I Need My Monster

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll




What happens when the monster that lives under your bed takes off on a week long fishing trip and leaves you alone and scared to go to sleep? You interview substitute monsters!

I Need My Monster is a delightfully hilarious picture book written by Amanda Noll and illustrated by Howard McWilliam that everyone has to own. It has received numerous glowing reviews and I recommend it highly for ending those bedtime fears. Personally, I think it's going to be a future classic.

For more information on Amanda you can visit her site by clicking here:

http://www.amandanoll.com/

You can also visit the publisher's website where you will find a printable page of "monster bits" to make your own monster.

http://www.flashlightpress.com/I_Need_My_Monster.html

First Pass Pages

I never heard of First Pass Pages but Jackson Pearce , a debut novelist, has put pictures and an explanation on her website. It's so nice to learn new things about publishing and even nicer to see new authors revel in the magic as their manuscripts develop step-by-step into books.

Blessings

This week has been filled with blessings and I want to be a little personal this week.

My brother-in-law, Red, went through major heart surgery on September 9 and is recovering very well. A couple of his childhood buddies traveled 350 miles the night before to be here during the surgery and then had to drive back after the surgery to go to work the next day. He was so happy to see them before he went in and then greet them when he came out.

The support and prayers of so many wonderful people he hasn't even met has made a world of difference to his family and friends. I want to thank two friends who personally helped me--Jackie, my BFF who is always there for me to lean on. I don't know what I would do without you! And Gilda, a fellow writer and good friend, who suggested group prayers. Wherever we were at a specified date and time we all stopped and prayed.

I especially want to mention the wonderful writers on the Verla Kay site who sent prayers and good thoughts to him and his family before the surgery, during the surgery, and now as he recovers. This is such a supportive and caring community and I am so lucky to be able to say I'm a member of the Blueboarders. I thank them from the bottom of my heart and so does my sister, Red, and his family. You Writers Rock!

I also want to thank my sister-in-law, Kathy. Her five year old grandson was scheduled for eye surgery the same day. She came to be with us during the surgery then she had to leave to babysit her other grandchildren while their parents went to the hospital for the little one's surgery. It was successful and he is also recovering nicely. Besides helping them, that wonderful woman found time to cook dinner for us each night so we wouldn't have to.

The other thing that happened on the day of his surgery is rain began to fall, it has fallen every day since then. The people in San Antonio and the surrounding area are sending prayers of thanksgiving for the much needed rain. Hopefully this is the end of the drought.

All of this began on 09/09/09. Some say it's supposed to be a lucky day, I think it's God's blessings that make it that way!

My First Agent Query Letter

Well I did it. I'm bleary eyed, my brain feels like mush, and all I want to do is drink a glass of iced tea and read, read, read and escape reality for awhile. But I also feel really good--I accomplished something today that "skeered" me.

I spent three days composing, writing, rewriting, and polishing my first ever agent query letter. First I studied examples from the web, then I practiced what I would say orally to my cat, and then I sat down at the computer. At 12:07 CST today, I hit the send button.

If there are any typos or spelling errors, I don't want to know--that would make me dissolve into tears. Because I met this agent at a conference, I sent it as an exclusive, so now I all I can do is wait and worry about the response. The good thing is--I sent it.

Will this querying ever get any easier?

The following site was a huge help as was the query sample: A Model Query Letter from Donald Maass' The Career Novelist

http://queryclub.weebly.com/index.html