Debut Review Challenge with Claire Noland

With schools canceled all over, her book EVIE’S FIELD DAY will be part of an At-Home Field Day this Thursday, May 21st! Click below for more info!

Now on with the post! It is my great pleasure to welcome Claire Noland to the blog.

Claire Annette Noland home base is in central California where she lives with her husband and puppy, Ernest. They have four children who have grown up to be very nice people. In previous chapters, Claire has been a children’s librarian, reading specialist, and kindergarten teacher. She is the author of the OUT AND ABOUT WITH GEORGE picture book series for Valley Children’s Hospital as well as numerous magazine articles. Her debut trade book, EVIE’S FIELD DAY debuts in May of 2020. Visit her website: https://claireannettenoland.com/
Her blog: A Field Trip Life
Facebook: Claire Annette Noland
Instagram: Claire’s Field Trip Life

Competitive Evie loves to run, jump, hop, and win. She even has the trophies to prove it. So, when Field Day comes around, she is sure she will add to her winning collection. Unfortunately for Evie, things don’t go as planned. When she is finally winning, Evie is faced with a big decision as she navigates the playground and learns the ins and outs of sportsmanship.

DEBUT-BY-THE-NUMBERS

Number of years writing: 20 years on and off

Number of years from contract to published book: 15 months

Release date: May 1, 2020

Number of pages: 32

Number of launch events: Well… I had six planned but because of Covid-19 everything has changed. I am having a virtual book launch on May 1, 2020. My publisher and I are hosting a virtual #AtHomeFieldDay on May 21^st to encourage kids to have a fun field day even though they aren’t in school.

Number of days per week that writing takes a backseat to marketing & publicity: I try to write and market daily.

Number of critique partners: I have been meeting with my Book Buds weekly for 20 years. I also meet with another group twice monthly. I host quarterly critique and writing craft meetings for my regional Central-Coastal California SCBWI group in my home.

Number of books you hope to publish over the next ten years: I hope to publish 10 -one a year!

Number of times you’ve pinched yourself that you really have a book out: I’ve lost count.

A FEW QUESTIONS…

Who are your greatest inspirations?

Books have always been a part of my life and I am inspired by folklore, fairy tales, biographies and characters including Pippi, Ferdinand, Eloise, and Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge.

What does your workspace look like?

I have a wonderful office filled with books – including my childhood favorites. My gentle puppy, Ernest, sits happily at my feet while I work. But I don’t feel the need to be confined to a desk. I always write my first drafts by hand so I carry a notebook and pencil everywhere I go. My first sale (Highlights Magazine) was a story I wrote while sitting near the Great Tide Pool at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

When you need to take a creative break, do you have another activity of hobby that recharges you?

I walk everyday either along the beach or around the orchards near my home. I do have a passion for making sure that children have access to books. I work with REFORMA (an American Library Association affiliate) and I’m developing library collections for our local women’s shelter and a children’s education center in Nicaragua. I even have a Little Free Library that I stock with children’s books. I love to travel but currently am only traveling via books.

TIME TO PLAY…STORY SMASH!

Think about all the stories you’ve written that have hit a dead end or are hidden away in a drawer somewhere. For each of the items below, lift an element from a different story to create a weird, unexpected mash-up. Who knows? It may even inspire a new manuscript!

Characters: A girl named Ida Rae and a monster named Frankie

Setting: The Monster Museum

Theme: paying attention, bravery, friendship

Problem: Ida Rae joins the wrong field trip

Pitch: When distracted, Ida Ray wanders onto the wrong school bus and she finds herself on a wild field trip to the Monster Museum. Facing her fears, she makes friends with Frankie and discovers that it is a good idea to pay attention.

What a great premise! I’d love to read this. 🙂

REVIEW TIME

Leave an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other online site. Every time you write five reviews for debut Kidlit creators between May 1 – June 30, 2020, you can fill out this ENTRY FORM for a chance to win prizes. Claire has generously donated a signed book. Thank you, Claire!

For a chance to win Picture Book SWAG by Debut Review Challenge creator Laura Renauld, enter this Rafflecopter giveaway! ***This week only***

You can find the complete rules for the Debut Review Challenge and a downloadable record sheet to keep track of your reviews HERE.

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