Writing Tips and the 72nd Kid Lit Blog Hop

Carpinello's Writing Pages is back this Hop with more tips from the Children's, Middle Grade, and Young Adult writers I've interviewed. These are from April and May, 2015. Feel free to leave your own tip in the comments.

Learn your craft. Read in your genre...Shannon L. Brown, author of MG mystery The Feather Chase.

Listen to the feedback from others on how to improve your writing but don’t let anyone discourage you from following your dream to publish! Write what you love and never give up! This is a tough business and most of us are in it because we simply must write. Get involved in supportive writing communities; they are invaluable!...Dr. Tara Fairfield, YA author of When My Lion Calls, Book 1 of The River of Truth series.

I don’t feel qualified to advise anyone right now (see above!) except to say, “Make sure your current book is the very best you can do, with excellent plotting, characters, writing, editing, cover art, and blurbs. Then send it out with confidence and get on with the next one”...Gloria Repp, children's author of Pippin the Small, part of the Tales of Friendship Bog series.

There’s nothing wrong with “traditional” or “self” publishing paths. They’re just different. Do the research and find which one works best for you and your needs. Write because you love to do it. Publish because you want to share stories. Support others where and when you can...Julie Gilbert, YA author of Ashlynn's Dreams, one of the Devya's Children books.

At this point I’m mostly trying to get advice and don’t feel all that qualified to give it, but I guess I would say, just enjoy the writing process! Write because you love it and want to share it with others! That way you will be excited about each new project. If even one person out there reads your books and appreciates what you’ve done, it is worth it. Share your gift...Sharon Skretting, MG author of The Jewel of Peru from The Ultimate Treasure Quest.

And Now,

Welcome to the 72nd Kid Lit Blog Hop. This exciting Hop, now monthly, is where we develop an engaged group of people who love everything that has to do with children's literature.
 

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews
MG fantasy author
Matthew David Brough

and

YA/New Adult author
Tricia Copeland

Remember, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

Simply make a post and add it to the linky. (Please make sure to add your direct post only) 
Once you are done, then hop around to visit others. Please visit at least the two people above your link. Please leave a comment when you do visit, we all like those.

Also, it would be appreciated if you grab the Kid Lit Blog Hop Badge and display it on your blog and/or your post.

Our next Hop will be March 16, 2016.

Happy Hopping!

Co-Hosts:

Reading Authors, Hostess

Julie Grasso, Author

Cheryl Carpinello, Author

BeachBoundBooks

Pragmatic Mom

The Logonauts

A Book Long Enough

Hits and Misses

 Spark and Pook

 

 

Meet MG Author Sharon Skretting

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes Sharon Skretting, author of The Ultimate Treasure Quest series. Sharon is also a fellow educator.

First, a bit about Sharon:

Sharon Skretting is the author of The Ultimate Treasure Quest I: The Jewel of Peru and the founder of Quest Teaching. She has been teaching elementary school for twenty years and lives with her husband and a cat named Scat! Now that her three children have grown, she is spreading her wings into the realm of professional writing. Being able to use her love of writing to excite her students about learning is a dream come true for Sharon. Her goal is to write fast-paced, excellent literature —filled with interesting characters, intrigue, danger, and intricate plots—that will hook readers  aged 9 – 99 and make them want to read more!

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade readers?

They say that necessity breeds ingenuity. There is truth in that. I was terribly bored when the whole idea of teaching the curriculum through the narrative hit me. As the drone of the “professional development” presenter faded into the background of my thoughts, I started to wish that I had chosen a different session. Suddenly, I realized that I often do the same thing to my students. I bore them. If I wanted to learn from this session, then I needed it to be relevant, engaging, and connected to my teaching practice. That got me thinking: what if this presenter were presenting me with the same information, but it was presented through a story.  Then I would be interested. Suddenly, there it was; the entire concept for Quest Teaching. What if…I  could craft a story that would connect many curriculum concepts throughout the narrative, for my students?

What types of books do you like to read?

I like a real variety of books. Thrillers, true-life stories, and historical fiction rank high with me, but I love fantasy, too! Basically, I am pretty eclectic in my reading tastes. Any book that makes me think about things in a new way will be a hit with me!

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I enjoy a lot of things. In the summer I golf, and in the winter I curl. During the day I’m a teacher so most of my writing is done in the evening hours or during vacation time. I also like blogging, building my website, and adding cool teaching resources to it that might help other teachers. The artwork is all mine, too, with the exception of the characters of Black Stan and Alistair. I created my own log, the chest, the coins, and all the other characters. Such fun. I love creating!

Tell us about The Ultimate Treasure Quest I: The Jewel of Peru and how the story came to be.

Look up the name Faramund and you will find that it means “journey.” That’s how I got the name of my young main character for The Ultimate Treasure Quest I: The Jewel of Peru. It suited my idea of leading my students on a journey of learning as they were lost in a story. I wanted a young character to lead readers on an incredible journey of intrigue, mystery, danger, and adventure. Though fictional, his character has many of the same qualities, fears, and traits that many twelve-year-old boys would have. The name suits him perfectly as the story opens with him finding out that his parents and ship crew have vanished! While searching the ship for clues as to their whereabouts, he finds an enchanted treasure chest that “chooses him as its captain” and  leads him on a journey to find them and the Ultimate Treasure! As Christopher sets sail as the captain on his father’s ship, the Discovery, he  and his crew of  orphaned stowaways must face their fears and venture into the unknown.  Who knows where they will end up, but I’m sure they will learn a lot along the way!

Here's a peek at The Jewel of Peru:

Their ship is here, but the crew and his parents are gone! What happened to them? The Jewel of Peru is a magical adventure through time, taking young Captain Christopher and his loyal crew of orphaned stowaways on a perilous quest in search of Christopher’s missing parents. 

After his father’s ship is found abandoned at sea, Christopher makes an unexpected discovery on board—The Ultimate Treasure Chest! Inside is a message that beckons him to set sail after the treasure and his parents. When a savage pirate and a corrupt businessman join forces to steal the treasure for themselves, the gang gets caught up in pirate chases, time travel, and an underground network of spies. Will Christopher find the Jewel and his parents or will all be lost forever?


What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I’m working on the sequel to The Jewel of Peru now and hope to have it released later this year. Everybody has been asking for it and I have to get it out there! I’ve also worked on a couple of shorter books that I might put out next year.

What advice do you have for other authors?

At this point I’m mostly trying to get advice and don’t feel all that qualified to give it, but I guess I would say, just enjoy the writing process! Write because you love it and want to share it with others! That way you will be excited about each new project. If even one person out there reads your books and appreciates what you’ve done, it is worth it. Share your gift.

Anything else you want readers to know?

The reason I write is to give them a great experience reading so I would love to hear from them on my website.  Just come and leave me a comment or drop me an email using the gold envelope at the top! I promise I will reply! http://questteaching.com/wordpress/


Where can readers find you and your books?

Here’s my amazon author page: Sharon's Amazon Author Page

Children's Book Week Giveaway and the 59th Kid Lit Blog Hop

Children's Book Week Kindle Fire (Kids Edition) Giveaway

If you haven't entered yet, be sure to check out the Children's Book Week Kindle Fire, Kids Edition Tablet giveaway hosted by Mother Daughter Book Reviews where you can enter to win a brand new Kindle Fire HD 7", Kids Edition tablet + a $50 Amazon gift card to buy some new books (can substitute a $200 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash).  This giveaway is open worldwide and ends May 31, 2015.  No purchase necessary. Just click the image below to take you there.

 

And now,

 

Welcome to the 59th Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists. 

 

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews

YA author Julie Gilbert 

and

author Sharon Skretting

 

You are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors!

This week, we are excited to be including a Pinterest Linky Party to be held in conjunction with the Kid Lit Blog Hop. These linky parties are designed to give you the opportunity to connect with and grow your network of fellow kid lit bloggers, authors, and parents through your various social media platforms.

 

Hostesses:

Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

Stacking Books

BeachBoundBooks

Pragmatic Mom

Music Teaching and Parenting

Reading Authors

The Logonauts

A Book Long Enough

Spark and Pook

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

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Kid Lit Blog Hop & Linky Party Rules *Please Read*

1. LINKY PARTY: Add the link to your Pinterest profile page in the Pinterest Linky Party list below. Be sure to visit at least the two links directly before yours, say hello and repin something that catches your eye and follow folks as per your interests. If you do not have a Pinterest profile, you are welcome to link up a different social media profile (Twitter, Facebook, etc.).

2. KID LIT BLOG HOP: Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.

* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*

* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *

* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*

* Feel free to link more than one post.*

3. KID LIT BLOG HOP: Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you!

4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links!

5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!

Happy Hopping!

PINTEREST LINKY PARTY

(***Please do not link a blog post here - see below for the Kid Lit Blog Hop***)

KID LIT BLOG HOP

The Jewel of Peru Book Blast

About the Book

Title: The Ultimate Treasure Quest I: The Jewel of Peru
Author: Sharon Skretting 
Publication Date: September 20, 2014 
Publisher: Independent 
Pages: 317 
Recommended Ages: 8+ 

Summary: The Jewel of Peru is a magical adventure through time, taking young Captain Christopher and his loyal crew of orphaned stowaways on a perilous quest in search of Christopher's missing parents. After his father's ship is found abandoned at sea, Christopher makes an unexpected discovery on board—The Ultimate Treasure Chest! Inside is a message that beckons him to set sail after the treasure and his parents. When a savage pirate and a corrupt businessman join forces to steal the treasure for themselves, the gang gets caught up in pirate chases, time travel, and an underground network of spies. Will Christopher find the Jewel and his parents, or will all be lost for ever?

* You can purchase an e-copy of "The Jewel of Peru" for only 99 cents from Amazon for the duration of the blast, so grab your copy now! *

Amazon | Teachers Pay Teachers | Goodreads

 

The Buzz

"Jewel of Peru took me on an adventure from page one. Sharon Skretting has captured Peru and deftly woven elements of the culture and geography into a fast-paced treasure hunt. It was well written, entertaining and introduced me to new ideas. I loved making little discoveries along the way about the people and places. I found some of the features of Peru so interesting, I looked them up the Internet and was delighted to find things just as she described. Fact and fantasy blend seamlessly in this delightful tale." ~ Sara Marschand, Quiethouse Copy Editing

"Engaging and meaningful, the author does an excellent job crafting this story. I don’t usually read middle school novels but made an exception for this one and will be passing it on to all the children in my life." ~ 5 Star Review, Love Reading, Amazon

"The Jewel of Peru is a wonderful piece of educational fiction that blends fact and fantasy to create a literary journey that is both informative and exciting for young readers... It's every bit as much of a page turner as it is a learning experience..." ~ 5 Star Review, Kelley, Amazon

"Sharon Skretting has captured Peru and deftly woven elements of the culture and geography into a fast-paced treasure hunt. It was well written, entertaining and introduced me to new ideas... Fact and fantasy blend seamlessly in this delightful tale." ~ 5 Star Review, Sara M., Amazon

 

About the Author: Sharon Skretting

Sharon Skretting is the author of The Ultimate Treasure Quest I: The Jewel of Peru, and the founder of Quest Teaching. She has been teaching elementary school for twenty years and lives with her husband and a cat, named Scat! Now that her three children have grown, she is spreading her wings into the realm of professional writing. Being able to use her love of writing to excite her students about learning is a dream come true for Sharon. Her goal is to write fast paced, excellent literature —filled with interesting characters, intrigue, danger and intricate plots—that will hook readers aged nine to ninety nine and make them want to read more! * Teacher support materials to go along with the novel can be purchased at Teachers Pay Teachers *

Website | Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

* $25 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner's choice) Contest ends: December 25, 11:59 pm, 2014 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Sharon Skretting and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway