their young teens, Glenna and Gregg, experience relics and riots in the tunnels of Old Jerusalem. As we wrote of the Rider family learning of God’s ancient covenants, we had such delight exploring the teen’s growing courage that we penned <i>Night Flight</i>. It’s a high velocity adventure for young adults and adults who are young at heart. <br />
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Featuring Glenna and Gregg in <i>Night Flight</i> gives us a chance to introduce teen readers to books their parents and grandparents are reading. It’s our attempt to bridge the generation gap. We have grandchildren and find the gap broadening as they embrace ipods, FaceBook, and technology many find intimidating. <i>Night Flight</i> provides teens with an opportunity to read serious Christian suspense with the same characters and plots their adult family members are reading.<br />
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You call your novels “Factional Fiction” because they are based on your careers. Will you tell us what action in <i>Night Flight</i> is from your real cases?</div>
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We have fun weaving in the drama from David’s undercover work and readers find issues of adoption and child custody influenced by Diane’s family law cases. In <i>The Joshua Covenant</i>, Bo Rider discovers things about his birth that even his parents didn’t know. In <i>Night Flight</i> we highlight hero dogs that David worked with in his time as a Special Agent. These law enforcement dogs are trained to sniff out explosives, currency, and drugs. So when the Rider teens long for a puppy, their dad instead adopts Blaze, a mature Golden Retriever and Lab mix.<br />
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Action and suspense build because Glenna and Gregg don’t know their dad Bo is a CIA agent. So when Blaze confronts some crooks and the teens learn their dog has mysterious smelling powers, their imaginations kick into high gear. The teens are forced to take refuge at their grandparents’ home in Treasure Island, Florida. While there, they put Blaze to work stopping crime and Grandpa Buck involves them in more adventure. The whole family invests their lives in helping a desperate homeless girl they befriend in the neighborhood.<br />
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Though the action is intense, the Dove Foundation awarded this thriller “Five Doves”, their highest rating, for family friendly content, which is appropriate for all ages.<br />
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Does your writing contain a spiritual message?</div>
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Yes! As believers in Jesus, we enjoy writing suspense novels that show characters seeking freedom, justice, and truth. Some try to trap the guilty in their own strength. When they come across agents empowered by God in their lives, this causes them to dig deeper into the meaning of life.<br />
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Our novels appeal to non-Christians and Christians alike. We believe it is crucial to write realistic fiction that will keep even a non-religious person reading a God-honoring book. So in <i>Night Flight</i>, the Rider teens experience how God is interested in their daily lives. When their non-Christian fellow student is threatened with a terminal illness, Glenna and Gregg are heartbroken. But after seeking God’s help in prayer, they concoct a plan to save his life using Blaze. Readers have told us they cannot stop reading until the last page and find the ending, “powerful!”<br />
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Your six adult novels stand alone and can be read in any order. What are you writing now?</div>
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When we completed our debut novel, <i>Facing Justice</i>, we loved our main federal agents so much that we decided to keep telling their stories in each of our novels. Eva Montanna hunts down masterminds that fund terror after her twin sister is killed on 9/11. FBI Agent Griff Topping also appears in our subsequent releases. Through our pages, Eva and Griff become embroiled in a mystery involving the JFK assassination, Chinese espionage, and freeing a Sudanese woman trapped in modern slavery. In all of these adventures, Eva wants to help her grandfather write his WWII memoirs so we decided to finally give her that chance. Thus we are researching, interviewing Dutch Resistance survivors from WWII, and writing Eva’s family story involving a dangerous legacy. Stay tuned, because we have many surprises in store for our readers.<br />
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Where can we find your books?</div>
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Our books are available in print and eBooks. Autographed copies are available on <a href="http://www.dianeanddavidmunson.com/" target="_blank">our website</a>. Readers can find print versions at Lifeway and other Christian stores and both print/eBook versions are on <a href="http://ow.ly/fgLKZ" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://ow.ly/fgLWJ" target="_blank">B&N.com</a>, and <a href="http://ow.ly/fgM6N" target="_blank">Christian Book.com</a>. Fans of NCIS will enjoy signing up for the blog on our website, where we critique the NCIS show that airs on Tuesdays. Those who sign up to receive our email newsletter can participate in contests to win books, NCIS caps, and other fun items. May God’s blessings rain down upon you and His people. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">When a millionaire drug-dealer wrote a memoir that became a movie staring Johnny Depp, Diane Munson decided the good guys wearing white hats should be the ones to write memoirs. A former Federal prosecutor, she knew the back story. She asked David, a former undercover DEA Special Agent, to join her in writing about David’s arrest of Johnny Depp’s character in Chicago and other criminals in what the Munsons call factional novels. Now, this husband and wife weave the thrills of back alley deals and major courtroom drama into international suspense novels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Diane Munson is an attorney of more than twenty-five years who transitioned from writing briefs for judges to writing inspiring fiction for readers. David Munson was a Special Agent with the NCIS and with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). As an undercover agent, he infiltrated international drug smuggling organizations. Diane and David have co-authored together six suspense thrillers: Facing Justice, Confirming Justice, The Camelot Conspiracy, Hero’s Ransom, Redeeming Liberty, and The Joshua Covenant. “Night Flight,” their newest thriller for young adults, released September, 2012. </span></div>
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Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-25991635019954171612012-10-24T23:16:00.000-06:002012-10-25T01:50:54.950-06:00Like Moonlight at Low Tide by Nicole Quigley<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Today I am reviewing <i>Like Moonlight at Low Tide</i> by new author Nicole Quigley, Due to
some content, I would recommend this book for young people age 12 and over. It
would probably be more enjoyed by girls than boys. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The story unfolds as told through the eyes of a bullied
teen forced to face harsh reality when tragedy strikes. I was hooked on page
one, where the author foreshadows the future, then familiarizes the reader with
“Messy” Missy Keiser, an insecure teen who returns to her school in Florida
after three years away, anticipating encounters with the same cruel classmates
who inflicted hurtful emotional wounds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Things have changed, though, and Missy finds herself
accepted by peers and even enters into a relationship with the boy of her
dreams. The blossoming teen also forms a shaky alliance with the boy next door,
who forces her to search within herself for a deeper understanding of what is
really important. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Characterization is one of the strong points of this
book. The author probes the mind and heart of many of today’s teens as she paints
a picture of a broken home, an inadequate mom, and an economically struggling
family.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">The plot builds to a conclusion that is not easily
envisioned, yet brings the reader to a satisfactory end. Each scene serves to move
Missy Keiser along on her journey to maturity as she discovers the meaning of
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18.18181800842285px;">Find Nicole's book <a href="http://ow.ly/eKDH1" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-40409963015049422522012-10-09T00:30:00.000-06:002012-10-09T12:05:57.519-06:00Reluctant Reader Turned Writer Max Elliot Anderson<br />
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<b><i>Starsongs</i> is proud to welcome author Max Elliot Anderson. A reluctant reader as a child, Max now pens adventure books for boys. </b><br />
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<b>Max, you spent much of your younger years as a reluctant reader. What suggestions do you have for avid readers who would like to encourage their reluctant reader friends to discover books?</b><br />
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If a child avoids reading in every way possible - choosing video games, or the computer over reading - you might set those activities aside as rewards. Parents can say, “After you’ve read for thirty minutes, or an hour,” for example, “then you may spend time doing those other things.”<br />
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But reading doesn’t always have to be a book. Find a subject that the child is interested in, then look for articles, magazines, Internet sites, or other sources where that subject is written about. Here are some other ideas. Read aloud with your child. Get rid of distractions. Above all, make reading fun. Have your child try reading to a dog, a cat, a doll, or stuffed animal. Look for high interest, low vocabulary books called Hi-Lo, and advance from there.<br />
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<b>A library must be very intimidating to a reluctant reader. On your web site, you make the comment that “It has…been said that a reluctant reader simply hasn’t found the right books yet.” What, in your opinion, leads any reader to the right books?</b><br />
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As a child, my problem was in finding books that interested me. Back then books were boring. They had large blocks of type that intimidated me. I could easily lose my place on the page, if there were any distractions nearby. I understand that graphic novels help some reluctant readers. These are books that have lots of drawings, sort of like a glorified comic book. In my own writing, I stick to shorter sentences, fewer descriptions or boring details, employ a faster pace, lots of humor and dialog in order to keep things moving.<br />
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But it all comes down to interest. If the child likes animals, find books about the animals they like. If they’re interested in sports, seek out sports books, and so on.<br />
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<b>Tell us about your recently released novel, <i>River Rampage</i>.</b><br />
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When I started writing about eleven years ago, I wrote stand-alone manuscripts. I did this because I wanted to explore all sorts of different main characters. In this way, I could deal with various personalities, strengths, and weaknesses in those characters. <i>River Rampage</i> is actually the third book in a traditional series - <i>The Sam Cooper Adventure Series</i> - with the same primary characters in each book. The first book in this series is <i>Lost Island Smugglers</i>, and the second is <i>Captain Jack’s Treasure</i>.<br />
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Sam Cooper and his friends have the chance of a lifetime to go rafting down the mighty Colorado River. The rains have been heavy this season, making the raging river even more treacherous. The boys become separated from the main group, their rubber raft is going flat, and now they're on their own. They have their hands full with a crusty prospector, his gold mine, a gang of outlaw bikers, and a desperate river escape on their makeshift wooden raft. Think that's the worst that could happen?<br />
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Well, it isn't.<br />
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<b>Do you write on a regular schedule?</b><br />
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I don’t. My writing has always been project oriented. By that I mean that I take on a writing project and stay with it until it’s finished. In the early stages, I turned out many manuscripts without contracts, an agent, or publisher. This resulted in 35 action-adventure & mystery manuscripts for young readers. Since that time, I've taken on the writing of regular short stories for a magazine and a monthly column. Those projects are written according to fixed schedules and deadlines.<br />
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And because I wrote so many manuscripts in advance, I can spend most of my time with promotion and marketing of the 10 books that are out now. I've just signed a contract for multiple books with an education publisher, and have an additional 4 book project under contract with two other publishers. One of these is book #4 in the Sam Cooper series.<br />
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<b>What is your favorite part of writing and why?</b><br />
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What I like most is the writing itself. I love closing the door to my writing room, turning on mood appropriate music to the scene I’m writing, lighting a candle, and disappearing into a world of my own making. The amazing part of the process is sitting there and pounding on the keys as an adventure or mystery appears right in front of me. I don’t work from an outline, so each story is filled with surprises even as I write.<br />
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<b>Least favorite and why?</b><br />
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I’m thankful for having such a great agent, Terry Burns at Hartline, because it’s the details that drive a writer crazy. We already are called upon to shoulder most of the marketing and promotion. If I had to deal with everything else that goes along with the publishing process, there wouldn't be much time for writing.<br />
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<b>Tell us about your “message in a bottle” real life adventure.</b><br />
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The thought occurred to me that if I were to be publishing adventures and mysteries for kids, why not start a real one of my own? I made an offer of a free set of my books to anyone who found my floating bottle. The bottle was released into the Rock River, in Rockford, Illinois, where we live. From there it should have had a clear shot to the Mississippi. From that point it would have the chance to travel into the Gulf of Mexico and possibly the ocean.<br />
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Unfortunately, shortly after I sent the large, clear, plastic bottle on its way, we had torrential rains, resulting in unexpected, severe flooding on the Rock and the Mississippi rivers.<br />
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<b>Has anyone claimed the prize?</b><br />
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Not yet. This was probably five years ago now. Who knows, maybe Amelia Earhart will find it, on the beach of that island where she landed, and send it back for her free books.<br />
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<b>What kind of advice would you give to young writers?</b><br />
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Publishing is a long, slow, solitary process filled with highs and lows. You have to be serious about making your way in it, and willing to work hard to achieve your goals. If you feel called to write, don’t let anyone try to stop you. Most of all, never, never, ever give up.<br />
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<b>Click the following links to learn more about Max and his books.</b><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Books for Boys Blog </a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/index_1.html" target="_blank">Author Web Site </a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Maxbooks100?feature=watch" target="_blank">My Youtube Videos</a><br />
<a href="http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/2012/05/books-you-can-trust-for-kids.html" target="_blank">Books you can trust for your kids</a><br />
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<b>Thanks for stopping by to spend some time with us, Max!</b><br />
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Using his extensive experience in dramatic film, video, and television commercial production, Max Elliot Anderson brings that same visual excitement, and heart-pounding action, to his many adventures & mysteries for readers 8 – 13.<br />
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<br />Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-61255835540476198412012-09-25T11:30:00.000-06:002012-09-25T11:30:07.511-06:00Interview with YA author Jill Williamson<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Starsongs</i> Magazine is excited to introduce YA author Jill Williamson. Hi Jill and welcome! It's a pleasure to have you here today.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Jill, you say you write speculative fiction for teens. What is speculative fiction?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Speculative fiction is a term that encompasses a wide variety of “weird” fiction genres. It’s the supergenre of everything that falls under science fiction and fantasy. Spec fiction can take place on earth but often takes place in worlds created by the author. Some subgenreexamples are: alternate history, apocalyptic, cyberpunk, dystopian, fairytales, fantasy, paranormal, post-apocalyptic, science fiction, space opera, steampunk, and, supernatural. I wrote a blog post called <a href="http://www.jillwilliamson.com/2011/02/speculative-fiction-subgenres/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Speculative Fiction Subgenres</span></a>, if you want to learn more about each. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Why do you think dystopian novels have become so popular for teens?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Genres come and go, as far as popularity. But with the dangers in our current world, dystopian plots seem much more plausible. They warn of an unhappy future that could conceivably happen soon. Readers like plots they can relate to. They also like to see an underdog face incredible odds. Save-the-world-type obstacles often stand in a dystopian hero’s way. Maybe he faces a corrupt government. Maybe his peoples' way of life is wrong or threatened. Maybe he lives in a world with no hope. And that appeals to teen readers because many feel like underdogs themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is your writing process? Do you write regularly or when inspiration hits?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I spend several weeks brainstorming a new story. I use a <a href="http://www.jillwilliamson.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/scene-plotting-chart.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">brainstorming worksheet</span></a> like the one on my website to outline the story. Then I take the next month or two to write the first draft. I try and write 2000-3000 words a day, starting in the morning. Once I finish the rough draft, I go back in and rearrange, cut,and add characters or scenes. Then I start rewriting. And I tend to rewrite as much as possible right up to my deadline. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Recruit-Mission-ebook/dp/B0097ADIGW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348505342&sr=1-1&keywords=the+new+recruit+jill+williamson+marcher+lord+press" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The New Recruit</span></a>, your latest book, about?</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These guys mean business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What inspired this book?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the first book I wrote. I was trying to write a story about teens going out into the world like missionaries, but since teen fiction books about missionaries weren't getting the attention of agents and editors, I tweaked the story and turned them into undercover agents. I was also trying to copy the format of Harry Potter. My goal was to get some teens away from their parents where they could receive some kind of training. At the time, I thought this was sneaky and brilliant, but it created so many problems! I’ve never written a book that way since. It’s not a good idea to copy what’s already successful—because the world already has that book. And humans were created unique for a reason. There’s already one J. K. Rowling. And I need to be Jill Williamson. All that to say, even though I’ve rewritten The New Recruit from that first horrible draft, this book is not my strongest, but it’s still a whole lot of fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are you working on now?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I’m working on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captives-Safe-Lands-Jill-Williamson/dp/0310724228/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348505292&sr=1-1&keywords=captives+jill+williamson" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Captives</span></a>, which is the first in a dystopian trilogy coming out from Zonderkidz in February 2013. It’s based on Daniel 1 when Jerusalem in conquered by Babylon and the young people are taken into the city.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you have any advice for aspiring teen authors?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Write a lot. And don’t worry about getting published until you’ve written several books and have polished them. Be patient and enjoy the process of creating and learning. If you rush things, you’ll regret it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where else can readers find you online?</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jillwilliamson.com/" target="_blank">Website:</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Go Teen Writers Blog:</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/jwilliamsonwrites" target="_blank">Facebook:</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Also, I give away one of my books and a one-chapter critique every month on my <a href="http://www.jillwilliamson.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">website</span></a>. So stop by every once in a while to enter. Look under the “Contests” tab to see what contests I have going on.</span><br />
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Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-76809850695987781822012-09-12T11:05:00.000-06:002012-09-12T11:05:41.474-06:00Victoria and the Ghost by Janet K. Brown<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_EwTKPJ48hngcKEijA4WllM7UyD1zH38AP9zecApSCOojwR_3Pf3rSPWjvqNUusPhFfiLSnr0-gdXdx5WHQ5ovuCVz2v5b_6Mtegkuuzopekg7kFj29X9_YqJD2W5gZ7IBHe3uzYy88/s1600/Victoria+and+the+Ghost+-+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_EwTKPJ48hngcKEijA4WllM7UyD1zH38AP9zecApSCOojwR_3Pf3rSPWjvqNUusPhFfiLSnr0-gdXdx5WHQ5ovuCVz2v5b_6Mtegkuuzopekg7kFj29X9_YqJD2W5gZ7IBHe3uzYy88/s320/Victoria+and+the+Ghost+-+Cover.jpg" width="204" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Welcome to the world of the debut release of an inspirational, paranormal YA titled Victoria and the Ghost by Janet K. Brown. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Janet, welcome to the Starsongs blog. </b><b>Tell us about your book, <i>Victoria and the Ghost</i>.</b></span><br />
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At fifteen, Victoria, a city girl, loses her mother’s love and copes with country isolation, no friends, and no one who cares, until she meets a ghost.</span><br />
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When her mother leaves the family to become a Dallas trophy wife, Victoria’s dad moves her and her sister to a North Texas farm to herd cattle and raise chickens. Refusing to believe this is more than a temporary set-back, Victoria tries to make new friends which isn’t an easy task. The first one stabs her in the back with gossip and a sharp tongue. Meanwhile, her new stepsister takes Victoria’s place in her mother’s heart. Rejection and anger stalk Victoria like a rattlesnake in the cemetery. Good thing she makes friends with a ghost and through him, a good-looking teenaged cowboy.</span><br />
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Here’s how Victoria recounts the move:</span><br />
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My name is Victoria Peterson. My life isn’t fair. I never thought that when I was fifteen-years old, I would end up away from my mother, my friends, and the city. Dad got this really dumb idea to move my seventeen-year-old sister and me away from civilization. He even expects me to tend chickens. Can you believe that? Why, my nail job won’t last a month.</span><br />
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It’s only temporary. When Mom returns from her honeymoon, she’ll move me back to Dallas to live with her. I am her favorite, you know. Maybe then, I can buy a decent pair of shoes.</span><br />
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<b>What inspired you to tell this particular story?</b></span><br />
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I’m a Dallas girl, but awhile back, we moved our family to Wichita Falls which is about three hours northwest of Dallas. My husband and I discovered the true-to-life Texas ghost town of Clara. The area captured my interest. We walked among the tombstones. I read everything I could find and learned about the man and the ghost of Colonel Hermann Specht.</span><br />
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He was a colorful fellow. North Texas owes him a debt for his foresight and belief in the area though the town itself withered and died. He changed the landscape in a few short years. After losing his cherished wife and being stranded in Germany when World War I started, it is said he returns in search of his wife, Clara, for whom the town was named.</span><br />
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When my granddaughter, Victoria, (her real name) reached the rebellious teen years, and her single mom couldn’t do anything right, God brought the story to my mind of a girl that really faces rejection and isolation in her teens. What would happen if this poor, unhappy teenager met a ghost who prowled a cemetery with a sad heart?</span><br />
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<b>Why do you think the supernatural is such a compelling subject for teens?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Teens find the supernatural interesting. So do I. I don’t see why non-Christians get to make up tales of evil and fear without Christians having input. God is the author of the supernatural. Though still fearful, why can’t there be more to it that just scaring us?
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<b>What do you see as some of the problems teens face today?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Teens struggle to make sense of things that happen in their lives. Divorce has become the new norm. Often, a young person battles rejection and guilt. In a big city such as Dallas, the superficial lifestyle of name brand tennis shoes and the latest fads tempt young girls to place undue importance on that which has little affect. Like Victoria in my story, they live in permanent denial of what really torments their thoughts.</span><br />
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I pray that Victoria and the Ghost will speak to them of forgiveness and allowing God to mold them into the treasures He foresees in them, despite trauma fostered on them.</span><br />
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<b>Have you written other novels?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Though I’ve written seven complete manuscripts, this young adult was the first to sell. I thank 4RV Publishing and Vivian Zabel, the owner and president, for being willing to take a chance on a new author. Great editors like Harry, Robyn, and KC helped strengthen my story, and Aidana Willowraven did a super job on the cover art.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I’ve started a sequel to Victoria and the Ghost that I will present to 4RV Publishing when it’s finished.
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">What do you like to do when you are not writing?</span></b><br />
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My husband and I love to travel with our RV. He is my sweetheart and my best friend. We have three beautiful daughters, two great sons-in-law, and three perfect grandchildren, who give me lots of inspiration for my teen short stories and novels. I enjoy reading, traveling, line dancing, Bible studies, and lunch with friends. I keep busy in retirement, my husband loves to remind me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Janet loves to hear from her readers. Here's how she can be contacted.</span><br />
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Here’s how you may contact me. I love to hear from my readers.</span><br />
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e-mail: <span style="color: blue;">Janet.hope@att.net
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<a href="http://www.janetkbrown.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Website</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Janet-K-Brown-Author/143915285641707" target="_blank">FaceBook</a>: </span></span><br />
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<b>Janet, thank you so much for spending some time over here at <i>Starsongs</i>!</b></span><br />
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Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-81193764302352925032012-08-29T03:16:00.001-06:002012-08-29T03:17:50.034-06:00Interview with Author K Dawn Byrd<br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">I am proud to introduce author K Dawn Byrd. She shares some information about her book, <i>A Case of Fatal Attraction</i>, herself, and her main character, Zoe Mac. Leave a comment to be placed in a drawing to win a free download!</b><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Hello Dawn and welcome to the <i>Starsongs </i>blog. Tell us about your book, <i>A Case of Fatal Attraction</i>.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Zoe is thrilled when she lands her first paying case until she learns she'll be going undercover at a local blood bank. The fact that she faints at the sight of blood makes working there more than difficult. Who would steal blood and what would they do with it? Is her creepy vampire-like coworker using it in a cult ritual? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When Zoe learns that Nate will be working undercover with her, she's overjoyed. She soon finds that the gorgeous Rikki's attraction to Nate is too distracting and considers throwing him off the case. Zoe questions his loyalty even as Nate proclaims that she's the only girl for him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing is as it seems and Zoe has no clue who can be trusted. Who's stealing the blood? Is it the director? The vampire-like guy with the fangs who wears all black? Or, her gorgeous co-worker who has a thing for Nate?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How did this story come to you?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I get the strangest ideas! I love a good mystery and I love romance, but you don't find the two together very often. Also, there are very few books available with college-age characters. I pitched the idea of combining all of the above to Desert Breeze and the rest is history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had already published several books with Desert Breeze when they opened a young adult line. I'm excited that they liked the idea for this new series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1) I own two hairless Chinese Crested dogs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2) I love sour things....pickles, lemons, sour candy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3) I used to ride a Harley, but gave it up in order to have more time to write. (My husband always wanted to stay out way too long and take the scenic route home. He still has his bike, but I don't miss mine at all.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Write something every day. All of my books are written in 30-day marathons. I decide how many words I want to write in 30 days and map them out on a calendar, so I can keep track of where I am and where I need to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What are you working on now and what's next for you?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm working on my December release, which is the third book in the "Identity Series." It's called Double Identity and is about two seventeen-year-old identical twins who never knew about each other. One, raised by her mom, is a Christian, the other, raised by her father is a wild child. When the two meet up and the wild one falls for the Christian one's boyfriend, sparks of the worst kind begin to fly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thank you for hosting me! For those of you who love Christian fiction, please check <a href="http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">my blog</span></a> for weekly book giveaways. I interview 3-5 authors a week who give away their books. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Interview with Zoe Mack.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tell us about your latest mystery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My grandfather owns a detective agency and needed my help, but he was afraid to give me this case. It involved going undercover in a blood bank and finding out why blood is disappearing. My grandfather knows that I faint at the sight of blood. It wasn't easy and I had my moments when I became really sick, but I'm no quitter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What was the greatest obstacle to solving this case.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My boyfriend, Nate, went undercover at the blood bank too. He worked as a janitor and once, when I puked after an accident with the blood, he got to clean it up. I thought I'd die of embarrassment. Back to your question, the greatest obstacle in some ways was just having Nate hanging around. You see, I had this gorgeous coworker named Rikki and she had a crush on Nate. We couldn’t tell her that we knew each other because that would blow our cover. Do you know how hard it is watching another girl go after your boyfriend, especially a gorgeous girl?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What did you learn from working on this case?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I learned that I can do things I never thought possible. I never overcame becoming queasy at the sight of blood, but I did learn to live with it. I also learned that I hate snakes and that sometimes creepy vampire-looking guys who wear black aren't all bad. I also learned to trust my instincts even when Nate says I'm wrong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, how is your relationship with Nate after solving two mysteries together?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We had some rocky times, mainly because of Rikki, but I've learned that sometimes, things aren't as they seem and you have to learn to trust people. Nate is a great guy and I love him more than ever. I've learned to accept the fact that my mother will never be crazy about him, but that's another story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Will there be another case any time soon?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">College is getting ready to start up and I’m taking a little time off to concentrate on school. Of course, if Gramps needs me, I'm always up for a good mystery!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfMrSCO6CadJNeW2LgyE8gPUO75HSxSgCrVfkqC8ad0nma7KvWT-3kt8UYovV_GiICyMayRBeycjzPPrpTENicyRHJPpCVf1-0EKyuBdHOcUZoMH2cBvjDIGRW8cSrewMUGNINeCqWNM/s1600/K+Dawn+Byrd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfMrSCO6CadJNeW2LgyE8gPUO75HSxSgCrVfkqC8ad0nma7KvWT-3kt8UYovV_GiICyMayRBeycjzPPrpTENicyRHJPpCVf1-0EKyuBdHOcUZoMH2cBvjDIGRW8cSrewMUGNINeCqWNM/s320/K+Dawn+Byrd.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
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K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance and romantic suspense with seven books published so far. Recently, she tried her hand at young adult fiction and found that she really enjoyed writing it, which led to a contract for four young adult books for 2012.<br />
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She's also the moderator of the popular <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=128209963444" target="_blank">facebook Christian Fiction Gathering group</a><br />
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When not reading or writing, K. Dawn Byrd enjoys spending time with her husband of 16 years while walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home and plotting the next story waiting to be told.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Links: </span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Twitter: kdawnbyrd</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1epz5ezneY" target="_blank">Book trailer on youtube</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to leave a comment by September 30th to be placed in a drawing for a free download of K Dawn's book, <i>A Case of Fatal Attraction</i>.</span><br />
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Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-80107086932876530702012-08-20T01:03:00.000-06:002012-08-20T01:03:16.369-06:00Starsongs Summer 2012 on sale now!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our new <a href="http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/421522" target="_blank"><i>Starsongs</i> Magazine</a> is up for sale, and it's got some great stories and articles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Summer may be over and some of you are already back in school. Still, a summer short story is a good read anytime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whether you're entering fourth grade, your senior year, or somewhere in between, it's never too early to start thinking about college. This issue has an excellent article about ways to begin preparing for your higher education now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">15-yr old <a href="http://www.jordanromero.com/" target="_blank">Jordan Romero</a> is the youngest mountaineer to summit all seven of the world's highest peaks. We caught up with him in cyberspace with a few questions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Poetry is a great form of self-expression. You'll find some of that in this issue of Starsongs as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The deadline for our STARBRIGHT novel writing contest is a little over six months away. You'll find the entry rules in the sidebar. Check out our adult guest writer's advice on how to craft a first chapter that is bound to hook your readers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Click on the link above to preview <i>Starsongs</i>. Check us out today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-14948973920705283212012-08-02T07:22:00.000-06:002012-08-02T07:22:08.903-06:00Welcome NextGen Conferees!HI! Welcome to the Starsongs web site. I hope the NextGen conference has provided you with new and exciting ways to improve your writing. Thank you for attending and for participating.<br />
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If you are visiting this web site, I hope it means you are considering sending a submission to <i>Starsongs</i>. Visit the <i>Starsongs</i> guidelines page found in the sidebar to learn the specifics about how to submit. If you are an aspiring novelist, check out our STARBRIGHT annual novel writing contest.<br />
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Visit our sample writings page to read some pieces that have appeared in <i>Starsongs</i>.<br />
Go to our Meet Our Authors page and read about some of the young people who have contributed to <i>Starsongs</i>. You will find many of them are just like you, young people with a desire to write and be heard.<br />
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I urge you to check out the post before this one, written by a <i>Starsongs </i>contributor. She talks about taking your time with your writing. Leave a comment after that post before August 31st to be entered in a contest to win a free download of our new Summer 2012 issue.Older posts address some helpful tips on writing and submitting your work.<br />
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Would you like to share some of the things you have learned about writing? Email me at starsongs.mag@gmail.com with your idea for a blog post. I'm looking for young bloggers to guest on this site.<br />
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Leave a comment. What do you like about the site? What do you not like? What else would you like to see? What subjects would you like to know more about related to writing and publication? I want to hear from you!<br />
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Thank you so much for stopping by!<br />
<br />Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-45626486103933882492012-07-23T00:30:00.000-06:002012-07-24T11:48:23.605-06:00Taking Your TimeToday, <i>Starsongs </i>is excited to welcome guest blogger Mary Kate Crockett.<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mary Kate Crockett, a homeschooled high
schooler, has penned three novels and dozens of poems and short stories. She has
published a few poems in the past and continues to submit to publishers as she
improves her craft. Last semester, Mary Kate taught a writing class and loved helping
others learn to enjoy writing. In her free time, Mary Kate travels, reads, and
experiments with other arts and crafts. She lives in San Antonio, Texas with
her family and occasionally <a href="http://www.marykateinfo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogs</a> about
her writing hobby.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In today’s hurried world, temptations to rush through projects often arise. Hurry through breakfast so you can get to school. Hurry through school so you can get to chores. Hurry through chores so you can get to dinner. Hurry through dinner so you can finally slow down and watch a little TV... right?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Whatever happened to do your best or practice makes perfect or finish what you started?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Even in writing, young authors often send their work to friends, family, and even publishers within minutes of writing those two little words The End. Guilty of this for quite some time, I could barely put down my pen before reading my work to any family member who would listen. Thankfully, I never submitted to a publisher until I was a little older and had been practicing my craft for several years. Even with a few publications under my belt, I still have a tremendous amount of writing and editing to do before I become an expert.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwulzWcJPIiKs23611dHXnK425ZtuaAW-M2v3Q3Y3NXEpUOQkhFBZnWo_gWImqzVh11QYHFq1c0CXAy0MN19sSJRAXG0aBqsaaPtNyYtZhCEbZxDEwMC9sI9A4B1F6CNPKujeEWCprBLQ/s1600/Clock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwulzWcJPIiKs23611dHXnK425ZtuaAW-M2v3Q3Y3NXEpUOQkhFBZnWo_gWImqzVh11QYHFq1c0CXAy0MN19sSJRAXG0aBqsaaPtNyYtZhCEbZxDEwMC9sI9A4B1F6CNPKujeEWCprBLQ/s200/Clock.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Researchers have found that most people who are experts in their job skill (sports, art, music, business, etc.) have accomplished around ten thousand hours of deliberate practice in their field – practice sessions where their goal was to become better. They weren’t born with some gift to be the “World’s Greatest ____”. They put in the hours of hard work and then reaped the reward of their labor. Check out <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391794/index.htm" target="_blank">this article</a> to read more about this research. That’s quite a few hours! If I began calculating the hours I have spent in writing classes, practicing writing, editing essays and stories, and reading about writing, my total would probably come out to less than a thousand hours – I’m not even 10% of an expert! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Humbly put, we’re probably all just a few hours away from being experts in the writing field. So, what’s the rush?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">This doesn’t mean we can’t ever submit or share our work with others until we reach an X amount of numbers on a clock. Or that we have to throw out any piece of fiction we wrote before achieving a set amount of hours. But, it does mean we need to slow down when writing, take time to edit, and seek the advice of other writers before sending work off to be published. Writing, although fun, should be treated like any other profession. It takes time and hard work to be an expert.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">We’re all learning, no matter where we are in our writing career. So keep an open mind, constantly try to improve your craft, and enjoy the journey.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Are you willing to put in the hours of deliberate practice to become the best author possible?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><b>Leave a comment about Mary Kate’s post </b></span></span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">between now and August 31st </b><b style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">to be entered in a drawing for a free download of the Summer 2012 issue of <i>Starsongs</i> magazine .</b></div>
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</div>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-17829781004913874012012-07-16T10:28:00.000-06:002012-07-16T10:28:03.816-06:002012 NextGen Writer's cCnference<span style="font-size: large;">Announcing the 2012 NextGen Writer's Conference!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;">If you like to write, want to know more about the world of publication, or want to meet your favorite authors online, </span><a href="http://www.nextgenwriters.com/" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">NextGenwriters</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;"> is the place to be! The conference will be held on August 2nd and 3rd. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's a free, online
conference designed to help authors under the age of twenty discover new craft
techniques and improve their writing. Want to know how it works? Find out <span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://nextgenwriters.com/" target="_blank">here</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: large;">Our presenter list includes
some amazing new and returning talent this year. Talent you won't want to miss Click</span><a href="http://nextgenwriters.com/presentation-team/" style="background-color: white; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Want to learn more about the craft of writing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #ffd966; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Wonder how to submit a manuscript?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Need encouragement?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">NextGen is the place for you! Hurry on <a href="http://www.nextgenwriters.com/" target="_blank">over</a> and register today! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Registration opens June
15, 2012. See you there.</span></div>
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</div>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-53629795509109635772012-06-10T18:32:00.001-06:002012-06-10T18:32:15.412-06:00Let's try this again!Almost two months ago, I wrote a post (see below) introducing this <i>Starsongs</i> Magazine blog. Unfortunately, shortly after that, my granddaughter and I decided to make some font and color changes. Little did we know we managed to wipe out the entire web site!<div>
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It's taken a few weeks to get things back in order, so again, I would like to welcome you Take a look around. Send me an email from my contact Patti page or leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Let me know what else you would like to see on the site.</div>
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Happy writing! </div>
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<br /></div>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-65149083477643872422012-04-20T01:07:00.001-06:002012-04-20T01:08:13.148-06:00Welcome to Starsongs MagazineWelcome to Starsongs Magazine's official web page. It will take me a few days to get everything here that I want, but for now you will find our guidelines and the rules for our annual novel writing contest.<br />
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In the next few days, I'll be adding lots more, including samples of writings from previous issues, information about our authors, more ongoing contests, and what we are seeking for up and coming issues.</div>
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What would you like to see in <i>Starsongs </i>magazine and on this blog? My goal is to serve as a resource for young writers not only for improving your writing skills, but for getting published. </div>
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Have questions? </div>
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Feel free to leave them in the comments section.</div>
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Look forward to hearing from you! </div>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-27471573211373850422010-12-03T01:26:00.003-07:002010-12-03T01:50:34.836-07:00Keeping in TouchAs executive editor to Starsongs magazine, I'm learning new things all the time. As I learn, I want to pass the information on to you, my readers. I still don't know who you are, but that is all right. I get the reports every week that tell me someone is reading this blog. Even if only one person reads and benefits from it, it's worth the time it takes to think about and type every word!<br /><br />A writer who is waiting to hear from an editor about their submission can experience a considerable amount of frustration. You work so hard on a story, poem, or essay and send it off, then wait with bated breath to hear something positive. I make it a point to acknowledge every submission I receive so the writer isn't wondering for months if their work is floating around lost forever in cyberspace.<br /><br />However, I also allow myself six to eight weeks to respond with a positive or negative about a writer's work. There is a reason for this. Right now, we are in the last stages of putting together the winter issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Starsongs</span>. Therefore, the work that will appear in that issue needs to take priority.<br /><br />That doesn't mean you shouldn't check for an email from the editor for several weeks, however! I respond to most of my writers within a much shorter period of time than that projected six to eight week period of time.<br /><br />Once an editor accepts your work, keep double checking for communication. Even though a piece may be already contracted, there may be something else the editor needs. Final layout may require the editor to alter your work in some way, and he/she may want to make you aware of any last minute changes.<br /><br />Sometimes, if you have sent your bio, it may need tweaked or the editor may request more information. Maybe the picture you sent isn't quite right, or there may be a question about your contract.<br /><br />Yes, the frustration of waiting for an editor's response can be nerve-racking! However, check your email frequently. When an editor does send a message, it's usually for good reason that most likely requires an answer from you!<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-31698759345175813512010-11-09T00:57:00.009-07:002010-11-09T01:55:05.860-07:00Introducing ClashEntertainment.com<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-chADcbA8WD9r2m9phJoDzDrtrr3Q8X-B8g5vQ0uWPi7fuOeLUKoctP1LeLAomVwfZMqk3Y5ouGtPW-tQW05sHF-kqeLnEq_73aIW-crrQIdu2qZSa0jGbWdChn1snjdjY-J7clqg5F0/s1600/Clash-Knight-ECard2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-chADcbA8WD9r2m9phJoDzDrtrr3Q8X-B8g5vQ0uWPi7fuOeLUKoctP1LeLAomVwfZMqk3Y5ouGtPW-tQW05sHF-kqeLnEq_73aIW-crrQIdu2qZSa0jGbWdChn1snjdjY-J7clqg5F0/s400/Clash-Knight-ECard2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537460480623861410" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Today it is my pleasure to host Ken Raney, president of </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.clashentertainment.com/">Clash Entertainment.com.</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span> This web site is an excellent resource that offers valuable information to the Christian teen seeking guidance about appropriate entertainment in today's world.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Hello Ken, Welcome to “I Want to be Published….But I’m Just a Kid”.<br /><br /></span><span>Thank you for having me.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Tell us about your web site, Clash Entertainment.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://www.clashentertainment.com/">ClashEntertainment.com</a> is an entertainment/portal web site dedicated to bringing excellent, enlightening, even edifying entertainment to Christian teens. We have a passion to see that Christian teenagers have available to them entertaining media that doesn’t undermine their faith. The Christian teen is the most under-served demographic in media – we believe the Lord has led us to begin to fill that gap. The site is updated daily with fresh content that includes news, reviews, and interviews in the fields of music, movie, books, comics, videos, games, sports, career information, and more. There also is a huge list of links to other Christian websites of interest to teens.<br /><br />The name, Clash comes from Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." NLT<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />What age group does Clash Entertainment serve?<br /><br /></span>13 to 19<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Where do you obtain the information for your book, movie, and other entertainment reviews?<br /><br /></span>We have a number of contributors and contributor sites that submit material to Clash or allow us to reprint material.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Do you accept reviews on your site from freelance writers? If so, is there a particular age limit restriction?<br /><br /></span>Yes we do, but we cannot afford to pay. We encourage teenagers to contribute. In fact, we will professionally edit any articles, and help writers become more polished and professional while getting their work out in front of the public.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Do you review entertainment that is not particularly known as Christian?<br /><br /></span>We do review movies and video games and some books that are aimed at teenagers from the secular world.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Thank you for your time, Ken, and for providing a web site that is safe and informative for young people.<br /><br /></span>My pleasure. I wanted to mention that our “Career” section has interviews with several Christian writers, authors, novelists, etc. So teenagers can learn what it is like to work in those fields, what kind of education it requires, what a typical workday is like, and more<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Happy writing!</span>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-21081752645155003722010-10-21T13:51:00.003-06:002010-10-21T13:53:35.484-06:00Who Are You?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8f5SkXEEurEJJEkmaJfPeD4yc49c0H2mHXto2Z0vlDT6HCSaXR1voyG1JxjdeLvUVl-6PQPNUf2r8zjLKaLeTbp0Koh6-kU9lkhEyp1S9Eutq5P4eUE937roegbRHMBOT9wUfyBxKfw/s1600/computer+image.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8f5SkXEEurEJJEkmaJfPeD4yc49c0H2mHXto2Z0vlDT6HCSaXR1voyG1JxjdeLvUVl-6PQPNUf2r8zjLKaLeTbp0Koh6-kU9lkhEyp1S9Eutq5P4eUE937roegbRHMBOT9wUfyBxKfw/s320/computer+image.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530589804637669122" border="0" /></a><br />Every week, I receive a report on the number of people who have visited my blog. Used to be just a few, hardly worth mentioning. Lately, the numbers have increased significantly. I seldom see any comments, though, which does not surprise me. I read several blogs throughout the course of the week where I don't necessarily leave a comment. I may email the person directly in some cases.<br /><br />My question to my readers is this: Who are you? I'd love to know who is reading my posts and if they are helpful or entertaining not. Are they too far apart (probably!). Is there any particular topic you would like to see covered on this blog? Even if you are one of those people who assume I know you read my blog, send me a line or two anyway.<br /><br />Either speak up in the comments section or drop me an email at pattishene(at)pattishene(dot)com. Doesn't have to be elaborate and if you don't want to answer the above questions I posed, that's fine as well. I'm just curious to know who all is out there in cyberspace that stops by!<br /><br />Thanks for reading my blog.Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-28002829678628065472010-10-01T16:35:00.001-06:002010-10-01T16:53:45.333-06:00Introducing Caleb Breakey and his teen writers web site<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YfVXhIQmCy8oyD-o_0jFMERTO2xaIwl6F2T5_bnRtXQYeLX8aiaKquFpLiRJB_qkWpAxOvv1IAf6HfVqTa1YcAC1xsEXpLysb0pax1TuzpozJkUgIdhsg5cV0zvG6MV-k-olCcvGttw/s1600/002+CALEB+BREAKEY.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YfVXhIQmCy8oyD-o_0jFMERTO2xaIwl6F2T5_bnRtXQYeLX8aiaKquFpLiRJB_qkWpAxOvv1IAf6HfVqTa1YcAC1xsEXpLysb0pax1TuzpozJkUgIdhsg5cV0zvG6MV-k-olCcvGttw/s400/002+CALEB+BREAKEY.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5523214350073499490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I met Caleb at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference in August. He and I share a common interest in that I am editing a magazine for kids by kids and he has started a web site for teen writers. It is my pleasure to welcome Caleb to “I Want to be Published…But I’m Just a Kid!”</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Caleb, tell us about your writing history.<br /><br /></span>When I was 17, just getting my feet wet in community college English, I required a tutor to write a one-paragraph summary. That marks the beginning of my writing journey, which now includes a degree in journalism, a season spent covering the New York Yankees, articles in the Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and graduate certificates from the Christian Writers Guild’s Journeyman and Craftsman Courses (January, 2011). What a ride it’s been.<br /><br />In late 2008, after listening to Ted Dekker’s Circle Trilogy (now Circle Series), I sat down to write the first sentence of a novel I titled Banned. It now finds its home in your friendly neighborhood recycling outfit.<br /><br />I then wrote my second novel under the guidance of a professional editor, who showed me exactly what I needed to improve in my writing. If you taped the list to a basketball hoop, it would extend to the ground and form a crumpled lump. But red ink excited me. I had a roadmap to success! All I needed to do was harness POV, RUE, characterization, plot, dialogue, action, description, etc.<br /><br />Sounds a little daunting now, but I’ve been having a blast honing and defining my craftsmanship ever since.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Are you published?</span><br /><br />I’m getting closer every day with my second and third novels. Agents and publishers are considering my work this very day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you follow a writing schedule?</span><br />Whether for work or for play, I write every day. “Writing is a muscle,” a wonderful friend and editor once told me. That advice has stuck with me the way a climactic scene in a favorite novel does.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What do you see as the most difficult aspect of writing to learn?</span><br />Balance. Every aspect of writing contains a good deal permanency, but also a good deal of soft clay.<br /><br />When I first started going through my library of writing books (about 65 now), I took each bit of advice seriously, including “Show Don’t Tell.” Now my greatest weakness is withholding too much information from the reader—something I’m laboring to correct.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What does your web site offer teen writers?<br /><br /></span>My <a href="http://www.calebbreakey.com/">web site</a> features two Teen Writers per week. On the first day, I post their work, an audio reading of their writing, and an interview centered on them. On the second day, I post a video blog about their work. And on the third day I post an Audio Edit.<br /><br />I also host contests and I’m just about to start featuring Podcasts. With feedback from the site’s faithful readers, the possibilities for this <a href="http://www.calebbreakey.com/">web site</a> are endless. I’m honored that teens are letting me be a part of their creative journey.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Give us a brief overview of the submission process to the critiquing feature of your web site. </span><br />I ask writers to send me 250-300 words of their writing—chapter, essay, poem, devotional, etc.—along with their answers to eight interview questions (which are sent to caleb@calebbreakey.com).<br /><br />With submissions rising, I created a fast track for teens to get their page critiqued. For every Full Sandwich comment they post on the work of other Teen Writers—meaning a word of encouragement, followed by a word of constructive feedback, followed by a closing thought of encouragement—I bump their name up the Page Critique Ladder. Contest participation is another way to jump the ladder.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you feel you have the means to help teen writers find a market for their work?</span><br />I can certainly help. I attend a handful of Writers Conferences every year and just recently was approached about teaching a workshop at one. My connections to editors, agents, and authors are growing, and I’m not shy about championing the work of Teen Writers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How about a few just-for-fun questions. What is your favorite pastime outside of writing?<br /><br /></span>Rock Band, anyone? I’ve been known for getting into songs with a gusto more suitable for a break dancer, and I’ve been warned to never again use a coffee table as a platform. What can I say? I’m passionate. =)<br /><br />I’m also a lover of improve. My wonderful wife and sister-in-laws often create scenarios for me to act out, and it usually ends up with all of us falling on the floor.<br /><br />And for all those competitors out there, I love playing baseball, softball, basketball and football. I wish I could round up all the Teen Writers at www.calebbreakey.com for a good game of kick ball or something.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What was your favorite subject in school?</span><br />Up until college? Probably Legos, G.I. Joes, and building forts. My creativity didn’t find the wonderful outlet of writing until my 17th year, so action figures and forts it was.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What kind of music do you like?<br /><br /></span>Being a man of faith, I gravitate toward music that magnifies the hope thriving inside me—bands such as Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, and Mercy Me. I also get onto weird music kicks (much to wife’s chagrin). Just this past year I started writing to Mozart and Beethoven and other classical artists. I think they’re brilliant.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Favorite flavor of ice cream?<br /><br /></span>Neapolitan, because I’ve always called it Napoleon.<br />I’m also a big fan of Strawberry Cheesecake and Cookies & Cream.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thank you, Caleb! It's been fun getting to know a little more about you. I hope teen writers find their way to your site and take advantage of all you have to offer.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Happy writing!</span>Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-16308013530586634332010-09-06T11:04:00.004-06:002010-09-06T17:46:22.655-06:00What's A Bio?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAcxIoFHdmVNi-dkXP6Yt3m1YitGGlS9HiQOgTazBNfLmGPBTBiucHGOE-dCHPAKeNWHMIYeoRzFDGmaw9zxY4W4wjaaN7KnWYstu_bpV2NBdODrUTDIOq6BsFNT-I_jmnKsi3zorgrM/s1600/about+me.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 50px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzAcxIoFHdmVNi-dkXP6Yt3m1YitGGlS9HiQOgTazBNfLmGPBTBiucHGOE-dCHPAKeNWHMIYeoRzFDGmaw9zxY4W4wjaaN7KnWYstu_bpV2NBdODrUTDIOq6BsFNT-I_jmnKsi3zorgrM/s400/about+me.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513948654668103410" border="0" /></a><br />As executive editor of <span style="font-style: italic;">Starsongs </span>magazine, one of my responsibilities is to obtain a bio from <span style="font-style: italic;">Starsongs </span>contributors<span style="font-style: italic;">.</span> After I sent out the request for bios, I realized that some young writers, being published for the first time, might not know what a bio is.<br /><br />Readers are fascinated to know about the person who wrote the stories, poetry, articles, etc that they read. That is the purpose of a bio. It tells your readers about you, the writer. As you write your bio, consider the things you believe your readers would like to know about you.<br /><br />A bio is usually limited to a certain number of words, so include the facts that are most important and that relate to your work. Let's create a sample bio:<br /><br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jane Doe is a high school student at Anywhere High School in Somewhere, New State. She lives on a ranch with her mom and dad and four brothers and two sisters. Jane likes to ride horses and take care of them. She also helps her mom and dad by feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs every day. She has been on her school basketball team for three years. Last year, her team went to state. Jane wants to go to college and be a veterinarian after she graduates. She likes to write short stories and won a county short story contest in fifth grade. She visits her aunt and uncle in New York City every summer.</span><br /><br />Okay, all of the things that Jane has written are important to her and her life. However, this bio is 117 words and the editor has asked for no more than 50 words. Uh-oh! That means 67 words need to be cut out of this paragraph!<br /><br />Let's take a look at the things that are most important to the reader. Where you live and your approximate age, as well as your writing history are usually of interest. However, the fact that Jane won a short story contest and has submitted a short story to the magazine tells the reader she likes to write short stories, so "she likes to write short stories" can be eliminated. Five words gone, 67 more to go!<br /><br />The other facts mentioned in this bio can be kept or eliminated depending on the type of story Jane wrote. If her story is about horses, then the information that she lives on a ranch and works with horses would be relevant. The fact that she plays basketball would not, nor that she visits her aunt and uncle in New York City every summer.<br /><br />Suppose Jane has written an essay about basketball, Now her participation on her school basketball team and in state competition would take precedence over the fact that she lives on a ranch. The sentences about fishing and gathering eggs from the chickens are not necessary at all unless Jane's story is about her battle with an attack hen! Neither is the fact that she visits family in New York City every summer, unless she wrote a story about the difference between country and city life, for example.<br /><br />When limited to a word count, consider the aspects of your life that relate to the subject of the work you have written. Speak to the here and now instead of the future. Therefore, "Jane wants to go to college and be a veterinarian after she graduates" is not important at this point in time.<br /><br />Always write you bio in third person. In other words, write "Jane Doe is...." instead of "My name is Jane Doe and I...". It may seem strange to write about yourself in third person, but this makes your bio sound more believable. No one likes to hear someone brag on themselves, but if someone else is bragging about you, then it's more easily accepted!<br /><br />As always, be careful what you reveal about yourself. When you present your information in a bio, hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people may read it. Don't ever give out anything personal, such as your street address or telephone number. It is best to make general statements, such as the city and state where you live, or if in a small town, the name of your state only. Don't mention the specific school that you attend. Your grade or level of school is plenty.<br /><br />A bio is a great way to tell your readers a lot about yourself in just a few words. It is also an opportunity to let people know your accomplishments and the things that make you special.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-22005470281253718662010-08-05T14:32:00.003-06:002010-08-05T14:51:13.814-06:00Where Did They Get That Idea?Ever read a really good story, then wonder where the idea for it came from?<br /><br />Where do authors get those ideas?<br /><br />Ideas are all around us.<br /><br />Take a look at your friends and imagine how they would handle different situations.<br /><br />Listen to a conversation held in a public place, like the grocery or convenience store. Even though you may catch just a snippet, you can build a situation where that conversation would fit and write your story from there.<br /><br />Think of a conflict or problem you have encountered in your life and how you solved it, then make up a story about it.<br /><br />Write about a place that you know about, such as your home town or somewhere you have visited on vacation.<br /><br />Create a fantasy world of your own!<br /><br />Take incidents that have happened to you and add a few fictitious characters.<br /><br />There are always interesting stories that can lead to great ideas on the news and in the newspaper.<br /><br />Talk to a person who has a unique interest or hobby.<br /><br />Build a story around a special event in your town or tradition in your family.<br /><br />Just remember that fiction is not true, so don't use real people in your stories without their permission!<br /><br />We'll talk about developing characters for your fiction stories next time.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-62535654003502183282010-07-21T20:30:00.003-06:002010-07-21T20:36:44.802-06:00Two, Too, and ToThe three words <span style="font-weight: bold;">two</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> stump even experienced writers. Here are a few little tips that may help clarify the meanings and usages of these three homonyms.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Two</span> is always a number, so not often confused with the remaining two words, <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Too</span> is an adverb that can be exchanged for words such as “also”. It implies something extra or more than.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EX:</span> Johnny will help us, <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span> (also).<br /><br /> It is <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span> cold for swimming. (colder temperature than normal for swimming).<br /> <br /> It is <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span> icy for the buses today. (Icier than acceptable for safety).<br /><br />The word <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> has many meanings.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1)</span> It addresses moving toward something or relating to a position.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EX:</span> I am going <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> the mountains. (toward a destination).<br /> <br /> It is five <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> seven. (The time is moving toward five o’clock).<br /> <br /> Get <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> the point. (Reach the final destination of the discussion).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2)</span> Demonstrates an intention or a purpose.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EX:</span> I attend school <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> learn.<br /><br /> We are going <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> watch our sister at the ballgame.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3)</span> Defines a position.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EX:</span> The store is next <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> the house. (tells where the store is located in relation to the house).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4)</span> Used prior to a verb to indicate the infinitive.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EX:</span> I would like <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> clarify the meaning of these words.<br /><br />Look up the word <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> in a dictionary, and you will find several definitions. The above are simply a few of them.<br /><br />Most of the time, if <span style="font-weight: bold;">two</span>, representing a number is not the appropriate word, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">too</span>, meaning also or extra, does not apply, <span style="font-weight: bold;">to</span> is the word you need for grammatical correctness.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-75949592656891654052010-07-03T14:29:00.003-06:002010-10-20T09:33:51.093-06:00They Accepted My Work!Part II - Responsibilities & Renumeration<br /><br />Once an editor expresses interest in your work, you may be asked to make corrections or changes. It is important to follow up with the revisions on a timely basis. Even though some grammatical or spelling errors may be corrected for you, be sure to check the entire piece for needed corrections.<br /><br />It is usually after the work is revised and acceptable for publication that a contract is sent. Be sure to read the contract, sign it, and return it to the address indicated.<br /><br />Payment may be made at the time of sale, but is also sometimes made when the work is published. Just because an article is purchased in May, for example, does not mean it will necessarily appear in the next edition of the magazine. It may be four to six months before your work appears in print.<br /><br />Not all markets are paying markets. Some smaller publications pay in contribution copies. However, this can be an asset to your writing career because it builds writing credits. This means that the next time you submit something to a magazine, you can tell that editor you were previously published in a former publication. Be sure to give the name of the publication and the edition in which your work appeared.<br /><br />Once your work appears in print, tell everyone! Post it on your My space page, tell your friends, blog about it. Get your name out there. Again, remember to keep negative comments to yourself, but put the emphasis on the positive. The more you promote yourself and your work, the more skill and confidence you will build as a writer.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-89770234199594332782010-05-28T12:06:00.004-06:002010-05-28T13:23:30.250-06:00They Accepted My Work!Part I - Rights<br /><br />After waiting and waiting, and maybe receiving a few rejection notices, the day finally arrives when someone accepts your work. Wow! This is exciting! So, what's next?<br /><br />There are responsibilities that you and the editor both need to meet. The use of your work is finalized with a contract. When you receive a contract, it will appear to have a lot of big legal words and may be confusing. The main thing you need to know is what the magazine will use your work for and how long you are "selling" it to them.<br /><br />There are several different kinds of rights. Here are some of the most common ones:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">First rights</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">First North American Serial Rights</span>. This gives the magazine the right to publish your work for the first time. In other words, when you sell these rights, you are telling the publication that your work has not appeared in print anywhere else. Let the editor know when you submit your work if it has appeared in print anywhere else, including on a blog or as a school assignment. It is always best to be honest if your work has appeared anywhere else in any form. A contract will usually tell you how long a period of time the magazine "owns" your work. After that period of time expires, you are free to sell your work elsewhere.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second Rights or Reprint Rights. </span>Once your work has appeared in print, it can never be sold as "first rights" again. . However, several publications accept reprinted work. You must tell the editor that only second or reprints rights are available and include what magazine, newspaper, or other publication the work appeared in. It's like putting on a new pair of shoes for the first time. Once you've worn them once, you can wear them again and again, but never again for the "first time"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exclusive reprint rights.</span>This may sound the same as the paragraph above except for that word "exclusive". This means the magazine wishes to buy and reprint your work, but you have sold that right to that magazine only. You can never sell that particular poem, story, article, artwork, etc. to another publication.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">All rights. </span>Just like it sounds,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>all rights means that you no longer have a right to do anything with this particular work ever again. It totally belongs to the publication you have sold it to.What was once yours now belongs to them and you can never use it anywhere again. This usually applies to larger publications that is read by a lot of people, called circulation.<br /><br />Let's look at why this makes sense. If you sell a poem to two magazines in two different areas of the country that only two thousand people read, what are the chances that the same person would read both magazines? Not very good. However, if you could sell your poem to two magazines that are available all across the country and fifty million people read each of them, the chances are higher that many of the same people read both magazines. Each magazine wants to give their readers "new" material their readers have not seen before.<br /><br />For further information about rights, go to <a href="http://freelancewrite.about.com/od/legalissues/a/rights.htm">this web site</a> from where this information was taken.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-54199780345569254192010-05-21T13:35:00.004-06:002010-10-20T09:37:40.258-06:00Rejection - Oh, How It Hurts!It's happened to all of us. When you were little, your mom was less than thrilled with the bug-infested weeds you dragged into the house. You thought they would make a nice table bouquet. You didn't get picked for the soccer, basketball, or football team, and it seemed like the end of the world.. That girl (or boy) you wanted to go for an ice cream with said no, then waltzed off down the street with your best friend.<br /><br />Now, you've been waiting for weeks to hear from an editor and all you get is a form letter saying they don't want your work. You're heartbroken! You've worked so hard! You don't deserve this!<br /><br />Okay, shed a few tears, then take an honest look at what may have gone wrong. First and most important of all, a rejection of your work is not a rejection of you. Do not think of yourself as a bad person, a failure, or a lousy writer.<br /><br />Even best selling authors get rejected. Despite the fact that you have studied the market and sent your work to what you thought was the right magazine, your particular piece may not be quite what the editor is looking for. Perhaps a similar subject was covered in a recent edition of the magazine. Maybe you failed to follow guidelines with what you considered a small infraction, like shorting or stretching the word count.<br /><br />Sometimes, but not always, you are fortunate enough to have an editor provide comments about your work. Take their advice! If an editor has offered a suggestion that will make your submission more suitable for their publication, by all means, make the changes and resubmit it with the suggested corrections.<br /><br />If you use the social networking sites, such as My space, keep any negative comments you may have about an editor off the web. Call your best friend and tell him/her how you feel, but anything placed on the web in any form can be found. You don't want those negative thoughts out there in public.Editors will find it, and they talk to each other all the time. Nothing you post on the Internet is totally private - not ever!<br /><br />You can soften the sting of rejection by seeking ways to improve your work if it is recommended. If you are sure you have done your best, send it right back out to the next possible market. Persistence leads to success!<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-83839181059855535392010-05-14T13:12:00.002-06:002010-05-21T13:19:08.769-06:00Before You Submit - Part IV - Sending and StampingOkay, you have edited and polished your work to the point where it shines like a full moon on the prairie. Now it's time to take a deep breath and propel your "baby" out of your house and into the hands of an editor.<br /><br />Most magazines accept electronic submissions. Be sure to check the guidelines for the magazine you are submitting to in order to verify that this is an acceptable means of presenting your work. Guidelines should also tell you if the work should be sent as an attachment or if the editor prefers the work to be included in the body of an email.<br /><br />Just a reminder to address the email to the appropriate editor and be sure to spell their name right! Introduce yourself in the body of the email and give a brief description of your work. For example, are you offering a poem, short story, or piece of artwork? For a short story, you might mention word count.<br /><br />For the markets that still accept hard copy manuscripts through the mail, be sure, as mentioned before, to address your envelope to the appropriate editor with name correctly spelled. Be sure to affix enough postage to cover the cost of the content. If you wish to have your work returned to you, you must send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (known as an SASE) with your submission. Remember to apply the required amount of postage to the return envelope. Work that is sent without an SASE will seldom be returned.<br /><br />Now that you have dropped your submission in the mail box or hit "send" on your computer, what's next?<br /><br />You wait!<br /><br />Most magazines guidelines will address the length of time it takes for them to respond. An electronic submission publication will sometimes send an automatic email informing you that the submission was received. Response time can vary from 4-6 weeks to 6-8 months, depending on the publication.<br /><br />If a long period of time elapses after the expected response date and you have not heard from the publication, it is appropriate to send a follow-up email or letter inquiring about your submission. Be polite! A rude and demanding attitude will destroy your chances of having your work accepted.<br /><br />In the meantime, while you wait, stay busy! Keep writing and keep submitting. It is all right to submit the same work to different publications. This is called simultaneous submission. Again, consult guidelines, as some magazines object to this practice. Also, show courtesy and inform the editor that the work you are sending is a simultaneous submission.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6322311520897220108.post-44079402786122026822010-05-06T12:59:00.005-06:002010-10-11T18:39:35.894-06:00Before You Submit - Part III - Do Your HomeworkTake a look at your story, poem, or article and visualize your readers. Are they children, young adults, college students, or older? Men or women? What economic, religious, and cultural background do they have? What kind of lifestyle do they lead?<br /><br />An article about learning one's way around the New York City subway system would probably not appeal to a reader who lives in rural Colorado. Yet, a short story about that same experience might prove exciting to someone who has never been to a city.<br /><br />Become familiar with the magazine you wish to target before sending your work. A publication that represents outdoor sports may accept articles or stories about fishing and tennis, since both are outdoor activities. However, a magazine that specializes in fishing alone would not welcome a tennis story. Even more specific, one magazine may be interested only in deep sea or commercial fishing while others address the sport of back country fishing.<br /><br />Go to your local library and ask to the see The Writer's Market Guide. It is printed every year and lists hundreds of magazines. For those interested in writing for the Christian market, there is also The Christian Writer's Market Guide. Send a simple request or email to the magazines that interest you and ask for their guidelines.<br /><br />Stick to those guidelines! Don't send fiction work or poetry to a magazine that specifically states it does not publish fiction. Stay within the specified word count. Editors allow a certain amount of space for each article, poem, etc that they print. If they ask for a 250-500 word story, don't send them 750 words! They don't have time to remove those 250 extra words.<br /><br />Keep in mind that magazines plan their editions several months in advance. If you are writing to a specific season or holiday, send your work well in advance of that time. Most magazines are three to six months ahead and some as much as nine months.<br /><br />Last but certainly not least, be sure to address your email or postal envelope properly. Double check the spelling of the editor's name. Many magazines have more than one editor, so be sure you are submitting your work to the proper person.<br /><br />Happy writing!Patti Shenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05253618466810839203noreply@blogger.com0