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, Sunshine Claw. Sunshine, we’d love for you to tell us a little about you. I lived a miserable and unfulfilling existence* until the day I was invited to play Ultimate Frisbee by one boy, and left madly in love with another (my husband). We Claws live with a hoard of ordinary, run-of-the-mill children, whom we believe to be spectacular and exceptional, and for whom we would gladly dash into a burning building to save. Or just make the mundane, daily sacrifices required over a lifetime. *5.775% accurate Let’s hear more about Goggles Gone Strong .   Goggles Gone Strong is my debut children's novel for ages 9+. In the book Calypso Blue finds herself on a strange island with a strange family, wearing an absurd pair of goggles, but has to save the dad from a giant saltwater crocodile, the mom from a sacrificial ritu...

Yippee – 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 William from his book William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins by Arthur Daigle. First a little about the book:             Hello, my name is William Bradshaw, and through no fault of my own I am King of the Goblins.  I made the mistake of applying for a management position advertised by the law firm of Cickam, Wender and Downe.  Thing is, they didn’t say the job was to ‘manage’ the goblins on the world of Other Place as their king.  Goblins don’t really want a king, and it’s a rare day when they do what I say.  They’d rather cause trouble, set traps and generally annoy everyone. Okay. So, you like to cause conflict, but what conflict are you up against? Conflicts, plural.  I have two big problems as King of the Goblins.  The fi...

Worth the Effort - Ayden's Story turns two years old this month and I'm celebrating by offering it free of charge to subscribers of my newsletter. Ayden's Story has never been offered for free, so this is a big deal! Since Ella's Story is always free to download, this means you can get the entire novella series for absolutely nothing. Seventeen-year-old Ayden Worth shouldn’t have to seek peace of mind in the streets. But as family pressures mount, his anxieties increase, and he turns his back on comfort for a life in homeless camps and back alleys. Then one fateful day he runs into the only person he ever wanted to know better. Ella Jones. His memories paint her as kind and undemanding, and it seems the years haven’t changed her. Her simple expectations draw him to her. Against all odds, a relationship buds and grows. Yet, as Ayden repairs his life, Ella suggests he help others who also struggle. Will Ella turn out to be just like his dad, expecting more...

inspiration noun     in·spi·ra·tion   \ˌin(t)-spə-ˈrā-shən, -(ˌ)spi-\ - something that makes someone want to do something or that gives someone an idea about what to do or create : a force or influence that inspires someone - a person, place, experience, etc., that makes someone want to do or create something - a good idea If you’ve read an interview or three of an author, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that I find inspiration for my writing in my kids, husband, nature, and in living life. But since we are talking about inspiration in this month’s Ink Ripples, I thought I’d talk about some of the less common circumstances that provide inspiration. Deadlines. A powerful motivator and a source of “forced” inspiration. I can think about a story or blog post (such as our monthly Ink Ripples post) for months before I put fingertips to keyboard and force myself to write something that is due in the morning. Or I might not be able to think of anyth...