I am especially excited today to bring a post by my friend and fellow children’s book author BETH FERRY. Her debut PB, STICK & STONE (hmh.com) is being released this month to starred reviews. “Stick” around, because one lucky reader will have a chance to win a signed copy of this endearing story of friendship. Here’s Beth with how it all came about:
I’ve always loved reading.
I read while brushing my teeth.
I read while eating breakfast.
I read while walking to the bus stop with my older sister steering me clear of rocks and trees and fast moving vehicles.
I read anything and everything – cereal boxes, shampoo bottles, recipes, and of course, books, books, books!
I became an English major in college because I loved to read.
But I never actually thought of becoming a writer.
I scribbled stories now and again.
I once wrote a story about a “rich, extra body” appearing to a girl who was washing her hair.
That’s what you get when you read shampoo bottles.
But it wasn’t until my kids were well on their way to becoming teens that I decided to commit my time to writing.
I joined SCBWI in 2008 and began writing long, rhyming stories about pirates and pumpkins.
Who knows why?
Then I began learning.
Attending conferences.
Receiving rejections.
Writing and re-writing.
It was a long road.
Full of queries and questions.
Disappointments and disasters.
Until finally I wrote Stick and Stone.
I had challenged myself to write a story under 200 words.
Yikes!
What would it be about?
Something universal and timeless.
Friendship.
At first I decided not to write it in rhyme.
But that was painful.
And no fun.
So I did it anyway.
I wrote Stick and Stone in April 2011.
135 words.
Rhyming.
I brought it to the June NJSCBWI conference.
Got positive feedback.
Thank you, Steve Meltzer!
Sent it to Pippin Properties in August.
Received an offer of representation in September.
Thank you, Elena!
And sold the story to HMH in December.
Thank you, Kate!
Stick and Stone will be released on April 7, 2015.
It is illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld.
Thank you, Tom!
It has been a long journey.
An interesting one.
An exciting one.
A beautifully illustrated one.
And one paved by Stick and Stone.
Beth Ferry is the author of Stick and Stone, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, available April 7, 2015. She is also the author of Land Shark, coming August 4, 2015 and Pirate’s Perfect Pet setting sail in the Fall of 2016. Her latest picture book, Swashby and the Sea, will be released in 2017. Beth writes and lives by the beach in New Jersey with her family and two lazy land sharks. You can learn more about Beth and order her books at: www.bethferry.com.
If you’d like a chance to win a FREE copy of STICK & STONE (HMH Books April 2015), please post a comment below. If you’d like to increase your chances of winning, tweet about this post on Twitter, share it on Facebook, and reblog it. For each additional “shout out,” another entry will be added with your name on it. Just let me know what you did so I can add the correct number of names. Deadline for this great give-away is April 13, 2015.
Beth,
Congratulations! I remember being with you in a critique group way back when. So delighted for you.
I remember!! Those were the fun early days!
Congratulations Beth! I can’t wait to meet Stick and Stone!
Thanks, Jennifer! You are always so supportive.
Congratulations, Beth! I can’t wait to read it and get a signed copy.
Congrats right back at you! Fun to share success stories!
Thanks, Beth! Couldn’t agree with you more. Seems like it’s been a great year for NJ SCBWI and their honorary NY members 🙂
And the Kudos keep on rolling in! It is so thrilling to be part of such a talented group!
Love this streamline version of your writing journey—congratulations again! XoMimi
Thanks Mimi. Hoping I’ll see you at River Road Books in May.
Loved, loved, loved this post. Cannot wait for STICK & STONE to come out. Congratulations, Beth, and thanks for the charming capture of your journey to publication!
I think we are all looking forward to this one! Thanks for commenting Betsy, good to hear from you.
Thanks so much Betsy! And congrats to you as well for Smelly Baby! Looking forward to reading about your journey soon!
HOORAY BETH!!!!
Thanks Kat! Hooray for you too!
I have heard so much good buzz about STICK & STONE! I love this peek into Beth’s path to publication story. Congratulations!
Thank you!!
So much fun to hear your story about writing this story! What a wonderful start to what sounds like an exciting picture book career.
Beth has more talent in her little finger than most of us have in our brains. She is destined to be a Kid Lit star.
Thank you. It was fun to actually trace back the time line and see how very long it took.
Reblogged this on Literary Friendships and commented:
It’s not every day I meet a debut picture book author who knocks the socks clear off my feet. I can’t even FIND my socks now. Check out Beth Ferry in this interview with Darlene Beck
Thanks so much for stopping by Audrey. High praise from you is so awesome…being such an amazing PB writer yourself! xo
I totally agree with you Darlene–Beth is over-the-top talented. So excited this book will be out there so soon!
Congratulations, Beth. I can’t wait to read Stick and Stone and your other upcoming books. Wishing you great success. Thanks for sharing your publishing story.
Thank you! So very nice.
Beth, I’ve been waiting for STICK AND STONE ever since I heard Steve rave about it to an agent at the 2011 conference! And now, here it is!!! Tomorrow is its release date and I’m SO excited! You are totally cookin’, girl, and I couldn’t be happier for you. Whether I win a copy here or buy one, I’ll have a signed copy either way! 😀
Donna, you are the best! Thank you so much!
…assuming I’ll be seeing you in June? 😀
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I remember you from SCBWI NJ several years ago! So happy for your success!! Wishing you all the best!
So happy for your writing success. Congratulations. I’m looking forward to reading Stick and Stone.
How exciting! I’ll look forward to reading your book whether I win it or not!
Congratulations! I heard about this post through Writing and Illustrating and noticed your book launch party will be in Manasquan. I grew up in Monmouth County, NJ and spent all my summers in Manasquan, so I wanted to give a shout out to a fellow Jersey girl writer! I live in PA now, but my mom still rents a house on the beach and we visit whenever we can. Congrats again on your success.
I try and try to get my word counts down. I seems to me that it takes true genius to write something meaningful and beautiful (from what I can see on Amazon) in so few words!
May I have A drum roll please…The winner of the signed copy of STICK AND STONE IS…. Jennifer Reinhartz! Congratulations! It’s a fabulous book that you and your kids will love!
Congrats, Jennifer! If you haven’t read it yet, you are going to LOOOOOOOOOOVE this book! 😀