Spring has sprung and lots of things are poking up!
First off, for all Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) members, Crystal Kite Award voting begins TODAY! Vote for your fave children’s books in regional divisions! Just login to SCBWI then on your HOME page click “Vote in the Crystal Kite Awards” in the lower left column. Read through the list of alphabetical books nominated for your region and then cast your vote for your favorite book. Happy voting!
Even if you aren’t an SCBWI member please remind your SCBWI friends to vote by posting on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks. 🙂
Looking for some books to share with your kids? On Project Middle Grade Mayhem this week I talk about showing children our world – good and bad – through books.
I also had fun with my new novel critique group! These awesome folks are dizzingly talented middle grade and young adult authors and we’re having a blast drafting new novels together. Their feedback and advice is helping me write full speed ahead on my new fantasy novel. Woohoo!
The Sombrero of Silence was in full effect for each one under critique at our 2nd meeting, but Warlord of Words Joe McGee whipped us all in shape first by making us write on command to start out! Won’t go all into our genius masterpieces, but will just say our collaborative story was titled, Booger Love, and leave it right there. Check out my friends here Joe McGee, Jessica Rinker, and Erica George.
I was also invited to a great conference in March hosted by the wonderful Philadelphia Stories and Open Book called, Writers at Work Conference, where I met up with old and new friends. I also got to be a part of a dynamic panel titled The Entrepreneurial Author.
I’ve also been having a busy winter and spring visiting schools as a guest cialis author for 4th-8th grades in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Engaging with kids and inspiring them with reading and writing is super fun! They take the skit to heart and always act out with so much energy.
I enjoyed getting swarmed for the first time and I never signed so many autographs. Best question: “So is it hard to go places because people come up to you everywhere and stop you for your autograph?” Well, now they do 🙂 .
I even did some Skype visits!
And I’m so grateful for my local bookshop, The Doylestown Bookshop, for coordinating all book sales! Here I am signing books before an event.
Would you like me to visit your school? Check out my school visits page! Here’s what one librarian had to say.
“Our students were enthralled to participate in Donna Galanti’s interactive presentation. Her connections between the writing and revision process were made clear in a spirited and playful manner that not only engaged students’ personal trials in writing, but inspired them to continue to be creative and self-reflective. The students and teachers were still talking about her days after she left.”–Wayne C. Rush, Librarian, Grover Cleveland Middle School, Caldwell, NJ
Librarian Wayne Rush was so welcoming at Grover Cleveland MS where I had my biggest visit yet with hundreds in an auditorium!
More events are coming up. Here’s where I will be heading this spring. Hope to see you!
Guest author at the Pennsylvania School Librarians Conference, Author’s Alley, Hershey, PA, May 13, 2016
Presenting workshops on craft and marketing plus critique sessions, Pennwriters Annual Conference, Lancaster, PA, May 20-22, 2016
Presenting craft workshops and evaluating manuscripts, NJ SCBWI Annual Conference, Princeton, NJ, June 4-5, 2016
HAPPY SPRING!
**NEXT WEEK watch for the cover of Joshua and the Arrow Realm, Book 2 in the Lightning Road series coming August 30th, to be revealed!**
Wow! So many great things going on! The school visits sound like such fun and I am glad that the students are enjoying the skit so much. The Skype visits sound like a blast. 🙂
Stephanie, thanks so much! School visits are so fun – as you know! I am enjoying watching you and Jess tour around too :). If you ever have questions on doing a Skype presentation just let me know!