Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Welcome to a New Year of GROGGING!

by Sue Heavenrich and Patricia Toht

Welcome back to the GROG Blog! I hope you have brand new notebooks and your pencils have been sharpened... A question at the back?

Yes, as you have noticed we have switched to Wednesdays. You'll get the same wonderful information and support for your writing as in the past - but in the middle of the week. Can't think of a better way to celebrate half-way-to-Friday, can you?


 January seems like a natural start to new literary beginnings, whether it's a new story or heading off on idea-collecting expeditions. And I'm not the only one - there's a whole bunch of people who brainstorm story ideas at this time of year. We gather at our digital water cooler over at StoryStorm, where we share insights on the art and craft of writing. (Registration is open through January 9th).  By the end of the month we've got 30 (or more) ideas so we can hit the ground running in February and work on getting the stories onto the page. If you need help finding ideas, check out Stalking the Wild Ideas from last year. Then pull on your woolly socks, grab a cuppa, and start scribbling.

In addition to changing our posts to Wednesdays, we have a brand new writer joining our ranks: Eileen Rajala Meyer. Let's give Eileen a warm and GROGgy welcome!

Eileen has authored three picture books and has contributed poetry to anthologies and children's magazines. Patricia Toht popped by for a quick New Year's chat with Eileen.

PT: Welcome, Eileen! We're so glad to have you here!

EM: Thanks, Patty! Joining a group blog seems like so much FUN, and I've long admired friends who actively blog and create online resources for writers.
Recently, my husband and I made a big move (literally). After spending many, many years in the Midwest, we've decided to also spend part of the year working and living in North Florida. I love my new town and friendly neighbors, but find that I miss my circle of KidLit friends. By joining the GROG, I'm hoping to better connect with writers and illustrators online, so that my KidLit community is with me wherever I go.

PT: My New Year's resolutions always seem to be to complete last year's resolutions. Do you make resolutions? 


EM: I love lists, and I love goal-setting, so New Year's resolutions are right in my wheel-house! 

Actually, joining the GROG helps me check off one resolution right away - to get more involved in the online KidLit community. Hooray! I look forward to connecting with my fellow GROGgers, interviewing authors and illustrators, and seeing what our readers have to say.

A second item on my list is to be more consistent with morning walks. When I'm in Florida, I usually spend an hour walking at sunrise, and this quiet time allows me to accomplish a few different things. First, I begin my day with exercise -- always a good thing for those of us who sit at a desk for much of our day. I also have time to give thanks for the day stretching before me; this "attitude of gratitude" helps me begin the day in the right frame of mind. And, finally, I use the time to mull over current writing projects and sort out options. Often I'll come up with a new approach to a stumbling block. And getting up early is worth it to experience this magical scene!

PT: So, anything special on the horizon for you? 


EM: I'm delighted to share that I've sold a picture book, THE SUPERLATIVE A. LINCOLN: POEMS ABOUT OUR 16TH PRESIDENT, to Charlesbridge Publishing. It will be released in late 2019. 

This project initially received rejections from agents that I queried. I heard: "Poetry is difficult to sell. We love this content -- would you rewrite it in prose?" I held out hope that the poems would eventually find the right home. The manuscript went on to win the Most Promising Picture Book Award at the 2015 SCBWI Summer Conference in LA. The award led to finding my agent Deborah Warren at East West Literary Agency. She submitted the work to publishers where she saw the best fit, and it connected. I'm very excited to work with the amazing folks at Charlesbridge!

PT: Well, we are so lucky to have you join us, Eileen, and can't wait to follow your explorations in GROG land!

Readers, if you think that Eileen looks familiar, it's because she has stopped by the GROG before. Check out these posts in May 2015 and February 2016. You can learn more about her on our "Meet the GROG authors" page, and over at her website. Check out her picture books, too:








HAPPY NEW YEAR, readers!

22 comments:

  1. Welcome, Eileen! Nice to learn more about you. Congrats on your most recent sale to Charlesbridge.

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    1. Thanks, Tina. Happy to be on board with this great group. Have really enjoyed your posts!

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  2. A warm GROG howdy, Eileen. Glad you're here w/us.I love the idea of a Lincoln poetry book. Charlesbridge is one of my fave publishers.

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    1. Thanks, Kathy. So happy to be here. And yes - can't wait for the Lincoln poems to find their way into young readers' hands (and hearts, I hope!) Huge fan of Charlesbridge!

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  3. "How---dee! (Minnie Pearl voice) a big welcome to you and big congrats on you past, present and future successes!

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    1. Thank you, Sherri. Same to you - may 2018 be a year of great inpsiration for all of us! Butt in chair :)

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  4. What a treat to read this morning! Thank you, Pat and Sue, for a sparkling interview. Welcome, Eileen :)

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    1. Thank you, Charlotte. I love Sue's ideas for the new year - yay! Wishing you much writing success!

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  5. Greetings to you, Eileen. Together our GROG readers and myself welcome you. Wishing you continued success with your writing and publishing. I look forward to reading poems about a beloved president, Abraham Lincoln.

    Thank you, Patty & Sue for introducing Eileen, our new GROGger.
    Suzy Leopold

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    1. Thank you, Suzy! So happy to be on board. Can't wait for you to read the Lincoln poems - such an amazing hero. He was one of a kind!

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  6. Hi Eileen,
    So glad you are here at the Grog. Congrats on your new book. Can hardly wait to read it.

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    1. Thank you for the kind welcome, Janie! Excited to work on new projects this year - and Sue's links to StoryStorm and more should get us going . . . yay!

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  7. a HUGE Thank You to Pat for doing this wonderful interview with Eileen!

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    1. I second that, thank you to Patty Toht for the Q & A! Hooray - my new year is off to a perfect start. And many thanks to Sue who keeps us all on-task and GROGging!

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  8. So happy to welcome Eileen to the GROG!

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    1. Thank you, Patty! Excited to be here and join this wonderful group of bloggers. And most importantly - can't wait to hear from our readers and see what they have to say about a variety of topics. Yay!

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  9. Welcome Eileen! I just want to say your Sweet Dreams book is one of my all time favorites.

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    1. Happy New Year, Angela! Wow - your comment about my Sweet Dreams book just made my day :) Thank YOU! See, I already love making new pals on this blog . . . YAY! Best wishes for the new year!

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  10. I look forward to your contributions here, Eileen.

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    1. Hi there, David! Excited to join this great group of bloggers - first up, an interview with a MG author pal from Illinois. Stay tuned for February!

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  11. Your energy, creativity & talent precedes you with your previous visits, Eileen. Welcome back!
    Kudos on the poetry p.b. forthcoming. My mother often read out loud the ballad about the death of President Lincoln. Our family is huge on A. Lincoln. So glad your wintertime shore is Florida (there are great kids' writers in AL, MISS, LA & TX shores)
    If you can manage a Tallahassee trip, please be in touch jgaoffice (at" gmail (dot) com
    Sue thanks for the intro & Patty, appreciations for the great interview.

    HNY 2018 to all,
    Jan Annino

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