Tag: Interview

How To Create Your Dream Business With Jennifer Milius

August 2, 2024 / rosieadmin / 8 Comments

Welcome August 2024!

A special treat is in store for you today. We have author and entrepreneur back with us, Jennifer Milius!

Enjoy this interview filled with helpful tips on how you can make your business thrive.

Hi Jennifer! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be with us again. Tell us…

How Did You Create Your Book Business?

The Einstein & Moo series was a creative outlet during the last couple of years of my 20-year corporate career where I made up stories from my indoor kitties’ perspectives. As I was finalizing what ended up being the first two books in the series, I wanted to turn them into published books and proceeded to figure how to make it happen.

I left the corporate world one month before publishing my first book and knew I was headed toward my north star. When Einstein and the Leaf released in September 2014, I hosted my first book signing, and since then, I’ve hosted or participated in over 150 book signings, including booths at multi-day expos.

One book turned into seven, then book signings and school visits, and I knew there was more. My passion for helping people see their gifts and courageously share them continued through private coaching and speaking engagements. Two leadership podcasts evolved as well as my co-authored book, You Know it’s a Verb, Right?

Early on in my business, I was a beta reader for an author friend. She said I was tough and encouraging as I helped her strengthen her writing and storytelling abilities. Shortly thereafter, she and others became developmental editing clients. My business grew to help authors bring out their inner greatness, whether it’s through my recent book, Author Stylist Guide: Own Your Greatness, Get Visible, and Share Your Message; the podcast, The TufFish Show; developmental editing; or coaching them on how to best present themselves, their work and message. This brings me joy because I am following my passion.

What is an Author Stylist?

It’s a term I coined which is defined as a creative entrepreneur (that’s me) who works with authors, creatives and other introverts, like you, to bring out your inner greatness so you become comfortable using your voice, sharing your message, and being visible.

It leverages my entire corporate career, during which I ran oversight for dozens of trade shows, attended hundreds of shows as a booth attendant, partnered with senior leaders for keynote communications, and guided people on how to present material and themselves. In a nutshell, my job was about building bridges between employee engagement efforts and the company’s bigger vision. All the while, I informally coached hundreds of individuals to enjoy more meaningful work and gain increased leadership responsibilities. My corporate experience showed me how much I enjoy helping people bring their vision to life and building strong, authentic relationships.

What Services and Packages Do You Provide?

I am a big believer that if you have a story or book that’s in your heart to write, then there’s someone else out there who needs to read it. I also believe once you hit publish, a new level opens up because now, you need to really be visible and let your light shine, so that your readers, those who really needed to read what you wrote, find out about you, your book, and your message. You are the right messenger for your book because there’s no one else who can write that book, share that message in the way that you can. There will be other books like yours, but only you can share the book and message given to you.

We can work together through asynchronous support, so it’s like having a sounding board, cheerleader, and consultant as you work through your edits or as you prepare for an upcoming appearance or event on your terms, without the constraints of fixed meeting times.

For authors who are ready to take their appearances to their next level, then an Author Stylist package is perfect to support those efforts, so that they:

– Tap into their unique energy and stand apart in a crowded market.

– Discern the best opportunities for their goals and vision.

– Own their role as business owners and confidently share their message with the world.

– Execute successful events and appearances with ease and efficiency.

An Author Stylist package is also perfect for business owners who want to turn their signature course into a book as a way to reach more people and share their message. There are different options for both asynchronous support and Author Stylist packages, so you can have the personalized, focused support in the way you need it.

LINKS:

► Services

► Author Stylist

► Author Stylist Guide book and ASG book bonuses

► E levate Your Author Brand Free Resources

Thank you again for visiting with us today, Jennifer.

Goodreads Update 2024

These summer months have kept me busy. I picked up many books at the library, but sadly they won’t make this months list. Not sure if it was just me or the content of them was not my style, but they weren’t finished and sent to the return pile. That’s okay and it happens. Not every book we pick up will be for us, right?

I did get in this cute Middle Grade book and I enjoyed it to the end.

“Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes” (Matt Sprouts #1) by Matthew Eicheldinger

Middle Grader readers will enjoy, “Matt Sprouts and the Curse of the Ten Broken Toes” (Matt Sprouts #1) by Matthew Eicheldinger.

I found out about this author through some thought provoking videos he makes on the social media sites. When I realized he was an author and teacher, I knew I had to check out his books.
I’m so glad I did. With this being the first one in his series, I’m sure to look for more of his stories.

If you want to catch up from other books I’ve read this year, you can always join me on ► Goodreads, I have a goal to read 40 books this year.

Tell Us About You!

What’s going on in your corner of the world? Any new projects or plans?

We’d love to hear from you!

As always,

Happy Reading!

Rosie

New Release with Sandra Bennett

February 28, 2024 / rosieadmin / 6 Comments

Welcome to Books by Rose March 2024 as we dive into author Sandra Bennett’s new release, “Dragons Drumming.” If you live in areas where storms are abundant, you will want to get a copy of this one for your young readers!

Meet Author Sandra Bennett

Even though Sandra lives on the other side of the world from me, I feel we have always been kindred spirts and have the same ideals when it comes to, family, children and education.

Let’s get started.

Sandra, how did you arrive at your new story?

It was a dark and stormy night. You know how the rest of the story goes. You’ve heard it all before, … or have you?

In my case, it was a grey and gloomy afternoon. Storm clouds gathered on the horizon; distant thunder grew louder. By the time the storm blew across into our valley, the rain lashed sideways, striking our windows. The wind whirled through the trees as the rumbles became even louder grumbles. Lightning lit up the sky in sheets as bolts struck the ground. The house shook. My grandson was terrified. He clung to his mother for comfort, while my little dog scrambled for cover under the protection of her favourite hiding place, a bed.

It just took one simple sentence from my daughter-in-law to calm my grandson.

‘Don’t worry honey, it’s just the dragons drumming.’

I could see the glint in his eyes as my grandson considered this. His inquisitive mind immediately playing in overdrive. He peered through the window to the storm outside and tried to look towards the sky. Then, with a deep breath he bravely asked if he could go outside to get a better look at the dragons.

From that simple, innocent encounter, I knew a story was born. I could imagine an entire family of dragons, each playing a different percussion instrument. The commotion and possibilities were enormous and unstoppable.

How did you go about finding your illustrator?

I considered my options and quickly concluded that if I wanted to see this story published, I had to do it myself. Within various writing groups I had heard the names Tadaa Book and Anil Tortop many times. Then I happened to attend a SCBWI ACT lunch where I was shown the incredible work that Tadaa were doing for a friend. She had nothing but praise for working with them and so, my decision was made. I knew they were the perfect choice to help bring my dream to reality. After seeing several of the books that Anil Tortop had illustrated, I really wanted to work with her. Unfortunately, Anil was not available for twelve months as she was already booked. However, her husband, Ozan suggested that I look at the portfolios of several other illustrators he had on his books. I decided to go ahead with Maya Bora as I liked what I saw and believed she would be an ideal fit.

I adored Maya Bora’s illustrations right from the initial concepts. She seemed to just get me. We shared the same vision. The Tadaa Book team made the entire process so easy, stress free and enjoyable.

Sandra, here is my 5 Star review for “Dragons Drumming and where to buy on ► Amazon

“Author Sandra Bennett’s. “Dragons Drumming” is the perfect rhyming book for young readers who are afraid of storms. Illustrator Maya Bora sets the story with vivid colors to match this darling tale.
I wish I would have had a book like this growing up as we live where the storms are a large part of our spring. This book gives a positive twist to the thundering skies by imagining, “Dragon’s Drumming.”
I highly recommend this book for homes and classrooms which would make great read a louds. A child who is learning how to read will enjoy this book and will gain confidence as they work their way through the fun words.”

Sandra, what other books have you written you wish to share with our readers?

I also have a chapter book series for older readers, 7 -12 years. The Adamson Adventures is a four-book series, with the fourth and final book about to be released in June this year. This series takes three siblings, Zac, Clare and Luke on holidays to strange and amazing places where they inevitably fall into mischief and strife one way or another.

In Secrets Hidden Below, book1, the family is on vacation in exotic Bali when Luke happens to come across a map in a bottle buried deep in the sand on Kuta beach. Naturally, our reluctant heroes find a treasure map irresistible, and the pirate treasure hunt leads them to various locations around the island. Followed by a sinister shadow, the tension continues to increase right to the nail-biting climax in an erupting volcano. This book was short-listed in the Australian Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards in 2019.

A Lighthouse in Time, book 2, finds the family on yet another surfing holiday much closer to home. While exploring a cave on the NSW South Coast, the kids are lost, only to be rescued by a strange figure who quickly disappears once they reach the safety of sunlight. The mystery of the ghost-like figure unfolds around the ruins of an old sandstone lighthouse where all is not what it seems as many strange happenings occur.

Fossil Frenzy, book 3, takes a different turn as the kids head inland to their uncle’s drought-stricken farm in the harsh Queensland outback. Quite innocently, Zac, has a plan to help save the farm by searching for fossils. With the disbelief that a cyclone or two could possibly merge and rain down on them, the kids are caught in a terrifying storm and forced to seek shelter. When all is calm, and they emerge, the environment is suddenly very different. The trio appear to have time-travelled to the land of Australian dinosaurs. Now they must find a way home while trying to stay safe and not become a mega-raptors meal. This book has been a finalist in several international awards and won a competition to be pitched to film producers here in Australia in 2020. Tracks in the Mist, book 4 is almost here. The final thrilling adventure is set in the rainforest wilderness of Southern Tasmania as the kids go on a search and rescue mission to find their beloved secret pet that somehow goes missing from the farm. I don’t want to give away too much yet, suffice to say, they find much more in the Tasmanian wilderness than they ever expected. It’s a story of endangered species and the fight for survival.

Thank you so much for being here today, Sandra! I’ve enjoyed learning more about your new book. Best wishes on all your books and your writing journey!

If you have any questions or comments for Sandra and her books, please leave us a note below. I know she would love to hear from you.

What’s New at Books by Rose?

This short month has kept me busy with various activities. Yes, I’m still in the Goodreads Reading Challenges for 2024 and getting in a lot of books.

I’m also reading many books which will be released in the coming months, which you will hear more about. I have a project I’m working on for 2024 and very excited about that one, too. Keep watching!

Goodreads Challenge 2024

February, I’ve read and reviewed…

“Modern Fashion Illustration,” book by Holly Nichols gets a 5 star review from me all the way!
This easy to understand and practice guide is so helpful with traditional drawing and digital drawing, as well.
If you are interested in drawing, faces, bodies, designer clothes and other styles of fashions, this book is for you. Nichols also explains background ideas along with props to add to your projects.
I highly recommend this book.

Author Lori Luster with “Fashion Forward: Creating Your Look With the Best of Vintage Style (Craft It Yourself,)” is a fun fashion book everyone will enjoy. Styles from the 1920s – the 1990s will give readers a look at the various styles throughout these awesome decades.
Readers also are given suggestions on how to pull off these styles with items they can put together on their own.
I really enjoyed reading about some of these fads in clothing which I had forgotten about. Go-Go boots, Paper Dresses, the colors, fabrics, hairstyles, makeup and so much more.

Author Flora Ahn presents, “A Spoonful of Time” which brings readers many twists and turns. The recipes throughout this book to convey a history with her grandmother were interesting and worth looking into. This “time travel” book holds many mysteries to the end.

“The Big Book of Mod Podge: Decoupage Made Easy,” by Plaid Enterprises, Inc. was one I was excited to read. I really enjoyed learning about all the different Mod Podge products as I never knew of some of them were available.
The crafts and ideas made in the book are a bit dated since this book was written in 2015. Just the same, the techniques could be used for more updated projects.
One can also find projects from this company on Youtube which is helpful.

I adored Marion Ross’s book, “My Days: Happy and Otherwise.” As reluctant as she was to write her autobiography, she did a beautiful job relaying the story of her life with all her experiences in show biz and her personal journey. She may be best known as, “Mrs. C.” in “Happy Days,” but she has made many other wonderful movies, TV shows and plays to add to her list, plays being her hearts desires.
I didn’t want her book to end as it was like sitting down and visiting with a longtime friend.
I highly recommend this one if you like reading about stars. I’ve added this one to my favorites for this years reading list, so far.

Your Turn!

What have you been up to?

Writing any new books?

Working on art projects?

What books have you read this past month?

Please let us know in the comment section below.

As always,

Happy Reading!

Rosie

Mrs. D’s New Books Along With Her Other Wonderful Stories

March 31, 2022 / rosieadmin / 10 Comments

Interview With Mrs. D! Olga D’ Agostino

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?”

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.

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?

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

► A mazon

► Website

► E-book versions are also available through Amazon

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!

As always,

Happy Reading!

Rosie

What is “The TufFish Show,” Hosted by Jennifer Milius?

June 4, 2021 / rosieadmin / 10 Comments

I’m so excited to feature this author on my page this month.

Please Meet, 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.

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.

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.

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:

► https://www.jennifermilius.com/

In Other News at Books by Rose…

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.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Wishing you all a wonderful June 2021!

As always,

Happy Reading!

Rosie

Check Out This Special Guest at Books by Rose

May 7, 2021 / rosieadmin / 16 Comments

May 07, 2021

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 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

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.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Peggy.

You can find Peggy’s M. McAloon’s work on the following sites.

Website

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Link to the Book

In Other News at Books by Rose

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.

Happy Reading!

Rosie