Thursday, March 31, 2011

Writers on the Move’s April 2011 Tour Schedule

VBT Writers on the Move ~ Writing, marketing, and book information through author and writer showcasing. This is also the place to learn all about our promotion and marketing driven group.


Writers on the Move’s April 2011 Tour Schedule

1st Karen Cioffi is featuring Elysabeth Eldering

2nd Kathy Stemke is featuring Robert Medak

3rd Stephen Tremp is featuring Karen Cioffi

4th Margaret Fieland is featuring Jennifer Turner

5th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Martha Swirzinski

6th Nancy Famolari is featuring Jennifer Gladen

7th Debra Eckerling is featuring Virginia Grenier

8th Martha Swirzinski is featuring Mari Taylor

9th Heidi Thomas is featuring Kevin McNamee

10th Dallas Woodburn is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson

11th Maggie Ball is featuring Kathy Stemke

12th Virginia Grenier is featuring Stephen Tremp

13th Kevin McNamee is featuring Nancy Famolari

14th Elysabeth Eldering is featuring Donna McDine

15th Marietta Taylor is featuring Shelby Patrick

16th Robert Medak is featuring Margaret Fieland

17th Donna McDine is featuring Heidi Thomas

18th Shelby Patrick is featuring Dallas Woodburn

19th Jennifer Gladen is featuring Jennifer Wylie

20th Jenny Turner is featuring Maggie Ball

21st Jennifer Wylie is featuring Deb Eckerling

When visiting and leaving comments, kindly please leave your blog URL so I can visit you and follow you back.

Thank you for your time and interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Literacy Specialist's Life with Carol Boles - NWFCC March Specialist Showcase


Welcome to day two of Carol Boles’ 6-day NWFCC March Specialist Showcase tour.


Join me in welcoming Carol Boles, Literacy Specialist today when she provides a glimpse into the world of literacy.


Children in the 21st Century:

-Need to be competent readers, in order to be successful in school and adult life,

-Can learn to read, when provided instruction in phonics, practice reading daily and taught with a variety of teaching materials.

-Will learn to love reading when both parents and teachers participate in their reading education—with consistent modeling of good reading skills, while also expressing the enjoyment reading gives them.

I created carolfraserboles.com to share with parents and teachers my experience, knowledge, and philosophy about reading education. Visitors at carolfraserboles.com will find articles, curricular resources, teaching strategies and helpful tips to help children learn to read.

Log on onto www.carolfraserboles.com and here’s what you’ll find:

“About Me” Read about my credentials and experience in reading education

“Home Page” Find recent posts about reading education,

“Articles” Find a list of articles on reading education I’ve published, also, go to Ezine Articles to find more articles for parents and teachers,

“Dyslexia” A definition, research, and teaching strategies to help dyslexic children learn to read,

“Literacy Lingo” Words used by reading educators, literacy experts and researchers in reading education,

“Coming Soon” Curricular materials on reading developed by carolfraserboles.com

“Guest Contributors” Janet Petersen, B.A., M.A. Education, Adjunct Professor Baker University, Overland Park, Kansas. Professor Petersen specializes in multi-sensory approaches to teaching reading for dyslexic learners,

A sample of what visitors will find ……

Reaching Tactile Learners

Science, on how children learn to read, reveals that children who are dyslexic need to activate the visual, tactile and speech areas of their brains…..

 
Follow Day 3 of Ms. Boles' tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Saturday, March 26, 2011

The Homeschool Specialist's Life with Amy M. O'Quinn - NWFCC March Specialist Showase


Welcome to day two of Amy O’Quinn’s 6-day NWFCC March Specialist Showcase tour.


Because I balance homeschooling, homemaking, being a pastor’s wife, and my writing duties, no two days are ever the same at our home. Of course, we have our daily schedule of schoolwork that we must complete, and that usually lasts at least until lunchtime for the younger children and later in the afternoon for the older ones. But after that, it really depends on what day of the week it is as to what comes next.



My son is currently getting ready for a district poultry judging competition, so he has to attend practice/training sessions at our county extension office two afternoons a week. He also has twenty hens and a rooster to take care of each day; plus he must gather and wash the eggs to sell to local customers. He is also helping my husband get our garden ready for planting, so his afternoons are rather full right now. This is ‘real life’ learning at its best.



My youngest daughter takes a violin lesson one day a week and a sewing lesson another day. So between my older twin daughters (when they are not in class at the local junior college) and myself, we take chauffeur duty as needed. Our two youngest boys are content to play together and use their imaginations to entertain themselves quite well after school, and at this point they are not involved in extracurricular activities other than things we do with our local homeschool group every other week.



I try to fit in whatever writing assignments I need to do either early in the morning before the children get up, in the afternoon when they are finished with their lessons, or sometimes at night after they go to bed. It really depends on what deadlines I have pressing that dictate my writing schedule. And my husband is agreeable to me slipping off to the library on an occasional weeknight evening when I really need to get an assignment or project finished. But as I’ve said before, my family comes first—so I always keep that in mind when accepting writing jobs.



At my website, www.amyoquinn.com, I try to post articles, book reviews, and other things of interest to both writers and those who homeschool. I also repost my articles that are first published at the National Writing for Children Center and the product/curriculum/book reviews that I do for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.



I am striving to be more consistent with posting at my site, so that is another writing goal I have set for myself. I also plan to do more articles about how to use literature and ‘living’ books in the educational arena, because I have found that my children respond well to using ‘real’ books as opposed to textbooks for much of their content reading—especially in the areas of history and science. Literature based learning is wonderful, and I enjoy sharing ideas and resources with other writers, educators, and homeschool moms!



Follow Day 3 of Ms. O'Quinn's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Friday, March 25, 2011

The ESL Specialist's Life with Dorit Sasson - NWFCC March Specialist Showcase


Welcome to day two of Dorit Sasson’s 6-day NWFCC March Specialist Showcase tour.



Once formally known as The New Teacher Resource Center, the NTRCC is now a membership based site called the New Teacher Resource Coaching Center (NTRCC) and is a support center designed for professionals who want to empower their teaching with a purpose and a passion so they can become more confident in the classroom.


The New Teacher Resource Coaching Center invites teacher leaders and dedicated educators as a part of this growing professional membership site.


Members of the center gain unlimited access to a wealth of articles, tip sheets, templates, teleseminars, and other great resources that will help them build their teaching career to the next level.


Specifically, members receive:

1. Access to two monthly teleseminars taught by a professional elementary, middle school or high school educator who knows the tricks of the trade and what works and what doesn't.

2. Unlimited support to classroom tested resources including charts, checklists and tip sheets on a wide range of teaching areas.

3. Specials, offers and special promotions on various teaching materials and instructional resources offered through the NTRCC.

To become a member, all prospective visitors have to do is sign up. Right now, they can take advantage of the free promotional offer of a free month’s membership and after that, membership to this content-rich site is only $4.97 per month. As part of the sign-up process, members will be prompted to provide a password, contact information and payment registration.

Once they receive their access number, they will be able to log-in anytime - 24/7! The member section is updated weekly with at least one resource based on the ongoing challenges and concerns that teachers face in the classroom every day.

For more information about becoming a member, click on the link below

http://newteacherresourcecenter.com/wishlist-member/?reg=1283994793  to find out more about the center and how you can join!


Follow Day 3 of Ms. Sasson's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Writer's Life with Suzanne Lieurance - NWFCC March Author Showcase


Welcome to day two of Suzanne Lieurance’s 6-day NWFCC March Author Showcase tour and without further ado I introduce you to Ms. Lieurance.

Thank you for following my on the second day of my 6-day virtual tour for my book, The Locket: Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Let me tell you a little bit about what the writer's life is like for me.

First, since I'm also a writing coach as well as a writer, I spend part of my time each work day helping other writers. I also have to spend some time each day promoting my writing and my coaching businesses. The rest of the time I spend searching for new freelance writing assignments or coming up with ideas for books or stories, then I spend time writing, too. Usually, I like to write first thing in the morning before I get distracted by all the other things I need to do.


One of the things I love most about the writer's life is that I can write most anywhere, most anytime. Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and write for an hour or two, then I'll take a nap in the middle of the day. I also like to go to coffee shops and bookstores once in a while and do some writing there. And I like to go to the library to do some of the research for my books. Sometimes, I even travel to interesting spots to research my books.


I have two dogs and they are my writing buddies. No, they don't write anything. But they like to sit at my feet while I'm writing. And we take breaks during the day and go for walks or just go outside to play.

I also make school visits to talk to students and teachers about my books. That's always a lot of fun. I think the writer's life is the best life in the world and I'm so lucky to be able to do exactly what I love to do!
Follow Day 3 of Ms. Lieurance's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/.  Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Writer's Life with Sherrie Madia - NWFCC March Author Showcase


Welcome to day two of Sherrie Madia’s 6-day NWFCC March Author Showcase tour. Have your children visit with you on this virtual opportunity to get to know a children’s author and ask your questions.

In one sense, there is no such thing as a typical day for a writer, because inspiration can come from out of the blue at any point in a given day. I’ve been known to pull over on the side of the road to jot down an idea, or to excuse myself from a dinner party to flesh out a character or complete a line of verse.


Still, it’s important to have set time to focus on writing, and I like the early morning hours, before the house is awake. When the sun comes up, I take a break to walk my best friend and dog, Polly, and taking those long walks outdoors can offer tremendous perspective to figure out a tricky rhyme, or think through a character or storyline.


The best thing for writers is to “feed their brains.” For me, this means always experiencing my surroundings with an ear and an eye for content. An interesting word, a clever story, an off-handed phrase from a passerby, the brilliance of a sunrise, or the dew on grass—All of these become important detail that brings a story to life. And because most people never stop to discover these beautiful nuances, I make it my job to collect them up and present them in my work.

Another part of my writing day is research. From researching how children learn, to learning about the types of communications issues that families today are experiencing, and from technology to time-management—each insight informs my approach, not only to writing, but to how I will share a book with a class or a community in a way that will resonate best and offer the most meaning.

Follow Day 3 of Ms. Madia's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

The Writer’s Life with M.E Finke - National Writing for Children Center March Author Showcase


Welcome to day two of M.E. Finke’s 6-day NWFCC March Author Showcase tour and venture into Ms. Finke’s marvelous world of writing.


My writing days used to be packed with, well of course writing! Then there were book signings, school visits and talks to various organizations. Nowadays, due to hip and knee replacement problems, I do most of my book promotions online. Hopefully this will improve in a few months, and I will again be out there hawking my wares.


I converted the old family room, right off our kitchen, into my writing den. My husband made me a large U shaped desk, with cupboards and shelves, drawers and cubbyholes. There is a sofa and chairs, a cozy fire for winter, and big windows that look out onto the back garden. What I love most is the many shelves on the walls that house tender plants over winter. Gro-lux lights keep them blooming - the kinda tropical effect that keeps Oregon winters at bay, while infusing my imagination with “green” new ideas. Love it!


This is where I crouch over my computer after physical therapy torture, and spend most afternoons and early evenings. My husband and I have a deal. I quit at 8pm each night and we spend the evening together. Before that, I am free to lurk on Facebook, Tweet like a canary, and stalk online writing lists with my latest BOOK news.


Linkedin, JacketFlap and ReadersDen are my current stomping grounds. Writing something new is on the back burner at the moment. You have no idea how much time finding and contacting various newspapers, bookstores, and groups that might be interested in one of my books, takes.

Getting a Press Release just right, for a newspaper school or bookstore, is not easy: each one needs something slightly different and personalized. Then there’s bookmarks to design and make, and five blogs to keep fun, current and updated. YIKES!!


I also wrote a fun short story “tease” that introduces Taconi and Claude. It involves an adventure in the 21st Century, along with two troublesome characters from my other books. Readers can WIN a FREE Copy of my mid-grade adventure if their comment is chosen from the site. The short story is “Taconi and Claude’s BIG 2011 Adventure.”


Or - YOUR BOY can WIN his own copy by leaving a comment right here: http://taconiclaude.blogspot.com/.


To keep me out of mischief, I am tweaking my short story “tease” a tad, adding pictures, and turning it into an eBook. After slaving over this wannabe eBook for some time, sweating, tearing my hair, and suspecting I might needed mental therapy as well, it is almost ready to convert into PDF. Of course that will probably tip me completely over the edge. Who knew a simple little eBook could deliver such evil and Machiavellian torment.

Anyway, if we both survive the birth, a FREE copy of the eBook will go to anyone who buys an autographed copy of Taconi and Claude – Double Trouble. And if you aren’t sure your child will like my book, there’s a sample page on my blog: http://taconisample.blogspot.com/.


Follow Day 3 of Ms. Finke's tour tomorrow at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/. Leave a comment and your name will automatically be entered to win a Three Angels Gourmet Co mug and a package of Divine Dill Dip Mix - at the end of the month, provided by the National Writing for Children Center.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Friday, March 18, 2011

Book Review ~ Taconic & Claude: Double Trouble by M.E. Finke



Title: Taconi & Claude: Double Trouble

Author: M. E. Finke

Soft cover: 104 pages

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. / January 2011

Print ISBN: 978-1-61633-130-6

e-Book ISBN: 978-1-61633-131-3

Price: $8.95

The fear of the unknown sends Taconi’s mind into the darkest corners of his imagination. Will his ever changing life continue to spiral out of control? Finding his one true place while saddling the life as an aboriginal in the Australian outback and then as a Jackaroo in the white man’s world is a constant struggle. With the anticipation of his man ceremony, Taconi fights his inner thoughts to be worthy of his aboriginal customs; all the while, striving to understand his father’s need to become the head cook on the Coorparoo Cattle Station.

The fight for balance becomes quite confusing for young Taconi in his determination not to forget his heritage and accepting the need to live in the white man’s world. Along the way he finds comfort and direction in an unlikely companion, the outspoken Claude the cockatoo. This unlikely and heartwarming friendship is wise beyond their years and will have the reader cheering for Taconi’s one true quest, acceptance. Will Taconi be able to weave customs from both worlds into a comfortable fit?

Author, M.E. Finke expertly brings forth her expertise of the Australian outback in this fast paced fictional story transporting the reader with the perfect blend of description and dialogue. For a deeper understanding of the Australian, author M.E. Finke provides a glossary of Australian terms, which will surely bring out the love of reading to the most reluctant reader.

Taconi & Claude: Double Trouble available at:

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/double-trouble.htm  

http://www.amazon.com/Taconi-Claude-Trouble-M-Finke/dp/1616331305

Visit M.E. Finke at: http://www.margotfinke.com and http://perfectmagiccarpet.blogspot.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Dallas Woodburn visits The Golden Pathway on Saturday, March 19, 2011

In conjunction with VBT Writers on the Move, Ms. Woodburn will be making a guest appearance at The Golden Pathway http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/ on Saturday, March 19, 2011. Be sure to stop by and climb into the creative world of Dallas Woodburn.

Ms. Woodburn is the author of two collections of short stories and a forthcoming novel. She has written more than 80 articles for national publications including Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, CO-ED, Justine, and The Los Angeles Times, and she writes a regular column for Listen magazine. Dallas is the founder of the nonprofit organization “Write On! For Literacy” that has donated nearly 11,000 new books to disadvantaged children. Her latest endeavor is starting a publishing company, Write On! Books, that publishes the work of young writers. In addition, she hosts frequent writing contests, teaches writing camps for kids, and is coordinator of the Young Writers Program at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Dallas graduated this past May from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Entrepreneurship.

You don’t want to miss this terrific opportunity to become inspired as Ms. Woodburn shares Dancing with the Pen. Mark your calendar today and be sure to visit http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/ and visit with Ms. Woodburn.

Have a question or comment for Dallas? Be sure to leave it for her within the comments, for she will be checking in throughout the day.

Thank you in advance for your interest.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Live FREE Chat ~ "Straight and to the Point: Writing Effective Media Releases" ~ Wed, March 16, 1 pm CST

Due to technical problems...my live chat did not go off as planned. Reschedule date: Wednesday, March 16th at 1 pm CST/2 pm EST. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

As I progressed in my writing career I started to learn the importance of marketing and what it entailed and one of the crucial components is writing an effective media release. As time went by one of the most voiced frustrations of authors was finding the time to market themselves and their books all the while still finding the time to write. Frustrated, not sure where to begin? Join me for my FREE live chat at http://www.workingwriterscoach.com/:

Topic: "Straight and to the Point: Writing Effective Media Releases"

Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Time: 1:00 pm CST / 2:00 pm EST

Place: http://www.workingwriterscoach.com/

Presenter: Donna McDine

I look forward to chatting with you.

Thank you for your time and interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Award-Winning Poets Seek Artwork for New Chapbook

M E D I A   R E L E A S E


CONTACT: Carolyn Howard-Johnson e-mail: HoJoNews@aol.com

CONTACT: Magdalena Ball e-mail: maggieball@compulsivereader.com
For Immediate Release

Award-Winning Poets Seek Artwork for New Chapbook
World Wide Web-- Poetry Partners Seek Artwork for Fifth Chapbook
It's been said (quite a few times!) that a picture is worth a thousand words. Even though Magdalena Ball and I are poets, we think the original author may have underestimated, and we'd like you--if you're a painter or a photographer--to prove us wrong.
We are the coauthors of the Celebration Series of chapbooks of poetry.

They include Cherished Pulse (for anyone you love) , She Wore Emerald Then (for mothers on your gift list) , Imagining the Future (for Fathers), and Blooming Red, a Christmas chapbook. Chapbooks have been a tradition in the poetry world since Elizabethan times. The Celebration Series goes beyond the cliched sentiments in most greeting cards - and does it for about the same price.

All four of our chapbooks are illustrated by artists making each a triple effort.

Cherished Pulse and Blooming Red feature artwork from California artist Vicki Thomas. She Wore Emerald Then features photographs by May Lattanzio and Imagining the Future a photo by celebrated composer Ricky Ian Gordon.
We are planning a fifth chapbook lauding women's issues and feminist themes. We are looking for submissions to be used on its cover. Yes, it's a contest. The winner's work will be featured on Deeper Into the Pond: A Celebration of Femininity to be published later in 2011. There is no pay but since Ball runs respected review Web site The Compulsive Reader (http://www.thecompulsivereader.com/), and Howard-Johnson is the author of a multi award-winning series of books for writers including The Frugal Book Promoter, they can promise a wide distribution of the cover image, credit and a biography of the cover artist in the book, and tons of marketing exposure.
See the other chapbooks' covers at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/poetry_books.htm.
Here is a poem from that chapbook:
Ariel
Memory's two voices,

the you-girl

suffering the moment

and the you-now

who interprets.

You promise yourself

you won't fear the secrets,

won't tell what happened

without the feelings.

You deny yourself that

and you become Ursula

stealing your own song,

leaving yourself gurgling

under the sea. You need

the music to tell your story,

to find it, to understand it

to know the truth,

to reach above the

ocean's surface

where

others

live.

If you have something you'd like us to see, please e-mail your creative work to Ball at maggie_ball@bigpond.com with SUBMISSION: DEEPER INTO THE POND in the subject line. We hope to have a decision by June 1, 2011 and we reserve the right to select no winner. If a winner is selected, we may also choose runners-up so those acknowledgments may be used by the winners for purposes of marketing. There is no fee for entering, and only the honor and publications for being selected. Oh, yes. And two copies of the finished chapbook. We hope to hear from you.

# # #
Support Material available on request.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program

Web site: http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/  

E-mail: HoJoNews@aol.com

Award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of Books for writers, including USA Book News' award winners

The Frugal Editor http://budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor

The Frugal Book Promoter http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo

The Great First Impression Book Proposal http://budurl.com/BookProposals 

Great Little Last Minute Edits: http://budurl.com/WordTrippersPB

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Writing Mama, VS Grenier interviews Donna McDine


Hello All:
Hope you had a wonderful weekend and your Monday is off to a terrific start.
The Writing Mama, VS Grenier is hosting me today at http://thewritingmama.blogspot.com/2011/03/vbt-guest-author-spotlight-donna-mcdine.html. If you can, please stop by and leave a comment, I'd enjoy interacting with you.
Thank you for your time and support!
Have a great day!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

FREE Live Chat: "Straight and to the Point: Writing Effective Media Releases"


Due to technical problems...my live chat will be rescheduled. Announcement coming soon!

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

As I progressed in my writing career I started to learn the importance of marketing and what it entailed and one of the crucial components is writing an effective media release. As time went by one of the most voiced frustrations of authors was finding the time to market themselves and their books all the while still finding the time to write. Frustrated, not sure where to begin? Join me for my FREE live chat at http://www.workingwriterscoach.com/


Topic: "Straight and to the Point: Writing Effective Media Releases"

Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Time: 1:00 pm CST / 2:00 pm EST

Place: http://www.workingwriterscoach.com/

Presenter: Donna McDine

I look forward to chatting with you.

Thank you for your time and interest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Monday, March 7, 2011

Book Review ~ Marta's Gargantuan Wings by J. Aday Kennedy

Title: Marta’s Gargantuan Wings


Written by: J. Aday Kennedy

Illustrated by: Eugene Ruble

Ages: 9-12

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Print ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-093-4

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-094.1

Published: September 2010

Print Price: $9.95

eBook Price: $5.00

Not to judge someone by their appearance is an important life lesson and a difficult one at that. For if you do you may miss out on a special individual.

Marta the Pegasus is confronted by the narrow thinking Aljor the bird who believes that Marta’s enormous wings make her a freak. Contrary to Aljor’s belief system, Stajon the monkey comes to Marta’s defense. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Keep your beak shut. Stajon stuck his tongue out at Aljor.” What ensues between Marta and Stajon is a genuine friendship of accepting others for who they are and not by their looks.

Their friendship is put to the test as a disaster occurs in the woods and the time for self discovery and courage is thrust upon Marta. Will she overcome the negativity towards her and save the day? Find out in Marta’s Gargantuan Wings.

J. Aday Kennedy’s delightful story of finding one’s place in society is a heartwarming story of acceptance. A must have children’s book for classrooms, libraries, and homes to invoke non-judgment and anti-bullying conversations with our young muses.

Eugene Ruble’s illustrations makes Marta’s the Pegasus’ story come to life with enchantment.

Visit J. Aday Kennedy at:

Marketing tips, book reviews and author interviews http://jadaykennedy.blogspot.com/

http://facebook.com/jadaykennedy.com

http://twitter.com/jaday_kennedy

http://teacherlibrarian.ning.com/priofile/JAdayKennedy

http://jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=jaday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Friday, March 4, 2011

The National Writing for Children Center’s Author Showcase is the Answer for Children’s Book Publicity



Book marketing can be a daunting task for the most seasoned or new children’s book author. How does an author navigate the wealth of book marketing information without becoming overwhelmed and throw their arms up in despair? The answer is the National Writing for Children Center.
The National Writing for Children Center receives over 11,000 visitors every month and their radio show Book Bites for Kids has over 74,000 listeners. What better way to make your special book announcement than through the National Writing for Children Center’s author showcase? The stats don’t lie. There is huge interest at the National Writing for Children Center and Book Bites for Kids. And momentum continues to build daily.

Being showcased for an entire month at the National Writing for Children Center is like having your own personal book publicist for 30 days. The showcase will help you get the word out about your new children's book through reviews, a virtual book tour, a radio interview, and a host of other promotional events that we carefully orchestra. All for the low cost of $200.

Visit the National Writing for Children Center http://writingforchildrencenter.com/showcase-application/ and learn all about the 11 points that make the National Writing for Children Center’s author showcase an amazing book marketing opportunity or email Suzanne Lieurance for more information at bookbitesforkids@yahoo.com.


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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

VBT Writers on the Move Continue to Spring Through Cyberspace


VBT Writers on the Move Continue to Spring Through Cyberspace on their next round of tours through the month of March 2011. Each stop is unique from the last. Please take the time out to follow along and support our authors.

Thank you!

Writers on the Move’s March 2011 Tour Schedule


1st Debra Eckerling is featuring Margaret Fieland

2nd Kathy Stemke is featuring Jennifer Gladen

3rd Nancy Famolari is featuring Jenny Turner

4th Margaret Fieland is featuring Jennifer Wylie

5th Carolyn Howard-Johnson is featuring Stephen Tremp

6th Heather Paye is featuring Mayra Calvani

7th Marvin Wilson is featuring Virginia Grenier

8th Stephen Tremp is featuring Mari Taylor

9th Karen Cioffi is featuring Kevin McNamee

10th Martha Swirzinski is featuring Carolyn Howard-Johnson

11th Heidi Thomas is featuring Kathy Stemke

12th Dallas Woodburn is featuring Karen Cioffi

13th Maggie Ball is featuring Nancy Famolari

14th Virginia Grenier is featuring Donna McDine

15th Kevin McNamee is featuring Marvin Wilson

16th Elysabeth Eldering is featuring Shelby Patrick

17th Marietta Taylor is featuring Debra Eckerling

18th Robert Medak is featuring Heidi Thomas

19th Donna McDine is featuring Dallas Woodburn

20th Shelby Patrick is featuring Heather Paye

21st Mayra Calvani is featuring Robert Medak

22nd Jennifer Gladen is featuring Martha Swirzinski

23rd Jenny Turner is featuring Elysabeth Eldering

24th Jennifer Wylie is featuring Maggie Ball

Thank you for your time and interest!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
http://guardianangelpublishing.com/pathway.htm