Channah's Star

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By Janie Reinart


Lift a mug of hot chocolate for the merry, not naughty but nice, Susanna Leonard Hill.

It's time for the 7th Annual Holiday Contest.

1.Write a 250 word holiday story about A Holiday Surprise, appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under). The title is not included in the 250 words. You can go under, but not over the word count!


2. No illustration notes please! You may submit more than one entry. 

3.Your entry should be posted on your blog between 12:01 AM EST Thursday December 7 and Sunday December 10 at 11:59 PM EST, and your post-specific link should be added to the link list on the official holiday contest post which will go up on Susanna's blog on Thursday December 7 and remain up through Friday December 15, 2017.  

Thank you, Susanna for always inviting us to to be merry and for the gifts for the winners! Here is my 249 word story for the contest. Thank you for stopping by. Many blessings for a Happy Holiday.
 

 Channah's Star

By Janie Reinart 

I am Channah, the innkeeper’s daughter. Balancing a jar on my head, I hasten to bring water to our many guests.

My feet kick up puffs of dirt. I place clay lamps in every niche around the outer wall. Don’t tell. I’m afraid of the dark.

         Someone is knocking.

         My father says,"Shalom.”

         My eyes meet those of the lady on the donkey.

          “ My wife is about to give birth. Do you have room? ” 

         I whisper in father’s ear,  “What about out back?”

         He sighs, “We have a place with the animals.” 

         The lady smiles. The goodness in her eyes shines like a lantern. I gather fig cakes into a leather scrip.

         Father surprises me. “Channah will take you.“

My heart skips a beat. Eventide makes me shiver.

         Slinging the strap of the scrip over my shoulder, I grab a lamp.

         At the limestone cave, the animals snort. I place the food for the lady near the lamp.

         “I will bring water.”

         My knees shake. The night is as dark as a bottomless well. Wait... A light, luminous as the sun, brightens my way. A new star! Could this be the night foretold? Joy burns in me like embers in a fire. I’m not afraid.

         I return and hear the soft cries of the lady’s babe wrapped in swaddling.

         “Would you like to hold Him?”

         In the peacefulness of the starry night, I cradle the Child. My heart fills with wonder and I feel the nearness of God.

 

Parade of Horribles

By Janie Reinart


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The spooktacular Susanna Leonard Hill has done it again.

It's time for the 7th Annual Halloweensie Contest.  

1.Write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under). The title is not included in the 100 words. You can go under, but not over the word count!

2.You must use the words candy corn, monster, and shadow. Candy corn will be counted as 1 word.

3.Your story can be scary, funny, or anything in between, poetry or prose, but it will only count for the contest if it includes those 3 words and is 100 words.

4.You may use the words in any form – e.g. monsters, monstrous, shadowy, shadowed,    

5. NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES PLEASE! You may submit more than one entry.

6.Post your story on your blog between right now this very second and Tuesday October

31st by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to this list. 

Thank you, Susanna for always inviting us to have some fun and for the treats for the winners! Here is my 94 word story for the contest. Thank you for stopping by. Happy Halloween.


Embed from Getty Images

Parade of Horribles

by Janie Reinart




In wicked woods

creeping along,

a band of bones 

rattles and groans

marching

to the beat 

of a howl,

Awooooo.




The moon so ripe 

gleams

this night,

as banshees' shadows 

loom.




Everywhere

in singles 

and pairs

monstrous eyes 

glow.




Ahead…

a trail 

of candy-corn

guides ghouls

to gingerbread.




Hungry hobgoblins 

hustle 

to haunt 

the castle 

because 

it’s

Halloween.




Past the welcome sign,

the mint bark bridge,

Terribles 

taste…

a gumdrop throne,

toffee towers,

chocolate tapestries,

until…




Witchy queen 

appears.

Licking her mouth 

she cackles and shouts,

“Trick, my Treats! There’s no way out!”

Down the Road w/THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT - By Kathy Halsey

Trucking down the road with Susanna Leonard Hill this summer has been a barrel of fun. Just this stop and one more to go on August 15 over at A Penny and Her Jots. With such an inclusive tour, a total of 15 stops, what can a blogger say at this point? Along with my review, I've decided to focus on the art and physicality of the book. And, there's a prize for one lucky reader at the end.

Review

THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT by Susanna Leonard Hill roared into the world near the end of July, 2017. From the fun, interactive cover that reveals all sorts of "movers," to bright, upbeat rhyme, young readers and their parents will enjoy this picture book again and again. We're introduced to all sorts of trucks: bull dozers, scrapers, graders, and even the paint marker. The cumulative tale and guide to the featured trucks add another layer to Susanna's newest. Writers, take note, this picture book puts s spin on the classic rhyme THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. What other nursery rhymes can benefit from a twist or retelling? Put on your thinking caps.

Q & A with Susanna w/An Art Emphasis 

Kathy:  I love the entire package design of THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT. Can you talk a bit about the look and feel of the book?

Susanna: The cover is sturdily constructed to look like a tire.  The book binding is striped black and yellow like construction zone caution tape.  The part of the tire where the hubcap would be in an interactive wheel which young readers can spin, showing all the different vehicles in the story.  It’s tons of fun!

Kathy: Did you make any suggestions about the interactive cover?

Susanna: I did not! J  That was the brainchild and work of the editor, and possibly the book designer.  I know a few different ideas were considered – they wanted to get exactly the right cover for the book. 

Kathy: As you wrote this picture book, did you consciously think about make "room" for illustrations?

Susanna: I tend to think visually when I write.  So I guess the answer to that question is yes, although kind of subconsciously.  I do consciously think about what words I need, what illustrations the illustrator might potentially draw, and how the words and the art could work together.  I know when I write that sometimes I’m putting in words to get ideas across that will later be cut because once the art exists they won’t be necessary.  But in the case of this story, the text was not changed.

Kathy: What are your feelings on art notes for authors? Do you ever include them with your submissions to editors?

Susanna:I trust that if I write a strong story, the editor will be able to envision the art.   And I trust illustrators to have the vision and creativity to make the art.  I have no wish to interfere or dictate – it would be unwelcome and hamper the illustrator’s freedom of expression.  That said, there are some cases where the text is quite spare, or where humor or surprise or something else depends on something different being shown in the illustration than is suggested by the text.  Although I try to keep art notes to a minimum, I do use them occasionally in situations like that because they are necessary to a proper understanding of the text.  THE 

ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT was straightforward in that sense, though, so no art notes were included. 

Kathy: Many of us know you not only as an author, but as a wonderful writing instructor. What was your biggest challenge and biggest joy in writing TRUCKS?

Susanna:My biggest challenge was definitely figuring out how to get all the trucks to fit into the rhyme scheme and meter.  I’ve said it before, but it’s kind of like a puzzle – choosing words, then arranging and rearranging them until you get meaning, rhythm and story balanced in rhyme.  My biggest joy was probably when I finally thought I’d gotten it right J  But it was also a joy to write this story on another level because I wrote it for my son, so it was something I could do for him and share with him even before it was published.

Prize Patrol

One lucky reader will win a copy of THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT by being the first one to do two simple things:

1. Leave a comment on this blog and

2. Using the hashtag #trucksontour link to this blog on either Facebook or Twitter and make sure to tag me. (I'm Kathy Halsey on FB and my twitter handle is @infowoman1.) Good luck. I'll write down the names and have Wiley Corgi choose one by tomorrow morning. Baroo!