Sea Turtle Rescues

National Geographic recently posted this video about Gulf turtle nests: Gulf Turtle Nests Abound, But Worries Remain. Our author Bonnie J. Doerr addresses some of the problems sea turtles face from poachers. Read about how young teen Kenzie and her friends capture those responsible for destroying turtle nests in the Florida Keys in Stakeout, Doerr’s latest eco-mystery.


And if you care about sea turtles, here are two more sites with information:

Pictures: Baby Gulf Turtles Released Into Atlantic

Videos: Sea Turtles Match Breathing to Dive Depths?

Save Bookstores!

Today's the day!! Head to your local bookstore and buy a book. Agent Kelly Sonnack of Andrea Brown Literary has created a buzz for the event on Facebook.

Go and add your name to the attending list, and hie thee to an Indie store this morning, June 25.  Details are below.

Time	Saturday, June 25 · 10:00am - 1:00pm
Location	Your local brick and mortar bookstore!
Created By	Kelly Sonnack
More Info	Who: You What: Buy a book (or 4) Where: Your local bookstore (or Powell's ships) When: June 25th (the first Saturday of Summer!) Why: Because we need to support our storefronts. No more obituary section in publishing news, please!

Online Writing Classes with Kat O'Shea

Want to learn more about writing? Leap Books Editor-in-chief, Kat O'Shea, will be presenting two online workshops this summer for Savvy Authors. These four-week-long classes are available at a bargain price. Here's information. Click on the links below to register. And if you don't want to wait several weeks, you can find writing advice from Kat now in "First Chapter Mistakes." Best of all, if you been dying to submit to Leap Books, taking one of these classes will allow you to do that. [Please note that except for special calls for submissions, such as for the Spirited anthology, Leap Books only accepts submissions from agents.]

Editing with an Editor

Instructor: Kat O'Shea. One of the fastest ways to get your manuscript rejected is to submit one that needs substantial editing. Grammar and punctuation are important, but they aren’t the only things that give your manuscript a quick trip to the rejection pile. Learn editors’ pet peeves and how to avoid them as well as how to tackle overall manuscript revision and still keep your sanity.

WHEN:   Jun 27 - Jul 24, 2011

COST:   $15 for Premium Members; $25 for Basic Members


Click Here to Register


Story Structure

Instructor: Kat O'Shea. An interesting and exciting beginning will draw readers in, but how do you keep their interest high throughout? A well-plotted story will keep them turning the pages and make them eager to read your next book. Both plotters and pantsers will benefit from knowing how to structure a story that readers can’t put down. Learn about different story structures, such as the 3-Act and the Hero’s Journey, and how introducing change bombs and writing cliffhangers can help you avoid sagging middles.

WHEN:   Aug 1 - Aug 28, 2011

COST:   $15 for Premium Members; $25 for Basic Members

Click Here to Register

Deadline for Submissions Extended

We're looking for published authors who have astonishing, surprising ghost stories with a great twist. Leap Books only accepts work from agents, but we're having an open call for submissions. This may be your chance to get a foot in the door and help a charity at the same time.

For more information, visit our home page or click
HERE for more information.


All proceeds to benefit charity.

Meet Author Judith Graves

Want to meet the author of the Skinned Series? Judith Graves will be appearing at the following venues. Learn more about writing, technology, and the behind-the-scenes life of an author. Lots of programs to choose from. And best of all many of them are FREE.

 

May 14: Edson Public Library. Edson, AB. Four, 40-min. writing workshops. Behind the scenes with a YA author, Fiction to DIE for, and anything the fine folks in Edson want to chat about. Starting at 10am-2pm. Sign up at the Edson Public Library 780-723-6691.

May 28: Alberta Association of Library Technicians Annual Conference: 2011 Get Connected. Edmonton, AB. Author Visits to Die For. Judith Graves offers an overview of what makes a virtual author visit successful, the technology basics, and how to connect students or library patrons with authors willing to provide this wonderfully interactive (and inexpensive!) service.

May 28: Young Alberta Book Society’s AGM. Red Deer, AB. Imagery to DIE for: Booktrailers, vlogs and more. I will introduce the importance of engaging readers online through the use of enticing booktrailers, informative yet entertaining vlogs, as well as how to create podcast readings that leave them craving more. Beef up your social media presence using these tools and watch your promotions go viral (but not in a zombie apocalypse sorta way).

October (dates TBA): Young Alberta Book Society TALEBLAZERS Lit Fest. Touring schools and libraries across Alberta, discussing my journey from singer/songwriter to Young Adult Paranormal fiction author. I explore what makes fiction to DIE for, how to develop characters that ROCK, and how to REVAMP your work (revision with BITE!). I can’t wait to meet all students, library staff and teachers.

November 18-20th: Pure Speculation Fest (Edmonton). I’ll be connecting with my inner geek and being general fangirl at this amazing sci-fi/fantasy convention. Can’t wait to sit on more panels with the Steampunk Scholar and other wonderful authors. If I get myself in gear (pun intended), there’s a chance I might actually have a steampunk costume to DIE for. ;)

Want a Free Book?

 One of the authors who is contributing to Leap Books forthcoming Spirited anthology, Linda Joy Singleton, has a FREE YA paranormal romance available for the month of May only. You can check out the book trailer HERE. Better yet, just pick up your FREE copy of Dead Girl Walking for the Nook and Kindle at Amazon.


And watch for Spirited this October.

FOR THE LOVE OF STRANGERS Goes to College

Students in Corning Community College’s Children’s Literature course got some unexpected help with their class book project when author Jackie Horsfall popped in. Jackie brought along a show-and-tell bag full of her 18 published books and foreign editions, magazine stories, examples of galley proofs, and talked about the inspiration behind her debut novel For the Love of Strangers.

The class had recently discussed YA magical realism,  read several Printz and Newbery award-winning books, and bombarded her with questions: How long does it take to write a novel? How do you find an illustrator? What’s your favorite genre?  Do you have an agent? What do writers earn? 

She also gave the class pointers on creating their class project—an illustrated picture book—and their individual book projects. At the end of the class period, Jackie was invited back for the party at the end of the semester, with the unveiling of their own books.

And if you haven't had a chance to read Jackie's wonderful tale of a teen adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child, you'll want to pick up a copy of your own. As Patricia Hermes (award-winning author of You Shouldn’t Have to Say Goodbye, Mama, Let’s Dance, and Dear America/My America series) says:

“For the Love of Strangers instantly drew me into this poignant tale of a Russian adoptee, then continued to intrigue as it masterfully interwove threads of past and present into a haunting, lyrical novel that echoes in the heart and mind long after the pages are closed.”

Interior and cover art by award-winning artist, Mary B. Kelly.