On this first day of October, I’m absolutely thrilled to have a very special guest with us! And as we all know, it’s never too early to start celebrating Halloween! Lynne Marie is a multi-published author, the owner and director of RateYourStory.org and http://www.ThePictureBookMechanic.com, a Children’s Book Insider editor, a co-host over at SeasonsOfKidLit.com, and an editor at The Little Press. She is also my mentor, and I cannot say enough about how much she has helped me and other picture book writers in our writing journeys.
Welcome Lynne. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. I look forward to hearing about BroomMates journey to publication. It’s one of my favorite books for the Halloween season.
Me: Do you have any special plans for the fall?
Lynne Marie: I’m so happy you asked, because Fall is my favorite season of the year! I’m also a travel agent (and, among other specialties, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner), so I’ve planned a Girls Getaway weekend to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party with my daughter and my Co-Host and Co-Celebration Connoisseur at #SeasonsOfKidlit.com, Heather Macht! Heather and I have some really great Halloween holiday books and agents and editors planned for our Annual Trick-or-Treat event, so I hope your readers will check it out and take advantage of the treats we have there (and prizes, too)! And wait until you see our costumes! The theme we chose this year is Villains. Mine is very uncharacteristic for me, but I think I’ve nailed it (LOL)!
Me: Are there any activities that you participate in related to the season?
Lynne Marie: Yes! Since, as an author, I have two Halloween tie-ins, Fall is a busy season for me with speaking engagements and author signings. But to be honest, since I had a busy summer visiting Central Europe (Hungary, Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic), I’m behind on scheduling (an important author task), so if anyone is looking for a guest author or speaker, please feel free to reach out (literallylynnemarie@gmail.com). I’m hoping to fill all my slots!
But a secondary activity which I LOVE is decorating for Halloween, pumpkin picking, pumpkin painting, and baking and making anything pumpkin flavored! So far, I’ve found pumpkin spice marshmallows, butternut squash ravioli and I’ve stacked a bunch of recipes to make!
On a cultural note, pumpkin seeds are very popular in Austria and used in baking and salads – so I bought a huge bag of them!
Me: How long have you been mentoring writers?
Lynne Marie: I have been officially mentoring as The Picture Book Mechanic since 2011 – and unofficially mentoring for quite some time before that. I went back to school to learn my craft and I’m a voracious reader of craft and trade books, so I became very studied in storytelling.
Me: What or who inspired you to write this book?
Lynne Marie: The BroomMates sisters are a compilation of me and my sisters, but no character is just one of us. While Mathilda is more my sister Jean (sporty and blonde) and Malin more my sister Michele and me (perhaps a little goth and dark), it’s not that clear-cut. I’m also the oldest, so in that way, I’m more like Mathilda, and they’re more like Malin. I think the main takeaway here is that I allowed the characters to become just who they should be without pigeon-holing them. Some of the situations are inspired by actual events (the line drawn down the middle and decorating the room) but therein lies another takeaway. I knew many siblings have their struggles and reading about human siblings might feel a bit trite and overdone. So I kept thinking about how to make the situation more compelling, and that’s when I thought of magic. Making them witches, not mortals, was the perfect fix. And now I am working on a chapter book for potential release, so it’s exciting!
Me: Tell me a little bit about this book’s journey to publication.
Lynne Marie: This book’s journey was not quick, but also a quick flight (confusing, I know). I had written the story with human siblings when I went back to school (sometime in 1995-2000) and then sometime thereafter made it witches. But after working on it during the Halloween season each year, it usually just fell by the wayside. Then, in October 2021, I was attending one of Michele McAvoy’s Girl Power Hours and she mentioned wanting a Halloween book. I knew she liked rhyme, so I asked my friend Brenda to work on perfecting the rhyme with me, and voila! BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle came to life and was picked up by The Little Press in 2022 and published in 2024. I will be speaking at this year’s Girl Power Hour again (https://girlpowerhour.weebly.com/) with the topic of How to Hook an Editor, so be sure to sign up! There will be submission opportunities too!
Me: What is one piece of advice you can give to writers who are just starting out, or who are still in the query trenches?
Lynne Marie: I can’t emphasize enough the need to learn the craft of writing and storytelling and even writing poetry. You don’t need to write poems, but you really need to be able to integrate poetic devices into your writing.
Me: What are your plans for the future?
Lynne Marie: I am working on a kid-friendly conflict resolution class for children to present the book in conjunction with, as well as a webinar for writers entitled: How to Navigate Conflict and Resolution in a Picture Book. If anyone wants to be put on my notification list, please e-mail me.
Also, I am always planning travel for myself, friends and peers (it doesn’t cost a penny to use a travel agent). I hope to add more countries to my list next year and/or the year after, including Iceland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and MORE!
Me: I’d love for you to share a recipe with me.
Lynne Marie: When it’s hard to find pumpkin tortelli or butternut squash ravioli – this recipe is a nice go to:
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-pasta/ (YUM!!!)
SPECIAL BONUS:
Since you are one of my favorite Mentees, I am happy to share a special offer. To anyone who buys a copy of BroomMates, posts on social media and e-mails me a copy of the receipt to LiterallyLynneMarie@gmail.com and a link to the post, you can choose between a 15 min mini critique of a manuscript, cover letter, query or pitch OR a private or classroom reading of the book for 10 minutes with a few questions and answers!
Thank you for your kind words, and the giveaway. BroomMates in one of my favorite books, and you are one of my favorite people! Now, I just might try that pumpkin pasta recipe…
You can connect with Lynne here:
