Pitch your novella to my publisher, Month9Books October 1 -7 on my blog.
Month9Books is looking for 15K (12K – 20K range) novellas for their Swoon imprint with a strong romantic element, any genre, any age range (YA, “new adult,” or adult). We’ll be taking five to six sentence pitches in the comments of the pitch post.
So dust off and spit shine your fantabulous stories and meet me back on the blog on October 1 to enter.
Wait.
That’s not all! In celebration of Month9Books’ anthology launch TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES, I’m giving away two copies to a couple of lucky commenters on this post. To enter, just answer the question at the end of this post.
Here’s something about this frighteningly awesome book…
TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES.
THIS AIN’T YOUR TODDLER’S MOTHER GOOSE BOOK!
Fairy tales sung sweetly can take us back to childhood, but just beneath those same sweet tales, is a hint of something dark…
Month9Books, a new publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens launches in October 2012, with the release of TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES. This unique collaboration’s proceeds (from the first 5,000 copies sold) will be donated to YALITCHAT.ORG, an organization that fosters the advancement, reading, writing and acceptance of young adult literature worldwide. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES features some of today’s most admired young adult authors, including: Michelle Zink, Lisa Mantchev, Sarwat Chadda, Nina Berry, Leigh Fallon, Suzanne Young, C. Lee McKenzie, Angie Frazier, Jessie Harrell, Gretchen McNeil, KM Walton, Heidi R. Kling, Nancy Holder, Karen Mahoney, Suzanne Lazear, Pamela van Hylckama Vlieg, Shannon Delany with Max Scialdone, Leah Cypess, Sayantani DasGupta, and Georgia McBride, founder of Month9Books. Francisco X. Stork, author of the critically acclaimed MARCELLO IN THE REAL WORLD, provides a foreword that is nearly as riveting as the stories themselves.
When asked why they wanted to be a part of TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS of MOTHER GOOSE RHYMES, the authors had a lot to say!
“I’m so excited to be working on Month9Books’s epic anthology. I’ve been a Tudor© nerd since before the Tudors© were cool, and this nursery rhyme is about the accession of the Scottish king, James VI, to the English throne (as James I.)” — New York Times Bestselling author, Nancy Holder
“As soon as I heard the anthology’s theme, I knew there was no stopping me! I love anything to do with folklore, so immediately latched onto ‘One for Sorrow’ as my story’s basis. I’ve wanted to write a crow story for a long time, and this was the perfect excuse!” — Karen Mahoney, author of The Iron Witch and The Wood Queen, Flux Books
About Month9Books:
Month 9 Books is a publisher of speculative fiction for teens and tweens… where nothing is as it seems. Month9Books will donate proceeds from each of its annual charity anthologies to a deserving charity. Individually, authors may donate his or her advances and royalties to a charitable organization. Month9Books will also release 10-12 non-charitable titles annually. TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: DARK RETELLINGS OF MOTHER GOOSE RHYMESis Month9Books’s first release. Month9Books is distributed by Small Press United, a division of IPG. You may visit www.month9books.comfor more information.
Links:
Goodreads TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13594857-two-and-twenty-dark-tales
Goodreads Month9Books: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/67761-month9books
Month9Books Blogger Central: http://month9booksblog.com/?page_id=477
Month9Books Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/month9books
Month9Books Twitter: http://twitter.com/Month9Books
Month9Books Publishing Website: http://www.Month9Books.com
So, what was your favorite Mother Goose nursery rhyme, and did the tale ever scare you?
27 Comments
Sarah Negovetich · September 15, 2012 at 8:41 am
Brenda, you are a contest maven these days. It’s hard for a girl to keep up. I’m a big fan of the old woman who lived in a shoe. It’s nice, but what mom hasn’t felt like given her kids a push to bed when she’s run out of options. 🙂
Laura Hughes, MittensMorgul · September 15, 2012 at 8:54 am
Ooh! Lovely! I don’t have a novella, but I do have a favorite nursery rhyme. Jack and Jill. Most people only know the first part, but the whole thing used to give me the creeps:
Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Then up Jack got and off did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper.
When Jill came in,
How she did grin
To see Jack’s paper palster;
Her mother, vexed,
Did whip her next,
For laughing at Jack’s disaster.
Yikes! What a nasty mama! Then again Jill wasn’t exactly a saint, either.
Valia Lind · September 15, 2012 at 11:16 am
Wow, contest after contest! Aren’t you the most awesome ever! Thanks for all you do 🙂
As for the rhyme, since I didn’t grow up in America, I don’t really have one from childhood lol
Nicole Zoltack · September 15, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Awesome! I was just looking up places to find a home for my novella! This could not be more perfect timing for me!
Rachel Schieffelbein · September 15, 2012 at 1:30 pm
Ooh, that book looks awesome!
I remember I loved the one with the line, “With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes.” But I can’t remember the whole thing anymore!
Ink in the Book · September 15, 2012 at 8:03 pm
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross, to see a fine lady upon a fine horse.
Rings on her fingers and bells on her toes, she shall have music wherever she goes!
Rachel Schieffelbein · September 29, 2012 at 9:16 am
Ha! Thanks Ink in the Book! Well done. 🙂
Nicole Zoltack · September 15, 2012 at 3:15 pm
I forgot to enter the contest! I always liked Humpty Dumpty – probably because it mentioned horses. I used to be obsessed with horses (still am!)
Ink in the Book · September 15, 2012 at 8:08 pm
I like Little Miss Muffet, Sat on a Tuffet, Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider and sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffet away!
No, I never remember being scared when reading nursery rhymes, I loved them! My uncle told AMAZING stories and that’s where my love for nursery rhymes!
Donna L Martin · September 16, 2012 at 10:15 am
Greetings!
I just discovered your blog by following the trail of posts done by other GUTGAA bloggers. I am now a new follower! If you get a chance, come check my blog out and tell me what you think of today’s post…;~)
Donna L Martin
http://www.donnalmartin.com
http://www.donasdays.blgospot.com
Sarah Nicolas · September 16, 2012 at 11:20 am
I used to cry over Humpty Dumpty. Poor guy.
Stacey Trombley · September 16, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Hm. Was just playing with my fantasy romance and I don’t think I can get it down to 25k. 30k, yes. 25.. I think I’ll be sacrificing too much. Sigh. I would have liked to pitch them.
As for this contest..Old mother Hubord and her poor doggy! It never scared be but it might have if I had read the next verse about the dog dying!
Lauren Harris · September 27, 2012 at 9:39 am
Have you ever tried the 10% solution? I tend to write long as well, but that always helps me save on words without feeling like I’m sacrificing too much by way of content. 🙂
Lauren Harris · September 27, 2012 at 9:41 am
You can get the pdf for, like, $1.59 here: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b19307/The-10-Solution/Ken-Rand/?si=0
I did a short fiction class with Cat Rambo, who recommended it. Amazon doesn’t have a kindle version, but it’s online in a bunch of formats at the link above. 🙂
Laurie · September 17, 2012 at 1:12 am
My favourite would be Humpty Dumpty 🙂 I loved eggs, and the illustration was an egg with a face!
Month9Books · September 18, 2012 at 10:23 am
Thanks everyone. Two and Twenty Dark Tales features retelkings of Little Miss Muffet (by yours truly, Humpty Dumpty (by yours truly) and Old Woman in a Shoe as well as many many others. I cannot wait for you to read them! And all you wonderful writers, Month9Books cannot wait to read your novella submissions. Thank you, Brenda. This contest is gonna rock. Xx Georgia McBride
Month9Books · September 18, 2012 at 10:24 am
That’s retellings! Ooops.
biochemguy · October 1, 2012 at 6:52 am
The first one that came to mind was Little Miss Muffet which never scared me of course. 🙂
Lori M. Lee · October 1, 2012 at 9:27 am
Love Humpty Dumpty, although it always made me a little sad that they couldn’t put him back together again!
K.L. Layton · October 1, 2012 at 9:49 am
Jack and Jill kind of scared me when I heard it in first grade. I was so sympathetic for Jack. Now, it just cracks me up that I was so worried about a character in a nursery rhyme.
Kaylie Austen · October 1, 2012 at 10:06 am
To paraphrase: three blind mice ran after the farmer’s wife and she cut their tails off with a knife…that’s bad imagery for a kid.
Lynn(e) Schmidt · October 1, 2012 at 1:04 pm
I always loved Humpty Dumpty (spelling errors), but it always made me sad because he couldn’t be put back together again 🙁
Maya · October 2, 2012 at 11:42 am
I never really liked nursery rhymes. They always seemed creepy and kind of out dated. I think all the nursery rhymes and fairy tales have a darker side to them.
Jenna Wallace · October 2, 2012 at 6:05 pm
That is a seriously beautiful cover!
As for nursery rhymes, I always thought the magpie one was a little creepy:
One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver, Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told.
Hmm… gives me a novella idea!
Veronica Bartles · October 3, 2012 at 2:29 pm
I’ve tried and tried to think of a favorite nursery rhyme, but I just can’t. I love them all! I can’t think of one that ever scared me when I was little, but I remember being absolutely thrilled with myself when I discovered (all on my own) that they all had dark “secret” meanings. Live blackbirds baked in a pie to serve to the king? What was the chef’s motive? Peter Pumpkin Eater put his wife in a pumpkin shell & kept her there? Must not have been a very happy marriage (& did he have to murder her/chop her up to get her inside such a small thing?) The woman who lived in a shoe abused her children… I thought I was so clever/creative/subversive, coming up with these dark, alternative readings for the nursery rhymes – until I got older and learned that most of them actually had the darkness built in on purpose!
Sarah Ahiers · October 9, 2012 at 12:47 pm
I’m with Veronica – how can i ever choose? I did like the old woman in the shoe, because in the book we had there were these great illustrations and i liked the picture of the shoe as a house, but i don’t know if that actually counts as picking a favorite
Vivien · October 9, 2012 at 12:55 pm
My favorite is Jack and Jill. So utterly disturbing!! But I love them all. Especially the more sinister ones!
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