Guest Blogger - Kevin McNamee

Today we welcome Kevin McNamee, who will be talking about his children’s picture book, What Is That Thing?




Kevin McNamee is a writer and poet living in Yonkers, NY. He mostly writes for the children’s market. Kevin’s published work includes the picture books, If I Could Be Anything, The Sister Exchange, Lightning Strikes, The Soggy Town of Hilltop and What Is That Thing?

Kevin’s poetry has been published in the collection, An Eyeball in My Garden: And Other Spine-Tingling Poems. Other titles coming soon by Kevin include My Brother, the Frog, Papa’s Suns, Just for Today, and more.

Kevin, what is this book about?
Jenna has a vivid imagination. When a new baby comes into the house, she uses her imagination to try and figure out this new person in her life. Finally, she realizes that she doesn’t need to use her imagination. Things are fine just the way they are.

Why did you write this book?
A new baby is a big enough adjustment for adults and children alike. There may be children in the house who are struggling with the changing family dynamics. I wanted to find a child-friendly way to help with that adjustment and to help calm any fears that might arise from having a new brother or sister.

Do you think this book can help?
Yes, I do. To be unsure of the unknown is a common and normal reaction to big changes. I wanted to both validate a child’s sense of uncertainty and to show that change, especially when it comes to having a new brother or sister, isn’t a bad thing. I think this book accomplishes that in a way that children can understand.

What was the hardest thing about writing this picture book?
I had a hard time with this book during the editing process. This book has three separate imaginary episodes that are completely different from each other. Yet one scene flows directly into the other. I wanted to make sure that the reader would be able to follow the story from scene to scene. This is really where the other half of a picture book becomes so important, the artwork. K.C. Snider’s illustrations did an excellent job of bridging any gaps. The artwork blends the real and imaginary worlds together beautifully. The end result was a delightful picture book that educates, entertains, and hopefully solves a problem.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?I really wanted to write a book that is both useful and entertaining. I hope you and your child have fun reading this. If you find that this book has helped, please let me know. I love getting feedback like that.





What Is That Thing?
by Kevin McNamee.
Illustrations by K.C. Snider
Print ISBN: 978-1-61633-141-2; 1616331410
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61633-142-9; 1616331429

It’s an alien from outer space! … It’s a strange and smelly creature! … It’s a mysterious, roaring animal! … It’s my baby sister?!
Jenna uses her imagination to understand this new person in her life. When she finally sees things as they are, will Jenna like what she sees?





What Others Are Saying
“I recommend the book to any child who has younger siblings or is about to accept the arrival of a new sibling. They will be able to laugh and also accept the little being into their lives, and even be very happy and enriched by the new little baby sister or brother.” – Stories for Children Magazine



“McNamee has done a great job of capturing what the experience of having a new sibling can be like.

Illustrator K.C. Snider provided colorful pictures that show both Jenna's imaginary adventures and the real world in a cute way.” - Janet Ann Collins - On Words


“This cute and heartwarming story should be read to all children who already have or are about to have a new addition to their family.
Further value is added by the award-winning artist K.C. Snider, who elevates the story with her top-notch illustrations.” - Blogcritics.org


“In this delightful new story from talented poet and writer, Kevin McNamee, we see him doing what he does best–create a story that youngsters will love … What Is That Thing? would make a perfect gift for the little girl who is going to be a big sister soon.” - Children's and Teens' Book Connection



This book is available as a print book, a downloadable e-book, or a book on CD from Guardian Publishing.

Books are also available from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or ask your local bookstore.


To find out more about Kevin, please visit his website or visit his blog

You can also find Kevin on Facebook.

Kevin is also on Linked-In and Twitter, but he doesn’t tweet too much.

Featured guest on Stephen Tremp's blog

Today, I'm the featured guest on Stephen Tremp's blog with an article on study guides. Please stop by and leave a comment or question and make my birthday a fun one - E :)

Writers on the Move tour stop

This is our last month for blog tours with the Writers on the Move tour group; on my birthday, Sunday, June 5, I will be a guest blogger on Steven Tremp's blog. Come stop by and see what all I have to say about study guides. :)


Don't worry that this is Writers on the Move last blog tour, we will be back in the fall with some exciting happenings. After this month (see tour schedule on sidebar), we will take a couple of months off and will come back with more free workshops and other things. After all, we are a promotional group and believe that paying it forward works well. See ya'll in the postings - E :)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson - guest blogger on poetry chapbooks

Poets Help You Celebrate Mothers and Fathers this Spring--Inexpensively

I always love to report something a little different and I think award-winning poets Carolyn Howard-Johnson and Magdalena Ball have done it with chapbooks of poetry that can substitute for greeting cards for two important spring holidays—Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

The two women have never met. In fact they live on different continents. But that hasn't stopped them from collaborating on a series of poetry chapbooks designed to replace trite greeting cards with real sentiment. With their 'celebration series', the two have developed a new concept for inexpensive holiday gifts. They range from only $6.95 to $12.95.




The chapbooks for Mother’s Day is She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) with photographs by May Lattanzio, and the one for Father’s Day is Imagining the Future: Rumination on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions with photographs by May Lattanzio.





Also in the series is Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love) with artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas and Blooming Red: Christmas Poetry for the Rational.

The small books, a tradition in the poetry world since itinerant vendors roams the country side selling their wares in Elizabethan times. They often sold or gave away their little books filled with their own songs, poems, and wares.

Now these poets' collaborations can all be purchased for Kindle or other digital readers on the high profile Smashwords.com site so they can be read in over nine digital formats on any computer or portable reading device anywhere in the world. This is quite a revolution for both authors, both of whom started their writing careers when the latest technology was a typewriter and carbon paper for copies.

Magdalena Ball runs the highly respected compulsivereader.com review site. She is the author of the poetry book Repulsion Thrust, which was published to unanimous 5-star reviews. Her novel Sleep Before Evening, published in 2007, was a Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson's poetry appears frequently in review journals. She is listed in Poets & Writers and her chapbook of poetry, Tracings, was given the Award of Excellence by the Military Writers Society of America. She is also an award-winning novelist and short story writer and instructor for UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

For more information on any of the chapbooks in this poetry series, contact either of the authors or visit media rooms or Magdalena Ball's site.

Reviews of all these books may be read here.

Carolyn blogs resources for writers at Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites pick and lots of editing tips.


Please visit Marietta Taylor who is featuring Donna McDine

Writers on the Move free workshop - May 16

Writers on the Move is a group of experienced and new writers/authors of multiple genres who strive to share their combined wealth of writing and marketing knowledge with all.

As a NEW feature to the group, Writers on the Move is now offering Workshops on writing and marketing. The first FREE class will be presented by Maggie Ball: Podcasting for Writers; it is scheduled for May 16th at 7pm EST (6 CST, 5 MST, 4 PST).

Registration is required, so please stop by our blogsite for the details.


After registering you will receive a PDF with a comprehensive outline specifically designed for the class. This will allow you to work on creating a podcast before the class and then ask any questions you may have during the workshop.

A bit about the workshop:

The simplest definition of a podcast is just a recorded radio show and Maggie will provide the information you need to get your podcast up and running. She'll define what a podcast is and the many different ways you can either do a single podcast, or start your own "radio show" or even syndication with recorded podcasts.

This will be a very informative workshop for writers who want, rather need to bring their books and/or services to a larger audience. If you're blogging now, the next step is to create podcasts

Writers on the Move tour and New feature: workshop

VBT Writers on the Move has changed to just Writers on the move and we have a new feature: workshops. These will be monthly member-led workshops on topics to help fledling authors and readers who are thinking of writing. The workshops will be held in Everywherechat and can be found here.

The following is the description per Karen of the new workshops; the first will be held on May 16th

In our efforts to continually provide fresh and helpful information to our readers and visitors, and since our group has so many experienced and knowledgeable writers and authors, we've added a new and very exciting feature to our group, the Writers on the Move Workshop.

The workshops will focus on writing and marketing, and depending on the presenter and topic, the workshops will range from 30 minutes to ONE hour to ONE day to ONE week long. We are hoping to keep them free, but for the week long, and possibly even the day long workshops, there may be a small fee – we'll have to see how it all pans out.

The first Writers on the Move Workshop will be in a LIVE hour long chat format, scheduled for May 16 at 7pm EST. Maggie Ball will talk about Podcasting for Writers.

The workshop link Show up a bit before to sign into EveryWhereChat and to see if there is any information already in place

DESCRIPTION OF WORKSHOP:

The simplest definition of a podcast is just a recorded radio show and Maggie will provide the information you need to get your podcast up and running. She'll define what a podcast is and the many different ways you can either do a single podcast, or start your own "radio show" or even syndication with recorded podcasts.

This will be a very informative workshop for writers who want, rather need to bring their books and/or services to a larger audience. If you're blogging now, the next step is to create podcasts and Maggie Ball can show you how.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The June Workshop will be presented by Karen Cioffi and it'll be about creating and selling e-books. We'll have the details the end of May or beginning of June.

We hope you find the information we provide valuable in your writing and marketing journey.


WRITERS ON THE MOVE TOUR: It is the 1st of May and the VBT Writers on the Move tour has begun. I'm supposed to be featured on Carolyn Howard-Johnson's blog Wednesday, but I've not prepared anything and I know Carolyn is traveling for a good part of this month. I will try to get something to her tonight and hopefully she will be able to post it.

Join us as we share our books and other writing information with you all. Please visit Karen Cioffi who is featuring Deb Eckerling today.

Remember that there is always something new and you can see the full schedule on the right under Writers on the Move Tour Schedule. See you all in the postings. E :)

One Young Man's Courage by Donna McDine

One Young Man´s Courage
By Donna M. McDine

I originally began to write The Golden Pathway as an assignment for the Institute of Children´s Literature. After I submitted the outline, I was told that the story was good and comprehensive, but that the market currently contained too many Underground Railroad books.

I believed the critique, but rather than dismissing it completely, I shelved it for a while. Meanwhile, the characters in the book remained at the forefront of my mind, compelling me to write the story.

After some time had gone by, I found that I couldn´t ignore the book any longer and began to write the story. The Golden Pathway is the story of a young child, David, who defied enormous odds to help a young slave escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

The Deep South before the Civil War as a time of turmoil, and white slave owners seemed to sense that their way of life didn´t have much longer to exist. I love American History and thought that this story would be a great lesson to children ages 8 through 12, showing these young people how courage and determination can overcome almost any of life´s hurdles.

I submitted The Golden Pathway to the Children´s Writers´ Coaching Club for critique by Suzanne Lieurance, who helped me rewrite it until it was ready to submit for publishing. But first, I submitted the story to the 77th Writers Digest Writing Competition and it placed 12th from over 1400 entries.

I was thrilled. After that, I submitted the book for publication and after expanding and editing even more, Guardian Angel Publishing was ready to publish The Golden Pathway. Now, I had my first published children´s book – and there are more to come.

I hope that The Golden Pathway transports each young reader to the time of the Underground Railroad, and by the end of the book, they´ll understand what it was all about. Young people today may not readily understand the concept of slavery, but when they read about Jenkins´ plight and David´s willingness and courage to help him, they will surely glimpse a piece of history.

Those days were extraordinary times – but children also need courage and determination in today´s world, where bullies at school hang out around every corner and situations at home may turn dark and ugly.

I am currently working on marketing plans for two other children´s books called, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey, which will be published soon. The Golden Pathway may light the path for one or more readers to explore their own beliefs and courage to stand up for what they believe.



Donna's Bio:
Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Donna’s stories and features have been published in many print and online publications, and her first book, The Golden Pathway, is published through Guardian Angel Publishing as will her second book, The Hockey Agony. McDine’s interests in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Ms. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Musing Our Children, and The National Writing for Children Center.

For an interview or school visit request, please email Ms. McDine at dmcdine@optonline.net


The Golden Pathway
By: Donna M. McDine

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com
Print ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-081-1
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-082-8
Available: August 2010

Please feel free to visit Donna at:
Donna's website
Donna's blog
The Golden Pathway Blog

Follow Donna at:
Donna's facebook page
Donna's twitter



For more from the VBT Writers on the Move tour, stop by Marietta Taylor's blog who is hosting Shelby Patrick tomorrow.

VBT guest visit

Stop by tomorrow for a visit with Donna McDine, author of The Golden Pathway, a story about the Underground Railroad. Donna will talk about her book and the road to freedom.

Come and visit

I'm featured on Jenny Turner's blog today as part of the VBT Writers on the Move tour. I hope you all enjoy finding out what's coming up for the JGDS series.

Guest blogger - Shelby Patrick

Today, my guest is Shelby Patrick, author of When Angels Sing, a supernatural thriller, and other titles. Thanks for being my guest today. E :)


Act The Part

By Shelby Patrick

Publishing is a business and like it or not, being an author is a job. It may be a creative one but it's no less important than being a plumber, a banker, or a lawyer. Just as in any business, authors must put on an air of professionalism at all times

Never miss a book signing event, and if possible, show up early. You wouldn't want to be known as an unreliable author with bookstore owners; however, there may be times when an emergency happens (illness, death, accident) and you just can't make it to the signing. Don't leave the bookstore and your fans hanging. At least have the courtesy to call and explain the situation. Most likely, the bookstore personnel will understand and hopefully postpone your event.

During and after your book signing, you should be gracious with your host. They are under no obligation to hold a book signing in your favor. Knowing that they went through all the trouble, you should be appreciative. Don't get upset with the bookstore if no one shows up to your event. A thank you goes a long way.

Don't have certain expectations from your family and friends. Just because they are related doesn't mean they are obligated to purchase your book. In fact, most family and friends probably expect a FREE copy. Don't be skimpy here. If you really want them to have a copy, give them as gifts. Unfortunately, in my case, if my family or friends hadn't bought copies of my latest book, I wouldn't have sold hardly any. Marketing isn't a strong suit with me, especially since my budget is very small, so I was lucky to have sold the 30 books I did so far.

Also, don't expect everyone to be as excited about your book as you are. This is your dream, not theirs, so don't push it on them.

Finally, authors should have realistic expectations. Unless you're Stephen King or John Grisham, don't expect that huge royalty check to be in the mail. You have no assurances of success here and no guarantees that you're writing the next bestseller. All you can do is try your best.

Thank you!

-------------------------
Shelby has self-published two creative writing exercise books, Dark Recesses of the Mind and Forbidden Knowledge, a short horror and science fiction collection entitled The Fear Within, and a supernatural thriller, When Angels Sing.



WHEN ANGELS SING came out in December 2010. The main male character, Blaze Kerrigan, is a typical young guy (with sex on the mind most days), but with one peculiar problem - he has a psychic link to a serial killer. So when Jenna Michaels shows up at his door unannounced and bears an uncanny resemblance to his dead fiancée, it's Blaze's job to keep her safe, especially when the body count starts to rise.



When Angels Sing video
All of Shelby's titles can be purchased on the amazon website.
Shelby's website
Shelby's blog
Shelby Patrick may also be found on Twitter and Facebook




Don't forget to visit Mari Taylor tomorrow when she hosts Debra Eckerling.

VBT Writers on the Move

I forgot to post this yesterday but I was featured on Jennifer Gladen's blog as part of the VBT Writers on the Move monthly tour. Please stop by and see what I have to say about making a name for oneself. - E :)

Guest Blogger - Dallas Woodburn: Sticking with your goals

Today, my guest is Dallas Woodburn, another accomplished person at such a young age. Dallas will stop by during the day to answer any comments and questions, so don't be shy, ask away. Dallas has provided us with an article about short-term goal setting. Thank you for joining us today, Dallas.

STICKING TO YOUR GOALS
by Dallas Woodburn

How is 2011 going for you so far? How are those new year's goals and resolutions holding up?

To really make a new habit stick, I've heard that you need to do it consistently for three weeks, and then it much more likely to be a permanent part of your routine.

But, as we all know, new habits set with the best of intentions can be difficult to stick to. Especially in the hectic weeks of a new year after coming back from a holiday break. Especially in the frigid February snow. Especially when there are so many other, important things clamoring for your attention.

I'm a big believer in daily goals, and I'm also a big believer in baby steps. Break down something that seems huge into small steps you can take every day. Just do a little bit every day. Consistently. Baby steps add up to huge accomplishments.

Here's a motivation tool I found, courtesy of the wonderful positive-news site Gimundo, that has been helping me with my goal of writing a certain number of words every day: Joe's Goals. It's supposedly inspired by a motivation concept of Jerry Seinfeld, with the simple idea: Don't break the chain. You enter a goal you want to do consistently -- every day, three times a week, etc -- and it is marked down on this calendar for you. Every day, if you do the goal, you get to check it off. Your checks soon become a chain of happy green check marks, and the last thing you want to do is "break the chain" and have to start all over again! It sounds simple, but it has really helped me stay on top of my writing goal so far.

Case in point: last night, I got home late, and I hadn't written enough yet for my word count goal, so I plunked down in front of my computer and wrote some before I went to bed. All so I could truthfully have that little green check mark. If not for that website, I very likely would have thought, I'll just write more tomorrow. But, as my role model Coach Wooden used to say, "You can't do anything about yesterday, and the only way to improve tomorrow is by what you do right now. We kid ourselves: 'I'll buckle down tomorrow and work twice as hard.' No. If you can work twice as hard tomorrow, it means you're holding something back today. I want 100% today. And tomorrow."

Of course, it requires that you be honest with yourself, but I think that is a requirement no matter how you are going after your goals.

Good luck! I'm rooting for you!


Bio: Dallas Woodburn is the author of two award-winning collections of short stories and editor of Dancing With The Pen: A Collection of Today’s Best Youth Writing. Her short stories have twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Dzanc Books “Best of the Web” anthology and have appeared in numerous literary magazines including Monkeybicycle, Arcadia Journal, flashquake, and The Newport Review, among others. She has also written articles and essays for Family Circle, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, and The Los Angeles Times. Dallas is currently pursuing her M.F.A. in Fiction at Purdue University, where she serves as Assistant Fiction Editor for Sycamore Review. She is also the founder of Write On! For Literacy, an organization that empowers youth through reading and writing. Learn more here.




Where to find Dallas:
Write On! Books
Dallas's Blog
Order 3 a.m. from amazon
Find Dallas on Fictionaut
Follow Dallas on Twitter
Dallas's Facebook page




Be sure to follow the VBT Writers on the Move tour with Mari Taylor tomorrow when she hosts Heidi Thomas.

Stop by and find out what the perfect gift is

Stop by Donna McDine's Golden Pathway blog and find out what the perfect gift can be. I'm featured with an article today - hope to see you all in the postings - E :)

Guest Blogger - Heidi M. Thomas

Today, we look at Heidi's second book, Follow the Dream, the sequel to her Cowgirl Dreams. I thank you Heidi for gracing my blog with your book about your grandmother's dreams of being a cowgirl.






Synopsis: Nettie Moser’s dreams are coming true. She’s married to her cowboy, Jake, they have plans for a busy rodeo season, and she has a once in a lifetime opportunity to rodeo in London with the Tex Austin Wild West Troupe.
But life during the Great Depression brings unrelenting hardships and unexpected family responsibilities. Nettie must overcome challenges to her lifelong rodeo dreams, cope with personal tragedy, survive drought, and help Jake keep their horse herd from disaster.

Will these challenges break this strong woman?

This sequel to Cowgirl Dreams is based on the life of the author’s grandmother, a real Montana cowgirl.


Reviews coming in for Follow the Dream:
“I enjoyed Heidi Thomas’s bittersweet novel with its accurate depiction of the lives of cowgirls in 1930s Montana and its tender portrait of a marriage.” --Mary Clearman Blew, English professor U of ID, award-winning author of All But the Waltz: A Memoir of Five Generations in the Life of a Montana Family, Balsamroot: A Memoir; Bone Deep in Language: Writing, Reading, and Place; Lambing Out and Other Stories, and Jackalope (Flyover Fiction).

In her poignant tale of Nettie Moser's diligent pursuit of a dream, Heidi Thomas gives a stunning example of what it means to "Cowgirl Up." Follow the Dream is a dynamic story of a woman's strength and determination that is sure to inspire as well as entertain.
—Sandi Ault, award-winning author of the WILD Mystery Series, including Wild Indigo, Wild Inferno, Wild Sorrow, and Wild Penance.

Follow Your Dream draws the reader into the lives of tough Montana ranchers, Nettie and Jake Moser. Dreams come and go, but their ranching life goes on with hardships and struggles for basic survival, but also with abiding love and humor. A wonderful story of courage and endurance. --Mary Trimble, award-winning author of Tenderfoot, Rosemount and McClellan’s Bluff.


5 stars A Dream Never Forgotten
By Dan A. Johnson -

This is the second novel written by Heidi M. Thomas that is loosely based on her Montana grandmother who grew up riding horses and competing in local rodeos. In the book, Nettie's childhood dream is to become a successful rodeo rider like her dear friend Marie. Follow The Dream begins when Nettie is invited by Marie to compete in a wild west rodeo in London, a chance of a lifetime. But fate has another plan for the newly married Nettie. The dream is put on hold, but never forgotten The story is set in Montana in the 20s and 30s. Nettie struggles with personal tragedy and the challenges of getting by raising horses with her husband. They face many droughts and blizzards, let alone the harsh realities of surviving in isolated rural settings. This book deserves a place on the bookshelf next to Ivan Doig's coming of age in Montana novels.

Bio:
Heidi M. Thomas grew up on a working ranch in eastern Montana. She had parents who taught her a love of books and a grandmother who rode bucking stock in rodeos. Describing herself as “born with ink in her veins,” Heidi followed her dream of writing with a journalism degree from the University of Montana and later turned to her first love, fiction, to write her grandmother’s story.

Autographed copies of both books are available from the author’s website, from her publisher Treble Heart Books, and Follow the Dream is available on Kindle.



Be sure to follow the rest of the VBT Writers on the Move stops:

20th Marietta Taylor is featuring Dallas Woodburn
21st Robert Medak is featuring Kevin McNamee
22nd Donna McDine is featuring Elysabeth Eldering (Tis the season of giving - check out my article about giving the gift that never gets old).
23rd Shelby Patrick is featuring Martha Swirzinski
24th Mayra Calvani is featuring Heather Paye (wonder what my illustrator has in store for us this time)

Remember we are taking a break in December and January and will be returning in February, so hopefully you all will have a blessed holiday season. Wishing you all "Cowgirl Dreams"

Book Tours continue

Tomorrow, I'll be posting a review for Cheryl Malandrinos' book, Little Shepherd, as part of her virtual book tour. Don't forget about her giveaways as outlined here.







Remember to check out the VBT Writers on the Move ongoing book tour (see schedule on side bar). We have many new authors and some great information to pass on to you all.







Donna McDine is winding her tour down this week for her book The Golden Pathway, so don't forget to catch up with her.









Lori Calabrese's tour starts next week and here is the schedule. Stop the many stops and see what Lori has to offer us. I'll be hosting Lori on the 16th with a review of her book The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, and Lori will be stopping by throughout the day to answer any questios you may have.

LORI'S BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE:
November 2 - Mayra's Secret Bookcase

November 3 - Ingrid's Notes

November 4 - Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz's One Writer's Journey

November 5 - Book Dads

November 8 - Brimful Curiosities and The Children's Book Review

November 9 - Mrs. Hill's Book Blog

November 10 - Miss O's Library Land

November 11 - Tara Lazar's Writing for Children (While Raising Them/PiBoIdMo

November 12 - N.A. Sharpe's Realms of Thought

November 15 - Beverly S. McClure's The Story of a Writer

November 16 - Elysabeth's Stories

November 17 - Raising Itty Bitty Bookworms

November 18 - There's a Book

November 19 - The Iron Bodkin

November 30 - Into the Wardrobe





I hope to do a tour the first of the year showcasing the five new books in the state series that will be available. It is a busy time, so just bear with me on working up some new information for a short tour - may only be about a week or so long. See you all in the postings - E :)

Come find out what type of writer you are

Come visit me on Robert Medak's blog for an article about writing by outlining or by the seat of your pants, written in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) which is just around the corner. Come check it out and see you all in the postings - E :)

Mari Taylor - author of Surviving Unemployment series

My guest today is Mari Taylor, author of Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go and her newest book - Girlfriends on Surviving Unemployment. Please join me in welcoming Mari for a quick interview and more info on her books.



Mari, why two books on the same subject?

The reason my publisher wanted two books was because the first was a devotional. Not everyone is going to connect with that type of book. So Girlfriends On...Surviving Unemployment is a “girlfriends having tea, cookies and a heart-to-heart talk about surviving unemployment” book. There are some stories and advice here that weren't included in the devotional. And I think the voice is very conversational, just as if I was sitting across the table from my reader. I absolutely love the cover she chose for it. It plays right into the feeling of the book. I'm hoping it reaches those the devotional book might have missed and solidifies a relationship with those who read the devotional.

What's next after these two books?

I am currently under contract for a holiday book. The working title is Celebrating Frugally Elegant Holidays. It will release in 2011. The theme of frugal elegance is one that will run through the majority of my books with See Media, Inc. The holiday book will release under the Simple Joy imprint. The first two books were purse-sized so that readers could slip it in their purse and read it “on the go”. The holiday book will be a full size book. I'm really excited about it!

What exactly is frugal elegance?

My definition of frugal elegance is concrete, simple ideas for maintaining or infusing elegance into your lifestyle without having to “beg, borrow and steal” from other areas of your household budget/spending plans. I know, I hate the “b” word and the “sp” combo as well! But lets face it, in today’s economy, they truly are a necessary evil. This type of lifestyle leads to less stress, more joy, less cash outflow and a life that looks and feels rich, classy and elegant. The bonus to this lifestyle is more time and energy to be extravagant with the relationships in your life. After all, it is quality relationships that truly make your life rich anyway, not the stuff!

So will this year's holidays be “frugally elegant” for your family?

They will. My goal is to test everything in the book before it goes to print. Most of it are things that I've done over the years, but some are new ideas. Those are the ones I want to test drive with my very picky family! I don't want to offer any advice that I haven't used myself. I am also hoping to get a friend or two to join me in using the ideas for the fast approaching holidays. I think it will add more dimension and authenticity to the book.



MARI'S BIO:
Marietta (Mari) Taylor resides in Raleigh, NC with her husband of seventeen years and her two teenage daughters. The move from Chicago, IL to Raleigh proved a breeding ground for dusting off her dream of writing. Mari is the author of Surviving Unemployment Devotions to Go, released March 2010 and Girlfriends On…Surviving Unemployment, also scheduled to be released in 2010. Mari was also published in Penned From The Heart VOL XV, a devotional anthology. Her column, Frugal Elegance, appears in Girlfriend 2 Girlfriend, an online magazine published by Extreme Diva Media.

Mari strives to show women how to manage the critical aspects of their lives elegantly, frugally and cohesively. Now if she could just get her two high maintenance daughters and one high maintenance husband on board. That ultimately will be the true test of her skill!

Mari has a bachelor’s degree in Biology and currently works in Healthcare IT. She loves forensics and Cafe World on Facebook. She’s a work in progress and ever evolving. The most important thing to her is that through her writing, others would come to know, accept and adore the God who has created such a crazy jumble of things that make her who she is.

To find out more about Mari, check out her sites:
Mari's blog Her personal blog is a hodge podge of book reviews, inspirationsl posts, family and personal news nad whatever else I might think of on a given day

website Her website explains more about my life philospohy of "frugal elegance". You can also find book release information and links to follow me on Facebook and Twitter

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Promoting through virtual book tours

As many of you know, I participate in the VBT Writers on the Move virtual tour which is an ongoing, monthly tour where we host a group of authors. We offer an array of articles, book reviews and author interviews. See the schedule on my side bar for who is beig hosted by whom. I will be hosting Mari Taylor on this blog on the 6th, Heather (my illustrator for the remaining JGDS books) will be hosting Nancy Famolari on the 9th. I'll be featured on Robert Medak's blog on the 22nd and Heather will be featured on Carolyn Howard-Johnson's blog on the 8th.

My good friend Donna McDine is in the midst of her virtual book tour for The Golden Pathway, a historical fiction story about the Underground Railroad. I'm not on her schedule to host her but I will be posting a review of the book tomorrow for her. Her tour has been running since the 7th of September and runs through the end of this month. You can find more on her tour schedule by clicking her name above. Donna is also part of the VBT Writers on the Move and these planned stops are part of her full tour. Stop by and see what Donna has to offer many writers.

Another of my friends, Cheryl Malandrinos, author of the Little Shepherd is starting her 75-stop tour tomorrow. For a full schedule, please visit Cheryl's blog. I will be hosting Cheryl on the 29th of this month with a book review. Cheryl is running two contests concurrently for this tour, which offer readers opportunities to win two different prize packages. Both are open to all, even overseas folks. For the details of the contests, please stop by Cheryl's Pump Up Your Book site. She is offering a package worth about $65 for those who comment during the tour and a package worth about $97 for those who have purchased a copy of the book since its release in August and through the end of the tour. For more on the Little Shepherd, you can follow the book on it's own blog.

The last of my friends (that I'm aware of or participating in a tour with) is Lori Calabrese, author of The Bug That Plaqued the Entire Third Grade. Apparently, there are two tours going on for this book, one through the Indie-Debut roup and one that she is doing in November. If you are subscriber to her newsletter, The Book Bugz, and follow her tour and leave comments, letting her know you are a subscriber, you will be eligible for a prize package. The othe part of the tour starts November 3 and I will be hosting Lori here on the 16th with a review of her book. For more information on both tours, please visit Lori's site and find out where she will be heading on this new adventure.

Other than participating in the VBT Writers on the Move tours, I've not planned any more for my series, yet. I'm working on a new aspect for the study guides (not taking them away as they are geared for individual books, but an added bonus for the series) and so I'm not concentrating on promoting my books like I should. I really need to promoting myself as well but just find myself tied up with work and other aspects of writing that I haven't spent as much time promoting (well, okay not true since I've been gone almost every weekend since the middle of August at one event or another - Love to Learn homeschool conference in Charlotte, NC; Mint Hill's Sunday in the Park in Mint Hill, NC (on the outskirts of Charlotte); Springwater festival in Williamston, SC; Celebration of Books in Highlands, NC; Geofest through the SC Geographic Alliance in Columbia, SC; and the SCBWI-Carolinas fall conference in Charlotte, NC). I'm at a loss this month since I only have one festival scheduled and it's local - the Sugarfoot Festival in my town. Next month I'll be at the CBF in Charleston, SC the first weekend of the month and the following weekend at the Savannah Children's Book Festival - I can't wait for this one; been planning and thinking of it all year. I guess I should work on some more virtual tours for my series since I do have more books available. For those of you following my JGDS series, all information on new releases can be found at either the JGDS blog or the JGDS website. Keep checking back for new books and for the info on the added bonus to the study guides for teachers and homeschoolers and co-ops.

For now, find an author, follow a virtual tour and have fun reading some new books.

Please visit me today

I'm being hosted by J. Aday Kennedy today as part of the VBT Writers on the Move blot tour. Please come visit and leave a comment. I will be back this afternoon (at a conference this weekend) and will answer questions and leave comments when I return home - see you all in the postings - E :)

Meet Janet Ann Collins

It is my pleasure to introduce Janet Ann Collins, author of the Peril of the Sinister Scientist.

Let's find out a little more about the person behind the book:




Janet Ann Collins used to write feature articles for a newspaper in the Bay Area, is a columnist for the Antique Auction Explorer and her work has appeared in many other publications.





She is the author of two fiction books for children. The Peril of the Sinister Scientist is about a middle school boy who thinks he was cloned from the blood on the Shroud of Turin because a scientist who had worked on that experiment is stalking him.




Secret Service Saint is a picture book about Nicholas, who discovers the fun of doing secret good deeds and eventually becomes known as Santa Claus.







Signs of Trouble, an early chapter book about kids with learning disabilities who get separated from their class on a field trip, will be released in October 2010.

Collins is a retired teacher, enjoys public speaking and often teaches workshops at conferences. With her husband, she raised three deaf foster sons with special needs in addition to their birth daughter, and has one grandson. They live in the beautiful Sierra foothills of Northern California. To learn more about her please visit her website.


Janet can be found doing reviews on her blog

More information about Janet and her books can be found on her website

Books reviews and interviews for, by, or about people with disabilities are occassionally posted on her other blog.




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VBT schedule and who's coming next:
Learn from new and experienced authors. Join Writers on the Move September 2010 Authors' Tour.

Visit Helena Harper with more on Debra Eckerling tomorrow.

Visit my illustrator, Heather Paye, on the 9th for a visit with Diane Sagan, ghostwriter.

Check out Heidi Thomas's blog for more info about Heather on the 16th, and visit with Jessica Aday Kennedy on the 26th of this month to find out more about me.