Giveaway May B

Lots of buzz lately over Caroline Starr Rose's brilliant novel in verse MAY B. 

My five star review on goodreads.

I'd like to help celebrate by offering an ARC giveaway. Randomly selected. Just leave a comment here before Feb. 4 and you will be entered to win.

Please include your email if it isn't linked to blogger!

Winner announced Feb. 5


Speaking of survival stories - has anyone seen the new release, The Grey, with Liam Neesen?  Besides being full of annoying Hollywood-ized untruths about wolves, it's a great adventure. Leave a comment, I'd love to chat about it.

Wolves and Bears and Contracts, oh my!

Thought it's time to share the story of when I got my offer from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

And when you live in the middle of a wildlife preserve, most everything is a story...

dramatic recreation.

There were two publishers interested in making an offer for my YA novel, ICE DOGS. So we knew the date it was to happen. As you can imagine, I was a bit of a basket case that day.

Hubby was hanging around, not helping with the nerves, so before it all went down, I suggested he take the dog out for a walk.

At the exact moment the offer came in, I glanced out the window to see my dog running for her life down the driveway with a freaking Timber Wolf on her tail. The wolf got right to the bottom of the stairs of the deck before it wheeled around and ran off.

And my man was missing.

So forget about the fact I just had the offer of a lifetime, and all my dreams come true. Instead of celebrating, I had images of my man surrounded by a wolf pack somewhere.

I think my exact words were, "Gotta go... the wolves!"

Turns out, while on their relaxing walk, the dog spotted a bear with two cubs, began a chase that didn't really work out for her, and came running back to my Hubby. All Hubby saw was teeth coming at him.

He scrambled up the closest tree and stayed there to wait it out. The dog continued running home, and somehow picked up a wolf along the way. (I swear, I'm not making this up!)

So the dog got chased by a bear AND a wolf on the same walk!

Leave it to MY DOG to steal my thunder!

Ever wonder where deer sleep in a snowstorm?

... on my snowshoe trail apparently!

We had a mother of a storm here yesterday. When I went snowshoeing today, I found these deer beds on my trail. You can see where they dug down, and then how much snow fell while they were all comfy in bed.



see the frozen indent made by the deer's leg in the middle of the bed?

What cool things have you found on your trail?

Weather fit for napping - or critting...

photo credit here Nap how I want

It's minus thirty four wind chill outside. That's -34 C. Winter has arrived. And that means it's time for DOGSLED RACES!!!

Or napping.

Or writing.

And since I'm not doing any of those lately, I'd like to use this weather as an excuse to celebrate my good fortune of selling ICE DOGS to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

I didn't do it alone! I had lots of help. And so...

I'm offering to critique the first three YA or MG chapters of the first three people who comment.

• Must let me know in the comment that you would like to take me up on the offer.
• Either send me your email address, or leave it in the comments.
• Must have chapters ready to send right away.
• I'll send it back to you within three days of receiving your chapters.

edited: I had no idea that would go so fast! Sorry - offer is now expired. I have my victims volunteers already!

Michael
Sophia
Marcy
Angela

Send me your chapters!

I will absolutely do this again the next time I have a few days free.

Thanks everyone!

May B a good day

HUGE congrats to my debut author buddy Caroline. At long last, her book comes out today!!

MAY B by Caroline Starr Rose

I watch the wagon
until I see nothing on the open plain.
For the first time ever,
I am alone.

Starred Review from Kirkus
Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly
Junior Library Guild Selection
Amazon Best Book of the Month for kids Selection



Also out today, another debut author buddy,

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

What a good day for books!

Interview

I'm over on fellow author Mindy McGinnis blog today Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire where I intelligently discuss writing goob.

Mindy and I both have books coming out in fall 2013. It's nice to have someone to wait with.

To add Mindy's book to your Goodreads list check it out, NOT A DROP TO DRINK.

Wolf Toy

Had to do a quick post to show you what the wolves have been up to on the lake.

Bite marks on our bouy marker. Size comparison with our dog's toy.

We attached a new bouy this summer marking a log sticking out of the water on our lake. Once the lake froze, the bouy sat on top of the ice. It apparently looked like a new toy. The wolves ripped it off its rope, and played soccer with it across the lake.

We retrieved it this morning on our walk. The number of wolf tracks surrounding it looked like dozens of wolves had played the game , but we've only seen three - a spectacularly large and lush wolf with two smaller ones.

our lake view from the porch.

Now I want to tie more balls to the dock to watch the wolves come and play with them. I wonder if they like squeaky toys.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Best of 2011

Favourite picture of the year. Sled Dog Central

Top Five reads

1. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
2. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
3. Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien
4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
5. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Dogsled Dreams book tour 2011. Dog race mascot came over to admire my books!

Top Five Things from this blog

1. This dogsledding video
2. My sled dogs
3. Best part of being an author - fan mail
4. Georgian Bay adventure
5 Announcing my book deal for Ice Dogs





Top Two Things from other people's blogs

1. Sandra Mitchell's post Eventually You'll Care Less
2. Tahereh Mafi on Being a Writer


What were some of your favourites this year?

Story Siren 2011

What a year of reading! I completed my Goodreads reading challenge with 81 books! And 36 were debut's which also completes my Story Siren debut challenge.

I'm so thankful for being part of the amazing group The Elevensies. When I needed to share good news, or bad, they were there to talk me down. We supported and learned from each other, and I've made friends that will hopefully remain for my writing career.

A bonus of doing the debut challenge was it introduced me to books in genre's that I wouldn't normally read.

I've learned:

• Dead people? - very very cool to read about! Especially if they are dressed in, you know... blood.
• Ramadan? Yiddish? - I'm embarrassed to confess, I didn't really know much. But so glad to learn.
• God Stones? - yeah, I'm a new and frothing fan of fantasy! Woo!
• 1941 in the Soviet Union? - reading Ruta's masterpiece rocked me to the core. It changed me.

Here's my 2011 debut list

1. The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (MG)
2. Warped by Maurissa Guibord (YA)
3. Vesper by Jeff Sampson (YA)
4. XVI by Julia Karr (YA)
5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (YA)
6. Head Games by Keri Mikulski (YA)
7. Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner (YA)
8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (YA)
9. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (YA)
10. So Shelly by Ty Roth (YA)
11. Haven by Kristi Cook (YA)
12. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (YA)
13. Clarity by Kim Harrington (YA)
14. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won Him a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Chrystal Allen (MG)
15. Illegal by Bettina Restrepo (YA)
16. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA)
17. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (YA)
18. The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow (MG)
19. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy (YA)
20. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (YA)
21. Memento Nora by Angie Smibert (YA)
22. Divergent by Veronica Roth (YA)
23. Possession by Elana Johnson (YA)
24. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (YA)
25. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sherif (YA)
26. Dead Rules by Randy Russell (YA)
27. Wither by Lauren DeStafano (YA)
28. Vanished by Sheela Chari (MG)
29. End of the Line by Angela Cerrito (YA)
30. Popular by Alissa Grosso (YA)
31. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (YA)
32. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (YA)
33. With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo (MG)
34. My Very Unfairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski (MG)
35. Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough (YA)
36. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (YA)

Can't wait to get started on 2012!

Did you do this challenge? Which books rocked your world?

ICE DOGS announcement

photo credit www.sleddogcentral.com

Today I finally get to spill the beans and tell you my exciting news.

I've been waiting impatiently to be able to share, but now that the day is here, I'm actually a bit lost for words.

Here's someone else's words.
Deals from Publisher's Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Terry Lynn Johnson's ICE DOGS, in which a 15-year old dogsled racer and sled dog owner loses her way on a routine daytime outing with her dogs; with food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her, to Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in Winter 2013, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world). caryn@andreabrownlit.com


My novel will be a real hardcover book in two years!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how good this feels. My dream of being published with a big publisher has come true!! And I owe much to my amazing agent Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Lit Agency.

also,

A GIGANTIC and GRATEFUL shout out to my long-suffering crit partner PAUL GRECI

who read the manuscript about 608 times without complaint.
He is beyond awesome. He is also a spectacular, uber talented writer.


Really, a writer's most important tool is her critique partners. I also have to thank

Sue Kay Quinn
Kendare Blake
Medeia Sharif
Cynthia Chapman Willis

also my good friend, and not even a writer Jackie White  who keeps me grounded with her honesty.

I also owe a debt to the good friends I have made this year at the ELEVENSIES

See the village of support I have? I am one lucky writer! And now, thanks to my support team, I am soon to be a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt author.

2012 Debut reading challenge

Have you signed up for this challenge? The Story Siren has the deets.

I am still doing the 2011 reading challenge. See my list here. I'm up to 33!

This is the place I'll be listing books read for 2012 challenge. There's a bucket load of fantastic books coming out next year that I can't wait for!

I'm listing the books I definitely plan to read. Then I'll go from there.


1. May B by Caroline Starr Rose
2. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
3. Chained by Lynne Kelly
4. Shadows Cast by Stars by Katherine Knutsson
5. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
6. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
7. Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
8. Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Hatchet cake

I couldn't resist sharing these photos with you.

My friend Christine Selinger and her son have done something that I think deserves some kind of award. Her son's favourite book is Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and for his school project, Chris decided they should use cake. Yes, this is totally edible, and indeed, was eaten that very day by the class.

Four handmade cakes, two different kinds of homemade icing, jello, three different kinds of brown sugar for the sand, all adds up to one enormously creative ode to a great book.

If you've read the book, you'll recognize items in the model. Turtle eggs. The sinking plane. Berries. The skunk. Moose, wolf, bear. The cave. Is this seriously cool or what? What do you think? Mom of the Year Award material?

close up



Front view

back view

the cake artists

Any other books made into a cake out there?

Scat messaging

This is the message I received this morning from our new neighbours

click to view in all its glory

 Right at the end of our driveway - an impressive pile of wolf poop. And I mean a PILE. This can't be from just one animal, therefore this required a community effort. What does this message mean?

• We're big so don't mess with us.
• This is the line into our territory. You own the driveway, we own the rest.
• Hello there, dear neighbours, here's our card. Call us.
• We know you are dogsitting a tasty little morsel of a Chihuahua right now.

The past few days we've had lots of wolf excitement. One evening I looked out the window in time to see the dog running for her life onto the deck with a huge brown timber wolf on her tail. The wolf came right to the bottom of the stairs before he noticed me standing there, and then wheeled around and took off down the driveway.

Two nights ago the dogs and I were walking in the dark and found ourselves in the middle of the pack taking down a deer. We didn't see anything, but the noises surrounding us had me hustling home with my feeble little headlamp frantically scanning around behind us. In the morning we found the evidence of a fight to the finish. The tracks told the story of how the wolves went around downwind, and then launched the attack. The deer went down, got up, went down again. We have many, many deer in our area, so it must be a good spot for the wolves to hang for a while.

flickerCC

In the evenings, the pack sings. They sometimes wake us in the middle of the night. They obviously have some pups who can't sing yet, but try to make up for it by being the loudest. Sled dog pups do this too. It's hilarious to listen to.

Any wolf stories out there? Anyone care to decipher to scat code?

Fall training insider

If you like dogsledding, check out the 2011 Iditarod Fall E-runner. It's full of pre-race stories and great pictures of the amazing sled dogs and how they get geared up for the big race.

Giving thanks and announcing winners

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I have much to be thankful for:

my man
my job
my dogs
my home
my health
my family
my ability to smell when the milk is about to turn. It's a gift really.

and the most recent huge thing I'm thankful for, I can't talk about yet. Please stay tuned.



Now, on to the winners of my recent Elevensie Celebration Giveaway:

Winner of the YA package is Lucy D'Andrea

Winner of the MG package is Irene Latham

Winner of the MIXED BAG package is Angel Cruz

So, what do you have to be thankful for today?