Tag Archives: Back to School

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/.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Jul9

Interview with Sola Togun-Butler

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Sola Togun-Butler is the author of the book Where Do You Keep The Lions? An African Girl’s First Day of School In America

Looking for educational books to add to your child’s learning or augment your classroom’s read-alouds? I had the chance to interview author Sola Togun-Butler, author of the book “Where Do You Keep The Lions?”. She has written a book about her experiences as a young African immigrant attending an American school for the first time. It’s a book that highlights the importance of cultural diversity and awareness while encouraging children to ask questions when they are curious about other cultures. Sola shared with me her childhood reading memories, favorite authors, and what she has in store for future writing projects.

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

My favorite memory reading as a child was the ability to immerse myself into the life of the character I was reading about. I would completely forget about my own surroundings and literally feel like I was living in the world of the character. I enjoyed the ability to form images in my head of the character’s life and experiences. Even till this day, I would rather read a book and form the images in my own mind than have those images given to me in a movie or television show.

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

My favorite author is Chimamanda Adichie. She has the amazing ability to capture the attention of the reader with the title and maintain that attention throughout the book. Therefore, it was important for me to choose a title that grabs the attention of the reader and have a story line that maintains it.

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

I prefer to write in the morning when I am really energized. I grab a hot cup of tea, open the window blinds so I have a beautiful view of the sunshine or rain, turn on Bossa Nova or music from Nigeria, Mali or Senegal, sit at my desk and just write away. I am inspired by both music and nature

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

I would like to continue writing children’s books about cultural diversity and sensitivity. The world is diverse, and curiosity about other cultures is normal and should be encouraged by parents. It is important for parents to talk to their children to identify any stereotypes or biases that they might have about other cultures that could negatively impact their interaction with peers from that culture.

  1. What is writing to you in one sentence?

Writing opens up the world and takes one on a journey of self-discovery.

KeepLionsBkCvrWhere Do You Keep The Lions? An African Girl’s First Day of School in America. Kemi, an eight-year-old African immigrant girl is looking forward to her first day of school in the United States. But when her classmates start asking upsetting questions about Africa, the negative attention confuses her. With advice from her father, she decides to show her classmates a different side to their understanding of African culture. This book is a wonderful way to expose children to sensitive cultural understanding by encouraging positive questioning about new cultures.

This book is available on Amazon.com.

For more about the author Sola Togun-Butler, visit her author’s page at: https://www.amazon.com/Sola-Togun-Butler-Ph.D./e/B07SHL16PL.

 

Sep20

After Back to School Blog Tour Interview: Belle Green

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Belle Green is the author of the picture book, I Am Good In My Heart.

I have another special After Back to School Blog Tour Interview. I’d like to introduce you to Belle Green. She is a lifelong writer that specializes in inspirational fiction and children’s books. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son. I had a chance to find out about her wish to help inspire children, her book I Am Good In My Heart, childhood reading memories, and what writing means to her.

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

Belle Green: Before I could read I would memorize books word for word and then “read” them to my mom or myself. But that wasn’t enough for me. I started to write by scribbling lines on a piece of paper. Then, I’d run to my mom to ask her if it said anything. I guess writing has always been in my heart, even before I knew my letters!

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

Belle Green: My son, Will, is four years old. So, most of my inspiration is coming from him. There are two more projects currently in the works for this series to follow I Am Good In My Heart. They are I Am A Good Friend: Helping Kids Understand Friendship and I am Bigger: Helping Kids Understand Growing Up. I love writing books that help preschoolers understand the world, but we need to have fun too! So I am also working on two entertaining stories about robots. My son is obsessed with robots!

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Belle Green: Writing is the act of pouring your heart out onto paper in an endless attempt to translate feelings into words.

goodatheartcvrHer book, I Am Good In My Heart, is designed for children at the preschool age to help them feel self-confidence while knowing that making mistakes is okay. It helps them realize that choices can be made better the next time. They are always good at heart and can improve with each new life lesson they accomplish.

I Am Good In My Heart is available at Amazon.com. It is a Kindle Unlimited title.

For more information on Belle Green, visit her website at: https://authorbellegreen.com/.

Sep15

Post Back to School Blog Tour: Interview with G. Lee

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G. Lee is the author of the picture book, Anxious Annie: First Day of School.

I have a Post Back to School Blog Tour treat. I have an author interview with the fabulous G. Lee, author of the book Anxious Annie: First Day of School. I managed to sit down and talk to her about her favorite books and authors, writing routine, and future projects. Enjoy one more author to kick off the school year.

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

G. Lee: The absolute magic of a book to transport us into the lives of other people and sometimes other worlds.

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

G. Lee: I loved Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. They made the seemingly impossible possible and goodness always prevailed.

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

G. Lee: I am more of a night owl. So, I tend to do all my writing in the evening at least four times a week.

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

G. Lee: I am doing another children’s book and it will be ready for purchase soon. It is about making friends.

5) What is writing to you in one sentence?

G. Lee: The ability to create and inspire.

anxiousanniecvrLee’s featured book is Anxious Annie: First Day of School. Join Anxious Annie as she overcomes her anxiety to fast her fears about her first day, and grows in strength and understanding how school can be fun while building her confidence to face the world.

Thank you for stopping by this week. Teachers, Students and Parents, have a fabulous Back to School!

-Tiffany Turner

Sep14

2018 Back To School Blog Tour Day 5

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Back2SchoolBanner2Today is the last day of the Back to School Blog Tour. I want to thank all of the participating authors for making this year such a success. I hope you, all my loyal readers of my blog, have enjoyed the featured books and stories of Back to School memories from the authors.

Plus, This is also your last chance to enter the giveaways and pick up your freebie copies.

 

 

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Our first author for today is Lenora Rodriquez, the author of her debut children’s book “Circle’s Search”. She has been a special education teacher and in the field of education for over nineteen years. She has worked with children throughout her career, developing a passion for creating educational materials and stories to help guide children in their development. Lenora shares her favorite school memories such as meeting Shel Silverstein, her writing routine, and information about her upcoming projects.

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

Lenora Rodriquez: When I was a little girl, we used to live down the block from the public library in Queens, NY. I used to get excited when my mom took my brother and I to the library twice a week. “Check out what you can carry” was the only rule she had for us. A new book’s adventure I found so exciting.

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

Lenora Rodriquez: At a young age, I seemed to be drawn to poetry. My parents bought me several books of poetry for children and I absorbed each one. My Third grade teacher was a friend of the infamous Shel Silverstein. She invited him to our classroom one day, and ever since then, I asked my parents for his books. His poignant stories/poems I found compelling even as a little girl. There is a quote that could not be more relevant and inspires even more so today- “If there is a book you want to read but isn’t written yet, write it.”

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

Lenora Rodriquez: During my collage years of paper writing, I usually needed a quiet space to collect my thoughts. I usually had a notebook and pen on hand to write my papers. My friends and peers usually wrote their papers on their laptops/computers. I find comfort to continue to write my books the “old school” way by paper and pen.

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

Lenora Rodriquez: As a current special education teacher, I found myself hunting for books for related subjects I want to teach in a fun and simple way. I began creating materials, games and a few short stories to help my students in their academics. I want to continue to create books that will help stimulate our young readers in a fun and creative way.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Lenora Rodriquez: Writing is an expressive art that all should explore.

https://www.amazon.com/Circles-Search-Lenora-Rodriquez-ebook/dp/B07FXCB4BWLenora Rodriquez’s book, Circle’s Search, is a happy shape that feels content with his little home. But, Circle feels there is something missing. Circle searches and meets new shapes throughout a journey while meeting new friends. It’s a creative and educational way to introduce basic shapes, math and social skills. Plus, bonus activities included!

Circle’s Search can be found on Amazon and is available as a Kindle Unlimited title.

Our second author for today is Simon Haynes. Simon was born in England and grew up in Spain. His family moved to Australia when he was sixteen. When not writing his novels, Simon writes computer software which helps him write his novels faster. I had the opportunity to talk to Simon Haynes about his school childhood memories, inspirations, and his writing process.

simonhaynesbiopic1)   Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?

Simon Haynes: Arthur Ransome, of Swallows and Amazons fame. Don’t get me wrong, the Famous Five were cool but the Swallows and Amazons took things a few steps further. Sailing boats at night, all the pirate and nautical info and know-how, and real competition with other kids, not dastardly adults.

2)   What is your most memorable school moment?

Simon Haynes: When I was in year four, the headmaster used to invite me into the staff room to watch him play chess against a fellow teacher. I was allowed to sit there every lunchtime, eating my sandwich and keeping as quiet as a mouse. (I was on the school chess team and we used to do okay, so I guess it was a reward!)

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

Simon Haynes: 2000 words per day or else. Write until 2 or 3 or 4am, collapse into bed, get up at midday/1pm, start writing around 7pm and repeat.

4)   Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?

Simon Haynes: We moved around a lot (emigrated twice) and I attended 12 or 13 schools. I got used to meeting new people, but I rarely have more than one good friend at a time. I don’t do acquaintances.

5)   What is writing to you in one sentence?

Simon Haynes: My job!

6)   What projects are you working on right now?

Simon Haynes: I just finished my sixth novel for the year before embarking on this interview. Now I have nine more lined up on my desktop waiting to go:

The third in my fantasy comedy series.

A science fiction short

Book nine in my science fiction series

Book four in my middle grade SF series

three pen-name novels

A new space opera/murder mystery title.

I may leave one or two until next year.

7)   What advice would you give young writers?

Simon Haynes: Read my book ‘How to Write a Novel’ – and use Scrivener or y Writer.

8)   What is your typical day as a writer?

Simon Haynes: I start by re-reading yesterday’s work, then I read my notes for today’s work. After that it’s music on and type until done.

9)   What inspired you when you were younger?

Simon Haynes: Science fiction, definitely. I loved The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but science fiction opens so many broad horizons in the mind.

10) What was your favorite book growing up and why?

Simon Haynes: Martin Magnus, Planet Rover. He’s a troubleshooter, at home in space or the ocean depths, but he’s also lazy and cantankerous. Wonderful character who will do anything to get out of work, but once he has his teeth into something he never lets go. Sounds like my life!

haljrsecretsigcvrSimon Hayne’s book, Hal Junior Secret Signal, is one of the blog tours free downloads to start your school year. Here is the link again in case you missed it. Ten year old Hal Junior lives on a space station with his chef scientist mom and station maintenance man dad. Unfortunately, Hal discovers a secret that can destroy the space station, and he has to find a way to save it. This humorous adventure will be a great way to start your school year reading.

For more information on Simon Haynes’s and his books, visit his website at:

http://www.spacejock.com.au/.

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)Thank you for stopping by each day during the blog tour. It has been a fabulous group of authors. Please visit their websites and look over their books even when the blog tour is over. The giveaways and free books will be ending later tonight at midnight. So, enter before they are over.

And for more information about my new release, The Lost Secret of Time: Bk 4 in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, please check out its listing on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

Take care, and I’ll see you next year. Happy Back to School! To all teacher, students and parents stopping by, have a great school year!

-Tiffany Turner

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sep13

2018 Back To School Blog Tour Day 4

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Back2SchoolBanner2Welcome to day four of the Back to School Blog Tour. First up, still time to enter the giveaways and pick up your free children’s book. Just a couple more days to enter or pick up your book!

Our first featured author for today is Patrice Shavone Brown. Patrice is a mental health counselor, small business owner, mother, speaker and life coach along with being a children’s author. She has counseled and coached many lives for twelve years and operated her own mental health facility for over six years. She likes to transform people that feel stuck and unable to move forward in their lives, relationships or business.

patrice2I had the chance to talk to Patrice about what inspires her, the stories behind her books, and what children can learn from them.

  • What inspired you to write your first children’s book?

Patrice Shavone Brown: I was inspired to write my first children’s book based on my life experience and the world around me. I was a girl that continuously did the wrong thing rather than the right thing. My daughter currently is always into different things and I find myself always redirecting her. So this book is a representative of her and she loved reading it.

  • Do you feel that your own childhood influenced the stories behind your books?

Patrice Shavone Brown: Yes. My childhood and environment are what shaped me into becoming a storyteller and writer. If it were not for my experience and looking at the world around me, my books would have never been birthed.

  • weblendwellcvr.jpgWhat would you like children to learn from your books?

Patrice Shavone Brown: Children will learn lessons about misbehaving in the book “The Day Momma Made Me Dance”. In “We Blend Well Together”, children will be able to learn the importance of a blended family dynamic. Children will be able to relate to both books depending on their environment and background.

  • Do you think parents can learn from your books as well?

Patrice Shavone Brown: Parent’s will be able to laugh and learn some of the thoughts and emotions their child could potentially experience.

  • Are you planning on writing any more children’s books?

Patrice Shavone Brown: Yes, I have three more children’s books in the works. These books focus on family, relationship and parenting issues. In each one of my books, they will all focus on these matters of the heart.

mommadancecvrPatrice Shavone Brown’s books are available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Her first book, The Day Momma Made Me Dance, is a story of a little girl who is defiant in school and her home life. One day, her mother decides to teach her to dance as a way to show her discipline and how to follow the rules. In her second book, We Blend Well Together, Caleb goes on a journey to understand why his parents are not still together. Living in two different homes in North Carolina, he feels frustrated by his parent’s divorce and having two homes. Should he voice his feelings about being trapped? Join Caleb on his search to understand why they a new normal of blending families can be something special.

The Day Momma Made Me Dance

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Momma-Made-Dance-Unstoppable-ebook/dp/B075KLRNLQ

Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-day-momma-made-me-dance-patrice-s-brown/1127162033

We Blend Well Together

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578203375

Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-blend-well-together-patrice-shavone-brown/1128433423

For more information on Patrice Shavone Brown and her books, visit her Amazon Author Page.

headshotOur second featured author is Jacquelyn Simone. She is the author of a fabulous YA book called Outlier. Her debut novel has recently been released, and Jacquelyn goes into the details of her journey to writing her novel HERE ON HER BLOG. Jacquelyn was born and raised in San Jose, CA. She always enjoyed science fiction and fantasy growing up, and loves to watch anime and googling pictures of cats when not writing.

I had the chance to find out about her childhood memories, writing process, and what are some of her exciting new projects ahead.

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

Jacquelyn Simone: My favorite author when I was younger would have to Madeleine L’Engle. A Wrinkle in Time was highly influential to me when I first read it at age eleven, both because of the rich, exciting worlds L’Engle painted, and because of its strong female protagonist. A Wrinkle in Time was the first book that really got me interested in Science Fiction as a genre. I became enthralled by this idea that I could re-write the laws of science and the universe to fit my imagination.

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

Jacquelyn Simone: Since I work full time in a demanding engineering job, it can be difficult for me to find time to make progress writing. However, I’ve recently begun to prioritize getting writing in each day by setting a word count. Currently, I’m sticking to 500 words per day. Even with my hectic schedule, I find it’s fairly easy to manage on even the busiest of days. It can actually be a therapeutic exercise to take a break during work, bring my laptop outside for a while, and escape from the stressful realities of the day-to-day. I hope to soon work my way up to 1000 words per day once I better learn how to fit my writing goals into my daily schedule.

  • Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?

Jacquelyn Simone: In school, though I always did well academically, the hardest struggle for me was making friends and fitting in with my peers. I was shy, awkward, and nerdy, so I wasn’t exactly welcomed into the popular cliques with open arms. During recess and lunch, I spent a lot of time on the sidelines watching others and reading alone. It took a few years for me to feel comfortable enough in my own skin and confident in who I was before I could begin to open myself to others. Still, to this day I feel I made the right choice in never pretending to be something I wasn’t just to fit in. If I couldn’t be accepted as the fantasy-loving geek that I was, then I didn’t want to be accepted by anyone but myself.

4)   What is writing to you in one sentence?

Jacquelyn Simone: Opening doors to the unknown and painting new realities

5)   What advice would you give young writers?

Jacquelyn Simone: Start writing as soon as you can, even if you don’t think you’re good enough. I knew I wanted to be a writer ever since I was ten years old, but I never really pursued it until I was a bit older. At a young age, I was well aware that I wasn’t nearly as skilled a writer as my favorite authors, so I would often get discouraged and stop trying. Even when I was a little older and started submitting my work for review, I would interpret rejection as a sign that I wasn’t meant to be a writer.

It wasn’t until the past couple of years that I realized that no one else’s opinion was going to matter more than my own. No one was going to hold my hand and teach me the secrets of becoming a great writer, so my only option was to write and keep writing, and stop worrying whether or not I was creating the next great American novel. So while ultimately I think there’s nothing wrong with having high standards, it’s important to remember that even the greatest authors had to start somewhere.

outliercvrJacquelyn Simone’s debut novel, Outlier, is a Science Fiction/Fantasy Young Adult novel. Elle Varlette’s life is less than perfect. Her family has been torn apart by tragedy, and all she wants to do is escape her mundane world. But when she starts to discover her new mental powers that open her up to new Outer Spheres of our universe, the mystery starts to unfold about her family. She has to look to herself to save her brother and find out the mystery that tore them all apart in the first place.

Outlier is available on Amazon.com and is a Kindle Unlimited title.

For more information about Jacquelyn Simone, please visit her website at: https://jacquelynthezone.wordpress.com/.

Thank you for stopping by the Back to School Blog Tour Day 4. Please be sure to continue your tour by visiting the author’s websites and checking out their fabulous books!

**There is one fabulous day left! Please come back tomorrow for the last day of the blog tour.

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)Check back for more author interviews and their featured books tomorrow. And for more information about my new release, The Lost Secret of Time: Bk 4 in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, please check out its listing on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

-Tiffany Turner

Sep12

2018 Back to School Blog Tour Day 3

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back2schoolbanner2018Welcome to day three of the Back to School Blog Tour. I’m proud to have our next author with us. Janet Hurst-Nicholson lives in South Africa and has been writing for 35 years. Her articles and stories have appeared in South African and other foreign magazines. Her Leon Chameleon PI children mystery series has won awards including the 2013 Kart Kids Book Award. I’ve had the chance to talk with Janet about her childhood memories, writing process, and her future projects.

  • Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?
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Janet Hurst-Nicholson is the author of the Leon Chameleon PI series.

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: My first recollection of reading a book was a Christmas gift of The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle by Beatrix Potter given to me by a neighbour (a teacher). The hardcover book with its dust jacket was especially treasured as we had a visiting hedgehog in our garden.   Having read about Mrs Tiggy-Winkle I wanted more of the same and my collection of Beatrix Potter books slowly grew. I expect that these anthropomorphised animals were an unconscious inspiration for my Leon Chameleon PI books.

  • What is your most memorable school moment?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: Although I have some lovely memories of school the overriding ones are of primary school (5-7 yrs) and my dread of school dinners and being forced to drink luke-warm milk, which made me nauseous. These horrors only came to an end when my mother wrote a note excusing me from both. But I do remember getting a gold star for being the only one in class who knew that the word for animals that come out at night is nocturnal (I had just been on a visit to the zoo lol). I incorporated this bit of info into my Leon Chameleon stories when Leon discusses the animals that work night shift.

  • Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: Mental arithmetic tests spring to mind! I guess I’m numerically challenged as I much prefer words to numbers. My struggles with left-handedness – tying shoelaces, threading a belt, knitting, sewing, using scissors, pencil sharpeners, can openers, certain sports (but oddly, never writing) – followed me throughout my school life. When I discovered that even today parents and teachers don’t have a full understanding of the problems experienced by left-handers I wrote The Race (an inspiring story for left-handers) especially for left-handed children and to help parents and teachers appreciate the difficulties faced by left-handers.

4)   What advice would you give young writers?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: Get into the habit of reading a variety of stories/genres. Keep a diary or notebook to jot down your experiences and feelings. These will be useful references for your future writing. Don’t be over-eager to share your writing until you feel confident that you won’t be discouraged by criticism, which can be devastating for a new writer. For new writers of any age I would advise:

  • learn your craft (if you can master ‘show’ don’t ‘tell’ then you’ve made a good start)
  • be prepared to take advice
  • edit and re-edit, and be ready to ‘murder your darlings
  • don’t publish until you are quite sure the book is the best you can make it
  • persevere
  • develop a thick skin in preparation for rejections and poor reviews.

5) What was your favorite book growing up and why?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: I couldn’t get enough of the Enid Blyton Famous Five and Secret Seven series. I identified with Georgina (George) the tomboy. In the 1950s girls were expected to wear pretty dresses and play with dolls – and that wasn’t me. My friends and I had our own ‘gang’ and enjoyed playing in the woods and stream at the bottom of our lane and looking for ‘crimes’ and adventures to emulate our heroes in the books.

6)   What is your typical day as a writer?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: I wrote about this on my website in ‘diary of a writer’. https://just4kix.jimdo.com/diary-a-writer-s-day/

7)   What projects are you working on right now?

Janet Hurst-Nicholson: Trying to figure out ways of getting funding to illustrate the rest of my Leon Chameleon PI stories lol.

leonchameleoncvrThe first book, Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs, is free for a limited time during this blog tour. Winner of 1993 Bookchat’s Magazine’s South African Books of the Year.

“When Mrs Canary’s eggs mysteriously disappear, a frantic Mr Canary dashes straight off to the Pigeon Valley Police for help. Unfortunately, Sergeant Loerie and Constable Mole’s hasty attempts to make an arrest lead them to the wrong suspects. Leon Chameleon PI, who has quietly kept an eye on developments, decides it is time to step in and offer his services – after all, isn’t he the best Private Eye in Pigeon Valley? He puts all his skills to work and finds vital clues which Loerie had overlooked. Now a daring plan is needed to trap the suspects and bring them before Spotted Eagle Owl’s Court, where Leon springs his final surprise…”

Link here for study questions to go along with the book, Leon Chameleon P.I. and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs.

For more information on Janet Hurst-Nicholson and her books, please visit her website at: https://just4kix.jimdo.com/.

Our second author for today is Laramie Sasseville. Laramie is a multiple-media artist and writer residing in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. I had a chance to talk to Laramie about writing for children, some of her childhood school memories, and what she has in the works next.

1)   Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?

Laramie Sasseville: Nope, I was perfect at everything. Ha ha ha ha ha: cue hysterical laughter. Seriously, there were a few areas that caused problems – mostly because I just wasn’t interested in trying. In third grade, they introduced us to flutophones. I didn’t want to bother. I folded up a wad of paper and stuck it in the mouthpiece of the instrument and just pretended to play along with the rest of the class.

In ninth grade I had no interest in math – until an exceptional teacher, Miss Martin, sat down with me and got me to see how interesting it could be to play with the relationships between numbers. I went from nearly failing to getting As and Bs in the class. A great teacher makes all the difference – and engaging my interest is the main ingredient if I’m going to learn anything.

2)   What is writing to you in one sentence?

Laramie Sasseville: Writing is the magic that turns insubstantial thoughts, feelings and daydreams into something I can share with others.

3)   What projects are you working on right now?

Laramie Sasseville: I’ve got several projects in the work – including another in the Minnesota Strange series. Haley’s little sister, Tammy gets hold of the magic sigil that Sally created and winds up with the ability to speak and understand the language of birds!

I’m also working on drawings of flowers for a coloring book that combines realistic flowers with fanciful doodles.

4)   What advice would you give young writers?

Laramie Sasseville: Read. Notice what the writer is doing. Especially what you like. Does the world of the story feel real to you? What is the writer telling you about what how it looks? Sounds? Feels? Smells? Do you like the characters? What do you like about them? Are you dying to know what happens next? What does the writer tell you about events that piques your interest and curiosity?

Next: Write. Every day if possible, no matter how little.

5) What was your favorite book growing up and why?

Laramie Sasseville: It seemed like every book was my favorite while I was reading. If I loved one book by a writer, I’d try to read them all. I relied on my school library and couldn’t always find what I wanted, but I read many by Edward Eager, E. Nesbitt, CS Lewis – all the books of magic I could find, including folk lore and fairy tales. I read ‘the Blue Fairy Book’ and ‘the Red Fairy Book’ by Andrew Lang. (It wasn’t until I was grown up that I discovered there were ten more colors!) I also loved books about animals and read everything I could find by Jack Kjelgard and Walter Farley’s books about horses – starting with ‘The Black Stallion.’

OneofMe-blue-smLaramie Sasseville‘s featured book, One of Me is Missing, is the story of a girl getting her wish. To fourteen-year-old Sally Knox, the world is a buffet of fascinating things to do and learn. She wants it all: martial arts, theater, sculpture, cooking, robotics, music, computer science – you name it!

So, what happens when she gets her wish to be in enough places at once to take all the summer school classes she wants? Complications are just the beginning – before the end, one of her goes missing and the rest must come to the rescue or be trapped forever in their multitudinous state.

One of Me is Missing is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

**For more information on Laramie Sasseville, please visit her website: http://www.dreamspell.net.

Just two more days to go in the blog tour. Remember to check out the GIVEAWAYS and Freebies available until the end of the week.

***Please be sure to continue your tour by visiting the author’s websites and checking out their fabulous books!

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)Check back for more author interviews and their featured books tomorrow. And for more information about my new release, The Lost Secret of Time: Bk 4 in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, please check out its listing on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

-Tiffany Turner

 

Sep11

2018 Back To School Blog Tour Day 2

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Back2SchoolBanner2Welcome to the second day of the Back to School Blog Tour. Before we get to the featured author interviews, I wanted to repost the giveaways and the book discounts to give everyone plenty of time to take advantage of these great deals. Enter the giveaways daily. The free deals are available through the blog tour and will go until the end of the week. Pick them up now and enjoy filling up your reading list for Back to School.

Plus, I want to take a moment to acknowledge our heroes and heroines that were lost during Sept. 11, 2001. It’s a day that must be remembered in American History. All were Patriots whether they were on one of the fated planes or trapped in the Two Towers or Pentagon Building. May their memories be always honored today!

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And now, our first author for the day. May I introduce you to Melody J. Bremen. She has written several novels for middle grade readers and a YA Fantasy novel. She lives in New Jersey with her family and her faithful computer named Oswald.

I was able to chat with Melody about her school memories, writing routines, and her successes at being an author.

melodybremenbiopic1) Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?

Melody Bremen: One of my favorite middle grade authors until this day who still continues to influence my writing is Sharon Creech, the author of Walk Two Moons and Moo. She has a way of crafting sentences that are so pleasing to read and she makes it look deceptively easy. I’ve read many of her books more than once in the hope that some of her talent will rub off on my by osmosis. Reading her books in verse inspired me to feel that I can write a book in verse as well.

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

Melody Bremen: I work during the day, so I write at night and on the weekends. I always start my novels with an outline and I’ve found that the more detailed my outline, the smoother the writing process is. The amount I write each day varies widely, from 50 to 1500 words. I’ve learned not to think too much about the word count. The main thing is to keep moving forward.

3)   What is writing to you in one sentence?
Melody Bremen: Writing is something that I need, and will always need, to do.

4)   What projects are you working on right now?

Melody Bremen: Currently, I am working on a middle grade novel, in which two boys find themselves on a meandering, unplanned road trip.

5)   What advice would you give young writers?

Melody Bremen: Read, read, read. For a writer, reading is doing research. Isn’t that the best research ever? Also, practice a lot. Don’t worry about writing well, just do it often. That’s the best way to gain experience, find your voice as a writer, and take your skills to the next level.

flyingincagecvrMelody Bremen’s featured book is Flying In A Cage. It is a story about a girl that has an inner song in her head. It manifests into songs and poetic dreams that a music teacher seeks to pull from her. A magical story about not your so average ten year old girl. Flying In A Cage can be purchased at Amazon.com.

***You can also enter to win your very own copy in a giveaway by the author.

GIVEAWAY FOR FLYING IN A CAGE!

For more information about Melody Bremen, please visit her website at:

http://melodyjbremen.com/

Author-Sherry-SouleOur second featured author for today is Sherry Soule. She is the author of the YA Starlight Saga with its first book, Lost in Starlight, featured today. Sherry writes exciting tales of passionate romance, epic drama, and thrilling suspense with strong heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. She lives in Northern California with her family and two spoiled rescue cats.

I had the pleasure to chat with Sherry about children’s authors that influenced her, advice for young writers, and what she is working on now.

Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?

Sherry Soule: I’ve been obsessed by the written word since I held my first book in my hands at age seven. I seriously can’t imagine not being a writer…

And it was the late author, V.C. Andrews, who was my favorite author as a young adult. Her books inspired me to be a writer and from her I developed a love of gothic horror. I have reread her books many times, and although the ghostwriter who took over after her death is talented, the newer books never quite captured my attention as the original author’s work did.

What is writing to you in one sentence?

Sherry Soule: Perfecting the art of storytelling.

What projects are you working on right now?

Sherry Soule: I’m currently rewriting, and then republishing the books in the Charmed Chronicles, a young adult urban fantasy, with a Buffy-like heroine. It is the heart-pounding, genre-defying tale of Shiloh, the snarky, teenage witch. Her epic origin story is full of creepy stuff like rogue demon slayers, über-cool magical powers, swoony love triangles, page-turning action, supernatural monsters, and loads of heart-melting kisses.

This series is a humble slice of awesomeness packed with more plot twists than a demon’s intestines and more family drama than the Kardashians!

What advice would you give young writers? 

Sherry Soule: Read a lot. Study your genre and the tropes. Find a mentor. And I have blog devoted to writers, “Fiction Writing Tools” that has tons of advice for writers at any stage in their career, author interviews, and insider publishing secrets.

Please visit my blog for writing/publishing tips: http://fictionwritingtools.blogspot.com/

What is your typical day as a writer? 

Sherry Soule: I drink coffee, take a shower, and then put on clean pajamas. When I’m in the “writing zone” I can write for about 10 hours straight (only breaking to use the bathroom or grab a snack), unless I’m stuck on a scene. Then I’ll surf the web, read online poetry, and check emails until my creative juices start flowing again.

lostinstarlightSherry Soule’s book, Lost in Starlight, features a strong reporter, Sloane Masterson, keen to find the secret of hottie Hayden Lancaster. When she discovers his supernatural powers, she discovers the darkness he has been hiding. That’s when things get to be really fun. It is available on Amazon.com.

For more information on Sherry Soule, please visit her website/blog at: http://sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

back2schoolbanner2018Thank you for stopping by the Back to School Blog Tour Day 2. Please be sure to continue your tour by visiting the author’s websites and checking out their fabulous books!

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)Check back for more author interviews and their featured books tomorrow. And for more information about my new release, The Lost Secret of Time: Bk 4 in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, please check out its listing on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

-Tiffany Turner

 

Sep10

2018 Back to School Blog Tour Day 1

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Back2SchoolBanner2

 

Welcome to the first day of the Back to School Blog Tour. We have three fabulous children’s authors featured today, Becca Price, Margit Elland Schmitt, and Dan Mclaughlin.

I’ll be introducing them in a moment. But first, I wanted to put up our list of GIVEAWAYS and Discounted Books. Everything runs through the blog tour this week, Sept. 10-14. So enter and pick up your goodies soon!

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Becca Price is the author of Heart of Rock, a children’s fantasy middle grade novel.

And now without further adieu, here are our featured authors for today. After reading their interviews,  please visit their websites to find out more about these wonderful authors and some exciting blog posts relating to the blog tour.

Becca Price is our first featured author of the Back to School Blog Tour. Ms. Price started writing fairy tales when she couldn’t find the stories her children enjoyed for bedtime. She wrote them down and self-published them at the beginning of the self-pub revolution. Nine books later, she’s been working on her first adult fantasy. Becca Price lives on ten acres of weeds, swamp and trees with her husband, two children, and four cats.

I had the chance to chat with Becca Price about her childhood memories growing up, her writing process, and what upcoming projects are on the way.

1)   Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?

Becca Price: There were three books that were most meaningful to me growing up. I loved Lewis Carroll – his play with words, made up words, making nonsense sound like sense (I’m thinking of Jabberwocky here). I also really liked The Little Engine that Could. When I’m stressed or unsure where to go, I still hear that voice saying “I think I can. I think I can.”

But I think the book that had the greatest impact on me was one of the Dick and Jane books. I was looking at it, when all of a sudden it clicked in that the letters C A T spelled cat, and meant the picture of a little black cat above the words. That was when reading really clicked in for me.

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

 Becca Price: It’s not a routine, exactly. I’ll start mulling over a story in my mind, until I’m pretty sure I know the story and how it should start. Then, all I have to do is write it out. I’ll let it sit for a few days, make some corrections, and then send it off to my editor, Martha Hayes, for a final tune-up.

If it’s a short story, sometimes I simply sit down to type. I’ll have a character in my mind, and let him or her tell me their story.

3)   What is writing to you in one sentence?

Becca Price: One sentence? Wow. Let’s see. Writing is my life. I’d write even if nobody ever read it. Yeah, that’s it. Writing is my life.

4)   What projects are you working on right now?

Becca Price: Right now, I’m working on a novel, The Boy Who Loved The Moon. It’s quite a complex structure, so I’m having to think out loud on paper before I actually start writing it. It’s morphing as I go. It started out a simple middle grade myth, and now I think it’s an adult level book with lots more characters. I’m having to do a lot of research into the Hero’s Journey for that one.

7)   What advice would you give young writers?

Becca Price: Read. Read everything you can. If it’s a good book, read it twice, and look at what the author did. Read outside your main genre. Read classics. Just read.

 

heartrockcvrBecca Price is the author of fabulous fantasy middle reader books. Heart of Rock is her featured book for our blog tour.

Booktrailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrgZJanzXIw

“In the distant past, a city of wizards was menaced by horrible Night Mares. The wizards carved hideous gargoyles out of stone, bringing them to life using the magical Heart of Rock, to defend their city.

Now the Heart of Rock is needed to save another kingdom, and one brave cobbler must find it. But the gargoyles cannot live without their talisman; will the cobbler’s quest to save his kingdom doom theirs?”

Heart of Rock is available on Amazon.com.

For more information on Becca Price and her books, please visit her website at: http://www.wyrmtalespress.com

PLUS—especially for this blog tour, Becca Price has posted a behind the scenes article on the writing process.

My second interview of the Back to School Blog Tour is with co-authors of the newly released book, The Dragon, Lucinda, and George. Margit Elland Schmitt and Dan McLaughlin co-authored the book. It started as a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project and proceeded from its first 50k to its current 90k. It is a new spin on the legend of St. George and the Dragon. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and the discussion I had with these two about their writing, school memories, and future projects.

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Margit Elland Schmitt is the co-author of the book, The Dragon, Lucinda, and George.

1)    Who was your favorite children’s author and how did they influence you?

Margit Says: I loved the Matter-of-Fact Magic series by Ruth Chew, and would read them every chance I got.  It absolutely tickled me that the author was able to find such funny stories about how magic messes with people in the normal world, while avoiding the cliché where people are surprised to see flying brooms or sparkly sparks in the air.  “Of course, there’s magic,”  her characters would say.  “I already knew that.”  I wanted to live in a world where you could expect to see magic any day of the week.

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Dan McLaughlin is the other co-author of the book, The Dragon, Lucinda, and George.

2)    What is your most memorable school moment?

Dan Says: In high school, I was an indifferent student (mostly c’s and b’s with the occasional d or a). The most memorable moment came in chemistry (A class I was destined from birth to get a d in). For some reason, the teacher thought that having the students get up and give the answers to questions facilitated the pedagogical process. While I had been attentive to the mechanics and form of the lectures, I had absorbed very little of the actual content of the subject matter. The last time I was called upon to speak in class, I produced an impressive looking equation sprinkled with various terms (only two of which I now recall, “valence” and “rate determining equation”). I delivered my answer like the good serious student I was. It took the teacher a minute or so to realize I had no idea what I was saying with such authority. It was the first time I got a laugh from an audience and I realized my writing/performing style was to subvert conventional norms and clichés.

3)    Was there anything in school that was difficult for you?

Dan Says: Chemistry, specifically. Anything involving learning a rigid routine leading to only one correct answer, in general.

Margit Says: Trigonometry was my nemesis.  In fact, a lot of math made no sense to me, but it’s interesting (to me) that when I went back over those subjects as an adult, I was able to find new ways to see the problems and the patterns, and I’ve made my peace with math.

4)    What advice would you give young writers?

Dan Says: Figure out the “why” or question you are interested in of your story first, and then figure out a story to answer that question.  Why do people believe in religion when prayers are often not answered? (Answer in my book Gott Mit Uns – There is a bureaucracy that balances things out). What are the consequences of being more polite to strangers than to family and friends? (My book, Pass the Damn Salt, Please traces a relationship entirely through dialogue and illustrates the destructive nature of “honesty”).

Another interesting idea is to take a well know story and tell it from another character’s point of view. I wrote a book called Ice Girls about the story of The Little Match Girl from the point of view of management, and with Margit Schmitt we retold the Story of St. George and the Dragon with a happy ending for the dragon. The advantage of reworking a story already known is that the basic characters and plot are already established, and you can concentrate on the elements of style that interest you.

5)    What is your typical day as a writer?

Dan Says: All my books and projects were written when I had a full-time job (librarian). So, my typical days as a writer consist of me coming home from work, being nice to my wife and then retreating to a place where I can write. And then checking in periodically to see that everything is still OK.

6) What was your favorite book growing up and why?

Dan Says: Arthur Schlesinger’s 3 vols. on the New Deal. History backed up by footnotes that told a story the explained the present and gave guidance to the future with fascinating stories and personalities within the main story.

7) What inspired you when you were younger?

Dan Says: Not to be a total cliché, but my parents. My mom, who said after another devastatingly mediocre IQ test result, “That’s OK, Danny, they just haven’t figured out a way to measure your intelligence yet.” (and I believed her); and to my dad an incredibly talented independent experimental filmmaker who never made the same film twice. From him I learned that any creative art is about solving questions or problems or passions that interest the artist.

Margit Says: I joke a lot about one teacher who said I’d never make a great writer, but the truth is, I was really lucky to have support at home and at school.  When I was young, I was always writing stories and plays with my friends and family, and I’m still amazed at how often people gave me the opportunity to perform those works in public.  There’s nothing like reading before a live audience to really cue you in to the weak places in your story!  And nothing as rewarding as getting a laugh or a sigh at just the right moment.

dragonLucindacvrTheir book, The Dragon, Lucinda and George, can be found at Amazon.com. It’s a book with a quirky new look at the old legend of St. George and the Dragon. Dive right into a new adventure where fantasy isn’t always so cute and dry. Knights and Princesses are not always so easy to understand, especially when your new friend is a dragon.

Visit Margit Elland Schmitt’s website at: https://margitellandschmitt.wordpress.com.

Dan Mclaughlin’s website is: http://danmclaughlin.info/index.html.This is their first collaborative novel. I hope there will be more. Hint. Hint.

back2schoolbanner2018Thank you for stopping by the Back to School Blog Tour Day 1. Please be sure to continue your tour by visiting the author’s websites and checking out their fabulous books! I hope you’re able to fill up your Back to School reading lists this week.

Lost Secret - High Resolution (1)Check back for more author interviews and their featured books tomorrow. And for more information about my new release, The Lost Secret of Time: Bk 4 in the Crystal Keeper Chronicles, please check out its listing on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

-Tiffany Turner