Tag Archives: Children’s Author

My next work in progress

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I’m very excited about my next work in progress as it is a cute children’s story about nicknames. The illustrations are turning out well, and it is going to be dedicated to my latest granddaughter who is now three years old. I’ve dedicated my books to all of my grandchildren and also to my adult children. So, it is always fun for me when I am nearing the end of a new book and then finally get to present my grandchild the book dedicated to them. Coming soon….May 2022.

After that book is completed I am planning on writing a sequel to my romance novel, A Christmas to Remember. I’m equally as excited about doing that.

For all of you following my blog, please stop back from time to time for updates.

Until then,

-Virginia Wright

Guest Author: Sherry Ellis Author of Ten Zany Birds

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Ten zany birds have a tree party, until one by one they find other things to do. It’s a zany countdown – which bird will stick around?

Sherry Ellis, authorWhat a cute book…and great, introduction to my special guest. Today my friend and author, Sherry Ellis has been gracious enough to take time out of her super-busy schedule to stop by my blog as, guest author. Sherry Ellis has always been an inspiration to me as she is an amazing woman,  not only is she a freelance writer and award-winning author, she is a mom and a professional musician.

Her books include, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN, That Mama is a Grouch, and Ten Zany Birds.

She is also a professional musician who plays and teaches violin, viola, and piano.                                                                                                                                                   Sherry lives with her husband and two children in Atlanta, Georgia.

You can learn more about Sherry Ellis on her website, www.sherryellis.org

Ten Zany Birds

Description: Ten zany birds have a party in a tree, singing and dancing. Five have stripes, three have spots, and one has purple polka dots. They’re all having fun, but one by one, they become distracted.

One is frightened by a loud plane. One gets hungry. One wants to race and another needs a bath. Only one stays to sing in the tree, but who will it be?

Ten Zany Birds is a fun, beautifully illustrated picture book. As parents and teachers read, children are introduced to counting and basic subtraction skills. Whenever a bird leaves, the number of striped, spotted, and polka-dotted birds changes, teaching the application of simple classification rules.

Whimsical and entertaining, Sherry Ellis’s tale of ten silly, distractible little birds is an excellent choice for both prereader storybook time and early readers.   

Let’s get on with our interview: 

Ten Zany Birds Cover What inspired you to write, Ten Zany Birds?  My daughter received a birthday party invitation a few years ago. On the front of the card was a picture of some crazy little birds. They ignited my imagination. I had been contemplating writing a counting book, and I thought little birds would be perfect for it.

How is Ten Zany Birds different from other counting books?  When I wrote Ten Zany Birds, I wanted to create a book that not only taught kids about numbers and counting, but also about colors, classifying, and basic subtraction.  Ten Zany Birds does that. Each of the birds is a different color. Some have stripes. Some have spots. One has purple polka dots. As each bird becomes distracted and leaves, the number of spotted and striped birds in each group changes. It teaches children to pay attention to these details. The simple rhyming text is also good for early readers.

The water color illustrations are so colorful and whimsical. Can you tell us about the illustrator? Charu Jain is the illustrator. She is a very talented lady who lives in India. I met her through a children’s writer and illustrator social media site called, JacketFlap. I looked at samples of her work and noticed that not only were they excellent, but she also seemed to really enjoy drawing birds. That was important for a book with lots of birds! She had also mentioned that it was her dream to illustrate a children’s book. I contacted her, and the rest is history. I think children will really enjoy the colorful world she created. They’ll like the little spider and snail characters she included on each page, too.

Do you have any other projects you are working on? Yes. My agent has another picture book manuscript I wrote called, Don’t Feed the Elephant! He’s looking for a publisher. He also has the manuscripts for my children’s chapter book series. The first book is called, Bubba & Squirt and The Big Dig to China.  I’m currently revising some of the manuscripts in that series. The premise of the series is that two kids, Bubba and Squirt, travel through a hole that goes through the Earth and takes them to different countries. There they have adventures, while learning about the language, history, and culture of the country. I have other ideas for picture books, and even a novel. They should keep me writing for a long time!

Where can readers purchase your book(s)? They can be found on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sherry-Ellis/e/B002BLHFN6/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ten-zany-birds-sherry-ellis/1121951429?ean=9781497404588

and Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/547690

Where can readers connect with you? I’m on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sherry-Ellis-388897186076/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/513sherrye

and Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4818957.Sherry_Ellis

They can also connect with me on my blog:  http://sherryellis.blogspot.com

And at my website:  www.sherryellis.org

Thank you for having me as a guest!

You are welcome, Sherry. As always you are an inspiration. I wish you the best with your new book Ten Zany Birds, it is an adorable book. I also look forward to your future writing projects!

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Week 4 – Nov. 28,2012 Guest Author | Mario Joseph Cardarelli

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Author Mario Cardarelli was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. He loves children of all ages. Mario has volunteered in a variety of ways with children. Mario has mentored them and has worked in pre-schools, day camps, and hospitals just to mention a few. His books are based not only on experiences, but, the talents of all the children within their communities and what they have to offer. He sends out to the readers, worldwide issues/ messages in his books. He also, writes about children’s dreams, and fantasies. Mario writes adult books as well as, children’s books. Mario speaks out for children, and mentors them. Mario Cardarelli is now a full time published Writer/Author/Publisher. As well as helping others.

Welcome! Mario, I’m so happy that you are joining this event “Seven Weeks to Christmas Author Interviews & Giveaways.” Thank you so much for taking the time to come talk to us about your book. I wanted to thank you for your generous offer to give away a few copies of  your books to commenters of this blog.

With that said, let’s get on with your interview!

-Virginia

1. What is the working title of your book?
” Bitten By Darkness.”

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea or concept, came from, a true event that happened to a lady that was related to my mom.

3. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I would like to have, Kirsten Dunst play “Anna,” My main character, and for the Master Vampire, Colin Farrell.

4. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
She is given the opportunity to live again by a fatal bite by the master of the vampires. He is the only vampire who is left alive and has the desire and the power to create his family of darkness.

5. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I am going to have my book, self published

6. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me 3 months to write the first draft, and come up with a original concept with a twist.

7. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
If i had to compare this book, ( and i dont like comparing )  I would say, ” Twilight.” with a twist and even Stephen King.

8. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
In a word, teenagers, children, they love a good vampire story. I go straight to the source for ideas.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and a Big Thank you to https://www.virginiawright.com/blog

You are welcome! Thank you for the interview. -Virginia

Blog: http://mjcpublishing.weebly.com/

Guest Post | Sherry Ellis, Author

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Sherry Ellis, Author

Sherry Ellis is the author of That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN and That Mama is
a Grouch, which was awarded first place in the Parenting category of the
2011 Pinnacle Book Awards. She is also a professional musician who plays
and teaches violin, viola, and piano. She lives in Loveland, Ohio, with her
husband and two children, and has considerable experience with toy-strewn
environments.

 

 

  1. What inspired you to write? Both of my books were inspired by true life experiences.  That Mama is a Grouch was inspired after I tripped over toys my kids’ toys.  I whacked my foot on the sofa and ended up breaking my toe.  Believe me, I was one grouchy mama!

2. Can you tell us a little about That Mama is a Grouch?

That Mama is a Grouch

Sure.  It’s the story of a mom who is having a tantrum.  There are toys on the floor, messes in the kitchen, and finger-paint on the walls.  Mama is sick of it.  The narrator, the precocious child who made the mess, can’t seem to understand what the problem is.  Finally, Mama explains some rules of the house.  Then it all makes sense – at least for a little while.  That Mama is a Grouch is a fun book for kids ages 3-8 that lets them know that parents are human with feelings and emotions.  It also reminds parents that kids are, well, kids.  Messes are to be expected.  It is my hope that kids and parents will read the book and use it as a tool to talk about some of their own household rules.

3. What is a typical writing day like for you? My days are anything but typical.  I suppose that’s part of being a mom with young kids.  I try to write whenever I have an opportunity.  Sometimes I write at the bus stop when I’m waiting to pick up my children.  More often than not, I write in the evening.  It’s hard for me to find an hour or two for uninterrupted writing.  I have to take it in fifteen-minute snippets.  That said I still manage to write nearly every day.

4. What do you enjoy most about writing? I enjoy using my imagination as I write.  It’s fun to create characters and story lines.  It’s almost as if I’m a little kid again, making my own imaginary world.  Who wouldn’t like that!

5. What is the most difficult part of writing for children? Well, obviously I’m not a kid.  So the two biggest challenges are coming up with stories and characters that are interesting for kids today, and not being too “preachy.”  If there’s a lesson to be learned, it has to be subtle.  Otherwise kids aren’t going to want to read it.

6. What is the best writing advice you have ever received? Join a writers’ group (and go to the meetings!).  It really forces you to keep up your writing skills.  In a sense, you are held accountable by your peers.  It’s also a great way to get feedback on your work.   As an extra bonus, you can learn about various opportunities (like workshops and book shows) in your area.

7. Do you have any other works in progress?  Can you share a little about them? I have written another picture book called, Ten Zany Birds.  I am currently looking for a publisher for it.  The big project I’m working on is a chapter book series.  The first book is called, Bubba and Squirt’s Big Hole to China.  The premise of the books will be that Bubba and Squirt travel via magic, to other countries.  They will learn a little about the language, culture, and history of the people who live countries.  While they are there, they will learn about the language, culture, and history of the people, while having some kind of adventure.  I have been working on this first manuscript for about two years, and have revised it at least fifty times.  It’s almost ready for resubmission to an interested agent.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

8. Do you make school visits?  If so, please describe a typical school presentation. I do make school visits.  I speak to classes of around twenty students.  During these presentations, I usually read one of my books.  Then I’ll talk about the writing process and the steps to getting published.  Aspiring authors always have questions, so I do my best to answer questions and then encourage them to keep writing.

9.  Do you have a website? Yes, I do.  My official website is www.sherryellis.org.  You can also connect with me on my blog:  www.sherryellis.blogspot.com.

10.  What is your best tip for aspiring children’s book authors? Read.  Read as much as you can so that you get a good sense of what kids like, and what publishers want to see.

Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog!

We appreciate you stopping by, Sherry.

Sherry will be giving away one paperback copy of her book, and one eBook. You must comment for your chance to win.

Good Luck! Commenters…

Comments are now open!

 

The Recipe Corner

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Recipes @ The Recipe Corner

I’m so excited how the recipe corner is starting to shape up! It was suggested by fans that I start posting recipes on my writing blog instead of only on social media sites. Based on the requests, I am going to post recipes in a new section here on my blog, that I refer to as the recipe corner.                                                              (https://virginiawright.com/blog/recipes)

If you have a “Tried and True” recipe you would like to have posted at the recipe corner, send in the recipe to [info] [at] virginiawright [dot] com. In the subject area type: Recipe Submission. Please include your full name and the state you are from along with your recipe, adding that you give permission to post your recipe. All recipes are reviewed for consideration, and if your recipe is chosen, you will be notified when it is in the queue for posting.

-Virginia Wright, Author & Queen of Recipe Adaptation :-)