Meet April's Guest Guru - TLP Editor Lynne Marie

We are very excited to feature our April Guest Guru (Lynne Marie) who brings a wealth of knowledge and information to us and will give a rating and feedback to four lucky Rate Your Story Members this month. All Members need to do is request her from Judy, our in-box coordinator, and if there are available spots and your manuscript seems like a good fit, you will receive this benefit.

Q: What did you love about being a child?

A: Where do I start? I loved the toys, games, stuffed animals, songs, and cartoons – the Saturday Morning cartoons, the Wonderful World of Disney, the Disney Matinees of summer, and the tv shows – including super heroes and Rankin Bass productions, the movies, pets and books (fairy tales, picture books, biographies, fiction and more)! 

I loved the fun and freedom of spring, summer and fall weekends and the seasonal vacations growing up in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I’m not saying I didn’t have any struggles growing up – there were many, but the sensibilities of childhood made it  a magical time for me and books provided a wonderful place to escape to whenever I needed it. 

Q: What brought you to children’s books? 

A: I was able to read well pre-kindergarten, and since then, I don’t think I ever left children’s books. It's actually my favorite sweet spot in kidlit (Pre K - 2nd Grade). But even in my early and late teens and twenties, I would read books to the children I would babysit or spend time with, and then that escalated when I had my own children.  Children’s books are a fast escape to wonderful places or a quick experience to help you navigate the place you are in. They are nothing short of entertaining, educational and enchanting. 

Available from Lynne Marie - LiterallyLynneMarie@Gmail.com 

Q: What do you love about children’s books?

A: I love that they can help shape children (future adults) and inspire them to be the best they can be. Reading will make them more imaginative, more intelligent, more kind and compassionate, more well-rounded than they would be without books. I love that they can be a life preserver for kids who need them. I love that books allow you to armchair travel with so many characters to so many places and situations to experience. 

Q: Share a little bit about your most recently-published book. What did you learn from this experience? What is your favorite thing about this book? 

A: My most recently published book, BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle has been such a flight! It’s a really fun and fast-moving book to read to children and it has important take-away (to compromise, rather than fight). It  has surpassed so many expectations – it’s in its third printing, was a finalist in the Anna Dewdney Read Together Award 2025 (to be announced mid April), and is a winner in the Holiday category of the Northern Lights Book Awards, with more to be announced soon. 

My favorite thing about this book is that it’s like Wicked for little ones, but with more takeaway and a happier ending. I love that glitter and gloom can both co-exist, create together and become something even better than its counterparts. And it’s fun - I had these little pins made up and let the kids choose which team they are on – Team Glitter or Team Gloom! 

Q: What team are you on – Team Glitter or Team Gloom! 

A: Actually both! I loved Disney and other fairy tale princesses AND the Addams Family and the Munsters and most recently, Wednesday.  I really couldn’t choose between these two very different choices and that’s why compromising personalities and styles felt so appealing to me! So at times I am glittery and other times gloomy, and just happy being me and enjoying the best of both worlds. 

But to be honest, in situations as far as room decor, I was the one who wanted to decorate the bedroom like a haunted house, and my sister Jean wanted bright colors like fluorescent pink and orange. My parents made us work it out and we ended up with Haunted Mansion Purple Walls and a Pink / Orange shag rug. My side had spooky things on display and hers had bright and cheery things on display! It’s nice that we compromised and also that we can laugh about it now. 

Q: What do you love about the genre of books you write in (please be specific)?

A: Picture Books have words AND pictures so they are the best of both worlds! I also love the vivid language and imagery of picture books! And I love seeing what the illustrator brings to the text! It’s magical! 

Q: What does a story need to make it a favorite for you?

A: Well, first, would obviously be STORY. But it seems that in recent and not-so distant past, writers have seemed to veer away from that. However, to me, it’s very very important. But basically, I need to see all the beats of a worthwhile children’s book – great writing AND storytelling, a main character that kids can connect with, the problem that kids can identify with, motivation and stakes in solving the story problem or goal, character change / growth (for the most part, of course there are exceptions – if it works), strong plot and clear takeaway value at the end, plus humor and heart! A new place, if possible, whether real or imagined. That’s a lot, for sure, but the best books nail this!

This being said, I did just co-write a concept book manuscript. But a concept book is supposed to be a concept book, so there's that. And this was fun and fills a hole in the market.

Q: Share a story that you love and why. Because I’m an Editor for the Little Press and am always longing for something that moves me to acquisition, I’ll share a few:

A:  These are just a few that I have read / re-read recently (click on the links for more info or to buy).

For Pacing and so many reasons - Tate’s Wild Rescue by Jenny Turnbull (and)

Prudence Wants a Pet by Cathleen Daly 

For compassion - I Know How to Draw an Owl by Hilary Horder Hippley 

For sweet sentiments - Always By My Side, a Stuffie Story by Jennifer Black Reinhardt 

For humor - There’s a Lion in My Cornflakes by Michelle Robinson

For takeaway - Do-it-Yourself Dollhouse: Making More with Less by Shannon Anderson

For Social Emotional Learning - The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld (AND)

Just What to Do by Kyle Lukoff 

For History - George Washington’s Spectacular Spectacles by Selene Castrovilla

Be sure to follow the Rate Your Story blog www.rateyourstory.org/blog and read my March On With Mentor Text and Mentor Text Monday posts as well as follow my personal blog where I will be sharing books that resonate with me and why (www.literallylynnemarie.com/blog) and littlepresspublishing.com/blog where there’s a recent pitch article which outlines what I am looking for there. 

Q: What is a common issue you see in the manuscripts you critique?

A: A combination of writing and storytelling issues. It’s really important to learn your craft, know it well and be able to execute what you know effectively in your story. I realize it’s hard to be objective about one’s own work, but it’s really important to be able to be – so that you can take it where it needs to go to be a well written, well-told story. 

Q: Please share a Submission Tip with our Members. 

A: Seek trusted and honest advice (outside your critique group) to make sure the story is ready or at least as ready as it can be for the eyes of an agent or editor. And if you want to be forward-thinking, for the eyes of readers, reviewers, and review journals. It’s really important that your manuscript become the best it can be, and unfortunately, sometimes, that takes more time than we imagined. 

Q: Please share a Revision Tip for our Members. 

A: When your manuscript is ready, do several revision passes, looking at just one thing each time. Voice. Character. Plot, Pacing. Word Choice. Sentence Length. Re-readability. Kid connection. Make sure you check all the boxes. 

Q: Name subjects you would like to read about. 

A: I would love to read about outer space, holidays, fairy tales. But I also like the unexpected surprise. One that was a nice surprise (and fit what I am looking for at The Little Press) is Donna Marx’s Good Luck Puck! I am not the most sports-minded person, and yet,  I loved that manuscript and the message about being a Team. So hey, you never know what will strike you! 

Please Note: You can join our Launch and Learn programs for both Henny Penny's Weather Worries (by me) on April 23, 2025 and Good Luck Puck (by Donna Marx) on November 17, 2025 and get the books for free with webinar registration. E-mail RYS.CyberOffice@gmail.com for more Info with the Event in the subject line.

Q: Name subjects you would not like to read about.

A: Anything super preachy or didactic. Anything super sad (although there are exceptions, like The End of Something Wonderful and Maybe, Tomorrow. 

Q: Share something you wish we had asked you about, but didn’t! 

A: Should you approach me to see if I am interested in a manuscript that you know I laid eyes on. If my eyes set on a manuscript that I would be interested in (fits the parameters of what I am looking for) and is nearly ready, I would definitely reach out, so no need to ask. I would even ask permission to show another TLP editor if I think it's something they might be interested in. But also understand that the manuscripts we acquire at The Little Press should be fairly well-developed. It’s often that we love an idea, but the manuscript doesn’t quite execute that idea as well as we would like. 

Q:  Share a fun fact about YOU! 

A: In the 80s, my boyfriend at the time was a music promoter. So on a regular basis, I got to hang out with bands like Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, the Gogos, and so many more. I know it’s a challenge, but the 80s will be 50 years old soon and it would be cool to find a fun picture book manuscript that celebrates that in an effective, kid-friendly way. I’m not even sure there’s a way, but if there is, that would be so FUN! 

BIO: Lynne Marie is the multi-published, award-winning author of picture books, The Star of the Christmas Play   (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares (Sterling / Scholastic 2019),  Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat (Yeehoo Press 2023), BroomMates: A Brewing Boundary Battle, an Anna Dewdney Read-Together Finalist 2025 (The Little Press 2024) and Henny Penny’s Weather Worries (Mac and Cheese Press, 2025) and more, forthcoming. 

She’s an Editor at The Little Press, Director of RateYourStory.org, Mentor at ThePictureBookMechanic.com, Creator of March On With Mentor Texts (www.rateyourstory.org/march-on) and Mentor Text Talk, Co-Host of #SeasonsOfKidLit (www.seasonsofkidlit.com) and a Columnist at Children’s Book Insider (https://writeforkids.online/).  Visit her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com.