I’m contacting the winners today for the five $10 Amazon e-cards. Please be sure to watch for an email from me.
And The Winners Are…
I’ll write you a note from my email and we can discuss how to get your Amazon ecards to you. Happy shopping!
If you missed this book launch and all the news, here’s the information you need to learn about my new book for Middle-Grade readers. (Adults will enjoy this book, too.)
►Type the title of this book or Rosie Russell into your browser to find this book in other online stores.
► Libraries – This title contains an LCCN. Look for “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to add to your bookshelves.
► Reviews welcomed. If you are on Goodreads, I’d love it if you would add “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to your “Want to read shelf.” Thank you! ❤️
Thank you all so much for attending and for your answers. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed all our discussions. 🙂
Let me know what you think of my new book. Reviews are always welcome.
One Last Thing
If you have been following my website and Facebook page, I’ve been giving hints about a “New Page” on my website, which is coming soon! I hope to have it announced sometime in August. 🙂
Welcome back! We made it to Friday! Our last day of my book launch for “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Today we’ll discuss the last section on the back of my book, and so much more.
Will they manage to emerge at the top of the contest while unearthing the mysteries that the connect them all?
Question of the Day
What do you think? Do you think they will make it to the top of the contest?
Or, what mysteries connect them all?
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below.*
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
Learn about these next two authors and their books.
Meet Catherine Michaels. She and I go way back to the time when we both started writing books. She and I even wrote a Middle-Grade book together, (“Just Between Sam and Me”) which was released in 2020. You may remember her author name as “Cat Michaels” when she was a children’s author. Find those books ► here.She now writes cozy, fun romance books.
About the author
Catherine Michaels whisks you away to sun-drenched shores with her kisses-only beachy romances. Get ready to laugh, shed a tear (or two), and swoon over heartwarming characters you’ll instantly connect with.
In her Gull Island Romance series, set against the backdrop of a small town in coastal North Carolina, her flawed but relatable characters navigate heartbreak, rediscover love, and find their soulmates.
Catherine and her family live outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she visits her happy places on the coast every chance she gets.
Catherine Michaels ► Website ► Amazon books (Find more of her books at other retail sites, too.)
Next up…
Here’s another wonderful, supportive author. She recently released a Middle- Grade book you might want to check out. I read it, and it was cleverly written with much research on the subject.
About the author
Frequent library trips, Saturday mornings reading in bed, word games around the kitchen table, and letters to pen-pals—these are the photographs from my childhood. My mother told me, “You have a way with words.” I believed her and grew into that blessing.
I started by publishing nonfiction because I felt comfortable translating my observations and experiences into words. Gradually, I left the safety of my own experiences and worked into writing fiction. I didn’t leave nonfiction behind though. Every story I plan to write will be rooted in real events and real places. Every writer has their favorite genre. I admire books that show tapestries of relationships and the interior life of a character’s emotions and choices. I hope that my books will capture that same experience for my readers.
Carol Baldwin’s ► Website ► Amazon Books (Don’t forget to check out her book at other retail sites, as well.)
Where To Get Your Copy of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
►Type the title of this book or Rosie Russell into your browser to find this book in other online stores.
► Libraries – This title contains an LCCN. Look for “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to add to your bookshelves.
► Reviews welcomed. If you are on Goodreads, I’d love it if you would add it to your “Want to read shelf.” Thank you! ❤️
There So Many More Things I’d Like To Tell You!
It’s hard to end it all here without adding a few other very special things to this book launch!
You’ll see some bonus fun at the back of the book. There are simple recipes (well, one is a little more intense than the others, but readers will wow their family with this one.) It’s a special meal that Grandmother wanted me to share.
Recipes – Page 77
Art Projects – Page 87
There are art activities! Yes, some you may have seen these before in my other books. Older readers may have a better idea on how to approach these projects.
Book Discussions – Page 95
Oh, and book club discussions! Yes! Gather your friends, read the book, and have fun talking about all the adventures in this book and so much more.
See You Back On Monday!
Don’t forget to check back in on Monday, July 21, 2025 to see if you are one of the winners for a Amazon Gift Card!
Who’s ready for some more fun with my book launch?
Today, I’ll share paragraph #4 on the back of my book.
Buckle up for a whimsical-filled ride with cherished friendships that transcend time!
Hmm, friendships? So there are more characters in this book?
Question of the Day
Who Do You Think Maggie, Millie, and Merrie Will Meet In This Story?
I can assure you, there are many friends in this book for every reader to enjoy. In fact, there are at least ten other characters. Not all of them have strong dialogues, but they still add value to the story. 🤗
I can’t wait for you to read about them! ❤️
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below.*
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
These next two authors have some wonderful books and I’ve enjoyed them all.
Rebecca Lyndsey is not only an author, she is an artist and a full-time teacher, too!
About the author
Rebecca Lyndsey is a children’s book author, illustrator and teacher who was born in and still lives in the mountains of West Virginia with her wonderful husband and their two very spoiled cats. In her spare time she likes to paint, sing, read, play Wii dance games and mystery game apps on her Kindle Fire and spend time outdoors with her husband. “World of Color” is her first book release and plans to continue writing and illustrating many more books in the future.
Rebecca Lyndsey’s ► Website ► Amazon Books (Look for her books on other store sites, as well.)
Author Sandra Bennett lives in Australia and writes wonderful stories!
About the author
Sandra Bennett has been writing children’s stories for as long as she can remember. Right from her childhood in the early 1970’s Sandra used her imagination to develop adventure stories from where she lived in the southern suburbs of Sydney, to now where she lives with her family on a tranquil little property just outside of Canberra. As a little girl she always dreamed of becoming a teacher and sharing her stories with the children in her classes to encourage and improve literacy skills. Sandra believes Literacy skills are the building blocks to all further education. Once you can read you can learn anything and grow to become whatever your dreams desire.
Sandra enjoys writing children’s stories that will entice even the most reluctant reader to pick up a book and laugh so much they will not want to put it down. Her children’s books are for ages 4-10, early readers, reluctant reader and ESL students. They are perfect to read aloud at home with the entire family.
Her first book Gingerbread Aliens has achieved that objective and been selected for use in the 2013 Australian National Eisteddfod under 10 years Championship Division of Speech and Drama.
Sandra has taken not only her 25 years of experience as a classroom teacher but also as a mum to three boys and now writes a weekly blog titled Raising Awesome Readers, it can be found at http://gingerbreadaliens.blogspot.com.au/ or on her website http://sandrabennettauthor.com/
Gingerbread Aliens is the first in a series of five planned books. Book 2 Alien Shenanigans should be released later this year
Sandra Bennett’s ► Website ►Amazon Books (Look for more of her books in other sites, as well.)
Where To Get Your Copy of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
We’re moving on to day two of my book launch for “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Covers of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Okay, so now you all know the title, cover, and a few details of my new book, “Magical Fashion Show Contest.” Here are the images again with the prices. I have tried to reduce them as much as possible for your convenience.
Now, let’s move on to what happens next in my story.
Here’s the Next Part of the Back of My Book!.
Maggie, Millie, and Merrie are completely thrown off when a phone call from their mother interrupts everything. No problem, because, Grandmother has a wonderful idea to help with this current news.
Speaking of their Grandmother, I have a funny story to share with you all.
When I was illustrating this book, I had to make sure all my images were in black and white.
One of my Beta Readers read this recent book, and she mentioned how uncanny the image of the grandmother looked just like me! I laughed and said, “It is me!” Yes, I’m the Grandmother in all the triplet’s books.
How Did She Do That?
I found or took photos of people I know, and some of the characters are completely made up.
In order for me to get a really good sketch, I had to make sure they were either colored photos or colored drawings made by me. (Yay! I got to do some art!) I had to convert them in Photoshop. For those wanting to do this… FYI, there is always a lot of clean-up involved afterwards. It took more time than I liked, but I kept at it. If you plan to do this in Photoshop, plan on making the resolution 300 ppi or 600ppi, depending on which printing partner you use. They will call it “line art.” Research it ahead of time. You will be glad you did.
I’d like to take the time to thank our sweet friend, Jade for this photo session. Once you read the book, you will know exactly what character she plays.
(Jade, if you are reading this, thank you, thank you! Your photos turned out great, and you did more than I ever expected!) ❤️
I had a lot of fun making all the images and you will hear me talk more about them in the future.
Now for the…
Question of the Day
Oooh, what are some items you think they will find in Grandmother’s attic?
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below*
Reminder of Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
If you win, here are some wonderful authors to consider looking into. These amazing people are all from Missouri, too! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting two of them in person and hope to meet the other one someday while visiting St. Louis, MO.
About the author
Of the many jobs I’ve held in the past, including thirty-five years of designing and constructing stained glass windows part-time, teaching was one of the most enjoyable for me because investing in kids is so important. To this end, I continue to encourage good character with clean, moral stories kids and teens love to read. Good books make such an impact.
Writing is hard work, but there’s nothing like a good story to run off with your imagination. When things are flowing, it’s like a vacation. Sometimes the best ideas come in the middle of the night.
When not writing, you’ll find me painting with watercolor, doing school visits, writing a blog, interviewing other writers, designing websites, working as an administrative assistant part-time, and renovating houses.
Is this retirement? Apparently so! I’m loving every minute of it with my husband of 43 years.
Deborah Dilks aka Debby Dilks grew up in northwest Missouri and moved south to the Greater Kansas City Area upon graduating from high school. She is married with two children, four grandchildren and a multitude of people she considers like her children and grandchildren from all over the world.
After thirty-three years of working at the University of Missouri Kansas City in the School of Computing and Engineering, she retired and now has the time to follow her first passion of writing. Her second passion is genealogy.
To date, she has three books written (Miss Kansas City Kitty, Mrs. Kansas City Kitty and From World War II to the Run of the Year) with plans to write at least three more books. She was an Associate Editor of A Living History of Northwest Missouri: Lye Soap and Sad Irons, Hometown Memories, LLC. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild, Inkers.com and Goodreads.
Debby says that she writes the untold stories of the common, everyday person.
Deborah Dilks – ►Website ► Amazon Books(Look for more purchase links on her website..)
About the author
James (Jim) Milson is an Eagle Scout, teddy bear artist and retired father of four children living on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. When not busy creating teddy bears or bothering a guitar, he writes short stories, taking inspiration from bears created on his worktable, family life and years of woodland and outdoors experience in the Missouri Ozarks Mountain Country. Jim’s blog features other selected short works and poetry.
With notable family roots and history dating back to early Old Virginia, Kentucky, and earliest Missouri territory with a touch of Cherokee, he has been described as an offbeat mix of Mr. Rogers, Andy Griffith, Jeremiah Johnson and Sitting Bull, with a little Crazy Horse thrown in for good measure.
Jim, Little Red Bear and friends are currently in the backwoods working on more stories for the second collection of Little Red Bear adventures coming soon.
James Milson ► Website ► Amazon Books (Check out other retail stores for James’s books, too!)
Where To Get A Copy of, “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
We’ll start right off the with my title and cover reveal.
The Name of My New Book is….
“Magical Fashion Show Contest”
This book holds 102 pages and is for Middle-Grade readers. (Depending on the reading levels of each person, it may be suitable for upper elementary school readers, as well.)
Here’s The Tagline and First Paragraph on the Back of This Book!
“Unravel the Eras of Time: Where Style Meets the Past in This Fashion Show Mystery!”
When triplets Maggie, Millie, and Merrie take a trip to Florida to visit their grandmother, they expect sun, sand, and a whole lot of fun.
You are probably thinking, wait a minute! I’ve heard of the triplets, Maggie, Millie and Merrie and stories with their grandmother! So, why another book?
The answer to that is, yes, I do have the triplet’s picture books written for young readers. Then that nagging feeling kept coming back to me, saying, these stories needed to be written for Middle-Grade readers, too. After all, the girls are now twelve years old, and I felt they needed a whole new adventure with older readers.
*(I’ll be the first to tell you, writing is fun, but not always easy. There are lots of ways to learn. That’s why I have a few bonus author’s books to share with you at the end of this post.)*
Back to the Triplets and the Question of the Day!
What are some of the things you think the triplets should take on their trip?
Post your answer in the comment section for a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon gift card. (See rules below.)
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch is be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
*If you are a writer or entertaining the thought of writing a book, I hope you will consider these authors and their valuable advice as you consider spending your gift card. These would make wonderful gifts for inspiring authors, too.
First Up…
About the author
Julie Gorges started writing short stories and taking classes as a hobby in her early 20’s, never dreaming what the future held. She finally got up the nerve to begin submitting her work and was thrilled beyond words when her first short story written for teens was sold in 1990. During the past few decades, Julie has enjoyed a professional writing career, remaining in love, captivated, and addicted to words. She is the co-author of a non-fiction book, author of two young adult novels, and won three journalism awards as a newspaper reporter. Her work has appeared in dozens of national magazines including Woman’s World, True Romance, and Cricket. Julie is also a blogger at Baby Boomer Bliss, recently recognized as one of the top baby boomer blogs on the web.
Jennifer Milius is an entrepreneur, developmental editor, coach and accomplished multi-genre author who leverages her 20-year corporate career, undergraduate Communications degree, and MBA to help creatives bring out their inner greatness so that they get comfortable using their voice, sharing their message, and being visible.
While in corporate, Jen ran oversight for dozens of trade shows as well as attended hundreds of shows as a booth attendant. She partnered with senior leadership for keynote communications, whether it was developing content or guiding them on how to present that material and present themselves. Since starting her business in August 2014, Jen has hosted over 150 book signings, including booths at multi-day expos. Jen has helped hundreds of authors and creatives move to their next level whether it was through coaching, developmental editing, refining keynote speeches, instructions through course or workshops, or even having them on The TufFish Show. Her upcoming book, Author Stylist Guide: Own Your Greatness, Get Visible and Share Your Message, is your toolbox for the steps to make the most of speaking engagements, book signings, and podcast interviews when they arise, so you grow your readership and create a buzz about your catalog of work and message.
Having spoken to thousands of elementary school students about courage and confidence and worked with hundreds of authors and creatives, as well as being host of The TufFish Show, Jen believes when you share your gifts and message, you bring joy to others and show what’s possible for them. Tapping into your full potential means that joy, purpose, and possibility are coming together through you.
I want to start off wishing you all a very Happy New Year, everyone!
What is the Most Courageous Thing You Did in 2024?
I don’t have just one, but four things which have challenged me this past year.
Don’t forget to read to the end as I have some author friends who have also shared their posts for 2024.
I’ll Start With Mine…
Writing a Middle Grade Book Solo
First of all, I’m making my first chapter book for Middle Grade readers.
Some of you have heard me talk about this already. Some of you may know about the making of a chapter book I wrote with author Catherine Michaelsback in 2020.(Just Between Sam and Me) I learned a great deal from working with Cat. It’s strange not to have a second opinion in my writing as before so this is a big project for me.
Writing a chapter book is much different than children’s books. It will be all black and white with black and white illustrations. That has been very difficult for me because I crave color illustrations. I had to stop and make some art along the way to get that out of my system. (See some of my projects below.)
There’s another reason I have been doing a lot of art this past year and I will reveal more about that after my book is announced. Keep watching!
My Second Courageous Thing I’ve Done In 2024
We had to say goodbye to our sweet kittens. 🙁
They were actually both eighteen years old and sisters from a litter which were given to us back in 2006. We had their brother up until 2018. He was fifteen years old when he passed.
Lola and Jeter were best friends and you never saw one without the other. After Jeter passed in March, two days after her 18th birthday, Lola became very depressed and stop eating. One thing lead to another and we realized she had become very sick. They passed away within 7 weeks of each other. From March to May, it was a difficult time to say the least.
Even though they lived long lives, it was so very hard to say goodbye to them…it still is. I have to tell myself, eighteen year old cats in human years equals to ninety-four years old. I couldn’t expect them to live longer but having them here so constant everyday, by my side, is something I’m still working on getting over.
If you have ever lost a pet, you know how we are feeling. Many say, “get another cat or two.” We have decided we will not be getting any more pets at this time and we are okay with that. We will love on all the pets we visit though, you can count on that. ❤️️
My Art Challenges
Working with hands on art and exploring different techniques and sharing them online. That’s been a brave one as I can be critical of my art. I have a problem on stopping and leaving it alone….so it seems to take me f-o-r-e-v-e-r! Ha! When you do digital art, you can fix mistakes very easily. With mix media products, you can’t. Well, you can, but, you have to do it where it won’t show. More on that later this year, but I’m happy I’ve been able to step out of my comfort zone a bit. 🙂
Here are some of the art pieces I worked on.
These templates were found in a vintage magazine by Marlene Stevens and many other artists. They were meant for tutorial purposes on wood and other items only. Of course, they are not for sale and were used for trying out my art supplies. These were given as gifts.
My Goodreads Reading Challenge 2024
I made my goal! Yay!!!
This challenge always seems so easy at the first of the year. It’s around the fall months I realize I’d better hurry it up. 🙂
Here are the books I read and reviewed in December to top off 2024.
5 Stars
All 5 stars from me!
“Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals – A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food,”
“Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals – A Lifetime of Family, Friends, and Food,” by Dolly and her sister Rachel Parton will delight readers and cooks with these wonderful classic recipes. Dolly and Rachel include some heartfelt stories from their childhood. This beautiful, well put together book, is formatted to include everywhere from summer to winter meals and treats. Menus for satisfying dinners and delectable desserts with visually appealing, mouth-watering photographs, make each dish even more enticing. There’s a perfect balance between tradition and accessibility for everyday ingredients, which is my favorite part of this cookbook. Whether you’re cooking for a family dinner or a casual gathering with friends, this cookbook will be a trusted companion in the kitchen.
“Ghost”
This young adult novel, “Ghost,” by author Jason Reynolds, focuses on the character, Castle Cranshaw, who is nicknamed, “Ghost. The intense opening will keep readers going to the end. Castle’s home life is far from perfect, but when he laces up his sneakers and steps onto the track, his world is transformed. With a very supportive Coach and group of teammates in his life, he discovers how to conquer his battles and overcome a devastating situation. Reynolds’s writing and voice used for “Ghost” is genuine and resonates with the conflicts he faces. This book would be a great read aloud for classrooms and home. The back of the book holds excellent discussion questions which are a must for further exploration of situations, perspectives and problem solving dilemmas.
“Wait Till Next Year”
This book isn’t just about growing up with the love of baseball and the Brooklyn Dodgers. It’s so much more. “Wait Till Next Year,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a powerful memoir about growing up in the 1950s” with a rich tapestry of culture, sports, faith, and social consciousness. It offers valuable insights which capture baseball history and changing times. Yes, at the heart of this memoir, the love of baseball, idolizing major league stars and a visual illustration on how the sport brought communities together. Kearns goes on to share her innocence of childhood experiences, adding personal accounts on growing up with friends and navigating the expectations of faith and morality. The research in this historian’s writing was entertaining to learn. Readers will resonate in how different today’s world is than it was from the 50s. This book is a must-read for those interested in history, and yes, baseball and the progress made in this heartfelt story.
Will I do the “Goodreads Challenge” again in 2025?
You bet! I love it, and like I’ve said before, it keeps me accountable to my reading and I learn so much! Since I figured out how to listen to audiobooks on my headphones now, I’m going back to making my goal “50” books for 2025.
Now it’s your turn.
What Challenges Have You Had In 2024?
Let’s hear from YOU! 🙂
What challenges did you face in 2024? What have you learned from them?
What plans do you have for 2025?
Please join me and click on my author friends posts who have also participated in this “Blog Hop” to close out 2024.
Before I leave, I want to say, “Thank you” for following my author journey. You all are the best and I appreciate YOU! I’m looking forward to see what you create this coming year!
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
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.
