Character Wednesday7

I realized today that the characters that we have left in the book are few. So, there were slim pickings today. But, I did find someone quite interesting whom gets looked over quite often. Tommy's mother - Gloria Hanson!



Gloria Ann Hanson (or previously Trent) was born in Perrysburg, Ohio. She was the youngest in the family, she had three older siblings Gayle Trent, George Trent, and Marcus Trent. Her parents (Michael Trent and Elenor Trent) owned a farm. During her teen years Gloria worked on her parents farm and then proceeded to graduate high school. After graduating high school, when she was 18, she left for hawaii for a vacation before she started college. There she met Brandon Hanson who also was vacationing. 5 years later they got married and moved out to Monroe, Utah. Where they lived for the next 16 years growing their family.

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And that's basically it. I'll see you next week people!



~Helping hands help happiness come your way.~

Character Wednesday6

I can't believe I just got don't with this weeks Character Wednesday and it got deleted... well... here we go again. This week we will be taking a look at Dianne Sawyers. Dianne is Celia's friend, whom is mentioned and not really in the book, so to speak. But, either way she has an interesting story, so sit back and let me tell it to you.

Dianne Leili Sawyers was born in Immokalee, Florida. Due to her young parents, Dianne was adopted at birth. She basically had a normal childhood, she had a few friends and was spoiled rotten by her adoptive parents (Lawerence and Sofia Sawyers). When Dianne was 5 years old her father died in a car accident. Her mother, unable to care for her any longer, sent her away to an orphanage. By the age of 7 she was adopted, again, and as a result she moved to Monroe, Utah with her new family. At the age of 9 her parents (Gary and Annette Barrowson) pulled her out of public school so that she could be homeschooled. At the age of 15 she went to college.

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And so far that is all that is known. It's short and sweet, but the few words say quite a bit. Thank you so much for reading, hopefully you come back next week as we take a look at Lily Hanson.

~Dedicate yourself to doing something, and when you finish it, it will be worth more than winning the lottery.~

Character Wednesday5

Today, we'll be taking a look at Celia's mother, Sarah Lynn Lauric/Meyers. It's a short and sweet story since nothing too significant happened in her life. She was your basic good girl who did no wrong.

Sarah was born in Richwood, West Virginia and grew up in a stern and strict household; her father (Fredrick Lauric) an ex-marine mostly was the one to create the strict-ness. Sarah's mother was a typical caring house wife. At the age of 8 Sarah had two new siblings, twins, Leonard and Rebecca. When she turned 19 she left home and attended a public college and studied to become a doctor. Within the next 7 years Sarah moved out to Monroe, Utah lived in a nice apartment building and worked at a local hospital. When she turned 29 the hospital caught fire and burned down, leaving Sarah without a job, that was when Sarah met Thomas, who invited her to work at his growing loan company. During the next few years, Sarah married Thomas, gave birth to her first child Cecelia Marie, and moved to a nice house and neighborhood with her new husband and child.

At the age of 37 Sarah discovered her husband was having an affair with her nanny, she thought it best to stay quiet about it for Celia's sake, and never let him know that she knew.

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Everyone, please quit gasping, I realize it was completely unexpected, and it wasn't even revealed in the book, but this is definitely the fact that I always believed to be true, and how it was. I thought it was very realistic and dramatic.

But anyways, I'll see you next week!


~I apologize, it IS possible to live without Google, it just makes me feel so sorry for those other hardworking people (who don't use Google).~

Character Wednesday4

Well, after a very long, two weeks without Character Wednesday, it's back again! And today I have a real treat for you. Drum roll please... We are going to be taking a look at Tommy Hanson today! Tommy was a very hard character to write about, there is so much about him that I wanted to write, but couldn't find the space. I mean, he could have very well been the main character in the book. But, anyways, let's move right along now -

Thomas Witton Hanson was born in Molen, Utah. His family was never so rich, his father (Jacob Lawerence Hanson) worked as a plumber, and his mother (Virgina Delia Standfored) waitress at a local restaurant just to keep up with the bills. Tommy had an older sibling, Marc Brian Hanson, he was 12 years old when Tommy was born. When Tommy turned 2 Lily Ann Hanson was born. At the age of 5 Tommy attended a public preschool, Marc drove Tommy to school most of the time on his way to work. Christopher David Hanson, Tommy's new little brother was born.

At the age of 6, Tommy's father managed to get a good job as a Neclear Physist, and as a result they moved to Monroe, Utah. Tommy's mother quit her waitressing job and they sent Tommy to an all boys school. When Tommy turned 7 another sibling was added to the shuffle: Sofia Lee Hanson. By this time Tommy was nearly a pro at caring for his silbings. Most of the time Marc was gone at college, so Tommy was dubbed THE "big brother" and head honcho of the young siblings, he broke up the fights, just as he as seen his mother do, and helped his mother in anyway he could. That year he also became friends with Celia Meyers and they found the tree house in the woods.

Things were on a steady path from there, and continued in routine, Tommy went to school, helped with his siblings, etc. But when Tommy turned 16 his parents began fighting much more than they ever had. By the age of 17 Tommy's parents planned to seperate. Tommy went off to college and that is that.

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That is what has happened so far. See you next Wednesday!

~Life is like a breeze, some blow harder than others, but all of them eventually fade out.~

Babysitting SugarPaw

Today we will take an in-depth look at “Babysitting SugerPaw” an awesome bedtime story, and an all around good story. This book is something creative, and the entire book is fresh and new (and no I’m not saying that it didn’t come from a trash can fresh-and-new, I’m talking about the idea, the fresh-and-new-idea, so you mind that). But, anyways, here’s what it’s all about.

About the Book:
A little bear named SugarPaw hopes to get rid of his babysitter, Bonnie Whiskes, by getting her into trouble after making changes to his rules chart. As the story unfolds, SugarPaw learns about honesty and friendship, in this fun loving story. Babysitting SugarPaw, with its child-centered plot on getting to know others, is the perfect book for little ones scared of being left alone with a babysitter for the first time. This book will delight three-to-eight-year-old readers, especially those who like to create mischief.

More Information About the Book:
Come learn more about VS Grenier and her picture book “Babysitting SugarPaw” at http://vsgrenier.com/BabysittingSugarPaw
Babysitting SugarPaw release date July 2009! Presales begin June 1, 2009 at Halo Publishing, Amazon.com, Stories for Children Magazine, and at http://vsgrenier.com
Babysitting SugarPaw: $13.95
ISBN: 978-1-9352-6806-2

Reviews of “Babysitting SugarPaw”:
REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine
Have you ever babysat a child, and if so do you remember the very first time? Bonnie Whiskers has never babysat SugarPaw for the Bear family before. While standing ready to knock on the door, she hears SugarPaw cry out, "Don't Go," and it makes her worry. SugarPaw does not want a babysitter and is very unhappy. When Bonnie goes into the kitchen to see Mother Bear, she notices a rule chart for SugarPaw on the wall and thinks that maybe it won't be too hard. But when Mama Bear and Bonnie leave the kitchen, SugarPaw sneaks into the kitchen and changes some of the rules. What is going to happen? Will SugarPaws and Bonnie hit it off or not?

Anyone who has ever done babysitting will be able to empathize with Bonnie and her plight. For that matter, so will anyone who has ever been babysat! Author VS Grenier has created a tender, heartwarming story that children will enjoy having read to them and that parents will enjoy reading to them. Babysitting SugarPaw should bring back a lot of fond, and perhaps a few not-so-fond, memories for both former babysitters and former children who were babysat. After all, what would we parents do without babysitters?
Reviewed by: Donna Shepherd, Author of Chizzy's Topsy Tale - http://tinyurl.com/5m8oxs

In Babysitting Sugarpaw by VS Grenier, children will love to read about the mischievous antics of Sugarpaw who doesn't want to be babysat. Will Bonnie, a first-time babysitter, be able to keep Sugarpaw out of mischief until his parents return? Bonnie Whiskers finds she is up to the task, teaching Sugarpaw about patience along the way. Sweet illustrations by Kevin Scott Collier perfectly capture Bonnie's babysitting challenges.

These are some great reviews, enough to make anyone want to read the book. Write on VS!

A Bit About Babysitting SugarPaw

Sorry about the lateness of the post people, I got up bright and early today to post the interview with VS Grenier and I couldn't sign into my blogger account for some reason, but I finally got it and all is well now. So! On to the post!



Today I will be featuring a very talented author from Utah on my blog: VS Grenier. She is the author of “Babysitting Sugarpaw” a wonderful children’s book. VS Grenier is a clever author, and definitely one whom I am especially happy to be featuring on my blog.


About the Author: VS Grenier is an Award-winning author and Editor-in-Chief of Stories for Children Magazine (http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org/). She learned how to hone her writing skills at the Institute of Children’s Literature, and her works include: the Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1 anthology and over 30 short stories, articles, and crafts for children along with newsletter articles for writers. A California girl at heart, she currently lives in Utah with her husband, their two children, and the family’s big fat cat Speed Bump and miniature schnauzer Taz.

VS Grenier, Q&A on children’s picture book, Babysitting Sugarpaw

Heather: Congratulations on your exciting publishing announcement of your first children’s book, “Babysitting Sugarpaw,” for July 2009. “Babysitting Sugarpaw,” started out as a short story and won 15th place for Fiction in the P&E Readers Poll. What would you say was the main thing that made you want to continue further by submitting your work to a publisher?

VS: After I wrote SugarPaw and the Babysitter, I could see the various illustrations of this little bear creating mayhem for his babysitter. Therefore, I set to work on the picture book version of this story entitled Babysitting SugarPaw. I knew this could be a really, fun story for babysitters to read when tucking in all those little pranksters to bed at night while mommy and daddy are out.

Heather: *chuckle* I could definitely see reading this as a bedtime story to my younger siblings when I babysit them. I know that in some cases you have to write more for your picture book submissions, did this occur with you? If yes, what was it that you added? If not, did you always envision this particular story as a picture book?

VS: I actually ended up cutting the story up, with a lot of red ink and sleepless nights, down to the bare bones. In other words, into a picture book outline. Writing a picture book is very different from writing a short story, so it took some reworking. After seeing the guts of the story on page, I knew Babysitting SugarPaw was ready to be written as a picture book.

I had always hoped to take SugarPaw and the Babysitter and turn it into a picture book. After all, a picture inspired the story to begin with.

Heather: Wow, I’m sure a lot of us can relate with that red ink and sleepless nights. Have you every babysat anyone before? If yes, were any of your experiences in the story?

VS: I only babysat once for a family outside my own family that is. Man was that a total mistake for both parties. I was never cut out for babysitting being an only child until the age of fifteen. LOL. Of course, I wouldn’t say I was much better once my sister was around either. It takes a certain type of girl to be a babysitter and I wasn’t it. I was more a tomboy growing up.

However, Babysitting SugarPaw does reflect a lot about how I was when babysat by others. Now that I’m a mom, I can relate to Bonnie Whiskers, too.

Heather: When you researched publishers, did you look for at least three possibilities or was your main focus on a single publishing house?

VS: Actually, I’m a Freelance Editor for Halo Publishing, so no; I didn’t look into other publishers for Babysitting SugarPaw. However, writers should have a list of at least three publishers in mind for any book they are getting ready to submit.

But don’t think I didn’t have to go through the same process as any other writer submitting to Halo Publishing. My submission had to be reviewed by many editors before I got my acceptance. After that, it had to go through the editing process and believe it of not, the editor cut more out of my story and tightened up a bit more. The only difference for me was I knew most of the illustrators personally and was able to work closer with the illustrator, too.

Heather: Those are great accomplishments in themselves, VS, I just read an article about book covers and illustrations that were sorely messed up, so it’s good to know that you had a say in what happened to your book. From your experience, what has been the greatest obstacle you needed to overcome to achieve publication?

VS: Sitting down and finishing my book. No, really! I’m so busy with running Stories for Children Publishing and its many divisions: Stories for Children Magazine, SFC Newsletter for Writers, and SFC Blog Families Matter, that finding time to sit down . . . write . . . research publishers . . . and so on, just isn’t on my mind. But I’m glad I took the time to get Babysitting SugarPaw in the shape it needed to become a published book; now to make the time for my other manuscripts.

Heather: Time does seem to be a large obstacle for a lot of authors, but you sure did have a lot on your plate! Just about every author I know has something else in the works, what do you currently have cooking?

VS: Oh, there are so many. Well besides Stories for Children Magazine, which is always a work-in-process, I have four other picture book manuscripts I’ve been working on for about a year now. I also have the first four chapters of a fantasy YA novel and an outline of another book that is more of a mystery/crime novel for teens based on true events from my high school years.

Lastly, I am currently in the process of putting together the second Best of Stories for Children anthology.

Heather: That’s really great; I can’t wait to see what’s next for you, that mystery/crime novel especially sounds interesting!

VS Grenier is definitely someone to praise for her impressive accomplishments. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her future works yet to come. Be sure to head back over here on the 3rd of this month for a more in-depth looking at “Babysitting Sugarpaw”, which will feature reviews, where to purchase and more.


~Something is happening everywhere, it's your choice what you want to witness.~ H.C.Paye