The Benefits of Gratitude  

I like hearing the words "thank you."  Don't you?  Those two words make me feel good. 

And yet, those two words bring back a hurtful memory.  

Many years ago, I took vacation leave from my job and drove 75 miles to take care of a relative recovering from surgery.  It was my pleasure and honor to care for him.  But, when it was time for me to travel home, I never heard I'm glad you came, you were helpful, thank you for being here.  Maybe he felt that I was obligated to help out.  Or maybe, he didn't feel well and just forgot to thank me.

On a more upbeat note, a fellow writer and protégé has kept in touch with me for over ten years.  He writes to tell me of his rejections, acceptances, and goals.  In all of his emails he expresses thankfulness for the help I had given him in the past and for the help I still give him.  And this means the world to me.

I never fail to notice gratitude.  My husband thanks me after every meal.  Even if it's just spaghetti and meatballs.  Even if it's leftovers.  He doesn't have to, but he does.

Our daughter is grateful.  She thanks us when she gets a surprise package at college.  She always writes thank you notes to relatives for birthday presents.

My cat Ozzie expresses gratitude.  After he's been fed, of course.  Ozzie shows his appreciation by rubbing his lips across my hand and marking me with his scent, telling me that I'm his.

I like to express gratitude, too and writing has given me many opportunities to be thankful—when someone critiques my work, when somebody submits to Kid's Imagination Train, when a writer asks me to guest blog, when an editor publishes my work, and the list goes on.  
  
When people do something nice for me, I like to write a thank you note, send flowers, or bring them something sweet to eat.  And after being published, I found there are a lot of people deserving of a thank you:  

 
•  My publisher
•  My agent
•  Reviewers 
•  Fans who came to the book signing
•  Shop owners who placed a book order  
•  Bloggers who promoted my book 
•  People who ordered my book
•  Editors that accepted an article I had   written on publishing a book
•  Bookstore managers and book sellers
•  My book launch team
•  Business people who helped me market   my book
•  Media specialists who booked a school   visit

Gratitude is easy to do and it can transform your life.

Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author states that gratitude has been proven to open doors to more relationships and can improve physical and psychological health, enhance empathy, reduce aggression, improve sleep, and increase self-esteem.  She believes we can cultivate gratitude. Rather than complain about the things you think you deserve, focus on all that you have. 

Grateful people have been found to be blessed with more happiness.

As reported by Robin S. Stern, Associate Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Robert A Emmons, Ph.D. Dept. of Psychology, University of California for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, "Grateful people experience more joy, love, and enthusiasm, and they enjoy protection from destructive emotions like envy, greed, and bitterness.  Gratitude also reduces lifetime risk for depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders, and it helps people entangled with those and other problems to heal and find closure.  It can give you a deep and steadfast trust that goodness exists, even in the face of uncertainty or suffering gratitude to mental health and life satisfaction." 

Stern and Emmons said it perfectly, "Gratitude isn’t just an emotion that happens along, but a virtue we can cultivate. Think of it as something you practice as you might meditation or yoga.  Gratitude practice begins by paying attention. Notice all the good things you normally take for granted." 

When you practice gratitude, it can inspire people to acts of kindness.  It has the power to strengthen bonds with other people. 

There are countless ways to say thank you.  All you have to do is to take note when someone is kind and express thankfulness.  No one gets tired of those two little words.  

✌ and ♥

BEING BOLD 

They're big.  They're beautiful.  And they're bold.

As colorful and impressive as this guy was, I didn't want to get near him.  

He's loud.  REALLY LOUD.  And he means business, or should I say he's looking for business. 

On a visit to Spain with my family, we explored a section of Retiro Park in Madrid where scads of peacocks and peahens live.  We found the birds on steps, in flowers, in bushes, on hilltops.  It was like a peacock paradise.  Magical.

They totally owned the place.  

Bold birds.  

Upon returning to the states, I discovered more peacocks, this time in the news...

Pennlive.com, May 31, 2018

"PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia Zoo officials hope to recapture four peacocks that escaped and caused a traffic jam on a major highway.

The officials on Thursday will work with police after the birds took a stroll along Interstate 76 around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. State police arrived and shut down two lanes of traffic on the highway, causing backups for miles.

Police say they managed to get the birds off the highway, but they were unable to capture them. Zoo officials say the peacocks went to roost for the night.

The zoo says the flock roams freely on its grounds, and it is cared for by veterinary staff. The zoo says the birds sometime venture past its gates, but they normally return home on their own."

They didn't.

These stately birds remind me that when it comes to writing, I must be bold—   

to admit my work needs revision, 
to put a manuscript aside when the story is not working, 
to submit manuscript,
to face a possible rejection,  
to edit, edit, edit because the first, second, and third drafts are never good enough, 

to ignore the ambiguous replies that say this work is not a good fit.

I must be bold...
because quitting is not an option.  

If I want to succeed at publishing, I must find my inner-peacock.

SAY DISAPPOINTMENT AIN'T SO 

I have a confession to make.  

After my book was published, I was disappointed.   

At first, I felt on top of the world.  I couldn't believe my manuscript was going to be a book.  This feeling was an indescribable high after travelling the incredibly difficult road to publication.  But within a months, disappointment sailed in like clouds gathering before a storm. 

I wasn't upset with the way my book turned out.  Disappointment came in the guise of rejection (as if I hadn't had enough rejection before my book was published)  Surprisingly, this rejection came from family members.    

It was shocking for me.  Though I wished otherwise, I found some relatives less supportive than I had expected.  These family members did call or email me.  They did not come to book signings.  They did not buy the book or even read it.  So, I found myself grieving because I felt let down. 

Behind the smile I felt sad and angry.  I wished things could have been better, that my loved ones would understand and care more.  However, the lack of support could be due to complicated dynamics, jealously, or just plain ignorance.

I know, I know, we can't change our people.  We are the ones who must change when we are faced with this kind of rejection.  

Here's what I did to ease the hurt:     

• Recognized and accepted that this was another form of rejection   
• Talked about my feelings with others  
• Released the pain through forgiveness
• Shielded myself by limiting contact with unsupportive people 
• Immersed myself in new projects

Though it is incredibly painful and mind-boggling, being rejected by family can be common.  A fellow writer once told me that her mother didn't read her newly published book.  It's comforting (and sad) to know I'm not alone.

After a while, I figured I had to move forward and not dwell upon the negativity because it drained my creative energy.  

I thought about the neighbors who inquired about my book.  I remembered the friends who bought my book and the young fans who showed up at the signings.  I tried to concentrate on all of the good things about publishing a book, the wonderful lessons it teaches and the joy it brings to young readers.  When I focused on the positive, the hurt of rejection softened and slowly, the clouds of disappointment drifted away.

My biggest supporters, my husband and daughter♥

The Maggie Project is published twice a month

Finding Reviewers

Clueless.  Nervous.  That's how I felt when my editor told me I would need to find reviewers for my upcoming book Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show-and-Tell.  I had never done this before.  But that's no excuse.  It was time to figure it all out.

Since I'm a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, I turned to the SCBWI book reviewers directory, a comprehensive reliable source.  As I studied the directory, I made a list of reviewers who accepted picture books.  Next, I visited their websites to learn more about their submission policies.

Afterwards, I goggled "reviewers and picture books."  Some of these reviewers like Publisher's Weekly, The Picture Book Review, and New Pages were added those to my list.  Then, I began to fine-tune the list based on three points.  First, a reviewer could not charge a fee. Secondly, the reviewer must guarantee a timely and a fair review. Lastly, reviewers had to have updated websites.

You might think that's all there is to it.  List completed.  But there's one more step.  I learned that an author should comment on a reviewer's website.  So, once a week I read the reviewer's blogs and try to leave a comment.  This step is all about making connections. 

For now, there are about fifteen to twenty reviewers on my list.  My publisher Saturn's Moon Press will probably step in as well, because some reviewers require that the publishing house, not the author, send an advanced copy of the book for review.

Clueless?  Nervous?  Yes, but not as much as when I first started.  I'm still learning.  However, the more I read about reviewers and connect with them, the more confident I'll be when it's time to get reviews.

Timeline from Creation to Publication

Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell was conceived in 2011.  Ever since signing the book contract, I've kept a record of the steps taken to prepare for the release of Maggie.  

Below chronicles the journey of a debut picture book.   

Querying:
Wrote the first version of Maggie 2011

Edited, edited, edited and submitted from 2012 - 2015 

Shelved the manuscript for a year 2015 - 2016

Re-edited 2016

Queried late Oct. 2016

Connecting with a publisher:  Fall and Winter 2016
Received an e-mail from an interested publisher:  Nov. 3

Sent an e-mail to thank publisher:  Nov. 3

Spoke to publisher:  Nov. 10

Signed contract:  Nov. 11

Promoting: Winter and Spring 2017

Edited and embellished ending of the story:  Dec. 11
Created a bio and head shot: Dec. 11

Developed a website:  Dec. 15

Studied book signing and how to market the book: Dec. 15 - 30

Wrote two articles about rejection/publication: Jan.  5 - 18

Studied illo styles to give publisher the vision of the book: Jan. 19

Looked at three illustrator's renderings of the character Maggie:  Feb.1

Chose an illustrator*:  Feb. 6

Looked for reviewers:  Feb. 9

Read about school visits:  Feb. 13 -  17  

Created a discussion guide; reviewed the first illustrations:  Mar 1 - 30 

Published articles about Maggie in writer's magazines:  March

Designed gifts for giveaways: April
Guest blogged for other writer's blogs:  April

Had guest bloggers on  http://www.childrenswritersworld.blogspot.com Apr/May

WHEW!  There's been a lot going on!  And as we look forward to a release date this summer, there will be lots more to do.  Stay tuned to find out the next steps in preparing for the launch of Maggie.  

*I have the honor of working with the creative director in making decisions about the illustrations.  Not every publishing house follows this policy.

Sneak Peak of Maggie

Here is a sneak peak of Maggie.  I am honored to be working with Creative Director Melissa Carrigee and illustrator Emiliano Billai.


Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell will be available this summer at Cactus Moon Publishing, Amazon, and other online retailers.

Thank you to my husband and daughter

and friends and writers for their wholehearted support. 

Getting a Start on Marketing

Last December I signed a book contract with Cactus Moon Publishing.  The creative director suggested that I get started marketing my book right away. Yikes!  Though I have been a children's writer for over twenty years, I didn't know much about marketing a book for kids. The only thing I knew was promoting a book should be done well before the release date.

Over the Christmas break, I started working on a marketing plan for my upcoming children's book Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell which will be released this summer.  My publisher sent me a helpful marketing guidelines book.
I also studied websites on marketing.  Here's one of my favorite sites: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/book-promotion/    

This is what's been done:  

Developed a website (http://www.randilynnmrvos.com)

Joined Linked In

Created an email list 

Became a guest blogger   

Got featured in writer's newsletters

Invited writers to guest blog

Joined Goodreads 

Began commenting on blogs

Wrote how-to articles

Created a media alert letter

Here's what will need to get done:  

Create a business cards 

Create bookmarks

Create a testimonial page 

Create a fan page on Facebook

Work on planning book signings and school visits

Ask to be interviewed by the local paper and local radio host

Marketing a children's book is overwhelming to me.  Writing is all I've ever known. But I'm eager to learn and I'm ready for the challenge.  If you've had some experience or have ideas on getting the word out about a book, I welcome for your suggestions and comments.  

Questions about Maggie

Last December I signed a book contract for my picture book.  I'm so excited!! Friends and family are genuinely interested and have been asking me all kinds of questions about the story.

Here's a sampling of some of their questions followed by my answers:

What age is it written for?  The age group for the book is 4 - 8.

Are you going to illustrate it?  No, the publishing house will select the illustrator.

What is the title?  The working title is MAGGIE AND THE SUMMER VACATION SHOW AND TELL.

When will it be published?  The book will be published late July or August of 2017.

What's the story about:  This picture book is about an adorable dog, a poison dart frog, a set of dentures, and a little girl with a big school problem.

Can I get an autographed copy?  Of course:)

Is there a book two?  Book two is in the works.

What was your inspiration?  Six years ago I met a special dog named Charlie.  Trooper, Maggie's dog is based on this real life canine who was rescued by a friend of mine.

Do you have a question about Maggie?  Please leave a comment.

Writing from the Heart

    Today Laura Smith shares the inspiration behind her book 
      In All Things: Giving Thanks When Hope Seems Lost.

What inspired me to write and actually have my story published was an accumulation of numerous events. My original intent was never to publish a book however; when I had one person read it and then another, and another, the feedback was amazing! It was like a sense of urgency that the message within was something people needed to hear. And even the men who have read it have been profoundly affected.

When I was very young, I remember sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen on the floor while my grandparents and their friends sat at the table playing cards. They would play for hours and hours and often times into the night. While I would sit there on the floor, I was very content in doing so because I was in my own little world doing what I never imagined would be my heart’s desire later in life. I was writing stories and songs and reading them or singing them out loud for my card-playing family to adore. Now, thinking back to that time (I was only about 4-years old and had no idea how to even write my name let alone a story or a song), I have concluded that it had to be God planting within me the inspiration and desire to write.

The life events that sparked this book began in my teen years where I remember wondering why I was even on this earth, or why would God put me in a family that didn’t seem to even want me. I was always called a mistake and they would tease me when I was younger saying that they found me on the streets of St. Paul. It’s no wonder that I married the town rebel two weeks after my high school graduation! Finally someone loved me and I wasn’t going to let that go. Fast forward 18 years, two daughters later and a divorce, I re-married. I had found out that my youngest daughter was molested by her biological dad when she was only two years old. She was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and Bipolar disorder. My oldest daughter was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis and she faces numerous back surgeries and many other trials.  Then I was told that my husband and I would never have a child of our own. But wait! After weeks of being sick and a random pregnancy test to rule out that possibility, I’m PREGNANT! A miracle! It took us weeks to absorb this miracle and the growing excitement from our entire family. But, I lost the baby 3 months into the pregnancy.

While some write to entertain, I found the writing process was very healing for me. Journaling through trials helped me to empty the pain of the day from my heart onto paper so I could start fresh the next day. This was the case when I initially started writing In All Things. It was simply in a journal and was a way for me to try and process the grief of going through miscarriage. I write very honestly and hold nothing back. I believe that by the power of our testimony others can find healing. I also believe sugar coating things makes for a nice story but has no impact. The first editor I contacted to go through my book wanted me to remove a lot of life events because it wasn’t “Christian” like.  Well, I’m sorry but I’m a real person and I experience real life issues and others need to hear the real stuff.

Since the publishing of this book, I have had inspiration for another book to be the second in the “In All Things” series. The next one will be In All Things: Expect A Miracle which will be an account of the amazing two years going through my dad’s cancer journey with him. Also since publishing, I have been asked to speak at a few local events and my desire is to be able to do that more. I feel that when you can share your story in person, it can touch people more profoundly.  At one of the events where I shared my story, there was a lady in the audience that was healed instantly from the pain of miscarriage she was suffering from for two years! I would love the opportunity to see others find that same healing and freedom to live again. I encourage others with a personal story to get it out there. The reward and I don’t mean monetary is far greater than the fear. 

Author Bio: Laura works as a medical coding and reimbursement specialist in Northern Minnesota. In All Things is a witty and raw account of an otherwise normal life filled with incredible challenges that will make you laugh out loud and cry tears of joy and tears of sorrow. Her little family had no idea that the life experiences they walked through early on and one life altering event would prepare them for the near death of her oldest daughter.

Make friends, share the love of reading and be entered to win FREE books! There will be up to 3 winners during this Book Lovers Blog Hop & Giveaway*. All you have to do is enter the giveaway below.

There are many ways you can enter:

1) Promote the Book Lovers Hop and World of Ink Tours on any social network.

2) Tweet it once a day.

3) Share on Facebook.

4) Like this blog post.

5) Leave a comment.

Also, don't forget to follow those who have joined in the Book Lovers Blog Hop. By joining the Book Lovers Blog Hop, you are automatically entered in our Book Giveaway!

Join the Hop & Rules:

1. Follow the Top link of the hop! Hop Host: Families Matters

2. Grab the button for the hop and place it in a post, sidebar or on a blog hop page

and make sure to let us know.

3.Grab the button for the June '12 World of Ink Tour and place it in a post or side bar.

4.Make sure you let us know where it is in the comments section below.

Getting Paid

Last year, one of my articles was published by a prestigious children’s magazine.  The good news:  I had a great clip.  The bad news:  I wasn’t paid. 

I called the publishing company several months after publication and was told that payment would be mailed nine months following publication.  Accepting this as standard procedure, I decided to wait (although deep inside it didn’t feel right).

Meanwhile, I wrote about publishing for this children’s market and submitted my articles to writers' magazines.  However, one editor passed on my article.  She informed me that she could not publish a piece that centered on this publisher.  Many writers had not been paid, including herself.  I was not alone. 

To make a long story short, I had to call the publisher’s accounting department several times to get results.  I was told that someone would call me back.  I was told that my check had been cut.  I was told that my check would be mailed.  But none of that happened.  After additional phone calls, I was told that I needed to send a W9 form to accounts payable.  So I did, still having doubts; however, I received my check a week later.

What does this little story tell us?  Before submitting to a market, look into when you’ll be paid.  For me, this publisher guaranteed payment “sometime after publication" (which translated to:  over a year following publication).  These terms are too vague.  If you should find yourself in a similar situation, call the publisher to find out exactly when payment will be made.  If it exceeds your expectations, negotiate and then get it in writing that you want to be paid in a shorter amount of time.  That’s what I should’ve done.   It would have saved me time and trouble.  But live and learn.  Now I know, and so do you.

Writing Wishes

As writers, we have the opportunity to create wonderful pieces which may be shared with others through publishing.  And yet other times, our work may never reach an audience.  We may ask:

Why hasn't my piece been published yet?
Why hasn't the editor responded to my query?
Why was my work rejected? 

The world of writing has its ups and downs, and occassionally it seems so unfair.  I'm probably not the first person to tell you that have to develop a tough skin.  But wouldn’t it be nice if writers:     

*received a decision about their submissions in a timely fashion.
*were contacted, even with a form letter, if their work was rejected.
*were given a specific reason for a rejection so that they could improve their work. 
*had the chance to revise.
  

And wouldn’t it be nice if editors:  

*worked together with writers in the editing process.   
*made suggestions for a revision.  
*praised a writer’s hard work.
*paid writers for their work.

These are just a few of my wishes for writers.  And sometimes, those wishes come true. 

Bibliography Reminders

Most of us learn how to cite sources in high school.  Yet, about 50% of the
nonfiction submissions that I receive for Stories for Children Magazine fail to format bibliographies correctly. Surprisingly, some writers use out of date sources.      In fact, one writer listed a source that had been published over 50 years ago!

Here are some rules to remember: 

*Alphabetize the sources by authors’ last names.
*Italicize book titles and the names of journals.
*Don't capitalize each letter of a word in a book title.
*Include the publishing city and the state if the city is obscure.
*Place titles of journal articles in quotes.
*Aim for five to ten current and reliable sources.
*Try to include primary sources.
*Provide dates for interviews

Don’t get lazy with the bibliography.  Submitting an incomplete or improperly formatted bibliography is unprofessional.  You win not win over an editor with a sloppy biblio. 

My favorite reference is the Chicago Manual of Style.  I refer to it often.  I would suggest that writers invest in a copy or visit the website.  It’s a wonderful source to refer to whenever you’re in doubt.

COMMENTS:
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Mind Over Matter Books

Mind Over Matter (M.O.M.) Books are geared towards preschoolers to help them learn how to be resilient. Life comes at us fast and children have to be prepared with the right tools to face the challenges, adversity and obstacles that may become a part of their life. BELIEVE is the first of five books emphasizing the important factors for resiliency. In this book children will learn to BELIEVE in their possibilities!

Kasey  Kellem guest blogs today and shares the message behind her Mind Over Matter books: 

In my first book Believe, children will learn to use the Mind Over Matter techinque of BELIEVING they can overcome anything! Through whimsical illustrations and simple wording children are given ideas of what to believe in life. The goal is to have children believe they can overcome any obstacle, challenge, or adversity they face. From this book, children will hopefully learn to believe in their potential and believe in themselves.   

The best part about my book is that it was created in a unique and creative way that allows it to stand on its own and serve as a decoration on a shelf or a desk. This allows for the child to be constantly reminded to "Believe" just like I am reminded in my home and office with the wooden motivational words that say "Believe," "Love," "Relax," and "Dream." 

Another bonus of the book is that hidden on each page is a caterpillar who also illustrates how to believe. This makes the book interactive for young children as they search for the caterpillar and see how he believes! Finally, included in each book is a page of simple parental advice on how to help children to believe in themselves.

As a school and a former special education teacher, I have always been intrigued by childrens' resiliency skills. My Mind Over Matter books help teach young children the fundamental of being resilient. Through much research and a few college degrees, I've learned that the characteristics of resilient people include the ability:

To BELIEVE they will get through the circumstance

To realize that people LOVE them

To LAUGH at the funny things in life

To RELAX and make time for themselves

To have a DREAM or goals in life 

My mission in life is to help children to be prepared for all that life is going to offer them. I hope my book Believe gives children one tool to use when facing any challenge or adversity. The additional books, Love, Laugh, Relax, and Dream will offer the same kind of supportive message and purpose.

Get a sneak peek of the book BELIEVE and listen to an interview with Kasey Crawford Kellem at http://youtu.be/L_PPnSHXzzY

About the Author: Kasey Crawford Kellem, a School Counselor and former Special Education Teacher, has devoted her life to helping children face adversity.  Kasey created Mind Over Matter (M.O.M.) books to teach children skills to overcome life’s challenges. She has earned a Bachelor’s Degree and Masters Degree in Special Education and an Educational Specialist Degree in Counseling. She is a devoted wife, stepmother, sister, daughter and counselor.

You can find out more about Kasey Crawford Kellem’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/KaseyKellem.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Kellem and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions. You will be entered into the main the Book Giveaway each time.

In addition, come listen on February 20, 2012 to Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork. The hosts VS Grenier and Irene Roth will be chatting with Kasey Crawford Kellem about her M.O.M Books, writing, helping children to be resilient and her experiences. The show airs live February 20, 2012 at 2pm EST. You can listen/call in at (714) 242-5259.(Note: if you can’t make the show, you can listen on demand at the same link.)

To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit: http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com

To purchase any of Kasey Crawford Kellem’s books, visit Halo Publishing: www.halopublishing.com

Hope Marston's Inspiration

Author Hope Marston reveals her many sources of inspiration:  

I was inspired to become a writer by my mother, an inveterate reader. My interest grew when my oldest sibling, who also read voraciously, gave me my first two books. Further nourishment came when the county bookmobile visited the country school that I attended. That book buffet, served up by the driver, created an appetite for more. I decided right then that someday I would write a book.

In high school I volunteered as a student library aide. When I wanted to read a book that our library didn’t own, I sneaked down town on my lunch hour to the public library. I went off to college with very limited funds. I worked my way through four years of undergraduate studies doing most every campus job available. I enjoyed being a library aide most.

About forty years ago I began taking writing courses by correspondence. One of the instructors encouraged me to find a local outlet for my writing. I became a “stringer” for the Lewiston (ME) Daily Sun. My first stand-alone publication was a child’s daily devotional booklet published by Child Evangelism Fellowship.

While I was studying with the Institute of Children’s Literature, my husband and I moved to New York State. When I became a school librarian, my junior high students asked for books about trucking careers. Trucks, Trucking and You was written for them (1978). That book spawned eight more books about big machines.

My Little Book Series introduces children to nature. The first title was inspired by a line drawing I saw in an Animal Rehab Newsletter. My Little Book of Bald Eagles is the eighth one.

Against the Tide: The Valor of Margaret Wilson features Margaret Wilson. Margaret lived in 17^th century Scotland and died for her beliefs which conflicted with King Charles II. I “met” Margaret when I was proofing a manuscript for a publishing house.

My husband learned about an eleven-year musher named Aisling Shepherd, when he was reading the online daily newspaper from back home. I worked with Aisling to tell her inspirational story of courage and resolve. Eye on the Iditarod: Aisling’s Quest was released this past December.

Where do I get my inspiration? From other readers, writers, and interesting people whom I meet when I read.

 

About the Author: Hope Irvin Marston is a member of the New York State Retired Teachers, the Greater Thousand Islands Literacy Council, the Jeff-Lewis Librarians Association, and the Adirondack Center for Writing, the St. Lawrence County Arts Council, the North Country Arts Council and SCBWI. She organized the Black River Valley Writers Club and served as its leader for several years.

           
In addition to writing thirty-two children’s books and several adult titles, Hope has been on staff for Christian Writers Conferences at Hephzibah Heights (MA), Montrose Bible Conference (PA) and at St. Davids Christian Writers Conference at Beaver Falls, PA. She has taught creative writing workshops at Jefferson Community College, the Jefferson-Lewis Teacher Center and the North Country Arts Council.

Her picture book series, MY LITTLE BOOK COLLECTION (Windward), has grown to eight titles thus far and has 125,000 books in print.

You can find out more about Hope Irvin Marston’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/HopeIrvinMarston.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Marston and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions. For each comment, you will be entered into the big Giveaway at the end of the tour.

 In addition, come listen on February 6, 2012 to Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork. The hosts VS Grenier and Irene Roth will be chatting with Hope Irvin Marston about her books, writing, the publishing industry and experiences. The show will air live February 6, 2012 at 2pm EST. You can listen/call in at (714) 242-5259. (Note: if you can’t make the show, you can listen on demand at the same link.)

 To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit: http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com  

Diary of My Days in Kenya

Rachel Yurchisin is the author of Diary of My Days in Kenya.  Her love of science and nature  inspired her to write a children’s book in the hopes of passing on her passion to other young "budding" naturalists. She is currently a sophomore in high school and resides in  Cleveland, Ohio. Rachel participates in educational programs at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Museum of Natural History.  

The inspiration behind the book began when Rachel was in elementary school.  Rachel's fifth grade teacher Sister Elizabeth gave the class an assignment to write a story appropriate for their age group.   Rachel says, "The book took a lot of research for a fifth grader, but I got an A+ on the assignment."

The actual story line came from the Plain Dealer newspaper. Rachel used friends' names and names of famous tennis players for characters in the book.  The animal characters in the book received their names from Swahili, the main language of Kenya, because those words reflected their attitudes and demeanors.   Rachel revealed that the protagonist's name, Susan Polling, was randomly selected from a phonebook.  

Rachel admits that she had forgotten about Diary of My Days in Kenya until the summer of 2010.  While she and her mother were cleaning out some grade school boxes, they found the story. Rachel says, "We decided to send it in to a publisher, Halo Publishing, and the rest is history."

Synopsis:

Diary of My Days in Kenya is a fictional story loosely based upon the real life occurrences of a nomadic lioness who nurtures baby oryx as if they were her own young. During a drought, the naturalist Susan Polling and other professionals are sent on assignment to observe and document this special pairing. Polling offers readers interesting insights as to why this unique phenomenon has transpired. The story explores how the traditional relationship of predator and prey is transcended, presenting a spellbinding account of how a parental bond—even a non-traditional one—can never be broken.

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Book Lovers Blog Hop:

Make friends, share the love of reading and be entered to win a FREE book!

 All you have to do is post the Book Lovers Blog Hop and World of Ink Tour Banners below to your blog. Promote the Book Lovers Hop and the January '12 World of Ink Tour on any social network. Tweet it once a day, share on Facebook and then follow others back that leave you a comment. By joining the Book Lovers Blog Hop, you are automatically entered in our Book Giveaway!

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A blog hop is a link list that is SHARED ON MULTIPLE BLOGS. When several blogs put the same link list code on their blog, the exact same list appears on each blog.

Blog visitors can submit their entries on any blog that contains the list. The entries will appear on each blog where the list resides.

Blog readers see the same list on each blog, and can "HOP" from blog to blog seeing the same list of links to follow: BLOG HOP!

There will be three (3) winners and each will get a different book in the Book Giveaway.

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Book Giveaway Rules:

· Join the Book Lovers Blog Hop. (One entry)
· Follow the World of Ink Tour and leave a comment per tour blog stop.
Make sure to include your safe email so we can contact you if you are the winner.
Example: vsgrenier AT storiesforchildrenpublishing DOT com. (One bonus entry per blog stop)
· Ask a question per World of Ink Tour blog stop. (One bonus entry per tour blog stop)

Please play nice and follow our simple rules! Make sure to FOLLOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON and as many other blogs as you'd like to have more follow back. This is what makes Book Lovers Blog Hop work, so if you're not willing to follow, please don't link up.

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Book Lovers Blog Hop is Open…

January 2, 2012 at 12am MST and closes January 31, 2012 at 11pm MST!