Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

This time of year it can be difficult to choose which books to buy for the children in your life. Well, I want to make my books just a bit more desirable for you. Naturally that means SWAG! Awesome, epic swag that you can include with your gift. If you buy either of The Weaver Tales ( The Weaver or The Wishing Well ) your swag pack will include: Greeting cards featuring Unwanted (blank inside) Sticker featuring Unwanted Book lover sticker Bookmark Pencil(s) Signed, personalized bookplate If you buy Save the Lemmings your swag pack will include: I Love Lemmings magnet Lemmings sticker Book lover sticker Bookmark Pencil(s) Signed, personalized bookplate Oh, imagine the sparkle in your child’s eye when they can ‘join’ the Save the Lemmings cause, or defend the poor misunderstood Unwanted! Not only will they have hours of joy reading the books, but they will also have lasting, coordinating keepsakes – straight from the author. How do you ...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week we have a tag team of author and illustrator visiting with their seasonal title! Michael Hebler and Anita Driessen are visiting with us. Let’s start with you telling us a little about yourselves.   Michael Hebler (Author) - I am a native to Southern California where I still reside.  In addition to writing, I am also a film publicist, currently working unit publicity.  I began writing in college where I was fortunate to watch my first penned one-act play performed on stage by the Orange Coast College Theatre Department (which is where Anita and I had first met) and was hooked from that moment, and the writing bug has never left.  I currently have three publications.  In addition to 'The Night After Christmas', I have also published two books in my adult Chupacabra Series, 'Hunt for the Chupacabr...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the children’s publishing industry. This week we are visiting with author, Penelope Anne Cole. Penelope, can you share a little about yourself?   I'm Penelope Anne Cole, author of "Magical Matthew."  I’ve had various positions in government service Human Resources (HR) and in teaching both adults and children.  Now I write and review children's books.  I love reading to children to encourage them to read on their own and love literature.  I live in Silicon Valley with my family and our rescued cats and dogs.  I enjoy dog walking, reading, gardening, church activities, singing in choir, and watching select TV shows: drama, comedy, romance, crime solving, and happy-ending movies.  I have a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Masters in Education. Impressive credentials! And thank you for the support you show ot...

I am participating in the Indie-giving Blogfest hosted by the Indelibles. *** It was a little more than three years ago that rejection started to change me. I was increasingly short tempered and frequently reacted to someone's good news with a cynical view. I think I might even have been growling at my children on a regular basis. At least in my head if not out loud! So, I quit writing. I quit for awhile. Months! It wasn't easy. Writing called to me, but at the same time it left me with a sour stomach. During that time I met the lovely Lynda Burch, owner of Guardian Angel Publishing. We had such a nice talk about children's publishing, her forward vision for her company and various unrelated things. I had nothing to pitch her, so I was relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed myself that evening. A couple months later a thought struck me. "The Weaver would be a perfect fit for Guardian Angel Publishing!" But I was no longer a writer! Yet I really thought GAP would l...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week illustrator Julie Hammond, joins us. Julie, tell us about you. Hello readers. My names Julie Hammond. I illustrate, and occasionally write, children's books. I draw a lot of my inspiration (see what I did there?) from my family, work and the outdoors. This has been a great year for my art career because by the end of Spring 2013 I will have illustrated 7 picture books. That's crazy cool!  My work is done digitally but I just recently switched from traditional watercolor. I live in Saint Louis, Mo. with my super supportive husband and children, a lazy cat, a hamster and a fish named Dog. You’re very punny, Julie! J Tell us more about your current projects . At the moment I am working on another book from Guardian Angel Publishing. Most recently "Riley's Heart Machine" written by Lo...

There are many ways to support your favorite authors. I’ve discussed this previously in the post How To HelpYour Favorite Authors/Books . Another big way is to make sure their books end up in your local library. Most libraries have an online request form, such as this one for Hillsboro’s Main library: http://www.hillsboro.plinkit.org/web-forms/purchase-req . If it isn't immediately available on the front page of the library's website, it is usually found on the 'Contact Us' tab. In order to complete the form you will need information such as, your library card #, the title of the book, author’s name and the reason why you think they should add it to their shelves. Example: The Wishing Well: Another Weaver Tale Kai Strand Second book in the series and you already carry The Weaver Or Save the Lemmings Kai Strand Main character has a refreshingly positive attitude You can even request they place the title on hold so that you can r...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week author, Margo Sorenson, is visiting with us. Margo, can you share a little about yourself?   I’ve been lucky enough (and believe me, it’s a lot about luck!) to be an author of twenty-eight books for young readers, After a childhood in Spain and Italy, raising a family, teaching middle and high school, and living in Hawaii and Minnesota, I now make my home in California with my husband, where I visit my adorable grandchildren, write, do school visits, and volunteer at the La Quinta Boys and Girls Club.  I can be found at www.margosorenson.com and on Twitter as @ipapaverison. 28! That’s amazing! Congrats on all that good luck (and hard work J ) Tell us about your latest project. In my newest middle grade/tween ebook, TIME OF HONOR, fourteen-year-old Connor’s smart mouth gets her in and—luckily—out...

I’m beyond thrilled to announce the sale of my middle grade fantasy, A New Being , to MuseItUp Publishing! Facts about A New Being : 1.      First novel I ever wrote. 2.      Current version is nothing close to the original version (Duh and thank goodness!) 3.      Longest novel I’ve written. 4.      I have a crush on the main guy character, even though that isn’t really his purpose in the story. 5.      The main girl character in the book has long brown hair and lives in Wisconsin. 6.      I have long brown hair and grew up in Wisconsin (that’s where similarities end.) Blanco 7.      My lizard is named after the main villain. 8.      Tentatively scheduled for release mid 2013-ish. 9.      Title may or may not change. 10.  Book i...