Thursday, June 28, 2012

Book Review: 101 Secrets A Backpack of Inspiration and Hope for Tweens by Joe Sottile





Title: 101 Secrets: A Backpack of Inspiration and Hope for Tweens
Written by: Joe Sottile
e-Book: 172 pages
Ages: 8-12
Publisher: BookLocker.com, Inc.
ASIN: B007H0VFU0
Published: February 2012
Print Price: $4.99

Finally a road map to navigate the often zany terrain of the pre-teen years! Do you often wonder if you are the only one experiencing the highs and lows of childhood? Please know you are not alone. Everyone and I mean everyone experiences triumphs and disappointments in their lives. Knowing how to handle accomplishments with grace and disappointments with knowing it will not last forever is instrumental to your success and happiness.

Join poet and author, Joe “Silly” Sottile through his ease of conversational writing with true life experiences coupled with effective tools to handle many of life situations thrown your way. The reader will immediately be drawn in knowing that Mr. Sottile is not preaching, but sharing what he has learned along the way in his growing up years and still implements today. His happiness and success in all areas of his life shine through. Consider him your own personal life coach and cheerleader.

101 Secrets: A Backpack of Inspiration and Hope for Tweens is a must have book for home and libraries. It can be used by both parents and child in getting the conversation going for an open communication dialogue. Bravo!

Visit with Joe “Silly” Sottile to learn more about his illustrious writing career and background bringing his passions full circle http://www.joesillysottile.net/.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Plagiarism in Non-Fiction by Nancy Stewart



Please welcome guest blogger and Amazon best-selling and award-winning author, Nancy Stewart as she discusses "Plagiarism in Non-Fiction." Nancy's expertise in the non-fiction arena shined through at her intensive Non-Fiction for Children Seminar at the Orlando FloridaSCBWI Florida Mid-Year Conference with Deb Wayshack. Wish I could have attended the conference!

As a university professor, plagiarism was never far away from my sights. I talked about it, warned about it and, alas, had to take action because of it.

What I did find to be the case many times, though, was plagiarism was a sin of omission. What do I mean by this?  Simply stated, some students didn’t know enough about plagiarism not to do it.

To that end, I’m sharing what I hope will be of value to those of you in the blogosphere who enjoy writing non-fiction but want to be accurate while doing so. In the interest of non-plagiarism, the illustrations I’ve written below are taken from the University of Indiana’s Writing Center, Bloomington. This is one of the best examples I’ve seen for modeling how not to plagiarize.

Here’s the ORIGINAL text, from page 1 of Lizzie Borden: A Case Book of Family and Crime in the 1890s by Joyce Williams et al.:

The rise of industry, the growth of cities, and the expansion of the population were the three great developments of late nineteenth century American history. As new, larger, steam-powered factories became a feature of the American landscape in the East, they transformed farm hands into industrial laborers, and provided jobs for a rising tide of immigrants. With industry came urbanization the growth of large cities (like Fall River, Massachusetts, where the Bordens lived) which became the centers of production as well as of commerce and trade.

Here’s an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is plagiarism:

The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America. As steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs for the large wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived which turned into centers of commerce and trade as well as production.

Why is the paraphrase above unacceptable?
  1. The writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the order of the original’s sentences. 
  2. The writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts.

Below is an unacceptable paraphrase:

Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of northeastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production had shifted labor from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of these manufacturing and commercial centers (Williams 1).

Why is the paraphrase above acceptable?
  1. The writer accurately relays the information in the original
    uses her own words.
  2. The writer lets his/her reader know the source of her information.
I hope this illustration helps with the thorny dilemma of plagiarism. Remember, when writing non-fiction, research is paramount. But when gaining information from that research, be sure to do your due diligence around plagiarism, too. It will keep you legally safe and allow you to write your wonderful non-fiction book without worry!


Nancy, as always it's been a true pleasure hosting you. Looking forward to your next visit.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Blog Posting, Keywords, Anchor Text, Tags, and Website Statistics Part1

I am pleased to host guest blogger, Karen Cioffi today as she discusses Blog Posting, Keywords, Anchor Text, Tags, and Website Statistics Part1.

Every marketer knows the importance of article marketing – it’s an effective visibility tool and increases the user’s expert status. For individual websites, this is in the form of blog posting.

But, you can write an article that’s properly formatted, has a great title and amazing information and if you don’t use keywords, include tags, SHARE and Promote that article, you won’t get optimized traffic to your site. This can’t be stressed enough.

I did an analysis of two of my sites. Both are focused on writing and marketing. My individual site, Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing (KCWM) usually has three posts per week. The Writers on the Move (WOTM) site usually has one article per day. 

Take note though that when getting website statistics, numbers will vary significantly depending on the source of the information. Blogger’s Stats tool was used for this analysis.

According to the Blogger Stats, which site do you think gets more traffic?

Since the marketing philosophy is’ content is king,’ you’d think the WOTM site would get tons more traffic, because it provides quality information on a daily basis. 

Well, if that’s the site you chose, you’d be wrong. The KCWM site gets more traffic than WOTM does.

Another interesting tidbit is that the majority of traffic from both sites comes from:

Google searches
Yahoo searches and yahoo mail
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Twitter

Google is by far the leader of the traffic sources with Twitter holding up the rear.

So, the question to ask is WHY does the KCWM site get more traffic?

The answer has to be keywords, anchor text, tags, and promotion. Let’s take a look at each factor.

Keywords

If you notice above, the leader of the traffic sources is Google searches, which is driven by keywords.

Every post on my site is keyword focused. What this means is that I do a keyword search before posting the article. I start with a focused word, say “blog posts.” If the article focus words don’t pull their search weight, I change them to more effective keywords.

And, as it has been stated before in other articles, your keywords should be in your title,  subtitle (if you have one), and within the content of your article. Be sure to add the keyword in the first paragraph and last paragraph, and here and there throughout. Just be careful not to overdo it. 

Visit with Karen  July 1st for Part 2 of Blog Posting, Keywords, Anchor Text, Tags, and Website Statistics. It talks about Anchor Text, Tags, and Promotion www.writersonthemove.com

Karen, it was a pleasure to host you today and I look forward to part 2 of your chat. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Be There Bedtime Stories: Sum-sum-summertime Reading Rules




Greetings Storyteller!

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Happy Summer Solstice,

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Creator (& Storyteller, too!)

Summer Reading Rocks!
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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

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Writing Contest: Playing Bingo.co.uk Short Story Competition



Gareth Whieldon is pleased to announce the Playing Bingo.co.uk Short Story Competition:

UK website 'Playing Bingo' have just launched a short story competition open to anyone who would like to write a story on the theme of bingo. The website is dedicated to preserving the heritage of bingo in all its forms, and is inviting writers to enter a story of any genre, as long as it is related in some way to the game of bingo. Details are below, if you require any further information please visit the website.

Playing Bingo.co.uk Short Story Competition

  • Competition open to UK residents, aged 18 and over
  • Short Story 1,500-3,000 words
  • First prize £300
  • Second prize £100
  • Two runner's up prizes of £50
  • The closing date for the competition is 28th February 2013
  • No entry fee

Details: Playing Bingo Short Story Competition

Good luck!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day




God our Father

Bless these men,

that they may find strength as fathers.

Let the example of their faith and love shine forth.

Grant that we, their sons and daughters,

may honor them always

with a spirit of profound respect.

Amen!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Children’s Ezine Guardian Angel Kids: Growing Up – June 2012 Issue



Children’s Ezine Guardian Angel Kids: Growing Up – June 2012 Issue

The Guardian Angel Kids creative crew is pleased to announce the new Ezine format. The inviting visual will take the reader on a turn page style adventure with the click of the mouse accompanied with the sound of turning a page in your hand. Without further ado, we present the Guardian Angel Kids Growing Up June 2012 issue…

The carefree days of childhood invokes memories of lazy days of summer vacation filled with days of swimming at the town pool. It was the central social point of the neighborhood and the excitement of the day would then flow onto our cul-de-sac (after the children of the neighborhood ate their respective suppers) where there was always a stick ball game going on until the single street light flickered on. Quickly we would change gears and switch to playing flashlight tag. My mother, always an avid reader, made sure her children read each and every day and to this day we all have instilled the same love of reading with our own children. Without lapsing in our reading skills throughout the summer we were always well prepared with our studies. The days appeared endless and before you knew it, it was time for back to school shopping.

The love of reading has led me to the path of writing for children and Editor-in-Chief of Guardian Angel Publishing, for which I’m joyful for and proud to present the Guardian Angel Kids June 2012 issue of Growing Up www.guardian-angel-kids.com.

We hope you enjoy our issue of Growing Up as much the Guardian Angel Kid staff did reminiscing about our childhoods and selecting the wonderful poetry, stories, articles, and activities.

Letter from the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:  Donna M. McDine  

Featured BookS:
Growing Up Dreams by Susan Berger and illustrated by Samantha Bell
The Odd Chick by Mary Esparza-Vela and illustrated by Kevin Collier

Children’S poetry, ACTIVITIES, SHORT STORIES, and articleS:

“I’m Growing Up,” poetry by Guy Belleranti – how quickly the time passes by.

“Is It Friday Yet?” poetry by Alicia Z. Klepeis – The excitement of the approaching end of the week.

“Activities to Make Reading Fun,” by Kathy Stemke – having fun with language is the key to unlocking the world of reading to your child.

“Too Much Trouble,” by Juliana M. Jones and illustrated by Nancy Miller – the growing responsibility of getting older.


“Maid for Make Believe,” by Caroline Yu and illustrated by Clara Batton Smith – the magic of pretend brings two friends closer together.

“Read Aloud Tips for Preschoolers: Put Some Pizzazz in Reading Aloud,” by Dorit Sasson – how to connect to the story by acting it out.

“Encouraging Your Reader,” by Vanessa Fortenberry – tips on how to encourage and instill the love of reading.

Visit Guardian Angel Kid today and www.guardian-angel-kids.com and enjoy a child safe and ad free Ezine.

We also invite you to stay connected with Guardian Angel Kids through our Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Guardian-Angel-Kids-Ezine/163785080346247.

Please feel free to drop Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine an email at submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com and let them know what you think of Guardian Angel Kids and what you'd like to see in the future. They aim to please.

The Guardian Angel Kids Ezine staff and contributors look forward to your visit. Thank you for your time and interest.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,




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

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Tips for Children's Writers by Jo Linsdell




Please welcome children's author, Jo Linsdell as she stops by for a visit today at Write What Inspires You during her virtual book tour of Out and About at the Zoo. Today Ms. Linsdell is sharing her writing tips for children's writers. Being a list person myself I always appreciate bullet proof tips for easy reference later on. 

Tips for Children's Writers

By Jo Linsdell

Writing a children's book may, at first, seem like an easy task but it's not. The skill of being able to tell a captivating story in such a limited number of words, the ability to combine the written story with the visual story, creating a simple text that flows smoothly... There's a lot more to children's writing than a lot of people think.

Here's a few tips:

1. Book format. A standard children's book is 32 pages long. As the actual text usually begins at around page 5 to 7 (after title page, copyright page, etc...) this leaves you 25 to 28 pages to tell your story.

2. Balance. There needs to be a balance between text and illustrations. The text needs to be divided up evenly with fairly equal amounts of text on each page. The text must also match the illustrations.

3. Planning. Draw up a plan of the 32 pages so you can see how the layout of your book will be. This will help you divide the text and give you ideas the placing of illustrations.

4. Word choice. The text of a children's book is limited so every word counts. There is little room for visual description but most of that is done with the illustrations anyway.

5. Read it aloud. Children's books are meant to be read aloud. Read to an audience or record yourself reading the text so you can check for flow.

About the author: Jo Linsdell is the author and illustrator of the rhyming children's picture book OUT AND ABOUT AT THE ZOO. Find out more about her at www.JoLinsdell.com



Jo, it was a pleasure hosting you during your virtual book tour. Best wishes for your continued success!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,




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

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Book Promotion: Frederick Douglass for Kids by Nancy I. Sanders



As part of her book launch for Frederick Douglass for Kids best-selling and award-winning children's author, Nancy I. Sanders is visiting Write What Inspires You on the second day of her Working Writer's Club virtual book tour.

Welcome Nancy! I'm delighted to host you today as you discuss your typical writing day. Oh, how I enjoy learning about author's writing process!




Nancy I. Sanders is the bestselling and award-winning author of over 80 books including the picture book D is for Drinking Gourd: An African American Alphabet, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. She teaches other writers how to launch their career to the next level based on material found in her groundbreaking book for writers, Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published, and Build a Successful Writing Career. Nancy and her husband, Jeff, live in southern California. They have two adult sons, Dan and Ben.

Without further ado, sit back and enjoy learning more about Nancy...



What is a typical writing day for you as a children’s author?
Each new book holds its own unique routine. When I wrote Frederick Douglass for Kids, it started with a lot of research and no writing at all! I skimmed over his three autobiographies to get a general feel for his life and times and used these books as a launchpad to contact historic sites and museums to come and take photographs to use in the book.

Once the actual writing process began, I typically started my day reading key books for research while sitting in a comfortable spot (usually with my cats!) and taking notes by hand. I did this for about an hour. Then I sat down at my computer and typed these notes into a working outline I was building. Then, with the material fresh in my head, I spent the next hour or so writing new content for the book based on the research I’d just done. I typed this directly onto the computer.

By afternoon, I was kind of frizzled out from all that heavy duty research and writing, so I did other writing-related tasks such as fact checking my manuscript, locating images to use in the book and contacting people for permission to use them, making the 21 activities that are included in the book, and watching videos on the Civil War for an emotional feel of the era.

Do you write every day?
I tell people I write full time part of the time. I typically write from September through mid-June. I try to take the summers off to spend time with my husband, Jeff, who is a teacher and is home during the summer. My typical writing day starts before breakfast when I get up. It’s my most productive time for writing. By lunch time, I’m kind of slowing down as far as creative thinking, so after lunch I do writing-related tasks such as editing, plan writing workshops, brainstorm new ideas, market my books, prepare proposals, and tend to my e-mails and blog.

I usually write 4 out of 5 days Monday through Friday. One day a week I get together with various writing groups I’m part of. Typically, I take the weekends off and take holidays off to spend time with family and friends. However, because writing is also my hobby, you’ll always find me with writing paper and pen in hand or a book I’m reading to help improve my writing.

What are you doing to celebrate the release of your book, Frederick Douglass for Kids?
I’m hosting a two-week virtual Book Launch Party! There are prizes to win, fun facts to learn, and lots of inside peeks and helpful tips about how a book is born. Stop by my site today to join in the party.


Just post a comment at my blog today to say hi, or answer the question there and I'll put your name in the hat today at a chance to win a free Picture Book Critique or first 5 pages of your manuscript:

http://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2012/06/12/book-launch-party-frederick-douglass-for-kids-8/

Thank you so much, Donna, for being a stop on my Book Launch Party!

It’s a joy to visit your site! You can join in my party tomorrow at the site of Karen Cioffi at: 

For further details read on for synopsis and and visit Nancy for further details of her Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities book launch: 

Featured Book:
Frederick Douglass for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities
By Nancy I. Sanders
Author’s site: www.nancyisanders.com
Purchase the book on Amazon at: http://tinyurl.com/7opjcn4

Book Synopsis
Few Americans have had as much impact on this nation as Frederick Douglass. Born on a plantation, he later escaped slavery and helped others to freedom via the Underground Railroad. In time he became a bestselling author, an outspoken newspaper editor, a brilliant orator, a tireless abolitionist, and a brave civil rights leader. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic in the years leading up to the Civil War, and when war broke out, Abraham Lincoln invited him to the White House for counsel and advice.
        
Frederick Douglass for Kids follows the footsteps of this American hero, from his birth into slavery to his becoming a friend and confidant of presidents and the leading African American of his day. And to better appreciate Frederick Douglass and his times, readers will form a debating club, cook a meal similar to the one Douglass shared with John Brown, make a civil war haversack, participate in a microlending program, and more. This valuable resource also includes a time line of significant events, a list of historic sites to visit or explore online, and web resources for further study.

Nancy, thank you for providing such an insightful glimpse into your writing life. All the best for your continued success!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,




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

Monday, June 11, 2012

Marketing Monday with Donna McDine at Nancy Stewart's Blog


I'm the guest blogger today for Marketing Monday at Nancy Stewart's blog http://nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com/2012/06/social-media-networking-be-active.html.

Today I'm discussing...

Social Media Networking: Be an Active Participant with Relevant News, Articles, and Assistance

Hope to see you there!

Happy Monday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best wishes,






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

Friday, June 8, 2012

Daughter and Mother Relationships: 3-Day Breakthrough Mother/Daughter Retreat with Debra Beck


I am pleased to host Debra Beck today as she discusses her 3-Day Breakthrough Mother/Daughter Retreat.

Do you wish you were closer and more connected with your teenage daughter?   Are you looking for better ways of communicating with her?  Is your heart aching for there to be loving behavior present in your relationship? If you answered yes to these questions, then read on… 
Whether you are trying to mend a damaged relationship or deepen an already connected relationship between you and your daughter, this Breakthrough Retreat will be a powerful life changing experience for you both.


I specialize in designing a 3 day Mother Daughter Breakthrough Retreat in Sedona, Arizona. Each retreat is personalized for mother and daughters to create breakthroughs to help strengthen their relationship.
When my youngest daughter was heading into her teenage years, our relationship was stressed. 
The breakdown in communication and love made it impossible for me to guide her in a way that was supportive to her becoming an independent, self-assured young woman.  Both our hearts were aching with every harsh word spoken and negative action taken.  Through my own experience, I have created this amazing Mother Daughter Breakthrough Retreat.  I have so much compassion for mothers because I have felt the heartache of having a broken relationship with my own daughter.  I also have compassion for the daughters because I have also experience a disconnected relationship first hand with my own mother.
Our daughters need a connected, loving relationship with us, their mothers, to feel safe in the world and participate in their life on a level that promotes a healthy environment for them to succeed in. 
Is there anything more important than our relationship with our kids? 
Extremely Personalized To Meet Your Needs
I will design your retreat after a personal phone consultation with you both to analyze where the relationship is and what is required to have the breakthroughs to develop the bond required to nurture the relationship long term.
After Care
4-30 minute follow up consultations each- either face-to-face or over the phone to help cement the new way of relating.
 Call for Your Personalized Breakthrough Retreat Now:

928-300-0447
Free consultation to see if this Breakthrough Retreat is for you and your daughter 


BIO: DEBRA BECK, author of My Feet Aren’t Ugly: A Girl’s Guide to Loving Herself from the Inside Out is a devoted mother, mentor, sought-after presenter and leading expert on the issues facing teen girls.


As a teenage girl, Debra experienced first-hand the difficult issues facing many teenage girls today.
Born in Neptune, New Jersey, Debra moved to Arizona when she was seven. As a teenage girl, she struggled with the same issues that normal teenage girls face – anxiety about school, friends, peer pressure, family life, not liking – or even knowing – who she was, and not fitting in. What Debra didn’t realize was that these difficult years were preparing her for her life’s work.

When Debra realized that low self esteem was a wide-spread problem

for teenage girls, she wanted to help.

When her two daughters became teenagers, Debra came to understand that her experience as a teen was not so different after all. Through observing her daughters, Debra saw that these girls, and so many of their friends, were confronting the very issues she had faced. It was then that Debra became aware not only of how painful it is to be a teenage girl, but realized that low self esteem was a universal problem for most girls in their teens.
Helping teenage girls to empower themselves became Debra’s life work. She shares her skills in her inspiring book “

My Feet Aren’t Ugly“.
With 20 plus years experience in self-development, a first-hand awareness of just how difficult the teenage years can be, empathy, and a passion for making a difference, Debra discovered her life’s work: helping young girls learn how to truly love themselves from the inside out.

Also, raising 2 teenage girls herself, Debra realized

that parents needed support too.

Our concern for our teens is valid in a world where sex in treated casually, drug and alcohol use are prevalent and teen suicide is on the rise. With the media being such a strong influence, our need to stay connected to our teenagers is more important today then ever. Debra has a way of bringing understanding and ease into a parent/teenager relationship.
Debra, it's a pleasure to host you today and I'm delighted to help you spread the word about your worthwhile retreat!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Best wishes,




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

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Book Review: Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage




Title:                            Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage
Written by:                  Nancy Stewart
Hard cover:                 26 pages
Ages:                           8-12
Publisher:                    Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
Hard cover ISBN 13: 9781616332426
Published:                   April 2012
Pages:                         26
Print Price:                  $19.94

Connection between living creatures is essential to our soul and well being. Love, understanding, empathy, and a purpose for one’s life certainly helps a person flourish; especially in the face of adversity.

Meet Katrina Simpkins, a special young lady, who strives to be “so called normal” but because of her prosthesis leg she is anything but. That is until the day she meets Winter, a tailless dolphin who resides at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. From the moment Katrina and Winter meet there is an instant bond, which neither time nor distance can break. Inspired by Winter’s own adversity, Katrina’s life is transformed into triumphs to be celebrated.

Visit with Katrina Simpkins and Winter the dolphin in this heartwarming and awe inspiring true life story of how acceptance and love exceeds all.

Visit with Amazon best-selling and award-winning author, Nancy Stewart to learn more about her illustrious writing career and background bringing her passions full circle www.nancystewartbooks.com and www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Book Review: Elliott and Anastacia written and illustrated by Clara Batton Smith




Title:                                       Elliott & Anastacia

Author & Illustrator:             Clara Batton Smith

Paperback:                             16 pages

Publisher:                               Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Published:                               March 15, 2012

Age:                                        1-5

ISBN-10:                                1616332336

ISBN-13:                                978-1616332334

Soft cover:                              $9.95

 

The endearing friendship of Elliott and Anastacia is heartwarming from the beginning. The youngsters balance their friendship with each owns likes; taking them on a magical journey one will not soon forget.

 

Author and illustrator, Clara Batton Smith has woven a tale of friendship all children and adults can relate to. The bright and inviting illustrations compliment the story beautifully.

 

Visit Clara Batton Smith’s colorful world http://cbsillos.blogspot.com/



 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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

Monday, June 4, 2012

Guest Blogger: Nancy Stewart Chats About "Non-Fiction and Ethics"



It's June 4th already and I'm delighted to have Nancy Stewart visit Write What Inspires You. Today she will be discussing "Non-fiction and Ethics." Welcome Nancy, your insight and tips in researching writing on-target non-fiction is imperative for true success!


Non-Fiction and Ethics
by Nancy Stewart

So you want to write a non-fiction book. You are in plentiful company. Each year nearly 300,000 books are published in the US.  About four out of five are non-fiction! 

While there are lots of non-fiction books out there to keep yours company, there are some potential pitfalls associated with the genre.  Let’s discuss that.

We all know non-fiction is just that—something that must be truthful, not concocted from our imaginations as with fiction. Not only, however, does it have to be the truth, we as authors have to do due diligence to make it that way. Simply put, we must hold ourselves to the highest standard to ensure the content of our work is true and accurate to the best of our ability. Yes, it’s exactly what lawyers are expected to do, and is, in fact, a legal term.

So how do we achieve this high-minded standard and not get sued for all our efforts, which is the end game of this post. Here are a few guideposts:
  1. If you’re not sure of your source/s be sure to investigate their credentials, making certain they are qualified and are who they say they are.
  2. Obtain confirmation from unrelated sources to support what your primary sources provided. (More research on your part but necessary and well worth the effort.)
  3. Whenever possible, try to get confirmation from secondary sources what you learned from your primary sources.
  4. When depending on your memory or personal experiences, secure independent corroboration.  *Crucial in narrative non-fiction.
  5. If something does not seem correct, even though the source is trustworthy, satisfy whatever doubts you have about the veracity of the material. Trust your instincts.
  6. Try to avoid relying upon only one eyewitness account or what only one person remembers. Two or more can make all the difference!

Let me end by saying I usually don’t give lists of how to do things. These six tips, though, can save a non-fiction writer many headaches with a lawsuit on the side! Again, I cannot stress enough the due diligence factor in tackling non-fiction, particularly with topics as medicine, history or biography. Due diligence is first among equals for a strong, successful and well-executed work of non-fiction!

Visit Nancy:

Blog: http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com

Nancy, thank you for visiting today...as always a true pleasure!





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Best wishes,





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

Friday, June 1, 2012

Powder Monkey - historical fiction children's book

I am over the moon to share with you the book cover of Powder Monkey by the incredibly talented illustrator, K.C. Snider! This is our second partnership, the first in August 2010 for the award-winning historical fiction children's book The Golden Pathway.



Publication date: Summer/Fall 2012

More details to come....

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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