H is for Hallelujah! S is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet Lives and Breathes in the World Today!

September 9, 2009.

I’ve been counting down the weeks to this, my newest book’s pub date.

And now, S is for Story: A Writer’s Alphabet officially lives and breathes in the world today.

It’s available for purchase.
It’s available for reading.
It’s can’t-wait-ready to gift readers and Young Writers.

Last Wednesday, cartons of author copies arrived safe and sound at my Chicago home, courtesy of my publisher, Sleeping Bear Press.
I quickly opened the first carton, removed the top book, then hugged and held it tightly.
Just as tightly, in fact, as I’d hugged and held my now-grown son when he first arrived.

Of course, the modifying first person singular pronoun my needs to be plural.
As in, our newest book.
S is for Story: A Writer’s Alphabet also belongs to Sleeping Bear Press editor Amy Lennex, publisher Heather Hughes, Art Director Melinda Millward and the very talented artist, Zachary Pullen, whose singular illustrations reflect his respect for young writers.
All those hands, all those heads and hearts, working together to make the best book possible.

Check back Friday, October 2 to learn how you or your students can enter our TeachingAuthors Contest and win an autographed copy of S is for Story: A Writer’s Alphabet. (Hint: What lettered entry would you have included had you been creating a Writer’s Alphabet?)

Be sure to return each day, Monday through Friday, October 5 through 9, to read the posted answers to my fellow Teaching Authors’ probing questions about how and why I wrote this book.
Click on my website’s Write page to gather Young Writer Extras – opportunities to write, read and discover, at home, in school, or at the library.
Click on the Sleeping Bear Press website, too, to download the Teacher’s Guide for S is for Story: A Writer’s Alphabet.

And, visit my website’s newest page, Tour, to learn the What, When and Where of my Out-and-About book events, signings, school visits, conference engagements, writer presentations, teacher workshops and upcoming October-through-November Blog Tour.

S is for Story: A Writer’s Alphabet is truly my school visit, wrapped and ribboned and tied with a bow, shouting, when opened, “Writers are readers!”

Hallelujah!

Let the reading - and writing - begin!