Words Have Wings
Curling Curiosity
Do you have curling curiosity? I love watching curling tournaments and always wondered what it would be like to curl. Recently, the Long Island Curling Club offered Learning to Curl sessions and my daughter signed me up! Curling is harder and more exhausting than it appears to be on TV. What follows below is an … Read more
Picture Book Critiques
Let’s be honest, picture book critiques are hard. Whether you are giving the critique or receiving a critique. Over the last few years I have participated in several critique groups. Some groups were a good match and others, not so much. The critiques however, were always respectful and useful. I have just joined a new … Read more
Winning A Book Award
Authors write books for many different reasons: money, recognition, to teach, and sharing our stories. Winning a book award is one way to get validation and recognition for your book. Book awards can also be a great marketing tool. For my latest book, Two Wins for Wiley, I am starting to narrow down the field … Read more
Joining a Writing Community
Joining a writing community can be one of the most important things that you can do as a writer. Children’s writing has been in my blood for years, but it wasn’t until the end of my college teaching career that I could really spend the time fine tuning my craft. Writing for children was the … Read more
World Read Aloud Day
Are you ready for World Read Aloud Day? This year World Read Aloud Day will be on February 1, 2023. World Read Aloud Day is an annual celebration bringing attention to the importance of sharing stories by challenging participants to grab a book, find an audience, and read-aloud! Reading out loud to kids is a fun way … Read more
My One Word
I am not much of a resolution girl. I was not able to implement or sustain the resolution. After reading One Word That Will Change Your Life by Jon Gordon. The possibility of one word guiding me through the year was intriguing. I wanted to know more. I came across a blog post by Christine Kane. Can A … Read more
An Author’s Year in Review
An author’s year in review is an opportunity for authors to look back at their writing life for the past year. Reviews can help you plan next steps for the new year. It is important to focus on what you were able to do rather than the rejections, less than shining critiques or contracts not … Read more
Local Author Showcase
Last week I participated in a Local Author Showcase. The event was sponsored by a local public library. The library reached out to authors on Long Island in October to see if we would be interested in attending the event. I knew this would be a great opportunity for me to share both of my … Read more
Author School Visits
Author school visits build relationships between children and the written word. Meeting authors can inspire children to write and make connections with lessons they are learning in their classrooms. School visits encourage reading and writing for fun and often motivate reluctant or struggling readers and writers. After an author visit, children often see themselves as … Read more