Engaging Young Readers One Book at a Time

Tag: Rosie Russell

More Questions about “Just Between Sam and Me”

Everyone likes to know how books get started and where the ideas come from when questioning authors. Many of these questions have been answered from, Cat Michaels and I over the past several months. You can see more of those here. ► The Story Behind “Just Between Sam and Me”

Image Credit: Pixabay

Today, we’re here with an all new set of questions from readers about our book, “Just Between Sam and Me.” I’ll share my first four, then I leave a link for you to visit Cat’s page to read hers.

Okay, here we go!

Many readers have asked us:

Did either of you have a cat as a child and, if so, how did it inspire you to write about Sam?

Yes, I grew up with cats my whole life. We did have a cat named, Sam, but he was black and white like this one. So when, Cat Michaels mentioned our cat having the name, Sam, I was excited.

Image Credit: Pixabay
Robin from MO asked:

What childhood memories would you like to share about your cats?

This is super easy and one I can’t live this story down with my family to this day. When I was very young, I had to make sure the cat we had at the time was fully dressed everyday. Of course I had all the doll clothes, so why not, right?

One day my older brother, John asked me how I thought our cat, Katrina at the time, liked being dressed up.

I said, “Oh she loves it!”

Then he said to me, “It looks like she doesn’t have much a choice in the matter.” 😂

She was so cute running around our house in her little bonnet! To be honest, she didn’t really seem to mind. With that being said, I would not try this at home, not all cats will go along with that. Meow!

Imagine Credit: Pixabay

Others have asked if we are current cat owners?

Cat Michaels will tell you no, but I believe she has a relative and neighbor with a cat.

If you follow my pages, you know we have owned our three kittens the past 15 years. Yes, they will always be kittens in my heart. ❤️️

Sadly, our male cat, Frank passed away two years ago this month. We still have his sisters, Lola and Jeter. They are the sweetest and stay by my side most of the day as I sit here and work.

Frank, Jeter and Lola

Jane, from North Carolina wanted to know:

Is Sam a magical talking cat?

If you have read the story, at one point he does reveal his feelings, but that’s all I can tell you about that part.

Is he magical? No, but we considered it. The reason we decided against it, was then we’d have to add it to a “fantasy genre” and we didn’t want this story to be that. Our book is very true to life with real life situations.

Jill from MA wanted to know:

Did you have a childhood BFF like Isabella?

Very much so. If you have read any of my “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie” stories, I dedicated those books to my sister and our best friend growing up. (Even though the girls in my story are triplets.) Our friend, Cindy and I have known each other since I was in the 4th grade. My sister and I have always felt like she has been a sister to us, as she spent many, many years at our home.

What kind of things did you enjoy doing together?

We did a few of the same things you will read about in the book. Sleepovers and we played the card game, Solitaire a lot. We’d spend countless late nights enjoying that game.

Credit Image: Pixabay

We didn’t have horses, but we pretended we did one winter. We always acted out movies we had seen. I can’t remember the movie, but we’d gallop around in the snow and it very real to us. I sure hope kids use their imaginations these days. We have the best memories of that and so much more.

Imagine Credit: Pixabay

Sue from, Connecticut wanted to know:

What’s your favorite Middle Grade book you read as a child?

To be honest, I was not a big reader of Middle Grade novels at that age. Of course I was always reading school books. I loved magazines and our mother bought many of them. Comics, Teen Magazines with famous stars, fashion and all the top music hits.

Since I can’t share the images of those here, you can see more about them on this link. ► Teen Magazines. (♪ I think many of you will remember these. ♪)

So, that’s all I have for now. Are you ready to hear some more questions Cat and I’ve been asked lately? Tap on the photo below to visit her page.

Cat's Corner
Cat’s Corner

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

~Rosie

✨If you still would like to get a copy of our new book or any of my other titles, visit the following pages. ✨ Don’t forget, “Just Between Sam and Me” is on sale until January 09, 2021 till midnight.

Thanks always!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

PS. Don’t forget to check back in the first part of February. ❤️️ I have a few projects in the mix for 2021 and will hopefully by then have a few things to share with you about that.

GR8Blogs
GR8Blogs

Travel to the Town in “Just Between Sam and Me”

Are you ready to travel to Spring Hope, MO?

Yes, that’s the fictitious setting in our story, “Just Between Sam and Me.”

My co-writer, Cat Michaels and I have been having more fun thinking of ways for us to introduce the different aspects of our new book for you, the reader.

First, let’s take a visit to, Cat’s page so you can see more on how we came up with the setting for our story.

Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes

Yeah! You’re back!

Tap the picture below as we give you another taste of our story from Chapter 17.

Now for the Reading!

Chapter 17 Winter Break
Chapter 17 Winter Break

More Great News to Share!

Author Mari Barnes has a super fun event for reader in December.

Don’t forget to watch for, Flying Turtle Publishing Presents Adventures in Reading with Bessie Boxturtle as The Pilot. ” Coming December 05, 2020

We’re not done yet!

In case you missed it, click below to download the first chapter to, Just Between Sam and Me.

Chapter 1 “Just Between Sam and Me”

What setting do you wish to visit in a book you’ve read?

Leave a comment in the section below. We’d love to hear from you.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Reading,

Rosie

GR8Blogs
GR8Blogs

October 2020 Brings Us Closer To Sharing Our Book

Happy October 2020, everyone!

Happy October 2020!
Happy October 2020!

Can you believe two months from today, Cat Michaels Writer and I will be releasing our Middle Grade book for tweens?

Coming December 02, 2020

Now, we feel like we can start revealing more and more about our story. Not too much of course, but enough to let you know what a big part of our tale is about.

National Bullying Prevention Month

Did you know October is National Bullying Prevention Month?

Read more about what this is about here: National Bullying Prevention Month

Sadly, a large part about our story is about our protagonist, 11 year old Olivia, who is bullied by a new girl that moves to town. It doesn’t just stop there. She’s also being socially bullied by two of her friends she’s known since early elementary school.

To give you an idea of how this story came about, Author Tonja Drecker has written this wonderful interview with us to explain more.

Click on the image below to visit, author Tonja Drecker’s page.

If you missed the first chapter of, Just Between Sam and Me, you can down load it here.

Just Between Sam and Me

Chapter 2 is when things really start to happen. Here’s an excerpt from our book when Olivia meets the new girl in town, Candace.

Just Between Sam and Me
Just Between Sam and Me

Cat Michaels Writer also wrote an extensive piece on this, as well.

Click on the image below to see more…

Cat's Corner
Cat’s Corner

If you have any questions for Cat and I, leave us a note and we’d be glad to answer them.

What Plans Do You Have For October?

Image Credit: Pixabay Leaves
Image Credit: Pixabay

Do you have a new project you’re working on? Leave a note in the comment section to tell us all about it.

Stay safe, stay well, and spread kindness wherever you go. ❤️

Happy Reading!

Rosie

Don’t forget to subscribe to my page for more updates.

Rosie Russell – www.booksbyrose.com

|  Facebook |  Twitter   |   Goodreads  |  Instagram   |  Pinterest

GR8Blogs
GR8Blogs

Co-Writing Roles, Bumps in the Road, and Self-Publishing

By now, you’ve seen our interview with Author, Carol Baldwin in August. We were featured on her page in Part I on how Cat and I met and how we got started as co-authors. In case you missed it, you can read more about it here.

Interview with Carol Baldwin

Click on the image below.

Carol Baldwin, Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell
Carol Baldwin, Cat Michaels and Rosie Russell

Today we’re back to tell you on how we came about deciding many issues on who was going to write what for our story, Just Between Sam and Me.

Who was going to write the opening? The end? How did we develop our characters? How did we solve our issues when we disagreed on a particular scene?

Bumps in the Road

We discussed the hard facts on what bumps in the road we came across. Writing a 30,000 word plus book is not an easy task. For those out there considering this journey, we hope to give you a glimpse of what we faced as we worked together creating our story.

Part II: Writing Roles, Bumps in the Road, and Self-Publishing

Click on the image below.

Writing 
Image Credit: Pixabay
Image Credit: Pixabay

Great to have you back. Did you see the part about leaving a comment on Carol Baldwin’s page?

If you leave one, you will be entered for a chance to win a ARC print copy of our book. If you are outside the USA, you will receive an digital copy.

Extra Bonus

Thinking about co-authoring? If you stop by Cat’s page, she has something for you to download.

Click on the image below.

Cat's Corner
Cat’s Corner

Good luck!

As always, feel free to write us with any additional questions.

Cat Michaels Writer

Rosie Russell at Books by Rose

Stay tuned for Part III, as we have more to share with you in October, with Carol Baldwin.

Here’s a Sneak Peek…

Unfortunately, our main character in our story, Just Between Sam and Me, is socially bullied.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month
Image Credit: Pixabay
October is National Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and we have some helpful suggestions to share with you.

Thanks for stopping by today.

As always, Happy Reading!

Rosie

“Just Between Sam and Me” Cover Reveal and More…

Cat Michaels and I have been working on our story, Just Between Sam and Me, for the last year and an half and we are getting so close to getting it released!

By now, hopefully, you have visited Cat Michaels from North Carolina to see her page first, to see how this cover came about? Cat had to drive a long way on a hot humid day to meet up with the artist, Irene Jahns, for our cover to be finished.

If you haven’t been over to her page yet, check it out here or click on the image below!

Cat Corner Blog Post.

Cat’s Corner

Welcome Back

Oh good, you’re back in Missouri! The Midwest weather here today is delightful!

Missouri

I don’t have Country Fried Steak to serve you like Cat suggested. (Hee, hee.)

You’ll have to come back on Monday, October 26, 2020 for that. We’ll have a fun post to share about that delicious meal, a recipe, and a sneak peek of a clip from our book.

However, I do have some yummy Apple Cider from the Martin’s Apple Orchard, though. (Yes, another little tidbit about from our tale.)

Apple Cider and Cookies
Image Credit: Pixabay

Kick back and relax. Enjoy this video of our cover release. Don’t forget to turn up your sound and watch it on the full screen. You will enjoy it much more that way.

Click on the image below.

Cover Reveal for “Just Between Sam and Me”

What did you think?

Did you see our release date, too? Yes! December 02, 2020!

Also, we have a bunch of fun interviews coming up these next few months to reveal more about us and our story. Stay tuned!

Cat Michaels and I are so excited to share our new book with you.

We’d appreciate if you would share our posts to help us get the word out.

Thanks for stopping by, today.

Make sure to click on the names below to read these other GR8Blogs.

GR8Blogs
GR8Blogs

Sandra Bennett Children’s Author How To Do A Cover with Impact

Julie Gorges 7 Bizarre Lessons from The Brady Bunch

Auden Johnson Design Idea: Make A Unique Animated Book Cover

Julie Schooler Finding Time to Write – Podcast with Authors Who Lead

Happy Reading!

Rosie

Free Books from Books by Rose

Happy day after Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday.

Image: Pixabay

I know many are out shopping today, as it’s the biggest day of the year to get great deals. Some are staying home and shopping online.

Image: Pixabay

As most of you know, I just released my new book, “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Mystery Mail.” My book launch was a great success and the items have been shipped off to the winners. Thank you all for showing up and supporting my new story.

Maggie, Millie, and Merrie's Mystery Mail
Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Mystery Mail

The reviews for this book are building everyday. Here are a few of them for now…

5 Star reviews
Five star reviews
Snow Day Fun

Snow days can be so much fun! Especially when a mysterious package is delivered. Join Maggie, Millie and Merrie on their snow day, which turns into days and boredom kicks in. That is until a mysterious package arrives that has special instructions for each girl. Boredom is no longer an issue.
Beautifully written and illustrated. Great addition to this wonderful series.
Also includes instructions for your own craft and recipes from the story.

Who Doesn’t Love Snow Days, Mystery Surprise Packages, and Fun Project

Rosie Russell captures the excitement of snow days and receiving surprise packages in this delightful children’s story. She adds a bit of whimsy and mystery along with a fun craft project perfect for snowy – or rainy – days. Children will learn all about creating “widget boxes” which can be turned into a school project, a card for a loved one, or even a dollhouse. As someone who spent hours making miniature houses and cardboard furniture out of shoe boxes, I loved this idea. And if all that creating makes kids hungry, Russell even adds a yummy recipe. Beautifully illustrated, this third installment of a series revolving around triplets Maggie, Millie and Merrie is sure to please.

Interview with Cat Michaels – Writer

In a recent interview with, Cat Michaels – Writer, she asked this question about my new story.

Cat: Can children read your book as a standalone, or do they need to read the other two books in this series first?
Rosie:    This book can be read as a standalone. I made sure to include instructions and ideas from the other two stories.  I think readers will enjoy it even more once they read the first two books.

So, those first two books in my Maggie, Millie, and Merrie Series?

They are *FREE* today!

Not only today, this promotion will run until, Monday at midnight.

Maggie, Millie, and Merrie Series
Maggie, Millie, and Merrie Series

Click on these titles to receive your free Kindle Editions:

“Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Magical Adventure”

“Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Magical Coins”

Once you’ve read them, please leave a review and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy the fun adventures the triplets go on.

If you would like to give the gift of reading to your young readers this holiday season, here’s the link to my Amazon Author page.

For non-readers, check out my “Search and Finds.” They include hundreds of word finds and picture finds.

Books by Rose
Books by Rose

For new updates to come, subscribe to my page. Just fill out the links at the top right or bottom of this page.

Happy Reading!

Rosie

Summertime, Nature Finds, with Books by Rose

Summertime, Nature Finds, with Books by Rose

Here are some fun activities you and your family can do together. Have fun getting out while the weather is warm. Don’t forget to take along a pencil, notebook, or clipboard to record your findings. Take a paper bag on your journey. You never know what nature treasures you will find. Include a magnify glass on your search for the following suggestions.

Magnifying glass for search and finds.
Search and Find

Write it Down

Create a list of things you expect to find or make a list of things you come across.

Now, let’s get started…

Feel the Great Outdoors

Touch the different leaves and plants. Are they smooth? Rough? Brittle?

Feel the Textures of Nature
Feel the Textures of Nature

This is also a great time to talk to your kids about plants in your area that are not safe or risky to touch such as, poison ivy.

If you see a plant like this with three clusters of leaves…

Poison Ivy
Do Not Touch

Smell the Great Outdoors

Do the morning hours smell different than the evening hours?

Stop and sniff different flowers and plants. Record your findings.

(Remember, be careful to make sure those plants are safe.)

Smell the Flowers
Stop and Smell the Flowers

Listen to the Great Outdoors

In the morning, do you hear different sounds than in the evening? How are they the same? How are they different?

Do you hear more birds in the morning than in the evening?

Birds Singing
Stop and Listen

Look for All Shapes of Leaves

Summer and fall are great times to explore the leaves and their many shapes and colors.

Look for Leaves
Look for Different Leaves

Collect different leaves and trace them on a piece of paper to color later.

Do the old fun trick of rubbing a crayon on a piece of paper with the leaf underneath.

Cut them out to make a fun display or decoration.

Look for Critter Tracks

Look for animal tracks in your backyard, the woods, or a nearby park.

Can you guess which animal left them?

Animal Tracks
Look for Different Animal Tracks

Look for Insects

Snap a photo of them if you can, so you can do more research on them later.  For those that love to draw, make a sketch of them.

Insects
Look for Different Insects

Explore Ponds and Lakes

Can you find different types of fish? How about looking for toads or frogs? Do the ponds or lakes attract different kinds of insects?

Explore Ponds and Lakes
Explore Ponds and Lakes

What activities would you suggest for exploring nature in the summertime? Write us a note to tell us of your discoveries. We’d love to hear from you.

If you like search and find books, don’t forget to check out my two titles. There’s over a hundred items to find in each book, along with a fun story and extra activities.

Click on the photos below to find out more on these stories.

Magnifying glass with book "Search and Find with Jake and his dog named Cain"
A Search and Find of Every Kind with Jake and his Dog Named Cain
magnifying glass with book, "Sherman the Shopping Cart: A Search and Find"
“Sherman the Shopping Cart: A Search and Find”

Happy Searching and Reading!

Rosie

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