Margaret Fieland: Poetry and Prose

If this doesn’t make y’all want to run right out and buy the book, I don’t know what will. This one’s going on my must-read list.

Imagine you have made a secret promise that can lead you to an incredible treasure and an ancient power. But in order to fulfill that promise, you must defeat an age-old sect determined to claim the treasure and power themselves.
“Promise me you’ll find the journal and search for the treasure,” gasped Drew’s dying mother. “It’s your destiny.”
Three months later, three teenagers sat around a campfire roasting marshmallows. Drew Newman is just about to tell his friends a secret when a man steps out of the darkness. The man carries an old fashioned sword and wears a long, hooded cloak. He lifts Drew’s chin with his sword. “Where is it,” the man asks. “Where is the book?” Who is this man and what does he want?

This is the premise of Guardian, Katie Hines’ middle grade urban fantasy, soon to be released by 4RV Publishing.
http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/

Katie Hines has been writing snippets here and there as long as she can remember. When in 8th grade, she wrote a short story called, “Underworld.” Then, in high school, she wrote several poems that were published in an anthology.

Marriage and raising two children contributed to putting away writing for a few years, but she came back to it while in her 40s. Since that time, she has been a contributing feature writer and columnist for a local newspaper, has written several features articles for another area newspaper, and wrote religious and humor articles for an online Catholic ezine.

Her short story, “My Name is Bib,” was published by the Loch Raven Review in October, 2008.

Finished with “Guardian,” Hines is currently working on another middle grade urban fantasy novel, as well as a couple of chapter books, and is extending “My Name is Bib” into a full young adult novel.

And be sure to check out Katie’s website,
http://katiehines.blogspot.com/

I know I’m looking forward to reading Katie’s soon-to-be released book.

I’ve completed my Institute of Children’s Literature course and I’ll be getting my diploma in the mail shortly.

Now I have to actually submit the short story I wrote for my final assignment.

Plus there’s my chapter book, “The Angry Little Boy,” to submit, and two (so far) rhymed picture books.

In spite of the fact that my kids are grown and thus not in school, and I continue working at my day job, summer is when I really do end up with more free time, and so I’m busy making my summer to-do writing list.

I plan to submit my chapter book, “The Angry Little Boy,” as well as my rhymed picture book manuscript, “Old Tom Troll,” (needs a new title, I think) and get back to work on my collection of Math poems.

Oh, yes, and do more submitting of my poetry (I’ve been very lax lately) and continue writing.

What are your summer plans?

I submitted, for the first time, six of my math poems to a magazine. {Gulp}. My undergraduate major was mathematics, so at least I have the bona-fides to back them up. And as a matter of fact, I’ve started a bibliography. Yikes. I do hope to get back to writing more of them over the summer.

My now, sadly, unwritable former blog can be accessed through the page “old blog” or the line “old blog” on the blogroll

old one seems to be hosed at the moment — major bummer….