Award Winning Children's Book Author Donna McDine Encourages Charity Book Donations

Numerous studies from both government and the private sector provide clear evidence that early reading skills are an investment in a child's future. Early reading skill development dramatically affects the quality of life for children as they grow into adulthood. Sadly, a recent article by Carole Dickerson on the Journal Standard website quoted a local social worker who stated that many of the parents in the homes she visits do not own a single children's book. 

This is quite shocking to me and in response, I am announcing a children's book drive within my county to support the Rockland County Department of Social Services. I encourage other authors of children's books to do the same or if you have gentle used children's books to please donate to the book drive.

I invite those interested in donating to contact me directly at donna@donnamcdine.com.

In my opinion, "the bare essence of learning to read opens up the world of exploration to a child. Across the curriculum it is imperative children grow in their reading capability so success in their classes can be had. Without the fundamentals it is very difficult to progress successfully."

"I believe in ‘paying it forward.' That one book donation may be all it takes to make a difference in a child’s life. By encouraging the love of reading in our young muses their look of wonder as they bubble with excitement on their next reading journey swells my heart."

I urge you to join me in my quest to ignite curiosity in children through reading by donating to the Rockland County Department of Social Services book drive.

A big shout out goes to... Melissa Abramovitz, Penelope Anne Cole, Emma Glover and Sharon Stanley for their generous donations! Thanks ladies...we are off to a terrific start! 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Thank you!

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Multi Award-winning Children's Author

Ignite curiosity in your child through reading!

Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ 2014 Purple Dragonfly 1st Place Picture Books 6+, Story Monster Approved, Beach Book Festival Honorable Mention 2014, Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Story Monster Approved and Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Book Review ~ The Little Dog in the Middle of the Road by Sharon Stanley

The connection humans and pets share is heartwarming indeed. The familiarity and bond that develops over time is centered on love and trust. Little Dog in the Middle of the Road beautifully shows the impeccable relationship between owners and pets. Journey along with Little Dog through the ups and downs of doubt of an owner’s pending return. Does “His person” return to Little Dog or does he need to learn how to fend for himself? Or will love triumphant?

Sharon Stanley puts for a wonderfully written story of unconditional acceptance. Visit Sharon at www.sharonpstanley.com to explore her exciting world.

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Sharon Stanley Announces Debut Children’s e-Book ~ Olive Ann

Sharon Stanley Announces Debut Children’s e-Book ~ Olive Ann

Children’s author Sharon Stanley, a self proclaimed non techie, embraces new e-Book format.

Seizing the opportunity to jump on the e-Book bandwagon, children’s author Sharon Stanley collaborated with illustrator Barb Dragony to create a uTale entitled, Olive Ann. uTales is a new world of picture books for kids; a world one can access anytime, anywhere. It’s both a website and an app for your laptop, iPhone and iPad, and soon tablets and phones operating on the Android system. It’s a way of making picture books for kids modern and engaging…it doesn’t replace traditional books, it’s another option.

About the book: Olive Ann is a small rabbit who wants to be big. She makes several clever attempts to grow but in the end, is it really necessary? This brightly illustrated story follows Olive Ann as she thinks through her dilemma and tackles the problem head on in her own unique and humorous way.

Title: Olive Ann

Author: Sharon Stanley

Illustrator: Barb Dragony

Publication Date: October 2012

Pages: 37

Price: $2.99 e-Book

Publisher: uTales.com http://utales.com/books/olive-ann

Sharon Stanley and Barb Dragony live with gratitude and appreciation for others and to celebrate the release of their book Olive Ann they are proud to announce that 10% of their proceeds will be donated to the Pencils of Promise charity. To learn more, visit www.pencilsofpromise.org.

About the author: Although Sharon Stanley has been writing for years, it was only after her youngest graduated high school that she got serious about it. She picked up her pencil and paper, joined the SCBWI and got busy. She has two picture books under contract and looks forward to seeing them published. Sharon lives with her husband, two grown boys, three dogs, three cats and lots and lots of cows on a working farm in Virginia. Her life is a crop circle of craziness that affords her a never-ending supply of subject matter for all the stories she writes. She enjoys all sorts of artistic and creative endeavors and blogs about her publishing journey and farm life at www.sharonstanleywrites.blogspot.com.

Be sure to visit with Stanley and download a FREE coloring sheet and word search activity to celebrate the release of Olive Ann.

About uTales: uTales is a worldwide community of authors and illustrators who together are building a library of digital picture books. Readers can visit the uTales website (utales.com) and download their favorite picture books or get unlimited access to the entire uTales library with a monthly subscription. And since all books are approved by their editorial panel, uTales is perfectly safe.

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop ~ Donna McDine

A dear friend and fellow writer, Beverly Stowe McClure tagged me to join in on the The Next Big Thing Blog Hop fun. I'm delighted to share with you an interview with me on my forthcoming book, Hockey Agony, illustrated by Julie Hammond.

What is the working title of your book?

Hockey Agony

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Like so many parents, I have spent an immense amount of time attending my children’s sporting events as well as my nieces and nephews. Unfortunately at times there have been incidents where parents and coaches have encouraged their child or player to compete unfairly to win a game. Through these events I developed a story where a child attempts to overcome peer pressure from a select few teammates.

What genre does your book fall under?

8-10 years of age

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Larry – Jake T. Austin (Wizards of Waverly Place)

Matthew – Rico Rodriquez (Modern Family)

Austin – Angus T. Jones (Two and A Half Men)

Coach Brennan – Dennis Quiad (Way too many movies to list…love him!)

If only television still produced the After School Specials!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

What is Larry to do when his teammate asks him to cheat when he is given the responsibility to run the clock during the big hockey game?

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

This particular manuscript flowed quite quickly, it took about a month by working on it several hours a day.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Hmmm, I’m actually not sure. I wrote about what I knew and have not done much research on the competition. My determination to write and publish Hockey Agony is in tribute to my daughters, nieces, and nephews.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

My daughters, nieces and nephews. Their willingness to share their stories and to watch all their antics throughout the years inspired the story of the Hockey Agony.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The fast pace of the ice hockey action and not preaching to the reader.

Now to tag fellow authors…

Nancy Stewart – http://nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com/

Nicole Weaver – http://nicole-weaver.com/

Please visit with them on Wednesday, November 17^th when they share their interviews.

Thanks for visiting!

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Guest Bloggers Invited to Visit Sharon Stanley Writes for Feature Opportunity

Guest Bloggers Invited to Visit Sharon Stanley Writes for Feature Opportunity

Build Your Platform through Guest Blogging

Sharon Stanley Writes blog offers visitors Ms. Stanley’s experiences in the road to publication and a bird's eye view of her life on a working farm. As freelance writers we all know the benefits of having blogs to interact with others via cyberspace. Topics can vary from your freelance writing career and services to freelance writing jobs to networking opportunities. The topics are endless. Follow your muse. It’s important  to continually look for ways to broaden your networking opportunities. Guest blogging is a terrific way to build your platform outside your normal audience. Reach out to your network of freelance writers and pitch a topic for a guest blogging spot. 

Sharon Stanley invites you to become a guest blogger at Sharon Stanley Writes and share your experiences in your road to publication and musings from your life.

Submission guidelines http://sharonstanleywrites.blogspot.com/p/guest-blogger-guidelines.html

About Sharon Stanley…

Although Sharon Stanley has been writing for years, it was only after her youngest graduated high school that she got serious about it. She picked up her pencil and paper, joined the SCBWI and got busy. She has two picture books under contract and looks forward to seeing them published. Sharon lives with her husband, two grown boys, three dogs, three cats and lots and lots of cows on a working farm in Virginia. She enjoys all sorts of artistic and creative endeavors and blogs about her publishing journey and farm life at www.sharonstanleywrites.blogspot.com. Her life is a crop circle of craziness that affords her a never-ending supply of subject matter for all the stories she writes.

See you in cyberspace!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
Connect with Donna McDine on Google+
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval Recipient and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist

Guest Blogger - Sharon Stanley Visits Write What Inspires You

Welcome to writer, Sharon Stanley! I recently had the pleasure of meeting Sharon online during the Guardian Angel Publishing celebration of Children's Book Week. Sharon was a gracious visitor throughout the week and we made a quick connection through cyberspace. I'm delighted to share with you Sharon's guest blogger post entitled, "Labels." I hope you enjoy reading  Sharon's article as much as I did. 

"Labels"

by Sharon Stanley 

I have been writing as long as I can remember. After my youngest child graduated, I decided to submit for publication.  I joined the (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and revamped my blog but what would I call myself?  Author seemed pompous since I am unpublished. Writer seemed a little better, or was it?

Before deciding on a label I looked up the definition of "writer". Webster says a writer is "one who writes; one who has the occupation of writing." I'm OK with "one who writes" but occupation implies pay. I decided to pull out J.I.Rodales's Synonym Finder (l986) to find a better label.

First, I got sidetracked and looked up "housewife." There were many synonyms… housekeeper, chief cook and bottle washer, mate, consort and my personal fave, better half. I moved on to "mother”… female parent, matron,  old lady  and the one I love: motherkins.

"Oh motherkins, what's for supper?"  Maybe not.

As to writer, there were 71 synonyms. Here are some of my favorites: pen-pusher, ink-slinger, hack, leg-man, scribe, and the one that rang true.....scribbler.

I find it hard to admit I AM A WRITER.  I hate the thought of being compared to people who really write, make money at it, and are really good at it.

Then it occurred to me- I have many labels:  mother, housekeeper, wife, friend, Christian, sister, and daughter. There’s no monetary compensation for those, why should writer be any different?  I've been writing for years for the sheer pleasure of it; why should that change just because I now wish to pursue this pleasure seriously?

So I shall write my stories and blog and grocery list and whatever else I decide, and not think too much about labels. If I am fortunate enough to publish a book, perhaps I will be more comfortable with author.  Till then, I’m happy with writer.   I’m still pretty certain motherkins won’t work.

So what is your label?   

About the writer: Sharon Stanley writes picture books from the farm she shares with her husband and two boys. To date, pre-published, she lives in a crop circle of craziness where subject matter is never lacking. Sharon is a member of the SCBWI and began her writing journey in earnest when her youngest graduated last year. She strives each day to "live creatively....with cows."

Visit Sharon: www.sharonstanleywrites.blogspot.com "life is short. smile while you still have teeth."

Sharon, thank you for guest blogging at Write What Inspires You! I look forward to staying connected! 

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Best wishes,
Donna M. McDine
Award-winning Children's Author
The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval Recipient and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist