Easy way to order books!

I had a lovely review from a wonderful independent on-line bookstore. They make it so easy to order books because all of the titles are on one page.  So happy to share the link.

http://www.childrensbookstore.com/contributor/ct-lisa-moser/

What an incredible day!  The New York Times published a wonderful review of my book Cowboy Boyd and Mighty Calliope on Sunday, September 15th.  I am still so overwhelmed and awed. 

My husband and daughter took me to the store, and we bought an armload of papers to keep and share.  Still kind of shaking my head in amazement at this blessing. 

Here's a link to the review:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/books/review/cowpoke-clyde-and-dirty-dawg-by-lori-mortensen-and-more.html?ref=books&_r=0

So excited because today is the publishing day for Cowboy Boyd and Mighty Calliope!  Yip-yip-yippee!

Contacting Lisa

The very best way to contact me is to e-mail me at:

LisaMoser@wi.rr.com

This is the best address for me to access, and I will respond to messages very quickly because I get it on my computer and my phone. 

Squirrel has been up to some big things this summer. 

Squirrel's Fun Day was reviewed in The Wall Street Journal on June 8, 2013.  What an incredible surprise to get the news from my editor!  We had the paper right here at the house, so I dashed over, and sure enough, there was a wonderful review. 

Also, just today, Amazon picked Squirrel's Fun Day as one of the Top Books of the Year So Far in the children's chapter book division.  Here is the link if you want to see it:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_dnav_bw_BOC3_b?_encoding=UTF8&node=7074451011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=5DC2584B2925494693EF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1576233822&pf_rd_i=5522569011

That Squirrel keeps working and having loads of fun.  Hope your summer is full of the same joy.

Squirrel's Fun Day!

Hooray, hooray, hooray!  My book, Squirrel's Fun Day, was released on June 11th and is now in stores and online! 
Happy Summer, Everyone!

Rough drafts and openings

I believe rough drafts should be exactly that-rough.  You just want your idea to go from head to paper.  That's quite a trick in and of itself- to put words to the images that appear in your mind, to somehow wrestle all of that action onto a still, piece of paper.  So, my advice is always to just write it.  It will be bad-very bad- but it's a rough draft and it's supposed to be bad.  You can fix it once it's on the paper.

I do try to follow my own advice.  But for me the beginnings are different.  The opening line and beginning paragraph have to be perfect.  I can spend weeks, and in the case of this winter, months writing that opening paragraph.  Why is that? 

I think the opening paragraph sets the tone.  However the language flows in the beginning is how it will flow throughout the story.  The voice must be clear, and until that voice is firmly and distinctly established in the opening paragraph, it's difficult for me to proceed to the story.  Now, once I have that opening paragraph in place complete with tone and voice, I can dash off the rest of the story in its roughest form, knowing that I'll go back and rewrite it many, many times. 

The beginning paragraph is like a key to a secret gate.  You have to spend time finding exactly the right key, and once you turn it in the lock, you can step through the gate and discover what's behind the wall.