Angie Lucas
Angie Lucas
Children's Author / Freelance Writer / Memory Keeper
 
 

 Reader, Writer, kidlit Author.

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The Story: How I Got My Book Contract
The Story: How I Got My Book Contract
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Houston, We Have a Cover
Houston, We Have a Cover
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Picture Books Are For Everyone
Picture Books Are For Everyone
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From the Blog

From the Blog
Avoiding the Christmas Apostrophe Catastrophe
Avoiding the Christmas Apostrophe Catastrophe
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The Story: How I Got My Book Contract
The Story: How I Got My Book Contract
Read More →
Houston, We Have a Cover
Houston, We Have a Cover
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Picture Books Are For Everyone
Picture Books Are For Everyone
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The Countdown is On
The Countdown is On
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41 Weeks Later
41 Weeks Later
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12 Favorite Christmas Picture Books
12 Favorite Christmas Picture Books
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Softening Into Joy
Softening Into Joy
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Thanksgiving Activity: Thankful Thoughts Bags
Thanksgiving Activity: Thankful Thoughts Bags
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8 Great Journaling Tips + The 52 Stories Project
8 Great Journaling Tips + The 52 Stories Project
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Another thing I had to do lately is write the author bio for the back flap of my book jacket. Ever had to sum yourself up in just a paragraph? It’s not easy to decide what details to include (former magazine editor ✔️) and what to leave out (excellent at spelling words backwards 🏆), not to mention trying to sound somewhat interesting—or at least not boring, which let’s face it, is more true in my case than I like to admit 😉—while reflecting the tone of the book. . I read a BUNCH of author bios while I was formulating mine. (See what a riveting life I lead? 😂) Some are straightforward. Others are silly. Some are cute. Others are quirky. And lots are a variation on the theme of the book they’re included within. In the end, mine leans toward the last option. Want to read my first draft? (Note: I have no idea how much this will change between now and when my book comes out. Publishing is not a game of speed. You take a step, wait 3 months, take another step, wait 3 months, make a few edits, wait 3 months...) Okay, here goes. This is the bio I submitted for My Big, Dumb, Invisible Dragon, a story about loss, grief, and hope. . “ANGIE LUCAS is a freelance writer who spent years working for magazines and marketing departments before finally getting brave enough to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a children’s author. She has never seen an invisible dragon, but she knows what it feels like to have one swoop in out of nowhere and refuse to go away. That’s how she learned the secret: even the biggest, heaviest dragons get easier to carry over time, especially when we have friends who understand. A graduate of Utah State University, Angie lives with her family in the Salt Lake Valley.” . What do you think? Nailed it or failed it? 🤣 And...if you’ve never written about yourself in the third person (he/she instead of I/me), you should give it a try! I’d LOVE to read yours. What fun, interesting, amazing, or quirky details would you include in YOUR bio? 👇🏻
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: 1️⃣1️⃣ and 1️⃣2️⃣ 🎄 1️⃣1️⃣⭐️Room for a Little One⭐️ Another animal-centered nativity book, which I apparently can’t resist, this one features pastoral scenes and gentle prose. On a cold winter's night, Kind Ox welcomes Old Dog, Stray Cat, and Small Mouse one by one into the warmth of the stable. Then Tired Donkey arrives, carrying a most precious load. It’s just lovely. 🎄 1️⃣2️⃣⭐️Christmas Day in The Morning⭐️ Written by Pulitzer-prize and Nobel-prize winning novelist Pearl S. Buck, born in 1892, this story hearkens back to humbler times, when the gifts were simple and the chores were never done. A dutiful teenage son finds a way to give his hardworking dad a gift he’ll never forget. I imagine my own grandfather’s life looking a lot like this. 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends—each in a separate comment. 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again! (And don’t miss my previous five posts...) 5. ALL winners to be selected and announced on or around December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that the prize book’s format (hardcover, softcover, board book, etc.) may vary from version pictured. Must NOT have a heart that’s two sizes too small. 🎄
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: 9️⃣ and 🔟 🎄 9️⃣ ⭐️Wombat Divine⭐️ A little wombat who wants desperately to be important—by having a part in the nativity play—is disappointed to find he’s too heavy to be the angel, too short to be a wise man, too sleepy to be Joseph. But then he finds the perfect part... You’ll cheer for the innocent, earnest, childlike wombat, who just wanted to be special. And finds out that he is. ❤️ #memfox @kerryargent @hmhbooks 🎄 🔟 ⭐️Song of the Stars⭐️ Beautiful crackle paintings of nature scenes accompany the reverent, awestruck prose. From open fields and forests to seas and running rivers, all of nature can sense that something wondrous is happening. It's all-around magical and a delight to read. @sallylloydjones @alisonjay17 @zonderkidz @harperkid @harpercollinsch @harpercollinsus 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends (each in a separate comment). 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again! (AND enter the previous four giveaways too. There’s still time!) 5. ALL winners to be selected and announced on or around December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that the prize’s boo format (hardcover, softcover, board book, etc.) may vary from version pictured. Must be willing to bring us some figgy pudding, and bring it right here. 🎄
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: 7️⃣ and 8️⃣ 🎄 7️⃣ ⭐️The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey⭐️ When I first flipped through this one, I thought, “whoa, this is long,” and then I started reading and I was like, “I’m not crying, YOU’RE crying!” I often shy away from longer books at bedtime, but this one is worth the extra time. It was written by a school librarian who wanted to teach children about the true message of Christmas: hope. It melted my reluctant little heart. ❤️❤️❤️ 🎄 8️⃣ ⭐️The Night Before Christmas⭐️ This vintage title has a fabulously '50s feel, although the scenes depicted are from the time the famous poem was written (early 1800s): the dad in the story is wearing a dressing gown, the children have petticoats, and Santa has cloud of pipe smoke around his head. (Modern depictions of Santa tend to omit his tobacco habit.) I also love the format of the Big Golden board book. It’s fun to see this nostalgic art bright, and shiny, and larger than life. 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends (each in a separate comment). 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again! (And enter the three previous posts this week too!) 5. ALL winners to be selected and announced on or around December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that the prize’s boo format (hardcover, softcover, board book, etc.) may vary from version pictured. Must have visions of sugarplums dancing in your head. 🎄
I’d like to interrupt the 12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY to share my annual holiday card public service announcement! 🎄🎄🎄 . When Christmas card season rolls around, and you’re friends with a Lucas or a Jones or a Perkins, the age-old question inevitably pops up: do I add an apostrophe to the address label or gift card? If so, where does it go? . I’m going to say something BOLD right now. You NEVER need to add an apostrophe to someone’s last name on a gift tag or a Christmas card. Seriously, never. Don’t add one to your last name. Don’t add one to your recipient’s last name. Don’t add one if the last name ends in “s.” Don’t add one if it DOESN’T end in “s.” Just don’t. . Here’s the rule: If the recipient’s name ends in an “s” already and you want to make it plural, all you do is add an “es.” That’s it. No apostrophe needed. 🔔 TO: the Joneses 🔔 FROM: the Lucases . If that makes you squirm (which it might if you’re friends with an Esteves, let alone many Esteveses) try this method instead. 🔔 TO: the Esteves family 🔔 FROM: the Lucas family . If you’d like the FULL story about the Christmas card apostrophe catastrophe, I wrote a whole blog post about it, in glorious, excruciating detail! 🎁 My gift to you. 🎁 The link is in my bio! . 🎵🎄Have yourself an appropriately punctuated little Christmas...🎄🎶 . GIVEAWAY resumes tomorrow (Friday)! . #christmastime #instagrammar #punctuation #punctuationmatters #apostrophe #writersofig #writerslife #writer
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: 5️⃣ and 6️⃣ 🎄 5️⃣ ⭐️When Santa was a Baby⭐️ What do you think Santa was like as a baby? Rosy cheeks (both above and below 🤣)✔️, booming “Ho-Ho-Ho” laugh (“He doesn’t have the USUAL baby voice,” said his dad, “but it’s good and strong, isn’t it?”) ✔️, gives all his presents away ✔️, makes toys in his spare time ✔️. Santa didn’t exactly fit in with all the other kids, but he always stayed true to who he was. This book is a delight, from beginning to end. 🎄 6️⃣ ⭐️Humphrey’s First Christmas⭐️ A quirky camel with delusions of grandeur suffers with cold, indignity, jealousy, and the weight of the three chests he must carry on a long journey—can you guess what’s in them? Acting like a charming, overgrown toddler, Humphrey schemes and grumbles, but in the end, he encounters an unexpected treasure that makes his ordeal worth it. The illustrations are rich and detailed; the self-pitying expressions on Humphrey's face are particularly well done. 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends (each in a separate comment). 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again. (Don’t forget to enter yesterday and Monday as well!) 5. ALL winners to be selected and announced on or around December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that book format (hardcover, softcover, board book, etc.) may vary from version pictured. Must be wishing for a Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time. (Poetry. Sheer poetry.) 🎄
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: #3 and #4 🎄 3. ⭐️Little Blue Truck’s Christmas⭐️ Writing in rhyme is NOT easy, but Alice Shertle nails it EVERY time. All of the Little Blue Truck books have such a fun voice and cadence, making them delightful to read aloud. While this is geared for the preschool crowd (there’s a counting angle to it), the artwork by @jillmcelmurray will delight kids of any age. And the language is just about right for an early reader to read by his or herself. The version we have, which my truck-loving 17-month old is going to FREAK OUT about, has real lights on the Christmas tree on the last page! @hmhkids #aliceschertle 🎄 4. ⭐️The Animals’ Christmas Eve⭐️ First published in 1977, this vintage story also has a counting angle. It features timeless illustrations and counts its way toward the birth of Jesus with remembrances from one hen, two white doves, three wise men, four brown horses, and so on. When Keira was littler, this was always our Christmas Eve read. It was engaging enough for her little mind and still had a sacred feel. @littlegoldenbooks @penguinrandomhouse @penguinkids 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends (each in a separate comment). 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again! (AND enter yesterday’s too) 5. ALL winners to be announced December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that the prize book’s format (hardcover, softcover, board book) may vary from version pictured. Must be dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones we used to know. 🎄
12 Picture Books of Christmas GIVEAWAY: 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ 🎄 1️⃣ ⭐️Last Stop on the Reindeer Express⭐️ The newest addition to our family’s lineup, this book is great for anyone who will spend the holidays far from family—and anyone who loves amazing art, intricate cut-outs, and peekaboo pages. The colors, patterns, and details are exquisite, as is the story of a little girl who is whisked through a magical mailbox to fulfill her greatest Christmas wish. @doubledaybooks #maudiepowelltuck @karljamesmountford 🎄 2️⃣ ⭐️The Christmas Wish⭐️ While there are now several spinoffs in this series, we still love the original. The photographs are stunningly styled, timeless, and so REAL, like a glimpse into a Nordic wonderland. My daughter stares at them, trying to figure out how the little girl is riding a polar bear, walking under a glacier guided by a musk ox, being pulled through the sky on her skis by a reindeer on her journey to the North Pole. The inscription on the book flap says, "Be Brave. Be Kind. Believe." ❤️❤️❤️ @perbreiehagen @lorievert @randomhouse @randomhousekids 🎄 How to enter the giveaway: 1. Follow my page 👆🏻and like this post. 2. Leave a comment, tagging a friend who might love either of these books! Heck, tag lots of friends (each in a separate comment). 3. I’ll select one random winning comment for today’s post. Both the tagger and the taggee will get one of these books—you decide betwixt yourselves who gets which title. 4. Come back for two new book picks tomorrow and enter again! 5. ALL winners to be selected and announced on or around December 10th. . Rules: Must have a U.S. shipping address to win. Must accept that the prize book’s format (hardcover, softcover, board book, etc.) may vary from version pictured. Must stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and syrup. 🎄 #giveaway #contest #contestgiveaway #instacontest #book #bookaddict #bookaddiction #bookish #booklove #booklover #bookmom #bookmoments #booknerd #bookworm #booksofinstagram #bookstagrammer #childrensbooks #childrenslit #childrensliterature #ilovebooks #instabook #kidbookstagram #kidlit #kidlitart #kidsbooks #lovebooks #picturebook #picturebooks
 
 
 
 
 
 
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