Tag Archives: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Illustrator Feedback Opportunity

August 17, 2017Critiques, LiteraryArt, Associate Art Director, books, Childrens Books, Designs, Feedback, Fiction, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Illustrator, Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Opportunity, Picture Books, Published, Publishing, Sharismar Rodriguez, Unpublished, Visual Comminications, Young Adultpdpabst

sharismar-rodiguez

If you’re an illustrator, don’t miss this opportunity to have Sharismar Rodriguez, Associate Art Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt BFYR look over your illustrations and provide feedback. Published or unpublished: This is a great way to get your artwork seen. The deadline for submitting for this limited 5 week Sharismar appearance is August 20th, 2017.

Sharismar Rodriguez is an Associate Art Director for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers where she designs and art directs children’s books for all ages, from Picture Books to Middle Grade and YA novels and Non-Fiction volumes. She started her career in children’s publishing right after obtaining her BFA in Visual Communications from Parsons School of Design.

For details on how to participate, go here. As always, good luck!

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

One For Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn

July 17, 2017Literary, ReviewsAmazon, Art Lover, Audible, Author, Award Winning Author, BAM!, Barnes & Noble, Best Friends, Booklist, Bulletin, Bullies, Bullying, Clarion Books, Dark Read, Germans, Ghost Story, Ghosts, Goodreads, Google Play, History, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Influenza, Isolation, Kirkus Review, Kobo, Mary Downing Hahn, One For Sorrow, Publishers Weekly, Reading, Storytelling, Target, Traveler, Vengeance, World War I, Writerpdpabst

One For Sorrow Book Publisher: Clarion Books
Sold By: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: July 18, 2018

Okay, I’ll admit the cover drew me to this story! But look at it, soooo spooky! ONE FOR SORROW is set during World War I and the influenza epidemic of 1918, this story unravels the tale of childhood school days gone wrong. Annie is eager to make friends at her new school, but Elsie claims her as her own bestie, refusing to allow Annie to connect with other girls. After Elsie passes from influenza, her ghost returns to torment Annie for befriending others and to make sure Annie is isolated and disliked as much as she had been when alive.

While this was an easy read, Elsie didn’t become a ghost until halfway into the story. This was delayed longer than I’d anticipated, making some of the bullying redundant in order to get to the good stuff–a scary ghost! And even though the historical setting enriched the story, I felt cheated with the lack of generational terms. But make no mistake, author Mary Downing Hahn creates a realistic story of how easy it is to get swept into bullying when a child just wants to be liked. She also paints a cruel tale of how difficult it is to get out of a this horrible situation. So, if you’re looking for a darker read, this is for you!

Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children’s librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Wait Till Helen Comes, which is being adapted for film. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her cat, Oscar.

***THE OFFICIAL BLURB***

Against the ominous backdrop of the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie, a new girl at school, is claimed as best friend by Elsie, a classmate who is a tattletale, a liar, and a thief. Soon Annie makes other friends and finds herself joining them in teasing and tormenting Elsie. Elsie dies from influenza, but then she returns to reclaim Annie’s friendship and punish all the girls who bullied her. Young readers who revel in spooky stories will relish this chilling tale of a girl haunted by a vengeful ghost.

And check out these additional reviews:

“Hahn’s story is characteristically steeped in eerie atmosphere, and the novel’s blend of historical drama, the supernatural, and the intricacies of adolescent friendship is a gripping combination.” —PW

“Hahn is a veteran author who clearly knows her apples about writing ghost stories, as this, her latest inventive page-turner, evidences… Shivers aplenty, but also genuine emotion that will invite empathy.” — Booklist

“Another historical and chilling success.” —Kirkus

“Another solid addition to Hahn’s oeuvre, this would also make a spine-chilling pair with Cohen’s The Doll’s Eye.” —Bulletin

Author Links: Website | Facebook

Digital Book World 2017 + Expo

December 26, 2016LiteraryAbrams, Agents, Amazon, Authors, Authors Guild, books, Conference, Curtis Brown Literary, DBW, DeFiore and Company, Digital Book World, eBooks, Editors, Expo, F+W Media, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Independent Publishers Group, Industry, IPG, Laura Dail Literary Group, Learning, LIttle Brown and Company, Manuscripts, Marketing, New York Hilton Midtown, Penguin Random House, Publishers, Publishing, Readers, Serendipity Literary Agency, Simon and Schuster, Skyhorse Publishing, The New York TImes, United Talent Agency, Writers, Writers Housepdpabst

With the boom of digital publishing, it’s no wonder conferences are covering the topic. After all, as much as I love holding a book, I download a LOT of books to my Kindle app to read and keep up with market trends. As publishing evolves, so has Digital Book World (a conference for anyone in publishing). They say they will now be known as simply DBW. And that’s not all they’ve changed for the conference January 17-19, 2017:

More Real-World Solutions | Your team needs tactical, actionable solutions to the challenges facing publishing—DBW’s speakers have them.

Fresh Content | Experience targeted programming across a host of four brand-new DBW focus areas.

More Choices | A new program means new pricing and registration options. Now you can bring your whole team—executive, editorial, production and marketing.

Some of the publishers and agents attending are:

With over two hundred publishers and agencies in attendance, there are too many to name! For a complete list of those currently registered, go here. And as for the speakers list, go here. You won’t be disappointed! So be sure to register to attend and make your reservations at the New York Hilton Midtown.

P.D. Pabst
Blogger and writer of MG/YA fiction.

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