I think it went okay.
Well, maybe I should say I hope it went okay. Because truly, it's all a bit of a blur - intense nervousness apparently has an inhibiting effect on memory - someone should probably study that if they haven't already! :)
There was a brief period just before I began when I feared someone would have to employ smelling salts to peel me off the floor, but luckily that didn't end up being necessary :)
Here I am, standing at the front trying to look and sound like I know what I'm talking about:
Here are some attendees having the kindness to look interested:
And, now for the really important photo, here is the Something Chocolate that Dee, the organizer, who clearly knows me well, left as a gift for me when I arrived at the hotel:
This is a Buffalo specialty called Sponge Candy. It has a delicious inside, kind of like caramelized sugar but with a texture that is light and crispy when you bite into it, but then melts away in your mouth like cotton candy. And the outside is coated in milk or dark chocolate. Here is a close up:
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| YUM! |
I know you all want to rush right out to Buffalo and get some!
So anyway, that about sums it up: long drive to Buffalo, perfect gift on arrival, miraculously managed to get through the whole full day workshop, went out for a delicious and delightful dinner with the organizers as well as 5 YA authors and 2 agents who were going to be Sunday's workshop - really fantastic company - what a group!, and then long drive home from Buffalo. . . and am here to tell the tale :)
Now then! Onward!
Today's pitch comes to us from Katey. Katey Howes has been dreaming of publishing children's books since she was 5, and finally had the good sense to take a break from a full time job as a physical therapist to turn her dreams into realities. She is raising 3 voracious readers (8, 6, and 4 years old) who are her biggest inspiration AND harshest critics. Katey has worked with children her entire life in camps, schools, homes and hospitals. Because of this, she has a special sense of what makes them tick, what makes them strong, and what makes them laugh. She tries to bring this to all her stories. Katey blogs on Raising Readers every Monday (and other random mommy/writer/insomniac nonsense on other days) at http://www.kateywrites.wordpress.com. You can find her tweeting @kateywrites, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kateywrites, and pinning book-y goodness at http://www.pinterest.com/kathrynhowes3/.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Dandelion Wishes
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 3-7)
The Pitch: Gia and her mother have everything they need on their hill above the trees: one Saturday after another of togetherness, magic, and wishes. Dandelion Wishes follows Gia and her mother as they journey through the seasons and see sunny skies turn grey; fields of dandelion wishballs disappear. Just when Gia thinks magic has gone from her hill and her heart, something beautiful happens to remind her that what she always wished for was there the whole time.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Katey improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Katey is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to catching up on all the work I left by the wayside whilst preparing for the conference so that things can get back to normal! :)
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone! And don't forget to help yourselves to Sponge Candy. I feel quite certain that anything that light cannot possibly have any calories. In fact, I'm pretty sure it has negative calories :)
Enjoy! :)
