April showers bring…free books! My newest picture book, Dust Fairy Tales: Absolutely Aggie is free on Kindle until April 12.
It’s the story of a dusty little fairy struggling to fit in. She doesn’t have the “perfect” hair, she’s too loud, and her clothes are a mess. Just when she thinks all is lost, Aggie discovers a way to truly shine. Oh, did I mention she plays the bagpipes?!
This adorable book makes a unique, sugar-free, Easter gift. Hop over to Amazon, and get a copy for each of your devices.
If you enjoy the story, please take a moment to leave a short review or rating on Amazon. Thank you!
Here’s a short preview trailer:
I would like to reach out to kid lit authors and book bloggers to get quality books into the hands of deserving kids.
Throughout the month of March, I am collecting new children’s books to benefit children of incarcerated parents. Authors, I hope you will consider donating signed copies of your books. Book bloggers, please help us by sharing this information with your readers.
I am a children’s author, teacher, and mom who is passionate about children’s literacy and the power of children’s books. When I learned nearly 2/3 of children, living in poverty, DO NOT own books, I was moved to act. I founded the literacy initiative, Picture Book Pass it On, to raise awareness for literacy issues and get books to kids in need.
Three years ago, the Picture Book Pass it On initiative grew to include a month-long book drive called MARCHing Books to Kids.
Throughout the month of March, MARCHing Books to Kids collects books (ages birth-17 years) for the VNS of Iowa Storybook Project. https://www.vnsia.org/mothers-children-families/volunteer-to-help-children/
VNS of Iowa volunteers travel to The Iowa Correctional Institution, in Mitchellville, once a month. With the aid of volunteers, mothers select one book per child to read via a digital voice recorder. The audio CD and book are mailed to the child to keep. The mission is to strengthen the bond between parent and child, during incarceration, while promoting reading and literacy.
Since 2015, MARCHing Books to Kids has collected more than 1,500 books. Over the years, the drive has received signed donations from notable children’s authors such as Robert Munsch (Love You Forever) and Nick Bruel (Bad Kitty series). Last year, more than 30 children’s authors donated signed copies of their books. Owning a book, let alone a book signed by the author, is a joy most of these children have never experienced.
I believe that every child’s Bill of Rights should be indelibly inked with the right to have books read to him/her and to own their very own books. Many of us take for granted the sacred ritual of cracking open a book and cuddling together while the words and pictures collectively take us away. You can probably recall having been read to by your parents or caregivers. You likely hold a special book, from your childhood, close to your heart. And, until now, you’ve probably not given much thought to how profound that experience can be…
Imagine, never having that.
To participate in MARCHing Books to Kids, please follow the 3 calls to action:
#1 Pledge to donate a new book/s to Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, Storybook Project. Authors are invited to sign their books.
When packing your book/s, please include a note stating that your book is part of the MARCHing Books to Kids initiative. Books may be mailed to:
VNS of Iowa, Storybook Project
c/o Tabby Kuehl
1111 9th Street
Suite 320
Des Moines, Iowa 50314
#2 Post your pledge on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PBPiO . Share it on your blog and on social media. Please include our badge and tags #PBPiO and #MARCHingBookstoKids
#3 Pass it on. When you post about your pledge, challenge one or more friends to join your #MARCHingBookstoKids giving chain. Encourage them to take the pledge and keep passing it on…
I appreciate your help spreading the word. Thank you for making the difference in the lives of children and families in need.
Happy summer, everyone. I have been taking a break from writing to spend time with my son; however, I wanted to take a moment to spread the word about a new kid lit site, Storytime Pup. You can also find Storytime Pup on Facebook, Twitter and You Tube.
In addition to their kid-friendly web site, Storytime Pup hosts a You Tube channel featuring children’s books.
I was delighted to have my book, The Legend of Dust Bunnies, a Fairy’s Tale, featured last week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB_XIeuFdFg/
Storytime Pup was created by Bill McManus. Bill lives in upstate NY with his wife Diane and his 3 kids: Ryan, Colin and Shannon. He is the creator of Storytime Pup. He is also an author, entrepreneur, inventor and actor. He enjoys entertaining and writing books for children because their joy makes him happy.
If you are a published children’s author (traditional or indie), I encourage you to contact Storytime Pup for submission information. There is no charge for having your book/s featured on the site.
I wish you all a wonderful summer!
I have been blogging for nearly one year. In that short time, I have met some incredible people, many of whom are authors. We’ve shared laughs, frustrations, celebrations, and advice.
I’d like to solicit some of that advice.
I am currently self-publishing my second children’s picture book. I am happy to say the manuscript is finished, and the illustrator is making great progress with his sketches. So, I should be galloping a victory lap on my unicorn…
BUT…I am stuck. What is holding me back? It’s the short blurb I have to slap on the back of this puppy to let readers know what my book is about. What’s the big deal? I wrote an entire book, and I can’t come up with a few sentences to sum it up? No, it seems I cannot…
SO…I would be delighted to hear your opinions about the latest draft of my blurb. Any input is welcomed and appreciated. I also welcome your advice and tips for writing book blurbs. Thank you!
Here is what I have after 12 pages of drafts:
Fairies, music, and dust! Oh my!
Messy house? It’s not your fault. The Dust Fairies are a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who delight in making messes while hidden from sight. And when the band strikes up the music, the dust really starts to fly.
When Aggie tries to join the fairy band, it doesn’t go as planned. Now, she is faced with a tough decision. Should she change who she is to fit in, or embrace who she is and stand out?
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I am blessed to be part of such a supportive group of bloggers. Here’s a revised “blurb” based on your feedback. I also added some of Kevin Richter’s latest sketches.
Fairies, music, and dust! Oh, my! Aggie is a little Dust Fairy with a big problem. She wants to join the fairy band, but they don’t approve of her offbeat style. Now, she’s faced with a tough decision. Should she change who she is to fit in or embrace who she is and stand out?
1. Deadlines, Schmedlines…
My deadlines are self-imposed…sort of like my flexible rule about the acceptable number of days clean clothes may remain peacefully at rest in their basket.
2. The opportunity to relentlessly stalk work closely with my super-talented illustrator…
I’m not sure this one would be on Kevin Richter’s Top 5 list. But, he has the patience of a saint and has agreed to travel this road with me one more time. Allow me to introduce our newest Dust Fairy, Absolutely Aggie.
3. I can give my book away for free…
I don’t mean KDP Promotions. I mean I can give my book to any charity, school, library, or organization I choose. In fact, I started my own literacy initiative to get books to kids in need. Since November, over 30 authors have joined me to get books to kids in need!
4. Even though I’m self-published, I get invited to “real author” events…
I love visiting schools. I recently had a Skype visit with my first group of out-of-state children, and it was awesome!
I am not exactly proud of it, but I did autograph a girl’s arm (seriously, I tried to decline, but she was eerily persuasive).
5. I was able to find a high-quality Print on Demand service that did not suck…
I am really happy with the quality of my final product. It passed muster and earned the right to sit with “real” books in libraries and bookstores (it’s even on the shelves at our local Barnes and Noble store). Bonus-people, not related to me, actually bought copies of my book!
What things DON’T suck about your self-publishing story? I’d love to hear about your journey. Don’t be shy-leave a reply!
So, I’m driving in my car, listening to an old Harry Chapin song (thank you Pandora Radio-yes there is actually a Harry Chapin Station). If you’ve never listened to Harry Chapin, he’s “The Cat’s in the Cradle” dude. So, I’m driving along and Chapin’s Story of a Life comes on. His words strike a chord…
“And the wind will whip your tousled hair,
The sun, the rain, the sweet despair,
Great tales of love and strife.
And somewhere on your path to glory
You will write your story of a life.”
“So you settle down and the children come
And you find a place that you come from.
Your wandering is done.
And all your dreams of open spaces
You find in your children’s faces
One by one. And all the trips you know you missed
And all the lips you never kissed
Cut through you like a knife.
And now you see stretched out before thee
Just another story of a life.”
It hits me, we do, all of us, write a story of a life. Some of us literally, but all of us write one.
“Now sometimes words can serve me well
Sometimes words can go to hell
For all that they do.
And for every dream that took me high
There’s been a dream that’s passed me by.
I know it’s so true
And I can see it clear out to the end
And I’ll whisper to her now again
Because she shared my life.
For more than all the ghosts of glory
She makes up the story,
She’s the only story
Of my life.”
I think about my story…
“And all the towns that you walk through
And all the people that you talk to
Sing you their songs.
And there are times you change your stride,
There are times you can’t decide Still you go on.”
Right now, it’s unfolding one sticky-note at a time. Sometimes a sticky-note on top of a sticky-note, just for good measure. What I see “stretched out before me” are reminders and to-do’s, don’t forget’s and be sure to’s. But, each note tells the story… of a wife, a mom, a want-to-be-writer, chasing her dreams while making grocery lists and Dr. appointments; squeezing in an occasional date night and dye-job. Which reminds me…I need to buy more sticky notes!
Ann Handley is the Chief Content Officer of MarketingProfs and the co-author of the best-selling book on content marketing, Content Rules (Wiley, 2012)
8 Writing Rules for Entrepreneurs by Ann Handley
I don’t know why the Row your Boat song popped into my head. Truth be told, I don’t know why any of the random thoughts pop in or out of that squishy blob. But, pop in it did, and the next thing you know I’m off on another one of my metaphorical musings about how the lyrics reflect my self-publishing journey. I have been rowing the “S.S. Self-Publisher” nonstop. She and I have not necessarily gone “gently down the stream”, but we’ve had one heck of an adventure. Just when I think I can’t dig that oar in one more time, I close my eyes and envision the “dream”. Life is but a dream, and we each chart our own course. My dream is to publish a beautiful children’s book, and I’m looking forward to my “merrily, merrily, merrily”.
You know that awkward moment when you realize that your blog feed reads like a loop of, “me-me-me-me”? I’m new to the bogging scene, and I started my blog in hopes of introducing people to my self-published, children’s picture book. Like any expectant mother, I can’t stop talking about my “baby”. My book hasn’t even been released, but, like most expectant moms, I can’t resist the opportunity to share my ultra sound pictures, and hope you can make out the features.
I may be the new kid in blogger-town, but, I’ve been here long enough to realize that I need to branch out and write about something besides my book or myself. So, to expand upon my previous post about “Cyber-Samaritans”, I’ll post links or information about some of the cool people I’ve met on my self-publishing journey.
I met author/illustrator, Mark C. Collins, via an authors’ group on LinkedIn. He was working to self-publish his own books, but he still found time to offer a tip, or a hand-up to many of the group’s members. He has been an inspiration and a blessing to me. You can learn more about Mark at
http://mcillustrator.blogspot.com
www.markcollinsillustration.com
www.amazon.com/Mark-C.-Collins/e/B00HZCULXM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1411578761&sr=1-1
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Michelle Eastman Books 