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mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Ready to start this month’s book club book! #easternup #kidlit @nancycastaldobooks.bsky.social
Book cover for GROWING HOME by Beth Ferry with art by The Fan Brothers. An orange goldfish and a smiling potted plant sit above and below the white title text.
August 7, 2026 at 5:03 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Great list for anyone searching for middle grade titles. And it just so happens to feature FIRST KISS WITH FANGS by #easternup author-illustrator @markersnyder.bsky.social Congrats! #kidlit #mg

cbcbooks.org/cbc-book-lis...
100% Unofficial Fortnite 100 Top Plays
OMG: Only for Middle Graders is an extensive, engaging guide produced by the Children’s Book Council and Ingram Library Services. It showcases a wide array of inclusive and captivating titles specific...
cbcbooks.org
April 28, 2026 at 8:57 PM
johnbriggsbooks.bsky.social
Well, it's official--On March 31st, I become the Regional Advisor for #EasternUp. My thanks to Kerry McQuaide and @nancycastaldobooks.bsky.social for laying such a great path before me, and to the wonderful volunteers and creatives who make the Eastern NY SCBWI region so vibrant.
March 18, 2026 at 10:25 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Woohoo!! Congrats @kerrymcquaide.bsky.social for being March's SCBWI Featured Illustrator! 🎉🎉🎉
Great interview. 🙂 #easternup #kidlit #kidlitart #goodnews

www.scbwi.org/featured-ill...
Featured illustrator
SCBWI features one illustrator member each month. The Featured Illustrator’s art is highlighted prominently on the homepage and all SCBWI social media. Our site receives over 191K hits each month, our...
www.scbwi.org
March 3, 2026 at 11:15 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Not only is my story in print and my name on the cover of a book (in a list of names with many others), my story is referenced on the back cover! If you are curious about "a bell that rings at the most inopportune time," find out in Fiddlehead Folio Vol. 3. #easternup #goodnews #flashfiction
Back cover of FIDDLEHEAD FOLIO, 2025, Vol. 3. Text reads "A collection of poetry and stories from Metro west Writers' Guild authors!"
February 25, 2026 at 6:18 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
MYSTERY DRIVER is a beautiful combination of STEM ingenuity, competitive spirit, and girl power! A dramatic tale that's all the more inspiring because it is true. @drliztracy.bsky.social #kidlit #easternup #picturebook #nf
Book cover for MYSTERY DRIVER: THE STORY OF ALICE JOHNSON AND THE FIRST SOAP BOX DERBY, written by Elizabeth Tracy and illustrated by Anna Aronson. A child in helmet and goggles drives a white soap box derby car over an orange road toward a checkered flag.
February 22, 2026 at 5:35 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Playing around with a potential new breakthrough for the MG. I always get inspired after critique :) #easternup #kidlit #amwriting
February 14, 2026 at 6:41 PM
studio-w.bsky.social
Here's a sneak peek at the second picture book in the Fred and Ethan Adventure series, "Trolls' Bridges and Nasty Ogres."
Seeking representation, see more at www.studio-w.art/tb
#kidlit #kidliitart #childrensbookillustrator #scbwi #digitalart #childrensbookartist #Imagination #fantasy #easternup
February 10, 2026 at 5:35 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
So fun to see so many #easternup writers at the Beekman Library Children's Literary Festival! So many great stories. So many great read alouds. So many great people. Plus, an epicly challenging scavenger hunt. Kudos to anyone who can finish that without help... #kidlit
February 8, 2026 at 12:10 AM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Finished the #easternup book club book! Loved it. I predicted all the twists save one. That one made it extra special. @nancycastaldobooks.bsky.social @katemessner.com #kidlit #mg #bookreview #scbwi
Book cover for THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner. A White boy with a tall, orange backpack stands on the summit of a mountain with a large, long-haired dog.
January 27, 2026 at 6:57 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Finally get to share my first in-print publication! "Sam's Date" in Vol. 3 of Fiddlehead Folio. A humorous flash fiction story that some might call romcom, though I will not. Available through your favorite indie.
#goodnews #easternup #writingcommunity #flashfiction

bookshop.org/p/books/fidd...
Fiddlehead Folio, Volume 3
Check out Fiddlehead Folio, Volume 3 - <p>The Fiddlehead Folio is an annual literary journal showcasing the original work of members of the MetroWest Writers' Guild.</p><p>While members of the Guild p...
bookshop.org
January 25, 2026 at 9:55 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
58% through and starting to make big guesses about the twists to come. @nancycastaldobooks.bsky.social thanks for giving me an excuse to buy this one. Really enjoying it so far! @katemessner.com #easternup #kidlit #mg #amreading
Book cover for THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner. A White tween boy with a baseball cap and a large, orange backpack stands on a rocky mountain peak beside a large tri-color dog. Green mountains and blue water show in the distance.
January 19, 2026 at 9:30 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Shout out to #easternup Co-ARA @markersnyder.bsky.social whose debut graphic novel FIRST KISS WITH FANGS was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award!! 🎉🎉🎉
#kidlit #lgbtq #graphicnovel #gn #goodnews #vampire
a group of minions are congratulating each other with the word congrats in the foreground
Alt: a group of minions are congratulating each other with the word congrats in the foreground
media.tenor.com
January 9, 2026 at 11:36 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
I had too much fun organizing the #easternup critique spreadsheet this month. Apparently, I love sorting and filtering data.
January 7, 2026 at 3:40 AM
studio-w.bsky.social
Ethan is out enjoying a bright spring day at the park with Fred when he encounters something completely unexpected under a small bridge: A TROLL!
Seeking representation. See more at https:www.studio-w.art/kidlit
#kidlit #kidliitart #childrensbookillustrator #scbwi #easternup #digitalart
November 23, 2025 at 2:05 PM
studio-w.bsky.social
Next up for Fred and Ethan, he imagines a world where friendly Trolls hold up the world's bridges, and they need his help to rescue the source of their magic from the clutches of the evil Ogres.
#kidlit #kidliitart #childrensbookillustrator #scbwi #childrensbookartist #easternup #digitalart
Next up for Fred and Ethan: Trolls' Bridges and Nasty Ogres! Jumping off from Ethan's last flight of fancy in A Bewildering Bottle, he imagines a world where friendly Trolls are responsible for holding up the world's bridges. He meets a Troll in need of his help to rescue the source of their magic from the clutches of the evil Ogres. He and Fred cross under the Troll's bridge into a fantastic land to locate the Ogres and rescue the Troll's magic. Originally illustrated in pen and ink, here's one of the new full-page artworks, reimagined as a "digital watercolor." Seeking representation, learn more at www.studio-w.art/kidlit
November 13, 2025 at 5:58 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Had a wonderful time at yesterday's CWHV Conference! I had lots of great bookish conversations with #easternup members and made a few new connections. #kidlit #writingcommunity
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
studio-w.bsky.social
Here, Ethan imagines that it might turn him into a super genius. He would be able to invent how spaceships could travel across galaxies and stun his teacher.
Seeking representation. See more at https:www.studio-w.art/bb
#kidlit #kidliitart #scbwi #childrensbookart #Imagination #easternup
November 7, 2025 at 3:45 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Just signed my first publishing contract! 🎉 It's only for a flash story, but it's still a cool milestone. 😁 #writingcommunity #easternup #goodnews
November 6, 2025 at 6:02 PM
studio-w.bsky.social
Ethan imagines the bottle opens a gateway to a magic land of broken mountains, twisted trees, strange bushes, and infinite possibilities. This spread is a jumping-off point for the next book in the Fred and Ethan Adventures series.
#kidlit #kidliitart #childrensbookillustrator #scbwi #easternup
I just wrapped up improvements to this climactic scene from my picture book, A Bewildering Bottle. The story follows Ethan's uninhibited imagination as he wonders about the origin of the strange bottle he and Fred found on the beach. Here, he imagines it's not a bottle, but opens a gateway to a magic land of broken mountains, twisted trees, strange bushes, and infinite possibilities. It would be a place where he and Fred could go on fantastic adventures. This vista is a jumping-off point for the next book in the Fred and Ethan Adventures series. Seeking representation. See more at www.studio-w.art/bb
November 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Such a great #poetry writing day! I found a few submission calls and was thoroughly inspired. 😁 #amwriting #disabilitysky #easternup
November 3, 2025 at 11:51 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Join #easternup and all the NY Regions of #scbwi for a 24 hour writing marathon! Next weekend, 10 am Sat to 10 am Sun (EST). @kerrymcquaide.bsky.social , @johnbriggsbooks.bsky.social , and I will be moderating overnight. There will be mini-lessons, writing sprints, and community. #kidlit
Text reads "I'm going to The Empire State 24 Hour Children's Book Challenge. It's virtual! aa/8/25-11/9/25." Below the text is an image of New York State the Regional Team Hosts labeled: West/Central Upstate, Eastern Upstate, Westchester, Metropolitan, Long Island. Green SCBWI logo is in the bottom right corner.
November 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
studio-w.bsky.social
Ethan wonders if the bewildering bottle is actually a small top-secret rocket engine. If they can find another one, he and Fred can fly in the clouds together.
Seeking representation: www.studio-w.art/bb
#kidlit #kidliitart #childrensbookillustrator #scbwi #scbwiillustrators #easternup
October 16, 2025 at 2:53 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Final edits for my upcoming flash piece are in! #amwriting #flashfiction #goodpublishingnews #goodnews #easternup
October 15, 2025 at 2:52 PM
mermaidwriter.bsky.social
Got the most moving compliment from a critique partner today! #easternup #kidlit #amwriting
October 14, 2025 at 2:02 AM