I've been asked by a lot of people, "So what are you working on now?" Honestly, before last Sunday I didn't have a straight answer because all I was working on was fragmented ideas followed by quick notes jotted down in my little purple notebook. But this past Sunday I attended the Bay Area Book Festival with my family and got the inspiration, motivation, support, kick in the ass (call it what you want) to make a decision. Next project will be a children's illustrated book I'm calling The Big Brother Lessons: The Amazing Cape. A story about 2 young brothers, overcoming jealousy for a fantastic shared experience, and the wonders of a cape. I've already written the first draft but I want to try to go the traditional publishing route this time, which means lots of submissions to publishers and months of waiting. Got my narrowed down list of appropriate publishers, editing the next draft, and here I go.... Wish me luck! P.S. I haven'
I entered a Self-Published Book Contest a while back. Didn't win, but got a lovely push in the right direction . Note: 1= needs improvement, 5 = outstanding, 0 = n/a Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 4 Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5 Production Quality and Cover Design: 5 Plot and Story Appeal: 4 Character Appeal and Development: 0 Voice and Writing Style: 4 Judge’s Commentary*: Saballos enthralls her reader with short atmospheric stories that pivot around the theme of various Loteria cards, for in the game of Loteria, the cards decide the fate of the players. I enjoyed the ghost stories and cared what became of Salvador. The image of his mother’s spirit coming to kiss her sleeping son is powerful. Likewise, the story of Emilia Medina’s hearing music and finding a bundle of money under her pillow and having a sore forearm gave me goosebumps. Alberto’s untimely end at the hands of Senor Ibarro is tragic and the tale is potent, d