Green Books Campaign - Billy Had to Move

I have been waiting for this day for a while now.  Today, 200 bloggers take a stand to support books printed on environmental paper by simultaneously publishing reviews of 200 such books. It is a phenomenal feat, and I am excited to be a part of it!  Make sure you check out the campaign page to see which other bloggers are involved and see the other reviews.

Title: Billy Had to Move
Author: Theresa Fraser
Illustrator: Alex Walton
Review Copy Provided by: Green Books Campaign, via Loving Healing Press

About the Book:  Child Protection Services have been involved with Billy and his mother for some time now. He has been happily settled in a kinship placement with his grandmother and enjoys his pet cat, interacting with neighbors and even taking piano lessons. As the story unfolds, Billy's grandmother has unexpectedly passed away and so the story of Billy Had To Move begins.

Unfortunately, Billy's mother cannot be located. Mr. Murphy, Billy's social worker, places him in the foster home of Amy, Tim, and their baby "Colly." Billy experiences great loss resulting not only from his grandmother's death, but also the loss of the life he knew. Billy's inner journey therefore has also begun and with the help of Ms. Woods, a Play Therapist, there is hope.  

My Review:   I chose Billy Had to Move because, as an educator, I see kids like Billy more often than not.  Kids like Billy walk through the door of my school everyday.  Some, I know their story, because they are in a wonderful situation and they freely share, but others, I would never know about unless the foster parents tell me or CPS shows up to meet with them and reveals the truth.  Truth is, it's reality, and we have to help our kids understand kids like Billy.

That's why I'm glad that this book is available to children.  We don't need to hide foster care in our society, we need to embrace it and help the kids that are involved.  A children's book is a great way to do that!

The author does a fabulous job of sharing Billy's thoughts with the reader.  We don't always know what these kids are thinking and feeling, but with the help of a play therapist, Billy's story, thoughts and feelings are revealed.  The counselor on my campus uses play therapy with some of our kiddos and it is fascinating to see it in action.  You can learn alot about a child and/or their situation just by listening to them play.  Much is revealed in a short time, if you just take the time to listen and make them feel comfortable.  That is what Mrs. Woods, the play therapist does for Billy.

This book is sad because it does deal with grief when Billy loses his grandmother.  How he deals with that may be different than how you as an adult, would deal with grief, and it's important to share that with children. They can relate to Billy because he is a child, and it may help them to deal with the death of a loved one.

Billy Had to Move is a book that I will definitely be sharing with my counselor.  I feel that it would benefit children who experience grief through the loss of a loved one, children who are in or have to be put into foster care.  Billy had to learn to live with strangers, and the reality is, many children in our country today are dealing with the same thing.  Thank you Theresa Fraser for putting "Billy's" story out there so that others may benefit! 

2010 Green Books Campaign

I will be participating in this campaign next week, so I thought I would get the word out in case you are interested in visiting some of the other bloggers who will be joining me.

Word Discipline with Rachael Scandarion

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Rachael Scandarion, WOW author, as she tours the blogosphere. I hope you enjoy her post on "Word Discipline."  She will be stopping by to read your comments, so be sure to let her know what you think!

Rachael Scandarion has been writing poetry, short stories, fiction and nonfiction since she was seventeen years old.  She has a BS in Business and Entrepreneurship from Nova Southeastern University and is working on her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts at NSU.  Rachael¹s MFA CAPSTONE project will be based on her memoir, ³Into the Light: A Life Imprismed,² an anthology of her life¹s adventures, works, loves, challenges, and passions.  Over the past 1.5 years, Rachael has been researching a project involving the history of African slavery, 1st Nation Peoples, the survivors of the Nazi Holocaust and the common bonds shared by all Next Generations. Rachael lives in Florida, has a passion for: singing, her extraordinary 23-year old son, her awesome mother ­ who is also her best friend ­ and her sweet, young Japanese Chin named Tutu.  For more information please contact: www.coffeehousefiction.com

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     “Less is more,” I whisper to myself as the pitter-patter of keys pounds away in the background. A deluge of words spills like a waterfall onto the blank page in front of me while echoes of the Minimalist movement’s most famed artists beat their ageless message into my brain… “LESS IS MORE… LESS IS MORE… LESS IS MORE.”
     Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? Yet, when I sit down and begin the process with the purest of intentions to heed the call, it’s as though the words write themselves then fight to the death for immortality… battling redlines; contesting edits; surviving rewrites and revisions.
     For a writer, the discipline of “word economy” is serious business: more torturous than nails down a blackboard; more challenging than writer’s block. In this time-starved day and age of texting that often leaves grammar, impassioned communication, and eloquent soliloquy to one’s imagination, the ability to ‘economize’ while effectively staying true to one’s story is paramount.
     In today’s competitive publishing environment where the marketplace is rife with exceptionally talented authors, poets, and writers of every genre imaginable, it is essential that all writers learn how to finesse their stories while adhering to the keys of word-economy:

•  “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” (Thomas             Jefferson)

•  "Four basic premises of writing: clarity, brevity, simplicity, and humanity." (William Zinsser)

     How is this end best achieved? Personally, I’ve found a most helpful method to be writing the first draft of my story without consideration of word economy and then rewriting the story to meet a varied array of guidelines for 600, 1500, 2500, 3000 and 10,000-word writing competitions. In each case, I’ve learned that word economy and honing my skills in a compelling and impassioned voice are not mutually exclusive. That is to say, both skills can be accomplished successfully without necessarily negating the other.
     Take for instance “The Painter’s Box,” my 1st prize winning short story for the 2010 www.coffeehousefiction.com fiction writing contest which is available through Amazon.com in the Fifteenth Dame Lisbet Throckmorton 2010 Anthology – link below: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Fifteenth+Dame+Lisbet+Throckmorton+2010+Anthology&x=12&y=19
     Originally written as a 5,000-word short fiction piece, paring it down to the requisite 3,500-word limit was challenging but well worth the exercise. Less was definitely more… and the impact of the editing process was inspired.
     The method I’ve described allows me the opportunity to learn what makes my writing style unique; what is essential and nonessential; how my ‘critical eye’ can teach me to be ‘selective’ and ‘flexible’ and not to be married to my ego… just let it go.
     One last comment on the subject: Find and keep a great editor at your fingertips. Whether it’s a friend, confidant, colleague, or paid professional (mine is my amazingly patient and always supportive mom), always run your pieces by someone who has a passion for reading and editing your work. There’s nothing better than an honest critique that helps you determine just how much less is more.
     What techniques do you use to master word discipline?

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Rachael, thank you so much for stopping by today and sharing your writing wisdom with us. It is always inspiring to me to hear a writer's thoughts behind their craft.

Blog Tour - Care for Creation

Title:  Care for Creation
Author:  Christy Baldwin
Illustrator:  Shelly Draven
Review Copy Provided by:  Tribute Books

About the Book:  Care for Creation helps children to foster an appreciation and respect for nature. They learn to protect the environment through recycling, home energy conservation and neighborhood clean-ups. Through accompanying Bible verses, they are encouraged to be responsible stewards of God's creation.

My Review:  What a great way to teach children how to care for our earth!  Not only do they learn the hows and whys of taking care of this world we live in, but they are also learning Bible verses that teach about the same concepts.  Each page pairs a concept for taking care of the earth with a verse that coincides with that concept or area of the earth that the page is referencing.

The illustrations in this book are very vivid and life like!  I just love the bright colors that the illustrator uses throughout the book.  Many of the pictures look just as if you were looking at the actual scenery or people.  It is excellent artwork that will hold children's attention!

There are not many books out there that are written on a young child's level, about caring for our world, recycling, etc.  This one does it in such a way that I think children would want to follow the advice in the book and start doing some of the things that are mentioned.  I also like the biblical references, which aren't seen in many children's books.  If that is not your cup of tea, then this may not be the book for you. 

Kudos to the author for going out on a limb with this one and adding the spiritual element into a children's book!

There is even an interactive guide at the end of the book with suggested activities and a discussion guide.  I love to see these added to books to give parents and readers seeds for thought.

Blog Tour - A Vampire is Coming to Dinner

I apologize for missing my original post date last week, but I was sick and just didn't get anything blog related done.  This week is much better, and I appreciate Trish and TLC Book Tours for allowing me to reschedule this review.  Here is one for Halloween that is sure to please even the little ones!

Title:  A Vampire is Coming to Dinner!

Author:  Pamela Jane

Illustrator:  Pedro Rodriguez

Review Copy Provided by:  Price Stern Sloan

About the Book:  Read along as the narrator of this story comes up with some very practical rules for dealing with a vampire. But rules are meant to be broken, aren’t they? From feeding the vampire garlic to filling the house with mirrors, the narrator is doing just that! With ten full-page gatefolds and a pop at the end of the book, kids will love seeing which rules are being followed and which aren’t!

My Review:  This is just the cutest book!  Why am I saying that about a Halloween book that is about vampires?  Well, because it's for children, even young ones, and they won't be scared by it.

This book is filled with the 10 rules for what to do when you have a vampire over for dinner.  Who does that?  Well, children with imaginations, that's who!  The illustrator makes this book come to life with fun pictures that go along with each rule.  Every page is a different rule and folds out to reveal what to do and not to do.  At the end, children will be surprised with a "pop-up."  Children and adults love pop-ups in books and I'm glad to see one used in this one.

Right now is the perfect time to share this book with the young children in your life.  Happy Halloween and have fun learning about what to do and not to do when a vampire comes to dinner!

If you'd like to read some other reviews, here are the previous stops on the tour:

Monday, October 4th: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Tuesday, October 5th: Write for a Reader
Wednesday, October 6th: Savvy Verse & Wit
Thursday, October 7th: There’s a Book
Monday, October 11th: The Book Faery Reviews

Blog Tour - The Perfect Family

 
Title:  The Perfect Family 
Author:  Kathryn Shay 
Review Copy Provided by: Pump Up Your Book Promotions

 About the Book:  What happens to the "perfect family" when the future suddenly changes in the most unexpected way?

Seventeen-year old Jamie Davidson doesn't think being gay should be such a big deal...until he comes out to his parents and friends. Even as Jamie celebrates no longer needing to hide his true self and looks forward to the excitement of openly dating another boy, the entire Davidson family is thrown into turmoil. Jamie's father Mike can't reconcile his religious beliefs with his son's sexuality. His brother Brian is harassed by his jock buddies and angry at Jamie for complicating all their lives. Maggie, his mother, fears being able to protect her son while struggling to save her crumbling marriage. And Jamie feels guilty for the unhappiness his disclosure has caused. Every member of their “perfect family” must search their hearts and souls to reconnect with each other in this honest, heartwarming, and hopeful look at the redemptive power of love and family. 

My Review:  I really enjoyed this one!  I think what this family is going through, is difficult, and is an issue that many families have to deal with.  The appearance of "the perfect family" is just that, an appearance.  You never know what is going on "behind closed doors" with those families.

I really felt for all of the characters, as each one was dealing with the situation in their own way, and with their own set of issues because of it.  It is an endearing story of how one catalyst can change the dynamics of a family.  Each member of this family grows and changes because of Jamie's "coming out."  Maybe Jamie wishes he'd never told them, maybe they wish he'd told them sooner, but it is what it is and they have to deal with it. 

This is a great story about love and acceptance!

Because of A Book with Joanne Kennedy

Today I am pleased to welcome author, Joanne Kennedy to the blog.

Joanne Kennedy has worked in bookstores all her life in positions from bookseller to buyer. A member of Romance Writers of America and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, she won first place in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest and second in the Heart of the Rockies contest. Joanne lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For more information, please visit http://joannekennedybooks.com/.

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Joanne Kennedy Guest Blog, Author of One Fine Cowboy

Write for a Reader Because of a Book Feature

As a child, I loved to go to my grandparent’s farm and read the books my mother read as a child. The most battered and beloved of these were two books by Gene Stratton-Porter: Freckles and A Girl of the Limberlost.

Gene Stratton-Porter is a perfect example of the ephemeral nature of fame. Her books were enormous bestsellers in her day, with over 50 million readers—and this was in the nineteen-teens and twenties. Today, I wonder how many readers have even heard of her.

Ms. Stratton-Porter was a naturalist, novelist, photographer, conservationist, and one of the first women to start a film studio. She accomplished all these things around the turn of the century, when women didn’t necessarily have careers.

And she did it to save a swamp.

When she moved to the 13,000-acre Limberlost Swamp in Indiana, it was 1888 and the wetlands were in the process of being drained and logged. An oil and gas boom sparked drilling and more draining. This all sounds very familiar and modern, but it was 1913 when Stratton-Porter finally was forced to move away. She continued to sing the praises of the Limberlost in her bestselling novels, and her cabin there is now a state historic site.

After almost a century, her books have faded into obscurity. I’ve worked in bookselling for twenty years, and for a while I owned a used and rare bookstore. Stratton-Porter’s books turned up often, but except for her rare nature books, nobody seemed to be interested. It’s incredible how the bestselling authors of one era can be totally unknown to readers of another.

But discovering these books when I was a child changed me, sparking my interest in birds and butterflies and my belief that nature feeds the mind and restores the soul. They also introduced me to some strong and stalwart heroines that inspired the heroines of my own books. Stratton-Porter’s women have little in the way of creature comforts in their woodland cabins, but their appreciation of the natural world and their dogged determination to better themselves makes them compelling characters.

I read her books over and over. When I was ten, I was the “Girl of the Limberlost.” I’d never been to Indiana, but my childhood home boasted a brook and an actual, no-kiddin’, mushy, gushy swamp populated with all kinds of birds and frogs and slimy salamanders.

The swamp must have been a pond at one time, because the remnants of an old stone dam stood on one side. I’d sit up on the tumbled rocks and watch the birds, scribbling descriptions and renditions of birdsong in a tattered notebook just like my favorite author. I rarely went home without gathering some sort of “specimen”—a bucket of polliwogs, a caterpillar on its host plant, or a tiny red newt. Thank goodness my mother had read those Limberlost books and understood why I felt compelled to bring the outdoors in.

And thank goodness she introduced them to me. Thanks to the long-reaching influence of this turn-of-the-century writer, I can still have my day brightened and my heart lightened just by the song of a sparrow.

The publisher has offered 2 copies of One Fine Cowboy, for giveaway to 2 of my readers.  Please just leave a comment on this post if you'd like to be entered.  Entries will be taken until Tuesday, Oct. 5th at midnight.

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About A Girl of the Limberlost - Set amid Indiana's Limberlost Swamp, this classic mixes astute observations on nature with the struggles of growing up in the early 20th century and the discoveries of independence and romance.

Buy it at Indiebound

About One Fine Cowboy - He’s got a way with horses…and with women...

Nate Shawcross is perfectly content to spend his days training wild horses. So when a beautiful greenhorn unexpectedly shows up for a seminar from the famous “Horse Whisperer” of Wyoming, all Nate wants to do is send her packing…

The last thing she expects is a lesson in romance…

Graduate student Charlie Banks came to the ranch to learn about horse communication, but when she meets the ruggedly handsome cowboy, she starts to fantasize about another connection entirely…

Nate needs to stay focused if he’s going to save his ranch from foreclosure, but he can’t help being distracted by the brainy and breathtakingly sexy Charlie. Could it be that after all this time Nate has finally found the one woman who can tame his wild heart?

Buy it at Indiebound

24 Hour Read-A-Thon

It's that time again!

I am so excited to be participating in another Read-A-Thon!  I get so much reading done and have so much fun interacting with other bloggers and readers at the same time.  I have never managed to stay up the entire 24 hours, but I'm going to give it another go this time.

For all the Read-A-Thon information or to sign up yourself, head on over to Dewey's Read-a-Thon and check it out.  If you can't join us to read, then be a cheerleader or host a challenge.  Any participation is welcome and appreciated by all!

As the day gets closer, I will post my book list and other fun stuff!

So, get your books picked out, your snacks thought about, your spot settled on, and get ready to read!!

Because of A Book with Ruth Hartman

Once again, I have another WOW author for you today.  Please help me welcome Ruth Hartman to the blog.

Ruth started out life as a dental hygienist but morphed into a romance writer. She has fun working the dental industry into her romances. While Pillow Talk features a dental hygienist/tooth fairy, her next romance Flossophy of Grace also follows the love life of a dental hygienist. Who knew the dental world was so romantic?

Ruth’s first book was My Life in Chains, a memoir about her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Ruth, her husband and two very spoiled cats live in rural Indiana where Ruth dreams up new and exciting romances. And flosses regularly. Really!

Just Thought You Should Know:

Ruth is a dental hygienist but she isn’t the tooth fairy…at least that’s what she says! She’s celebrating this October—it’s National Dental Hygienist Month.

Ruth Hartman’s Blog: http://ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/

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I’ve always loved reading. I get that from my parents. My dad, a retired minister, is continually reading something. While he pastored our large church, his reading was mostly for sermon preparation. Now that he’s retired, though, I’m glad to say he’s reading for fun. My mom goes to the library every week or so. One of my earliest memories is going to the old library with her. It was always so quiet there, so peaceful. Even though the building has since been replaced, I can still visualize looking down at my black and white saddle shoes as I navigated my way up the steep winding staircase. I feel the smooth surface of the shiny wooden banister under my tiny fingers. And the thrill of giving my very own library card to the librarian when I checked out my book. Mom still brings home an armload each time, and will have them all finished by her next visit. She’s what I call a voracious reader. So I’ve been reading since I was tiny, and have inherited my mom’s voracity. I get a little nervous when I’ve only got one or two books waiting for me to read. My sister refers to that as a book emergency. That’s cutting it just a little too close for me. If my book stack is tall enough for my cats to knock over, then I’m calmly reassured.

One of my favorite authors is mystery writer Mary Higgins Clark. She always has a new book out every April, and Mom and I decide which one of us will go buy it, read it, and pass it on to the other. I love her books because she has a wonderful way of taking several different characters, who at first glance don’t seem to have any connections, and having them cross paths by the end of the story. I’m fascinated when it all comes together and the mystery makes more and more sense as the characters solve the crime.

I love reading mysteries, but I don’t write them. My brain just doesn’t work that way. I write sweet, quirky romances with the satisfying happily-ever-after. When I read a well-written, interesting book, but it ends badly for the main characters, I feel as if I’ve been cheated somehow. I don’t always feel better for having read the book. But if you pick up one of my novels, you have the guarantee that you will smile and feel wonderful at the end of the story.

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About Pillow Talk:  Trixie Trident is much too busy to worry about her love life. Her shop Necklaces, Bracelets and Rings, Oh My! has her up to her elbows in beads; Benson the parrot is hungry; and she just chipped her tooth. Plus she’s seriously sleep deprived—that happens when a tooth fairy hits a busy stretch. That’s right, tooth fairy.

But somehow the ideal man drops into her life. Actually she drops into his office. Is it time for Trixie to give up her night job as tooth fairy? Or should she give up the handsome Dr. Graham Keebler? Of course she won’t have to worry about either if he’s stolen from her! Can a magical tooth fairy find true love with a practical dentist?

Buy it at Amazon

Ms. Hartman has graciously offered a copy of Pillow Talk to one of my readers.  Please leave a comment below if you'd like to be entered.  You have until next Tuesday, Sept. 21 at midnight.  Good Luck!

 

Waiting On Wednesday - Enchanted Ivy

I haven't done a Waiting On Wednesday in a while, but I'm trying to get back into it because it is a great way to discover new books. 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 
Enchanted Ivy
By Sarah Beth Durst
Publication Date: October 12th 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry
  
A story about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons...

While visiting the campus of Princeton University, 16-year-old Lily discovers a secret gate to a magical realm and must race against time to save herself, her world, and any hope she has of college admission.

To me, this sounds like a teenage version of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, so I was immediately intrigued.  Can't wait to see what it truly turns out to be!

Because of A Book with Anne McCrady

Today, thanks to a post on Blogger Link Up, I have writer, Anne McCrady on the blog.  Here is a little about Anne to get you started.

Anne McCrady is a writer and inspirational speaker who lives in East Texas. Her award-winning poetry collections are Along Greathouse Road and Under a Blameless Moon. Anne's poetry and creative nonfiction have been published in literary journals, magazines, anthologies and online. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, civic groups, festivals, churches and schools, as well as the founder and principal of InSpiritry, an endeavor to Put Words to Work for the Greater Good. She welcomes readers to her blog and website at www.InSpiritry.com.

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Red Tag Comes Back

When I think about my childhood, it seems I was always a reader, always a writer and always a scientist. In my bedroom, paper, pencils and books shared space with stuffed animals and other toys. Often home sick with asthma, I let my mind live in a wider world and it took my heart with it!

While I had many favorite books, one that remains on my shelf between newer authors, is a simple story that captured my imagination in ways I only realized recently. The book was Red Tag Comes Back. It was written by Fred Phleger with line drawings by Arnold Lobel, and was a Science – I Can Read book published by Harper & Row in 1960.

The story is a factually based account of a salmon from its young life in a Northwest American river to its trip out to sea and its eventual return years later to lay its eggs and die. The salmon’s endeavors are witnessed by two Native American children, Aku and his sister, who understand and honor the cycle of its life.

From the first page, I wanted to join those two children, whose days included exploration in the woods beside a quiet river. I wondered about the difference in their lives and mine. I wanted to be the scientist who tagged the baby salmon. I wanted to follow it on its adventure down the river and beyond. I feared for its life among the bigger fish, ached for it in the struggle to return home, dreaded its death and rejoiced in the triumph of knowing it had spawned a new generation.

When my childhood books were packed away, Red Tag wasn’t forgotten. I survived my asthma, grew up enjoying walks in the woods alone, went on to college where I studied Chemistry and Biology and became a storyteller and writer. I developed a deep reverence for Nature and kept my curiosity about the diversity of people and places and things. I now live on five tree shaded acres that I share with fish and woodpeckers and raccoons and squirrels. As a mother, I read Red Tag with my children and have my original copy to show my grandchildren.

Recently while reading online, I discovered that Fred Phleger was a scientist of great renown as well as a writer. Knowing that, I realize he gave me more than just a favorite book. He helped lead me to pursue a life centered on the great mystery of “how things are.” Each day as I write a poem about the play of shadow or tell a story about children who are inquisitive or publish an essay about the Greater Good, I am paying homage to Fred Phleger for his inspiration.

Best of all, just last month, I  finally traveled from my home in Texas to Seattle to view the arduous journey of the salmon, to see for myself how Red Tag Comes Back!

More about Phleger and his wife can be found at this Vintage Kids’ Books post:
http://www.vintagechildrensbooksmykidloves.com/2007/09/red-tag-comes-back.html

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Red Tag Comes Back - buy it at Amazon

About Along Greathouse Road - This reading offers new work as well as selections from Anne’s first poetry collection, Along Greathouse Road, which won the 2003 Edwin M. Eakin Book Publication Award offered by the Poetry Society of Texas. With unforgettable characters, picturesque settings and Anne’s distinctive reading voice, this program takes audiences "back home" for a while. 

Buy it at Amazon

Friday Fill-Ins - 9/3/10

1. Family is very important to me.

2.This conversation is just going back and forth.

3. I love a margarita after a long week at work.

4. Mexican food w/guacamole makes a good meal.

5. I've got the answer, sometimes!

6. Jumbo shrimp: wth!!!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going to Chuck E Cheese with my grandchildren, tomorrow my plans include walking with friends in the morning and a funeral in the afternoon and Sunday, I want to be on the water and in the sun!

Review - Water, Weed, and Wait

Title:  Water, Weed, and Wait

Author:  Edith Hope Fine & Angela Demos Halpin
Illustrator:  Colleen Madden
Review Copy Provided by:  Random House Children's Books

About the Book:  When Miss Marigold challenges the kids at Pepper Lane Elementary to turn an unpromising patch of their schoolyard into a garden full of fruits, flowers, and vegetables, they know they'll need all the help they can get. Soon everyone in the community is lending a hand--including an unlikely neighbor with a soft spot for gardening--and it isn't long before peppers, zuccchini, sugar peas, snapdragons, zinnias, and much more are growing and blooming.

My Review:  What a beautiful picture book!  This is one that will be loved in classrooms during a unit on plants.  I should probably save this review until Spring, but it's too great not to tell you about now.

This book reminded me a little of The Magic School Bus series because the teacher, Miss Marigold, made me think of Ms. Frizzle, with her name and her outfits.  There is a grouchy neighbor that the students befriend and turn into a wonderful gardening mentor for them.  In the end, everyone is happy, which is a great way to end a picture book!

The pictures themselves are so vivid and bright.  Children are sure to love them and want to study them.  Each page has a lot going on, that they will want to revisit the book to catch every detail.  It's not too much on a page as to overstimulate the reader, but enough to hold their attention and keep them finding some new detail.  Colleen Madden did a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the children and the school garden that they work together to create.

This book could be used in the classroom for many different themes: Spring, plants, teamwork, friendship, and possibly others that I may not think of.  As I was reading it, I had one of my teachers in mind.  She refers to her students as her little flowers that grow more and more with each new day and new learning.  Sometimes we see results quickly like the students did in their garden with some of the vegetables, but other times we have to wait longer for our work to "sprout."  This teacher spends many days teaching (watering), reteaching (weeding) and then watching what her children do (waiting).  In the end, she has amazing results, just like the beautiful garden that sprouts!

At the end of the book there are 2 pages dedicated to "Sprouting Your Own School Garden."  You can also learn more about this book at the Water, Weed, and Wait website. 

Friday Fill-Ins - 8/27/10

 
1. You do your thing; I do mine and sometimes we'll do things together.

2. My husband is what's been on my mind on and off all day.

3. Remember when we didn't have to work so hard.

4. Chocolate, Reading and my husband are three of my favorite obsessions :-)

5. During the last year I haven't really been on a vacation

6. Seeing the children puts a smile on my face.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to resting, tomorrow my plans include walking with friends and Sunday, I want to _____!

Because of A Book with Maya Jax

There are times that I love Blogger, and then other times that I do not.  When my scheduled posts do not get posted, that is one time I do not like Blogger.  With the start of school this week, I knew my life would be hectic and non-stop, so I tried to prepare for that by scheduling posts.  Well, as they say, "the best laid plans of mice and men..."

I'd like to thank Dorothy Thompson and Pump Up Your Book Promotion for allowing me to participate in Maya Jax's blog tour.  Let me first introduce you to Maya.

Loving John Grisham and Janet Evanovich novels, Maya Jax entertained the idea of being a lawyer or a spy and started working at an embassy in Australia while doing her master’s in international relations. During this time, she finished her first screenplay, an action/thriller about spies and nuclear weapons. She pitched it to a friend in Hollywood, who told her she had talent, but to never show the screenplay to anyone again — ever. Realizing her love for writing was stronger than her desire to spy and fight crime, she attempted a second screenplay focusing on what she knew best — trying to make it as a writer. The screenplay turned into a novel and the result was Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me.

You can find Maya at her website, Maya Jax.

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Writer for a Reader – Books that Impacted Me As a Child

How Nancy Drew Saved Me From Suburbia by Maya Jax

I have always wanted to be a secret agent – always. When I was in grade school, I had a pair of binoculars covered in hockey stickers, and everyday I would spy on the neighbor’s car across the street because I thought it was suspicious. I would hunker down on the couch, peer out the window and write down everything about the car. Tuesday: It’s parked on the left side of the driveway. Wednesday: It’s parked on the right. Thursday: They’ve moved the car onto the street. There is now an orange air freshener hanging from the rear view mirror. Interesting… But nothing ever came of my neighbor’s car. They were actually an older couple with a little dog and not much excitement outside of take-out Chinese food every Friday. To a wannabe spy the suburbs were torture. I wanted great adventure and riding my bike around the block just wasn’t cutting it.

And then I read Nancy Drew. A detective. A girl detective. I knew of the Hardy Boys, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (and I adored them all!), but Nancy Drew was the first heroine I ever read about that did things I wanted to do. I loved those books. In sixth grade very single book report I did was one of hers. By June everyone was rolling their eyes when I came up to the front of the class. I remember the very last one I did. The story involved a shark at the beach and after I was finished, my teacher called me over to her desk and suggested I start reading something else.

But I didn’t. Instead I expanded my spy kit from binoculars to invisible ink, secret codes and a magnifying glass. I also started a mystery club and forced my two best friends to join. (Ghostbusters had just been released, so I hooked them in by saying we could solve mysteries involving ghosts just like Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston). We spent HOURS going through old photos looking for ghost clues and running tests on Silly Putty with my chemistry set. After a few months of meetings, my friends became very ‘busy’ on our club nights, so I was left to my own devices again and went back to Nancy Drew.

She opened so many doors in my mind. All the adventure I wanted was right there on the page, and unlike TV or movies, I could spend hours in just one story, investing so much into the character. Actually, until now I didn’t realize how much Nancy Drew acted as a foundation for what I read and write now. I love spy and mystery novels, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books are some of my most favorite. The best part about reading is the escape, and for me, Nancy Drew introduced me to the grand world outside my own and laid a foundation for a future love of espionage, travel and just being a girl.

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About Nancy Drew - Nancy Drew, the classic mystery-solving heroine, returns in these special-issue omnibus editions. Each collection features three bestselling, classic Nancy Drew mysteries.

The Best of Nancy Drew Classic Collection Volume 1

#1 The Secret of the Old Clock: Nancy Drew's keen mind is tested when she searches for a missing will in this mystery that started them all.

#3 The Bungalow Mystery: When one of Nancy's closest friends suspects her guardians of trying to steal her inheritance, Nancy's search for clues leads her to an old, abandoned bungalow.

#43 The Mystery of the 99 Steps: Despite warnings from a stranger, Nancy sets out for France to search for a flight of 99 steps that may help solve the mystery of a weird dream and a possible case of blackmail.

Buy it at IndieBound

About Escapades of Romantically Challenged Me - Lelaina is trying to make it in LA, but first she has to make it through her trip home... Aspiring screenwriter Lelaina Zane finally lands a Hollywood break, but it's cut short when her dad has a heart attack and she has to return to her home town. Leaving LA for the first time in three years, she returns home to be with her family. And now that she's back, her parents want her to stay and join the family law firm. After three years of unsuccessfully trying to 'make it' in Hollywood, she thinks they might be right. But soon after settling into her new life, Hollywood calls with a potential offer. Lelaina has to decide if she'll stay for her ailing father and the promise of a successful life, or return to LA to pursue what she's always wanted. Torn between her two choices, the decision becomes even harder when her cheating ex -- her first love, first kiss and first... you know -- reappears with apologies and a proposition.

Buy it at Amazon

Friday Fill-Ins - 8/20/10

1. Laughter keeps us sane.

2. In keeping with are the three words that started off the last email I sent.

3. What I'm most looking forward to today is lunch at Roadhouse with some of my teachers.

4. My husband puts a smile on my face.

5. Where in the world did some people learn to drive!

6. Coffee is just what I needed!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing at home, tomorrow my plans include shopping with my mom and a birthday party for a friend and Sunday, I want to rest up and prepare for the first day of school!

Because Of A Book with Mary Lynn Archibald

I am pleased to have another WOW author with me this week.  Please help me welcome Mary Lynn Archibald to the blog.

Mary Lynn Archibald is a freelance editor and copywriter, and the author of two books: Briarhopper: A History, a memoir of one woman’s life from 1913-1945, and Accidental Cowgirl: Six Cows, No Horse and No Clue, a lighthearted personal memoir of a greenhorn’s life on a small cattle ranch. Her forthcoming memoir, due out in early 2011, deals in part with her life as a San Francisco chorus girl.

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It's difficult to say which book made me want to become a writer, but they say early influences on a child are the most significant.

If that's true, Misty of Chincoteague comes to mind. I must have been in the fourth grade when I read it, and it made an indelible impression. Partly of course, it was because I wanted a horse so badly at that age, as most young girls do.

But I think that primarily the book had such a hold on me because of several key things:

• The horse was a symbol of freedom

• Misty was a creature of mythical proportions

• The foal, Misty, I imagined was me

That story captured my imagination, drew me into its world, and didn't let go.

Funny thing is, I never had a horse of my own, and I only rode one twice in my 70-plus years. It turned out that I was allergic to horsehair, and terrified of riding horses.

Good thing my cattle ranch experience didn't involve them, as we did all our cattle herding on foot—a rather perilous pursuit, when dealing with animals that weigh nearly 1000 pounds.

Of course there were many other stories that thrilled me in those early years of reading. My mother had read the Grimm Fairy Tales to me when I was very young, and as soon as I could read them for myself, I nearly wore the book out rereading my favorite stories. “The Goose Girl” and “The Princess and the Frog” were the best, although I suspect their principle attraction was the illustrations of the beautiful heroines in my book. I could imagine I was them, too.

I also read Bobby Bubbles, another imaginatively illustrated children's book, which was a story about a boy who blew a bubble so big it carried him away to strange lands and interesting adventures. That was another one my mother had read to me when I was probably three, and that I reread as I grew older.

I knew I wanted to create stories like that, too. But the book that I reread most of all was Winnie the Pooh. It's one of the few I still read as an adult, because it contains so many universal truths of the sort we so desperately need these days.

Books have always been my teachers. Which books have been yours?

Mary Lynn has graciously offered a copy of Accidental Cowgirl to one of my readers.  Please comment below if you'd like to be entered.  Winner will be chosen at random.  Open to US/Canada addresses.  Contest ends Tuesday, Aug. 24th at midnight.

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About Misty of Chincoteague - Nobody could capture the Phantom. She was the wildest mare on Assateague Island. They said she was like the wind, that the white "map" on her shoulders was her mark of freedom.

Paul and Maureen Beebe had their hearts set on owning her. They were itching to buy and tame her, and worked hard to earn the money that she would cost. But the roundup men had tried to capture her and for two years she had escaped them....
Pony Penning Day holds a surprise for everyone, for Paul not only brings in the Phantom, but her newborn colt as well. Can Paul and Maureen possibly earn enough to buy them both?

Buy it at IndieBound

About Accidental Cowgirl - In 1990, we heard the wilderness call to us, and, God help us, we answered. Of course, we had no business trying to run a full-time ranch with no experience. People tried to tell us that "The Simple Life" wasn't so simple, but we weren't listening. If you're over 50, or in a job rut, or looking for adventure (or all of the above), and you yearn for a tranquil country hideaway, please read this cautionary tale first.

Buy it at IndieBound

Blog Tour - Fur and Feathers

Today I have the privilege of interviewing the illustrator of the newly released children's book, Fur and Feathers, by Janet Halfmann.  Laurie Klein graciously answered some questions for me just for this blog tour and I'm so excited to share her thoughts with you.  I hope you enjoy what she has to say.  If so, please leave her a comment and let her know your thoughts.

WFAR - Please tell us a little about yourself.

Laurie - I guess the biggest thing is, I have always loved to draw and from my earliest memory made up stories and illustrated them (i even still have some of those early efforts). I grew up in Philadelphia, PA (before moving to Florida when i was 8) and i distinctly remember one of the strongest creative influences from that time - a local kids program, "Cartoon Corners General Store" hosted by Gene London. I tell this story a lot (it comes up in every bio) but i really do credit him (along with Disney animation and being read to as a child) as my inspiration. Between showing cartoons and other character bits on the program, Mr. London would tell stories (fairy tales, myths, legends) and illustrate them on big sheets of paper. That was truly my first introduction into the art of illustration and i have wanted to do it ever since. Art major in school, art studio major in college (Maryville College in maryville, TN), then worked as a graphic and paste-up artist in Atlanta, GA before deciding to do freelance illustration full time. Which i have been doing pretty steadily (with breaks to be a mom) for the past 25 years.

WFAR - How were you chosen to illustrate Fur and Feathers?

Laurie - As a freelance artist and illustrator you are always sending out samples and taking your portfolio around trying to drum up interest and, of course, work. It's actually the hardest part of the job (and, truth be told, my least favorite). I was showing my portfolio and my work caught the attention of Loran Wlodarski who had written a children's story and was looking for an illustrator. We wound up collaborating on the book (If A Dolphin Were A Fish) and Loran spent 7 years sending it out to publishers with little success. Ironically it was Loran's expertise as a science writer that brought him to the attention of Sylvan Dell (they contacted him about checking the content of one of their new books). He told them about "Dolphin" and they liked both the story and my illustrations so that is how i got my foot in the door (or perhaps that should be pencil). After that, when SD would get a manuscript that they felt suited my style, they would call and see if i would be interested in illustrating it. I had already done three animal books for SD so F&F was right up my alley.

WFAR - Have you worked with the author and/or publishers before?

Laurie - Yes, on both counts. My very next book for Sylvan Dell (after If A Dolphin Were A Fish) was Little Skink's Tail, written by Janet Halfmann. Skink was my second book for SD and my first book working with Janet and since Janet is the author of F&F i couldn't resist tucking in a few little "Easter Eggs" (to use a DVD term) in the new book. On page 2 - the wind storm - Little Skink is rather prominently shown getting sucked into the vortex and on page where Sophia id getting the jar of slime for the frog, Little Skink's Tail (along with my two other books) is on the shelf.

WFAR - What materials or techniques did you use to illustrate Fur and Feathers?

Laurie - F&F was done with Prismacolor color pencils on Stonehenge paper. I tend to apply a lot of layers when i color - i start with Black Grape and work out all the shadows and darker areas then start applying various shades. It's all a bit trial and error but i discovered a great technique in a color pencil book that i use pretty extensively - once the pencil is down on the paper i take a brush and go over it with odorless mineral spirits and it helps blend it and make the color a bit more fluid (almost like water color).

WFAR - What else have you illustrated?

Laurie - As noted I have done 4 books for Sylvan Dell: If A Dolphin Were A Fish by Loran Wlodarski
Little Skink's Tail by Janet Halfmann
Where Should Turtle Be? by Susan Ring
Fur and Feathers by Janet Halfmann
and I am currently working on my 5th book for SD, Meet the Planets by John McGranaghan, which comes out Spring 2011.
Prior to my wok for Sylvan Dell I illustrated 4 books for Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta - Out To Pasture, Over What Hill?, Older But Wilder, and One More Time all by Effie Leland Wilder.
And I have done spot illustrations for several educational books, camp field guides, and activity booklets for SeaWorld Adventure Park.

WFAR - What are your favorites?

Laurie - Oo, this could be dangerous - and lengthy - but I'll try to keep it to the top few in each category.

     Author - depending on my obsession of the moment I tend to read a lot of history/science/philosophy/non-fiction books so "author" doesn't come into play much. I have floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on every free wall so the list is pretty eclectic but I DO still have some favorites (particularly from childhood) that come to mind: Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ursula K. LeGuin, Diane Ackerman, Carl Sagan, J. R. R. Tolkien, A.A. Milne, Joan Aiken, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Marguerite De Angeli,. Marguerite Henry, Austin Tappan Wright, Barbara Tuchman, Lois Lowry, Karen Cushman, Charles Dickens....

     Food - Everything - really. I love trying new things (and want desperately to eat some of the weird stuff Andrew Zimmern eats on Bizarre Foods) but hummus is a particular favorite. And sushi, pizza, and chips & cheese (a family snack food must).

     Color - the quick answer would be blue, but technically I really like all colors, or at least many different hues and shades of all colors.

     Book - If my author list was eclectic (and long) my favorite books list is even longer so I'll just keep this list to the books that had a big impact on me or i go back to time and a gain and have read more than two or three times: Lord of the Rings, Islandia, Little Women, Winnie-the-Pooh, The Dispossessed, ...And Ladies of the Club, Beautiful Joe, Black Beauty, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Guns of August, Cross Creek, A Distant Mirror, Catherine - Called Birdie.
- That of course is an abbreviated list of individual titles but in terms of favorite Subject Matter in general - I have entire shelves of books dedicated to polar explorers and exploration, travel, Florida (history and stories), whales & dolphins, art & artists, science & science fiction and - of course - children's books!!

I could go on forever, and you did list "Other", but I'll end with...

     Artist - As with authors and books the list is long, but a few key influences come to mind (and because i simply can't leave them out) - Tasha Tudor, Beatrix Potter, Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, N. C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Norman Rockwell, Edmund Dulac, Edward Gorey, Alan Lee, John Howe, Trina Schart Hyman, Brian Froud, Charlie Harper, M. C. Escher, Toulouse-Lautrec, and the 9 Old Men of Disney Animation. But let me stress - this just scratches the surface!!!!!

Thanks so much for chatting with me, Laurie!  I really enjoyed your thoughts as we corresponded getting this interview together!  


Sylan Dell has been gracious to offer one of my lucky readers a 3-month e-book license for all of Sylvan Dell Publishing’s 55 book.  All you have to do is let me know in the comments that you'd like to be entered.  This contest is open internationally and will run through midnight, Friday Aug. 20.  

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You can watch the Fur and Feathers trailer here. 


Here is the full tour schedule in case you missed any of the posts.

Day 1 Thursday Aug. 5
Review
Cafe of Dreams
http://www.cafeofdreamsbookreviews.com/

Day 2 Friday Aug. 6
Interview with author Janet Halfmann & Giveaway of hardcover Fur and Feathers personalized by Laurie & Janet (ship US only)
Katie’s Nesting Spot
http://www.katiesnestingspot.com/

Day 3 Saturday Aug. 7 - rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 13
Interview with illustrator Laurie Allen Klein & Giveaway of 3-month e-book license for all of Sylvan Dell Publishing’s 55 books (international)
Write for a Reader
http://writeforareader.blogspot.com/

Day 4 Sunday Aug. 8
Review
She Is too Fond of Books
www.sheIsTooFondOfBooks.com

Day 5 Monday Aug. 9
Guest post by Laurie Allen Klein and Giveaway—choice of hardcover Fur and Feathers personalized by Janet & Laurie (ship US only) or 3-month e-book license for all of Sylvan Dell Publishing’s 55 books (international)
Pudgy Penguins Perusals
http://kayespenguinposts.blogspot.com/

Day 6 Tuesday Aug. 10 (Official release date)
Review and Giveaway—choice of hardcover Fur and Feathers personalized by Janet & Laurie (ship US only) or 3-month e-book license for all of Sylvan Dell Publishing’s 55 books (international)
Brimful Curiosities
http://www.brimfulcuriosities.com/

Day 7 Wednesday Aug. 11
Review & Giveaway of hardcover Fur and Feathers personalized by Laurie & Janet (ship US only)
Outnumbered 3-1
http://www.outnumbered3-1.com/

Day 8 Thursday Aug. 12
Guest post (“The Wonders of Writing about Nature”) by author Janet Halfmann & Giveaway of hardcover Fur and Feathers personalized by Laurie & Janet (ship US only)
Lori Calabrese
http://loricalabrese.com/blog/

Friday Fill-Ins - 8/13/10

1. Music is constantly playing in my office.

2. Coffee is what I like first thing in the morning.

3. The first thing I said this morning was:"Get down," to the dog .

4. I'm not sure; it's what's for dinner tonight.

5. It's all been pretty crazy

6.Sleeping is what I feel like doing right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing with hubby, tomorrow my plans include working at school and then a friend's b-day party and Sunday, I want to rest because inservice starts on Monday!

Because of A Book with Diana Raab

Today has been a crazy day with rescheduled blog tours and overbooked Because of A Book features. I apparently had 2 different authors scheduled for today due to a reschedule from last week.  Enjoy today's WOW author and look for another one to come in the weeks ahead.

Today I am pleased to have WOW author, Diana Raab joining me.

Diana M. Raab, MFA, RN was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954 and received her undergraduate degree in Health Administration and Journalism in 1976. A few years later she received her RN degree. After 25 years as a medical and self-help writer, she’s directed her creative energy towards nonfiction and memoir writing. In 2003 she earned her MFA in Writing from Spalding University’s low-residency program.

She is the author of eight books. Her most recent release, Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey (2010) is a memoir/self-help book which includes reflections, experiences, journal entries and poems all emphasizing the healing power of writing. In addition to extensive appendices, each chapter finishes with blank pages and journaling prompts for the reader to write about their own experiences.

Her first memoir, Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal (2007) is the recipient of the 2009 Mom’s Choice Award for Adult Non-Fiction, and the 2009 National Indie Award for Excellence in Memoir.

Diana’s has been writing since a very young age. Currently, she teaches creative journaling and memoir in UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. She facilitates workshops in journaling and writing for healing around the country. She is a frequent moderator for panels on writing.

She's editor of the anthology, Writers and Their Notebooks (USC Press 2010), a collection of essays written by distinguished writers who journal, including Sue Grafton, Kim Stafford, Dorianne Laux, John DuFresne, James Brown and Michael Steinberg, to name a few. The foreword is written by world-renowned personal essayist, Phillip Lopate.

After experiencing three successful, but high-risk pregnancies, she wrote a comprehensive guide for other women. The award-winning Getting Pregnant and Staying Pregnant (1989) which was recently updated and revised in collaboration with Dr. Errol Norwitz of Yale School of Medicine under the new title, Your High Risk Pregnancy: A Practical and Supportive Guide (2009).

Raab's award-winning work has been published in numerous literary magazines and is widely anthologized. She has one poetry chapbook, My Muse Undresses Me and two poetry collections, Dear Anais: My Life in Poems For You winner of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Award for Poetry and the newly released The Guilt Gene.

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How Writing Can Help Us Heal

by

Diana M. Raab

At the age of ten, I made my first journal entry. My grandmother had just committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills in her room next to mine. It was Labor Day Weekend, 1964, and my parents were both at work. I cracked open her bedroom door and grandma lay in bed completely still with a Graham Greene book and a pair of glasses resting on her chest. The sheer curtains swayed in the breeze as if waving good-bye.

After the commotion of ambulances, paramedics, and my parents frantically rushing about, the grief of this loss penetrated like a deep-seated bullet. But, healing only began days later, when my mother handed me my first journal. I poured my grief onto its pages. Little did my mother know that her seemingly benign gesture set the platform for my life as a writer.

In fact, over the years, I’ve learned that when in distress, many writers do turn to writing because it is a form of catharsis and/or therapy. We can say that when life takes an unexpected turn, journals can become our best friends. Poet Langston Hughes said, “When I feel bad, I write in order to keep from feeling worse.” Writing to feel better is probably the most common reason people crack open their journals. Therapists often suggest journaling as a part of the healing process to help channel problems. Poet Kim Stafford says that the journal lets him wallow, if that’s what he needs. “But,” he says, “the act of writing lifts me out.”

The challenges surrounding illness can also become a catalyst for journaling.  “When it hurts write harder,” one colleague tells me. During the my breast cancer journey, my journal became the forum for venting my fears and frustrations. Eventually parts of my journal entries ended up in my recently released self-help memoir, Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey.

Over the years, journaling has been a healthy habit like brushing my teeth. It’s such a powerful tool for our fast-paced and hi-tech existence where TVs, radios, and cell phones clog up our auditory receptors. Some argue that journaling on a computer provides quicker results, but I’m really against it. Not only does the act of using a pen and paper slow us down, but recent studies have shown that we dig deeper into our psyches with a pen in hand.

For the writer, the journal or notebook is not only to a place to play around with words and voice, but it is a place to foster a more intimate relationship with who we are. The journal is also be a place to gather momentum and excitement about writing, akin to the artist’s sketchbook. Many writers, including myself, use their journals as catch-alls for personal experiences, observations and seeds for future works.

Writers such as James Brown says that his journals serve as tools for their creative work: “For me, the journal is a kind of stepping stone to a larger, more refined work. That could be a memoir, a novel, a short story, the personal essay or a script.”

Don’t laugh but it’s important to secure the proper tools for journaling, which include having a seductive and readily available notebook and pen. A few years ago while on vacation with my husband in Hawaii, I was caught without my tools. We’d gotten up early for a drive in the country. Moments after we climbed into our rental car and had already driven a mile up the road, I realized that I’d forgotten my notebook. In a literary panic, I asked my husband to stop at a remote gas station, but, much to my dismay, they had nothing that resembled a writing pad. A few miles later, standing on its own, was a general store, glowing with promise. I entered like a child searching for candy, only to learn that they also had no pads. Head hanging low once again, I walked back to the car, but before pulling the door open, I made an abrupt about-face.

I returned to the cashier and asked for the key to the ladies’ room. From the roll on the wall, I yanked out a stack of paper towels, a suitable, but fragile substitute for a journal. I pondered about what a desperate writer would do for something to scribble on. I was now set to continue my private internal dialogue and ready to plant the seeds which might one day blossom into fine verse. And this is one of the greatest joys of being a writer!

Graciously, the author has offered a copy of this book to one of my readers.  Please comment below and you are entered.  Contest is open to US/Canada residents and ends Tuesday, Aug. 17th at midnight.  Winner will be chosen at random and posted on the 18th.  Good luck...spread the word!

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About Healing With Words:  Healing With Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey is a compassionate and wry self-help memoir written by an award-winning prolific author, nurse and poet, who at the age of forty-seven found her life shattered first by a DCIS (early breast cancer) diagnosis and five years later by another, seemingly unrelated and incurable cancer--multiple myeloma. The book includes the author's experiences, reflections, poetry and journal entries, in addition to writing prompts for readers to express their own personal story. Raab's journals have provided a safe haven and platform to validate and express her feelings. Raab views journaling to be like a daily vitamin--in that it heals, detoxifies and is essential for optimal health.

Readers will learn to:

Understand the importance of early cancer detection and how to take control of their own health

Discover the power of writing to release bottled-up emotions

Learn how the process of journaling can facilitate healing

See how a cancer diagnosis can be a riveting event which can renew and change a person in a unique way

Buy it at Amazon