Bears, Rainbows, and other Natural Wonders by Paul Greci

 

Male Grizzly Bear. Photo by Paul Greci

I took a lot of photos in 2016. Below are a few from this past year. 

I use the natural world as an inspiration for my writing.

 You know the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

As a writer, I think that a picture can produce or inspire a thousand words.

Sometimes I keep a photo up on part of my desktop when I’m writing, or I’ll click back and forth between a photo and my manuscript. For my characters, sometimes I use photos to help me create moods, tap into emotions, and inspire actions.

 

Grizzly Sow and yearling. Photo by Paul Greci

Double Rainbow at the Alaska/Yukon Border. Photo by Paul Greci

Black Bear. Photo by Paul Greci

Moose cow and calf. Photo by Paul Greci

 

Southeast Alaska Coastline. Photo by Paul Greci

Porcupine. Photo by Paul Greci

This is the last Project Mayhem Post of the year. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.

Paul Greci is the author of Surviving Bear Island, a 2015 Junior Library Guild Selection and a 2016 Scholastic Reading Club Selection.

Terry Lynn Johnson: Someone to Watch for

I first started trading manuscripts with Terry Lynn Johnson several months before her first MG novel, Dogsled Dreams, was published in December 2010.

A little bit about DogsledDreams: Twelve-year-old Rebecca dreams of becoming a famous sled dog racer. She’s an inventive but self-doubting musher who tackles blinding blizzards, wild animal attacks, puppy training, and flying poo missiles. All of her challenges though, seem easier than living up to the dogs’ trust in her abilities. Rebecca runs her huskies along the crisp trails near Thunder Bay, Ontario, where northern lights flare and dangerous beavers lurk. Through the bond she shares with the dogs, Rebecca learns that hard work, dedication and living in the moment bring their own rewards.

Presently we are about one year out from her second MG novel’s publication date. I’d tell you the title but that is still being debated. 

I will say this: 

I read this manuscript a few times and watched as it went from being great to out-of-this world. I watched as Terry went from being a writer who got her own book deal from a small press for Dogsled Dreams to signing with Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and then getting a book deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

A little bit about Terry’s new novel:

Victoria Secord, a 15-year-old dogsled racer loses her way on a routine outing with her dogs. With food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her.

Check out Terry’s blog and website. She lives in the wilds of Northern Canada where wolves have come up to her deck, bears roam the woods by her house, and anytime you step outside could be the start of an unanticipated adventure.

Closer to her publication date, we’ll get Terry over here for an interview and then we’ll give away a copy or two of her books. Keep your eye on Terry. She’s going places.