Words Have Wings
A Bookcation?
This was a new idea for me. A bookcation? It seems simple enough. A vacation in which all you do is read books. The beauty of a bookcation is you can make it whatever you want. You can read whatever you want, for as long as you want and you can read any where you … Read more
Hot Air Balloon Adventure
There’s a certain excitement when you see a hot air balloon floating in the sky. But to actually be in one, lift off, and see the ground below you shrink as you float away. It is just the beginning of your Hot Air Balloon Adventure. Do your homework Did you know that in order to legally fly … Read more
Engaging Children During Story Time
Summer, for me, is a quiet time with fewer book signing events, but not this year. I have three opportunities to share my books with children. There is only one thing that can make or break the event – engaging children during story time. If you are like me, you want to ensure that story … Read more
Summer Writing
What do I love about summer? Everything! Everyone has moved outside. They are enjoying the warmer temperatures, beaches, playgrounds, pools and other activities. These are my summer writing sparks. But if I am busy writing, will I have time to enjoy my summer too? The answer is YES! Calendar I am a calendar person. Thankfully, … Read more
A Beautiful Collaboration
We often get asked why we wrote Two Wins for Wiley. It was a beautiful collaboration with my daughter Caitlin. Caitlin is an acupuncturist and is the guest author of this blog post. In most cases, a children’s book is written by one author. If the author is fortunate enough to find a publisher, the … Read more
Ebooks for Children
Not everyone feels the same as I do about ebooks for children. I believe that ebooks provide some advantages that paper copies may not. When my first book, Gertie Saves the Day, was being released I had mixed feelings about releasing it as an ebook. Naturally, I wanted everyone to have a paper copy of … Read more
Turn the Page
When revising one of my picture book drafts, I like to spend time checking my page turns. I ask -Have I created a reason for the reader to turn the page? In my research, I found many techniques authors use to create an irresistible page turn. Feel free to try one or more. Pose A … Read more
Harsh Critiques
Have you received harsh critiques from fellow authors? Most of the time the critiques I receive are very helpful pointing out strengths and weaknesses. Just this week I received a harsh critique that stated my premise was silly because cats do not wear glasses. They went on to say, I had a blatant disregard for … Read more
Back Matter Buzz
Authors are a buzz! At each author event I attend this month there seems to be a Back Matter Buzz among the authors. While non fiction books often have back matter, it is new territory for picture book authors. What exactly is back matter? Do picture books have back matter? Where should I be adding … Read more