Day 2

Day 2: I'm thankful for my sister's artist talents and her willingness to draw things to go on my book covers.

Gripe or give thanks?

It's Thanksgiving week, and there are plenty of things to be thankful about. And, unfortunately, there are just as many things to get stressed over. I've noticed it's often easier to get stressed out about something and gripe about it, than it is to find something to be thankful for. Starting today and in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I'm going to find one thing to be thankful for every day. I know we should be thankful every day of the year, but this time of the year, during all of the hussle and bussle, I want to take a moment out of the busy hubbub to count my blessings.

Day 1: I'm thankful for my family and friends and their encouragement of the career I've chosen.

How about you? What are some of the things you're thankful for?

Great stories to add to your collection

I read a great story last night entitled Where Moonbeams Bounce by Katie Clark. It's a short story about a young girl named Melinda who must choose between following her heart or doing her 'duty' to save her family. I usually prefer novels, but this story was exciting, intriguing, and kept me reading to the very end. It's so worth adding to your story collection! and is available on amazon.com, here's the link. http://www.amazon.com/Where-Moonbeams-Bounce-Katie-Clark-ebook/dp/B00DENTS1C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384447931&sr=8-1&keywords=Where+Moonbeams+bounce



Oh, before I forget, Katie also has a YA dysotopian novel coming out titled: Vanquished. Be sure to be on the lookout for this great upcoming novel. I was able to read the draft and will say that this is a story definitely worth adding to your collection!

Digital Seal

I've made it to the second round of 'Fifty Greatest Authors You Should Be Reading' contest. And as a little 'token' of my accomplishment, they've sent me a digital seal to proudly display on my blog, or wherever I choose to put it. (I wonder if it can go on book covers) Here it is, and I couldn't have done it without the everyone's help. Thank you so much for voting for me. :)

NaNoWriMo

     Well, it's National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Stories are being written, characters are coming to life, and plots that've been dormant  for a long time are now taking shape, both in the writer's mind and on the keyboard. What's your writing style during NaNo? Do you outline first and then write the story? Or do you go ahead and write, and then come back and edit later? I personally find it easier to write, and then come back to it later and edit. However, it does create problems, and can make the editing last longer than I'd like to.

     Now, in March, there's National Novel Editing Month where you have to edit a certain amount of words during the month of March. Do you wait for that month to role around before you begin tidying up the story? Or do you plunge headline into editing as soon as NaNo's over?

Interview with Beth Consugar

Hey, everyone, I’m excited to introduce Beth Consugar, author of Swanee Day. Her picture book is about a young swan, Grace, who learns the importance of manners. I interviewed Beth to find out just how Swanee Day came to be written, and to find out how she’s enjoying the title of author.

What was your inspiration?

This story came about for one of our Monthly Write-Off challenges on the writer’s retreat. At the time I wrote this, I was frequently reminding my daughter to remember her manners. It just seemed to fit for me.

Was this very hard to write? Or did everything just fall into place?

Writing was the easy part - it's the revising that was tough!

Did you have fun as you wrote it?

I really enjoyed writing this. It was a lot of fun, and it's even more fun to see it in print!

Swans are graceful birds, but after reading Swanee Day, we learn that manners are very important to swans. What made you picks manners as the lesson for Grace to learn?

It just seemed that I was reminding my daughter about her manners, so I had manners on my mind at the time!

Was it hard waiting to see the finished product?

Absolutely! The illustrations came one at a time, and I was always anxious to see the next one. Then when I found out the book was sent to the printer, I was on the edge of my seat!

Will there be any more picture books?

I hope so! I have some that I wrote but haven't revised. I think it's time to pull some of them out of the box. Oh, and November is also PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month), so I'm sure that will get me writing some more!

Are you enjoying the title of author?

Yes! It still seems strange to me, but it's starting to sink in. It really hit me when someone asked me what I do for a living, and someone else interjected and said "SHE'S AN AUTHOR!" That's when it became real, to hear someone else call me an author!

 

Thanks so much for your time, Beth, and I wish you best of luck with your writing! Below are links where Swanee Day is available for purchase.

http://www.halopublishing.com/bookstore/Beth-Consugar

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/swanee-day-beth-consugar/1116977448?ean=9781612441764

http://www.amazon.com/Swanee-Day-Beth-Consugar/dp/1612441769/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382460940&sr=1-1&keywords=Swanee+Day

Stay tuned for more interviews from great authors!

October is here

The weather's growing colder, the leaves are putting on their fall colors, and the sun's setting earlier and earlier. What are some of your favorite indoor activities that like you do, especially during colder weather?