If Wishes Were Fishes - Nominated for Cybil Award!

I am thrilled to announce that my book, If Wishes Were Fishes, has been nominated for this year’s prestigious Cybil award. I am literally jumping up and down with excitement! This is an award given by children’s and young adult bloggers for books they consider to be of literary merit with kid appeal. It is quite an honor to be nominated. Scrolling through the fiction picture book category I see such prestigious author nominees as: Lemony Snicket, Jeff Foxworthy, Julie Andrews, Neil Gaiman and fellow 4RV author Beth Bence Reinke. I consider myself very fortunate to be nominated with these and so many more talented authors and offer sincere congratulations to all the nominees.

I know I will be keeping my fingers crossed as the panel of judges begin reading and comparing the extensive list of nominated books as they strive to arrive at a short list of finalists by the first of the year.

Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews

Book Reviews are a great way to spread the word about a new book. Readers are more apt to buy a book from an author they are not familiar with if they see endorsements from other readers and professionals from the writing community.

I have recently started a separate book reviewing blog called Ask the Cybrarian: Book Reviews. It for a review site featuring books intended for the children through young adult age range and is hosted by a character from my current work in progress, a young adult fantasy, The Destineers and the Legend of the Netherscape.

Millicent Prendergild, is the nearly departed Cybrarian at Greenbrier Academy who hosts the blog. Why nearly departed? Well, Ms. Prendergild began working at the Academy when it first opened its doors over 100 years ago. When her time had passed in our world, she could not bear to leave her beloved school behind so she remains overseeing the mortal library as well as the Inter-Realm Cybrarie. The Cybrarie is an Inter-Realm library, a place where the stories from the other Realms are transmitted through cyberspace to our ghost writers for weaving into the appropriate archive. Einstein, HG Wells, and many others from our world have offered theories and suggested stories from the other Realms. Ms. Prendergild oversees a staff of very loyal ghost writers that sort it all out – separating fact from fiction and archiving them appropriately (well, where did you think the term "ghost writers" came from?).

The Cybrarie website is an interactive forum all about exchanging and sharing information. This is a fun place for friends to meet, converse, share and discuss books and ideas in the Fantasy Realm or whatever else happens to come up. Think of it as a virtual coffee house. If you have a book appropriate for children through young adult age that you would like to promote, there is a room called the Cybrarie Exchange that would welcome your contribution (book blurb, copy of the book cover, and of course a link to where the book can be purchased), just send me an email through NetherscapeRealm@aol.com.

The most recent review of a fantasy entitled The Lost Lake Digs by PW Corss (geared towards children aged 9-12) has just been posted by our loyal Cybrarian. Stop over if you get a chance, the Cybrarian would love to meet you.