Suzanne's Place:

Congratulations to Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop Winners

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to MeghanGa, winner of the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Contest. Meghan will be receiving a copy of Artemis the Loyal, and an autographed bookmark.

Because there were so many entrants, I've chosen two more winners to receive bookmarks. Bookmark winners are CakeLady and Lisa Richards.

I will email all winners within the next few days so that I can get mailing addresses. Thanks to everyone who entered!

--Suzanne

Goddess Girls #7: Artemis the Loyal - Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

2012-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hello, Hoppers! Thanks for coming by my giveaway in the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop January 13 - 18. Many thanks to I Am A Reader. Not a Writer and Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf for co-hosting this hop.

Prize:

An autographed copy of

Goddess Girls 7: Artemis the Loyal

(just released)

+ bookmark.

The Goddess Girls series, which I co-author with pal Joan Holub,

takes place at Mount Olympus Academy,

and puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks
ages 8 ~ 12.

• To enter, please comment on this post with a contact email.

• I'd appreciate it if you'd also follow my blog. Thank you!

1st prize: One winner will be randomly chosen and announced in the comments section of this post.
2nd prize: Two winners will receive autographed bookmarks featuring all 9 Goddess Girls books!
Winners have 10 days to contact me with a mailing address or another winner will be chosen. USA & CAN only.

About Artemis the Loyal:

It's time for the annual Olympic Games, and the four goddessgirls are not happy--especially Artemis. Even though she's better at sports than most of the godboys, she can't compete because rules say the Games are boys-only. No fair! Led by Artemis, Athena, Persephone and Aphrodite, the ladies of Mount Olympus hatch a plan to get Zeus to open up the games to everyone. Will they succeed--or end up watching from the sidelines again?

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging." ~Publisher's Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out.

Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.

NEW! Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair! (Dec.6, 2011)

Medusa the Mean When Medusa discovers an ad for a necklace that promises immortality, this looks like her best shot at becoming popular and having her supercrush, Poseidon, finally notice her. Can this "meanie" get what she wants and also prove that there's more to her that meets the eye? (Apr. 2012)
The Girl Games (Goddess Girls Super Special) July 2012

To continue on in the blog hop, click this link.

Good luck!

Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Diva + red heart ring in the Scholastic flyer

2012-01-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Look what's in the Scholastic Arrow Book Club January flyer--

Aphrodite the Diva (Goddess Girls 6)

with a sparkly red heart-shaped ring!

http://clubs.scholastic.com/clubs/pdfs/core/2012/january/arrow0112_news.pdf

Blog Tour to Celebrate Goddess Girls #7: Artemis the Loyal

2011-11-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Goddess Girls #7: Artemis the Loyal will be in stores on December 6^th.

Follow our blog tour and you may just win a giveaway! (See below to enter to win.)

About the book:

It's time for the annual Olympic Games, and the four goddessgirls are not happy--especially Artemis. Even though she's better at sports than most of the godboys, she can't compete because rules say the Games are boys-only. No fair!

Led by Artemis, Athena, Persphone and Aphrodite, the ladies of Mount Olympus hatch a plan to get Zeus to open up the games to everyone. Will they succeed--or end up watching from the sidelines again?

ARTEMIS THE LOYAL SWAG GIVEAWAYS:

* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets. (Beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels say they're not for under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)
* Artemis the Loyal book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books

Click to enter at these blogs during specified dates:
Thursday, Dec. 1 - 16 Smack Dab in the Middle (book giveaway)

Monday, Dec. 5 - 11: Lost for Words (Character This or That, swag giveaway)

Tuesday, Dec. 6 - 12: I Am a Reader, Not a Writer (Review, swag giveaway)

Wednesday, Dec. 7 - 13: A Good Addiction (Word Associations, swag giveaway)

Thursday, Dec. 8 - 14: Proud Book Nerd (Review, swag giveaway)

Friday, Dec. 9 - 15: Reading Tween (Author Interview, swag giveaway)

Friday, Dec. 9 – Jan. 6: Children’s Book Review (book giveaway)
Tuesday, Dec. 20 - Jan. 1: In the Hammock (review, book giveaway)
Tuesday, Dec. 20: Good Reads (review)

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging." ~Publisher's Weekly
“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths! Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out.
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever.

NEW! Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair! (Dec.6, 2011)

Four more books to follow: Super Special #1: The Girl Games (Jul. 2012) and Books 9 - 11.

Be sure to 'follow' because we'll be adding more giveaways to celebrate each new GG book and posting all the latest Goddess Girls news. We look forward to seeing you! xox
~ Joan and Suzanne

Joan Holub www.joanholub.com
Suzanne Williams www.suzanne-williams.com

Goddess Girls in Greek!

2011-11-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

The first four Goddess Girls are being published in Greece! The Greek publisher, Anubis, sent the covers to Joan and I as a courtesy, to proof them. It's really fun to see how Goddess Girls is spelled in Greek.


Athena the Brain

Cynsations Giveaway & Goddess Girls News

2011-10-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's not too late to score some Aphrodite the Diva swag. The Cynsations giveaway runs through October 23rd. (Scroll down the linked post to get to the giveaway info.)

Joan's and my Aladdin editor sent us each a cute charm bracelet
from the Scholastic Arrow Book Club (Sept. flyer). Each charm represents one of our four main goddessgirls. (A heart for Aphrodite, bow & arrow for Artemis, flower for Persephone, and an owl for Athena.) The bracelet, which I made into a necklace by tying both ends to a stretchy piece of elastic cord,
comes with a five-pack of Goddess Girls books. Awesome!

Especially for Teachers, and for Parents Who Run Book Clubs for Kids

2011-09-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

The new school year has started. Time to get skyping with an author. Check out Cynsations for a post about the new Skype Authors website that I and several of my author friends have started. We offer low cost video presentations to classrooms and book clubs, and 25% of our fees go to support Camfed, a charity that supports girls' education in Africa. And from now until Oct. 1, we're running a contest to select two winners who will receive half-price visits in which the entire half-price fee is donated to Camfed. To enter, just go to Skype Authors, and leave a comment at the end of the contest post.

A Blog Tour to Celebrate Goddess Girls #6: Aphrodite the Diva

2011-07-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Goddess Girls #6: Aphrodite the Diva will be in stores on August 9^th!
We're celebrating on a blog tour with lots of giveaways.
Here's a sneak peek. See below to enter to win!

APHRODITE THE DIVA SWAG GIVEAWAYS:
* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets. (Beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels say they're not for under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)
* Aphrodite the Diva book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books

Click to enter at these blogs during specified dates:
Monday, August 1 – 15: Smack Dab in the Middle (swag and book giveaway)
Monday, August 8 – 15: In the Hammock (book and bookmark giveaway)
Thursday, August 11 Cynsations (guest post: Sustaining a Series Over Time)
Monday, August 15: The Readiacs (Author Interview, book and bookmark giveaway)
Thursday, August 18: A Good Addiction (Author This or That List, book and bookmark giveaway)
Tuesday, August 17 – Sept. 15: Children’s Book Review (swag giveaway)
Friday, August 19: Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile (Character Interview: Aphrodite; book and bookmark giveaway)

Monday, August 22: Read, Write, Repeat (interview) and Mundie Kids (Tens List & book and bookmark giveaway)
Wednesday, August 24: Reading Tween (Character This or That List, book & bookmark giveaway)
Thursday, August 25 - Sept. 2: I’m a Reader Not a Writer (Author Book Picks, book & bookmark giveaway)
Friday, August 26 - Sept. 9: BookGeeksRule (interview and review, book & bookmark giveaway)
Friday, August 26 - Sept. 1: Reading Vacation (Character Interview: Isis, and book & bookmark giveaway)

Reviews:

Monday, August 8: In the Hammock (Review)
Tuesday, August 16: Reading Tween (Review)
Thursday, August 18: Mundie Kids (Review)

Tuesday, August 23: The Readiacs (Review)

Friday, August 26: Reading Vacation (Review)

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging." ~Publisher's Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!
Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.
Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.
Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out.
NEW! Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 9, 2011)

Artemis the Loyal It’s time for the annual Olympic Games, and Artemis and her friends are not happy. It’s boys only. Not fair! (Dec. 2011)

Be sure to 'follow' because we'll be adding more giveaways to celebrate each new GG book and posting all the latest Goddess Girls news. We look forward to seeing you! xox

~ Suzanne and Joan

Fun lesson on action verbs using my Ten Naughty Little Monkeys book

2011-07-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered a fun downloadable activity to teach action verbs based on my book Ten Naughty Little Monkeys. If you're a first or second grade teacher, you might like to check it out. Click here to go straight to the lesson plan on lakeshorelearning.com.

Splash Into Summer Blog Hop Giveaway Winners!

2011-06-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway in the Splash into Summer blog hop

hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Page Turners, which ended June 1st.

MY GIVEAWAY:

** An autographed copy of

Goddess Girls #5: Athena the Wise

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA. Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 2011, Aladdin, ages 8-12)
and

** Ten bookmarks featuring six Goddess Girls books

And the winner is....Miranda Grissom!

5 other winners won three

autographed GG bookmarks each:

Tanya

Tiffany

SpadesHigh

AEK2

Krystal

Winners: please contact me at sw at suzanne-williams dot com with a snailmail I can mail to by June 19, 2011 or prize is forfeited and another winner will be chosen. Prize will be mailed out within ten days of receiving snailmail address from winner. Not responsible for misdirected or lost mailings or emailings. Thanks for playing!!!

--Suzanne

About the series:

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
*NEW! Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 2011)
Artemis the Loyal (December 2011)
Medusa the Mean (2012)

Splash into Summer Blog Hop: Goddess Girls: Athena the Wise, May 25-31

2011-05-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for coming by my giveaway in the Splash into Summer blog hop

hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Page Turners.

MY GIVEAWAY IS:

** An autographed copy of

Goddess Girls #5: Athena the Wise

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA. Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 2011, Aladdin, ages 8-12)
and

** Ten bookmarks featuring six Goddess Girls books

5 other winners will win three
autographed GG bookmarks.

TO ENTER:

Drop a comment on this blog with a contact email.
I'll use it only to notify you if you win.
"Follow" this blog and/or become a Facebook Fan of the Goddess Girls. (optional)

Good luck and Thanks!

USA only. Void where prohibited. Contest runs May 25-31.Winner's name will be posted in a comment on this blog by June 1. Winner must contact me with a snailmail I can mail to by June 19, 2011 or prize is forfeited and another winner will be chosen. Prize will be mailed out within ten days of receiving snailmail address from winner. Not responsible for misdirected or lost mailings or emailings. Thanks for playing!!!

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Linky List to continue on with the Splash into Summer Giveaway Hop!

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page_04.html

YouTube Video Review of "Athena the Wise" by Reagan of the blog Reading Tween

2011-04-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

Introducing SKYPE AUTHORS

2011-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

As of tonight, Skype Authors is up and running! The children's and YA authors listed on this site (and more authors will be added until we have a group of 20 - 25) will be partnering with schools and book clubs to support education in the developing world. All of the authors on this site have pledged to contribute 25% of their 2011-2012 skype visit fees to Camfed to purchase school supplies for elementary students in Malawi. Our goal is to raise $2000 within a year. You can help by spreading the word about us. Thanks!

Celebrating Athena the Wise with Goddess Girls giveaways!

2011-03-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

Goddess Girls #5: Athena the Wise will be in stores in early April!
We're celebrating on a blog tour with lots of giveaways.
Here's a sneak peek. See below to enter to win!

ATHENA THE WISE GIVEAWAYS:
* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets. (Beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels say they're not for under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)
* Plush lion (Heracles comes up against a fierce lion in the book!)
* Athena the Wise book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books

Click to enter at these blogs during specified dates:

Monday, April 4: Mundie Kids interview & giveaway
Wednesday, April 6: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer guest post & giveaway
Friday, April 8: The Elliott Review interview & giveaway
Tuesday, April 12: Alisia Leavitt guest post & giveaway
Thursday, April 14: Reading Tween interview & giveaway
April 15 - May 1: In the Hammock review & giveaway
April 1 - May 1: Le Vanity Victorienne giveaway w/o lion
April 15 - May 15: The Children's Book Review giveaway
April 24: giveaway by Book Muncher, a prolific teen reader

Reviews:
Tuesday, April 5: Reading Teen review
Thursday, April 7: Alisia Leavitt review
Monday, April 11: The Elliott Review review
Wednesday, April 13: Mundie Kids review
Friday, April 15th: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer review

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

"Readers familiar with Greek myths should get a kick out of this plucky restaging." ~Publisher's Weekly

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
*NEW! Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 5, 2011) Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 2011)

Two more Goddess Girls books to come!

Be sure to 'follow' because we'll be adding more giveaways to celebrate each new GG book and posting all the latest Goddess Girls news. We look forward to seeing you! xox

~ Joan and Suzanne

Celebrating Athena the Wise with Goddess Girls Giveaways

2011-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Goddess Girls #5: Athena the Wise will be in stores in early April!
We're celebrating on a blog tour with lots of giveaways.
Here's a sneak peek. See below to enter to win!

ATHENA THE WISE GIVEAWAYS:

* GODDESSGIRLS bead necklaces made by Joan and Suzanne.
Strung on colorful stretchy cord, they can be shortened into bracelets.
(Note that beads & cord packages purchased at Michaels both say they're
not for anyone under age 14. Actual colors will vary.)

* Plush lion (Heracles comes up against a fierce lion in the book!)
* Athena the Wise book signed by Joan and Suzanne
* Bookmark featuring six Goddess Girls books

Click to enter at these blogs during specified dates (giveaways vary):
Monday, April 4: Mundie Moms interview & giveaway
Wednesday, April 6: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer guest post & giveaway
Friday, April 8: The Elliott Review interview & giveaway
Tuesday, April 12: Alisia Leavitt guest post & giveaway
Thursday, April 14: Reading Teen interview & giveaway
April 15 - May 1: In the Hammock review & giveaway
April 15 - May 15: The Children's Book Review giveaway

Reviews:
Tuesday, April 5: Reading Teen review
Thursday, April 7: Alisia Leavitt review
Monday, April 11: The Elliott Review review
Wednesday, April 13: Mundie Moms review
Friday, April 15th: I Am A Reader, Not A Writer review

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
*NEW! Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 5, 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 2011)

Two more Goddess Girls books to come!

Be sure to 'follow' because we'll be adding more giveaways to celebrate each new GG book and posting all the latest Goddess Girls news. We look forward to seeing you! xox

~ Joan and Suzanne

Letters from Two Moms

2011-03-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Goddess Girls co-author Joan Holub and I received both of the emails below--from two different moms--just this week. These are the kinds of letters that warm children's authors' hearts and add to the joy we find in writing:

Dear Ms. Williams:

My daughter who is in the fifth grade hates to read. She is very good at it, but she would never read for fun. This saddened me a lot since I love reading. I would always buy her books hoping that she would like one of them. I recently bought her the first book in the goddess girl series, and she loved it. For the first time she found a book that she couldn’t put down. I actually had to tell her to put the book down to eat, something I never thought I would ever have to do. She finished the book in one day. I have now promised her I would buy her every single goddess girl book.

Thank you very much for writing such a wonderful book.

Joan:
I just wanted to say Thank You!!! My daughter is 10 and up to now has hated, and yes I mean hated to read but she had another book report due next week and we finished the Goddess Girl Persehone book last night and she loved it!! She wants me to go buy her the rest of the Goddess books, and I have never seen her this excited about reading, it really brought tears to my eyes!!! So thank you, thank you so much, it was just the perfect mix of fun and boys that I think she was looking for, and it was easy reading. I can't wait to go buy the rest of them for her.
Happy mom!

NEW Goddess Girls: Athena the Wise crafts

2011-03-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Goddess Girls #5: Athena the Wise will be in stores in early April!

Joan and Suzanne are busy making these GoddessGirls bead necklaces on stretchy colorful cord. They can be shortened into bracelets. We bought the cord and beads at Michaels. We've heard from girls making Goddess Girls Shrinky Dinks, too. If you make any Goddess Girls jewelry, crafts, art, or other awesome goddessy stuff, you can send us a photo (if your parents say it's okay) and we'll post it on our blogs and FaceBook Goddess Girls page!

We'll be giving these necklace/bracelets away along with some other goodies to celebrate Athena the Wise soon, so check back in the coming weeks!

Wondering what ATHENA THE WISE is about? Here's the inside story:

Athena isn’t the only new kid at Mount Olympus Academy. When a mortal boy named Heracles transfers in, she knows what he’s going through. She started at MOA just a few months ago! Not only does Heracles need help fitting in, he also has to complete twelve “labors” or he’ll be kicked out of the academy. When her dad, Principal Zeus, asks her to secretly watch out for the new boy, Athena winds ups capturing mythical beasts and shoveling poop. It will take all of her famed wisdom to sort out her own problems and help Heracles succeed!

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

NEW: Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.

NEW in April: Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 5, 2011)

Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (August 2011)

Two more Goddess Girls books to come!

Be sure to 'follow' because we'll be adding more giveaways for Goddess Girls #5 Athena the Wise; and #6 Aphrodite the Diva. We look forward to seeing you. xox

~ Joan and Suzanne

So Far This Week...

2011-03-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

Before my yoga class this morning I had a lovely visit with forty-five librarians in Arkansas without ever leaving my (Washington State) home. This was via Skype, of course. Because Arkansas is two hours ahead of Washington time-wise, I joked that I might still be wearing my pjs (yes, even at 8:15am!), but I actually managed to be up and dressed. It's always fun to speak to librarians since I worked as one for over twenty years. In fact I still think of myself as a librarian. (Once a librarian, always a librarian.)

Yesterday I finished a first draft of Goddess Girls #7: Artemis the Loyal. Hooray! After I read over the draft and tie up some loose ends I'll pass the story on to Joan.

Goddess Girls Book Trailer!

2011-03-03T16:52:00.001-08:00

Jan McGee, is Library Media Specialist and Library Coordinator in West Monroe, Louisiana. She put together this book trailer for Goddess Girls. Fun! Goddess Girls

View more presentations or Upload your own.

SCBWI Western Washington Annual Spring Conference April 16 - 17

2011-02-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Last I checked this hottest event of the SCBWI Western Washington year was close to selling out. Don't miss this opportunity to learn what's happening in the publishing world, get great writing tips, and hobnob with agents, editors, and fellow writers! Though I'll miss the conference itself due to a family event, I hope to make the Pro Think Tank on April 15th. To register click on this link!

--Suzanne

Win Artemis the Brave Swag for Valentine's Day--Last Chance!

2011-02-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

It's not too late to enter to win one last swag giveaway for Goddess Girls #4: Artemis the Brave.

Simply go to this fabulous site: Alison Can Read, and leave a comment.
Winner to be chosen on Valentine's Day!

Crunch Time!

2011-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

Because of the time I took off during the holidays (which I don't regret), and the unexpected amount of time it's taken to come up with a workable outline for the seventh Goddess Girls book, Joan and I will only have about two months to complete the story. Yikes! Normally, I don't mind deadlines, but only if they're generous enough that I can pace myself. Even in college I was never one to wait until the last minute to study for a test, and then cram till the wee hours of the morning. I won't do that to finish this book, either, but I may wind up having to give up some weekends as well as the weekdays. What I won't give up is time each day for the things that keep me healthy and sane--time to write in my journal (yes, I still keep an old-fashioned paper and ink journal), time to exercise (step and yoga and walking), time to read for enjoyment, and time with family and friends. Oh yes, and chocolate.

What won't you give up even when your life becomes busier than you'd like?

Don't Forget to Enter for Artemis the Brave Giveaways

2011-01-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that the blog tour to celebrate Artemis the Brave, the newest release in Joan Holub's and my GoddessGirls series for ages 8-12, is still in progress with guest posts, interviews, and fabulous giveaways:

Swag giveaway:
* Artemis's puppy! An 8 1/2 inch plush dog named Amby--short for ambrosia, food of the gods! (Yomiko)
* Nail polishes (Sally)
* Bangle bracelets (mudd)
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Artemis the Brave

A Bittersweet Day

2011-01-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

My husband and I just dropped our daughter at the airport to fly back to Norway, where she's been living the past three years. We were lucky that she was able to stay for three and a half weeks, but that doesn't stop me from tearing up when it's time for her to leave again. It was so great to have her home. She and we were able to enjoy lots of time with family and friends, and she also flew with us to Palm Springs for five days of fun in the sun. We hope to meet her somewhere in Europe this spring, and she will be returning in July for another visit. Hooray!

Tomorrow I will get busy with my writing again. Joan Holub and I have two new Goddess Girls books (7 & 8) to write, plus an editorial revision to do for Book #6. From past experience, I know it will take me a couple of days to settle into my usual routines, but I'm actually looking forward to the work ahead.

Artemis the Brave Book Tour Continues

2011-01-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! The blog tour to celebrate Artemis the Brave, the newest release in the GoddessGirls series for ages 8-12, continues this month with guest posts, interviews, and fabulous giveaways.

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - January 21 (interview & swag giveaway pictured above)

For book-only giveaways:
Tales of Whimsy - January
A Girl, Books and Other Things - January 17 (interview & giveaway)
Poisoned Rationality - January 19 (guest post & giveaway)
Lost for Words - January 25 (guest post & giveaway)
Ashley's Bookshelf - January 27 (interview & giveaway)

Many thanks to these blog goddesses for spreading the word about Goddess Girls!Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith), inthehammock, TeenBookScene, Dragonfly77 (D. Fowler), Little Willow, readergirlz, readertotz, MundieKidsMore buzz coming soon at: Poisoned Rationality, Lost for Words, Ashley's Bookshelf, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist
“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal
Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

NEW! Artemis the Brave She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave. (Dec. 2010)
Athena the Wise Zeus says Heracles has to do twelve tasks or he'll get kicked out of MOA! Although she's not sure it's wise, Athena agrees to help out. (April 5, 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva Isis claims she's the goddess of love? Ha! But to keep the title all to herself, Aphrodite has to find the perfect match for Pygmalion, the most annoying boy ever. (July/August 2011)

Be sure to 'follow' because we have amazing giveaways coming for Goddess Girls #5 Athena the Wise; and #6 Aphrodite the Diva. We look forward to seeing you!

~ Joan and Suzanne

Virtual Author Visits

2010-12-27T13:06:00.000-08:00

I want to give a shout out to Library Media Specialist Sara Chauncey and author Mona Kerby, founders of Skype an Author Network. This is a terrific place for schools to connect with children's book authors who enjoy doing virtual visits via Skype. Thanks to my page with Skype an Author, I've had many fun visits with classrooms across the U.S. without having to leave home! My latest visit, just before Christmas, was with a super second grade class in Wyckoff, N. J. They had great questions to ask and were very attentive. I could see them as well as they could see me, and I got a "mini-tour" of their classroom at the end of our visit. Afterward, teacher Daria Crater sent the email below:

Suzanne,
I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for that wonderful Skype session. It was all the talk at lunch for the kids. They really enjoyed speaking with you and listening to what you had to say. We are in the process of writing you thank you letters, so please be on the lookout for them later next week. I received the labels today for the books [I sent autographed labels to children who had bought copies of my books] and can't wait to give them out this afternoon. Thank you again and hopefully we can schedule this event again next year. Have a happy holiday and joyous New Year!

Though I enjoy doing "regular" school visits too, virtual visits are a great option for both schools and authors when a face-to-face visit isn't possible. Skype visits are easy to set up, affordable, and a perfect choice for single classrooms or book groups. Try it, you'll like it!

More Goddess Girls Good News

2010-12-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday I visited Mockingbird Books and spoke with a delightful kids' book group about Goddess Girls and my other books. It is always fun to speak to fans, and one of the girls in the group had read all four of the GG books currently out. I was pleased to be able to tell her that Books 5 & 6 will be out in April and August, and Joan and I are now at work on Books 7 & 8!

Photo: Martha Brockenbrough's daughter Lucy begs for Goddess Girls. It's so fun to know that readers are enjoying the books!

The Artemis the Brave giveaway continues this week at A girl, books and other things Please check out Alex's site. Leave a comment, with answers to a couple of questions, and you may win some great swag!

Goddess Girls #4: Artemis the Brave celebration with oodles of giveaways on our blog tour!

2010-12-07T16:05:00.000-08:00

Here's an update of the blog tour to celebrate Artemis the Brave, the newest release in the Goddess Girls series for ages 8-12. Co-author Joan Holub & I are giving away fabulous Artemis the Brave Swag Bags this month and in January!

* Artemis's puppy! An 8 1/2 inch plush dog named Amby--short for ambrosia, food of the gods! (Yomiko)
* Nail polishes (Sally)
* Bangle bracelets (mudd)
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Artemis the Brave

Giveaways are hosted by these very kind, cool blogs. Please visit them during the specified dates to enter:

Each of these blogs is giving away a set of the Artemis the Brave goodies pictured above:
in the hammock - December 5-15
MundieKids - December 7-14
A Girl, Books and Other Things - December 14-January 1
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer - January 21 (interview & giveaway)

For book-only giveaways:
The Children's Book Review - December 1-31
Tales of Whimsy - January
A Girl, Books and Other Things - January 17 (interview & giveaway)
Poisoned Rationality - January 19 (guest post & giveaway)
Lost for Words - January 25 (guest post & giveaway)
Ashley's Bookshelf - January 27 (interview & giveaway)

Many thanks to these blog goddesses for spreading the word about Goddess Girls!
Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith), inthehammock, TeenBookScene, Dragonfly77 (D. Fowler), Little Willow, readergirlz, readertotz, MundieKids
More buzz coming soon at: A Girl, Books and Other Things, Poisoned Rationality, Lost for Words, Ashley's Bookshelf, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

“…a clever take on Greek deities…” ~ Booklist

“…an enchanting mythological world with middle-school woes compounded by life as a deity…” ~ School Library Journal

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

~ Joan and Suzanne

Time For Artemis the Brave Puppy and Swag Giveaway!

2010-12-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Artemis the Brave, the newest release in the Goddess Girls series for ages 8-12, co-authors Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams are giving away fabulous Artemis the Brave Swag Bags in December and January!

* Artemis's puppy! An 8 1/2 inch plush dog named Amby--short for ambrosia, food of the gods! (Yomiko)
* Nail polishes (Sally)
* Bangle bracelets (mudd)
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Artemis the Brave

Giveaways are hosted by these very kind, cool blogs. Please visit them during the specified dates to enter:

Each of these blogs is giving away a set of the Artemis the Brave goodies pictured above. To enter:
in the hammock - December 5-15
MundieKids - December 7-14
thebookmuncher - January 7-21

For book-only giveaways:
The Children's Book Review - December 1-31
Tales of Whimsy - January

Many thanks to these blog goddesses for helping us to spread the news about Artemis the Brave!
Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith), Dragonfly77 (D. Fowler), Little Willow, readergirlz, readertotz

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

NEW! Artemis the Brave (Dec. 7, 2010) She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.
Athena the Wise (April 5, 2011)
Aphrodite the Diva (Summer 2011)

Be sure to 'follow' because we have an amazing giveaway coming for Goddess Girls #5, Athena the Wise. We look forward to seeing you!

~ Joan and Suzanne

Little Rock Rocks

2010-11-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

Had a great time in Little Rock at the Arkansas Reading Association Fall Conference on Friday. Met lots of nice teachers and librarians, signed probably a hundred books, and even got to do a little sightseeing at the Clinton presidential library and the Old Statehouse museum. The hotel I stayed at had a beautiful view of the Arkansas River, and I walked along a piece of the 15 (18?) mile trail that stretches along its banks. I love speaking at state conferences!

Pictures: Top: Grits with seafood gumbo. Yum! Middle: View of the Arkansas River from my hotel window. Bottom: Me with Alisa Tippen, Literacy Instructional Facilitator at Oakbrooke Elementary in Sherwood, AR. She introduced me at my first speaking session.

Artemis the Brave puppy and swag giveaway coming in December!

2010-11-16T09:11:00.000-08:00

* Artemis's puppy!
8 1/2 inch plush dog named Amby--short for ambrosia, food of the gods! (Yomiko)
* Nail polishes (Sally)
* Bangle bracelets (mudd)
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Artemis the Brave

Stay tuned for easy entry details to come on December 1st. Giveaways will be hosted in Dec/Jan at the fabulous blogs listed below:
in the hammock
The Children's Book Review

Book-only Giveaways:
Tales of Whimsy

Many thanks to these blog goddesses for helping us to spread the news about Artemis the Brave!
Cynsations (Cynthia Leitich Smith)

Series scoop:
Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

~ Joan and Suzanne

Emails From My Two Favorite Goddess Girls Fans

2010-11-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Fan letters are so much fun! Lately, I've been exchanging emails with two sisters who are fans of Joan Holub's and my Goddess Girls series and who adore Greek mythology. To protect their identity, I've left their names off their emails. Here are excerpts from our recent correspondence:

Letter #1:

Hi!

My sister is a big fan of your Goddess Girl series! She is in love with the series and cannot wait for Artemis the Brave to come out! Artemis is her favorite goddess of the fifteen (or twelve depending on the myth) Greek Olympian gods. My sister does have a few questions about the series. Here are three:

1. How many total classes are there available at Mount Olympus Academy?

2. What is Artemis's favorite food to eat in the cafeteria?

3. Who's your favorite Goddess Girl?

Reply to Letter #1:

Joan and I are so glad you like our Goddess Girls series! We are busily writing Books 5 & 6 now: ATHENA THE WISE and APHRODITE THE ??? (We don't quite have the title nailed down on that one yet!) You asked some tough questions, but on further thought, Joan and I have decided there are 21 classes at MOA. Artemis's favorite food is nectaroni and cheese. My favorite GG is Athena.

ARTEMIS THE BRAVE is out in December. Hope you enjoy it!

Best,

Suzanne

P.S. We think it was very sweet of you to help your sister write to us!

Letter #2:

Thank you so much for e-mailing us back !!!!!At my house, we play Mount Olympus Academy sometimes. One of my favorite foods is macaroni and cheese, just like Artemis! When I play MOA my classes are Craft-ology,Beast-ology,and Hero-ology.We didn't know who taught Craft-ology so we made up a teacher,Ms.Sphinx , like the monster from the myth Opedious.By the way,Ms.Hydra is one cranky lady or,should I say monster.I totally love your books and please write back to me some more.

Sincerely,

[The younger sister]

Dear Ms.Suzanne,

Thank you for emailing back! It was very nice of you! [My sister's] face lit up like a marshmallow that's been over the fire too long when I showed her the email! In my English class, I am reading Greek Mythology, so it's really cool to read the ways you recreate them in your stories. Thank you again for emailing back.

Sincerely,

[The older sister]

Reply to Letter #2:

I shared your letters with my co-author, Joan Holub, and our editor. We all loved what you both wrote. Joan and I didn't give a name to the Craft-ology teacher in Book #3. We think Ms. Sphinx would be the perfect name for her, but we may want to use that teacher name in an Egyptian god and goddess school since our goddessgirls will be vacationing in Egypt and meeting some goddesses there in Book #6.

Best, Suzanne

P.S. I attached a sneak preview of the cover design for GG #5. That's Heracles on the cover with Athena. You might know his Roman name better: Hercules.

Letter #3

Dear Ms. Suzanne,

Thank you for emailing back again! It was really nice of you. I think it's neat how the GoddessGirls will be vacationing in Egypt and meeting some Goddesses there for book six. My sister just recently got Persephone the Phony from Barnes and Noble and she squealed when she saw it. I read some of it with her and I thought it was good. I like how we got to meet Demeter in it. My sister has been making a powerpoint on Mount Olympus Academy, about the students and courses, so she got to add to that after she read the book. I took the quiz on your website, and it said that I was most like Athena, which is cool, since she's my favorite Goddess Girl. Lately, my life seems to be filled with Greek mythology. My sister is a greek mythology fanatic, I've been reading greek mythology in my English class, and my school's theatre class performed a play based on various greek myths.

sincerely,

[The older sister]

Reply to Letter #3:

Joan and I are thrilled to hear that the two of you are enjoying "Persephone the Phony." A powerpoint on MOA students and classes? That is SO cool! Is it just for fun, or for a school project? It's wonderful that you both love Greek mythology so much. Since working on the GG series I've learned more about Greek mythology than I ever thought possible. And when I visit museums now, I make a beeline for the Greco-Roman exhibits!

Best,

Suzanne

P.S. When Joan and I take our GG quiz we both come out most like Athena too!

Letter #4:

Dear Ms. Suzanne,

A while ago, my sister and I went to an Ancient Greece exhibit at the Art Museum. My mom and I didn't tell my sister about the exhibit, so when she saw all the restored statues and pottery, she gasped and kept running up to all these different ones. It was really neat. There were various vases, jars, jugs, bowls, plates in the pottery section. There was even this huge jar that was used to squish grapes to make wine! I even got to look at some drachmas. They were very neat, and they were pretty impressive for coins thousands of years ago. (I don't know how advanced the coins were, but they looked very impressive to me). There were also various statues and marble boxes. A few of them were cremation jars and such. When I first looked at one of the labels, which said chamber pot, I thought it was the Ancient Greek alternative to plumbing, not where the ashes of cremated bodies were stored, until my Mom explained it to me. Whoops. There were some busts of members of various Ancient Greek families. A few statues were of the gods and greek mythology, like Eros and Psyche. My favorite statue was this marble one of Athena in full body armor. What was really neat about that one was there wasn't a lot of the statue that was restored, just like the nose and some little areas, even though it was pretty tallish. Then we went to the gift shop, where my sister purchased a few different replicas of Ancient Roman coins, which she now obsesses over. For Halloween, she even dressed up as Artemis.

Sincerely, [The older sister]

Hi!

I made my powerpoint for fun and I made a bust of Athena,except her eyeball is falling out.Oops.When I finish my powerpoint I will e-mail you the thingie.

Bye, [The younger sister]

Reply to Letter #4:

Ha-ha about the "chamber pot." It's a natural enough mistake, though. How cool that you saw a statue of Athena in full body armor. Joan and I have a scene in Book #5 where Athena dresses in her armor before she goes to help Heracles with one of his "Twelve Labors." I'd love to see the powerpoint "thingie," and I'd also love to see a pic of your sister in her Artemis Halloween costume if you have one and it's okay for you to send it.

Joan and I are hard at work on Book #6 now. It was due November 1st, but our editor gave us till the 15th to finish it because we're a wee bit behind schedule.

Best,

Suzanne

Social Connectedness vs. Solitude

2010-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Lonely American: Drifting Apart in the Twenty-First Century by husband and wife Professors of Psychiatry, Jacqueline Olds and Richard S. Schwartz. According to a study they cite, 25% of us now live alone. That's up from 7% in the 1940's and represents the largest number of people living alone in the U.S. ever. Even those of us who don't live alone spend less time with family, friends, and neighbors than in the past. The resulting loneliness, say the authors is "the inevitable by-product of our frenetic contemporary lifestyles." (Though we don't call it loneliness because of the "loser" stigma attached to the word. Instead we talk about "feeling depressed.")

Connections with others--face-to-face connections--not just the technological variety, have been proven to be essential to our mental and physical health, yet we often wall ourselves off, treating "busyness as a virtue" and stepping back from one another. As a friend of the authors commented: "Being neighborly used to mean visiting people. Now being nice to your neighbors means not bothering them."

I value my solitude when I'm writing (though I do know writers who like to work in public places, like cafes), but spending time with family, friends, and neighbors is something I'd do more of...if I wasn't afraid of bothering them. Hmm....

"Playing Hooky"

2010-10-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get so caught up in your daily routines that you neglect to take time off to do something just for fun? I do. "Playing hooky" is something I need to do more often, rather than less. A half-day a week would be ideal, but even a half-day every other week would be an improvement. Today I did something I've been wanting to do for a while: my husband and I drove up to the Seattle Art Museum to see the Picasso exhibit from the Musee National Picasso in Paris. Afterward we had lunch in the International District at Home Style Hong Kong Cafe. When we returned home, I took a relaxing half-hour nap. Then, feeling refreshed, I worked until dinner. True, I didn't get as much writing done as I normally might, but oh, it was worth it!

Groups Offer Benefits: Join in!

2010-10-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Decades ago, when I was in school, I played clarinet. Because I missed playing a musical instrument, a few years ago I took up soprano recorder. I'm not a great player, but I'm okay. Practicing solo is fine, but I've been longing to play with a group for some time. Finally, last weekend, I took the plunge. With instrument and music stand in hand, I drove to the meeting place of a local recorder society and joined in on a rehearsal.

It was hard walking into an established group where I didn't know a single soul. I needn't have worried, however. The members were very welcoming and kind. One woman went out of her way to talk to me and introduce herself before the rehearsal. She'd only just started with the group herself. We traded names and phone numbers when we discovered we both lived in the same town and are planning to carpool together to future rehearsals.

I fumbled my way through the three pieces we were given, missing notes, forgetting repeats, and miscounting, but no one seemed to care. I think they were too busy concentrating on their own parts to worry about me. I loved being part of a group again and I know I'll benefit from the added sightreading practice and hearing others play.

Writers can benefit from groups, too. If you've been writing solo for some time, try joining a group and meeting other writers. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators is THE group for children's writers, and you don't have to be published to join. Take a look at their site. There are local regional chapters in almost every state in the U.S. Find out where the chapter nearest you meets. Then pluck up your courage and attend a meeting. I know you'll be glad you did!

One More Chance to Win Some Aphrodite the Beauty Swag!

2010-10-05T11:19:00.001-07:00

The last stop on the Aphrodite the Beauty Blog Tour begins today! Take a look at this great site for tween reviews:

October 5 GreenBeanTeenQueen (Tween Tuesday)
(Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway & reviews by a tween librarian)

Please see the blog for entry details.

The Charitable Giving Dilemma

2010-09-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Sifting through my mail on Saturday, I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed and even a little ganged up on. Here's what was in my box:

An urgent contribution form from Planned Parenthood
A request for money from my county library system foundation
A letter from the art museum wanting me to pay more to upgrade my membership
An invitation from a group I volunteer with asking for $50 to attend a fund-raising dinner
An invitation to renew my membership at a gym I haven't belonged to in a year because I joined a gym closer to home
A letter urging me to become a member of the Sierra Club by paying a membership fee
An urgent contribution form from the Democratic Party

Seven requests for money all in one day! Seven good causes clamoring for my attention and dollars!

It was with some feelings of angst that I threw out all but one. (Well, actually, I had no feelings of guilt or anxiety about tossing the gym membership renewal. If the company that ran the gym hadn't closed the facility near me, I wouldn't have joined a different gym in the first place. Besides, gym membership, though certainly beneficial to me, isn't exactly a charitable cause.)

I feel sorry for all the good causes out there. I'm sure they're stretched thin for dollars in these bad economic times. Unfortunately, so are many of us! I hate being constantly bombarded with requests for money, and I have to wonder if some of these organizations couldn't realize some savings by sending out less frequent mailings--say only once or twice a year instead of every few weeks?

To save my sanity, I've decided to follow advice I read somewhere about concentrating charitable giving on just a few causes. I've picked the causes that are most personal and local, and/or are related to my interest in literacy. (Though I also contribute to the American Red Cross when there's a large natural disaster.) Using my criteria, the one request I kept to consider this time?: The dinner for the local group I volunteer with.

How do you make decisions about charitable giving?

How Happy Are You?

2010-09-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner. (Subtitle: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World.) Weiner is an NPR correspondent who has traveled extensively. His book is interesting, informative, entertaining, and funny. I recommend it highly. Did you know that Bhutan measures Gross National Happiness? According to the World Database of Happiness, the U.S. only ranks #23 out of all the countries of the world. High scorers are more apt to be cold, rather than warm, countries. At the top? Switzerland, Netherlands, Denmark, Costa Rica, and Iceland!

Creativity is a factor in happiness. So is trust of your fellow human beings, reasonable (dare I say low) expectations, acceptance of failure, strong ties with family and friends, and enough money to meet basic needs.

Finding Time to Write: It Does Get Easier, I Promise!

2010-09-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

Though I've been writing full-time for ten years now, and could conceivably work whichever days I please, I still count Mondays as the beginning of my work week. It's a habit I'm used to and see no reason to break. Still, I seldom start work before eleven or noon since most weekday mornings I do yoga or step class at the gym. Despite the late start, I usually write 4 - 5 hours each day. If you are reading this and thinking "Boy, she's got it made. I only WISH I had that kind of time to exercise and write," you'd be right. But here's the thing: I didn't always have it so easy.

When I first started to write--more than twenty years ago--I worked full-time as an elementary school librarian and was a mom with a newborn and a toddler. I considered it a good writing week when I could scrape together 1 or 2 hours a few times a week during nap times, after the kids were in bed, or on weekends. I envied those writers who didn't have to work at outside jobs, and whose time seemed more their own.

Having lived through those exhausting, yet exhilarating years, I have something I want to say to those of you currently trying to find time to write while grappling with the demands of family and outside jobs: You, too, will live through this and come out the other side.

I say this in hindsight, of course. Because, just like you, I was often frazzled during those early years of writing, working another job, and being a mommy. But I'm here to tell you that there is light at the end of the tunnel! For now, it's enough to give to your writing the few hours you can spare. Even just a few hours of writing per week will add up to a book if you keep at it day after day, week after week, month after month. And though you'll undoubtedly suffer through numerous rejections of your work--I know I did (and still do)--if you persevere, your writing will improve, and someday you WILL get published. In the meantime, do whatever writing you can each day and week, enjoy your children, try not to get too discouraged by the inevitable rejection slips, and be grateful for all the small wonders and joys we experience every day, but sometimes forget to take note of.

Most Important Tasks (MITs)

2010-09-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

I love a good self-help book, so several weeks ago I read a book my son recommended called The Power of Less by Leo Babauta. (The author has a website, too.) I picked up a few useful tips for being more efficient and effective with my time and was reminded of things I know are good practices (like only checking email a couple of times a day), but that I sometimes fall out of the habit of doing.

My favorite tip: The setting of daily MITs (Most Important Tasks). The author recommends limiting these to three per day, and linking them to your work and also to new habits you want to create. (But he suggests you only work on changing one habit at a time.) This is a great practice. I usually only include one MIT that takes several hours to complete (my daily writing goal). The other two MITs are tasks I can complete in 10 - 20 minutes.

What practices do you find useful for keeping yourself on track with your writing or other goals?

Good News Comes in Threes

2010-08-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Goddess Girls 1: Athena the Brain and Goddess Girls 2: Persephone the Phony are now in their 3rd printing. Hurrah!

Thanks to all who have participated so far in Joan's and my Aphrodite the Beauty Blog Tour to celebrate the new release of the third book of the series. There are still three more opportunities to win a swag bag:

August 24 ~ 28 Tween Book Reviews
(Dear Aphrodite the Beauty Advice Column and Swag Bag giveaway)

September 3 ~ 9 Cynsations
(Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway)

October 5 GreenBeanTeenQueen (Tween Tuesday)
(Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway & reviews by a tween librarian)

Please see the blogs for entry details.

We look forward to seeing you!

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) Blog Tour!

2010-08-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

Calling All Goddess Girls!

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) releases Tuesday, August 3! To celebrate, co-author Joan Holub and I are giving away fabulous Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bags on our blog tour throughout August and September:

* 24-color eye shadow from Claire's
* 7 lip glosses with faux rhinestones
* Multi-color bracelet
* Goddess Girls bookmark
* Autographed copy of Aphrodite the Beauty

We hope you’ll drop by to help us celebrate, join in the conversation, and meet some awesome bloggers.

Scoop on the books: Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!
Aladdin paperbacks, ages 8 ~ 12.

Athena the Brain Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

NEW! Aphrodite the Beauty Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave (Dec., 2010) She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.

Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) Blog Tour Schedule:

August 3 ~ 6 Children's Book Review

Interview and 3-book giveaway (giveaway open until August 20)

August 4 ~ 8 Martha Brockenbrough

Interview and Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway

August 9 ~ 16 Writer on the Side

Interview and Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway

August 24 ~ 28 Tween Book Reviews

Dear Aphrodite the Beauty Advice Column and Swag Bag giveaway

September 3 ~ 9 Cynsations

(Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway

October 5 GreenBeanTeenQueen (Tween Tuesday)
Aphrodite the Beauty Swag Bag giveaway & reviews by a tween librarian

Please see the blogs for entry details.

We look forward to seeing you!

Joan and Suzanne

Thumbs up for Boston; More Goddess Girls News

2010-07-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

I must say I was mightily impressed with Boston when I visited there last week. I know that the subway system, the "T", has had its problems, but for getting into and around the city, it's fantastic. The city also has great restaurants, green spaces and parks, and lots of water. I've heard that the winters can be brutal, and the summers scorchingly hot, but my traveling partner and I lucked out. The temps were in the mid-seventies most of the time we were there, with very low humidity. People in Boston were also uniformly kind and helpful. Hooray for Boston!

While I was visiting, I got an email from Joan's and my editor at Aladdin, the lovely Emily Lawrence. She was letting us know that Scholastic Book Club is buying sub-rights to the first two books of the Goddess Girls series. Hooray! So sometime this fall Athena the Brain and Persephone the Phony will be making an appearance in those flyers sent home from schools. Now to get back to work on Books 5 and 6!

The Upside of Insomnia

2010-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

I occasionally suffer from the awake-in-the-middle-of-the-night variety of insomnia. I'm not one of those people who just gets out of bed and reads or works when it strikes. Instead, sad to say, I lie in bed waiting for sleep to return, which it usually does--in two or three hours. It's boring to just lie there doing nothing, however, so I've discovered I can make good use of that time by simply thinking about story ideas. If/when I do come up with an interesting idea, the trick is to remember it in the morning. So I keep a small notebook and a pen on my bedside table--just in case. Of course, sometimes those ideas that seemed so fascinating and plausible in the middle of the night, look much less so in full daylight. Sigh.

Soon to Be Boston Bound

2010-06-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

I'm speaking to teachers and grad students at a summer Author Institute at Worcester State College on June 28th. Since Worcester's only about forty miles from Boston, and I'll be flying in and out of Boston's Logan airport, I thought it would be fun to tack a few extra days onto the end of my trip and do some sightseeing. My friend and writing critique group member, Sylvie Hossack, has been wanting to visit Boston for a while, so we're going to meet up after I speak, and take in the sights together. If you're reading this post and have recommendations for things to see and do and/or places to eat, please leave a comment with your suggestions!

Of course, this trip was planned before I knew that Joan Holub and I would be asked to write two more Goddess Girls books. Fortunately, the outlines for both books are off to our editor as of yesterday. Now to get cracking on the first draft of GG#5!

More Goddess Girls to Come!

2010-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Just as I was contemplating what I should work on next, my agent, the wonderful Liza Pulitzer Voges, called with an offer from Aladdin for two more Goddess Girls books. Yippee! Books 3 and 4 aren't even out yet (#3: Aphrodite the Beauty pubs Aug. 3 and #4: Artemis the Brave pubs Dec. 6), but my co-author Joan Holub and I are now busily putting together ideas for Books 5 and 6. Book 5 will star Athena again, and Book 6 will be Aphrodite's to tell. And that's all I'm going to reveal for now.

BTW, I just got a new computer, a tiny little ASUS Eee netbook. I'm typing this entry on it so I can get used to the smaller screen and keyboard. It'll be great to take to conferences and on school visits--easy to travel with. When I'm working at home, I'll hook it up to a larger keyboard and monitor. Luckily, my computer expert husband is able to set everything up for me and transfer my stuff from my older computer. I don't know what I'd do without him!

Making the Transition from Vacation Mode to Writing Mode

2010-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's always hard for me to get back into my writing routine after a vacation. Pleading jet-lag (if there's been a time zone change) is really only a good excuse for the first few days after the return home. Then what? I did go over the first pass galleys for Goddess Girls #4 the day after my return, but only because I had a deadline to meet. (The book pubs in December.)

At least I'm sitting at my desk today. And I'm thinking of composing a new writing "to do" list. That's a start. What do you do to get yourself going again after a vacation?

Photos: Top: Holmenkollen ski jump in Oslo. The Norwegians have got to be crazy! Second: My daughter Emily and I enjoy fried herring with mustard and onion on toast from a outdoor stand in Stockholm. Yummy! Third: Martina in her bunad--traditional women's costume worn on special occasions like Constitution Day, May 17th. Bottom: Big fish market in food hall in Stockholm.

Home Again After a Wonderful Trip

2010-05-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yikes. I haven't blogged in several weeks! Just got back yesterday from a lovely two-week trip to Norway and Sweden. (My daughter lives in Oslo.) Perhaps I'll write a bit about the trip and post a couple of photos later--after my husband downloads them from his camera.

Today I played catch-up with email and snail mail, and spent several hours going over the first pass galleys for the fourth book in Joan's and my Goddess Girls series: Artemis the Brave. I also spent an hour with a delightful third grade girl I mentor through my local Communities in Schools program.

That's all for now. I'm too jet-lagged to write more...

Hurrah for Evergreen Elementary Writers and Readers!

2010-05-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, thanks to funding from a great group of parent boosters, I spoke at assemblies with students at Evergreen Elementary in Sedro-Woolley, WA. My favorite part of the day was having lunch with the seventeen winners of a school-wide writing contest. Before lunch I got to see some of the stories they'd written, and we talked about where their ideas had come from, and how their reading influenced their writing. Conversation continued over pizza, salad, and cake. The kids were all delightful. Three of the winners were sisters. Not surprisingly, they told me that they spent far more time reading books than watching TV. I was reminded of something Avi said when I heard him speak in Seattle many years ago:

"If you’re not a reader you can forget about becoming a writer. If reading is not in place first, the writing will not come. The most effective training for writing is reading. If kids read more they would write better." --Avi

Isn't that the truth?

BotH for Kids and Teens Chats with Suzanne Williams about the Goddess Girls

2010-04-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

I think I look kind of goofy, but I did have a good time answering Misa Ramirez's questions for Books on the House for Kids and Teens. (Click on the link to find out more about the services she offers authors, and to check out her other author interviews.)

Computer Senility

2010-04-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

For several weeks weird stuff's been going on with my computer--images not loading, odd shadows when I click on links, error messages showing up a lot, etc. My husband, a computer expert, (I recommend that every household have one!) diagnosed "computer senility. " Took him a day and a half this weekend to put a new hard drive in and reinstall all my programs. Now everything's loading faster and working better. Yay!

As I get older I often feel sluggish and can't remember stuff. Wouldn't it be great if people could have their memories refurbished and reinstalled? I'd like to sign up for the procedure!

Looking for Sound and Trustworthy Financial Advice?

2010-04-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

The financial scandals of late have soured many of us on financial advisors, banks, and investing in general. That's unfortunate because saving and investing are important if you ever hope to pay for your children's college education, become a fulltime writer, or eventually retire. For sound and trustworthy advice, check out my son's blog: Words of Ward. There you will find a wealth (pun intended) of information on all kinds of topics related to money management.

Allow me to brag a little. My son is a guy who practices what he preaches. He has always been a saver and prudent investor, as well as a generous giver to several charities. In ten short years he's managed to build a retirement nest egg that would be the envy of many people twice his age.

As I remember, he was savvy about money even at an early age. For example, I recall one occasion--he must have been about ten years old--when he wanted me to pay for something he wanted, probably a set of legos or a Masters of the Universe action figure:

Me: Why should I pay for that?

Ward: Because then I can save my money. It's called smart shopping, Mom!

Seriously though, my son has been responsible for his own smart shopping for a very long time. He can help you to become a "smart shopper" too.

Ward's birthday is tomorrow: April 15th. Doesn't that seem like a fitting birthday for someone with a special interest in money management?

Have you filed your taxes yet?

Goddess Girls Blog Tour Continues!

2010-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

Join Joan Holub and me in celebrating the release of our new series. Just three more tour days remain!:

April 6: Cynsations (Guest blog and book giveaway; Learn how we came to write the series, challenges we faced and how we solved them.)

April 7: Little Willow (Interview and book giveaway; We reveal more about our collaboration and inspirations, and our favorite books of all time.)

April 8: Zoe’s Book Reviews (Q&A and book giveaway with both of us authors, our editor, book designer, cover artist, and Zoe herself!)

An Interview with Goddess Girls Editor, Book Designer, and Cover Artist

2010-04-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

It takes more than authors to create a book. It also takes illustrators and cover artists, and a whole host of people at a publishing company. Joan Holub and I interviewed three of the wonderful people who contributed their time and talents to Goddess Girls: Editor: Emily Lawrence, Book Designer: Karen Paprocki, and Cover Artist: Glen Hanson.

Joan & Suzanne: Emily, what made you want to acquire the Goddess Girls series? Was it a gut feeling or something about the market or something else?

Emily: I’ll admit it – I’m a nerd. I took 7 (extremely useful) years of Latin! The idea of a fun, modernized setting -- but still mythically correct -- series about the Greek pantheon really appealed to me. And, my imprint, Aladdin, focuses on kid-friendly, commercial fiction for young readers so Goddess Girls was the perfect fit in a both a business and personal sense. It doesn’t hurt that the Percy Jackson movie released in the same season as the Goddess Girls, and interest in classical mythology is on the rise… We’ll just call that a hunch since I signed the series over a year ago.

J&S: What do you give a cover artist to help her or him illustrate a book? A synopsis of the book; the manuscript; a description of a scene you’d like to see depicted?

Emily: Glen Hanson, our amazing cover artist, was given an early draft of the manuscript to work from. Turns out that Glen is a HUGE myth fan as well (kismet, anyone?) and we didn’t need to direct him at all. He is also super talented and creative, so he came up with the elements you see on the coves – you’ll notice that Athena even has owl earrings! And, there was a long conversation about what were the correct columns to use on the MOA to be historically accurate. I find the best artists bring a lot of themselves and their ideas to a project, therefore enriching it for the better.

J&S: Karin, we think Glen is the perfect cover artist for Goddess Girls. You designed the look of the series and picked Glen as the illustrator. How did you find and choose him?

Karin: I stumbled upon his website one day and I was really impressed with the witty, sassy personality that came through the perfectly-executed characters. I bookmarked his site and came back to it when I received the first Goddess Girls manuscript. He seemed a perfect fit to create an appealing, slick, age-appropriate cover, and Emily and I were excited to see what he could do. Once I called him to discuss the project, I was pleased to find out that he was a huge mythology buff, as well as a genius with color. And he is truly a breath of fresh air to work with.

J&S: Glen, we were truly delighted with the cover illustrations for Goddess Girls. Your style fits the series to a “T”. You added so many fun details that are true to the actual myths, so we wonder if you have a personal interest in mythology or if you are just really good at researching these things?

Glen: Thank you. I’m so complimented that you both feel I did your book justice with my illustrations. Creating the covers was a complete joy because I’ve been obsessed with Greek Mythology since my early teens.

J&S: Can you briefly describe how you work from inspiration to sketch to final art? For instance, do you sketch on a digital pad or on paper?

Glen: I start by doing a rough pencil sketch on paper working out the basic design. I then refine the elements locking in the details, scan it in and send it to the art director and authors. Once they have approved the pencil rough, I trace it off onto good paper in pencil and hand ink the linework. That is scanned in and the image is colored in layers in photoshop.

J&S: Interesting! Thanks, Glen. Karin, is there anything else you can share with us about the process of designing this book?

Karin: Well, I have to say I really enjoyed reading through the manuscripts. I find the stories fun, light and full of appealing characters. The concept of the series is fresh and I have high hopes that girls everywhere with relate to the Goddess Girls (and appreciate their hunky crushes). I especially enjoy working on series’ for tween girls, and I was geared up to find some cute art/graphics, girl-centric fonts, and work with Glen’s gorgeous palette for this series. I think all the elements work very nicely together to marry the adorable cover image with the fun modern-meets-myth story.

J&S: How about you Emily? Anything else you’d like to tell us about your involvement in this series?

Emily: It was a new challenge for me to work with two authors (I’m sure Joan and Suzanne will talk more about this process at some point). While one author wrote one book, taking turns in the series, we needed to make sure their individual writing styles were consistent across the series, and that all the books related to each other. When editing, I kept an eye to make sure things were consistent in style, plot, and characterization/storytelling. Luckily, both Joan and Suzanne have a casual, conversational, and fun tone that shines through all four books. It helped that, while 1000s of miles apart, they worked closely together, reviewing and editing amongst themselves before it got to me – the open lines of communication between the 3 of us helped make this series shine in the end.

J&S: We appreciated how you kept us all on the same page :-). Glen, we have two more questions for you. First, we wondered what your studio is like.

Glen: My studio is set up with a large drafting table, lamp, drawing utensils, scanner, and a large computer monitor hooked up to my trusty laptop!

J&S: Anything else you’d like to share about your experience working on this series?

Glen: The Goddess Girls covers kind of dropped out of “Mount Olympus” for me because I have always loved Greek Mythology and have numerous books on the subject. Since I also work in animation quite a bit, my dream would be to be involved in a cartoon version of the series. I’m sending my prayers to Athena on that one!

J&S: From your lips to Zeus’s ears. I can absolutely see your illustrations in a tween graphic novel format, Glen. Our hopes go to Mount Olympus along with yours. Thank you again for your fabulous covers!

Monday postGoddess Girls giveaway at readertotz! We're giving away one copy of Athena the Brain (#1) and one of Persephone the Phony (#2) at readertotz.blogspot.com

Goddess Girls Blog Tour

2010-04-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

It’s time for the Goddess Girls Blog Tour!

Co-author Joan Holub and I are celebrating the release of the first two books in our Goddess Girls series with five fab days of interviews, guest blogs, and book giveaways, April 4 – April 8. We hope you’ll drop by to help us celebrate, join the fun, meet some of our favorite bloggers, and maybe win a book along the way!

About the books:

Join the class at Mount Olympus Academy with Goddess Girls, a new series that puts a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams (Aladdin paperbacks) Ages 8 - 12

Athena the Brain (April 6, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982715

Finding out she’s a goddess and being sent to Mount Olympus brings Athena new friends, a weird dad, and the meanest girl in mythology—Medusa!

Persephone the Phony (April 6, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982722

Hiding her feelings works fine for Persephone until she meets a guy she can be herself with—Hades, the bad-boy of the Underworld.

Aphrodite the Beauty (August 3, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982739

Sure Aphrodite is beautiful, but it’s not always easy being the goddessgirl of love.

Artemis the Brave (December 7, 2010) ISBN: 978-1416982746

She may be the goddess of the hunt, but that doesn’t mean Artemis always feels brave.

Five-Day Goddess Girls Tour Line-up:

April 4: Bookmuncher (Interview and book giveaway)

April 5: Readertotz, Suzanne’s Place, Joan Holub Author of Books for Children (Expanded interview with the Goddess Girl team at Aladdin: editor Emily Lawrence, book designer Karin Paprocki, and cover artist Glen Hanson. Have you ever wondered why an editor decides to acquire a series? Here’s one editor’s take.)

April 6: Cynsations (Guest blog and book giveaway; Learn how we came to write the series, challenges we faced and how we solved them.)

April 7: Little Willow (Interview and book giveaway. We reveal more about our collaboration and inspirations, and our favorite books of all time.)

April 8: Zoe’s Book Reviews (Book giveaway and Q&A with both of us authors, our editor, book designer, cover artist, and Zoe herself!)

We look forward to seeing you!

--Suzanne and Joan

South Carolina Librarians Rock!

2010-03-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

It was great fun to speak at the SCASL 2010 conference March 25 - 26, and to spend a few days in the historic center of Charleston before the conference started. Charleston is a beautiful city, and it also has great food. (I feasted on specialties like shrimp and grits, and had my first taste of coca-cola cake. Yum!)

The conference librarians were very welcoming and kind. I enjoyed talking to many, many people, and signed lots of books. I also got to go out to dinner twice with the lovely Debbie Palmer (my own personal host) and several other librarians and speakers, including fellow author, Alane Ferguson, who writes YA mysteries and thrillers.

The conference was an organized joy, thanks to the efforts of conference officers and staff volunteers. My thanks to President, Amanda LeBlanc and President-Elect, Joe Myers for inviting me to come!

On the Road

2010-03-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

I've been on the road for about a week now. Flew into Kansas City last Saturday to sign books at the Children's Lit Festival in Warrensburg, MO on Sunday and to speak to Festival school groups Monday and Tuesday. It was my first time at the Festival, but some of the other 40+ authors have been coming every year for ten, twenty, or even thirty years! They were a very gracious and welcoming group. Naomi Williamson is the Festival's superb organizer, and she and her cast of volunteers kept everything humming along. What fun! (see photo of me with author Vivian Vande Velde)

March 19:Today I spent the day at Thomas Elementary in Gretna, NE (near Omaha). Yesterday I was at Palisades Elementary, also in Gretna. The kids at both schools were delightfully engaged and polite, as were the kids at Christ the King, a Catholic school in Omaha that I spoke at on St. Patrick's Day. Thursday night I had a lovely time yakking it up with Kim Burry (in green tee) and some of her "Walk and Whine" friends: Peg, Sandy and Becky. (I stayed with Kim for two nights.) My first night in the Omaha area I stayed with Holly Sullivan. (See photo of me with Holly's fabulous kids: Sloan, Riley, Bram, and Mena). Holly and Kim are sisters of my sister-in-law!

Tomorrow morning I am off to Charleston, SC!

My Favorite Childhood Fiction Series

2010-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Goddess Girls (co-written with Joan Holub) pubs on April 6th. This will be my fifth fiction series for children. As the pub date nears, I've been thinking more and more about the joys of series books, and hoping, of course, that readers are going to love Joan's and my new series.

Series have been beloved by children for ages. It's comforting to be able to sink down into the world of your favorite characters time and time again. I devoured series fiction when I was a child. Here is a list of the series I most remember reading:

Mary Poppins
Pippi Longstocking
The Bobbsey Twins
The Moffats
Trixie Belden
Nancy Drew

I suspect that for many readers born after 1980, the Harry Potter books will top their list of favorite childhood fiction series. What series did you read as a child?

What I'm Working on Now

2010-02-24T15:05:00.000-08:00

Just sent a revision of a chapter book mystery series proposal to my agent, Liza Voges of Eden Street LLC. I first wrote "Book #1" in 2003. It circulated for a couple of years, but there were too many mysteries on the market then, and it never sold. I'm hoping the demand for mysteries has picked up. I'd gotten some nice comments from editors and some good suggestions for revision, too. The suggestions helped guide my revision. It's much easier to see a story with fresh eyes when it's been sitting a while--in this case, five years!

My Goddess Girls co-author, Joan Holub, and I are also working on proposals for a couple of new series that we'd like to write together. Our first two GG books debut April 6th, and we're hoping to put together a blog tour that first week of April. If anyone reading this has a blog that would be interested in being a "stop" on our tour, please let us know! Our editor has agreed to supply a giveaway book to each host blog.

Besides the above, I'm beginning to think about and gather ideas for the next draft of the middle grade novel I'm writing that's set on the Oregon coast. And I'm finalizing arrangements for a multi-city trip in March to speak at a Children's Literature Festival in Warrensburg, Missouri, three schools in Omaha, NE, and a school library conference in Charleston, SC. Should be fun!

When Your Book Offends a Reader

2010-02-12T18:37:00.000-08:00

Sooner or later it will happen to you. Regardless of how innocent or innocuous you think your writing is, someone will take offense at something you've written. You could, of course, try to avoid the use of certain words, phrases (or even whole scenes) that you think might cause trouble. (And I'm not even thinking about the obvious, like swear words or words relating to certain body parts.) But is it desirable or even possible to avoid all controversy in your writing? I think not.

If certain words, phrases, and scenes are integral to your story, I don't believe you should avoid using them just because you're afraid someone might object. At the same time, it's good to be sensitive to the age and maturity level of your readers. The problem is, we don't all agree on what's appropriate for children of certain ages. And words can be received and interpreted in ways you don't expect.

So write your story in the way you think best. If your editor has concerns over something you've written, she'll let you know. Make the change if you don't think it will hurt the story, but not if you think it will. Go with your gut. And if your book does offend someone, well, that's life. But maybe you'll have the opportunity, as I did, to respond and explain why you made the word choices you did. If you're lucky, that reader might just be open to changing his or her view.

Dear Ms. Williams,

My daughter happens to really love reading about fairies and I have indulged her with as many books as she would like on the subject and yours are among them. I was reading her Poppy and the Vanishing Fairy at bedtime and I am deeply disappointed that you would include the "Brownies" as fairy servants. I am confounded and deeply disturbed that such an obvious slavery reference would be published in 2008 of all years.
I write to you as a concerned mother and would very much like to hear your perspective on how you came to create these characters. Please explain to me why you think I should not find this offensive.

Dear Ms. F.,

According to the research I did on fairy folk while writing my books, the term "brownies" originated in Scotland, possibly used for inhabitants of Britain before the arrival of the Celts. Because my publisher was also concerned that some readers might confuse the term as a reference to slavery, I described "Bink" as having reddish-brown hair and freckles. (I even experimented with having him talk with a Scottish lilt, but we decided the alterations in his speech might prove too difficult for young readers.) It's unfortunate that there's no illustration of Bink in the "Poppy" book (I just flipped through it to check!) because the illustration of him in Book #1: Daisy and the Magic Lesson, clearly shows that he's white (p.36). In fairy lore, brownies love doing household chores, but dislike others interfering with their work, something I used as part of the plot line in Book #3: Rose and the Delicious Secret. I hope this explanation helps and that your daughter continues to enjoy the books.

Dear Ms. Williams,

This is so helpful~ thank you. I was unaware that there is a long-standing history of Fairy Folk nor their origins and I am very satisfied with your answer. So interesting!

Hooray for Scab McNally!

2010-02-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Trudi Trueit's Secrets of a Lab Rat: No Girls Allowed (Dogs Okay). What a fun book for 7 - 10 year old readers! Scab McNally, a fourth-grader, tries to enlist his "smart times ten" sister in his quest to convince their parents to get a dog. However, he nearly blows his chances when he concocts a stinky sister-repellent spray bearing her name and everyone in school finds out about it. Boys, especially, will enjoy the gross-out humor, but the book offers more than that. In addition to the funny, fast-paced narrative, Trueit explores the trickiness of relationships with friends and siblings in a sensitive and satisfying way.

Studying Publisher Catalogs: a heretical viewpoint

2010-02-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

This advice is given to writers all the time: Study publisher catalogs to find out what they publish to see if your manuscript is a good fit. Quite honestly, I have never found such study to be a practice worth my time (and that's even before I had an agent to make submissions on my behalf).

Perhaps if I were a nonfiction writer there would be some value in studying catalogs. I might find out that Publisher X has an animal series that lacks the book on wombats I'm dying to write and that I'm sure they'll want. But how does studying catalogs help the fiction writer? All you really need to know is if Publisher X publishes fiction for the age group and in the genre(s) you write. That information is readily available in the marketing section of writer magazines and online, and in reference books like Children's Writers and Illustrators Market Guide.

The truth is, the big publishers ALL publish the same kinds of things. And knowing that Publisher X has two other series of fiction chapter books about princesses doesn't tell you a thing. They might not want to publish a third series of princess books, but then again, they might. The only way you'll know for sure is to query or send them your manuscript.

If you've got an alternative viewpoint on this issue, I'd love to hear it!

Learning New WritingTricks

2010-02-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

I saw a review of a new book for children's writers in the latest SCBWI Bulletin and, after reading the review, knew I had to have it. I ordered it from Amazon and read it cover-to-cover. Nancy I. Sander's Yes! You Can: Learn How to Write Children's Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career may even teach this old dog some new tricks. I especially liked her concept "The Triple Crown of Success" wherein she recommends spending time on three separate goals: writing to get published in low-pay, no-pay markets (especially for beginners who need to establish some writing credits), writing to earn an income, and writing for personal fulfillment. The book is a bit repetitious, but I forgave the author for that because I knew she was just trying to get her message across. She probably realized that thick-headed writers like me require a lot of repetition for anything to "stick." I'm going to experiment with some of the things she suggests and see what happens!

My Favorite TV comedy series

2010-01-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

I'm a cable TV holdout, so most of my TV series viewing is via Netflix, often long after a series has been discontinued! You'll notice that I have a special affection for British comedies. It's their zaniness, irreverence, and good writing that appeal, I think:

Flight of the Conchords (Hysterical. Love that New Zealand accent. I hope there will be more than just two seasons)
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (American. Cringe-worthily rude and crude, but it makes me laugh)
Arrested Development (American. Could a dysfunctional family be any funnier?)
The Office and Extras (Ricky Gervais is a British genius.)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (No, Larry David. Don't do that! Can only watch this one in small doses.)
The Mighty Boosh (British. Very odd. Very funny. Thanks to my good friend Leslie for turning me on to this one)
The I.T. Crowd (British nerd humor. Found out about this one from my brother-in-law)
Monty Python (of course)
Probably my all-time favorite: Red Dwarf (8 seasons: the funniest sci fi comedy ever!)

Now that you know my taste in comedy, maybe you can recommend a series I've missed?

Clip from "The Mighty Boosh":

Making Ends Meet: the Day Jobs of Children's Writers

2010-01-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

My perusal of children's author bios and an unscientific survey of fellow children's writers leads me to believe that a large percentage of us are (or were at one time) public school teachers or librarians or journalists. Lawyers seem to be another profession much represented in the ranks of children's writers. Many of my writer friends also teach (or have taught) writing at the community college or university level, or online for programs like the one offered by the Institute of Children's Literature, in order to supplement their income. Lots of us earn fees speaking at schools and conferences too.

Are you a children's writer with a day job? If so, what do you do? If not, are there other things you do to supplement your writing income?

10 Favorite Quotations about Writing With Which to Start the New Year

2009-12-30T18:41:00.001-08:00

"The quality of emotion is what stays with the reader long after the storyline is gone." - Ellen Howard
"The world that is in me is the only world I have by which to grasp the world outside and as I write fiction, it is the chart by which I must steer." - Katherine Paterson
"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." --E.L. Doctorow
"The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business." --John Steinbeck
"Novelists are people who have discovered that they can dampen their neuroses by writing make-believe. We will keep on doing that no matter what, while offering loftier explanations." --Kurt Vonnegut
"Writers write to influence their readers...but always, at bottom, to be more themselves." -- Aldous Huxley
"Originality does not consist in saying what no one has ever said before, but in saying exactly what you think yourself." -- J.F. Stephen
"The difference between the right and the not-so-right word is like the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." -- Mark Twain
"Producing writing is not so much like filling a basin or pool once as it is like getting water to keep flowing through until it finally runs clear." --Peter Elbow
"The power of fiction is to create empathy. It lifts you away from your chair and stuffs you gently down inside someone else’s own perspective. A newspaper could tell you that one hundred people, say, in an airplane, or in Israel, or in Iraq, have died today. And you can think to yourself, "How very sad," then turn the page and see how the Wildcats fared. But a novel could take just one of those hundred lives and show you exactly how it felt to be that person rising from bed in the morning, watching the desert light on the tile of her doorway and on the curve of her daughter’s cheek. You would taste that person’s breakfast, and love her family, and sort through her worries as your own, and know that a death in that household will be the end of the only life that someone will ever have. As important as yours. As important as mine."

From an essay titled "Jabberwocky" by Barbara Kingsolver in High Tide in Tucson.

Editors are NOT Dragons

2009-12-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

When I first began to submit stories for publication, I was somewhat scared of editors. In my imagination, they seemed analogous to fire-breathing dragons, guarding the entrance to the Kingdom of Publication. Getting a story past them seemed an impossible task. Twenty years and almost thirty books later, I see editors a little differently. Yes, they do make judgments about stories that are often hard for writers to bear, but they honestly WANT to find manuscripts they can say "yes" to. And when they do find a story they like--and a story that fits within their company's publication program--they become a writer's best champion. They argue for the story's publication in acquisition meetings, and, once accepted, help writers to reshape and revise their stories to make them better. Editors help in other ways too--like writing the flap copy praising your book, and coordinating with the art department on covers and illustrations. But ultimately, despite all their assistance, and the assistance of many other behind-the-scenes people like copy editors, and others whose titles I don't even know, the credit for the resulting book will go to you.

Over the years I have been blessed with wonderful editors, not one of them even remotely dragon-like. Children's editors, like children's writers are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They are kind, solicitous of a writer's feelings, intelligent, and hard-working, and they really want to see you and your book succeed.

Here is a list of the fabulous editors--all women, by the way--that I've had the good fortune to work with:

Matilda Welter (Mommy Doesn't Know My Name)
Andrea Cascardi (Edwin and Emily and Emily at School)
Diane Arico (Library Lil, My Dog Never Says Please, Old MacDonald in the City)
Lauri Hornik (The Witch Casts a Spell)
Julia Richardson (Secret Pal Surprises, Marvelous Mind of Matthew McGhee, Age 8 series)
Michelle Nagler (Third Grade Friends series)
Rachel Orr Chan, Rosemary Brosnan, and Margaret Miller (Fairy Blossoms series, Princess Power series, and Ten Naughty Little Monkeys)
Emily Lawrence (Goddess Girls)

These hitherto unsung heroes have my undying gratitude!

P.S. There was a nice article by Jon Bard in CBI Clubhouse about what writers need to know about the lives of children's book editors.

Happy Holidays: An Early Writing Effort

2009-12-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I had a lovely Virtual Visit with a group of fifth graders and their kindergarten reading buddies in West Babylon, NY. We connected through Skype-An-Author, the brainchild of Library Media Specialist Sarah Chauncey and Author Mona Kerby. As part of our Skype visit I shared the following poem with students. It was written when I was in the fifth grade. The rhymes are a bit forced, and some of the lines don't scan very well, but can you see my love for writing even then?:

SANTA CLAUS GETS STUCK

On Christmas Eve while I was in bed
I suddenly heard a loud thud and I said,
"Now what could that be, the Christmas tree?"
Well I ran to the living room and guess what I saw
Stuck there in the chimney was old Santa Claus.
Well I ran to the chimney and tugged at him hard,
But it was not use for he was as heavy as a barrel of lard.
So I slipped into my coat, my hat and all
Then tiptoed through the living room and ran down the hall.
I ran to the neighbors and when I was in sight
They exclaimed in surprise,
"What are you doing up so late in the night?"
Well I hurriedly told them and they rushed home with me
And we tugged and we tugged but were sorry to see
That poor Santa Claus was still as tight as could be.
So I rushed upstairs and brought down a rope
I thought this will get him down at least I hope.
We tied the rope around his waist
And pulled and pulled and pulled,
At last I think he loosened a very little bit
And when we pulled a little more how loose he began to get.
At last we pulled him down from the sooty chimney
My what a sooty mess he was but he didn't seem to care,
He passed to everyone a great big candy cane,
Oh, how I wish that Santa Claus will soon get stuck again!

The Secret to Getting Published

2009-11-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

When I first started to write for children (about twenty years ago, gasp!), I was sure there must be some secret to getting published. Whenever I talked to published writers I listened carefully, hoping to uncover the secret they were obviously privy to that I had yet to discover. If these other writers--these published writers--sensed the desperation and yearning behind the questions I put to them, they were gracious enough to pretend not to notice. Ultimately, I did get published, but not because of any one thing I learned from other writers. In fact, if there is any secret to getting published, I think it is this: You must want to enough.

What do I mean by enough? Enough to:

learn as much about the craft of writing as you can (classes, conferences, books, blogs, etc.)
learn as much about the business side of writing as you can (same resources as above)
keep writing and submitting even in the face of numerous "rejection" letters

That's it. It's the only secret to getting published that I know really works.

Connecting with Readers, Making New Friends

2009-11-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen. ~Rod McKuen

This morning I spent a pleasurable couple of hours at my local Starbucks chatting with Terri, a woman I met while flying back from a conference in Wisconsin a year ago, and Terri's neighbor Kirstie. Terri had emailed me two weeks before. She was buying my Princess Power series for her niece's 8th birthday but hadn't been able to find a copy of Book #2. I had written her back that I had copies and would be happy to sell her one and mail it. "It would be so much more fun to meet," she emailed back, "if you're not too busy, that is."

Too busy to meet with someone who loves to read as much as I do? Someone who wants to share my books with her young niece? No way! Now, if I was as popular as someone like...say... J.K. Rowling, I might have to be more protective of my time. But that's not the case, and is never likely to be. So we made arrangements to meet. Terri treated me to a chai tea latte (I'm one of those rare Land of Starbucks residents who doesn't like coffee), and she and I and Kirstie had a lovely conversation that ranged from writing and books to daughters abroad (Kirstie's daughter is traveling in Thailand right now, mine is living in Norway), to concerns about aging parents, to the technological wonders we've seen in the last 10-20 years. By the time Terri and Kirstie left, I felt like I'd not just connected with readers, but made two new friends.

Catching Up

2009-11-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

I only did ONE post last month. Pathetic! Must do better than that, though I don't think I'll ever be able to manage the nearly daily entries that some writers do. (Confession: I still keep a daily hand-written journal. However, trust me, you wouldn't want to read it. It's mostly boring, everyday stuff.) At any rate, I'll try to aim for one new blog entry per week in future.

Since my last post--over a month ago--I've been steadily logging in the writing hours on the contemporary middle grade novel I'm setting on the Oregon Coast. I'm maybe half to two-thirds of the way through a first draft. I gave myself a deadline to finish that first draft by Thanksgiving, but I've moved that out a bit because of revisions on the last book in Joan Holub's and my "Goddess Girl" series. (The first two books debut in April.) Still hope to finish a first draft of (tentatively-titled) "Just Olive" before Christmas though. We'll see.

In addition to my usual writing, my husband and I also spent a lovely week in the Palm Springs area house and pet sitting for my brother-in-law and his wife.

All for now!

P.S. Picture on this post is the book cover for Goddess Girls #3. Title of the book was "Aphrodite the Beautiful" originally, but that was too long to fit, so we shortened to "Aphrodite the Beauty." I like the new title better, anyway.

The Soothing Power of Music

2009-10-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

I can't listen to music when I write. I find it too distracting. For the same reason, I can't listen to music when I read, either. And because I do a lot of reading and writing, I sometimes go for long stretches of time without listening to music, except for snatches I hear on the radio when I'm driving around doing errands. So, it was a special pleasure last night to attend the Auburn Symphony concert at the Auburn H.S. Performing Arts Center.

If you live in the south King County area of Washington State and enjoy classical music, you'll want to check out the Auburn Symphony. This professional orchestra is composed mainly of musicians from the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra. In the interest of full disclosure, I will state here that my husband is the principal trombonist for both groups. I get no kickbacks from ticket sales (and neither does my husband), so I make this recommendation only from good will.

Last night's concert included a wonderful trumpet concerto featuring Jerry Oram (principal trumpet for A. S. and the PNB Orchestra), The Comedians Suite by Kabalevsky, and Dvorak's Symphony No. 8 in G Major.

The next opportunity to hear the orchestra: December 2 - 3 for Handel's Messiah.

Hope to see you there!

Getting from "Thinking About" to "Doing"

2009-09-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Recently I spent two lovely days at the Oregon coast. My mom came with me. We stayed with a friend of hers whom I've know all my life. I'd asked Lois if Mom and I could come visit because for several years I've been wanting to write a middle grade novel set in a small coastal town. Though vague ideas about the novel have been at the back of my mind for a long time, I couldn't seem to act on them.

To be fair, I've been plenty busy with series writing these last several years. But now that the writing for my current series is winding down, I decided a trip to the beach might be just the catalyst I needed to move forward. And I think it will be. During those two days, I interviewed Lois about "life in a small coastal town," and walked around town recording descriptions of sights and sounds into a small digital audio recorder. Lois also set up an interview for me with the daughter and twelve-year-old grand-daughter of a local friend of hers one evening. It was wonderful how eager everyone was to help. The information I collected during the interviews is sure to prove helpful, and I now have another motivation for getting to work on this book: the other people who know about it!

What helps you to bridge the gap between "thinking about" to "doing"?

Promoting New Books--Ideas anyone?

2009-09-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit it. Promotion is something I need to get better at. I love speaking at schools and conferences, and speaking engagements do help get the word out about new books. I sign on for a few (usually local) book store signings. On occasion I've sent copies of my new books to local reviewers. But I'm never really sure how effective these various efforts are. On the one hand, I worry that I should be doing more. On the other hand, I wonder if my time would be better spent on that next writing project instead.

Many of you are far more savvy and creative when it comes to promoting your books. What do you think are the best things you do to call attention to your newly-published books?

Falling into Fall

2009-09-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

How can it possibly be September already? Yet today's rain and the cooler evenings confirm that we're moving into fall. Though I no longer work as an elementary librarian--haven't in nearly ten years now--I still feel a bit unsettled when August rolls into September, like I'm not quite prepared for the new school year ahead. Time to sluff off that feeling, I think. But for those of you returning to teaching jobs, and for those of you who have children in school, or are in school yourselves, I want to wish you the very best in the year ahead.

Picture Book Fun

2009-08-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've done any picture book writing. In fact, my last picture book, Ten Naughty Little Monkeys, a takeoff on the familiar jump rope rhyme, was published three years ago. In the interim, I've been writing lots of series fiction, the latest being the series that Joan Holub and I are co-authoring. (Goddess Girls, April 2010). Anyway, with Book #3 (of 4) off to copy-editing, and Book #4 with our editor, I find I have time to consider my next project(s).

Instead of rushing into more series work right away, though I do have a few proposals making the rounds, I've decided to take some time to work on picture books. To prepare myself for the mental switch involved, I went to my local public library and asked the wonderful children's librarians to point me toward some of their favorite picture books published in the last few years. After reading them, I actually typed the stories out to get a "feel" again for picture books texts--the pacing, the dialogue, the characters, etc. I also took note of the word counts, which have gotten shorter and shorter over the years. Then I went through my files and pulled out a couple of stories I'd written a few years ago. These were stories that never sold, but that I still liked.

Yesterday I revised one of these stories. At 1200 words, it was way too long, I realized. I cut the length by a third, tightening the story, and creating more space for illustrations as well. It was fun to work on the story again, and since it had been several years since I'd read it, it was also easier to see the flaws that needed correction. Time will tell whether my revised version will sell, but at least I had fun with the process!

A Word about Word Counts

2009-08-05T20:57:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I spoke on a panel at the Pacific NW Writer's Association conference about the basics of writing for children. Afterward, a woman came up to me. "I gather from what you said that my 40,000 word novel for ages 7 - 10 may be too long," she said. "Um, yes," I replied. But hers wasn't he longest story I'd heard about that morning. Another woman in the audience had written an 80,000 word manuscript "for ages 8 -12."

Yes, I know how long the Harry Potter books are. But they're the exception rather than the rule. It could also be argued that, as Harry grows older and the books become longer, they actually shift into the Young Adult category.

So what are the word counts most writers for the middle grades should aim for?

The finished page length of the seven books in the two series I've written for ages 7 - 10 ranged from 84 - 133 pages. That translates to a word count of approximately 7,500 - 12,000 words--a far cry from 40,000.

For ages 8 - 12, my books have ranged from a finished page length of 103 - 150 pages, a word count of approximately 11,000 to 18,000 words.

Hope this helps!

Goddess Girls dedication contest: Your name in our book!

2009-07-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Joan Holub and I are so excited about our new chapter book series, Goddess Girls,* and want to dedicate it to you--our readers! That's ages 8 to 12 and librarians, teachers, and book bloggers!

The series begins in Spring 2010 from Aladdin Paperbacks with:
Athena The Brain
and
Persephone the Phony.

*To find out more about the series, click on the series title link above and scroll down to "Books in Progress."

Here's how to enter:

Take the quiz below. Send an email to me at sw at suzanne-williams dot com or to joanholub at aol dot com and tell us which goddessgirl (or two) you’re most like. Don't forget to include your name (first and last). If you're chosen, you’ll be notified via email that your name will be in one of our Goddess Girl books! And you’ll receive a free copy of the book after it’s published. Names will be randomly chosen by September 15th. Good luck!!!

~ Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

Which Goddessgirl are You?

Your favorite color is:
a. Yellow when I’m happy, black when I’m not.
b. Dark pink, light pink, hot pink, bright pink. PINK!
c. Whatever. As long as it’s not red.
d. Yegods! Why should it matter what color I wear?

Your general outlook on life is:
a. Sunny, but sometimes your mood turns dark, and that’s okay with you.
b. Viewed through the prism of romance. You love to play matchmaker with your friends!
c. Life’s a contest, and you like to compete. You’re very athletic and you also like board games.
d. Intellectual. There’s just so much to learn, and you sop up knowledge like a sponge.

When it comes to boys:
a. You go for the guy who is different and off-beat, and maybe a bit mysterious.
b. Anyone cute catches your eye; you’re an equal-opportunity flirter.
c. Yuck! Who gives a rip about boys?
d. Sure, you notice them, but you’re much too busy with schoolwork and after school activities to concern yourself with boys.

What some people don’t know about you is that deep down:
a. You “dance to a different drummer,” not always liking the same things your friends like.
b. You sometimes worry that other people—especially boys— like you more for your looks than for your other many good qualities.
c. You don’t really dislike boys as much as you claim to.
d. You worry that you’re not as smart as others think you are.

Given an hour or two of free time, you’d rather spend it:
a. Wandering around in a lovely garden or park.
b. Experimenting with make-up and hairstyles.
c. Playing with a pet or doing anything active.
d. Reading a book.

Add up the number of A’s, B’s, C’s, and D’s. If you have more A’s, you’re most like Persephone, B’s, you’re most like Aphrodite, C’s, you’re most like Artemis, D’s, you’re most like Athena. Or you might be a half-and-half mix of two goddessgirls!

(Note: If you're chosen, we may ask you to have your parents send us an email that it's okay to include your name.)

Clearing the Clutter

2009-07-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

After watching our next-door neighbor move this week, and talking to our exhausted son and daughter-in-law, who just moved to a new condo, my husband and I have vowed to tackle our accumulated clutter--again. Several years ago, we went through the whole house, room by room, and bagged and boxed tons of stuff that we either donated to charity or dumped. But somehow we've managed to fill up our bookshelves and closets and desk drawers once more. I was able to cull two bags of clothes from my closet and dresser two days ago, and today I began on my office closet.

It's a slow process, this decluttering, and in some ways not unlike writing a book. Both tasks can seem overwhelming unless broken into smaller tasks: a chapter or a few pages at a time translating to a closet or a bookshelf at a time. The progress is its own reward.

My Quest for Coolness

2009-06-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

While vacationing with family in Rome at the end of May it became warm enough to wear my capris. My daughter and sisters, however, were appalled at my choice of acompanying footwear--a clunky, but comfortable pair of black athletic shoes and black anklets. "You can get by with those with long pants, but not capris and shorts, " they said. "Please wear your sandals, you're embarrassing us."

So I wore my sandals and wound up with blisters on both of my little toes.

I've been home a little over a week now, and yesterday afternoon I decided to search for more "hip" footwear. First, I bought eight new pairs of socks of the type my daughter and sisters specified, low-cut, with elastic around the ankles. Then I looked for a shoe with a slimmer design that my decidedly unhip orthopedic inserts would still fit into. I found success for a modest price at my local Big Five.

"So what do you think?" I asked my husband as I modeled the result. "Am I cool now?" (Why I asked him I don't know. His sense of fashion is even worse than mine.) He shrugged. "At our age, probably the best we can hope for is to be a little less uncool," he replied.

I nodded thoughtfully. "I can accept that." Fashion coolness may always be beyond my reach, but becoming a little less uncool, is an aspiration that just might be within my grasp.

Home Again After a Fabulous Trip

2009-06-20T14:11:00.001-07:00

I returned home on Tuesday after three fabulous weeks in Italy and Norway that included time spent in Rome and Florence, and an incredible road trip around southern Norway with astounding views of fjords and rocky snow-capped mountains, and a wonderful stay with the family of my daughter's boyfriend.

It was great traveling with family--my parents, two sisters, and my daughter were with me in Italy, and my husband flew out for the Norway portion of the trip. After catching up on email and clearing my desk, I'm finally getting back to work, but I have lots of photos to help me remember the good times.

Top picture: My husband Mark and I above Bergen in Norway.

Bottom picture: My daughter Emily and I in front of the Duomo in Florence, Italy.

Take a Look at my NEW WEBSITE

2009-05-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to wonderfully-talented web designer Dana Arnim (who is also a fellow SCBWIer) my new website is up and running as of today. I'm excited to unveil it, and I hope everyone reading this post will check it out. I also now have a link from my site to this blog.

On Tuesday I leave for a three-week trip to Europe--southern Italy and Norway. (My daughter Emily lives in Oslo.) I won't have my laptop with me while I'm gone. I'm going to try to unhook from technology AND writing for a while, and just enjoy the sights and some R & R. I'll post again after my return.

Ciao!

Happy Mother's Day to All of Us Mothers

2009-05-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter Emily celebrated her 23rd birthday on Thursday, only three days shy of Mother's Day this year. Somehow, that seems appropriate. After all, her birth made me a (second-time) mother.

My firstborn, my son Ward, turned 26 on April 15th--Tax Day. Somehow, that seems appropriate too, given the expense of raising children. But no matter the cost, I wouldn't for the world have missed out on the opportunity to be their mother. I'm guessing that those of you who also have children feel the same way about yours. And for those of you whose children are still young and at home I can tell you that your children will always be your children.

No matter how old they get, you will still worry about them (with or without cause), and rejoice in their happiness and their successes. Even as adults they will continue to be your favorite topic of conversation with relatives and friends--at least, I presume, until the grandchildren come along...

"Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing." ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987

Retail Therapy

2009-05-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

First let me say that I am not a compulsive shopper. Far from it. In fact, most times I'd rather tackle a disagreeable task like cleaning out my file cabinet than go shopping. But for the last few days, I've been thinking I'd like a new spring rain jacket to take on my trip to Europe at the end of the month. What tipped the balance today, and sent me out the door in search of the perfect jacket, was a densely-packed email from co-writer Joan Holub, filled with suggestions/ideas for changes in the book we're currently working on. Don't get me wrong, they were excellent suggestions, but the thought of all that work ahead suddenly made me feel tired. To perk myself up, I headed for the nearest REI.

The first jackets I looked at weren't quite right. Some didn't come with a hood. Others came with a hood, but no inside pocket. A few had both a hood and an inside pocket, but I didn't like the feel of the fabric. With the help of two wonderful store assistants, however, I finally found just the jacket I wanted. It has a zip-off hood, zippered inner and outer pockets, and a soft inner lining. Plus, it's waterproof, windproof, breathable and--as an added bonus--a good color for me.

I happily made my purchase, and drove on home. Then I called Joan to thank her for her email. I'll wait until tomorrow to start on a rewrite. That way the ideas she sent can roll around in my brain for a bit. Right now our current manuscript is a lot like those first jackets I looked at. It has some of the things we want, but not all. But I'm confident that, with another draft or two, we'll have just the story we want--with all the features we'd hoped for.

The Fun of Foreign Translations

2009-05-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

I love it when a book of mine gets translated into another language. I usually get 3 - 5 complimentary copies of the translated book after the foreign edition comes out. It's fun to see my words transformed, even when I can't read the language. And since the artwork for chapter book/middle grade novels is usually redone, it's a treat to see how my characters are changed to "fit" a country's culture.

Titles are often changed too. The book covers at left are for the German and Japanese editions of the first book in my Princess Power series: The Perfectly Proper Prince. In German, the title translates approximately as The Enchanted Princesses and the Speaking Frog. I love that the dresses the princesses are wearing look like dirndls.

The Japanese series title is The Princess Club, which, coincidentally, was my original title for the series until HarperCollins decided to change it because they already had a series called The Tiara Club. (They thought Princess Club was too close in name.) The Japanese cover and interior illustrations are done in the style of anime and are very detailed. Of all three editions, including the American one, they're actually my favorite.

My parents' 60th wedding anniversary

2009-04-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

My parents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary a little over a month ago, on March 20th. That's quite an achievement I think, and I'm very proud of them. They've stuck it out through good times and bad--but mostly good, as far as I know!

I see their long-standing relationship as a good role model for me, and I hope to follow in their footsteps. My husband Mark and I still have a way to go to hit the 60 year mark, but already we're more than halfway there.

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."
--Mignon McLaughlin
(alas, I have no idea who this person is, but I assume he's not a steak)

Spring Fever

2009-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

My husband and I just got back from four days in the Palm Springs area, visiting my husband's brother and my sister-in-law. It was nice to get out of the rain and cold in Seattle, though today it's supposed to be mid-sixties, and tomorrow may even reach into the seventies. Roll on, spring! Whenever the weather turns nice for a couple of days, it's easy to be lulled into thinking it will continue that way. But this year, I resolve not to be fooled! I will take advantage of those sunny April/May days and get outside to enjoy them before the showers start in again.

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~Mark Twain

Making Lemonade

2009-04-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

Today I'm making lemonade. No, not the kind you drink--the kind you make when life throws you a few lemons. I put my back out yesterday (the lemons), so I'm pretty much confined to the living room couch right now with an ice pack and ibubrofen--and my laptop. Here's my recipe for today's lemonade:

Take 1 day off. (Repeat as necessary.)
Add 2 parts sunshine. (It's a beautiful spring day and I CAN sit outside for short periods of time.)
Mix in a half-dozen overdue responses to emails and a Facebook message or two.
Sprinkle in some time to read, and journal, and blog.

Stir slowly. Enjoy!

Lemonade Days have taught me to slow down, and to appreciate the good things and people in my life even more. (Thanks for the sympathy phone call, Leslie, and for the on-line good wishes from Helen and Paula and others. Thanks to my husband Mark for fetching and carrying, and putting up with the occassional self-pitying whine.)

Lemonade Days have also taught me that adjusting my plans is not really as difficult as I might imagine. I had to miss my regular writing group meeting today, but one missed meeting is not a tragedy. The speech I was supposed to give to a UW children's writing class tomorrow can be postponed until May, thanks to instructor Brenda Guiberson's flexibility. I was looking forward to going to the SCBWI-Washington meeting Wednesday night. Besides wanting to hear the presentations, I had planned to meet up with my name-double, author Suzanne Morgan Williams, who will be visiting from Reno, Nevada. I'll have to give that a miss too, but I was still able to order her new novel, Bull Rider, so she can sign a copy for me at the meeting. Exercising at the gym and walking my dog will also have to wait.

But I plan to enjoy my Lemonade Day (or days). And before long I know I'll be back on my feet again--literally and figuratively. I wish you all the best on your Lemonade Days too!

What's Magic About Writing?

2009-03-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

When I was thinking of subtitles for my blog, "The Magic of Writing and More" just seemed like a good idea--mostly because in the last couple of years I've been writing so many princess and fairy books. But let me confess that when I'm drafting a story, writing often feels more like hard work than magic, and getting to the end of a story can be a cold, hard slog.

The author Gore Vidal once said, "I never reread a text until I have finished the first draft. Otherwise it's too discouraging." I'm of the same opinion. Forward movement has always seemed a good thing to me in first draft writing. Though I do a fair amount of rewriting as I go along, I try not to get caught up in improving my prose too much in a first draft.

Instead, my usual modus operandi is to reread the last paragraph or two I wrote the day before, then go on from there. If I realize while drafting chapter 8, that I should’ve foreshadowed an event in chapter 4 or 5, I may go back and add that part to the story, otherwise, I just make a note about what needs to be changed or added on a piece of paper labeled “Notes for Draft #2” and go on with the story.

So where does the magic come in--especially in a first draft? For me, it's in those rare moments when a clever line of dialogue or description pops into my head. Sometimes those lines later have to be edited out (we writers hate that, and sometimes refer to it as "killing our babies"), but often those lines survive successive drafts intact, or with just a bit of tweaking. And even when the writing comes slowly, and in fits and starts, there's a certain magic in simply seeing the pages accumulate. And when those pages have been sprinkled with the fairy dust of successive drafts, helped along by many fairy godmothers and godfathers (my agent, my writing group, my editor and a whole publishing staff, and an illustrator), voila! A book! What could be more magic than that?

My Hawaiian Family (Not!)

2009-03-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

I love this family photo. It makes me laugh. Only my mother and youngest sister Nancy actually traveled to Hawaii when I was young. They were invited along when my grandmother went on vacation to Maui in the mid-sixties. The photo was taken after their return home, against a bamboo screen in our backyard. I don't know why I'm the only child smiling. My brother looks like he's in pain, and my sister Becky looks like she's doing a good imitation of Christina Ricci in her role as Wednesday in The Addams Family Movie. Perhaps she's glowering because she didn't get a cool (fake) grass skirt like the one I'm wearing. I loved that grass skirt. I wonder what happened to it. It probably disappeared to the same place as those wonderful glasses my mom is wearing. Ah, memories...

Old Family Photos

2009-03-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

My sister Becky recently finished scanning 2000 of our parents' old slides and photos. I hadn't seen the slides in a hundred years (only a slight exaggeration). Even after my brother and sisters and I were grown up and no longer living at home, my dad still carried around in his wallet a copy of the b & w photo I've posted with this entry. (I'm the one in pigtails.) We used to tease him about that old photo, till finally one holiday when we were all together, we decided to make him a more up-to-date replacement picture. As you can see, we kept the pose the same. My sister Nancy had a little more trouble fitting on my brother Dave's lap, however.

I was always a redhead, btw. But I can see from the picture of me on my first birthday, that my hair isn't quite as red as it used to be. There's a fair number of gray and silver threads in it now that never used to be there too. That's life.

Mmm, that birthday cake looks good, doesn't it?

Happy Dr. Seuss Day/Week

2009-03-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

It's become something of a tradition at many schools to invite an author to speak during Dr. Suess's birthday week in March. I think anything that highlights and celebrates the fun and importance of reading and writing is a lovely tradition, and I had a great time speaking at two elementary schools last week. The students and staff at A.G. Bell in Kirkland and Panther Lake in Kent were wonderfully attentive and enthusiastic. They made me feel like "Queen for a Day." (Now if that reference doesn't date me, I don't know what else would!)

When I worked as an elementary school librarian, it was easy to get my "kid fix." But I've been writing fulltime for the past nine years. I miss teaching and interacting with children, so school visits are a treat. I enjoy all the grade levels. It was exciting to see what great ideas the third and fourth graders at Panther Lake came up with during my "Show, Don't Tell" workshops. The primary graders at both schools were adorable and had great questions. And because the intermediate students were so mature, I could share much about my writing process and the ins and outs of becoming published.

I love it when students come up to me after a presentation and tell me about the stories they are working on. When that happens I think to myself, perhaps this child could be the next Dr. Suess in the making!

A puzzling story

2009-02-25T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm revising a story for an editor right now. The process is never as straight-forward or as easy as I'd like it to be. Every time I make one change--to the plot, or to a character--it results in a whole host of related changes that have to be made.

It's like my story is a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece has to fit with all of the other pieces. So when I change the shape of even one piece, it doesn't quite fit with the other pieces anymore and I have to reshape several other pieces to make everything fit together again. Frustrating at times, but ultimately satisfying when the new puzzle is solved.