Shout-Outs!

I'm still processing and decompressing after last weekend, and I've been wanting to spread the positivity around a bit lately, so I thought I'd take advantage of my brain-melt-moment and round out the week with some well-deserved shout-outs to some of my writer-friends.

First, a shout-out to my writer friend and sometimes mentor, Robert Paul Weston, whose YA novel DUST CITY (which, in an unusual but clearly well-chosen break from normal blog policy, I reviewed HERE) was nominated for an EDGAR ALLEN POE AWARD! The Edgars are given for the best mystery in various categories, and DUST CITY is nominated in the Young Adult category - way to go, Rob! (And check out his blog - his posts are sporadic, but always interesting.)

Next up, a shout-out to another writer-friend Helaine Becker, who is possibly the most prolific writer I know and whose book WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA made the Canadian Toy Testing Council's 2011 Best Books For Kids list, which you can read about HERE. Plus, she's garnered positive reviews for her book THE HILARIOUS HISTORY OF HOCKEY, and TWO of her books made the Canadian Children's Book Centre Best Books for Kids and Teens 2010 list, which you can read about HERE. Write On, Helaine!

Finally, a shout-out to new writer/illustrator-friend Debbie Ridpath Ohi (pronounced OH-hee), who is a SCBWI Conference success story! She tells SCBWI Team Blogger Lee Wind (whom I met, and who is generous and supportive and lovely) all about how a rejection turned into a contract HERE. Check out her blog(s) HERE and HERE. (And in other places too - Google her, this lady is an amazing online networker. She is EVERYWHERE!) And look for I'M BORED, written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie, coming out in 2012 with Simon and Schuster.

That's it for now. Check out those awesome writers, have  great weekend, and come back next Friday for more shout-outs!