A Few Formatting Basics

Hola readers!

I just finished my school work (for the most part) for this week and now am able to do my work while I listen to Christina Grimmie’s new album (links for her work is at the end of this post).

Before I get to my work, I decided to drop in and give you all a short lesson in book formatting, which doesn’t just apply to book formatters but writers as well.

So, when you’re writing a fictional story, here’s some simple things to remember:

1. Don’t use Bold! I mean, ever. Don’t. Use. It. When you want to convey something with power, we don’t use bold. It’s annoying. We use exclamation points and italics. No bold.
2. Don’t use ALL CAPS! Don’t do it. I have seen this used – rarely – in some books – but only single words, NEVER FULL SENTENCES or PHRASES. ONE word only, if you MUST.
3. When indenting your paragraphs, don’t use tabs and don’t use the space bar! You will enrage your formatter. If you don’t know how to set the indent spacing on your word processor (i.e. Microsoft Word, Word Perfect), then don’t use indents at all. Just double space your paragraphs. It’s so much easier than having to go through and remove all of the tabs (by hand!) or spaces. So either learn how to indent your paragraphs (if you don’t know how and you want to learn, you can message/email/contact me and I’ll give you a hand) or just don’t indent.

What I just did above… don’t do it. That’s why I did it. I’m hoping you’re the learn-from-others’-mistakes type of person.
The difference between formatting fiction and nonfiction is that the rules that I mentioned above, don’t necessarily apply to nonfiction:

1. You can use bold. You should use it sparingly still. I mean, if you can’t convey your message powerfully without the help of bold, italics, or underlining and all that, then you should be rewriting that message, not covering it up. Can you use bold in nonfiction? Yes.
2. You can underline words. Again, use it sparingly. Only when you really need it. I once formatted a nonfiction book where each numbered paragraph started like this one. With the underlines. It was scary and I couldn’t actually focus on what I was reading.
3. The ALL CAPS rule for nonfiction is the same for nonfiction. It isn’t exactly a good idea, but you can let one slide rarely. By rarely I mean, once per 500 page novel.
4. If you are using Bold, Italics, AND Underline in one article or chapter – you seriously need to reconsider. Take out everything you can. Replace it with the classic exclamation point when you want to make – well – a point.

Right now, I’m reading a great nonfiction book for my theatre class: Theatre Arts: Fundamental Theory & Practice by Frank Pickard. There are some severe formatting issues with it… I mean some things that really bugged me. But one thing that is extremely right in the book is the *lack* of bold italic and underline usage. It has more of a continuous read feel to it.
There’s some bold and plenty of italics, but everything that I’ve just discussed in this blog post is very right in that book. So, take a peek at that if you want an example of how to do it right.

(Who the heck is Christina Grimmie? Latest YouTube singing sensation, her new album was released last June.)

If all the world were to form one human, he would be perfect, because there is at least one thing that each person does perfectly.

Meet Morgan Faere

Meet Morgan Faere, she is a wonderful diamond-in-the-rough I found. She is an inspiring young fiction writer with big dreams for the future. Lucky enough, she agreed to do an interview with me. So go read the results below and get to know more about this brilliant author I found!



Heather: How long have you been writing?

Morgan: My whole life.
Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Morgan: Dreams.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Morgan: Usually it's the urge. My muse is tempermental though. So sometimes I make sure I make myself write. After a little bit the muse comes back to me purring.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Morgan: Oh....that's hard to say. I don't know. Really. I love Tamora Pierce, Scott Westerfield, Robin Cook, James Rollins, Dick Francis, and many others. Those are my top 5 I'd say.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Morgan: Yes. I write. Or listen to music, like always

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Morgan: Follow your passion. If you're passionate about writing, go for it. But don't try to write like someone else. Use your own voice.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Morgan: I don't invent them. They're already there. They tell me their stories and I write those stories.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Morgan: I do. I have a list of questions from a good writing site which I use sometimes. My records are in my head or on scrap paper half the time though.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Morgan: Mhm. I do feel this way. I think it's good that their stories are being recorded.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Morgan: I have quite a few things in the works. I have two or three books and I'm thinking of doing a collection of poems I've written. Nothing planned with publishers or anything but...yeahh.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Morgan: That's hard.....one neat thing I know is I can vibrate my eyes. Lol. I can also relax people to the point that they are basically drugged. Not really, but it has the same effects as a sedative.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Morgan: Writing is a joy in itself. Finding just the right words....

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Morgan: Mhm

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Morgan: Noise. I am not good for working in silence. I always have some music playing or I'm in a noisy room. Or I'm listening to nature.

Heather: What makes you put your characters in the settings that you do?

Morgan: Like I said, they're already there.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Morgan: Keyboard is faster, but I like my pencil.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Morgan: Trying to get published will probably be the hardest. I always have a hard time showing my work to people. I'm genuinly afraid they'll think it's horrid. Every time.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Morgan: Write? Lol.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Morgan: There was no "decision". It's always been there.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it’s experience that writes a book or imagination?

Morgan: A little of both. I put experiences in writing a lot. But I need imagination to see my characters and places.


Bonus Questions -

I like the colors of: darkness

The sky is most beautiful when it’s: sunset

My favorite feature of a computer is: dunno

I think inventors should invent a/an: thermasuit

Thing I love most in the world is: Boyfriend

Thing I hate most in the world is: Step-mother

My favorite type of electronic device is: MP3

My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: Castles

My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: Cell

The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: Mirrors


To read some of Morgan's work and to find out more about her, head over to her blog - http://storytimeneverends.wordpress.com/

Meet Kevin McNamee!

     Meet Kevin McNamee a writer and poet living in Yonkers, NY. He primarily writes for the children’s market. His work has appeared in Beyond Centauri and he has several children’s picture books being published by Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. His first book, “If I Could Be Anything” is available at www.amazon.com, or ask your local bookstore. Look for other titles by Kevin including The Sister Exchange, The Soggy Town of Hilltop, Lightning Strikes, Papa’s Suns, and more.
     When Kevin isn’t writing, he spends his time playing hide and seek, at the insistence of his five year old daughter, and at his day job, at the insistence of his wife. When time permits, Kevin also enjoys fossil hunting, home-brewing beer, and gardening. He is currently engaged in an epic battle against roving gangs of crazed squirrels who are digging up everything in sight. Kevin notes that the squirrels are winning.

     Now, onto the interview!

     Heather: What three words do you think describe you as a human being?
     Kevin: Inquisitive, open minded.

     Heather: How do you think others would describe you?

     Kevin: That depends on who you ask ;-)
     Heather: Please tell us what you are most passionate about outside of writing.
     Kevin: Outside of writing, I would say that I’m the most passionate about my family.

     Heather: Do you have any pets? If so, introduce us to them.

     Kevin: I don’t have any pets now, but over the years I’ve had … cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters, gerbils, mice, parakeets, cockatiels, and a waterbug named Boris that I shared a motel room with once. I refused to squash Boris because the motel was so run down that I figured he was paying rent. Plus, Boris was about the size of a large dog and I thought that hitting him with anything would just make him angry.

     Heather: What is your most precious memory?

     Kevin: Recently, I came home from work and I was completely exhausted. My five year old daughter wanted me to play our usual games, tag, hide and seek, and some other game of her own creation which involves me chasing her while she’s wearing a plastic firefighter’s helmet and carrying a beach ball. But I was tired and really wanted no part of it. But my daughter was insistent and I found myself losing patience and I yelled at her. She climbed up on the couch, threw her arms around me and said, “I love you Daddy. Now you can be so happy.” I melted.
     Heather: What is your most embarrassing memory?

     Kevin: My most precious memory and my most embarrassing memory are the same, when I think of how selfish I was being.

     Heather: If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing with your life?

     Kevin: Right now, I still have a day job. Unfortunately, writing hasn’t been my means to self-sufficiency yet. I’m still trying to find that balance between work/family/writing/everything else. It’s a challenging juggling act, but so far, I’ve been able to keep all the balls in the air.

     Heather: Can you describe the time you realized you were indeed a “real” writer?

     Kevin: Somewhere along the way, I stopped doubting my ability. A rejection of my manuscript ceased to be a rejection of myself. A rejection letter became an opportunity to send my manuscript somewhere else. Comments and criticism became opportunities to strengthen my story, revise something unworkable, or something to ignore altogether if it didn’t fit with my vision of the story. I was able to refer to myself as a writer without feeling self conscious and … oh yeah, someone was willing to pay me for what I wrote.

     Heather: What is going on with your writing these days?

     Kevin: Right now, I have several stories in various stages of completion, one story that has been finalized and critiqued and needs a final revision, and a few that are finished and have been sent out to various publishers.

     Heather: What are your future goals for your writing?

     Kevin: I’ve been focusing primarily on picture books and I would like to branch out to middle readers and Young Adult novels. I have two middle readers in various stages of completion.
     Heather: Can you describe a typical writing day for you?

     Kevin: There’s no such thing as a typical writing day for me. I try to do something writing related every day. But what I’m doing may vary. Sometimes I’m writing new material, sometimes I’m revising, sometimes I’m critiquing, sometimes I’m researching, sometimes I’m promoting. Due to the demands on my time, I’ve needed to adopt the philosophy of doing what I can, when I can.

     Heather: Why do you write?

     Kevin: I first started writing in the second grade. I wrote a poem that was displayed outside the classroom and I liked seeing my poem and my name in public like that. I found that I took to writing naturally. Growing up, I was a constant daydreamer and would construct stories in my head all the time. Eventually, I started writing them down. Throughout my teenage years and throughout adulthood I always felt compelled to write. Although there were many, many times that I put creative writing on the back burner, I found that I was still writing at my day job; memos, procedures, proposals, requests, and I was receiving recognition for it. I realized that writing had been a constant in my life, but I wasn’t writing what I wanted to write. Now I make sure that I write what I want as well.

     Heather: What writer most inspires you? Why?
     Kevin: I would say that the writers that I meet both online and in person inspire me the most. They all share the same passion and dedication as I do. They understand the struggles and sacrifices involved in being a writer.

     Heather: How do you define your writing?

     Kevin: I discovered writing for children by accident. I was watching my nieces fight and it gave me an idea for a sibling rivalry story. I thought it would be fun to write, and it was. There was no looking back.
     Heather: In one sentence—what do you want people to say about your writing in fifty years?
     Kevin: “Mommy/Daddy, read that again!”

     Heather: Is there a place where readers can reach you?

     Kevin: Readers can always email me from my website, blog or from this LINK , I’d love to hear from you.

To find out more about Kevin, visit his website at http://www.kevinmcnamee.com/ or visit his blog at http://www.kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com/

Meet Tom Grace!

Meet Tom Grace the wonderful author of the bestselling novel Bird of Prey along with many other novels including his most recent release The Secret Cardinal. I got the chance of interviewing Tom, and during the process I was convinced that he was some type of super-human author, but when he said he liked to write in silence, I realized he was indeed human. Anyways, here are the results -

Heather: To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Tom: I was born and raised in Michigan, where I reside with my wife and five children. Professionally, I am an architect in private practice, and the focus of most of my work has been high technology research facilities. I have run in several marathons and enjoy scuba diving and the martial arts. As a child, my primary forms of entertainment were reading and drawings, and to have woven these interests into a profession is something that continues to amaze me.

Heather: How long have you been writing?

Tom: I've been writing for fun since I was a teenager. I wrote for and was an editor on my high school yearbook and newspaper. In college, I focussed on architecture but received a nudge from a professor who was so impressed with a paper I'd written in grad school that he said I could have a career in architectural writing if I wanted it. That planted the seed in my head that I could actually get paid to write.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Tom: Its second nature for an architect to think of a project as an activity that lasts months or years, so I'm very long-term goal oriented. When planing out the things I wanted to accomplish in life, I listed "Write a novel" just to see if I could hold a coherent thought in something longer than a term paper. The opportunity to take on this goal arose in the early 1990s when, over a year's worth of lunch hours, I wrote the first draft of debut thriller Spyder Web. In writing that 300,000 word slab of prose, I discovered that writing thrillers is very entertaining. At this point, I was still writing for my own amusement and few people knew about this hobby of mine. After a few major edits, one of which involved a sex change for a major character, I let my father and brothers read that version of the book. The response I received was: "I've paid money for books worse than this," which is high praise in my family. That's what got me thinking that perhaps I could get my book published. I sold Spyder Web in 1997 and have been writing professionally ever since.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Tom: I primarily write at night, and with my children's activities becoming more complicated, that pushes late into the night. I still noodle out ideas at lunch and whenever I can spare a few moments on the computer.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Tom: Mark Twain holds a special place in my library, if I have to pick one. There are many authors whose skill with the language I greatly admire.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Tom: I don't believe in writer's block. I never get it. My problem is turning it off.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Tom: I have one college level english course in my background. What I know about crafting a story, I learned from the masters. I heartily recommend that any aspiring writer read everything they can get their hands on. Some writers are great with dialog, others with setting or mood. In my own mind, I'd read enough thrillers that my brain reached critical mass and I believed I could actually write a novel. Had I know it would be so much fun, I would have started sooner.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Tom: When creating the plot, I begin to see what types of people I need to make the story work. I base my characters on experience--people I know or aspects of characters I've encountered in other books.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc., of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Tom: I do keep cheat sheets on my characters, just to keep the details straight in my head. It's embarrassing to have your copy editor remark that so-and-so was a blond in chapter 2 and a red-head in chapter 38.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Tom: The hero and heroine of my novels are based on my wife and me, so there is some level of reality at work here. Thriller writers often project something of themselves onto their protagonists, and I admit to a bit of Walter Mitty syndrome. My characters don't tell me things, but I know them well enough that I can tell when a bit of dialog or an action seems out of character for them.

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Tom: I'm working on a few ideas.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Tom: That when children are born, they look all gray and lifeless, but then they take those first breaths and their skin glows with life. I've seen this happen five times and it just amazes me.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Tom: Seeing how different the finished story is from the original concept. I love the happy accidents, those little nuances you discover along the way that make the story better than you imagined.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Tom: I wouldn't say inspired, but I do listed to music when I'm writing. Always instrumental, because I can't have words flying around when I'm writing. The soundtrack to Henry V was very motivating in writing The Secret Cardinal.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?

Tom: I prefer the quiet when I'm writing. I can have noise when I'm plotting or storyboarding, but I need the quiet for prose.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

Tom: The story determines where my characters end up. My last book, The Secret Cardinal deals with the real conflict between China and the Vatican, so my characters spend a lot of time in China and Rome.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Tom: Both. I sketch scenes and write notes longhand (legal pads and sketch books). My manuscripts are all on my computer.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Tom: Getting paid. Budgeting is very tricky if you don't know when a paycheck will. Or if a paycheck won't come. I've been fortunate to have sold foreign rights to all of my novels. It's not a lot of money, but neat to see my books in Bulgarian or Spanish. About 16 months after El Cardenal (the Spanish edition of The Secret Cardinal) was published I received an email from a reader looking for a Spanish language version of my book. I did a quick Google search to find a link for the guy and discovered the El Cardenal was on AP's best seller list for Venezuela and Uruguay. I did a little more digging and learned that my novel had been #1 in Venezuela for over 70 weeks and had been in Uruguay's top ten for 16 weeks. A few weeks ago, El Cardenal hit it's 100th week in Venezuela's top ten, and I have not received a dime in royalties. Venezuela is notorious for book piracy and it appears that my novel was bootlegged early on and even exported to other Latin American countries. On the plus side, thanks to AP's reports, I can officially say that I am an international #1 best selling author.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Tom: I write, research, and storyboard. It's an iterative process. My first draft is nothing but keystrokes with no editing or spell check. I try to get this fleshed out quickly to keep the pace of the story moving. It's in the second a third passes that I take the rough diamond and polish it into a gem.

Heather: What were the circumstances surrounding your decisions to become an author?

Tom: Opportunity met desire. I knew that I wanted to write a book someday when I had the time, and the time suddenly appeared.

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that its experience that writes a book or imagination?

Tom: Experience is nice, and imagination is absolutely critical. I don't write what I know, but what I can research, so I get some of my experience vicariously from people who've actually done what I'm writing about. I do try to see the locale I use in my books, and actually managed to reach the North Pole as part of a science team while doing research for my third novel (Twisted Web). Don't let a lack of experience deter you from a great story idea, just go out and talk to the people who do what you want to write about. Most people are thrilled to talk about what they do. I once communicated with the Russian flight controllers who deorbitted the Mir space station, which was very helpful is writing Bird of Prey. Research is experience.


I like the colors of: dawn.
The sky is most beautiful when it's: summer.
My favorite feature of a computer is: speed.
Thing I love most in the world is: lasagna.
Thing I hate most in the world is: asparagus.
My favorite type of electronic device is: massager
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: telescope.
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: internet.
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: eggshell.

If you would like to learn more about Tom Grace you can drop by his website - http://www.tomgrace.net

Meet Shirley Parenteau!

Meet Shirley Parenteau the great author of the new book Bears on Chairs, a wonderful childrens book. I had the opportunity of interviewing Shirley, and here's what came of it -

To start off, tell us a little bit about your background:

Heather: How Long Have You Been Writing?

Shirley: I feel I’ve been writing forever. My mother wrote feature stories for newspapers. I enjoyed reading her writer’s magazines and followed in her footsteps, first with magazine articles, then books. Currently, I’m writing picture books with a counting One Frog Sang sold to Candlewick Press in 2007 (reprinted in book club and audio versions by Scholastic in 2008) and a rhymed preschool-age picture book Bears on Chairs also with Candlewick Press published just this past August.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Shirley: That’s like asking what started me eating chocolate! There is a hunger for writing that I can’t resist. If I’m not writing, I feel that something is missing. I’m fascinated with the way putting words together can evoke scenes and hopefully, emotion.

My first published article was on traveling with a baby after driving across the country with my husband and then six-month-old son in a VW bug in the days before disposable diapers were common. I received an acceptance letter for the article on the same day as I received an acceptance for a very short story sent to a puzzle magazine…and I was hooked! Writing has been in my blood ever since.

I wrote a lot of articles for travel magazines while we tent-, trailer- and boat-camped with our three children. Then we bought seven acres and all the buildings of a nearly 100-year-old farm. The boat went into the barn—permanently as it turned out—and I began writing a humorous newspaper column about restoring the house and raising animals. While experimenting with and researching natural dyes, I found an article that inspired my first children’s book. I loved writing books which last a lot longer than newspaper or magazine articles and never looked back. Since then, I’ve written several children’s books and women’s novels.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Shirley: I try to write every day, but life and bookkeeping for our family sheet metal business take time away. Even when I’m not actually at the computer, stories are constantly working out in the back of my mind.

Heather: Who is your favorite author?

Shirley: There are so many! I love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and for years, I’ve been in love with Martha Grimes’ detective, Richard Jury. I also love Elizabeth Peters’ fearless Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody. There are too many others to list. Reading has always been my favorite pastime.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you get rid of it?

Shirley: I’ve never had the emotional inability to write—knock on wood. If a story refuses to move forward, it’s usually because somewhere pages back I let it head in the wrong direction. I need to go back and find that spot and redirect the story to get it moving again.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Shirley: Patience and a tough skin. One of the hardest things for me is to put a finished story aside for awhile. I always think it’s ready when I’ve finished the first draft and can’t wait to send it off. But after a cooling down period, I usually see parts that don’t quite work or that can be made better. With picture books, especially, every word must be right. I’d rather find a problem while it’s still in my computer than send a revision after agent or editor has spent time on the story.

The tough skin is needed because rejection and criticism are so much a part of writing. We have to get past taking it personally and realize it’s the story that is being criticized, not the writer.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Shirley: For me, characters evolve as the story develops. I envy and admire writers who fully develop each character before beginning their story. It’s the characters we remember, after all, even more than the plot.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Shirley: My life is full of notes: grocery lists, ideas, quotes…but I can’t make extensive character sheets. When I try, I lose interest in both character and story.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Shirley: They’re not real? Actually, it’s wonderful and surprising when a character comes to life and insists on behaving in a way I hadn’t consciously planned. Sometimes a line of dialogue will surprise me or make me laugh and I wonder, “Where did that come from?” Of course, when a character comes to life, it’s because the writer is really into that character, so much so that it takes on its own life. But you have to keep control of the story, whatever—they—may want to do. (smiling)

Heather: Do you have anything in the works?

Shirley: Always. Currently, my heart is with a young adult fantasy set in an imaginary Aladdin’s lamp setting. And I’m working on a new picture book.

Heather: What would you say is the neatest thing you know?

Shirley: What it’s like to soar in a hot air balloon over my own home and fields. I was lucky enough to win a ride in a balloon called Rainbow that lifted off from a nearby park. The same luck was working to send us over my home. I was amazed that I felt no sense of motion. The ground seemed to fall away, then slowly pass beneath us, as if the balloon stood still in the air.

Heather: What was your favorite part about writing your book?

Shirley: A favorite part in any book is when I know something is needed and seemingly out of the blue, an answer comes to mind—a gift from the muse. My original text for Bears on Chairs began with a bear on a chair. My editor suggested opening with just the chairs, like a stage set where something is about to happen. Since the book is rhymed with every line ending in a rhyme for bears, I was at a loss. Then a complete stanza dropped into my mind saying exactly what I needed to say.

Heather: Has music ever inspired your writing?

Shirley: Since music can be very emotional, I feel that it should, but have never experimented with listening to music while writing.

Heather: Do you like to write in complete silence or does it have to be noisy?
Quiet is nice but I’m used to writing while tuning out noise.

Heather: What made you put your characters in the setting that you did?

Shirley: For the young adult novel I’m writing, the plot idea decided the setting. I learned of a way of foreseeing the future I’d never heard of before and wanted to develop a character who uses it. In my mind, the idea called for an ancient desert setting in a time of wizards and magic. Bears on Chairs evolved from an incident in a bookstore where my then-three-year-old granddaughter was placing stuffed animals on child-size chairs. I wondered, what if there were more bears than chairs? The book sprang from that.

Heather: Keyboard or pen?

Shirley: I love the ease of composing and editing on a keyboard, but I print a hard copy for revising. Words on paper seem to give me a fresh view of the work.

Heather: What do you think is the hardest part about being an author?

Shirley: Rejection of a project I’ve put my heart into. One Frog Sang was rejected by several publishers, all with very nice letters saying they liked the book but already had counting books on their lists. When the book found a home with Candlewick Press, I was delighted. Cynthia Jabar, the artist Candlewick selected, placed my text into gorgeous paintings. For my new primary age book, Bears on Chairs, Candlewick selected David Walker, an artist who created wonderfully cuddly, toddler-like bears.

Heather: What do you usually do while writing?

Shirley: I usually get my daughter’s opinion of an early draft. She’s my best and harshest critic. Even when I wince from her comments, I see how they improve the story. I may not feel her exact comment works, but she gives me a fresh approach where there is a problem. I also count on advice from a longtime writing group and from a critique partner, both through email and in monthly meetings. Writing can be a lonely business. Feedback helps!

Heather: Some people say that you need to live life before you write a book, do you think that it’s experience that writes a book or imagination?

Shirley: I think it’s both. My older sister once comforted me in a difficult situation by saying, “Everything is grist for the writer’s mill.” Those words have lived with me for a long time. But imagination is needed to turn the actual experience into a story that comes alive for the reader. Recently, my granddaughter of the bookstore bears, now age six, gave me a wonderful line that is the theme for the picture book I’m working on now. I’m lucky to have six granddaughters, four under the age of eight. I find that listening to them and seeing how their world has changed even since my own children were young can inspire fresh ideas for today’s readers. Of course, some things never change, like the need to share inspired by the bookstore bears.


I like the colors of: oceans
The sky is most beautiful when it’s: stormy
My favorite feature of a computer is: communication
I think inventors should invent a: teleporter
Thing I love most in the world is: family
Things I hate most in the world is: anger
My favorite type of electronic device is: computer
My favorite thing that has been available before the year 1900: kite
My favorite thing that has been available since the year 1960: E-mail
The oddest thing you have ever written on (hand, wall, etc.) is: mushroom

Shirley's books are avaible on amazon.com and many other places too!

Character Wednesday10

Does anyone have a family tree? Of course you most likely do, but the question is how many people do you have on there? How far have you gone back into your history? The reality of this all is that there are records for every person who ever lived on this earth (well just about every one, back to a certain era anyways) so if you search enough - on the internet - everywhere - you'll find the person that you are looking for... eventually. Starting out I only knew all the way up to my grandparents, but with a little help from the grandparents and internet resources, I have over 600 people on my family tree... and counting. That's when you start finding out that your grandfather married his sister - no! Just kidding! Anyways, on to the character!


Calvin Barker is our character for today. Celia's "real life angel" in the flesh. The litting boy who turned her world around. Anyways, here's the story:

Calvin Theodore Barker was born in Monroe, Utah his parents (Justin and Claire) were young (23 & 22) so his grandparents (Sally and George) were always a big part of his life. He had an older sister, the more louder and spoiled-er of the two. Calvin was always a part of one group or another, at the age of 5 he joined a little baseball team. At the age of 6 he joined a joined a kids football team. At the age of 7 he joined a soccar team, he actually stuck with that for a few years. When he turned 8 his mom was taking him and his sister to school, when they started fighting they got into a car accident. He recovered within a few weeks and was able to go home. His sister's leg was broken, and her arm sprained. His mom had some head trauma, and a few broken ribs, but they all recovered just fine.

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And basically, that's all. Hope you enjoyed this week's character wednesday.

Be sure to visit me on September 1st, I will be featured on http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/ so be sure to stop by to see what I have to say. It's going to be a good one! See you all soon!

Character Wednesday8

After a hectic week with a number of surprises in it, I thought this would be the perfect week to take a more in depth look at Aden Meyers. For those of you who have read the book, you know who he is and I’m sure you’re laughing at the ironic-ness of it by now. For those of you who haven’t read it, Aden is Celia’s little brother, a trouble maker. Though quite a bit of Aden’s life is in the book, you’d be surprised at how much wasn’t mentioned. Due to him only being alive 8 years (so far, he’s not dead, so don’t gasp), it’s a short story, but still, it’s interesting. It’s probably better to show you rather than tell you. So, here goes –

Aden Trevor Meyers was born in Monroe, Utah with one sister (Cecelia Meyers). At the age of 2 his mother took him to a play group every Friday at noon, until he turned 5 and started school instead. At the age of 7 Aden joined the Cub Scouts, and came out of it with 15 badges. At the age of 8 Aden became a “teacher’s pet” and also got in the local paper because he climbed a 14 foot tree to get to a friend’s cat, which was stuck between a couple of tree branches.

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As you can see, I have added a new feature to my blog, "Shelfari" it's basically a shelf filled with books that I'm promoting, and also books that I have read. I thought it was a cool new feature, you can get your own shelf too, just make sure you add "A Gift From Above" to your list of books. ;) If you go to twitter you'll see that I'm running a contest type of thing, where I'm trying to get 1,000 views of the excerpt of my book, you can go here -

Character Wednesday!!!

Hello All,
Exciting things are going on, and little by little A Gift From Above is becoming more and more well-known. Starting July 1st I will be headed off on an online book tour! Each month I will be featured in someone's blog, or on his/her website. On the fansite calendar: http://www.agiftfromabove.webs.com/ you can find the details about where I will be.

Now, on to the characters! This week we will be taking a look at Millicent Potter. She plays quite a large role in the book (though she is featured only once, and for a short amount of time too) but not much is said about her. So, I'm going to give you the down-low on her life. Millicent's father (Robert Potter) abandoned her and her mother (Jade Fletcher) after her father found out that her mother was pregnant with her. So Millicent grew up in England (Millicent never revealed exactly where she lived in England) with her mother. Some roomers say that she lived in a rat infested apartment with her mother, but that has never been confirmed.

When Millicent was 17 her mother fell ill and unable to care for her anymore sent Millie to the United States for a better life. Her mother gave her all of the British pounds that she had and told Millie to be successful. So, Millie left, she turned the British pounds into dollars, went to a public college in Utah. She worked and lived there for seven years as a waitress, but as the restaurant closed she had to leave that job and search for a new one. That is when she found the want ad in the local paper "Wanted: Good Nanny". And that is what she did for the next two years.

On the third year that she worked as a nanny things turned sour and she found herself fond of the already married man whom hired her. But, still she swore to herself to keep her feelings hidden behind bars as she remembered what her mother told her.

But, as the man revealed his feelings for her she did not resist. As a result she was practically thrown out of the house by the man not un-lovingly. She lived in the city raising her little girl and keeping quiet about the situation. Feeling as though she let her mother down and failed in her quest.

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Although Millicent Potter's story is a sad one, who's to say how it ends?

Next week we'll be going more indepth about Celia's friend Mari. See you then!