October already? It’s like I’m “falling” into this month trying to put my brakes on, ha! It feels like just yesterday I was telling you about my projects in September. In case you missed it, you can check it out here. ► Updates, News and More at Books by Rose September 2022
This month has already been a busy one, too. Read on to find out more…
October 2022
Support Business SaturdayShout Outs
If you follow my “Books by Rose” Facebook page, you’ve seen I’ve started something new. I didn’t know it was going to get so big by just sharing one post, but it took off.
What I’m doing is a “Support Business Saturday Day” shout out to business pages to friends and people I’ve connected with over the years. I can’t tell you how fun this has been and it’s been wonderful meeting other business owners, as well. I’ve decided I will now do this until December 24, 2022, the last Saturday in December.
If you have a business page and would like to be added, please write me a note or give me a shout out on Facebook. On Saturdays, you will see this image, or something like it with these words. I’ll change the image in November and will make a new one for December.
I tag 5 business pages each Saturday. (This is the October image I’m using now.)
Supporting Businesses on Saturdays
Jazzy News by Sonja McGiboney
When I read my email this morning, I saw a really cool project my author friend is doing and I just had to share with you all.
Author Sonja McGiboney, with “Jazzy’s Books,” is letting young writers become a part of Jazzy’s Journal.
Meet Jazzy
If your young writers would like to be a part of this journal, please click on the following link. ► “Jazzy’s Journal”
Celebrating a Special Day
My husband and I are going to celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary at the end of this month. Since we dated 6 years to the day we were married, that makes us come up to 50 years together!! I wouldn’t change a thing these past years. We have been blessed with two wonderful sons and two grandchildren.
Wedding Anniversary
W.I.P.
W.I.P. What will it Be?
My next “work in progress” is coming along and close to getting finished. I can’t tell you too much yet, but it’s an Early Reader. I can tell you these two things so far…
I’m waiting for the person this book is dedicated to, to get back to me with a few jokes, which will be on page 13. (The jokes will be only on this one page.)
This book will be more suited for spring and summer, so you probably won’t hear me talking about it until after the holidays.
Halloween
I have to be honest, Halloween is not a big day at our house like it was when our sons were growing up. Yes, we still put candy out for the kids who trick-or-treat and decorate a little bit. (I’ve always wanted to call it, “Happy Pumpkin Day.)
The past two years, we have set out individually wrapped candies in a bowl by our Little Free Library. I try and find fall and Halloween themed books to add to our bowl, too. We’ve been very lucky how respectful our families have been with this new concept. (Thank you neighbors!)
If you remember, I mentioned I was going to take a 100% of all the royalties from the sale of my “Avi Jackson Best Friends” book and donate it back to baseball players in some way.
Avi and Jackson Best Friends
According to Amazon and their current updates, I sold one paperback book. That’s okay as it gives me enough to work with helping a player or two out. Even if it’s a snack or drink before or after a game, I think they will be pleased.
Other News…
My next Early Reader is coming along nicely. I’m working on my 8th page and I’m having so much fun putting it together. If you remember my “Beasley Helps” book, if will be made very much like that. Real people with added illustrations. I’m excited!
Reveal of the BIG Personal Project I’ve Been Talking About
This next personal project has taken me many months of planning, cutting and gluing to put together. I was going to make it as a gift, but decided it was something that we can work on together over time. So, this project will stay at our home, well, for now. (It wouldn’t be fair to give a gift and tell them they can’t take it home, right?)
If you have read that book and made the project in the story, then you know what exactly that is. It’s a small little, 6 x 6 book that unfolded into a dollhouse. I’ve made many of these and have given them as greeting cards over the years, too.
6 x 6 Art Project Card Opened Up
Well, I decided to make one of these on a much, much bigger level!
I made rooms 12 x 12 rooms with added items. Here’s what it looks like folded up and tied together.
A 12 x 12 Book Dollhouse
Watch the video below to see it now. (If for some reason you have a hard time watching it, feel free to download and watch on a device that’s best for you. Just click on the three small dots to the right of the video.)
Big Project Revealed
We are going to use an array of characters for our house. Our plan is to make paper doll type figures. I can see this as a fun Barbie dollhouse for later on, too.
Here’s My Question
“What Are Your Thoughts?”
Do you think readers would like to know how to make something like this on a larger level? If so, do you think they would enjoy an activity book/story with templates, measurements, ideas, etc.?
I have a friend that suggested readers could make other things out of this project. Perhaps a grocery store? A department store? A school? A Pet Rescue Center? (I really liked that idea.)
Please leave me a comment. I’d love to know what you think.
Tell Us What You Have Been Up To
What have you been up toand do you have any projects in the works. We’d love to hear all about them.
Hey, everyone! I hope your summer is going great so far!
If you have been following my blogs, you know I try and post the first of every month. July was one I missed this year. You’ll see why as you read on.
I’ve been busy with various of activities.
The one that has taken most of my time is watching some super special…
Baseball Games
We even traveled to Omaha, NE for a few days to take in a weekend of fun. The good news, they won!! What’s funny is, we went all that way and they won against a team in our hometown. What an amazing group of players on both sides. We met some very nice people from all areas of the Midwest.
Lots of Baseball
It seemed after that, time was spent catching up before Fall Ball starts.
You may also noticed on my social media pages, I’ve been posting lots of baseball quotes and stories. Summertime brings baseball feelings to our family and it always has.
I can remember our grandfather sitting by every radio he could find, listening to the latest game. I sure wish he were here now so we could visit about baseball.
You may remember, I added our grandfather to one of my books. “Maggie, Millie and Merrie’s Magical Coins.” He is the one on the right. The one on the left is my husband’s grandfather.
From my book, “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Magical Coins”
Honoring This Great Sport
What I’d like to do to honor this great sport, is a special giveaway to a sports team or a player in need of sports equipment in our area. To do that, I’m going to save all the royalties sold from this special baseball book I wrote. It’s actually my first one. It’s based on our sons growing up and the fun things they enjoyed. In the story they are best friends. I’m proud to say our sons are best friends to this day.
Avi and Jackson Best Friends
From now until the end of August 2022, I will be collecting 100% of the royalties from this book. If you are interested in this story, here are the links. Just click on the one of your choice.
I promise to keep you posted on how this all goes. Keep watching.
Books by Rose, among other great businesses, are proud sponsors this year to a growing baseball team this summer.
Books by Rose Logo for Baseball Banner
Other Busy News
I have two projects in the works. One Early Reader has been written and the pictures I’m going to use for references for the illustrations just came in. I’m excited to get started on it soon.
Coming soon in 2022
The other project is HUGE and has taken me a long time to make. I have most of it done, but have many more days and months ahead to finish it. Each month I’ll post a sneak peek of it in a blog. Once it’s completed, you will see it all. This is actually a fun activity I’m making for someone. If it all goes well, I hope to have something for readers to enjoy with this project, too.
Drawing Challenge
Every so often, I stop what I’m doing and practice some art. A Facebook group I joined, gives us prompts for us to come up with an image. I picked this one because the word was “rain.” This was fun and it cooled off my thoughts on our very hot days here in the Midwest we’ve had this summer.
Summer Art Challenge Drawing
Last, But Not Least
The other day, I was sitting here looking up to see if any of the books I put on hold at our local library came in. I have been an avid reader this summer and reading as many books as I can squeeze in.
I typed in one of my books, “Moonshadow Mae.” I do this every so often, just in case. Lo and behold, it was there! I looked into it more, and three libraries in our area are now carrying copies of it. I can’t tell you how excited this has been. We have been hoping for this since 2018.
“Moonshadow Mae at the Library
If you would like to have your library carry this book, just give your local branch this information. Thank you and I hope it lands on your book shelves for you to enjoy, too.
“Moonshadow Mae” (Children’s Fiction)
ISBN:978-1-7323848-0-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018907295
How’s Your Summer Going?
Summertime Fun
What have you been up to this summer? Please leave us a comment in the section below. We’d love to hear from you.
Please join me and my author friends as we explore the different ways we have grown and learned throughout our years as writers. Many of us also illustrates our books, as well. I will share those experiences with you all today, too. I hope you’ll check out my author friend’s posts at the end of this blog.
What I’ve Learned As A Writer
When It All Started For Me
I just celebrated 8 years of this wonderful writing and illustrating journey on, April 27, 2022. I also released my 12th book in April called, “Beasley Helps.” You can read more about that here ► Book Launch
I can’t tell you the fun I’ve had and have met the greatest people from all over the world. Being somewhat of a shy person, I’ve really come out of my shell. Well, you almost have to, when sharing your work with others. Yes, it was scary at first, but after awhile, you do get used to it.
My First Book
My first book was created for our sons. I wanted to write a story about all the fun they had growing up. In the book, I made them best friends, which I’m proud to say, they still are to this day. It’s an endearing tale and I cherish this one so much.
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
Since I’m a self taught illustrator, I had to research the field to see how I was going to make this book. My husband bought me a Walcom drawing pad and I learned as much as I could. My, have I grown a lot since this 1st one. I’ve attended many art workshops over the years and have learned many styles of art. I continue to practice and learn as much as I can.
Avi and Jackson Best Friends
My next book was based on a puppy we had growing up named, Georgie. I recreated him and named him Beasley. He has 3 books now in a series and has a huge following of loving fans. Everybody loves Beasley!
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
I didn’t think about the first book, “Beasley Journey” turning into a series. Over the years, the beagles in the first book passed away. As the years went by, I had to find beagles to draw that had the same coloring as them. In the 2nd and 3rd book, I decided to use photos given to me to crop in, which even made the images more interesting.
Beasley’s Books
MyNext Three Books
My Maggie, Millie and Merrie books. These books are for higher elementary readers and have fun art activities at the back of the books. I love this series and it grew into more and more as time progressed. FYI, be watchful when saying you’re bored around these triplets, something magical always happens.
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
Since these books have more words than my Early Readers, there was much more editing involved. People think children’s books are easy to write, well, because they’re children’s books, right? That’s not so much the case. I learned, “less is more” when creating the sentences in these stories.
Maggie, Millie and Merrie’s Magical Series
On To My Search And Finds
These search and find were a lot of fun to make. There are word finds for readers and picture finds for non readers. These books are great to take along for long car travels and will keep your readers entertained for hours. They all have a story to go along with the searches. For example, Sherman will tell his story on what it’s like to have the life as a shopping cart.
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
Search and Finds are a blast to make, but they are also a lot of work. If you ever plan to create one to the extent I made mine, (they search for over a hundred of items in two of these books) plan ahead and plan to work on them for awhile. These books didn’t go as fast as my others. Will I make more again? You bet, because readers love them and I enjoy making them. If you have any ideas for a certain theme for a search and find book, write me a note. I’d love to hear your ideas.
My Search and Find Books
My First Hardcover Book – “Moonshadow Mae”
“Moonshadow Mae” is a darling book about a little girl that adores the moon. What a nice reception this book has received. It’s full of learning facts, an art craft and a yummy recipe. Make galaxy rocks and Moon Pies in your very own kitchen.
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
Making hardcovers requires a lot of research and making sure you find the right company to print your book. I used Ingram Sparks. I had to buy my own ISBN and barcode for this book, along with setting it up with the Library of Congress. If you want your library to carry this book, have them order a copy. To make that process easy for you, just give them these numbers:
ISBN:978-1-7323848-0-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018907295
“Moonshadow Mae”
My Middle Grade Book with Cat Michaels Writer
Talk about growing as a writer, whew. I never thought in a million years I’d be able to write higher than children’s books, but I did it! Yay! Cat Michaels is a higher level writer, so with her expertise in this field already, we made it. It took us twenty-two months of sharing our chapters back and forth and created, “Just Between Sam and Me.” It’s a book about a young 6th grade girl that lives in the country. All she really wants is to hang out with her best friend and her animals on her farm. Her first day back to school crashes down after a mean girl moves to town and tries to ruin all her dreams.
What I’ve Learned and How I’ve Grown:
I learned so much from this process and enjoyed how our story turned out. I’m so glad Cat and I accomplished our goal of 30,000 plus words and turned it into a story that readers have enjoyed.
Our Middle Grade Book – “Just Between Sam and Me
Now For My Special Share
After celebrating 8 years in writing and 12 books, I treated myself to something very special. I always said I wanted to set a goal for 12 books so I could create a virtual dozen of roses. Why virtual? Our cat, Lola loves flowers so much, she eats them. Yikes! So, that was out of the question. I was blessed to meet a wonderful artist in Texas and guess what? She makes beautiful silk roses! Well, I’ll just let you watch this video to see more…
(Please excuse the low audio. I’ll record on a different device next time. I have written about most of this I’ve told you above. Thank you. )
Thank you, again Hilda! I love my roses as they will last forever!
I appreciate you all stopping by today. I hope you will check out my author friend’s post as they share their writing journeys and how they have grown.
Have a great start to your summer and, as always,
Happy Reading!
Rosie
More Inspiring Posts and What They Have Learned…
► Julie Gorges – 3 Ways Writing Made Me a Better Person
►Auden Johnson – 9 Years as an Indie Fantasy Author-What I’ve Learned
► Sandra Bennett – What I Have Learnt As A Writer That Can Also Help You
As promised, we are going to take a look at the behind the scenes of my recent book launch for my new children’s book, “Beasley Helps.” Without telling you too much, I don’t want to give the whole story away. I will however, try to explain a few fun facts for you and why I decided to use the images I made for this book.
When and Where Did This Book Launch Take Place?
In case any of you missed it, my book launch was held on my business Facebook page at, “Books by Rose.”
It ran for 12 days, from April 06, 2022 to April 21, 2022. We started daily, at 9 am (CST) with images and clues to my story. I’m always confused on what dates to pick. With me being so symbolic about my books, I looked at the numbers. “Twenty-one” is a backwards “12.” The 21st of April was also our dad’s birthday. I think he would have liked that. It seemed to turn out perfect.
Day 1
“Where Did All The Trees Go?”
“Where Did All The Trees Go?”
We had lots of answers and guesses on this one. We had many that were even worried about those trees. I felt for them, as we had to have many trees removed here at our home this past year. They were at least 75 years old and were decayed so much, they were becoming dangerous for us to have them around.
I will tell you one good thing. The trees in this story were removed to build something new for a very good cause.
Day 2
“What’s All That Noise?”
“What’s All That Noise?”
One visitor thought it was the trees that fell that made all the noise.
Nope, but some very big machines were working very hard to clear a large portion of land on, Farmer Bill’s farm.
Someone had suggested a trespasser was trying to get by, they even suggested a horse. This little fella was much smaller than a horse, but carried a loud bark!
Day 4
“Brother Read a Book to Little Fella One Day And He Let Out A Big A-ROO!
“Brother Read a Book to Little Fella One Day And He Let Out A Big A-ROO!
Okay, by now you know it’s safe to say, there’s a dog in the story, right?
Why was he scared?
How I came up with this idea. When I was around 3 or 4 years old, my brothers had a book all about animals. I loved looking through that book, well, until I came to one page. I’ll never forget, it was photo of a Moose and that big Moose scared me so much, I had to close the book. I thought back on that memory and wanted to include it my story.
With this being a farm book, I wanted to pick a bull. We live in the suburbs, so finding a bull around here is next to impossible. Our friend came to the rescue! This photo took our friend a very, very long time to get that shot. Every night she’d ride past the pasture, of course the bull was on the other side. No way was she going to climb in there to risk her life. Finally one day, it all worked out and she got her photo. Thanks again for this photo, Susie!
Day 5
“What In The World is Going On Here?”
“What In The World is Going On Here?”
This one is my favorite images in this book. Once you see the whole photo, you will understand more why I love this one so much.
First of all, Farmer Bill is my older brother. He’s the one in a frenzy about something. Ha, Ha! (Thank you, Bill for posing for this book. You did great!)
My wonderful husband, Farmer Bob, is pulling a rope with something very strong and big attached to it. He actually posed for me out on our deck and we laughed and laughed. (Thank you, Bob!)
The men you see behind him are my two older brothers. Farmer John and Farmer Jim. It means a lot to me to have them in this book. John passed away almost 11 years ago and Jim passed away last October.
Oh and the pig? He belongs to our friend, Angela. She lives in the suburbs, too, so having a pig this size in her neighborhood, is somewhat special.
Day 6
“Someone Has A Bright Idea!”
“Someone Has A Bright Idea!”
This part of the story is what authors call a “solution” to the problem in the story. We know there’s a problem with Farmer Bob struggling with something. The pup in the story remembered something he thought would work. I’ll get to that in a moment and revealed one thing that worked.
Day 7
“Someone Came Up With An Idea Using Recycled Products.”
“Someone Came Up With An Idea With Recycled Products.”
In our story, our pup friend made many, many trips back and forth to gather all these things. When he returned these items to Farmer Bill’s barn, I can only imagine how tired he was.
This was a fun day in my book launch as we all talked about what to make with recycled products.
Day 8
“It Will Take You A Million Years To Guess This One”
“It Will Take You A Million Years To Guess This One”
Ha, this one stumped everyone and we had many laughs.
This is part of the story, I’ll have to reveal what this is, because it was very confusing.
This image has something to do with drums. Let’s just say, if you and your kids enjoy music, this last part of the book will be something you will enjoy reading, making and talking about.
Quick story and what I learned about this image. When I was in my first year of college studying Early Childhood Education, I attended a band with a female drummer. I had never seen anything like her talent and energy before. Well, that was it, I wanted to be a drummer. Here’s where the problem came in, I didn’t have drums or even drumsticks. A friend of ours did play the drums and he suggested for me to get different sizes and widths of wood and something with a “ding” sound to practice until I was able to get a drum set. Well, long story short, I never learned to play, but to this day, I can pick out the drums in a song and love that sound so much. By the way, I’m glad I stayed with the Early Childhood Education, because it has served me well over the years.
Pay 9
“Meet New Friends, Cocoa and Fred”
“Meet New Friends, Cocoa and Fred”
These animals show up in the story for a very special reason. Liked we talked about, Fred the pig is our friend’s and Cocoa belonged to our friend’s, as well. Sadly, Cocoa the horse passed away many years ago. Thanks to our friends, Perry and Angela, for allowing me to use their pets for this story.
Day 10
“Will You Be Able To Find All 12 Of These?”
“Will You Be Able To Find All 12 Of These?”
I’m giving the reader of this book a bonus activity to find 12 of these bones. As you will see, I wrote this on the back page. I did it this way for a few reasons. I didn’t want it to be a “search and find” book, however, I do have three books of those, if you’re interested in them. Another reason, I didn’t want to distract the reader from this story.
Day 11
“Title Reveal”
Title Reveal
Yay! Finally, the title reveal and what my new book is what about!
If you have been following, Books by Rose, you know “Beasley’s Journey” was the 1st book I wrote back in, 2014, followed by, “Beasley and Friends to the Rescue in 2016.
This 3rd book of Beasley has set on the back burner for a few years and I’m so glad to have it finished. The love of it grew bigger and bigger over time with new ideas coming to me every time I sat down to finish it.
I have to admit, I struggled with what type of illustrations I was going to use for this book. My friend Paula had given me all of her Beagle photos. Since the 2nd book, those Beagles, Lexy and Penny, had passed away. Thank you for all your photos, Paula.
One day I’m on Facebook and another friend of ours had a Beagle that looked just like them. That’s where the dog you see named, Spike came in. Thank you, Jim and Debi for Spike’s adorable photos.
Day 12
“Cover Reveal”
“Cover Reveal”
The day I had been waiting for, my cover reveal!
I couldn’t have made this book without all my family and friends support. As you will see in the book, this story is about pet rescue shelters. I’m going to be saving up a portion of the royalties to support our local shelters. I hope you will be able to help those shelters in your community, if you wish to do so.
If you would like a paperback or Kindle copy of this new release,
There’s a big reason why I had my book launch for 12 days. “Beasley Helps” was my 12th book. I also celebrated 8 years of my business, “Books by Rose,” on April 27, 2022.
I have a very special video of something to share with you soon. I can’t wait to show it to you!
Tell us some exciting news you may have coming up in the comment session below. Do you have a new book you’d like to share? How about your plans for spring or summer? We love to hear from you.
Rosie: Join me as I present this 2nd interview with Mr. D and her recent books.
Mrs. D., thank you for joining me today to let us know about your new delightful children’s books.
Let’s start with “Where Did Grandpa Go?”
“Where Did Grandpa Go?”
This book feels like it was inspired by a real person who may like taking road trips? Is that true? If not, what inspired you to write this story?
Mrs. D: Thank you for the opportunity to be on your blog. I really appreciate you taking time to review my new books.
Book 1, “Where Did Grandpa Go?” was based on a real grandpa, one that I know and love very much. He is really a grandpa with golden hands, smart and kind. But unlike others, he thinks differently and always likes to do things his way, which isn’t always the shortest way. But I can tell you that his long ways of doing things never disappoint people, because the quality of his work never falls short once he’s finished the job. Let’s put it this way: If you ask our grandpa what time is it, he will gladly explain or show you how the watch was made. Smile! Our grandpa likes educating people about everything he knows. It may seem annoying to some folks, but when you listen to him, everything makes sense, especially for children, who are really interested in how things are made or done. So I thought that our grandpa’s story would show children that it is OK to take time to do things or chores, as long they accomplish their tasks and provide quality work.
Rosie: Your illustrations are by Saima Malik, which are stunning! Tell us how you two were able to create such cute images for your books. In other words, do you send images of what you expect or do you allow your illustrator to work on her own?
Mrs. D: Throughout my writing carrier, and twenty-plus books later, I’ve worked with many illustrators. To my good luck, all of them have been great! But working with Saima is a pure pleasure. It’s seems like she reads my mind. She is very intuitive and feels the story. She knows how to convert my words into art. We are working as a team. First she reads my story and we agree on style. Than I provide descriptions, and sometimes she asks for photos of the real people that my story is based on. After that, she creates all the characters. After we’re both happy with the characters, she creates the sketches, and after approval Saima moves to the coloring stage. She is a very talented artist who always has a feel for the story. She can be serious or funny, depending on the mood of the storyline. She is extremely easygoing, a great communicator, and very easy to work with. She works fast and always delivers her work on time. She is very knowledgeable. She uses new techniques and always has good surprises up her sleeve. I always listen to her suggestions when it comes to art. She has already illustrated four of my books, and I could not be happier and proud of how her artwork represents each book. In addition, she is very fast and affordable. A real gem!
Rosie: Now, let’s talk about your other Grandpa book: “My Grandpa is a Werecow”
What a great, fun story to teach young readers about our heart and eating healthy. (Adults, too.)
As you said, this is based on a real life experience.
Tell us about this story.
My Grandpa is a Werecow
Mrs. D: Book 2, “My Grandpa Is a Werecow” was inspired by my husband, who had a complicated heart surgery a few years ago. He had four bypasses and heart valve replacement. At that time our grandchildren were still young and didn’t understand why they had to be careful when they played with Grandpa. We explained to them that a huge scar on his chest was from repairing his heart when it got sick. And Grandpa always joked with them that because the doctor borrowed the heart valve from a cow, he can moo like a cow now. His story made them laugh and they all mooed together, pretending to be cows. They also asked why he must be a cow now. He told them it only happened when the full moon appeared in the sky. And he told them how they must take care of their hearts so it wouldn’t happen to them. Together they created a great story, and one night when the moon was in its full glory, they waited for hours by the window to see their grandpa flying over the moon. They were very excited, and imagined what Grandpa might look like, telling me all the versions they could come up with. It was really a fun night, and after they finally fell asleep, “without Grandpa turning into a cow, of course,” I immediately put their stories on paper. Since then, whenever they stay with us they want to listen to this story, sometimes a little bit scared but sincerely believing that one day they will see Grandpa flying over the moon as a cow. What could be more adorable than listening to their stories until they fall asleep? They are bigger now, but they still talk about this story every time they see a full moon. The youngest still believe it and wait by the window. But now, the older siblings have stopped feeding the youngest with all kinds of mischievous versions of the story because my book is out and they can see the pictures. So much fun!
Rosie: Last but not least, you have another book you’ve written this past year. It’s a chapter book for older readers, “The Cat That Wanders by Itself.”
What can you tell our readers about this darling book and Nyda’s adventures?
The Cat That Wanders by Itself
Mrs. D: I always thought that as long as I have a cat, I have a good, trusted friend. My cat friend was a little quirky and opinionated, but she was always by my side. Nyda and I shared a special bond and love. She entertained me with her behavior, and I put up with her disappearing for weeks at a time. She was an unusual calico cat, an expert on life, with intelligence, dignity, and playfulness in equal proportion. She understood when to be sweet and charming and when to ignore everything, when to be independent and strong and when to cuddle up to me. Amusing, impulsive, and often unpredictable, she lived on the edge, exploring every opportunity and taking risks, believing that there must be more than nine lives. I wrote this story as a tribute to her adventurous life. My hope is that readers will see how unique Nyda was—a loyal and caring companion, a brave explorer and lucky survivor, a free spirit that wandered many places but was always in my heart.
As you already noticed, I love to write children’s stories, but I also love to write in different styles.
“The Cat That Wandered by Itself” isa beautifully illustrated, black-and-white style, size 6×9, about 325 pages, for readers age 10 and up. It is a heartwarming story told from the perspective of an unusual calico kitten named Nyda that went on a dangerous journey, practically using all her nine lives, if the old saying is true, but always managing to return safely to the people she loved. This book is for older independent readers and is out on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and hardcover versions.
Also, I hope to finish my new novel “The Chinese Princess,” publish three books from “The Kitten’s Stories” series (“The Kitten in the Window,” “The Day Before Thanksgiving,” and “The Forgotten Christmas Tree”), and illustrate a few books from “The Lost Baby Tooth” series. Saima is doing a wonderful job with these books. They are so colorful and festive! Real treats for any age!
Rosie: Thank you for sharing more about your stories. Please share a link where we can find your books.
Mrs. D: My books are not simple; they are intended to make the young reader stop and think about the message that the story is delivering. I am a strong believer in good-quality illustrations, calming, but fun; nothing drastic or overpowering. They are colorful and represent the story before a child starts reading it. They are also creative and perfect for a child’s growing mind. I do not choose the story; the story chooses me. Mostly, I write for children ages 4 to 10, but I have books for older readers, like “The Little Girl Praying on the Hill,” “Taste of Bread,” and my new book “The Cat That Wanders by Itself.”
Stories are everywhere. I write what I know, not what sells. This may sound like a bad business decision, but this is the only time I do not treat writing like a business.
Fortunately for children and also for me, I have many books to share. Here are a few:
Carlo the Mouse—A full series of six books. This series of enchanting books is an entertaining look into the life of a little mouse born inside a hospital’s walls. His insatiable desire for adventure gets him in constant trouble with the exterminator, the head cook, Fidel the cat, and the hospital manager, who becomes his worst nightmare.
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge? Series of three books. These fun rhyming stories introduce young readers to delightful food characters with goofy personalities, real feelings, passions and fears, who always disagree with each other about who will feed a hungry little girl first.
The Mysterious Life Inside a Closet. A humorous story about the mysterious life inside the closet and a curious little kitten, which sneaks inside the closet and causes mayhem.
The Royal Palm. A teaching story about a snobby silver palm, which learns a valuable lesson and the meaning of real friendship.
Runaway Clothes. An instructional story about a little girl who didn’t like to take care of her clothes and toys. In the end, she learns how easy it is to lose something you love.
That Is How Things Are. A beautiful story about friendship between a kitten and a sparrow, and how the little kitten learns about the power of nature.
Good Morning, World! A happy and uplifting story about Baby Thomas and his grandpa. Baby Thomas wants to hug and embrace a beautiful world full of amazing things, but Grandpa takes the world very seriously. They see the same picture, but each takes a different approach.
City Kittens and the Old House Cat. A beautifully illustrated, heartwarming Christmas book about sharing and giving.
The Trees Have Hearts
Runaway Clothes: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Royal Palm: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
The Little Girl Praying on the Hill (short story)
A Taste of Bread (novella)
Somewhere Between Two Worlds (novel)
Who Let the Cookies Out?
Who Let the Cookies Out?: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
Baby from the Moon
What Is GOOD and What Is BAD
What Is GOOD and What Is BAD: Coloring and Activity Book for Kids
Who Is Most Important in the Fridge: Coloring Book for Kids
Carlo the Mouse: Coloring Books 1 and 2
The Cat That Wanders by Itself (novel)
Where Did Grandpa Go?
My Grandpa Is a Werecow
To order paperback copies of my published books, please visit
I long for people to see the internal beauty through the eyes of a child. Usually I turn for help to nature when I write. It never refuses to give me the inspiration for the characters I am looking for in my stories. I am fascinated by the wonders of nature, especially with the wind, trees, palms, and all kinds of animals. They are wonderful characters for children. With the help of these characters, children will learn about how things change and behave in nature, and sometimes how they misbehave. Thank you so much for having me on your blog.
Exciting News At Books By Rose
Don’t forget to come to my “Books by Rose” Facebook page on Wednesday, April 06, 2022. (9 am CST) I have some exciting news and plans for you all. I’m very excited!
We are back to tell you about, Toby Williams’s 2nd installment of her mystery series.
You may remember, back in September 2021, we talked about her first book, “The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE.” You can read more about that here.
Click on the cover below.
“The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE”
Interview
Let’s get started for our second interview.
(Author Toby A. Williams, Cover Design by Artist Corrina Holyoake, Edited by Lor Bingham-Calico Editing)
Was it easier to write this second book than your first middle grade book?
Overall, yes. With several characters already developed in Book 1, The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE, plus seeds of Brooke Lynn wanting to get involved in the community, the new supporting friends and family were more easily woven into each scene in Book 2.
About the Book: The Case of the SMASHED WINDOW (The BROOKE LYNN Mysteries – Book 2) by Toby A. Williams – Middle-graders Brooke Lynn and sleuth pal Mike are itching to crack the next case! When a respected neighbor, Mr. Wilkens, asks for their help after spotting some vandals break his window, they begin their new investigation – pronto! But the crime-busting duo are thrown off the trail as tensions arise and Brooke Lynn finds herself questioning everyone – even Mike and her very own BFF Susie! With the town’s hyped-up Chili Cookoff looming, a big cleanup day planned – which Brooke Lynn is helping organize, will they be able to solve the case in time before any further vandalism strikes the once-quiet town? And just like Book 1, this sequel will keep you on your toes… a real page-turner!
When writing this new book, did you have the end all figured out or did it even surprise you?
The original concept for The Case of the SMASHED WINDOW did in fact have another ending. During the rewriting process, an additional incitement was incorporated to punch up the mystery, thus creating suspicion toward some less-than-obvious characters. This new direction ultimately led to a more suspenseful ending. And I am grateful to Lor Bingham of Calico Editing for pushing me when I was stuck; her professional talents were terrific once again!
Do you prefer writing shorter stories or chapter books?
Both genres offer a vast expanse of creativity yet they are completely different in plotting and planning. I have a slight preference to children’s picture books because of the magical compliment offered by the colorful illustrations. But honestly, they are both rewarding in their own way. Stirring any reader’s interest, no matter the level, is so important. Yes, to child literacy!
Tween readers will relate to your story with friendships woes and more. Did you interview or visit with readers this age for ideas for this book?
A couple of pre-teens were consulted for the first book to get a feel for tween lingo, and age-appropriate subject matter which carried over into Book 2. One of the tweens was a beta reader too. The input was enlightening and welcomed!
What is one message you would like to send out to your readers?
Being open-minded, kind, compassionate, and helping others is so important, now more than ever. Like Brooke Lynn, there are opportunities to volunteer in the community via local youth groups, school, church organizations, fundraisers, and team sports. From graffiti paint-over and cleanup days to charitable fundraisers through the various groups I’ve been involved in over the years, the most rewarding aspect has been helping others – no matter how small it may seem.
Thank you so much for this interview, Toby.Please tell our readers where they can find this book and other ones you have written.
Thank you, Rosie for this blog interview. It’s such a kind gesture when a fellow author supports another author in various ways. And I’m glad you are a fan of Brooke Lynn!
My books are available in three formats through online booksellers and at the links below:
I had the honor to do an interview with Dr. Heather Rivera.
About Dr. Heather Rivera:
Heather Rivera, Ph.D. is an Amazon best-selling author. She has written eleven books—fiction, nonfiction, and books for young readers. Heather hosts writing workshops and offers private coaching.
Contact her directly at drheatherrivera@gmail.com for coaching services.
Click on the bookcase below to read our interview and what’s coming soon at, Books by Rose.
Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you’ve been up to and any exciting plans you’d like to announce.
Join me and my author friends as we share some fun posts for this month. Check theirs out at the end.
Today, I’m going to share three of my favorite things for Valentine’s Day. One of my favorite holidays.
*Crafts
*Sweets
*Books
First Up, This Fun Card To Make
Growing up, our mom was always making crafts and Valentine’s Day was one of her favorites. Mine, too! If you follow me, you know I’m all about the hearts, year round. 💝
I also love trees! So, why not combine the two? You can add special sayings like:
“My Love Keeps Growing and Growing For You”
“Spread Your Love Like Leaves On A Tree”
Or, just write a personal message with your name on it.
Use any kind of paper or cardstock. Use, crayons, colored pencils, paints or your favorite art mediums. Follow these directions to make your special card.
Card to make for Valentine’s Day
Next Up…
Sweets!
The Best Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge Ever!
You’ll need…
3 cups chocolate chips. Use any chocolates you like. I prefer the milk chocolate.
1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk. (You can’t tell the difference since this fudge is loaded with sweetness.)
24 regular size unwrapped peanut butter cups
Instructions
Line 9×13 baking dish with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray lightly. Line with 12 peanut butter cups If you need to fill the bottom of your pan, add more.
Use a large microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Stir together. Microwave 30 second. Stir. Keep melting until completely smooth. Pour over peanut butter cups to cover them all.
Cut up the remaining Reese’s and press into the top. Let it set to cool to room temperature {30 minutes to 1 hour} before refrigerating. Cover and refrigerate until completely solid. Overnight works great. Once it’s solid, remove from the pan using the foil and cut into small 1 inch by 1 inch squares.
These are very rich and soooo good!
Last, But, Not Least…..
Books!
Give the gift of reading!
Click on the poster below to read about these eleven titles. If you have any questions about them for your readers, let me know.
Don’t forget to click on the author names below for more February fun! Don’t forget to check out their books, too.
In this blog post, you’ll find come special quotes to consider as you leap into the new year. I’ll share some of my favorites first, then at the bottom of this post, you’ll find some other inspirational blog posts from our author friends who will share theirs, too.
Enjoy!
My Favorite Quotes From One Of My Favorite People…Zig Ziglar!
Before I start, let me tell you about Zig Ziglar.
Zig Ziglar was born on November 06, 1926, and sadly passed away, November 28, 2012. He was a salesman, a motivational speaker, and later became a wonderful author, sharing his wisdom to people around the world.
I first heard of Zig Ziglar when I was a high school graduate. Our mother had been a fan of him for many years. When my boyfriend, now husband, started in sales, she highly recommended he read his books and follow his advice.
Mr. Ziglar had some of the best quotes of anyone I’ve known. I’ll share some here with you today and give you my personal thoughts on each one. I hope you’ll take the time to look him up and watch some of his videos.
Please let me know if you would like to add your thoughts to the meaning of these quotes in the comment section below.
“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” ~Zig Ziglar
This is the first quote of his I learned and it has stayed with me my whole life.
Helping other people get what they want is key here.
Credit for Image: Ave Calvar Martinez from Pexels
Say, you’re selling a product or providing a service. Of course, you want that customer to buy that product or sign up for that service. If truly in your heart you know they will benefit from this product or service, then you are helping that person get what they want or need. Even if they don’t buy, the excitement and passion you showed them, may want them to reconsider down the road. If not, it’s still a win. You helped them and that’s a wonderful feeling in itself. Doing good deeds shows great character, in personal relationships and in business.
Thought two on this.
The best way to bring yourself out of a bad mood or attitude, “stinkin thinking,” as Zig would say, do something for someone else. Helping others always makes us feel better, right?
“Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment.” ~Zig Ziglar
Ooh, I love this one! I know in my heart of hearts that if I want to become better at writing or drawing, I’m going to have to practice it, and practice it a lot. Showing up each day with with consistent goals in mind and doing them, is a must to me. Repeating the hard work through putting those actions into motion will eventually take me to the accomplishment of my goal.
Image Credit: Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels
“You can start where you are with what you’ve got and go to wherever it is you want to go.” ~Zig Ziglar
Image Credit: Gerd Attmann from Pexels
Another one that hits home to me.
When I was a substitute teacher, my days were filled with walking into a blank slate of the unknown. I wouldn’t know which students excelled or didn’t. I would literally have to meet those students where they were at and help them the best I could. Comparing them to each other and what they knew, was something I would not do. I would meet them where they were at and we’d go from there. They in turn, would have to meet me where I was at, as well. I wish I could share all the wonderful stories of success I saw with those students. They liked that I saw them for who they were, not the expectations of what I thought they were suppose to be.
Another personal note, I was older when I became an author and illustrator. I had to start a road of learning with little background in this field. I had to start where I was at. Small steps were eventually built to bigger and bigger steps. Even after almost eight years, I’m still learning and growing everyday.
“If you can dream it, you can achieve it.” ~Zig Ziglar
I do believe we all have dreams we want to achieve in this life. Some want promotions, some want items, some just want to get through the day having a happy, healthy life with our family and friends.
Photo by Karyme Franca from Pexels
One thing I would like to add about dreams though, they don’t come true without some effort on our part. If you want that special dream home, a certain career, etc. it all takes planning, steps to make it happen and dedication to make it to the finish line. Sure, there are obstacles, but getting back to those plans at a later date is always a wonderful possibility, too.
Now join me as I introduce to you some amazing authors that have written on this subject to get you inspired for the new year. Click on their names below.
On October 21, 2019, I released a very special book close to my heart. The last of the “Maggie, Millie and Merrie” series. This book has brought much joy to many who have read it.
What’s “Maggie, Millie and Merrie’s Mystery Mail” about?
Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Mystery Mail
“The triplets are back, and my, have they grown. The Midwest winter strikes them with a vengeance of snow. Stuck in the house with too many snow days, they turn grumpy with nothing to do. That is, until a mysterious package is delivered. Will the trio be pulled from their boredom as mail arrives each day?”
There’s a super fun art activity in the back of this book with endless ideas on what to make. I even have provided a sheet below for you to gather your supplies to get started.
Don’t forget to check out the yummy recipe in the back of the book for you to serve over the holidays or anytime.
Click on the image below to order your paperback or ebook.
Supplies you’ll need for this art activity. Yummy Treat Recipe!
If you are looking for other books to give to your readers this holiday season, you’ve come to the right place. We have Early Readers all the way up to Middle Grade!
Click on the image below to get your copies today!
Books from Books by Rose
Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful holiday season, everyone!
Let us know what you all have planned for the holidays.
If you have any new up and coming projects, we’d love to hear about those, too!
Let’s take a look and learn more about this day and why it’s celebrated.
Art is an expression that is portrayed in many ways through many forms. Read more about this day here. ► “International Artist Day.”
Today, I’d like to take this time to share two artists and their works with you. You may remember me featuring them awhile back.
First, we are honoring a Kansas City artist, Marilyn C. McWilliams.
She is the mother of our friend whom our family grew up with, Paul McWilliams.
Sadly, his mother passed away in 2017. We wanted to show you her talented life as an artist.
Her Amazing Story
Marilyn C. McWilliams
Marilyn’s Love For Art Started At A Very Young Age.
Once she was ready to venture out on her own, she attended the Kansas City Art Institute here in Kansas City. When landing her first job, she started working at Hallmark Cards as an artist.
After Hallmark, Marilyn worked the rest of her professional life as a freelance artist for a variety of women’s clothing stores in Kansas City. She illustrated the entire catalog for local women’s wear manufacturer, Fashionbilt, for many years. Fashionbilt – a significant women’s wear manufacturer that was located in the KC garment district on 8th Street. For those that are not familiar with the history behind the Kansas City garment industry. Here is an interesting article written by ► MONROE DODD on September 11, 2015.
She became involved with the fashion art for the high-end women’s stores on the Plaza, as well.
Painted my Marilyn C. McWilliams
Art Classes
She frequently took classes in a variety of mediums including sculpting, oil, and acrylics. She and her grandson were kindred spirits who could communicate more without passing a word than could with conversation. Their styles were very different, but they saw things similarly. Artists tend to see emotion in what they draw and paint, and the good ones communicate that emotion in ways that allow us to feel it too. Stay tune for part two in this post, as her grandson’s art will be featured in a different post.
Marilyn painted this for her grandson, Jason
In addition to being known as one of the top fashion illustrators in KC, Marilyn loved to paint portraits and had an uncanny ability to reveal the personality of her subjects.
Paintings by Marilyn C. McWilliams
Volunteer Work
Marilyn left the Kansas City area for Texas in 1975 and passing through Houston and Austin, settled with her husband in Tyler, TX. Marilyn loved people logged over 10,000 hours as a volunteer with The USO, American Red Cross, St. David’s Hospital, ETMC, TASCA, Meals on Wheels, Hospice of East Texas, The Great Get Away Cancer Camp, The Tyler Art League and the University Christian Church where she was also a member for nearly three decades. As a member of the Tyler Art League, Marilyn participated in the annual Pallet of the Roses where she won 8 Blue Ribbons.
Painting by Marilyn C. McWilliams
This is the photograph used to paint “The Rugged Face of Crete.” The photographer, John Fabac, who won an award for this photo.
“The Rugged Face of Crete”
Here is a public article written by “Explore Crete” The travel guide to real Crete. to tell you more of the pillage of Anogia and the story behind the destruction of Anogia. Read story ► here.
What Marilyn Loved Most
Marilyn loved doing charcoal sketches of patients attending Cancer Camp and even when arthritis made it uncomfortable, she persisted for nearly 20-years.
She had a gentle way of relaxing the patients and would sketch them as they looked before the side effects took their toll.
The vast majority of those sketches were taken by the patients or given to the surviving families of patients that didn’t make it, but a few are included in the photographs here.
The Great Get A Way Cancer Camp
Most of these sketches are of patients attending “The Great Get Away Cancer Camp” in Tyler, TX. Marilyn attended this weekend camp every year for nearly 20 years. She often sketched into the night even though her arthritis would stiffen her hand. When she ran out of time, she would take photographs, do the sketches at home and deliver them.
The Great Get A Way Cancer Camp
Remembering Marilyn C. McWilliams
Here is a beautiful article written about her by Augusta Robinson, Sept. 8, 2017.
Jason McWilliams was born in 1976. Unfortunately, he passed away half way through his college sophomore year, in 1996.
Jason McWilliams
Jason lived a life of many talents. Outside of being very artistic, he played and lettered in the marching band all four of his high school years at Blue Valley North.
He could play virtually any musical instrument. He learned to play them after practicing on them just a short time. In band, he played all the different saxophones.
Drawn by Jason McWilliams
How Jason Communicated With His Art
As an artist, he communicated emotions through his art. For example, many artists will paint a face using flesh tones, lighting, and reflections which actually sends many other colors to our eyes that our brain tune out. That’s where artists tune in. When Jason colored as a child, it was evident he tuned into these colors that brought life and emotions to his images. When he expressed concerned about this, his dad told him, “Bluebirds don’t have to be blue.” This resonated with Jason and he stayed true to that statement.
Painting Jason Made Of His Sister
His Former Years
When Jason was in grade school, around eight or nine years old, his parents enrolled him in evening art classes. These classes were taught by professional artists to mostly middle aged students. Jason felt a little intimidated around the older students and they were curious about him being there. Once they saw his talent, he was quickly accepted as their peers.
Sports Paintings
Jason And His Grandmother
Jason and his grandmother had kindred spirits and communicated on the same level. Even though his grandmother had come from a line of artists and was a professional in her own right, she was taken in by Jason’s talent. She and Jason had radically different styles. His grandmother stayed more towards the traditional bounds of art, whereas Jason was not afraid to go outside the boundaries. He enjoyed testing past them. They learned from each other and complimented each other in many ways.
Painted by Jason McWilliams
Jason’s High School Years
When Jason was in high school he was introduced the person in charge of the art department. She had never met a student like Jason. She asked for him to be quizzed out of his basic classes and she developed a curriculum for just him.
One challenge many artists face is finding live figures to draw. Most artists are intimidated to paint people they know. His junior year in high school, his art teacher and parents worked together, enrolling him into a course at Johnson Country community College.
Art by Jason McWilliams
Jason participated in the regional Scholastic Art where he won two Hallmark Awards, one his junior year and one his senior year in high school. He also won many gold, silver, and “Best of Show” awards. He set records in district competitions that probably still stand. Jason was widely recruited by art schools around the U.S. He accepted a scholarship to Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. (MIAD) This program is well known for the best Fundamentals Curriculum. This is the baseline for freshmen students.
He then applied for a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) for his sophomore year. It has a wide respect for providing the best painting curriculum.
From there, Jason planned to apply to colleges in Europe as he pursed the best programs around the world. Unfortunately, these plans were cut short midway through his sophomore year in college.
A Personal Note On Jason’s Life
Jason grew up with his younger ten year old sister. They had a unique and close relationship. While most teenage boys would view their sister as a tag-along, Jason love taking his sister Jamie places with him.
Jason also had many friends from all walks of life, He had a special way, not only making one feel welcomed, but special in their own right. His friends all commonly agreed, Jason had “an old soul” and was wise beyond his years. He was as gentle as a teddy bear.
Jason and his sister
I want to thank the McWilliams family for allowing me to feature these special artists on my page. Like I have told them many times, “How I wish I could have met, Marilyn and Jason McWilliams.”
The McWilliams Family
If you would like to leave your thoughts, please click on the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.
Thanks for stopping by today and Happy International Artist Day!
I’ve just released my eleventh book! “Stella and the Four Seasons.” Woo hoo!
I hope you’ll enjoy celebrating this time with me and we’ll talk more about the “behind the scenes” of this book, too.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out my author friends posts about fall at the end of this post. You’ll enjoy reading what they have in store for this season.
Celebrating my 11th book!
The Contest I Had For My Title Reveal.
Thanks to all my fans for showing up on my Facebook page to guess the letters and words for my title reveal. Here it is!
Fans had a fun time guessing each day. I wasn’t sure how long it would take, so authors, if you decide to do this, take it one day at a time. One wonderful thing about this? Everyone will remember the title of your book. I love that part.
Title Reveal
Now For The Cover….
“Stella and the Four Seasons” is an Early Reader written in the form of acrostic poems, (we will get to more on that in a moment) for ages Preschool through 1st grade. Younger children will enjoy the bright, colorful images on the pages, too.
Stella and the Four Seasons
This 9×6, 32 page book is perfect for young readers to enjoy the four seasons. Stella tells what she loves the most about each one. Here’s something else that she offers! A search and find! How fun is that?
Acrostic Poems
As I stated earlier, each page on the left hand side will show an acrostic poem. On the right page, readers will search for the items or phrases listed.
What is an acrostic poem? Here’s how I explained it to readers on the first few pages.
What are acrostic poems?
Here’s an example of the first two pages.
The first two pages of “Stella and the Four Seasons
Why Was This Book Hard To Write?
This book has been something I’ve wanted to write for a long time. When I went to create these, acrostic poems, I had to find words that began with each letter. That was not always easy. We’ll, most words were easy for an adult, but not so much for a young reader to understand. So, this book turned into a learning book, as well.
Readers Will Learn About The Names Of New…
Apples, Pies and Trees
...and so much more!
In The Back Of The Book
If you and your family love to explore nature together, you will love the added activity in the back of the book.
Fun Facts and Activities
Where To Find This Book?
Right now, it’s listed for paperback and kindle on Amazon. It will take awhile for expanding distribution channels to pick it up and I’m hoping for that to happen very soon. Keep watching.
The paperback book is at a reduced price for $8.99 for a limited time only. The Kindle is only $2.99. We hope you pick up a copy for your young readers.
If you read this book, please let me know what you think. We’d love to hear from you and your reviews means the world to us. ❤️
Thanks for stopping by today, and as always,
Happy Reading!
Rosie
Now, check out these awesome blog posts!
Julie Gorges – A Fall Self-Care Bucket List to Make the Most Out of Autumn
Cat Michaels – What’s Not to Love? – Six Things to Make You Fall for Fall
James Milson – Happy Autumn, Pumpkin Spice, and Everything Nice about Fall!
Today we have a special guest here at Books by Rose.
Meet Toby A. Williams. She’s the author of the Brooke Lynn Series.
Let’s get started so you can learn more about her wonderful stories.
Toby A. Williams
Hi Toby, tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Nashua, New Hampshire, I currently reside in the San Diego area of Southern California with my best friend, who also happens to be my husband of many years. We enjoy travel, golf, helping in the community and of course, reading and writing. My appetite for writing was nurtured by my silly and vivid imagination as a child, along with my mother’s quirky fun storytelling. Most of my writings over the years have been for my personal enjoyment. My favorite place to write… at the dining room table, mostly on my laptop.
What inspired you to become an author?
It wasn’t until I wroteMy Lil’ Ladybug Friend that I truly felt re-energized to write again. It was created as a gift for my great-niece, Ava. With a bit (okay – a lot) of prodding by my dear friend, Sue Campion, in December 2018, it was published as my first rhyming picture book. The inspiration for The BROOKE LYNN Adventures series was based on Ava’s first experiences, i.e., seeing-touching-smelling the ocean, first day of school jitters, wanting a new pup and meeting scary Santa. All were new “Ava” adventures as told through the eyes of Brooke Lynn. The series highlights kindness, sharing, perseverance, being brave, responsible, and staying positive. With several book awards, along with local author spotlight recognition in the San Diego Central Public Library, I am grateful my books are helping early readers thrive.
Recently, you published a middle grade book called, “The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE,” (The BROOKE LYNN Mysteries Book 1.)
Tell us more about this book and what’s to come?
Click on this image to read more about, “The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE.”
Oh, what a blind hurdle… jumping from rhyming picture books to middle-grade fiction. But when a few friends and fans asked if there would be additional stories about the main character, Brooke Lynn (we all wanted more), I made the leap. I envisioned this fun-loving child blossoming into a spunky, curious pre-teen. Drawing from the previous books, her pup, Samantha Sue (aka Sam) and best friend, Mike accompany her on the middle grade adventures.
About the Book: The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE (The BROOKE LYNN Mysteries – Book 1)
Middle-grader Brooke Lynn is curious – a new housing development is being built in her sleepy town. Rumors spread about the new homeowners and sightings of celebrities. When the crime-busting duo, Brooke Lynn and Mike, stumble upon a red-stained shoe hidden in one of the vacant homes, a new mystery unfolds. Is the stain blood and more importantly, why is it there? But it’s not just the new homes making Brooke Lynn curious. Her best pals, Mike and Susie seem different and her parents are getting strict! Will she be able to get to the bottom of not only the hidden shoe, but also the changes in her life? This cozy, exciting mystery full of pre-teen angst will have you guessing until the end.
Credits: Cover Design – Corrina Holyoake (@corrinaholyoake); Editor – Lor Bingham, Calico Editing Service (@laurabingham)
Available in eBook, paperback & hardcover onAmazon.
You used the amazing illustrator, Corrina Holyoake with all your books. Tell us more about how you two met and how you managed your partnership in this publishing journey?
What a delight to work with Corrina Holyoake these past few years! We were introduced by my mentor and dear friend, Sue Campion. After researching several other illustrators, Corrina’s conceptual ideas were in sync with my vision and an agreement was reached with the first book, My Lil’ Ladybug Friend. Once the 2nd rhyming story was written, we agreed to extend our relationship for the entire series. She was thrilled to jump back in with the new MG series. Her cover concept for The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE was spot-on!
What was the process in finding an editor for your story?
I worked with a new editor, Lor Bingham of Calico Editing Services (@laurabingham)
Without her help, knowledge, polish and inspiration, this book would not have been possible. She has an uncanny way of knowing exactly where and when to assist during the entire process. Her warm yet professional style is what truly got me through this project and I am grateful to have her on my writing team.
What is one message you would like to send out to your readers?
Each story I have created carries a positive and kind resolve after experiencing new or uncomfortable situations; and if the reader stays immersed in the storyline itching to turn the page, then I’m a happy writer. #childliteracy #sharingkindness #gratefulheart
Toby, your new book is so great! I placed an order and have loved every bit of your story.
Here is my 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review:
“I was so excited when, “The Case of the HIDDEN SHOE (The BROOKE LYNN Mysteries Book 1)” by Toby A. Williams’s book arrived in our mail. Middle grade readers will enjoy this book. It has so many levels of great events to follow. Williams has painted a wonderful imagery with the characters and their feelings, along with the descriptive settings in this mystery tale. Brooke Lynn and her longtime friend, Mike, have been the detective duo in their neighborhood for years. Now, things are changing a bit as they grow older. When a new housing development is being built in their area, they are curious as they hear rumors of celebrities moving in. As they investigate, they find a red-stained shoe in one of the buildings, but that’s only half of it. How did it get there? Who does it belong to? Not only does Brooke Lynn have this mystery to worry about, she has to deal with Mike, who seems different nowadays, her best friend, Susie, who is changing, too. Her parents have become stricter by the day, not to mention how hard it is for her to concentrate on her school subjects. I highly recommend this book as readers will go on adventure, turning the pages to the end to see how this mystery is resolved.”
To find more about this book and Toby’s other books, visit the following places:
Enjoy learning these 4 random facts I found for the month of July.
4th of July
First of all, I hope all my USA friends and family had a fun and safe 4th of July.
Image Credit: Designecologist from Pexels
Do you know what the #1 food that is consumed over the 4th of July?
Hot Dogs!
In fact, “According to the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council, (NHDSC) Americans are expected to eat 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th holiday.”
Wow, now that’s a lot of hot dogs!
Image Credit – Pexels Photo by Cottonbro
July’s Birthstone
If you have a birthday in July, then you already know the birthstone for this month. Yes, it’s Ruby! It’s also called the “King of Gems.” I love these gems. They can be colored anywhere from deep blood red to paler rose red.
Pexels image: ArifKhanJuly’s
July’s Birth Flower
The birth flower for July is the delphinium, also known as Larkspurs. Some sites say July’s flowers are varieties of the Water Lilly.
We’re going to share these Larkspurs today.
These bright blue flowers will brighten up any summer flower garden.
Image Credit: Pixabay – James DeMers
Speaking of birthstones and birth flowers, here are just a few famous people that celebrate their birthdays in July.
July 1. Dan Aykroyd (Actor)
July 2. Larry David (Actor)
July 3. Tom Cruise (Actor)
July 4. Neil Simon (Singer)
July 5. Huey Lewis (Singer)
July 7. Ringo Starr (Singer and Drummer)
July 8. Kevin Bacon (Actor)
July 9. Tom Hanks (Actor)
July 10. Arlo Guthrie (Singer)
July 11. E. B. White (Author)
July 12. Cheryl Ladd (Actress)
July 13. Harrison Ford (Actor)
July 14. Gerald Ford (Former President)
July 15. Linda Ronstadt (Singer)
July 16. Barbara Stanwyck (Actress)
July 17. Donald Sutherland (Actor)
July 18. James Brolin (Actor)
July 19. Edgar Degas ( French Impressionist Artist)
July 20. Natalie Wood (Actress)
July 21. Ernest Hemingway (Journalist, Novelist, Writer)
July 22. Danny Glover (Actor)
July 23. Woody Harrelson (Actor)
July 24. Jennifer Lopez (Singer, Actress, Dancer)
July 25. Matt LeBlanc (Actor)
July 26. Sandra Bullock (Actress)
July 27. Norman Lear (Television Writer)
July 28. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (Former First Lady of the USA)
July 29. Martina McBride (Singer)
July 30. Arnold Schwarzenegger (Actor, Politician, Body Builder)
July31. J. K. Rowling (Author)
(Whew, that took a lot of research! I enjoyed it though. See why below on my update at the bottom of this post.)
The Dog Days of Summer
Image Credit: Pexels Rodnae Productions
Do you know why this is a popular phase in the summertime? I looked for ways to explain this better but decided to share this article since it’s full of interesting information.
As this blog is being sent out, I’m also sending out my new book to a list of my wonderful Beta Readers. Once they take a look at it this month, I’ll have more news to share in August. I can tell you this for now. I had to do a lot of research on this book for young readers. It truly was one of my favorite parts.
Drawing the images to go along with all my facts and information was so much fun, too! Okay, I better stop now before I give too much away. Can you tell I’m excited to share it with you! Keep watching!
Thank you so much for stopping by today!
Do you have any fun facts about July that you can share? We’d love to hear from you!
I’m so excited to feature this author on my page this month.
Please Meet, Jennifer Milius
Jennifer Milius
Jennifer wears many hats. She’s an author of children’s books and a co-author to a new released non-fiction book. Recently, she started a show called, “The TufFish Show.” Many of our authors friends have been featured on her show and we all had so much fun.
Here’s Jennifer
How did you get started as an author?
That’s a great question! Although I’ve enjoyed writing since I was a young child, I started writing children’s books based on our family’s real-life brother and sister tuxedo kitties, Einstein and Moo, during the summer of 2011. The first story I wrote was the third book I published, Einstein & Moo and the Quest for the Catnip. It went through several iterations while I also worked on the first two books of the series, Einstein and the Leaf and Moo and the Case of the Mistaken Identity. The series has six stories, and each one started out as a poem with minimal punctuation because that’s how I preferred to read them, unless there was dialogue or a specific inflection was needed, then appropriate punctuation was used.
As I was tweaking and polishing Einstein and the Leaf and Moo and the Case of the Mistaken Identity, books one and two of the series,I started to shift my thinking about how to turn them into published books and proceeded to figure how to make it happen.
The Einstein & Moo Book Series
I believe that we’re all works in progress, but your first, next or current book doesn’t have to be. And when you have support from someone who has “been there” and understands what you’re going through, it makes all the difference in the world. My goal is to help writers get from “maybe I’ll do it” to “it’s happening!”
Tell us about your TufFish Show.
The TufFish Show makes my heart so happy! It features authors from different genres and businesses, but with one thing in common – they had a message or story they wanted to tell and courageously got out of their own way and made it happen. It’s one facet under the TufFish umbrella, which also includes book coaching and developmental editing.
Each time you get “unstuck” by brainstorming a story plot for fiction or teasing out how to teach a concept for nonfiction, you feel excited for what’s possible and your writing flows even more. When you have a trusted advisor, sounding board and encourager as you write your book, you take the limits off yourself and create something even better than you thought possible because you were receptive to a reader with an editor’s eye and desire for you to be successful.
And if you want to know how TufFish got its name, check out the trailer to the podcast. Click on the image below to listen.
The TufFish SHow
Tell us about your latest book and what can readers expect to learn?
You Know it’s a Verb, Right?is my first non-fiction and first co-authored book; it demonstrates how leadership must become a verb and positively develop individuals across the leadership spectrum who believe there’s more to leadership than meets the eye.
You Know it’s a Verb, Right?
We wanted it to feel like you had two mentors right there with you who cared about you being successful, so you could serve and encourage others. We created You Know it’s a Verb, Right? to be a roadmap with real-life examples that uses everyday language to help you bridge the gap between your technical skills and the leadership skills required to successfully guide individuals, teams, and organizations. Whether you’re at the start of your leadership journey or already in a leadership position, You Know it’s a Verb, Right? affirms you can become a better leader.
What was it like working with a co-author?
I really enjoyed co-authoring You Know it’s a Verb, Right? with Wayne. He’s a wonderful person and dear friend, and it was an honor to work on this book with him. This book was years in the making between brainstorming, writing, re-writing, editing (more re-writing and editing), and finally getting it published. We spent a lot of time using video to talk through ideas, rework chapters, and engage with our team to bring the book to life. One thing I treasure from this experience is that as I contributed to our book, I learned so much from Wayne that I could feel my own leadership practice deepen.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I love time with my family (including our kitties) and friends. I’m also a bit of a foodie, so I enjoy creating delicious food in the kitchen.
Thanks so much for being with us today, Jennifer.
If you would like to reach out to Jennifer to talk more to her about the topics we talked about, you can contact her at on her website by clicking here:
These next few months will be busy as I gather Beta Readers and a Street Team for my new book coming this fall. If you are reading this and would be interested in being a part of this adventure with me, please leave a note in the comment section below.
First, before I start, I wish everyone out there a very special May and spring season, 2021! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! 🌺
My Special Guest for the Month of May is…
Author Peggy M. McAloon!
Peggy M. McAloon
Peggy is an author and a talented artist.
She has a story of resilience, bravery and faith.
Her story, “Elle and the Reflective Portals” is a wonderful book that reflects just that.
Let’s Dive in and Meet Peggy
“Elle and the Reflective Portals”
Peggy, what inspired you to write your story?
I loved fantasy stories when I was young (and still do). As an abused child, the books were my escape from the real world and into something more beautiful and safe. When I wasn’t reading, I made up stories in my head to pass the time.
Mom was very religious and taught me all about the guardian angels who watch over us. I wanted to write something including those guardians that would not only touch the hearts of young girls, but provide an opportunity for discussion of today’s social injustices with their parents. Bringing fantasy and reality together was a major concern as I formulated the story in my head.
My next major concern was the diversity of our world and the young girls who are growing up afraid of the same threats I endured. It wouldn’t do to call the winged creatures angels because not every child believes in angels. So, I chose the name Fiori for the dimension rather than heaven. (Fiori is the Italian word for flowers and I’ve always imagined heaven is filled with flowers.
The main character, Elle Burton is ten-years-old as the story begins. At the age of ten, I was very mature and many times brought poorer kids to my house to trade their dirty and frayed outfits for one of my pretty tops or dresses. Therefore, because I have two sons, Elle had to be a kid like me because I have no other experience with little girls.
Fiori and the Fiorins were a joy to create. The winged creatures can be whatever the reader wants or needs them to be: angels, fairies, creatures from a dimension we’ve never heard of before, or aliens. Imagination is an incredible gift to children and I loved the freedom that knowledge gave me in creating Fiori and its inhabitants.
How many years did it take you to write it?
I spent about a year writing the book. It took another six months to do the editing and work with the publisher. The original book was roughly as long as a Harry Potter novel, but the publisher told me I had to end it in a cliff hanger because no one would purchase the entire story. The last 100 pages were removed and became the first 100 pages of the second book, “Missing.”
Tell us, Peggy, what type of research did you have to do to bring across your beautiful tale?
In order to bring inspiration to the readers, I chose to utilize many of the experiences I had and my children had growing up. As an example, when Elle chooses the class bully to help with a school project it was very loosely based on an experience my son had with the class bully.
The description of Fiori was actually quite simple. We travel to the Gulf Coast each winter to visit my brother. One of my favorite places to go during that visit is Bellingrath Gardens and Home outside of Mobile, Alabama. Even though we visit each year, it feels like heaven each time I enter the gates. https://bellingrath.org/
The rest of the story takes place here in Menomonie, WI. I spent many days driving around town with my camera figuring out which locations would be used in the book and which businesses would be featured. Once the book was published, each business featured received a signed copy of the book. I was taught at a young age that we are supposed to support our local businesses.
What do you expect Middle Grade readers to walk away with after reading your story?
My purpose in devoting so much time to this story is to convince kids in trouble to have the courage to tell someone, even if it’s another kid like Elle. For those who haven’t experienced the social injustices in this world, I want them to recognize the problems and step up to help whenever it’s safe to do so or to find an adult to help as Elle did with the girl she found hiding in the girl’s restroom at school after suffer a beating at the hands of her father.
I think Maya Angelou said it best: “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.” That’s who Elle Burton is – a kid who wants to help others, and now she has some magical creatures to help her.
Do you have hobbies outside of being an author?
More than anything, I love being outside. I particularly love being by the water which makes our winter trip to the Gulf Coast so enjoyable. My relaxation comes from painting in watercolor and acrylics. I also have the old Conn organ that I played in the Miss Iowa Pageant when I was a contestant back in the 60’s. I also love traveling the world with my wonderful husband and the hours of fun we’re having with our newest family member, Shelby (a Schweenie – cross between a Shih Tzu and a Dachshund). We are anxiously awaiting the summer months, when she will graduate from her “terrible-two’s.”
Art by Peggy M. McAloon
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Peggy.
You can find Peggy’s M. McAloon’s work on the following sites.
Guess what? The Early Reader I’ve been hinting about? It’s done!
I have so many things to do to get it ready for you all to see. The formatting, technical side, editing and so much more is in the works for the coming months.
Keep watching!
Have a wonderful spring and I’ll be back to catch up with more news in the month of June.
The first part of this blog is written in the form of an acrostic poem for April.
I have so much other fun news to share with you, too!
First off, let’s talk about what acrostic poems are. An acrostic poem is when a word is spelled vertically, with the first letter capitalized. Short sentences or a single word represent the word to some extent. It does not have to rhyme. I’ll tell you more about why I’m using this idea at the end. For example, let’s take the word April.
A ir that is fresh!
P astel colors!
R ainy days.
I irises
L awns full of green grass.
When you are finished reading this blog post, try this poem idea in the comment section below. Pick a spring word, or any word for that matter, and have fun making your own acrostic poem. I’m excited to see what you come up with.
Why Did I Choose This Subject?
I’ve been so excited to tell you about my next book! It will be an early reader and a simple search and find, written in an acrostic poems. I just finished illustrating page 23. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you in the months to come. For now, here’s an example of page 4 in my new book.
Coming soon!
Interviews Galore!
I had the honor to do an interview with an author from my hometown. Kathy J. Perry. She has written many wonderful books for readers. To learn more about, Kathy, take a look at this interesting visit she had with Jennifer Milius.
Click on the image below to listen.
Kathy J. Perry on the TufFish SHow
Jennifer Milius has a great podcast show and interviews many fabulous authors. I hope you sign up to her page so you can follow them, too. Here’s more about Jennifer ► here.
Jennifer Milius
Now, My Interview With Kathy J. Perry
Kathy J Perry
Click on the image below to hear our interview.
Other Surprising News About My Books
I made a comment on a blog post I follow by book reviewer and blogger, Gina Rae Mitchell.
Little did I know when I did this, I won a spot on her page to be featured with my books. Thank you again, Gina! Click here to check them out. ►My books.
Not all were listed yet on the Ingram Page she uses, so I’ve added them below for you to see those, too.
I hope you will follow,Gina’s page. Her blog is one of my go-to pages to find fun and interesting books, recipes and so much more.
Gina Rae Mitchell
That’s all I have for now. Stay tune as I’m going to feature a very special author in May. Her story and books will will warm your heart and bring you hope. Hmm, I wonder who that could be?
See you back in May!
As always, happy reading!
Rosie
PS. Don’t forget to leave me an acostic poem in the comment section below.
It’s hard to believe it’s March already, but we’ll take it. Our weather here in the Midwest was below zero a few weeks ago, but thankfully warming up and showing us a hint of Spring. We know March can be a little bit of everything around here, so we’ll keep ready for whatever is to come.
It’s also hard to believe, Easter is a month away. Easter to me is the birth of a new season. We’ve heard of many families celebrating the birth of new little ones, too.
So, what do Easter Baskets and Baby Showers have in common?
Books!
Books by Rose
If you have older readers, you may also be interested in the recent book, Cat Michaels and I wrote called, Just Between Sam and Me. (Ages 8-12.)
“Just Between Sam and Me”
Filling your gift baskets with books is a great surprise for readers.
Where to buy these books? Click on the retail sites at the bottom of this page.
If you live near me, write me a note and I will gladly meet up with you for signed copies.
In Other News..
Next Up
I have been busy working on yet another picture book these past few months. I can’t wait for you to see my Early Reader which is a simple search and find. It’s also packed with lots of learning, fun facts, and activities. I’m going to start illustrating on page 19 next week, so I’m getting closer.
Once I get this next book finished, the hardest part will be the editing and critiquing. In order to do that, I will be searching for Beta Readers. Cat Michaels and I found them invaluable when writing our last book.
What is a Beta Reader? Visit Cat Michaels Writer page here to find out.
I shared this recipe a few years ago and they were a big hit. I hope you make these wonderful, easy cookies. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and parties.
Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies
Mint Chocolate Cookies
Recipe
1 Devil Food Cake Mix
2/3 Cup Crisco
2 Eggs
Dark Chocolate Mint M&Ms
Cream cake mix with Crisco and eggs. Take dough and roll into 2 inch circle balls. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 9 minutes. It’s best to undercook these.
While the cookies are hot, press four or five Mint M&M’s into the warm cookie. Cool and enjoy!
Here’s something fun I found out. You can make ANY kind of cookies with a box of cake mix, eggs, and anywhere from a ½ cup of Crisco to ¾ cups. The trick to remember is to use just enough Crisco to have the batter thick enough to roll into balls.
One Last Thing…
A big thanks to Jen Milius for having me on her TufFish Show! It was so fun visiting with you, Jen!
I hope you will visit her page and listen to some of the other authors she has recently interviewed, too.
We have winners! See note below image. You will be contacted via email.
Thanks to all that entered.
💖 Happy Valentine’s Day! 💖
Winners for Valentine’s Day Contest
Please Note:
***Entrants must*** * be 18 years or older * have a valid US mailing address for your book and bracelet * have an Amazon account and valid email for the eBook. * have 24 hours from the time you contact the winners to respond before another winner is selected
Welcome to this contest giveaway. This event ends Friday, February 12, 2021 at midnight. The winners will be announced on Valentine’s Day, Sunday February 14, 2021 at 9 am (CST) on this page, my Books by Rose Facebook and Twitter pages.
Image Credit: Pixabay
What a special treat we have in store for you.
First of all, let me introduce to you a site I have been following since I started “Books by Rose.” I met a lovely person named, Donna Furgal as she was starting a quest of her own. She wanted to find ways for girls to feel empowered with their gifts for living their dreams and creating a positive change in the world. Please check her site, “Gomee Girl” here:
Click here
Now for the fun giveaways.
If you have read the book thatCat Michaels and I have written, it’s a middle grade book called, “Just between Sam and Me.” As you know, our main character, a shy 11 year old 6th grader, struggles with self-esteem in her small town of Spring Hope, MO.
To make matters worse, a new girl moves to town and turns her world upside down. I’ll let you read more about that here. Click on the cover below.
“Just Between Sam and Me”
We also wanted to add this amazing gift for our giveaway.
Enter to win this beautiful bracelet. You will even get to customize how you want it made. We will put you directly in contact with Gomee Girl’s website for you to place your order.
Gomee Girl’s Bracelets
Another winner has a chance to win this prize! An eBook of our new story, “Just Between Sam and Me.”
eBook of “Just Between Sam and Me”
We’re not done yet.
Since we’d like to pay forward the gift of reading to you even more, one winner will get to pick a physical copy of any of my titles at “Books by Rose.” Click on the image below to read more about these books for young readers.
Books by Rose
How to enter for these prizes?
Easy peasy. Just do these two things.
💖 Leave a comment in this blog post below with ways people can pay their kindness forward for Valentine’s Day, or every day, for that matter.
💖 Share this post with your friends so they will be able to have a chance to win, as well.
And that’s it! *See rules that apply below*
Good luck and have a wonder Valentine’s Day and every day.
Happy Valentine’s Day
As always, happy reading! 💖
Rosie
***Entrants must*** * be 18 years or older * have a valid US mailing address for your book and bracelet * have an Amazon account and valid email for the eBook. * have 24 hours from the time you contact the winners to respond before another winner is selected
Last February, a group of author friends and I got together and created some fun posts for last February since it was Leap Year. Little did we know what was ahead of us.
I chose to write about trends for the year 2020. Sounded fun at the time, but then the next month, the whole world shut down.
The big color for 2020 was suppose to be classic blue.
Classic Blue
Friends, how would we know if this color for decor came true? None of us visited anyone’s homes. Even if we did, we had other more important things on our mind, like whether or not the stores would have toilet paper. Hmm, do they still sell blue toilet paper? I remember it coming in different colors. Maybe that’s why we never saw it on the shelves. It all makes sense now. 😂
Bell Bottoms
Someone mentioned last year that Bell Bottoms were going to make a comeback from the 1970’s
Bell Bottoms
Again, how would we know if that happened?
So many times I read that people were not even getting dressed on any given day. Many start working at home, so PJ’s were the biggest clothing trends. I wonder if the sales went up for that apparel? 💲
Personally, I dressed each day and did my daily ritual. I haven’t been as rushed to do so, since we seldom left the house. I have cut down on doing the whole hair and make-up to the extent I was, unless there was a ZOOM call, of course. 💻
Sports
I don’t think I have to tell you about this subject. So many sports were canceled. Little League Baseball continued, which was a saving grace for us. We got to see our family and friends and have face to face conversations with people. What a treat! 💕⚾️ 💕
Baseball
Now, if you wanted to attend a big league baseball game, you could pay to have a cardboard cutout of yourself in the stands. We opted out, we were saving our money incase a toilet paper shortage were to happen again. 🧻
Food
Awe, food. Now here’s a big one!
Pop Up Restaurants
Pop Up Restaurants were suppose to be all the rage.
Eating out in 2020 didn’t happened for several months. Sadly, some of the small hometown restaurants didn’t make it. The one good thing, is businesses upped their game and created wonderful curbside deliveries. I don’t know about you, but we found some great restaurants and made sure we gave them our support to keep them going strong. 💪
Personal Growth and Self Care
Personal Growth and Self Care
Many people were having trouble with this one, including me.
Not going bowling, not getting out going here and there made a big difference on just not moving enough. I’ve heard others say 2020 slowed them down and they were stress eating, or just plain eating more because they were home everyday.
I went through this some, so when I had my numbers checked at the end of the year, everything was “mildly elevated.” I did not like that, so I started moving more. I started watching what grams of fats and sugars I were taking in and it has really made a difference.
Audio Books
Audio Books
Audio books were projected to be on the rise.
With the libraries closed, with curbside services, I really missed going into the libraries browsing the shelves for those. Don’t worry, I kept them busy enough. I even told them they should keep a index card by the phone with the make of my car, because I would be there weekly. So, reading has not changed much at all for me this last year. 📚
Another hint: If you can’t find an Audio Book at your library, don’t forget to check Youtube. I have found some great ones on there. 😊
Art
Painting
Here’s another big one that has been going strong and thrived through 2020. I can’t believe all the awesome classes out there I’ve seen this past year.
If you follow my pages, you know art has been a huge outlet for me. When I don’t create something, from being too busy with other things, I truly miss it. It’s been a 100% lifesaver for me. 🎨
TV
Streaming TV shows has been highly popular these past years.
Watching TV has not changed for me. We watch our shows at night, but for me, it’s writing, reading and art during the day. Oh, that and conversing with family, friends and neighbors, which leaves me with…
Connections!!
Connections
I have visited with more people this last year than ever. Friends from long ago, neighbors that we barely saw, and family members to check in on. Even though, many of us can’t connect in person, it’s has been great catching up and staying in touch. 💞
Time Capsule
Last year at this time, our grandson and I buried this rock and a Time Capsule in our back yard with this list in it.
Time Capsule
I really wanted you to see a video of us digging this up, but our ground is frozen and the cold snowy days have prevented us from doing this. We hope to soon.
Now For All The Good Things in 2020!
Outside of finally getting to visit and hug our kids and grandkids on Mother’s Day, Cat Michaels and I were busy, busy, finishing up and releasing our Middle Grade book, “Just Between Sam and Me.” It was released on December 02, 2020 and we couldn’t have been more pleased how everything turned out.
We were featured on many blogs, interviews and podcasts. In case you missed it, you can see them here.
“Reading with Your Kids”
Click on the image below to listen:
Reading With Your Kids Podcast
“The TufFish Show”
Click on the image below to listen;
The TufFish Show
“Adventures in Reading”
Here are some great authors featured here, but if you would like to listen to part of our chapter 17, from “Just Between Sam and Me,” I’m reading a few pages of our new book at, (17:32-21:42.)
Click on the image below to listen:
Adventures in Reading
So, how have you all been holding up these past months. What big changes have you encountered? I hope you’ll leave us a note and tell us how you are doing and any new projects you have been working on.
Speaking of projects, I will have a new Picture Book for young readers coming out this year. All I can tell you is, I just finished page 13 out of 32 pages. I’m almost halfway finished and I’m having a blast with this one. 😊
As always, stay safe and stay well and…
Happy Reading! 💖
Rosie
If you would like to get a copy of our new book, or any copies of my books, click on the icons below.
PS. A fun “Valentine’s/Kindness/Pay it Forward” post is coming soon. Keep Watching! 💖
Everyone likes to know how books get started and where the ideas come from when questioning authors. Many of these questions have been answered from, Cat Michaels and I over the past several months. You can see more of those here. ► The Story Behind “Just Between Sam and Me”
Image Credit: Pixabay
Today, we’re here with an all new set of questions from readers about our book, “Just Between Sam and Me.” I’ll share my first four, then I leave a link for you to visit Cat’s page to read hers.
Okay, here we go!
Many readers have asked us:
Did either of you have a cat as a child and, if so, how did it inspire you to write about Sam?
Yes, I grew up with cats my whole life. We did have a cat named, Sam, but he was black and white like this one. So when, Cat Michaels mentioned our cat having the name, Sam, I was excited.
Image Credit: Pixabay
Robin from MO asked:
What childhood memories would you like to share about your cats?
This is super easy and one I can’t live this story down with my family to this day. When I was very young, I had to make sure the cat we had at the time was fully dressed everyday. Of course I had all the doll clothes, so why not, right?
One day my older brother, John asked me how I thought our cat, Katrina at the time, liked being dressed up.
I said, “Oh she loves it!”
Then he said to me, “It looks like she doesn’t have much a choice in the matter.” 😂
She was so cute running around our house in her little bonnet! To be honest, she didn’t really seem to mind. With that being said, I would not try this at home, not all cats will go along with that. Meow!
Imagine Credit: Pixabay
Others have asked if we are current cat owners?
Cat Michaels will tell you no, but I believe she has a relative and neighbor with a cat.
If you follow my pages, you know we have owned our three kittens the past 15 years. Yes, they will always be kittens in my heart. ❤️️
Sadly, our male cat, Frank passed away two years ago this month. We still have his sisters, Lola and Jeter. They are the sweetest and stay by my side most of the day as I sit here and work.
Frank, Jeter and Lola
Jane, from North Carolina wanted to know:
Is Sam a magical talking cat?
If you have read the story, at one point he does reveal his feelings, but that’s all I can tell you about that part.
Is he magical? No, but we considered it. The reason we decided against it, was then we’d have to add it to a “fantasy genre” and we didn’t want this story to be that. Our book is very true to life with real life situations.
Jill from MA wanted to know:
Did you have a childhood BFF like Isabella?
Very much so. If you have read any of my “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie” stories, I dedicated those books to my sister and our best friend growing up. (Even though the girls in my story are triplets.) Our friend, Cindy and I have known each other since I was in the 4th grade. My sister and I have always felt like she has been a sister to us, as she spent many, many years at our home.
What kind of things did you enjoy doing together?
We did a few of the same things you will read about in the book. Sleepovers and we played the card game, Solitaire a lot. We’d spend countless late nights enjoying that game.
Credit Image: Pixabay
We didn’t have horses, but we pretended we did one winter. We always acted out movies we had seen. I can’t remember the movie, but we’d gallop around in the snow and it very real to us. I sure hope kids use their imaginations these days. We have the best memories of that and so much more.
Imagine Credit: Pixabay
Sue from, Connecticut wanted to know:
What’s your favorite Middle Grade book you read as a child?
To be honest, I was not a big reader of Middle Grade novels at that age. Of course I was always reading school books. I loved magazines and our mother bought many of them. Comics, Teen Magazines with famous stars, fashion and all the top music hits.
Since I can’t share the images of those here, you can see more about them on this link. ► Teen Magazines. (♪ I think many of you will remember these. ♪)
So, that’s all I have for now. Are you ready to hear some more questions Cat and I’ve been asked lately? Tap on the photo below to visit her page.
Cat’s Corner
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
~Rosie
✨If you still would like to get a copy of our new book or any of my other titles, visit the following pages. ✨ Don’t forget, “Just Between Sam and Me” is on sale until January 09, 2021 till midnight. ✨
PS. Don’t forget to check back in the first part of February. ❤️️ I have a few projects in the mix for 2021 and will hopefully by then have a few things to share with you about that.
If you’ve been following the journey of our new story, Just Between Sam and Me, we have great news! The Published Button Has Been Pushed and just in time for the holidays.
Cat and I have been submitting our book to many places and have passed it on to lots of readers for their honest opinions and reviews. We have been overwhelmed at the responses we have received. Here are just a few for now.
Click on the images below to read the full articles and reviews.
Midwest Book Review- Diane Donavan, Senior ReviewerReview from author, Peggy McAloonReview from author, Tonja DreckerReview from, blogger and reviewer, Gina Rae MitchellReview from author, Barbara Mojica
The reviews are still coming in so we’ll keep you posted.
Meanwhile…
Here are the links to where you can find our special priced kindle book for only $0.99. Grab your Kindle copy at this price until December 10, 2020.
Our paperback just went live! This low price of $7.99 will remain for a limited time, as well.
Yes, that’s the fictitious setting in our story, “Just Between Sam and Me.”
My co-writer, Cat Michaels and I have been having more fun thinking of ways for us to introduce the different aspects of our new book for you, the reader.
First, let’s take a visit to, Cat’s page so you can see more on how we came up with the setting for our story.
Behind the Scenes
Yeah! You’re back!
Tap the picture below as we give you another taste of our story from Chapter 17.
Now for the Reading!
Chapter 17 Winter Break
More Great News to Share!
Author Mari Barnes has a super fun event for reader in December.
Don’t forget to watch for, Flying Turtle Publishing Presents Adventures in Reading with Bessie Boxturtle as The Pilot. ” Coming December 05, 2020
We’re not done yet!
In case you missed it, click below to download the first chapter to, Just Between Sam and Me.
Chapter 1 “Just Between Sam and Me”
What setting do you wish to visit in a book you’ve read?
Leave a comment in the section below. We’d love to hear from you.
If you have been following along, Carol Baldwin has been interviewing, Cat Michaels and I the last few months for our new book coming out, December 02, 2020.
Watch this important video. Click on the image below.
“Just Between Sam and Me”
Chance to Win a Free ARC
Read our ►Part IIIInterview with Carol Baldwin. Leave a comment on her blog for a chance to win a ***FREE*** Advanced Reader Copy of, “Just Between Sam and Me.”
(The winner will be drawn on October 16.)
Just Between Sam and Me
We thank you and please let us know if you have any questions.
Can you believe two months from today, Cat Michaels Writer and I will be releasing our Middle Grade book for tweens?
Coming December 02, 2020
Now, we feel like we can start revealing more and more about our story. Not too much of course, but enough to let you know what a big part of our tale is about.
National Bullying Prevention Month
Did you know October is National Bullying Prevention Month?
Sadly, a large part about our story is about our protagonist, 11 year old Olivia, who is bullied by a new girl that moves to town. It doesn’t just stop there. She’s also being socially bullied by two of her friends she’s known since early elementary school.
To give you an idea of how this story came about, Author Tonja Drecker has written this wonderful interview with us to explain more.
Click on the image below to visit, author Tonja Drecker’s page.
Be Kind – Link to Interview
If you missed the first chapter of, Just Between Sam and Me, you can down load it here.
Just Between Sam and Me
Chapter 2 is when things really start to happen. Here’s an excerpt from our book when Olivia meets the new girl in town, Candace.
Just Between Sam and Me
Cat Michaels Writer also wrote an extensive piece on this, as well.
Click on the image below to see more…
Cat’s Corner
If you have any questions for Cat and I, leave us a note and we’d be glad to answer them.
What Plans Do You Have For October?
Image Credit: Pixabay
Do you have a new project you’re working on? Leave a note in the comment section to tell us all about it.
Stay safe, stay well, and spread kindness wherever you go. ❤️
Happy Reading!
Rosie
Don’t forget to subscribe to my page for more updates.
This low price of $7.99 will remain for a limited time, as well. 
