Halloween is Here! That Means It's Time For NaNoWriMo!

Happy Halloween!

It's hard to believe that it's the end of October already. For me the end of this month not only means Halloween-a night surely made up by candy craving children with no care for teeth health- but it also means the beginning of a very busy month for me.

November 1st is the start of NaNoWriMo. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I before last month. It is National Novel Writing Month. It is a competition to write 50,000 words or more of a novel in 1 month. Sounds crazy? I think so, but it also sounds like a challenge worth attempting.

There are many reasons for writers to join NaNoWriMo. Here are a few of mine.

• I have been sitting on an idea for a new story for a while and this challenge gives me the motivation to get it down on paper.
• Writing 50,000 words in 1 month means I need to do 1,667 per day to complete. I hope that doing this will help me form a strict writing schedule that will stick after the competition.

Any of you interested in braving NaNoWriMo with me? If so, let me know and I will add you as a buddy. There is a lot of support among writers and I think it will be as much fun as it is a challenge. The rules are not strict, just guidelines for the most part. So don't be intimidated.

If 50,000 words for 1 novel sounds like too much, many people are splitting their writing into 2 smaller novellas.

Are you a writer of YA (Young Adult) chapter books? There is an additional contest being held during NanoWriMo for you! YA literary agent Regina Brooks, along with editors at Sourcebooks will be accepting submissions of your first 250 words of a YA novel.

Regina Brooks and editors will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Dan Ehrenhaft, head Acquisitions Editor at Sourcebooks Fire; Alisha Niehaus, Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin); David Linker, Executive Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books; Michele Burke, Editor at Knopf Books for Young Readers (Random House); and Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to four winners and a grand prize winner—all five will be provided commentary on their submissions.

Follow this link for more information about this YA Novel Contest and good luck if you enter.

As always, thanks for taking time to stop by. I will do my best to respond to all comments.

~ Kristin :)

Casey and Bella Go Green by Jane Lovascio & Autumn Varca

I have talked about these cute pups a lot. They are two of my daughter's favorite characters. She loves the books and was able to meet the real Casey and Bella, along with Jane Lovascio at this year's BEA09 in New York City. That's not the only reason I love sharing these books with everyone. This series and yearly writing contests that author Jane Lovascio offers to children also makes them conversation worthy. If you missed my previous reviews and contest news you can find them through the following links.

Casey and Bella reviews

Casey and Bella Writing Contest

Casey and Bella are at it again! This time their adventures are even more special because this is the first book to come out of the Casey and Bella Writing Contest. That's right, this book was co-authored by 10 year old, Autumn Varca. Jane not only welcomed Autumn's help in this book, but she also included her original contest entry in the back of the book. I can imagine how exciting this is for her. Congratulations Autumn and Jane!

Now to the book.

The playful pups find a new adventure and new friends in Casey and Bella Go Green. They meet an environment friendly mouse named Melvin. While helping him take out the trash they run into a group of animals who all belong to a group called KONC, which stands for Keep Our Neighborhoods Clean. Co-author Autumn introduces readers to her own pets. Spaz, her tabby cat, and her boxer Rocky are members of KONC. The group takes Casey and Bella to a recycling center to show how glass, plastic and paper is recycled and how it benefits the earth and all of us.

Casey and Bella Go Green is a great story to introduce recycling to children and it lists different ways to conserve energy and water. It sends the message that even the small things each person does can help to make the future brighter and cleaner for everyone.

As always, Jane takes her role in the communtiy seriously and dedicates this book to Autism Speaks. For more information about the books, Jane Lovascio or the Casey and Bella Writing Contest go to http://www.caseyandbella.com/ .

The Casey and Bella Writing contest is open to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students and ends April 15, 2010. I have encouraged the librarian at my children's school to bring this creative contest to the whole school. It's a fun way to get kids actively involved in reading and writing.

I would love to know if you decide to have your children or school enter.

Thanks for stopping by,

~ Kristin : )

A Contest For Kids! Winner gets to co-author next Casey and Bella book!

That's right, Casey and Bella are back! And this time author Jane Lovascio had help. A fourth grader named Autumn, is the proud co-author of Casey and Bella Go Green. How? She entered the Casey and Bella Writing Contest!

It's contest time again! All children in grades 3, 4, and 5 are able to enter. This is a great way to get our kid's creative juices flowing after a long summer.

Want to know more? Here are the basic rules:

Contest begins September 1, 2009 and ends April 15, 2010..

The 10 Finalists will be announced on May 15, 2010, and notified by phone and e-mail. Winners will be selected and notified beginning June 15, 2010. Finalists and winners will also be announced on http://www.cuddlybooks.com/.

The Casey and BellaTM Story contest was created to foster creativity in 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Therefore, entries will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Creativity and originality of title and adventure.
2. Creativity and originality of the 3 new characters introduced in the story.
3. The moral or lessons learned in the story.

Questions as a guide

• Where, when, or how do Casey and Bella travel?
• Whom do they meet on their journey?
• What lessons do they learn?

*Casey and Bella must be the main characters in the story.

• No rhyming.
• Describe your idea in 1000 words or less.
• Full page format or page breaks accepted.
• All entries must be the fully original creations of the entrants.

For complete rules and an Casey and Bella Writing Contest entry form please go to:

http://www.cuddlybooks.com/index.php?pr=Contest

My daughter and I had the pleasure of meeting Jane Lovascio, Casey, and Bella ( yes, they are real, adorable pups) at BEA in New York City. We loved her two previous books, Casey and Bella Go to Hollywood and Casey and Bella Go to New York. For my reviews follow this link:

( http://www.blogger.com/Casey%20&%20Bella%20Reviews )

So of course we are excited to read about their newest adventure. My daughter is already thinking up her own ideas for the contest. We are also getting my niece into it. Share this with a child you know.

Good Luck to all of the kids entering!

~Kristin : )