Finding your own deep connection to a person, topic, or event can create the path to finding the heart of the story. In this post, author Gary Golio shares his experience with his latest release, SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOHN CAGE. GIVEAWAY! We’ve got a copy of SILENCE SOUNDS SIMPLE … More Mining for Heart: “Kindred Spirits”—Gary Golio on Silence Sounds Simple
The pandemic a few years ago put us all in the throes of history and pushed thinking in many ways, not only medically, but also regarding human connections. And here we have a children’s book by Zewlan Moor impacted by creative greetings that widened the scope of greetings in the animal world. Giveaway!! Leave a … More Mining for Heart: “Widening the Scope of an Animal Concept Book” by Zewlan Moor
What a treat to share this post from author Omar Abed about the beginning of DEBUG THIS BOOK, a creative story, illustrated by one of my critique partners, the uber creative Julie Rowan Zoch! It was a long time coming, but it’s out in the world June 30! Like Omar did, we all hope that … More Behind the Scenes: “Deconstructing Debug This Book” by Omar Abed
In this post, author Jilanne Hoffmann takes us through the submission process for THE OCEAN’S HEART: THE TINY CREATURES ESSENTIAL TO LIFE and the question of what she was willing to change to get this book published. GIVEAWAY! For a chance to win a copy of THE OCEAN’S HEART, leave a comment below after the … More Behind the Scenes: “What Are You Willing to Change?” by Jilanne Hoffmann
It’s hard to put your writing out there. So personal. And then when the feedback comes…OUCH! Here’s a great post from author Mel Rosenberg on his path to trusting the experts as he found his way through EMILY SAW A DOOR. GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of EMILY … More Behind the Scenes: “Fume, Flounder, Fix – How Editors Opened the Door for Emily….and Me” by Mel Rosenberg
It’s a nonfiction writer’s worst nightmare! All your research, meticulous questioning, and writing suddenly hit with a sledgehammer of doubt…YIKES! It’s stressful just to think about it! But fortunately author Patricia Newman and her editor found their way through, and even added another layer of “interesting” to a gorgeous book! Fake News? by Patricia Newman … More Behind the Scenes: “Fake News?” by Patricia Newman
Like a liberty bell, the relevance of history rings loud and clear in this timely post from author Selene Castrovilla. I absolutely love GEORGE WASHINGTON’S SPECTACULAR SPECTACLES and the deeper understanding it brings to the Revolutionary War on a personal level. GIVEAWAY! Q&A VIRTUAL VISIT with Selene! Leave a comment below for a chance to … More #AmericanRevolution250: “Revolutionary Virtue: How George Washington’s Weakness Saved a Nation” by Selene Castrovilla
It’s so exciting to see budding authors I met at a retreat in 2016 releasing books like this! The title of this post by author Elizabeth Brown is a question I’ve heard often from writers. I was surprised by the length of this amazing book, but I have to say, the pace never faltered. Such … More Behind the Scenes: “Should I Write This as a Picture Book or a Middle Grade?” by Elizabeth Brown
Happy Halloween! There’s a lot of scary stuff out there. But there can also be a lot of scary stuff inside oneself! With THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG, amazing author/illustrator Stan Yan faced his fears. Here he shares his process of digging into the personal. GIVEAWAY! Stan is offering a copy of THE MANY … More Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan
I “met” Anne Lambelet when she created phenomenal art for CLOAKED IN COURAGE: UNCOVERING DEBORAH SAMPSON, PATRIOT SOLDIER. Today you get a peek behind and inside Anne’s latest release, I’M A DUMBO OCTOPUS! A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO CEPHALOPODS. I have to tell you, it’s totally fun! And I learned a lot! GIVEAWAY! Anne is gifting … More Mining for Heart: “Diving Deep Past First Impressions” by Anne Lambelet
Beth Anderson, Children's Writer 