Tuesday, January 7, 2014

She's arrived! MAY B.'s available in paperback, and you can win a copy!

Two years ago, I welcomed my first book baby, MAY B., into the world. Today I greet her again, this time as a paperback. In celebration of May's arrival, I'm giving a copy away to a Project Mayhem reader.
The thing I love about this girl is her bravery. She's strong and resilient, though she doesn't know it. When May is faced with insurmountable obstacles, she passes through them. And she doesn't just survive. She thrives.

As an author, you spend a lot of time with your characters. Years, most likely, first creating them, then writing about their world, revising their story on your own and then maybe later with an agent, later still with an editor. All that time together forces self reflection. So here's what I know: I don't possess an ounce of the bravery May does. She's taught me so much and has inspired me to be more. So thank you, May, for being in my life, for sharing so much of your world with me.

What does bravery mean to you? Is there someone whose bravery you admire? Share your stories in the comments below. One of you will be randomly selected to win a copy of MAY B. This contest closes Thursday, January 9.

22 comments:

  1. I probably shouldn't enter to win, but congrats, Caroline!

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  2. Yes, congrats Caroline. I can't wait to see which brave soul wins the PB copy of one of my favorite novels.

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  3. Congrats Caroline! It's such a great story!!

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  4. Bravery isn't success. A person can be brave and make mistakes; they may never achieve a goal. Rather it is never giving up in the face of adversity. Emerson, Nellie, and Charlie are like that--like May B.

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    1. You're so right, Michele. Bravery never guarantees success. And your Emerson is indeed brave (still have yet to meet Nellie and Charlie!).

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  5. Congratulations, Caroline! May B. is a fantastic book and one my students have enjoyed a lot. We could use a paperback in our classroom library! :-) The first person who jumped into my mind as brave is Malala Yousafzai. My sixth graders and I read about her for the first time in Scope Magazine in Sept., and I just bought her memoir. I think it's amazing the way she is willing to risk her own life for a chance to go to school when most of us take education for granted.

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    1. Holly, you're right on here with Malala Yousafzai. What an incredible young woman she is!

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  6. Congrats! This is just awesome!

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  7. Rosa Parks was brave enough to stand up for what she believed in and be arrested for it. Courage is our character trait for January and I would love to share this book with my students
    Marjie P
    Coulson Tough School

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    1. Marjie, another great example. Sometimes I think it's easy to believe we must be loud and have a large personality to do something brave. But Rosa Parks proves that's not the case at all. She quietly but very firmly made a statement that ushered in tremendous change.

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  8. Yay for the paperback! Congrats, Caroline! But let someone else win, since I have both an ARC and a hardcover. May is certainly brave and I love that she's become real to you and to all of us.

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    1. Thank you, Joanne. And thank you for the way you've championed this book.

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  9. Yay! Congrats! Bravery p, to me, is pushing past the anxiety and doing what you know is right.

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  10. Oh, I just love this book and I'm excited for you that it's coming out in paperback.

    Please don't enter me in your contest, since I have my own copy.

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  11. Hurray for May B! I want everyone to know that May B. is an award winner of the 2013-2014 Black-Eyed Susan Book Awards in Maryland! These are children's choice awards so we know her readers love her!!! Brava, Caroline!

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    1. Thank you, Eden. State lists are such a wonderful way to reach new readers (and are such a thrill to be placed on).

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Thanks for adding to the mayhem!