Co-founder and Publisher, Ian Graham Leask, will resign his post as Publisher of Scarletta Press as of December 31, 2011. Scarletta Press thanks Ian for his writing and publishing expertise. His vision and dedication has been greatly valued. We wish him the best in his new endeavors.
An official press release with more detailed information will be issued later this week. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Publicity Director, Desiree Bussiere [desiree @ scarlettapress.com].
Nov 28, 2011
Major changes in store for Scarletta Press
Nov 22, 2011
Students Bring Lexicon To Life With Drawings
On the top we have a drawing of Aunt Adelaide's barn and the quote that inspired it: "The barn now stood in the middle of a pond with water reaching halfway up its sides." (pg 29), and to the right, an image of the pig that lives in the barn: "The pig lay on her side in a stall, with her eyes half-closed, the fine hairs on her side quivering as she breathed." (pg 23).
To the left here, we have another drawing of Lexicon: "Sheep grazed in the distance, far off at the horizon, steep white-and-purple mountains cut into the sky." (pg 29), and underneath, we have an image of Daphne and Ivan's adventures: "The two cousins built a raft of branches and rode out onto the river below the bridge, where the raft promptly sank." (pg 15).
These pictures are fantastic and we're so glad the students decided to share them with us. If your students or children have done any drawings of Lexicon, we ask that you either send us an electronic copy to info@scarlettapress.com or a hard copy to 10 S. 5th Street #1105, Minneapolis, MN 55402. We'd love to add them to our collection!
Thoughtful Reflections
How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?
"It is funny, but I always have a hard time writing until I know the names of my main characters. I need a name that sounds like the picture I have in my mind, and I really do not know how to find those names. It is sort of like figuring out what to name your baby: you flounder around until suddenly you know."
Are there any problems in getting children’s’ books published?
"Editors are always looking for what is hot right now. They told me Lost in Lexicon was too old-fashioned or too didactic for today’s kids. In the end, I decided the only way I could prove them wrong was by publishing the book myself, and making a success of it. I pulled together a great team – an editor, an artist, an art director, and a designer – then published a book that has won awards and enthusiastic followers. While I was doing a radio interview and bookstore visits in Minneapolis, I finally ran across a publisher, Scarletta Press that understood what I wanted to do in providing challenging, thoughtful fiction for kids. Scarletta acquired Lost in Lexicon to anchor their brand new line of children’s books."
To read the interview in its entirety, click on this link.
Nov 19, 2011
Have a Hassie Calhoun Holiday
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Nov 17, 2011
Freedom Ticket
Willow in a Storm is a raw, unflinching memoir by James Peter Taylor, with the help of his wife, Kathleen Murphy-Taylor, and recounts the events of his unusual life, including more than 40 years spent in prison. A victim of childhood abuse, he abandons women, children, and jobs until, in pursuit of "the perfect crime," he unintentionally kills Minnesota banker Kenneth Lindberg, a married father of four.
"Written in a stark, unsentimental style, this compelling memoir shows how one man survived a seemingly impossible existence."
To check-out this book from your local Hennepin County Library, make sure you have a library card and then go here. Or you can find the novel on Amazon.
Nov 15, 2011
Inside Pamela Cory's Head
She opens up about her first reading experiences and how she began writing: "As a very young reader, I loved the Nancy Drew series. I also wrote my own stories to add to the series - of course, no one else saw these stories but this was my earliest writing."
She also talks about what is necessary to make a character believable: "Verisimilitude is the key to all believability. My characters actually live in my psyche and have their own identity, character flaws and personality quirks. I was once advised to assign a living being (i.e. actor/actress) to each character to enable him/her to be "real." I love it when I can not identify anyone who actually fits my mind's description. That also helps me work harder to bring that character alive for the reader."
To learn more about this great author, you can check out the rest of the interview here.
Nov 11, 2011
HOLIDAY PROMOTION: "HASSIE CALHOUN"
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