Helene Boudreau's Blog

It's a Clan MacLeod tradition to celebrate the book release of our agency siblings (authors represented by the fabulousLauren MacLeod)And today we wish a Happy Book Birthday to the wonderfully talentedDANA ELMENDORF!Here's a teaser of Dana's bouncing baby book:SOUTH OF SUNSHINEWhat is Kaycee willing to risk for the sake of love? And what will she risk for acceptance?Read more about Dana's fantastic new releaseHERE.As per tradition, the rest of Clan MacLeod likes to celebrate with a book-themed photo essay. Because of Kaycee's love of posting photos of 'found hearts' on Instagram, we thought we would join in on the fun.Because we ❤ HEART ❤ Dana's SOUTH OF SUNSHINE!Click on any photo to find out more or head over toInstagramand post your own.

Have you written a book and revised it within an inch of it's life? Would you like to query agents or publishers to finally see your dream of being published become a reality?But...are you Query Queasy? Easy peasy lemon squeezy.Well, maybe not easy peasy, but you’ve written a whole novel, right? A super awesome unputdownable, potential-to-rival-the-greats novel, correct? You’re not going to let a one-page query come between you and getting it published, are you?!I know, I know…queries are super hard. I know!! I’ve written about a kajillion of them and have had to tinker with them endlessly before coming up with my final copy, so I get it. Really, I do!For those wondering what a query actuallyis,it’s a letter from an author to an editor or an agent, querying (or asking) whether they would like to read your novel (and-fall-in-love-with-it-and-help-you-publish-it-and-offer-you-a-trillion-dollars-for-it).Okay, maybe not the last part…Basically though, I am here to impart any kind of tenuous wisdom I may have on the subject. So, here goes…I think it’s helpful to think of the query as thetease. You want to give just enough information to entice an agent/editor to read on and request your work, but not too much or you’ll bury your pitch.Keep it short! If you’re taking more than about 250 words to get your point across,  it’s probably too much. Agents and editors are scanning and are probably spending about 20 seconds on your query (if that!), so make it EASY for them to pull out the salient points of what you’re proposing.THE PITCH:First 125 words or so...*Here are my 4 C's & a V to a hooky pitch...CHARACTER: who is your main character?Why should we CARE? What's at stake?CONFLICT: what is your main character up against? what are the obstacles standing in her/his way?CONSEQUENCES: Give a hint of the outcome:  ...but not the ending (keep that for the synopsis)VOICE: As much as possible, try to match your pitch's voice to your manuscript's voice. This will give an agent a sense of your writing style.THE MARKET:Next 50 words or so...* TITLE (in caps so it's easy to spot on the page), genre, word count, target audience, why this agent might be a good fitALL ABOUT YOU:Next 50 words or so...* writing credits, etc. keep it SHORT, keep it RELEVANT to writingADDITIONAL INFO:Last 25 words...* Mention whether you've attached a bio below your signature (I always did) and re: sample pages (add them if you're allowed)Just remember,you're not trying to tell your life story in a query, just enough to hook an editor/agent so they'll read on to your sample pages and hopefully request your manuscript.But don't take my word for it! Check outWriter's Digestfor great (successful) query examples.Plus, you never know, part of your queryMIGHT just end up as the quote on the cover of your upcoming novel.Hope this helps!

This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Share/Bookmark

A Good Trade by Alma Fullerton & Karen Patkau

I Dare You Not to Yawn by Hélène Boudreau (moi!) & Serge Bloch

If You Hold a Seed by Elly MacKay

In the Tree House by Andrew Larsen & Dusan Petricic

Mr. Zinger’s Hat by Cary Fagan & Dusan Petricic

Oddrey by Dave Whamond

Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe by Wallace Edwards

Willow Finds a Way by Lana Button & Tania Howells

 YAY!  Thanks to the Ontario Library Association’s 2014 Blue Spruce Committee for including I Dare You Not to Yawn on such an esteemed list! I can’t wait to read all these WONDERFUL looking books.

Teachers and librarians! Would you like me to visit your school or library as part of your Forest of Reading program? Check out my page at Authors’ Booking Service for rates and availability.

Quick! Close your mouth!

Especially if your eyes feel droopy, your shoulders feel sloopy, and your mouth feels like it wants to stretch open wide to let out a great big yawny yaaaaaawn — hey, you were supposed hold it in! Oh, dear. You know what happens next, don’t you?

(You were warned. You can’t say you weren’t warned!)

A hilarious—and infectious—cautionary fable that is so much fun, readers will beg for it again and again, whatever the consequences!

Praise for I Dare You Not to Yawn:

Publisher’s Weekly: “Boudreau… dispenses mock advice for children who want to avoid bedtime with a sly dose of comedy.”

Kirkus: “Just the ticket for nap-time or bedtime sharing.”

SLJ: “a fun selection”

Booklist: “Boudreau and Bloch work seamlessly here to deliver the funny…”

PURCHASE:chapters.indigo.ca │indiebound.com │amazon.ca │amazon.com│barnes&noble.com │ powells.com

I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN. Text copyright © 2013 by Hélène Boudreau. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Serge Bloch. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

Share/Bookmark

Ever dream of becoming a Real Mermaid. Well, the Philippine Mermaid Swimming Academy can make your splishy-splashy dreams come true.

 

And if you’re more of a landlubber type of mermaid, you can just read about being a mermaid. Check out this list of mermaid books on Goodreads.  Or, might I suggest a few of my own?

Share/Bookmark

I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN’s official release date isn’t until Tuesday (March 12th) but a friend just emailed to tell me she saw books were stocked at a few bookstores around town already.  Lo and behold, after a quick Google session, there they are! Trickling in, getting stocked on shelves, saying hello to the world for the first time.

Hello. Here I am. Won’t you read me? Yawn.

As an author, this is both EXCITING and TERRIFYING. It’s almost like sending the chicklets off to their first day of kindergarten. On the one hand, you’re excited for this big step and feeling pretty pleased with yourself that you’ve made it that far, parenting-wise, without any major catastrophes despite a few bumps in the road.

On the other hand you wonder, will she be okay? Will she make friends? Will the teacher be nice? Will she know how to zip up her coat for recess???

Ah, the angst! But there comes a time when the little birdies must leave the nest, so FLY, be FREE, little book.

I hope you make some new friends.

PURCHASE: chapters.indigo.ca │indiebound.com │amazon.ca │amazon.com│barnes&noble.com │ powells.com

Share/Bookmark

There are only a few short weeks left before the release of I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN. Here’s a chance for you to win an advance copy before anyone else so you can start yawning (or not!) right away!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


I Dare You Not to Yawn
by Helene Boudreau

Giveaway ends March 12, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Share/Bookmark

Foreign rights news! I announced the Danish rights for I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN (tbr March 12, 2013) sold to Flachs last month and I can now reveal that the Catalan and Castilian rights have been sold to Barbara Fiore Editora.

So now I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN (or bostezar or badallar or gabe!).

Yay! #yawn

PRE-ORDER: chapters.indigo.ca │indiebound.com │amazon.ca │amazon.com│barnes&noble.com │ powells.com

I DARE YOU NOT TO YAWN. Text copyright © 2013 by Hélène Boudreau. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Serge Bloch. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

Share/Bookmark

I usually keep my book recommendations to Facebook and Twitter because I love the conversations that spring up in those types of forums but today, on the blog, I am going to recommend THE MARBLE QUEEN by Stephanie J. Blake (once again) because chicklet positively adored it. ♥

Let’s ignore the fact that a school banned THE MARBLE QUEEN because of “mature content in regards to the drinking problems of the main character’s dad”. I mean, real kids don’t actually have REAL problems like alcoholic parents do they? /sarcasm font/:

Oh, wait…I think I feel a rant brewing. Yes, indeed. Here it is…

RANT: Why, yes! REAL kids DO have REAL problems as a matter of fact! And books like THE MARBLE QUEEN by Stephanie J Blake tackle them with sensitivity and respect. That is why books are so important! They allow children to digest difficult themes at their own level, at their own pace, in the safety of a book.

So in essence, when you ban a book of this nature because of ‘mature’ themes you are depriving a child (who may actually be experiencing these issues/issues which are forced upon them through no fault of their own, I might add) from reflecting on those themes and processing them, and possibly realizing they are not alone. And maybe (did this occur to you banner-mcbanner-pants?) that child might gain the courage through reading such a book to reach out for HELP! What a concept.

Not to mention the fact that children not affected by those particular ‘mature’ issues might gain insight and compassion for friends or classmates in those unfortunate circumstances.

Compassion, reflection, insight, COURAGE. Those are the characteristics we want to instil in our children. Books help do that.

Dude. If a book is not to your taste–fine. But don’t ban it and prevent other people from experiencing and possibly benefiting from its awesomeness.

*end rant*

P.S. You will love this book.

Share/Bookmark

This week marks the official launch of Real Mermaids Don’t Need High Heels and to help celebrate I am hosting a giveaway contest of the whole series on Facebook.  Just click on the picture below to find out how to enter (Open to US/CA: contest closes midnight, Feb 8th).

And find out more about the whole series (including Book #4!) HERE.

Also, I am thrilled to have a special guest on my blog today! Her name is Lizzie and she’s a Real Mermaids reader. *applause* Lizzie interviewed me for a recent school project to get the ‘inside scoop’ on Book #3 and here are her fun questions.

1) What can you tell me about Jade in the third book?

In Real Mermaids Don’t Need High Heels, Jade is really ready for life to return to normal – even if ninth grade is like being a goldfish in a shark tank and the upcoming Fall Folly Formal means Jade must get over her fear of awkward dancing. Plus there is unrest in the ocean, and the whole mer-world is on the brink of civil war.

Can Jade find a plus-sized dress that doesn’t look like a shower curtain, keep her mer-ness a secret, finally figure out if she and Luke are officially dating, and help pull off the biggest political coup in mer history?

With so much at stake, ‘awkward dancing’ is rapidly becoming the least of Jade’s worries.

2) Are Cori and Jade still best friends?

Cori and Jade are definitely still best friends but things get a little complicated when Serena (the mergirl from Talisman Lake) comes back to town and Jade needs to be her constant babysitter to help keep her out of trouble. Lainey is stirring up trouble again, too, so it becomes a bit complicated when Jade tries to make nice with Lainey’s mom to save Cori’s fashion mentorship and Cori doesn’t appreciate her going behind her back to do so.

3) What do you do when you’re not writing a book?

I write full time but I’m a mom of two girls so that keeps me plenty busy the rest of my free time. I’m also a 1/2 marathon walker and love to start my day with a good long walk. When I have time, I love to paint or play my guitar.

4) Do you like to swim? (I do – I love the water!!!!)

I used to be a lifeguard so I love to swim!

5) Who is your favorite artist (musicwise)?

I love strong female vocalists who are also musicians who play instruments so Alison Krauss and Diana Krall are at the top of my list. Pink is also a fave whenever I’m out on a powerwalk. I think she’s awesome.

For more on the interview and to see a review, head on over to her mom’s blog at For the Love of Lit for the rest of the story!

Share/Bookmark