GAP FAMILY BLOG

It was Christmas week, and we were in Switzerland. My family and I, along with good friends and a frozen turkey, traveled there for the holidays. We were living in London at the time, so we crossed the English Channel on a car ferry and were on our way to the Swiss countryside.

Our three sons were not so sure about the plan. “Were they getting as many gifts? What kind of Christmas dinner would we have? What about a tree?” I was having many of the same thoughts but kept them to myself.

As we drove higher into the mountains to reach the chalet lent by a friend, small delicate snowflakes danced around our two cars. Shadows deepened, and lights began to glow in houses nestled here and there in the valleys below us. Magical. A very good sign.

With darkness settling around the mountains, we arrived at our chalet. Maybe this adventure would be fine. These words became my mantra.

The next morning, we four parents and five sons explored the tiny village. And there, propped in front of a tiny store, was our Christmas tree! It was short, a little crooked, a bit spare of needles and one of the last ones left. It was beautiful to us.

The nine of us trudged along with our treasured tree and promptly set about decorating it. We popped popcorn and made white garlands with the help of needle and thread. We did the same with cranberries and wound scarlet sashes round the boughs. The boys found pine cones of different sizes and shapes in a sheltered stand of pines near our chalet. These they tucked between branches of our now festive offering to Christmas, and an aroma of pine drifted through the room. James, the youngest boy, fashioned a star out of paper and placed it on top of the tree.

That evening, Christmas Eve, the nine of us again walked to the village. Our feet made satisfying crunching sounds through the crusty snow. The village church was our destination. Candles shone in all the windows, casting shimmering shadows on the icy whiteness. It seemed the whole town had turned out for the midnight service. We were greeted with smiles and greetings of “Willkommen.” We were welcomed by everyone.

Christmas carols, all in German, but so familiar to us in every other way, filled the small church with happiness and joy. The pastor’s message, all in German, made us feel the meaning of Christmas, as if we understood every word.


Next morning, as the boys opened their allotted two gifts apiece, no one complained. Michele and I baked our now thawed turkey and completed all the usual trimmings, minus a pumpkin pie. No one complained. When it was time for all to help clean up from our meal, no one complained. Again, magical.

As I reflect on that Swiss Christmas of more than a decade ago, what made it so extraordinary? Was it Switzerland itself? Was it being with family and wonderful friends? Was it fulfilled expectations?

Yes, of course, it was all of that. And, yet, it was more. It was that intangible thing called hope. It was recognition that we are more than ourselves alone. It was the knowledge that we need one another and are here to help each other and to be selfless when called upon to be so. It was the magic of Christmas that just happened to be in a country called Switzerland.

After having been an elementary school teacher, a management consultant with New Options, Inc. in New York City and a university professor of education, Nancy Stewart now writes children’s books full time. She, her husband and three sons, lived in London for eight years, where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge.

Nancy travels extensively throughout the world, most particularly Africa. She is the US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education.

Nancy is the author of One Pelican at a Time and two other Bella books: Bella Saves the Beach and Sea Turtle Summer, soon to be published by Guardian Angel Publishers. Nancy will be a presenter at the Illinois Reading Council Conference on March 17, 2011.

She and her family live in St. Louis and Clearwater Beach, Florida.

You can visit Nancy online at http://www.nancystewartbooks.com/.

I guess all brains are not wired in the same way. Some children gravitate toward reading despite parents who never opened a book, and never read to them. Other children, from families with a passionate love for books and reading, never feel the urge to peek beyond the cover.

And there are also those children who have a problems reading, and avoid it at all cost. First, make sure it is not some form of ADHD or Dyslexia. Whatever the cause, these children need to be tested, diagnosed, and the correct guidance and help provided. Finding the problem early, and treating it early, is the only way to help your child learn methods that will assure he thrives as a teen and an adult.

When I was a young Aussie growing up in a small seaside town, reading great books, listening to the radio, and going to the movies was the height of the teckie scene. Oh, and if you were older, the Saturday night dance at the church or the school Gym was the ultimate - especially if you had a hot date. Later on, gabbing on the phone also took over - kinda the dinosaur version of texting.

As a child, my parents read to me often. Books were a magic carpet ride to wild and wonderful places I might never be lucky enough to visit for myself. A rich and wonderful story made me feel sad when I reached the last page. A great author always made the characters and their trials and tribulations come to life. I become involved. I rooted for them. I identified with the characters. I wanted more! I read under the covers using a flashlight when I should have been sleeping. I was never without a book somewhere handy.

This is what I hoped my three children would feel about books and reading. I read to them when they were young, and when we moved to the US, I made up fun stories for them , about critters from their Aussie homeland. The walls of our home were lined with well read books. Yet our son became a reluctant reader. A smart kid who drooped and scowled when asked to read any book.

This highly technical age, with its bells and whistles, seduces many kids - especially boys, The distraction of video games, slick movies you can watch at home, TV and texting, all have huge appeal to 21st centaury youngsters. Only dwebes and wonkers read - right? Because so many moms and dads now work full time, the trend away from reading has escalated. Often, no one is home after school to supervise, and see that TV and games are limited, and reading is given a big push forward. Many parents (particularly single ones), must work more than one job to make ends meet. This means housework, laundry and cooking must be done after dark, and reading to children sometimes gets put on the back burner. Exhaustion is the norm for these parents. I know only too well - there are just so many hours in each day, and you can only do what you can do.

So, how to get reluctant readers reading, when time is tight, and money even tighter? Grade school boys can be lured into reading if you just remember that they are mini macho editions of their dads. Steer clear of girly stories with giggles and gossip. Boys like fast action stories, armpit noise makers, a dead mouse in someone’s bed kind of humor, and cool dialogue. Think junior version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or "Pirates of the Caribbean." Go for macho - long on action and short on angst. This worked for my son when I discovered the "Hardy Boys" series. He devoured every one of them, and hasn't stopped reading since.

Stop a moment, and take note of what your older RR (boy or girl) really likes to do - baseball, football, skateboarding, fashion, food, cheerleading - whatever it is, find books that center around their interest and passions - fiction or nonfiction, it doesn't matter. Talk to them about their interests while you eat a meal, do the laundry, or drive them to sports events. Get a dialogue going. Give them a library card of their own, and encourage them to go choose books THEY like.

Try to make one hour of the week family reading time. Choose the book together, and then take turns reading to each other. I know one family who did this for an hour a week. They all enjoyed it so much, they now do it every night, right after dinner.

My other Blog, HOOK KIDS on READING offers a selection of books (on the lower right) that are written with reluctant readers in mind.

* If you know of a child suffering from big changes in their life, "Ruthie and the Hippo's Fat Behind," is a fun rhyming read with a sneaky message + the Q&A in the parent- teacher guide will be very helpful.
* If you have a child who is dyslectic, read them the rhyming, "Horatio Humble Beats the Big D." The included parent-teacher guide offers helpful advice + links to more serious help.
"Rattlesnake Jam" was written with my son, the reluctant reader, in mind: rhymes full of
icky boy stuff and humor.
* And coming soon - mid-grade boys will eat up "Taconi and Claude - Double Trouble." Set on a cattle station in the Aussie outback, an upcoming Man Ceremony, danger, Dreamtime Spirits, goanna steak, a problem Dad and a chatty cockatoo, all help Taconi decide his future.

Margot Finke is an Aussie transplant who writes midgrade adventure fiction and rhyming picture books. For many years she has lived in Oregon with her husband and family. She is also the proud Nana of seven grandchildren. Gardening, travel, and reading fill in the cracks between writing. Her husband is very supportive and their three children are now grown and doing very well.

Margot didn't begin serious writing until the day their youngest left for college. This late start drives her writing, and pushes her to work at it every day. Margot said, "I really envy those who began young, and managed to slip into writing mode between kid fights, diaper changes, household disasters, and outside jobs. You are my heroes! "

Her Website offers details about all 10 of her rhyming books + those coming soon, and her Manuscript Critique Service will help you write tight and terrific. There is also plenty of help for beginning writers. Two blogs offer fun, information and helpful advice about choosing books for kids, and how to write them. Visit a while and discover great books for your children.


G.A.P. Books for Kids -
http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/restbcm8/Margot%27%20%20Books.htm


“Wild and Wonderful” – rhyming series about animals from the US and Australia
http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/restbcm8/Books.html#clues

WEBSITE: Writing Help and Manuscript Critiques - http://www.margotfinke.com/
2 Blogs:
http://hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com/  
http://margotfinke.blogspot.com/

The other day I did something I've been avoiding for some time. I put away my youngest child's favorite "babies" forever. When my oldest decided it was time to give up his Oma Bear, we wrote a loving note about this special teddy bear that described how she was a special gift from his Oma, which is the German word for grandmother. Oma Bear was his first gift and spent every night in his bed from the day he came home from the hospital until he was nine. From head to tail, Oma Bear was as long as my son when he was a newborn. My son "visited" Oma Bear in her new quiet home in my cedar chest a few times, and then all was well.

But there was something different about this goodbye because it was the last one. "Baby" was one of those lamb Beanie Babies, sans the ears, tail, and nose. Most of the lamb-looking fabric had been rubbed and washed off and this Baby still resembled dirty dishwater even after a good soak in Tide. You can imagine what I went through when it came time to give Baby a bath. I remember watching my son chew on the ears when he was teething. And the time we forgot it at Grammy's and he had to wait several days to get it in the mail. Baby was there for the hospital stays, the naps, and every kiss goodnight in between. Baby even woke my youngest up with little baby smooches on his cheek, with a little help from Mom. Sigh. It was well past the time to stop all that, but for me, asking him to give up his little bed buddies was also putting an end to a precious time in my life as a mother.

Yesterday when the house was empty, I sat down to write a note to Baby. And when I folded the note and gave Baby a goodbye kiss, there was a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I nestled her in the cedar chest next to Oma Bear, Momma Bear, my oldest son's shaggy blanket, and my raggedy stuffed rabbit from my childhood. I shut the lid and wondered, just like the Velveteen Rabbit, what they might be saying to each other as they wait for another child to love them in the distant future.

Margaret Rose has had a passion for the written word since she was a young girl. She became a professional writer and editor after college and is fortunate to be a fulltime writer. By day she works as a copywriter and editor for a small direct marketing firm and freelances feature articles for business-to-business magazines. In the evening hours she writes children's books and romance novels.

Margaret is married and has two children. Some of her passions are all types of music, flower gardening, biking, walking her dog on moonlit nights, nature, and making people laugh. She lives in Minnesota and never plans to leave no matter how cold the winters are.

Visit Margaret Rose at: Margaret Rose Writes
E-mail: Margaret_Rose@rocketmail.com

Since signing my first book contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, February 2008, I have read time and time again that the marketing of your book begins well before publication. Profound statement and right on the mark. Don’t miss another important aspect. You need to pair your book marketing with marketing YOU the author. Do not become a wall flower and only peel yourself from the wall when you want to position and sell your book.

Active membership in a writing community is essential, both online and in-person. Start out slow and don’t give in to joining too many groups. Being an active participant in one or two communities is much better than joining five plus and the members hardly or never hear from you. Start out by introducing yourself and then respond to fellow members posts constructively. Never attack or bash. Remember what mom always said, “Treat others how you want to be treated.” With respect, correct?

When a fellow member seeks advice on a particular topic and you have experience to offer, share what worked for you and what didn’t. The conversation ease is set from the get-go when fellow members sense you are not here just for your book, but to partake in an exchange of information. A trust naturally develops over time as you converse, cheer members successes, and encouraging even louder when a rejection is received. Relationships forged in this manner are usually a win-win outcome for all involved. Over time you will begin to wonder how you made through it the publishing roller coaster ride without them.

Go ahead put yourself out there and connect with fellow writers. You were brave enough to submit your manuscript to the publishing Gods so this should be a snap. Most of all have fun and make new friends.

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. Donna’s stories and features have been published in many print and online publications, and her first book, The Golden Pathway, will be published through Guardian Angel Publishing. Ms. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Musing Our Children, and The National Writing for Children Center. Learn more about Donna at http://www.donnamcdine.com/ if you sign the guestbook, you’ll receive a FREE e-Book Write What Inspires You: Author Interviews, and http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/ and http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/.

You know you want to write a children’s book, but wonder what to write. That seemed to be the prevailing question on my mind. Where to get ideas? Where to start? When I attended college, my first writing course, “Creative Writing 101” answered these two questions. The professor said, “Write about what you know!” Well, duh, that sounds simple, right?


I have always had the “itch” to be creative whether by illustrating--I think I came out of the womb with a crayon in one hand--or by writing, as the other hand must have held a book. This was my life’s goal. So, one day as I considered what I wanted to write it became clear after I witnessed some children picking on one of their peers. Thus, I wrote Tiny Angel.

As a child, I was very sensitive and shy, which I am happy to say, I have outgrown! I kept to myself and spent my time engrossed in schoolwork and books. Also having terrible eyesight, I started wearing glasses in the third grade. Due to this, a few boys in my class started tormenting me. I was always being called “four-eyes” or “teacher’s pet”, with never a day going by without receiving hurtful taunts. Many times I would not respond, but after one classmate crushed my beloved plastic Barbie lunchbox, that did it. I reported it to my teacher. Sadly, that made matters worse. From then on, all I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and become invisible.

Remembering those unhappy days was the impetus to write Tiny Angel. It more or less was a purge of the sadness I felt, but I also wanted to help other children who are teased and tormented. My desire was for them to know they are not alone, that someone else has endured this, and that things can get better. Children being bullied often feel isolated and tend to magnify their hurts. After all, they are the center of their own world. When they are bullied, they feel slighted and less of a person.

I am also a firm believer that we have guardian angels. I can cite times when I know my own (also named Jody, after the angel in my book) has come to my aid. The thought of having an angel can give a child the modicum of comfort.

What is ironic is since I have matured and reconnected with several of my old classmates, I have learned many of them have admitted their own insecurities and fears as children; and these are people whom I thought back when I was a kid, that were the “cool kids” with not a care in the world. Funny how that is not the case. No matter how happy or “with it” children may seem, I believe everyone tends to have something they fear or an aspect about themselves they feel does not measure up.

Needless to say, if I can or have reached only one child with Tiny Angel and helped them through the difficult time of growing up and this story gets them to feel good about themselves, then I will have accomplished the main goal for writing this book.


Nancy Carty Lepri, born and raised in Massachusetts, earned an AA degree in Visual Art from Cape Cod Community College and a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in writing from Western New England College. In addition, she was a freelance reporter for several local newspapers.
In 1995, Nancy and husband Art relocated to Wilmington NC where her publishing credits included the “Wilmington Magazine” as well as two national and international food-industry trade magazines.

Receiving Editor Certification through Cape Fear Community College in 2006, Nancy taught online writing and drawing courses, illustrated children’s books, started four mainstream novels, and had her children’s chapter book Tiny Angel, published through Guardian Angel Publishing in November 2009.

After a move to the Raleigh area in 2007, Nancy freelanced as senior editor for a national publisher, edited and wrote press releases for more than twenty novels, and was copy editor and reviewer for “Affaire de Coeur” magazine. She currently edits and critiques manuscripts, reviews for ReaderToReader.com and New York Journal of Books, and is completing her sequel to Tiny Angel.

Visit Nancy online at:

http://nancycl.webs.com/
http://nancycl.blogspot.com/
http://nancycl.livejournal.com/

Last February I visited my local library to inquire about doing a reading of my newly published book, Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle. The attendant gave me the email of the programming coordinator. I emailed her and much to my delight she replied within a few days. She coordinated for me to perform three presentations at three different libraries.


The icing on the cake came when she asked me how much I wanted to be paid. I told her to please donate my payment to the Lambi Fund of Haiti instead. I had a blast reading my book and was also allowed to sell my book after the reading.

The coordinator liked the presentations I did, so she invited me to return for a special programming in fall 2010 called PASSPORT TO THE CARIBBEAN. I quickly developed a good rapport with the coordinator. I have already been invited to return once my book with Guardian Angel Publishing is published.


On September 14, 2010, I did my fourth presentation. I had around 35 people who showed up. Before I read my book, I showed the kids a YouTube video of a mother sea turtle laying her eggs. Additionally, I showed a video of newly hatched baby turtles heading to the ocean. The kids really liked my book. I had three teen helpers who helped cut out paper plates in preparation for a sea turtle craft. It was an unforgettable experience to have so many parents and their kids show up for this program. I have one more presentation on November 27th. I expect to sell a lot of books being that it is so close to Christmas.




What I learned from this experience is to never be afraid to ask. Most authors do readings at schools, but since I work fulltime it is very difficult for me to make school visits. I am currently working on booking readings with after school programs in my area.

If you have not done a reading at your local library, I highly encourage you to do so. You never know what doors might be opened for you. I think much bigger doors will be opened once my book with GAP is published. I can’t wait!


Nicole Weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She came to the United States when she was ten years old. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish. She is the author of a children's trilingual picture book titled Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle.


The story is about a Haitian little girl who resided by the beach in Haiti. Her second trilingual children's picture book will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing. The book titled, My sister is my Best Friend, will be published fall 2011.


You can visit Nicole Weaver’s website at http://www.melangeofcultures.wordpress.com/

Every marketing action you take, every dollar you spend, and every hour you invest should tie back into one of the goals you’ve identified for your book. If your marketing actions don’t support your goals, then either your goals are wrong, or your marketing action is off-track.

It’s easy to get so caught-up in all the opportunities to market your book that you stop evaluating whether each opportunity is going to help you achieve your goals. Clear goals will help you create a budget, prioritize your time, say “no” with less guilt and “yes” with confidence.

Remember, your ultimate goal is to let readers, who are interested in your particular kind of book, know that your book exists so they can buy it. You’re not trying to reach every reader in the world, only the readers who read the kind of book you’ve written. In marketing language, the readers who read the kind of book you’ve written are your “target audience”. To market your book effectively, you must either reach that target audience directly, or have your message relayed by people who do reach them directly (the media).

For authors of children’s books, realize that if your book is intended for readers under age 10, you are essentially marketing to the parents. If the book is non-fiction (health, parenting, nutrition, etc.), create a very detailed profile of the parent who is your best buyer (usually the mom) and focus your publicity on reaching her.

Children’s fiction books can do very well marketed through school or library appearances and library events. The trick is to make it easy for the host school or library to publicize your appearance far enough in advance that children look forward to it and ask their parents for money to buy the book. To the extent that you can provide flyers (actual copies, not just the master copy since schools are on very tight budgets), bookmarks, a local press release, a pre-event letter to parents (perhaps drafted for the principal or media center teacher), and hallway posters, you’ll see better results. Schools and libraries don’t have the time, staff or budget to do that for you. Offering some kind of age-appropriate giveaway with purchase can spur sales, but make sure that there is also something for the kid who isn’t able to buy.

Look for ties to established, high-traffic places that your target reader is already going, and reach out to those organizations as promotional partners. For example, if your main character takes Tae Kwon Do lessons and that’s important in the book, contact the local Tae Kwon Do programs and set up a signing. Offer to donate a portion of the price of every copy sold to the organization’s favorite charity, or to the organization itself.


Gail Z. Martin is the author of The Thrifty Author’s Guide to Launching Your Book Without Losing Your Mind. Available on Amazon.com and other online retailers, and in select bookstores.