Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Chapter 14 Excerpt, Middle-Grade Fiction Ages 8-12
Chapter 14: Thursday Night Meet-Up Zelda Screech Cat taunts her bona fides while at home with her nemesis and reluctant owner, Sophia...
Susan Stoderl
Jul 7, 20231 min read
Middle-Grade Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Detective Series | How Sophia Came About
The main character in my Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers series is a rambunctious, precocious ten-year-old girl going on forty. The...
Susan Stoderl
Jun 30, 20231 min read
Announcing Upcoming Attractions | A Prequel, Audiobook, and Literacy Podcast
#SophiaoftheBrightRedSneakersSeries, #Prequel, #Literacypodcast, #middlegradefiction, #bookcommunity #booksofinstagram #readingcorner...
Susan Stoderl
May 12, 20231 min read
Writing Children’s Fiction Ages 8-12 | Letting Children Know They Are Not Alone
Children want to know how to cope with situations that seem overwhelming, that they feel are beyond their years and ability to cope....
Susan Stoderl
Apr 18, 20231 min read
Middle-Grade Detective Book Excerpt | Mission 2: Unexpected Visitors
Chapter 1. Apartment 4B—with a Capital “B” for Bo-o-oring! A cloud of doom hovered over the MacGregor household. Sophia propped her...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 14, 20232 min read
Middle-Grade Prequel to Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Excerpt
From Chapter 1: Boys, Dragons, and Golden Fleece In this excerpt, the classroom teacher, Bartholomew Smythe, lectures on Jason and Medea...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 7, 20232 min read
A Middle-Grade Indie Author’s Life | To-Do List v. Completed List
To-Do on the Business End of Writing Read all those emails from the writers and entrepreneurs that already know what I need to know. Make...
Susan Stoderl
Apr 4, 20231 min read
Writer’s Life | Self-Promotion—Only One Word For It
YIKES! (That’s the nicest word I could think of.) Are you telling me I have to get out there and talk to people and collaborate with...
Susan Stoderl
Mar 10, 20232 min read
Sophia and Pedro Cook | Super-Sleuths Chili, a Middle-Grade Detective Recipe
As you know, Sophia and Pedro like to cook. Here is one of their "No Bunnies, Moo-Cows, or Chicks" recipes. 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 yellow...
Susan Stoderl
Mar 3, 20231 min read
Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | A Middle-Grade Detective Book
The occupant of apartment 4A, Sean O’Donoghue, otherwise known as Mr. O’D, followed a specific routine every morning. He put on his...
Susan Stoderl
Feb 24, 20231 min read
Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Wahoo's "Working" Relationship with Christie's Auction House
Wahoo is an arctic raven who is quite a dapper dude with thoughts only of others, such as helping Christie’s Auction House with their...
Susan Stoderl
Feb 10, 20232 min read
Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Suzy Snodgrass Gives Mdm. le Diable Effects
Sophia and Pedro are in history class with the Cru Crew, the fashionistas and bullies of JSCA. Today’s lesson in New York City history is...
Susan Stoderl
Feb 3, 20232 min read
White Lady Ghost of Stow Lake—Another Fake!
“Sophia and Pedro, finish your tea and cookies. The tea house closes in fifteen minutes. Then we’ll go check out the Pioneer Mother...
Susan Stoderl
Jan 27, 20232 min read
What I Would Do Differently | Part 3: Who is Your Audience
My answer was “Uhhh…,” followed by some generalized answers based on why I wrote the story I did. It quickly turned into “I don’t know.”...
Susan Stoderl
Jan 24, 20232 min read
A Sophia & Pedro Short-Short Story | Crocker's Nob Hill Ghost Gets Its Retribution
Sophia and Pedro take a tour of San Francisco's Nob Hill and Grace Cathedral with their pink-haired author friend. While they are touring...
Susan Stoderl
Jan 20, 20232 min read
A Sophia & Pedro Short-Short Story | The Case of the Golden Gate Ghost Busters
Sophia and Pedro are waiting at the Union Square stop for the Ghost Tour bus with their pink-haired author friend. "My guidebook claims...
Susan Stoderl
Jan 13, 20232 min read
New Sophia and Pedro Short Story and Lesson Learned
Introducing my second short story "A Celebration of Cultures: Pedro's Special Three Kings Day." The stories expand on the characters...
Susan Stoderl
Jan 6, 20232 min read
New Year's Eve Plans Go Awry
#sophiaofthebrightredsneakers, #middlegradebooks, #middlegradedetectiveseries, #newyearsevestory, #childrensfriendshipbooks
Susan Stoderl
Dec 30, 20221 min read
New Christmas Story Just for You
Sophia and Pedro prepare for the perfect Christmas Eve celebration with Mr. O'D and Henry. Missing are Lionel, Henry's nephew, an NYPD...
Susan Stoderl
Dec 23, 20221 min read
Genre-Bending: Not Fitting In
I was looking for a quote for the graphic on Ms. Gabaldon's website and found one that looked interesting. However, it didn't make much...
Susan Stoderl
Dec 7, 20222 min read