Reading, wRiting, and Roaming with Author Valerie Biel

My four favorite books from the past two months include an incredibly fun picture book, an impactful young adult novel, a long-awaited young adult novel, and a kick-back beachy read. 

A BOBBY-DAZZLER OF A POUCH by JANET HALFMANN

Readers of all ages will enjoy this incredibly fun and adorable story about a young kangaroo who must learn how to quickly find and jump back into his mom’s pouch. This is a great romp through all things Australian from the different animals who try to help the young Joey to specific vocabulary from ‘down under,’ including the definition of bobby-dazzler. The facts at the back of the book will be a hit with all kids but particularly those who like to dive into the details.

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I had been looking forward to reading Liza Wiemer’s The Assignment as soon as I heard a description. Based on a true story, Wiemer’s novel follows two teens who refuse to do an antisemitic assignment given in history class—one in which they’re expected to argue FOR the Nazi Final Solution and the murder of millions of Jewish people. Wiemer deftly handles this tough topic, creating two main characters, Cade and Logan, who are both fun and funny, witty and endearing, and just regular teens with regular teen problems on top of the huge challenge at the center of the novel. You’ll sink into the story as if you’re eavesdropping on their conversations. Wiemer’s dialogue writing is just that good! Standing up for the right thing should be easy, but somehow it never is—and the finely crafted... Continue Reading

Good query letter writing seems like a mysterious process, but its necessity to landing an agent or editor makes for a pressure-filled, intimidating task.

But it needn't be! 

In truth, writing a query letter is rather formulaic. I’ve split the process into ten manageable steps, so you can create a letter that will stand out from all the others flooding agents' and editors' email inboxes on a daily basis. 

STEP ONE – IS YOUR MANUSCRIPT READY?

Has it been edited? Multiple times? Have you used beta readers to give you feedback? (No, your cousins and aunt and grandma do not count—unless they are no-nonsense readers who aren’t afraid to hurt your feelings.) Are you sure it’s as good as it can be? Ignoring the self-doubt that we as writers seem to... Continue Reading

During the spring of our discontent, which has turned into the summer of our discontent, the bad news for writers is many conferences have been canceled. But the good news is that many conferences have moved online. I attended the 2020 Writing Workshop of Chicago in June. While I missed engaging in-person with writers and agents, the event was a success. For me, it was efficient and enlightening, largely due to the expertise of the event facilitator, who is a combination of writing guru, tech-genius, and email wizard. Brian Klems, I lift a glass of bubbly in honor of your wonderful work during this three-day event. 

The sessions were both... Continue Reading