<![CDATA[Sunshine Bacon

<![CDATA[Sunshine Bacon - Blog]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 03:06:53 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[2019 Empathy Challenge, Now with PRIZES!]]>Fri, 17 May 2019 16:55:54 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/2019-empathy-challenge-prizes

Traveling and reading are the best ways to build empathy. Last year, I designed an empathy challenge to add a zero-cost travel program to librarians' and teachers' summer reading programs.

You can read about why I created the empathy challenge at Teen Librarian Toolbox.

This year, I've tweaked the sheet and there are PRIZES!

If your teens or tweens complete a line or column of this year's empathy challenge, tell me how many (very) small prizes to ship to your school or library. If someone completes every square before August 31st, I'll ship an additional prize for them.

Also new this year: I'm offering a grand prize. At one school or library, I'll teach a writing workshop, talk about empathy, talk about authoring, or some combination of the three...at no expense to you, no matter where you live in the United States. (The travel is on me, too!) Each school or library where at least ten students complete at least one row or column of the empathy challenge is eligible to win the grand prize.

Download your empathy challenge here.

To receive your small prizes or enter to win the grand prize, head to the "About" page on this website. Contact me via email, Twitter, Instagram, or the form on that page.

]]><![CDATA[Ohio Book Events!]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2018 04:09:57 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/ohio-book-eventsI'll be talking about my books in Chagrin Falls on October 13th and in Columbus on October 14th.

Saturday, October 13th at 1 p.m.

I'll read from Antipodes, talk about both of my YA novels and, sign copies.

Fireside Book Shop
29 N Franklin St,
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

Sunday, October 14th at 1 p.m.

I'll read an excerpt, talk about writing life, and (probably) enthuse about how much Columbus has changed since I moved away.

The Book Loft
631 S 3rd St.
Columbus, OH 43206

]]><![CDATA[Autumn 2018 Young Adult Scavenger Hunt]]>Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:22:28 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/autumn-2018-young-adult-scavenger-huntYou missed it! The YA Scavenger Hunt runs every autumn and spring, so perhaps you'll catch it in April!]]><![CDATA[Spring 2018 YA Scavenger Hunt]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2018 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/spring-2018-ya-scavenger-huntYou missed it! The YA Scavenger Hunt runs every autumn and spring, so perhaps you'll catch it it October!]]><![CDATA[Screen Shot Sunday]]>Sun, 08 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/screen-shot-sunday3272280

Oh. Wow. So. This will be a super secret screen shot, because this is a skirt Santa is putting in my stocking. I saw it somewhere and HAD to have it.

All women's clothing should include pockets, but a skirt with pockets made from the Marauder's Map? I had to have it.

I now own it, but cannot wear it until I am quite surprised to find it Christmas morning. I love being Santa.

]]><![CDATA[Autumn 2017 YA Scavenger Hunt]]>Tue, 03 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/autumn-2017-ya-scavenger-huntYou missed it! The YA Scavenger Hunt runs every autumn and spring, so perhaps you'll catch it in April!]]><![CDATA[Antipodes Has a Cover!]]>Sun, 01 Oct 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/antipodes-has-a-cover

Today, in lieu of Screen Shot Sunday (which is totally going to take off, I swear,) I'm posting the cover of my new novel, Antipodes, which publishes Tuesday April 3rd, 2018.

That night, we'll have a party (and cake, of course) at Secret Garden Books in Ballard. Come join us!

Antipodes is a slice-of-life story about ambitious 17-year-old Erin Cerise, whose carefully plotted life suddenly implodes just before her 17th birthday. To rescue her flagging Ivy League prospects, Erin is forced to study abroad on New Zealand’s gorgeous South Island. What began as a social exile becomes much more as Erin experiences cultural clashes and tremendous personal growth through competitive swimming, music, friendship, and--of course--love.

]]><![CDATA[Screen Shot Sunday: Our Old Life]]>Sun, 24 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/sunday-screenshot-our-old-life

Yeah...that's a Magic Card. And it's one of my favorites. In our previous life (read: before 2008 was born,) 1977 and I played a lot of Magic: The Gathering.

One rainy Labor Day weekend, we bought two booster boxes so we could draft and play all weekend. (We also had more disposable income then.)

I'm not sure why I screen-shotted the Woolly Mammoths, but I know I loved the Ice Age expansion. And the 9th edition flyers. And I loved playing with blue flyers and spells, green creatures, Shocks, and Lava Axes.

We should get back to that...in our infinite free time.

]]><![CDATA[Unsolicited Advice: Your First Book]]>Thu, 21 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/unsolicited-advice-your-first-book

The Internet hosts HEAPS of advice for new writers and new authors. I do not weigh in on those, because publishing is a business where your mileage may vary. I'm doing what works for me!

Today, I have a single piece of advice for new authors: think carefully about your cover art. My publisher and I agreed on the cover for Life Before, and it truly fits the story, but I hadn't realized it would be everywhere. It's on my business cards, all over my website, on posters when I speak at book stores, and on name tags at book events. The cover was perfect for Xander, but I'm not really a dirty Chucks kind of girl.

Next Thursday, we're revealing my new cover. It's beautiful. I'll be buying new business cards and revamping my website as soon as possible!

Photo credits for the above: Mira Thomt, Abra Johnson and Carlos Barradas

]]><![CDATA[I'll Park This Here for Posterity]]>Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMThttps://www.sunshinebacon.com/blog/ill-park-this-here-for-posterity

Telling someone her writing is private and secured with a password is an agreement. If you have administrator's access to that writing and read it despite the agreement, you have gained illegal access. And lost my trust.

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