A "Rising Kite" win at the SCBWI Florida Regional Conference in Miami

Each year at the Florida Region's SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Miami, writers who are unpublished in a category can enter ten pages of their work in the "Rising Kite" contest. This year I entered the first chapter of my historical fiction ghost story. The YA work is titled Beyond the Stone Eagle Gate and takes place in central Tennessee in 1893.

The photo shows me holding my second place certificate with Lorin Oberweger who judged the finalists in this contest. Lorin is now an agent with Adams Literary. She has built a career in publishing that spans twenty-five years. Lorin is a highly sought-after independent book editor and has offered intensive, deep craft workshops nationwide. In addition, using the pen name Noelle August, Lorin and author Veronica Rossi have co-authored and published a series of Young Adult novels,  Boomerang, Rebound, and Bounce.

Another excellent Florida Writers Conference

Exhaustion and happiness! These two words describe many of us, I suspect, who attended another great Florida Writers Conference held this year in Altamonte Springs, FL. It was great to see old friends and meet new fellow writers and faculty presenters. Unlike the previous three years where I worked as a volunteer, this year I attended and enjoyed the sessions and panel discussions. Bolstering up my courage, I gave a verbal "pitch" at Chris Hamilton's exciting and instructive Pitch Fest Gong Show. I escaped the "gong" but I can't say I knocked 'em dead with my three-minute pitch. However,  I certainly learned what worked and what was missing from my very short description of my YA story CROSS OVER.

The exciting part is I was able to refine my presentation and successfully pitched to an agent the next day who requested fifty pages to review. Excited because I liked him. I truly believe a bit of personal rapport helps both writer and agent on this long and winding road to publication.

Next event is the Western  PA SCBWI conference in Pittsburgh, PA, Nov. 11 and 12. For this conference, I'm concentrating on my upper middle grade story THE WHISPERING CHIMNEY. I'll be showing two editors from major publishing houses my beginning pages. Wish me luck!

Finalist in Florida Writers' Contest

Good news this morning. My flash fiction short story "The Garden" (which is being published in this year's Florida Writers Collection) and my unpublished middle grade novel THE WHISPERING CHIMNEY are both finalists in Florida Writers' Royal Palm Literary Award competition. At the FWA conference in October I'll find out if either has placed in the top three. Here's hoping!

Book Signing in Morgantown, WV

Hello, friends. As I did last May, I will be signing copies of my chapter books for seven to ten year-olds at the Barnes and Noble store, University Town Center, Morgantown, WV. The signing will be between 1 and 4 pm on May 21. 
New website is up and running: www.janeellenfreeman.com

JEREMIAH LUCKY AND THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

Eight-year-old Jeremiah tries hard. That’s good. But he worries too much. Not so good. Jeremiah misses his dead father and pushes himself to be grown-up to help his mom. With so many things to remember, Jeremiah’s forgetfulness grows. What will happen when Jeremiah teams up with his guardian angel?

JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE

What a worry! Eight-year-old Jeremiah Lucky plays the frog prince in their third grade play and the princess wants to kiss him! Can he leap away in time? After summer begins, Jeremiah has a bigger worry—the cutest puppy ever is lost. Jeremiah’s guardian angel appears. Will their plan work?

Midwest Book Review Praises JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE

Great news! Midwest Book Review has announced that they are featuring my chapter book JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDSPUPPY LOVE on the Children's Bookwatch List. The following review will be in the March 2016 issue.

What a worry! Eight-year-old Jeremiah Lucky plays the frog prince in their third grade play and the princess wants to kiss him! Can he leap away in time? After summer begins, Jeremiah has a bigger worry-the cutest puppy ever is lost. Jeremiah's guardian angel appears. Will their plan work?

Charmingly illustrated by Eric Hammond, "Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love" is artfully written by Jane Ellen Freeman (a former language arts teacher who has been creating stories for over fifteen years), is very highly recommended for young readers ages 7-10, and would prove to be an enduringly popular addition to school and community library collections. For personal reading lists it should be noted that "Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love" is also available in a paperback edition (9781616337179, $9.95).

For my Morgantown, WV, friends I will be doing a spring book signing at the Barnes and Noble store near University Town Center on May 21 between one and four p.m. Hope to see you there. Both of my Jeremiah books will be available.

Positive Reviews for JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE

Once an author gets past the excitement of her book's release, holds the print copy in her hand, counts the pages and smiles at the illustrations, the next step is to encourage the book's forward movement into the hands of readers. I am blessed to belong to a large community of writers. Two organizations fostering writers that have been essential to my growth as a writer are the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Florida Writers Association.  As I've met and corresponded with fellow writers in Florida and across the US, several have expressed interest in my writing and my books for young readers. Two reviews of JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE have recently been posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I'm reprinting them here with thanks to reviewers and authors, Sharon Stanley and Janet Ann Collins.

Review by Janet Ann Collins

This book has an interesting plot that isn't obvious and will keep young readers guessing. It will be welcomed by kids who have met Jeremiah Lucky in an earlier chapter book where the boy encountered his guardian angel. And Angus, that unusual angel, does make some brief appearances in this book.

But Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love can stand alone and will be enjoyed by kids who haven't read the first book in the series. And they'll probably be eagerly awaiting the next book about Jeremiah Lucky. They'll be lucky to have read this one.

Review by Sharon Stanley

Jeremiah Lucky is ready for summer and all that stands between him and a good time is the third grade play and his desire for a puppy. With his best friend headed for camp, his dad no longer living and his mom at work, a puppy could be just the right companion, but he may not be the only one in love with the shelter dog Polly.

Ms. Freeman has taken a simple story and combined just the right amount of intrigue, fantasy and possibility to make it a real page turner for elementary age kids. And to be honest, me too! Jeremiah Lucky Finds Puppy Love shared several great tips, was perfect for both girls and boys and managed to be sweet without being sappy. A tall order for just 70 pages. Highly recommend this one.

JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE

Newly released JEREMIAH LUCKY FINDS PUPPY LOVE, the sequel to JEREMIAH LUCKY AND THE GUARDIAN ANGEL, is now available from www.guardianangelpublishing.com. Also available at Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, Amazon, and other on-line book stores.

What a worry! Eight-year-old Jeremiah Lucky plays the frog prince in their third grade play and the princess wants to kiss him! Can he leap away in time? After summer begins, Jeremiah has a bigger worry--the cutest puppy ever is lost. Prompted by his special guardian angel, Jeremiah thinks deeply and comes up with a plan to find Polly, the missing puppy. Will his plan work?

   Suggested age range for readers 7-10.

Revving My Creative Engine

Big breath! After Pitch Wars, I'm more focused that ever on finding an agent. Not any agent, one who jumps into my YA story CROSS OVER with both feet and doesn't surface until the end. The contest was a learning experience, probably just as much in risk-taking as in writing a short, dynamite query and perfecting my synopsis. The Pitch Wars contest had over 1500 entries. Only 45 YA mentees were chosen. Not me. But two of the mentors I had selected wrote me personal emails praising my story and writing. One gave a suggestion to add to the first pages to heighten suspense. Very kind of Jaye Robin Brown (NO PLACE TO FALL, a realistic contemporary story about a teen with great potential who makes some seriously bad choices.) I'm rooting for Jaye and her mentee, Allie Schellong, as well as several other yet-to-debut authors and their mentors. More than anything else, Pitch Wars fosters writers helping writers.

For now, I am researching agents and submitting queries to the best. My enthusiasm is far from waning. CROSS OVER has all the elements and will find its place. I know this book will benefit from an agent's and later, an editor's careful editing. It will change, tighten. CROSS OVER has already been enhanced by the expert eye of writing coach and author Joyce Sweeney. The Pitch Wars contest was a valuable Pit Stop. We're ready to get back on the track!

2015 Pitch Wars Contest

Remember the feeling--the deep sigh of relief when you finished the last final exam of the semester in college, or finally got that major paper printed and in the professor's box? That relief marching hand in hand with a slight sense of loss? What now?

This morning I am that girl again having just submitted my young adult story CROSS OVER to a contest called Pitch Wars. This competition was a learning experience all the way. Sponsored by author Brenda Drake {TOUCHING FATE, Oct. 2015 and THIEF OF LIES, Jan. 2016} #PitchWars is a Twitter driven roller coaster ride where hopefuls read bios and submit to up to five mentors one of whom (if the mentee is chosen) will guide the author in both the query process and in preparing the manuscript to attract agent attention in round two. So now I wait. Sept. 2 the match-ups will be announced. Then for two months the mentee and mentor, who is usually a published and agented author, work together to get ready for the agent round.

I've been at this writing business for a while. I know how to wait. After straightening up my writing desk, I'll jump back into my current work in progress and let CROSS OVER fly on its own. It's a great story and I've worked hard. CROSS OVER has already been acknowledged as a winner in a previous competition--FWA's Royal Palm Literary Awards. But even if we're not chosen for Pitch Wars this time, I've learned a great deal about my tribe--those other YA authors who cheer us on, publish valuable advice on their blogs, and most importantly, write fantastic books to inspire.

Barnes and Noble Book Store JEREMIAH LUCKY AND THE GUARDIAN ANGEL Book Signing

I'm excited to announce my first solo book signing of JEREMIAH LUCKY AND THE GUARDIAN ANGEL, my chapter book for ages seven to ten, at Barnes & Noble Book Store, 2814 University Town Center, Morgantown, WV.  I will read a brief selection from the story at 11:15 A.M., May 30, and autograph books following the reading. 

Since I've been back in Morgantown for several weeks, I've been able to see friends both in the Stewartstown area near Cheat Lake and at the Dominion Post newspaper where I worked in the advertising department for five years after I retired from teaching. What an outpouring of love and support! Thank you, everyone for your encouragement. See you May 30!

Children's Literary Classics reviews JEREMIAH LUCKY AND THE GUARDIAN ANGEL

Jeremiah Lucky and the Guardian Angel earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

The only thing lucky about Jeremiah Lucky is his name.  But on his way to school one day, he finds a lucky penny; and that's when things start to change for him. After realizing he'd forgotten his library books and his field-trip permission slip, a peculiar little man appears and announces that he's Jeremiah's guardian angel.  Angus McDermit, as the angel is called, helps Jeremiah make good choices while coming to understand and accept that things in life don't always have to be perfect, even himself.

Jeremiah Lucky and the Guardian Angel is suggested for youth ages 7-10 and skillfully addresses such issues as latchkey children, dealing with death and loss, and kids being raised by a single parent.  This book is a quick and easy read and is recommended for classroom reading and for home and school libraries.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org