Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

Welcome to Three Times A Charm. I love to introduce readers to the people involved in children’s publishing. Today we welcome middle grade author, Deborah Baldwin. Deborah, we’d love for you to tell us a little about you. I am an award winning drama teacher and director, professional actress and youth theatre administrator. I graduated from Stephens College with a BFA in theatre performance and a MED from Lesley College certified to teach drama, speech and English/language arts in Colorado and Missouri. I have created seven youth theatre programs and serve as a consultant to several theatre companies in the mid-west. Many years ago I co-developed a national playwriting contest for youth theatre plays which is still in existence today. I have directed over 250 full length productions, plays and musicals alike and have inspired many of my students to become professional actors, dancers, directors, playwrights and teachers. My husband and I have recently retired from our teaching p...

Yay – it’s Friday! Friday’s begin the weekend and weekends offer all sorts of READING time! So to help you make your reading decisions, I’d like to introduce you to Kira from her book A Town Bewitched by Suzanne de Montigny. First a little about the book: It’s tough for Kira, growing up in the small town of Hope as a child prodigy in classical violin, especially when her dad just died. And to make matters worse, Kate McDonough, the red-haired fiddler appears out of nowhere and bewitches the town with her mysterious Celtic music. Even Uncle Jack succumbs to her charms, forgetting his promise to look after Kira’s family. But when someone begins vandalizing the town leaving dead and gutted girds as a calling card, Kira knows without a doubt who’s behind it. Welcome to Strands of Thoughts, Kira and congratulations on the publication of your very own story! Can you tell us a little about you, please? Hi, my name’s Kira. I’m fourteen and my dad just died, and with his de...

Hey y’all! Welcome to 3x’s A Charm. I love, love, love to introduce readers to the people involved in children’s publishing. Today we welcome young adult author, Cindy Dorminy. Cindy, tell us a little about you, please. Unlike most authors, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer. I wasn’t even an avid reader, but I had a vivid imagination and I loved movies. I still do. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not quoting one of my favorite lines. When I’m not at my day job as a research coordinator, I love to write sweet love stories. I share my house with my musician husband, an awesome teenage daughter (my go-to person for teen-speak), and Daisy Mae, the sweetest pooch on the planet. I live in Nashville, Tennessee where live music really can be heard everywhere, even at the airport and grocery store. The only live music you’ll find in my grocery store is me – singing in Latin as I browse the aisles. Not quite the same, though – huh? So, tell us all about your book. Tu...

Happy release day to A LOVE THAT DISTURBS by Medeia Sharif! This sounds like an intense read. I'm really looking forward to it. Get your own copy now! A LOVE THAT DISTURBS by Medeia Sharif Evernight Teen , June 17, 2016 Purchase from Amazon (merchant sites will be updated on the author's site ) Maysa Mazari is alarmed by her mother’s talk about arranged marriage. As a hijab-wearing Pakistani-American, she wants to find love on her own. Her judgmental Muslim clique has protected her from racist taunts, although the leader is turning on her as Maysa strays from the group because of her attraction to Haydee. Haydee Gomez is a former gang member and juvenile detention student. Now living with a clean-cut aunt, she wants to turn her life around, even though one person will never let her forget her roots—Rafe, her abusive pimp. Haydee attempts to pull away from a life of prostitution when she develops feelings for Maysa, although Rafe isn’t willing to give her up too easily...

 Today, I welcome Penny Lockwood, author of the middle grade ghost stories, Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch , which are now combined into one conveniet book, Ghostly Visions . Penny and her books are from small town Oregon and she's here to talk about why she chose these adorable little towns for her stories' settings.  Take it away, Penny! GHOSTLY VISIONS A Tween Book Set in Rural Oregon Ghostly Visions is a two-for-one book for grades four, five and six, containing Ghost for Rent , set in Scappoose, Oregon, a small rural community of about 6,700 people, and Ghost for Lunch , set in St. Helens, Oregon, the county seat for Columbia County, and home to about 13,000 people. Why did I choose these small towns for my stories?  It’s simple.  I followed the basic rule of writing: write what you know.  In September 1978, my husband and I moved from California, where we met, to Scappoose, Oregon.  We fell in love with the rural area, the f...

I'm excited to share Kimber Leigh Wheaton's Kindle Scout campaign. If you aren't familiar with Kindle Scout, it's an Amazon program that helps authors find an audience for their book before it's published. Kimber is an excellent author and it sounds like Bitter Envy is another winner. But don't take my word for it. Read the excerpt she's shared with us here, and then hop on over to her campaign on Amazon to read more and most importantly to nominate Bitter Envy for publication! Kimber explains it way better than I. Take it away, Kimber... Bitter Envy, a YA urban fantasy romance, is on Kindle Scout! Don't know what Kindle Scout is? It is, " reader-powered publishing for new, never-before-published books." Readers nominate their favorite books, and those books may receive a publishing contract through Amazon. If a book scores a contract, everyone who nominated it receives a free Kindle copy! I would be honored if you would ...

Why is the book often better than the movie? I’m pretty sure I’ve figured this out. Well, most people have figured out why a book is better than a movie, but I’ve figured out how not to be mega disappointed in the movie. Expectation. People often walk into the movie thinking the book will magically be shown in its entirety and they’re gobsmacked when one of their favorite supporting characters is cut completely out of the story line and the subplot about the characters’ tchotchke collection obsession is dropped. “That’s a major character building element that was missing. How do people who haven’t read the book understand the intricacies of that character’s mania?”  And… “Henry Spellgood…he added so much to the story! I was so sad we didn’t see him at all.” I call these viewers “purists.” They don’t want anything to change. They don’t want to find a single element missing and they refuse to accept the time restraints the film producers and editors faced when puttin...

Hey y’all! Welcome to 3x’s A Charm. I love, love, love to introduce readers to the people involved in children’s publishing. Today we welcome young adult author, Chantal Gadoury. Chantal, wow us with a little about you, please. My name is Chantal Gadoury and I’m from a small town in the mountains of Central Pennsylvania, named Muncy. I enjoy to paint in my spare time, drink a good cup of coffee when I can and appreciate watching my favorite Disney classics with loved ones. When I’m not busy crafting or reading, I’m dedicated to my family at home: my mom, sister and a furry-puppy-brother (and my Dad, who has now lives in heaven.) As a 2011 college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, writing novels has become a dream come true! Congratulations on the degree. Can you tell us all about your book? Once Upon a Time…  In the Kingdom of Tränen, a King makes a promise to his dying wife to only remarry someone who has her golden hair. Wi...