GAP FAMILY BLOG

GAP author, Kai Strand and illustrator K.C. Snider will be at the Redmond Street Festival in downtown Redmond, Oregon this weekend with their books in tow!

Kai Strand will be signing in the Central Oregon Authors booth. She'll have her award winning book, The Weaver along with its successor, The Wishing Well: Another Weaver Tale, available for sale as well as her other available middle grade titles.

KC Snider will be signing in the High Desert Society of the Arts booth. Along with her more than 30 illustrated titles, she'll have some of her fine art available.

This is the first year for the Redmond Street Festival and with antiques, arts, crafts, food, entertainment, and live music, it promises to be a fun time. EVENT DATES: JUNE 15, 16, 2013. HOURS: SAT 10-5 AND SUN.10-4 The Street Festival will be on 6th Street between Deschutes and Forest.

They hope to see you there!

The day after Thanksgiving is often the day families decorate their homes for Christmas. But in my friend’s household, it is the kickoff day of a beloved family tradition. Each year, Jen pulls out a decorative sleigh large enough for a toddler to sit in and fills it with their collection of Christmas books. She’s been collecting books related to the Christmas holiday since her boys were babies. They have titles that range from traditional stories to quirky tales. But what makes the tradition so special in my eyes is that each night from the evening the books are set out until Christmas itself, her boys pick one book to be read. At some point in the evening, after homework is completed, or tae-kwon-do class is over, but before the boys shuffle off to brush their teeth and maybe even curl up with a book of their own, Jen and her boys settle together in the living room to read a Christmas story. They have some favorite books, which have been read repeatedly over the years, but they also look forward to sharing new stories together.

Can’t you just picture the cozy scene? The boys cuddled under their throws either laughing at Christmas antics or in awe over the story of Jesus’ birth; and Jen, sharing those moments night after night, year after year with her (now 10 and 13 yr old) boys.

What a lovely and enduring tradition.

Guardian Angel Publishing has several holiday titles to kick-start your annual tradition, or, as in the case of my friend, add to an existing one:

A BLESSED BETHLEHEM BIRTH- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/blessedbirth.htm

A STAR IN THE NIGHT- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/star-night.htm

ANGEL EYES- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/angel-eyes.htm

BABY JESUS IS MISSING! - www.guardianangelpublishing.com/baby-jesus.htm

CAMILLE'S JOURNEY: Christmas Musical Play & Master www.guardianangelpublishing.com/camille.htm

CURLEY, THE CROOKED CHRISTMAS TREE- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/curley.htm

LITTLE SHEPHERD- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/little-shepherd.htm

O CHRISTMAS TREE- www.guardianangelublishing.com/o-christmas-tree.htm

ONE FAMILY'S CHRISTMAS- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/christmas-angel.htm

SECRET SERVICE SAINT- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/secret-saint.htm

THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT- www.guardianangelpublishing.com/best-xmas-gift.htm

THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL- http://guardianangelpublishing.com/christmas-angel.htm

'TWAS THE YEAR CHRIST LEFT CHRISTMAS - http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/christ-left.htm

Kai Strand is the author of The Weaver, a tween chapbook that offers a little magic and a lot of storytelling. Though it isn’t a Christmas title, it would make a fine Christmas present for any 9 – 12 year old.

November is Picture Book Month, so when I was asked to submit an article for the GAP Blog, I thought the logical topic was Picture Books. I write ‘em, I read ‘em, I critique ’em and I LOVE ‘em.
So, read on. . .

There are oodles of picture books out there. Some are waiting in slush piles, while others are contenders, already going through the approval process. Then, there are all those bookstores, large and small, that have shelves loaded with picture books. Every conceivable theme and plot line has already been written - thousands of times. So, how can you hit the jackpot with your PB?

The First Thing to Consider:

Don't worry about finding a new kind of story - it's not going to happen mates! What you need is a neat out-of-the-box scenario: a fresh new way to write a fun story about bunnies, horses, moonbeams or new babies - whatever. Nothing is set in stone. Jot down your ideas, and then turn them sideways, upside-down or inside-out. All things being equal, quirky and fresh gets the brass ring.

Think of the picture books you loved as a kid, or now love to read to your kids. Take one of these stories and think about what made it appeal to you or your child. Then reinvent it. This is not plagiarism. It is dissecting a PB: plot, characters and setting, until you know the secret of its success. Use that knowledge to craft a new story, completely your own. Exploit the principles of success you discovered while doing the dissecting.

The Writing:

Tight writing for picture books is the golden rule. Use powerful and active verbs,

Great verbs are a PB writer's best friend. Search for adjectives that surprise and delight your reader. Be specific when referring to people, places, and events. Simplicity is a splendid goal. Beware like, nice, very, walked, sat, ran, and their ilk. You can find better, stronger, and more innovative words. Seemed, I think, perhaps and some - all four have weakness in common. Write with words that signify strength, action and power. Think of your text as a garden with rampant growth. Prune those sentences until your word count is way below 1,000 words.

The writer that prunes ruthlessly is the one who becomes published.

Your First Paragraph or Verse:

Editors are buried under piles of manuscripts waiting to be read, work related in-office conferences, and time spent conferring with the art director, and dictating rejection letters - to name just a few chores that crowd their days. If your first few lines don't make an editor say, "Wow!" you can forget advances and royalty payments. Those first few lines need to make an editor eager to read more. Your goal is to have her think, "Hey, this is something new and different."

So, set up those first lines as if your publishing life depended on them - because it does. Make them fun: full of action or quirky ideas. Introduce the main character in a way that makes a lasting impression. Describe a wild and way-out setting. Craft those lines using ideas with a twist, and characters that kids demand to read about, over-and-over. Of course this will cause you big problems with the rest of your story. Why? Because you have already set an incredibly high writing standard, and you must maintain that standard until THE END.

The Right Publisher:

You must find a publisher who publishes books similar to yours. More rejections are sent because the author chose the wrong publisher, than because the writing was lousy. If you write picture books about animals, it is a waste of time sending your manuscript to religious, non-fiction, or mid-grade only publishers. In addition, you need to fine-tune your search even further. IE: Some publishers will accept animal stories, but not stories about talking animals. It is a simple matter of doing your homework.

Finding a publisher that has an editor who needs a book like yours, loves your writing style, and is in sync with your ideas for your book can be a crap shoot. Because, unless you are already know to the editor (translation: published by them and made them lots of money), or have editorial or publishing connections via different sources, you are left to wade through miles of publishing websites, looking at the books they have recently published, plus their submission guidelines.

The CWIM (Children's Writers and Illustrator's Market) is a wonderful source of legitimate publishing houses, website addresses, and clues about what publishers want from you. Book stores and libraries are other places you can find stories along the lines of yours. Make notes about who published them.

Harold Underdown's Purple Crayon has many useful pages. Here are THREE articles that will help you search for a publisher. Harold's website has far too many great articles to mention all the useful ones- check it out Here.

• Who's Moving Where

• Magazines, Organizations & Websites

• Basic Information: Several articles on how to be published.

Then there is:

• Secrets of Writing for Children : Lots of help and guidance.

• Amazon Book/Publisher Search: For more focused searches on individual authors, publishers, or subjects, the best bet is Amazon's dedicated search page.

• Writer's Market: They update information regularly, including editors to contact. They have a program where you can track submissions, but it costs to join. Writer's Market also has a free update site. You don't have to subscribe to the magazine to get the updates.

• Verla Kay's WebSite: A mult-published author. A wonderful resource site. Click Artists & Writers and then Transcripts. Look for back transcripts of chat with editors.

In Conclusion:

The principles of making sure your manuscript is ready for a publisher/editor is the same for all books: tight writing, great choice of words, strong story and memorable characters. For picture books, you need only a few words, and then weave them into a marvelous story. Your book must keep the interest of small children with the attention span of a puppy. How can an undertaking that looks so simple end up being one of the most difficult tasks a writer can tackle?

Don't ask me. I'm hooked!



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Margot Finke is an Aussie transplant now living in Oregon. She has 10 published picture books, and also writes young YA fiction. Her Manuscript Critique Service promises to help you write “As tight as your granny’s new girdle,” and her personal guidance will show you how to WOW an editor.

BOOKS and Manuscript Critiques: http://www.margotfinke.com/

HOOK KIDS on READING: http://hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com/  

Margot’s Magic Carpet: http://perfectmagiccarpet.blogspot.com/

While browsing the Internet today, I came across a post about PiBoIdMo. Did you know about Picture Book Idea Month? I didn't.

What PiBoIdMo is all about is sparking ideas. Participants come up with one picture book idea for each day of November. At the end, you have 30 potential ideas to turn into picture books. There are some awesome prizes too!

You must sign up by Novermber 7th in order to be eligible. Visit http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2010/10/30/piboidmo-2010-kick-off/ for additional details and a list of prizes.

Good luck to all who participate!

Joining us today is one of Guardian Angel Publishing's newest authors, Donna McDine. Donna is going to tell us about her writing and her upcoming book with GAP.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.

DMc: I embarked on my writing career with my completion of the Institute of Children’s Literature Writing for Children and Teenagers Magazine Course in 2007. It has been a rollercoaster ride to say the least. Filtered between the many rejection letters I have had success publishing over 25 short stories and articles in both print and online publications. Thank goodness, for without those successes I would have thrown in the towel. I’m also proud to say I have been bestowed the honor of Honorable Mention in the 77th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and twice in the 78th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. The first resulting in my award-winning historical fiction manuscript The Golden Pathway, being accepted by Guardian Angel Publishing as a story book.

Q: Have you always been a writer?

DMc: No, I haven’t always been a writer. However, I have always dreamed of being one. When I was an adolescent a popular television show, Lou Grant, starring Ed Asner was my initial inspiration. One of the main characters, Joe Rossi, portrayed by Robert Walden always held my attention. I think at first I was drawn to him because we shared the same last name, but then I became intrigued by his determination of “scooping” the latest story. For some reason or another I didn’t follow my dream and went into office administration, then as a web designer, and finally a children’s author. However, I do supplement my income as a virtual assistant.

Q: Tell us about your upcoming book.

DMc: The Golden Pathway is with the illustrator now and I’m crossing my fingers for an early-Summer release. In the meantime, I’d like to share with your readers the synopsis:

Raised in a hostile environment where abuse occurs daily, David attempts to break the mold and befriends the slave, Jenkins, owned by his Pa. Fighting against extraordinary times and beliefs, David leads Jenkins to freedom with no regard for his own safety and possible consequences dealt out by his Pa.


Q: How was the publishing process for you?

The story of David started out as writing assignment with the Children’s Writers Coaching Club (CWCC) and after several revisions I submitted it to the 77th Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and it placed 12th with over 1,400 entries in the Children/Young Adult category. I’ve been told if you don’t place 1st it doesn’t really count. But I don’t feel that way. To me this accomplishment is a major feather in my cap.

Then after meeting Lynda Burch of Guardian Angel Publishing at the Muse Online Writer’s Conference I took the plunge (so to speak) and submitted my manuscript for consideration. Lynda responded back with suggestions for edits and instead of taking the chance and doing it on my own I hired professional editor, Lea Schizas. Together we went through several revisions and without the constraint of the word count from the contest the manuscript became more dynamic, resulting in an acceptance from Lynda. The book cover is complete with the expert illustration by K.C. Snider and the story illustrations will be completed in the coming months. I can hardly wait!

Q: What other things do you like to do?

DMc: I enjoy reading of course. As a writer you must read in the genre you write in. I cherish the moments of spending time with my husband and two daughters, extended family, and friends. So it’s not uncommon to have people at my home almost every weekend. I also enjoy walking (especially along the Hudson River), swimming, and playing basketball. I don’t play as much basketball anymore since my 12-year-old can wipe me up off the court with her abilities.

Q: Any advice for struggling authors?

DMc: Hmmm. Don’t get discouraged. I know, I know…not so easy. Rejection is all part of the game. Makes the acceptances all that much sweeter.

Practice, practice, practice. Write every day, even it’s for only 15 minutes a day. Do you think the best musicians and athletes got where they are today with not practicing. It’s a craft, it's hard work and oh so worth it when you receive the wonderful ACCEPTANCE!

Don’t edit as you write. There’s time for editing after you have written your first draft.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

DMc: Network, network, network! Even if you don’t have any publishing credits to your name, you’ll be surprised how quickly that can change once you get involved with a critique group and writers discussions. Online groups are available in every genre and check out your local library and find out if there are any local groups. I’m involved with a combination of online and in-person and both continue to be beneficial for my writing career.

You can find Donna online at:

Donna’s Website: www.donnamcdine.com
Write What Inspires You Blog: www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com
The Golden Pathway Story book Blog: www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com

Don't forget to keep your eye out for The Golden Pathway by Donna McDine, coming from Guardian Angel Publishing in Summer 2010!


Note: This interview was performed by Sandie Lee

Mary Jean is here to tell us a bit about herself and her wonderful writing.

Tell us about your books?
So far, GAP has published 7 of my children's books. They have quite a few more in the pipeline waiting for illustrations and finishing touches.

I write about a variety of things as well as write YA and adult novels.

Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. released my books under their "Academic Wings Division." That is exciting for me because I am not only able to give the kids a good story to read but to contribute to their education with back of the book material that teaches something about the subject. It is my hope that teachers and homeschoolers make use of the information.

The GAP books recently released are RV Mouse and Andy and Spirit Meet the Rodeo Queen (which releases this month). Besides those, the first was The Christmas Angel. That followed with Andy and the Albino Horse -- one which GAP signed me up for a series when they accepted the first Andy book. The second Andy book, Andy and Spirit Go to the Fair came out as well as Andy and Spirit in the Big Rescue. One Family's Christmas released as the sequel to The Christmas Angel. The Tween book, The Adventures of Andy and Spirit (Book One) releases this year. As we have four Andy stories out, they will be included in Tween format for the older readers.

How has it been working with a publisher?
GAP is wonderful to work with. They have been publishing my books since 2007. I hope we can work together for the rest of my life. The publisher works very hard to make sure everything comes together in the production process to produce high quality reading material for young people.

Where do you get your ideas from?
Ideas are everywhere. I write about everything from a handicapped boy in today's world that is involved in hippotherapy to a little girl who makes a friend along the Oregon Trail in the 1850s. Other subjects include a mouse that gets into a motorhome and a chick that has to learn to find its own food as well as a little boy that is afraid of Santa Claus. And on and on.

How long does it take from idea to actual print?
If the story comes full blown to me, as sometimes happens, it can be written very quickly. If it needs more development, it can take a few months or even a year to complete. I expect it to take approximately a year from the time it is accepted to see final production due to working it into the production schedule and the illustrator's schedule. Since there are quite a few on file, I don't worry about when they will bepublished. I just keep writing and doing the grunt work of promotion.

Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes. I can't remember a time I didn't write. I also remember designing clothes for paper dolls (long before Barbie came along). I sometimes find myself "designing" the clothes my characters are wearing with words. So, what made me stick with writing and not continue to draw and sew clothes is anybody's guess.
Any advice for people just starting out?
Stick with it! There are a lot of people out there that wanted to be authors but gave up. It can take years and years but those who hang in there will, eventually, become published.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Guardian Angel has a great thing going not only for adult authors, but for young people who strive to see their writing or illustrating in print as well. Lynda Burch is an inspiration to us all. Through her vision at GAP she is bringing a tremendous amount of great reading material to people everywhere.
K.C. Snider has illustrated all of my books so far. It is always fun to see what she will paint to go along with the text.

Thanks :0

Check out Mary Jean's web sites at;http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com
http://www.authorsden.com/maryjeankelsoandyandthealbinohorse.blogspot.com
http://childrensbookwinp.ning.com/profile­/MaryJeanKelso
http://www.blazingtrailers.com/browse.php?txt=kelso
http://www.madeinnv.com/

May 27, 2009 - In an effort to promote their books, six children’s authors published by Guardian Angel Publishing team together to tour the blogosphere in a two-week long virtual book tour.

Bounding for Books Blog Tour will last from June 1st until June 15th. Blog stops will include reviews, interviews, spotlights and inspirational articles. People who leave comments will be eligible for prizes.

Participating authors include:

Mayra Calvani, author of Crash!, http://www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Gladen, author of A Star in the Night, http://www.jgladen.blogspot.com/

Donna Shepherd, author of Dotty’s Topsy Tale, http://www.topsyturvyland.com/

Kim Chatel, author of A Talent for Quiet, http://www.kimchatel.com/H1A_Daily_News/H1A_Daily_News.html

Margot Finke, author of Rattlesnake Jam, http://margotfinke.blogspot.com

Shari Lyle-Soffe, author of Nothing Stops Noah, http://sharilyle-soffe.com


Also joining the tour is Joy Delgado, publisher and illustrator of Zooprise Party/Fiesta Zoorpresa, http://goingbeyondreading.blogspot.com

Each author will be hosting another author three times a week (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) for the duration of the two-week tour. For more information, visit http://www.kimchatel.com/N2A_Bounding_For_Books.html

Aggressive book promotion is a must these days for all authors, but especially for small press authors whose publishers don’t have the resources for expensive advertising. It’s wonderful to see authors team together like this in order to bring visibility to their books and their publisher.

For readers and book lovers alike, this is a wonderful opportunity to check out the latest print and electronic titles for your children’s summer reading.

For more information, contact Mayra Calvani at mayra.calvani(at)gmail.com
Visit the publisher’s website at www.GuardianAngelPublishing.com

Guardian Angel Publishing licenses book to iKids Play™ providing reading alternative to gaming.

PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 24, 2009 – “We are excited about our newest venture,” said GAP President and Publisher Lynda Burch. “Licensing our picture books with iKids Play™ will allow for worldwide English distribution by Apple iTunes Applications of our books on the newest technology to hit the market. As many of you know, APPLE has downloaded a billion applications in the first nine months of the iPhone market.”

The users can order print book copies directly from their phones. Children can interact with the stories and artwork and entertain themselves while waiting with parents in countless situations. These applications provide an alternative to gaming by introducing educational opportunities for children with books on the go for busy lifestyles.

“Keeping up with the rapidly changing book marketplace has been a rewarding experience and we look forward to many more GAP books for iPhones and iPods,” Burch continued.
Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. launched in late 2004 featuring a unique series of musical eBook download books—Angelic Harmony. Their books expanded from picture books to storybooks, fiction and nonfiction, and chapter books for older beginning readers.

Guardian Angel publishes exceptional and educational books for children 0-12 years of age. They expanded with Academic Wings— with a wealth of teaching aids for teachers, Angel to Angel where kids write and illustrate for kids, Littlest Angels, Guardian Angel Animals and Pets, Guardian Angel Chapbooks for Tweens and Wings of Faith—faith-based stories, which are available as eBook downloads, CDs, print paperback, and video books for TV or mobiles.
More information on Guardian Angel Publishing can be found at www.guardianangelpublishing.com