Hugs and Hurrahs

Can you believe September has already come to an end? The good news is it's time to celebrate the many literary achievements of our friends and colleagues. Welcome to this quarter's Hugs and Hurrahs post!

Jay Whistler, had a new book release in May 2022. THE GHOSTLY TALES OF PUT-IN-BAY was published by Arcadia Press. 

“Ghost stories from Put-in-Bay have never been so creepy, fun, and full of mystery! The haunted history of Pudding Bay comes to life—even when the main players are dead. Visit Perry’s Cave to catch a glimpse of its mysterious, otherworldly glow. Or look for ghosts amongst the hallways of Cooke’s Castle on Gibraltar Island. Dive into this spooky chapter book for suspenseful tales of bumps in the night, paranormal investigations, and the unexplained; just be sure to keep the light on.”

What a perfect book for the season. Congratulations, Jay!

Lori McElrath Eslick has much to celebrate this quarter. Four pages of illustrations for the story:

The Trapped and Tangled Loon were in the April 2022 issue of Cricket Magazine.

Her cover art painting for Janet Heller's book; Nature's Olympics, was published as cover art for Cricket Magazine (pictured above), and was displayed at  ArtPrize 2022 iin Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Lori also won Best of Show in the 2022 75th Annual Michigan Watercolor Society Exhibition (and a $2000 prize) for her plen air painting "Fly Fishing the Platte River" that originally was commissioned to illustrate a story in National Wildlife Magazine. This painting is included in a touring exhibition (for the 2022-23 year) around to art centers in Michigan. 

We’re so proud of you, Lori!

Jean Alicia Elster's latest book HOW IT HAPPENS (Wayne State University Press, 2021) is a 2021 Foreword Indies SILVER Winner for Young Adult Fiction.

Well done, Jean!

Kristin Bartley Lenz's YA short story "Flirting with Danger" was published in the Summer/Fall 2022 issue of Lunch Ticket, the literary journal of Antioch University. “Lenz’s sympathetic portrayal of young people is an engaging and conversational story about assumption, rumors, and truth.”

Way to go, Kristin!

Kim Bartosch's debut novel Ask the Girl was published by Woodhall Press.

 

Murdered in 1925, Katy must seek the help of sixteen-year old Lila and her sister to save her from her demon prison.

It's a young adult paranormal mystery with themes of forgiveness, sisterhood, and coping with bipolar disorder. 

Congratulations, Kim

Cindy Schrauben received a coveted Kirkus Starred review for her picture book This Could Be You.

What an honor, Cindy!

 

Ann Dallman’s second book in the Cady Whirlwind Thunder mystery series, "Cady and the Birchbark Box," has been recognized by the Historical Society of Michigan with its prestigious State History Award in the Books: Children & Youth category.

Her earlier book, "Cady and the Bear Necklace," also received this award.

We're so happy for you, Ann!

Tracy Detz's Icky Berg, An Iceberg Tale (Smarty Pants Magazine For Kids) is being made into an informational audiobook.

Learn about icebergs and all the animals and creatures who love them. Complete with a game and a simple science experiment.

What a fun project, Tracy!

 Renee Bolla is excited to announce the release of her second book, Imagine That, which launched September 24.

Congratulations, Renee!

 

Ian Tadashi Moore's audiobook Where All the Little Things Live recently won Second Place for best audiobook in the Purple Dragonfly Awards!

Yay, Ian!

Melanie Hooyenga has a book releasing October 10th, Book Three in the Campfire Series: Chasing the Moon.

Two best friends. One tiny tent. An attraction that’s impossible to ignore.

We're excited for you, Melanie!

Monica A. Harris has sold 18 writing passages to Data Recognition Corporation. (DRC is a company that hires writers for various assessment testings around the country.) Her pieces have included such topics as biographies, history of various games, animal life cycles, and the invention of many modern technologies.  

 

In addition, her business as The Doodling Duchess has taken off!  She teaches her method of meditative doodling as a way to gain personal insight and relieve anxieties. She has done several workshops for kids including teenagers and they have found doodling a way to concentrate, deal with trauma, and a form of stress relief.

That's wonderful, Monica!

Finally, the Critique Carousel Co-Coordinators, Alicia Curley, Wendy BooydeGraaff, and Natalie Aguirre would like to congratulate Dionna Roberts who will receive a critique from Janine Le and to Valerie Kemp who will receive a critique from the agent of her choice from SCBWI-MI's Critique Carousel Equity and Inclusion Scholarship for historically marginalized or underrepresented writers.

 

We're celebrating with you, Dionna and Valerie!

Congratulations, Everyone! Watch for announcements of Hugs and Hurrahs deadlines here on The Mitten, listserv, and the Michigan SCBWI Facebook page. Meanwhile, please feel free to submit all your kidlit publishing news to Alison Hodgson at aewhodgson@gmail.com. Have a wonderful fall here in beautiful Michigan!