Tag: New Projects

Squeezing In The Last Summer Months This August 2022

August 4, 2022 / rosieadmin / 14 Comments

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.

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.

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.

Paperback or Kindle

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

What have you been up to this summer? Please leave us a comment in the section below. We’d love to hear from you.

As always,

Happy Reading!

Rosie

May Celebrations 2019

May 3, 2019 / rosieadmin / 6 Comments

Things you’ll find in this months post:

*Honoring Mom for Mother’s Day

*Sneak Peek to a New Release this Fall/Winter and Update on MG Tale

*Interview Feature

*Happy 5 years “Books By Rose!”

*Celebration Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

*Fun and Easy Bookmark To Make

Honoring Mom for Mother’s Day

A salute to all the mother’s out there. Mother’s Day can mean a lot of different things to different people. On this day, you may celebrate with your own children, your mother, your mother-in-law, aunts, grandmothers, or the mother figures in your life.

Our sons make me feel forever grateful to be called their mom.

With my own mother, we honor her in many ways, remembering her in everything she was. It’s hard to believe if she were still living, she would turn 100 years old this year.

One way I keep her memory alive, I include her in some of my stories. For those that have followed along, you know the story about how she was a singer in her younger days. The ten years before becoming our mother, she was in a trio called, “Margret, Irene, and Mary.” Sound a tiny bit familiar? Yes, my triplet books and the “name of their titles” were fashioned as close to the name of her group as I could get. “Merrie” in the story is after our mom. Our niece also spells her name the same way, so I thought it was a perfect fit.

One of these days, I’d like to come up with a music theme for the triplets. Feel free to share any “magical” ideas you have. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Here’s some recent news about the triplets. I feel it’s safe to let you know I’m starting on the illustration of page 19 in my next book about them. I hope to release it in the late fall or early winter.

Here’s a sneak peek of Maggie. If you have read this series, you will remember, she’s the happy go lucky one. She sure is giggling about something that’s going on here. I can’t wait to share this cute story with you. It’s filled with fun ideas for your readers to enjoy. Okay, I better move on, before I tell more. Keep watching!

Progress on MG tale with co-author Cat Michaels

Cat and I are working hard on our MG (Middle Grade) tale coming next year.

When researching on how to get our story started, we found making a visual map helped us put our story in action. Having an image to refer to where our characters lived, what their entertainment sites looked like, and an overall reference to the town where they reside, puts this all in perspective for us. Stay tune for more fun facts about our book.

Interview Feature

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to be interviewed by author and librarian, Lauri Fortino. I hope you will visit her page to meet new authors and learn of new children’s books she features on her “Frog On A (B)log” page. Click here to learn more on my thoughts when “Writing Children’s Books Young Readers Will Love.”

Happy 5 Years, “Books by Rose!”

Hard to believe it’s been 5 years for Books by Rose! What a learning curve this all has been and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve had to teach myself how to illustrate the images, which has been so much fun! Learning how to craft stories that readers will enjoy has been a huge task. The best part, is getting books in the hands of readers.

I could not have done this without all my fans, family, and friend’s support. Thank you all so much!
🌷❤️🌷❤️🌷 ❤️🌷❤️🌷❤️🌷

Click below to watch my celebration video.

Happy_5_Years “Books by Rose!”Download

Celebration Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Let’s celebrate by making this easy homemade ice cream. You want to know the best part? You don’t even have to have an ice cream maker, just a few ingredients and some patience for waiting.

I made this recently and it turned out soooo good and creamy. Have fun coming up with different flavors.

All you need is:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Chilled, 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk,

Chilled, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon or more of Mint extract, or other flavors that you like. Taste as you mix.

Chilled, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or soft candies of your choice. You can add more, it’s up to you.

Directions and Tips:

Place two cups whipping cream in a metal bowl. Using a mixer, choose your “whip” setting and mix until it becomes the consistency of store bought whipped cream. (It takes awhile, but keep mixing. The first time I tried this recipe, I didn’t whip it enough and the ice cream came out too hard.)

Add chilled sweetened condensed milk and extracts. Mix to combine.

Place in the freezer for three hours.

After three hours, remove and give it a stir. Add your chilled candies. (Important note: Your candies should be chilled. Otherwise, they will melt in the ice cream, even at room temperature. Also, for safety reasons, stick to small, soft chewy candies. Hard, round candies can be a choking hazard.)

Add your ice cream to the container you want your ice cream stored in, with a air tight lid, and place back in the freezer for three more hours. Your ice cream takes a total of six hours or more to set.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Fun and Easy Bookmark To Make

Last, here is a fun, fast, easy step by step bookmark to make for yourself or give away for as a gift.

This triangle shape slides right onto the page you want to save.

I started with a 6 x 6 inch square, but you can experiment with different sizes.

How will you spend this month of May? Weddings? Graduations? We love to hear from you.

Here’s some more “May First Friday” posts from my author pals to follow:

Sandra Bennett – Where Do You Find Ideas For Stories?

Julie Gorges – 10 Super Foods for Baby Boomers

Rebecca Lyndsey – Great Sale!!

Auden Johnson – WHEN YOU’RE TOLD YOU CAN’T MAKE A LIVING AS AN AUTHOR?

Cat Michaels – 9 TIPS TO HELP YOU BUILD YOUR ONLINE COMMUNITY

James Milson – Happy Hummer Season! Welcoming, Helping, and Attracting Hummingbirds In Your Neighborhood

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy May and Happy Reading!

Rosie

“What I Want to Accomplish in 2019 Even if I Don’t Win the Lottery.”

January 10, 2019 / rosieadmin / 16 Comments

The start of a new year is like a blank slate, and we don’t know what will be written upon it. Even if we don’t hold that winning lottery ticket, there are loads of things we can engrave upon it.

My writing pals and I are sharing our hopes on the writing road and in our family life – for 2019 in our #Gr8Blog hop: “What I Want to Accomplish in 2019 Even if I Don’t Win the Lottery.”

Please have a read, and then visit the other #Gr8Blogs linked at the end of this post for more smiles and inspiration.

Whew, what an exciting year 2018 was, huh? We were busy with family activities and the making of “Moonshadow Mae.” Not only is it in hardcover, but we were able to make it in paperback December 11^th.

Written and illustrated by Rosie Russell

So as 2019 begins, it’s time to set goals in action and plan for what is next. Reviewing a few things I’ve learned this past year has helped me paved the way to new beginnings.

I learned more on marketing and the technical side on how to put my books together.

As you know by now, I should be an expert on how to contact website providers and worked through the issues that arose this past year, but I can’t say that’s true. The learning curve will be forever there for me on that topic.

In April, I will approach five years as a writer and illustrator. What a wonderful learning experience it‘s been along the way.

I must remind myself:

*Not to rush and slow down to learn the steps before releasing a title. Patience is a word I say to myself often.

*Have many extra eyes read the content and evaluate my illustrations. Speaking of illustrations, studying a lot more on the technicalities on digital drawing, has helped. I can’t wait to see how much more to learn in the years to come.

*I learned to join a “street team” of friends to turn to for help, when needed. It’s a must in this writing journey. Bouncing ideas around and working through problems has been beneficial to us all.

*I learned to stay true to my heart. Just because a particular topic is hot on the market for children’s books doesn’t mean that subject is one I should write. If I were to make something out of a book not from my heart, it wouldn’t work, and definitely would not be not fair to the readers.

What’s coming for this next year?

This last fall, ideas came for new stories. I won’t go into it right now so I don’t reveal too much, but it’s something that will please readers with these next ones.

I can tell you, one will be very interactive with readers. I can add, this picture book will be for older readers. The reading level will be easy for 3^rd graders, but the project is for those that can follow written directions. Not to say younger ones will not enjoy this story. With the help of an adult, it‘s a fun activity for both to enjoy Let’s say, I tried this out with a few children younger than 3^rd grade and we had a blast.

The next idea for a book will melt the heart of readers. You know how I love including family and friends into my stories so I will look for characters soon. Watch for a shout out when the time comes.

I plan to reach out for more interviews and author visits. I’m waiting back to hear from an event coming in May. I’ll keep you posted.

What are your plans for this next year? As you think about your goals, read these inspiring posts below from my author friends. They have many aspirations and theirs may even spark a few new ideas for you.

Thanks for stopping by! What do you want to kick off your bucket list this year? Please share in the comment section.

If you blog and want to join us on this hop, just add the family-friendly link to your blog post in the comment section. We’ll visit and give you some blog love.

Best wishes for a wonderful 2019!

Happy Reading,

Rosie

Have fun visiting these author’s sites and goals for 2019: