Category Archives: General

Sep9

Day 1 of the 7th Annual Back to School Blog Tour

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back2schoolbanner2019Welcome to the first day of the 7th Annual Back to School Blog Tour. We have a fabulous first author featured today, Terry Gunn. But first, I wanted to put up the Blog Tour giveaway. If you’re a student or teacher, here’s a great way to supply yourself with books for the school year by winning a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Follow the link below to enter:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/20834f9e19/

Note: Giveaway begins midnight EDT.

And now without further adieu:

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Terry Gunn is the author of the picture book, The Adventures of Klaus, the Happy Schnauzer.

I’d like to introduce you to the first featured author for the 7th Annual Back to School Blog Tour. Terry E. Gunn lives in HTB California with her family and newest fur baby, Rocket Riley. She has written a fabulous picture book about the adventures of her beloved schnauzer going through a typical dog day. It’s a playful story that can be a wonderful repeating read-aloud to help children fall asleep each night. I had a chance to ask her questions about her writing routine, childhood reading memories and favorite authors growing up.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Terry Gunn: My favorite memory as a child and still today is memorizing books, reading them aloud, conducting plays or singing songs from the sound of music to my young cousins.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Terry Gunn: Favorite author is Judy Schachner, she writes about her kitty and I love the stories. My first book is about my beloved Klaus Von Dog.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Terry Gunn: My writing time is early morning when the house is quiet and my imagination is not interrupted, but my job interrupts story creating and stories are a way to bring joy into children’s heart and allow Klaus to live in the hearts of children.

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  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Terry Gunn: The subjects I write about are dogs and their adventures. I use to memorize the different dogs and collected dog statues during my visit to Catalina Avalon. But I have two stories in the works about hats and pennies.

  •  What is writing to you in one sentence?

Terry Gunn: The story begins in the heart, continues with a pen and ends with a smile. Happy reading.

KlauscvrThe Adventures of Klaus, the Happy Schnauzer is a wonderful picture book that goes through the typical day of a beloved dog. From the challenge of trying to catch the neighborhood squirrel to doing tricks for a treat, children are taken through his dog-oriented day. His owner helps you grab his leash and go with him to explore the neighborhood.

Out on their walks, the two set off to the park for a game of catch, play with other dog friends, and then for a game of hide and seek. At the end of a busy day, Klaus is ready for sleep. Like most dogs, he falls fast asleep to do it all again the next day. His activities parallel a similar day for a preschooler with waking up, eating breakfast, playing, meeting friends and going to sleep. This would make a great read-aloud to settle down any youngster before bed.

The Adventures of Klaus, the Happy Schnauzer is available at Amazon.com as a paperback or ebook edition.

Link here for the book trailer on YouTube!

***Come back each day this week for a new featured author interview and a chance to win the $25 Amazon Gift Card giveaway.

 

 

Sep6

Tiffany Turner Will Be Appearing at the Almaden Art & Wine Festival Sept. 15, 2019

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Tiffany Turner at her booth at the 2014 Almaden Art & Wine Festival. 

The news has just been confirmed. Tiffany Turner will have a booth at the Almaden Art and Wine Festival on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019. She is planning quite the experience. She will be in the children’s section at the festival where Mrs. Turner plans to have FREE FAIRY TEMPORARY TATTOOS and DRAGON/KNIGHT TEMPORARY TATTOOS for all children and the children at heart that visit her booth. She’ll have out a tattoo station for you to put on your tattoo at the festival. Plus, sign up for her newsletter, and spin her prize wheel for fairy and unicorn book swag. You could get a unicorn mini bubble wand, crystal, unicorn or dragon charm pendant necklace, or unicorn friendship bracelet.

PLUS, with a purchase of her book, choose from all of the book swag. One item for each book purchased. There are four in the series, so you could get all 4 items!

summer1Join Wanda in the world of fairies. She finds out the secret and shares it with you. FAIRES ARE REAL! There are four fantastic books of helping the fairies solve problems in regards to pollution, bee death syndrome, and fracking, all while she is on the trail of the evil sorcerer, Balkazaar.

Come meet Tiffany Turner, spin the wheel, and buy and get your books signed. Yes, get a selfie too! Mrs. Turner loves meeting her young readers. Plus, the Almaden Art and Wine Festival is a fundraiser for the sponsors, the Almaden Valley Women’s Club.

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Tiffany Turner in the hospital ICU Dec. 2014

Mrs. Turner has been a teacher in South San Jose for 20 years. She worked in the Oak Grove School District for 18 years, and is currently working in the private education sector as a tutor. She is enjoying an early semi-retirement due to health issues in 2014. Finishing the series has been a long time goal since her illness almost five years ago.

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)“I’m thankful to have finally finished the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. Back when I was so sick, all I could think of was getting better. I had a massive heart attack and blood clot. Thankfully, I had my writing to keep my sanity. It took awhile to finish the last book because of my illness. But I’m happy to have finally given my readers the ending they all have been craving.” -Mrs. Tiffany Turner

Mrs. Turner is looking forward to meeting all of her readers and sharing with them the last book in the series, The Lost Secret of Time. She will be available 10am to 6pm for book signings.

 

Aug26

Upcoming 7th Annual Back to School Blog Tour 2019 Sept. 9 – 13

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back2schoolbanner2019It’s time to start finalizing authors for the 7th Annual Back to School Blog! I’m looking for authors of picture books, beginning chapter books, middle grade or YA. I have several free slots open, but also will take sign-ups through my Fiverr gig which will guarantee you a spot in the blog tour.

The dates for the blog tour are Monday, Sept. 9 through Friday, Sept. 13.

Link to Fiverr Gig here:

https://www.fiverr.com/tiffmeister/do-an-author-interview-and-post-about-your-childrens-book

For Free Sign Up with Limited spots, fill out the form here:

https://crystalkeeper.wordpress.com/review-submission-requests-questions/

Last year, I had to double up on spots with two featured authors a day. Which was fantastic! I love getting the word out about fabulous books and the Indie children’s authors that write them.

Plus, there will be a blog tour giveaway which will be for a $25 Amazon gift card for a lucky follower of the blog. Just stop by on any day of the tour to enter. You can have one entry a day. 😉

There will also be some individual giveaways by the authors in which you can enter on the day they are featured.

So, come by to find out about awesome children’s books, enter to win prizes, and support Indie children’s authors. Until then,

summer1-Mrs. Turner

Author of the Crystal Keeper’s Chronicles series.

A Fantasy Adventure where fairies are real and they need your help.

Do you dare?

Aug17

Interview with Charlotte Safieh

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Cover 3With school starting in many states, it’s not too late to start building your school or home library for the new school year. Charlotte Safieh has written a picture book called “A Cry for the Ocean” to help create awareness and support to clean the plastic littering our oceans.

Charlotte lives in Toronto, Canada with her family. She has been in the teaching profession for many years and specializes in teaching creative writing. She is celebrating her first published book. Charlotte has also started her own imprint called Blue Jay Press to help support new authors with stories needing to be told.

I had a chance to ask Charlotte about her childhood reading memories, favorite authors and impact that writing has had and the influences she hopes to accomplish.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Charlotte Safieh: My favourite memory from reading as a child was reading Gerald Durrell and following his adventures collecting exotic animals from exciting far away countries. Something that would not be allowed anymore! I recently learned that he was very influential in changing how we manage zoos, so that instead of simply being a source of entertainment we are protecting endangered species and learning more about their natural environment and behaviour.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Charlotte Safieh: My favourite writer for children is Roald Dahl. He is very entertaining and irreverent with such a unique imagination. I also love Barbara Kingsolver, and I’m just reading her new book “Unsheltered” which is a remarkable story that can tell us so much about our current time and the challenges we face with our poor treatment of the natural environment.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Charlotte Safieh: I need to be accountable with my writing and love doing courses and being a part of a writing group. I love sharing ideas and talking over writing with fellow writers.

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Charlotte Safieh is the author of the new picture book “A Cry for the Ocean”.

  •  What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Charlotte Safieh: I would like to continue to write stories about the natural world to help children to understand how important it is to protect nature and wildlife. Maybe Sukara can go on to do more great things in the future!

  •  What is storyquest.com, and how did it influence you to become a writer?

Charlotte Safieh: Storyquest is a creative writing project that I have been running for several years. After I qualified as a teacher I began working in classrooms with students teaching them how to write stories and putting their stories together as published chapter books. This has been very enjoyable and rewarding, and I have seen hundreds of students write incredibly exciting, imaginative and powerful stories. I feel very lucky to have done this work, as I see how much they enjoy writing the stories, and I love creating a space to allow that to happen.

  •  What other environmental issues would you like to address in future books?

Charlotte Safieh: I would love to write more about protecting nature, and have been considering a story set in the rainforest, as we are losing our forests so rapidly. I would also like to write about the kids 4 climate movement, as I have been very excited to see that grow in the last year. I am a really big fan of Greta Thunberg and have been following her journey across the Atlantic on a yacht this week.

  •  Why did you start your own independent publishing company, Blue Jay Press?

Charlotte Safieh: I started Blue Jay Press because I love publishing books. It is a true passion, and although this is the first book I have authored I have published over 400 children authored chapter books. I hope to continue to grow Blue Jay Press with books by other authors as well as more of my books.

  •  What advice do you have for aspiring writers who are interested in self-publishing?

Charlotte Safieh: I would say go for it. The self-publishing industry has grown exponentially. Now it is very achievable for anyone who has a story they are passionate about to self-publish. I used Kickstarter very successfully to fund the first set of books and my wonderful illustrator Tamara Piper, who I found on Fiverr. Self publishing makes up a significant proportion of sales of books, especially ebooks.

  •  For our younger authors, what can they work on now to help them become better writers?

Charlotte Safieh: When I teach creative writing I work a lot on encouraging children to be confident in their writing, and to ignore the critical voice in their head that can stop them from enjoying writing. When they are getting ideas down I also tell then not to worry about spelling or grammar so they can let their imagination flow.

  •  What is writing to you in one sentence?

 Charlotte Safieh: Writing is sharing our inner worlds, our lives, ideas and connecting with each other.

“A Cry for the Ocean” is a picture book that brings forward the cause of helping clear our oceans of plastic pollution. Sukara meets a mermaid and learns about the plastic pollution in the ocean and finds a magical way to save it. It will bring awareness to the plight of our oceans and be a great addition to any school or home library. It will be a wonderful teaching tool for ocean and environmental units. Teaching resources accompany the book to help teachers and parents.

“A Cry for the Ocean” is available at Amazon.com.

For more information on Charlotte Safieh’s new book “A Cry for the Ocean” and free resources, lesson ideas, activities, and to order wholesale books, please visit her website at: https://www.bluejaypress.ca/.

 

 

 

 

 

Aug16

Tiffany Turner Will Be On Self-Publishing & Marketing Panels at Silicon Valley Comic Con 2019

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Just announced! Tiffany Turner will be speaking at this year’s 2019 Silicon Valley Comic Con on the Self-Publishing panels and the Marketing Your Book Panel on Sunday, August 18. The self-publishing panel will be in Rm 111 at 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Come and find out how you can start self publishing. The panel will go over all aspects, platforms, formats, what to write with, how to find editors, cover designers, and basic marketing.

The Marketing For Self-Publishers Panel will be after on the same day at 2:30pm to 3:30pm in Rm 114. We’ll be going more in depth about how to get your book out there and in front of readers. How to put together a newsletter, use free books to funnel readers to your catalog, and do a book launch.

Come enjoy all our free knowledge! Our group of self-publishers want to give you enough knowledge to go out and be publishing the next day.

Link to Silicon Valley’s Schedule of Events:

https://www.svcomiccon.com/schedule/

 

Aug6

Interview with Toni William

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For those looking for a fun read to end their summer nights, here is a great international award-winning author I’d like to introduce you to. Toni William lives in Scotland with his family. He writes from inspiration taken from drawing with his son. Mr. William has created stories and images that emerged from collaboration with his son, putting together imaginative tales. “The Frog Who Lost His Croak” is one of these delightful tales that bring to life vivid characters through rhyming text and playful images. I had the chance to talk with Toni William about his writing routine and process, future projects, and what writing means to him.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.  

Toni Williams: I don’t have a writing routine as such. I tend to find I work best with a clear mind. So a lot of my writing and ideas come to me when I’m driving.

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Toni Williams: I plan to write another three books in this series. Two are already being written currently, one is a story about the importance of sharing, and the other is a fun Christmas story.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Toni Williams: Writing is an escape from reality, you create your own world for others to live in.

Frog Who Lost His Croak cover“The Frog Who Lost His Croak” is a charming adventure about a little frog that woke up with a shock. He had lost his croak. Join him on the journey to find his croak, and all the ups and downs that he encounters. This story is full of beautiful illustrations and engaging rhyming text. It is sure to be a favorite for your child and a repeat read-aloud at bedtime.

“The Frog Who Lost His Croak” is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. This is a Kindle Unlimited title.

For more information on the author Toni William, please visit his website at: https://toni-william.wixsite.com/portal.

 

 

 

 

Jul22

Interview with Dipa Sanatani

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Dipa Sanatani is the author of the YA book “The Little Light: A Story of Reincarnation and the Crazy Cosmic Family”.

I always enjoy finding unique stories and the authors that write them. I believe I’ve found another great author to introduce you to. Dipa Sanatani is a fabulous children’s author with a unique young adult book called “The Little Light: A Story of Reincarnation and the Crazy Cosmic Family”. She has studied and worked in several countries including Australia, Singapore, Israel, China and Japan. Her background is in business and education. She brings a remarkable perspective to her stories while weaving in lessons all ages can appreciate. I had a chance to talk to Dipa Sanatani about her childhood reading memories, her favorite authors, and future projects.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Dipa Sanatani: I loved going to the local library as a kid. A place filled with books where you can read for free? For a long time, that’s what I thought heaven looked like.

Whenever I opened a book, I entered magical worlds, travelled far far away and went on grand adventures without leaving my bedroom. Books inspired my curiosity, fired my imagination and broadened my horizons.

These days I travel a lot and create my own magical worlds. I hope my books can give readers what my favorite authors once gave me.

2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Dipa Sanatani: Ahh! It’s so hard to pick just one. But if I have to…

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. I loved the relationship The Little Prince has with the fox and the rose… There’s a simplicity and a depth to the way he writes. When I was a child, I read it as just a story. But it’s one of those books that really startles you when you re-read it as an adult. He said so much in so little. It’s brilliant.

3) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Dipa Sanatani: My debut novel The Little Light is the first book in The Guardians of the Lore Series. It handles themes like reincarnation, world mythology, cosmology and folklore. There’s nothing else like it available in the market. Titles in the spirituality genre are typically non-fiction and intended for an adult audience. I’ve written The Little Light with younger readers in mind. My goal is to inspire their curiosity in these topics in a fun and accessible way.

I’ll definitely continue exploring these topics in the sequel. If you’d like to find out more… stay tuned.

Ecover-TheLittleLight “The Little Light: A Story of Reincarnation and the Crazy Cosmic Family” begins on the eve of the Little Light’s birth. It finds itself at a Planet Party with all the Celestial Beings, The Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu. But the bickering and fighting is making it hard to support the Little Light. They must put aside their differences to prepare the Little Light for its birth on Planet Earth. Prepare the Little Light for its destiny.

“The Little Light: A Story of Reincarnation and the Crazy Cosmic Family” is available at Amazon.com.

For more on the author, Dipa Sanatani, visit here website at: www.dipasanatani.com.

 

Jul19

Interview with Ronald Wayne Robinson

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Ronald's Author Page

Ronald Wayne Robinson is the author of the picture book “You’re A Dog, Chase!”.

As we head further into the summer, I found another gem to consider for your summer reading list or even for beginning of school read-alouds. Ronald Wayne Robinson has written a marvelous picture book called “You’re A Dog, Chase!”. Ronald Wayne Robinson has a background in education, psychology, and sociology. He’s won an award from the NEA for his written and produced play “Education is the Key to Life” and created board games that teach the musical history of Soul. In “You’re A Dog, Chase!”, he tells a humorous story of a dog that accidentally loses his memory, and doesn’t realize he is a dog. I had the chance to talk to Mr. Robinson about his childhood memories, favorite authors, and what future projects are in the works.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Ronald Wayne Robinson: I can remember my third grade teacher, Ms. Bland, reading Charlotte’s Web to the class.

2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Ronald Wayne Robinson: My favorite author is Sidney Sheldon. He was so intriguing with his story and it was hard to figure out how the story would end!


3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Ronald Wayne Robinson: I like to write early in the morning (3-4 AM). Everybody is sleeping and I don’t have to worry about the phone ringing or I have a task to perform.


4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Ronald Wayne Robinson: I’m a Children’s Picture Book author. Children books give you a chance to be more creative in your story line. You don’t have to always follow what is suppose to happen. Sometimes you can make the impossible happen!

5) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Ronald Wayne Robinson: Writing is a way to let people know what’s going on inside of me! I’m an introvert.

You're A Dog-Talking Chickens-Picture“You’re a Dog, Chase” is the humorous story of a farm dog that loses his memory while playing Frisbee with his owner, Tyson. In his journey to figure out what he is, Chase visits with all the animals on the farm, imitating each until another accident brings his memory back. This cute story deals with the themes of responsibility while introducing children to the farm and farm animals. This would be a great read aloud for early grade teachers planning a farm unit.

*This book is also available in a Spanish Edition, “Tu Eres Un Perro, Chase!”

“You’re A Dog, Chase!” is available at Amazon.com.

For more information, you can visit Ronald Wayne Robinson’s website/page at Amazon.com.

Jul14

Book Recommendation for “Stop Doing That”: A Picture Book About Having Tourette Syndrome As A Child

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Stop Doing That CoverWith the summer breezing past us, it’s nice to find a great book to keep the education going for your child. I found a wonderful book to teach your child or to supply your next year’s classroom with an understanding story of a child with Tourette syndrome. Written by an author with Tourette’s, it’s a story that will help any reader understand what it is like to have Tourette’s. “Stop Doing That!” is a story that belongs in any school library or classroom.

First, a little about the author. Chris Mason grew up with Tourette’s syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and anxiety disorder. He later was diagnosed with depression and akathisia a few years ago. He has published five books, including his autobiography, an anthology of thirty short stories, and non-fiction book about coaching youth soccer which will be published soon.

The book “Stop Doing That!” is the journey of a boy named John. Teachers, his parents, and friends get upset with him from his constant blinking, coughing and twitching at inappropriate times. His mother finally takes him to the doctor, and he is diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. His family and John learn strategies for minimizing his tics and encouragement to share his story with his fellow classmates.

It all makes John determined to not be stopped from doing the things he likes to do and deterred from the person he wants to be. It’s a book of finding strength and getting support to face struggles that are experienced.

I think “Stop Doing That!” is a great way to include diversity in your home, school or classroom. It’s a way to continue learning during the summer months, and a way to extend learning in the classroom, and would make a great read-aloud for the beginning of the school year.

“Stop Doing That!” is available at Amazon.com.

Jul13

Interview with Laura St John

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Laura St John is the author of the picture book “Don’t Judge A Bug By Its Cover”.

With all this beautiful summer weather, it makes me tune into all the beautiful nature around us. What better way to connect with that than a picture book that includes bugs and an important message. “Don’t Judge A Bug By Its Cover” is a book that teaches children to accept themselves and others for their differences. Told with the cutest bug characters, the author Laura St John brings to life lovable characters expressing wholesome values and good decision making in her stories. I had a chance to talk to Laura about her childhood reading memories, favorite authors, and her writing routine along with her plans for future projects.

What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

 
Laura St. John: I loved reading poetry. The simplicity of it and the rhyming. My father had written many poems and cards to my mother, and it was really cool to read his words after he had passed away. I made my own little poem booklet as a child out of colored paper, stapled together and still have that today in a box.

I had a tough teacher in middle school who made us read about twenty novels in one school year and write book reports on them. He assigned the classics, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dracula, The Hobbit and we all didn’t like all of that reading. But looking back, it taught us a lot about the world and about descriptive writing. He also made us memorize poems like “Annabel Lee” and recite them in front of the whole class. Don’t think students are doing much of that today.

Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

 
Laura St John: My office is a quiet getaway place with a soft carpet that I can rub my feet into when I write. I prefer to have complete silence to gather my thoughts. My three dogs are usually laying near me when I write since they follow me everywhere. If I feel like writing, then I do. Sometimes you just don’t feel like it which, I guess, many call writer’s block. But if the mood hits then you better start typing or you’ll lose your thoughts. Thank goodness for computers as it is so much easier to type versus writing with a pen.

What subjects would you like to write about in future projects? 


Laura St John: My next book will be about a character that I created called the Alphabet Chef. She has been with me since the late 90’s. So, I am finally going to write a children’s book about her teaching kids about healthy eating habits. I also want to do a series of books with the bugs from my first book “Don’t Judge A Bug By Its Cover”. Maybe I can focus on some other human topics that easily can be expressed with the bugs. My writings are always to help change the world (I hope) in a positive way like in “The Christmas House”. I don’t like writing about dark topics or things that don’t inspire people to think.

Bug Book “Don’t Judge A Bug By Its Cover” is a journey of a ladybug named Lace and a suave bug named Mr. Roach. Every step though the bug world is a step of uncertainty. They have to learn to rely on each other and see the beauty within others to survive their adventure together. This book is a great way to teach the themes of anti-bullying, teamwork, and seeing the beauty within others. It will make a great addition to any child’s or classroom library.

“Don’t Judge A Bug By its Cover” is available at Amazon.com.

For more information on Laura St John, please visit her website at: http://www.laurastjohnenterprises.com.