2021 Subbing Success!

Oh, 2021. What a year. If you got any writing, illustration, or submissions done at all, know that you are absolutely a rock star. If you didn’t, know that you are still a rock star! (Read this post on Debbi Ohi’s blog to see that you are in good company!) Lucky for us all, good writing news did happen in 2021. Today we are celebrating Sub It Club member’s agent, publishing, and awards news from 2021! We’ve included their personal and book links so you can support them in whatever way you can. Let’s celebrate the successes of our fellow Sub It Clubbers! Congratulations to everyone!

Katharine J. Adams signed with Ernie Chiara at Fuse Literary in May for her fantasy, TONIGHT, I BURN in which Death-walking thorn witch, Penny Albright, must burn alone each night, carrying intel across the veil between Life and Death to save her sister from a dangerous lord in a mystical manor that shouldn’t exist.

Kaitlyn Blackman won two awards for Best Manuscript Sample at the 2021 Atlanta Writers Conference, one from Maeve McLysaught and one from Leah Pierre, both of Ladderbird Agency for TEMPTING TOMORROW – Amy, a time-traveling millennial, is thrust back to 1816 Massachusetts where she must save her ancestral family from ruin and fulfill her destiny—but her task goes wayward when she’s spellbound by brooding logger Edmund, a man with secrets who may be the key home.

Sophia K Brinton signed with Bre Stephens at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency in November with her YA fantasy, THE WELL OF WISHES. In the story, the queen wants Ria and her sister dead. The sisters are sick of hiding. They enter the elite theater competition, gambling their lives for a chance at a future.

Heather Ayris Burnell had book 5 in her early reader series release in March — UNICORN AND YETI: FAIR AND SQUARE. Unicorn and Yeti debate their favorite shapes, paint, and figure out the most fair way to split a pie. She also sold book 7 in the series titled STUCK WITH YOU.

Candice Marley Conner had two picture books released by MacLaren-Cochrane Publishing SASSAFRAS AND HER TEENY TINY TAIL on 6/8 in which sometimes our differences can help us save the day, and CHOMPSEY CHOMPS BOOKS on 10/12. Chompsey is great at chomping things but not so good at reading like the rest of his book club swamp friends. How can he get the letters to stay still and make sense?

Her YA Southern mystery, THE EXISTENCE OF BEA PEARL in which sixteen-year-old Bea Pearl must navigate the river and swamps as well as the secrets of her small town to uncover what happened to her mysteriously disappeared brother was released by Owl Hollow Press on 6/15/21.

Laurie J. Edwards had a number of books come out. Her middle grade UNICORNS OF THE SECRET STABLE series all released by Jolly Fish Press in December are: 

UNICORNS TO THE RESCUE -When her sister Ruby goes missing, Iris needs the unicorns help to find her. LUCKY & THE DRAGON – As Ruby struggles with a bullying schoolmate and an intimidating dragon, can she find ways to bring peace to her school and to the unicorn realm? MAGICAL UNICORN HORNS -Iris must protect her beloved unicorns from a thief who plans to steal their horns. MERMAID MAGIC -When Ruby and Iris ride their unicorns into a Northland blizzard, they discover a magical, icy underwater kingdom. 

She also published Amish Romance writing as Rachel J. Good

AN UNEXPECTED AMISH PROPOSAL (Kensington, March) – When Fern Blauch loses her Farmer’s Market stand, Gideon Hartzler offers her a place in his business—and later, his heart. AN UNEXPECTED AMISH COURTSHIP (Kensington, July) – A young man struggles to overcome his stuttering so he can share his message with others and speak to a woman he admires from afar. AN UNEXPECTED AMISH CHRISTMAS (Kensington, October) – Two lonely pen pals—a grieving woman and a shy man paralyzed in a buggy accident—fall in love through their letters. CHRISTMAS AT THE AMISH BAKESHOP (Kensington, September) – In this Christmas anthology,  three couples discover the recipe for love includes faith, hope, and the sweetest blessings.

MORE AMISH CHRISTMAS MIRACLES (Blessed Publishing, November) – Anthology with 10 heartwarming Amish Christmas romances by USA Today bestselling authors. Amazon Bestseller: #1 in Religious Biblical Fiction, #1 in Mennonite Christianity, #1 in Amish Christianity

2021 sales, which are coming out in 2022 & 2023 by Rachel J. Good AMISH SPRING ROMANCE COLLECTION (Blessed Publishing, Mar. 1, 2022) – Seven stories of budding romance and hope in springtime. AN AMISH MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE (Kensington, August 23, 2022) – A second-chance romance for an Amish widow with four children and an Amish widower with five. AN AMISH AUCTION (Kensington, April 2023.)

Ivanka Fear signed with agent Cindy Bullard at Birch Literary in June and signed a five-book deal for her Blue Water Mysteries Series to Level Best Books with a beginning release date of January 2023.

In December, author-illustrator Mark Fearing‘s picture book CASTLE GESUNDHEIT! was released! The Baron Von Sneeze’s coughing and sniffling is keeping the village of Handkerchief awake! Will Fiona be able to help him . . . and his many cats?

MIDDLE SCHOOL BITES: OUT FOR BLOOD, book 3 in the series written by Steven Banks and illustrated by Mark was released in August. Tom the Vam-Wolf-Zom is back–and so is the werewolf that bit him–in this monstrously funny series about a boy who’s dying to fit in. Mark is also working on the second book in a 2 book graphic novel series. The first will be out in mid-2022!

Annemarie Riley Guertin sold three picture books in April: MONSTERS ON THE BROOM is scheduled to release from Little Simon in July 2022. Familius will release 123 COUNTING ON COMMUNITY in Spring 2023, and MONSTERS HIDE AND SEEK in Fall 2023.

Annemarie’s book ABC, RISE UP AND BE!, an empowering alphabet book to inspire kids to become their best selves, was released by Bushel and Peck Books in May.

Regina M Hansen‘s YA fantasy/horror, THE COMING STORM released from Atheneum Books for Young Readers in July. The book about teenaged fiddler Beet MacNeil and her friends who must save their town from an ancient evil, is nominated for a 2022 Red Maple Award!

Ana Holguin signed with Laura Crockett of Triada US Literary Agency with her romance THE UPSIDE OF BEING WRONG in November! (Look for her query letter that worked that we’ll be sharing soon.)

In January, Kimberly Behre Kenna sold her MG Fiction ARTEMIS SPARKE AND THE SOUND SEEKERS BRIGADE to Regal House/Fitzroy Books in which Feisty twelve-year-old Artemis recruits a team of deceased ecologists to help save her beloved Long Island Sound salt marsh from certain death, but chaos ensues in her tourist town when she discovers that her mother’s boyfriend’s hotel is part of the problem. Scheduled release is 2/2/2023.

MJ Klipfel (aka Jen Kemp) sold her book, BLOOD PROMOTION – When a sassy reporter’s promotion comes with a death warrant and new DNA, she must partner with a drop-dead-gorgeous vampire to save her city from becoming the battleground for a paranormal war. The book is scheduled to be released by Totally Entwined Group on July 19th, 2022.

Kirsten W. Larson‘s children’s book A TRUE WONDER: THE COMIC BOOK HERO WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING was released by Clarion Books in September. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and evolution of Wonder Woman, the iconic character who has inspired generations of girls and women as a symbol of female strength and power. Kirsten sold THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE to Roaring Brook Press. The book is scheduled to be released in Spring 2023. This middle-grade graphic novel tells the story of the heroism of Rose Valland, who, through masterful spying during WWII, managed to help locate and save over 60,000 famous works of art.

Anna Lazowski‘s picture book, T. REXES CAN’T TIE THEIR SHOES was released by Doubleday Books for Young Readers/Random House Kids on June 29th! It’s a funny and encouraging alphabetic book about all the things animals CAN’T do but kids CAN! Anna also sold her picture book, DARK CLOUD to Kids Can Press (illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee) to be released in Spring 2023. The story is an exploration of how depression can look and feel, using symbolic imagery kids can understand. It features a girl who has a dark cloud that follows her around and, at first, keeps her from doing her favorite things but slowly, she learns how to live with her cloud at her side.

Ellen Leventhal had a picture book release in April from WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group titled A FLOOD OF KINDNESS. After the river jumped its banks and turned Charlotte’s world upside down, she was sad and angry until one small act of kindness led her to a road of healing.

Michelle Molloy signed with agent Amelia Appel at Triada US in August!

Rachel Menard sold her YA, GAME OF STRENGTH AND STORM to Flux. Pitted against each other in a gender-bent YA fantasy competition inspired by the Ten Labors of Hercules, Gen and Castor race to be the first to complete the better half of ten labors to win favor from the Empresses. Scheduled release is 6/7/2022.

Kirsten Pendreigh sold her debut picture book, LUNA’S GREEN PET to Sleeping Bear Press to be illustrated by Carmen Mok. It is scheduled to release in Fall 2022. In the books, Luna’s devotion to her rescued house plant reaps sweet rewards.