Meet Our October Guest Guru: Lynne Marie
This month, we're helping to harvest one of your stories with feedback from our Director -- multi-published, award-winning picture book author Lynne Marie!
Up to four 2026 Members will have the opportunity to get a feedback and rating from her. Members can request Lynne Marie as a Guru from Judy, our long time Admin Assistant and In-box Coordinator Extraordinaire at (RateYourStory@gmail.com), and if there are available spots and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive the benefit.
For this month, please send Fall-themed stories.
What do you LOVE about HALLOWEEN picture books? Oooh, that’s a good question! While I favor any and all celebrations, I love the lore of Halloween picture books (both as an adult, and as a child). I love that these books touch upon mythology in so many different ways, via so many different cultures. As a child, I loved the watered-down, less scary versions of Halloween and its creatures. As an adult, I love the origins and monster subcultures. So it’s a win win for me.
And I am grateful to have two Halloween Picture Books to my name BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle (co-rhymed by Brenda Reeves Sturgis with art by Nico Ecenarro) and Moldilocks and the Three Scares (art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo). And I even have more spooky stories in the crypt :)
What is something you have or do that most shows how much you love Halloween? Oooh, another good one! Well, while the COVID pandemic was actively in effect and highly prevalent (with Romania at Level 4), I travelled to Transylvania for a Halloween land tour. While it seems a brave thing to do, I wouldn’t have gotten my money back and would have missed the trip of a lifetime. So off I went! Among other fascinating things like churches with relics on every corner, we visited Sighisoara where Vlad Tepes (Prince of Wallachia) was born, including the house where he was born AND Bran Castle which was owned by his grandfather. The itinerary changed while we were there and we were no longer going to Snagov Monastery where Dracula (meaning son of Dracul) was interred, so my tour guide Catalin Mogoseneau from https://www.click2travel.ro/about/ arranged a private tour for me! It was AMAZING and worth every penny! And being in Transylvania on Halloween was quite cool!
And for those interested in Dracula or Dracula lore, check out The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.
Name costumes you’ve worn for Halloween. Costumes I remember were a bunny (still LOVE bunnies), a princess, Madonna, Morticia Addams, and Walt Disney (LOVE Disney and Disney Travel is part of my specialized area as a Travel Agent).
As an adult, I’ve dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, also Madonna, also Morticia (I’m a big Addams Family fan and even saw John Astin perform in Beyond Midnight, the Story of Edgar Allen Poe), Cleopatra, Cat Woman, a Ghost Host, a Witch, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Ursula the Sea Witch, a Queen, a Dancer, a Pirate, Elinor from Brave, Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. I’m sure there’s many more, but those are all that are coming to mind right now.
What do you look for in a Halloween or Fall project to make it a favorite, or if you are an Editor or Agent, to garner your interest? I’m looking for something that’s new and different, or something that at least features a fresh approach on a popular topic. For Fall, I likely am looking for a bit of harvest and heart, and for Halloween, something with some kind of creature, as well as heart and humor and takeaway value for a child without being overtly preachy. As for what's fresh or new or hasn't been done with a fresh approach -- It’s really important to know what’s out there and to have “read all the things!”
Share a story that you love and why, or if you are an Editor or an Agent, a book you simply had to acquire). Wolfie the Bunny (art by Zacharia O’Hora) and The New Kid Has Fleas (Art by Eda Kaban), coincidentally both written by Ame Dyckman, but also picture books like the Zombie in Love series by Kelly DiPucchio (art by Scott Magoon). I love these books because they are fresh takes on perennial subjects/themes, like siblings, the new kid, and being lonely. And all are humorous with heart and all have fun creatures (and one has a bunny).
And as always, Unicorn and Horse by David Miles, with art by Holly Mengert, because the characterization is brilliant, and the ending is surprising, yet satisfying.
What is a common issue with the submissions you receive? That the idea is either not well-executed, or is well-executed, but not all that marketable. It really needs to be a story that’s well-written and well-told, that is better than what’s out there, and has a clear market.
Please share a Submission tip with our Members. Put every word, every phrase, every sentence on trial. Does it make sense to the story? Does it say something in as few words as possible? Does it speak to characterization or plot? Does it move the story forward? Does it compel the reader to keep reading? Does it show tension? Is there a clear takeaway? Is age appropriate and navigable by the child reader? Does it have heart? Does it convey humor if appropriate and possible? Always ask yourself these questions.
Please share a Revision Tip for our Members. Put your ideas on trial and make sure you have a solid, marketable idea which you can envision from beginning to end at the get-go. It will save you time and countless revisions if you start off with a viable idea rather than just struggle with one that’s not so viable.
Name subjects you would like to read about, or, if you are an Editor or an Agent, see in your in-box. I would love to see books about monsters or aspects of Halloween or Fall that haven’t appeared or don’t often appear in picture books. I actually just saw one today from one of my Mentees! It was such a joy to see a story that’s so new and different. I could tell this person had done her reading.
Name subjects you would not like to read about (or give feedback on), or, if you are an Editor or an Agent, see in your in-box. Nothing mundane. Nothing overdone, but nothing overtly scary, morbid or horror adjacent. And I always appreciate proper grammar and punctuation so that I can focus on other things!
Answer a question that you wish we had asked you. Where can we learn more about you and how you approach ideas and the execution of your books?
On Wednesday, October 21, 2026 I will be conducting a webinar on Writing and Selling Spooky Children's Books, featuring two of my books, and others! For $25.00 attendees will get a copy of BroomMates, which they can keep or gift -- we will ship direct or to a gift recipient, library, school, or shelter. You can sign up here: https://forms.gle/QXc4swRxxpiTdjrF8
There will be fun, fundamentals, book readings, Q & A, and prizes. Don't miss this event!
Share a Fun Fact About You: My absolute favorite Broadway Musical of all time (and I've seen a hundred plus) is The Scarlet Pimpernel. This exquisite production set against the backdrop of the French Revolution during the Reign of Terror. Sir Percy Blakeney, a nobleman, marries Marguerite St. Just and finds she betrayed his friend, who ended up at the guillotine. For revenge, he masquerades as a "dandy" in real life, but under cover of night assumes the role of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" to save other victims from a similar fate. The characters are so complex, including Chauvelin (another favorite villain). And Percy is likely the very first superhero ever, penned by the Hungarian Baronness Emmuska Orzy in 1903 and published in 1905.
Here's a picture with me with Douglas Sills
who played Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel.
I think even when it's not Halloween, I really like Halloween-y things, like masquerades, superheroes, assumed identities, suspense and such!
BIO: Lynne Marie is a multi-published, award-winning author of over ten picture books. She's an acquiring editor at The Little Press, director of RateYourStory.org, developmental editor and mentor at ThePictureBookMechanic.com, co-host at #SeasonsOfKidlit.com, columnist at Children's Book Insider and developmental editor and mentor at Reedsy.com.
She's a celebration connoisseur and Halloween enthusiast who loves to travel and collect stories.
You can learn more about her and her books and her love of art and literature at www.literallylynnemarie.com
Check Out her latest Interview here:
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