Category: Giveaway

CLARINDA CLOUD and JOHNNY'S ADVENTURE MAKES READING FUN by Jodi Desautels are Free on Kindle 3/5-3/7 2015

3/5/2015

Hello everyone! Today, I am happy to announce that two of my children's books are FREE on Kindle today, tomorrow, and Saturday (3/5-3/7 2015).

Clarinda Cloud

CLARINDA CLOUD is an adorable little cloud who changes colors as her feelings change. The book is a great resource to practice and discuss the identification of basic feelings and colors. It also has repetitive text and whimsical illustrations to encourage early readers.

Best for ages 2-5

Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun

JOHNNY doesn't like to read. By the end of the story, with the help of Mom, that all changes. The book is a great resource for parents, grandparents, daycare providers, and early educators for young children who don't like to read. However, it is great for all children. After all, you are never too young for an adventure.

Best for ages 4-7

CLARINDA CLOUD and JOHNNY'S ADVENTURE MAKES READING FUN are both meant to be positive books with a role model for good outlooks and mental health, as well as educational. They are meant to be fun and relatable.

If you have one of the books and like it, please consider letting me know by writing a review.

Just as a reminder, if you are interested in purchasing a signed copy, feel free to contact me. I am also available for author visits, virtual author visits, book signings, guest speaking, and workshops. Thank you.

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An Author Interview with Gloria Repp

12/18/2013

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Hello everyone! Today, I am welcoming author Gloria Repp. Please help her feel comfortable.

Now, let's learn a little about this author.

Gloria, please, tell us a little about yourself.

As I think about my books, I realize that they all have elements of adventure or mystery, and they often include wild creatures. I grew up in the Hawaiian Islands and the Pacific Northwest, and it was there I learned a love for wilderness and the ocean. Over the years, my experiences gained from raising three children, teaching school, and editing have made useful contributions to my work.

After writing twelve children’s books, I transitioned from traditional publishing to Indie publishing, and I have found it a happy but challenging experience. I take frequent research trips to explore New Jersey’s beautiful Pine Barrens—my latest setting inspiration—and have found it a wonderful location for my series about a brave little treefrog: Tales of Friendship Bog.



What is the title of your book? What is it about?

My most recent book is Catch a Robber, Book 4 in the Tales of Friendship Bog series. In this story, Pibbin, a tiny but courageous treefrog, takes two friends with him to track down the sneaky lizard-robber who has disappeared into Shadow Swamp. http://www.amazon.com/Catch-Robber-Tale-Friendship-Tales-ebook/dp/B00FIBM1CQ/

What inspired you to write this book?

One spring, I heard the Pine Barrens Treefrogs singing, wonk-wonk-wonk, and I held one of the little creatures in my hand. I asked myself, “Could anything so tiny also be brave? What adventures might he have?”

The idea grew. I would write about the adventures of Pibbin, a Pine Barrens Treefrog, beautifully colored in green, lavender, orange, and white. He would live in a bog I’d visited, near the near the ruins of a town named Friendship. Although no bigger than my thumb, he would be brave, a frog who dared anything on behalf of his friends.

Drawing on my experience as a teacher, I wrote about Pibbin’s adventures with simple words and sentences so that children who were beginning to read could enjoy them. I called the series Tales of Friendship Bog.

You write for children. Is it easy?

Writing for children is often considered a good place for the novice writer to start, but in reality, the genre is both difficult and demanding. It is difficult because of limitations on vocabulary, sentence structure, and concept, and the need for good presentation (sufficient white space and illustrations). Entire books have been written on each of these subjects. It is demanding because of the dual audiences involved. Children want a story that is exciting or compelling or fun, as well as easy to read. Parents and educators want the story to have intrinsic value. Many adults will use the story as a springboard for discussion and teaching about traits such as generosity, friendship, or compassion.

Stories for children abound that are shallow or silly or muddled, but the best children’s book writers will have a vision for excellence—and follow it.

(As a children's author myself, I can totally relate to this!)

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing for about thirty-five years. I wrote my first story for my youngest son, and my eldest son illustrated it. The result was less than professional, but it was a start.

Where do you market your books?

I market my Indie-published books exclusively on Amazon, for the time being. Amazon does an excellent job of printing and digitizing my books, and I have so many more books to write that I don’t want to spend precious minutes on other marketing venues.

Do you have other books?

I have several other books for children, from ages 5 to 12 and up; the best place to see them is on my website: http://gloriarepp.com/

What is your hope for your book?

My hope for the Tales series is twofold. First, I would like children, especially reluctant readers, to simply enjoy a good story. Second, I would like the children to absorb a little about the concept of how a good friend might act.

What is a little known fact about you that you can share?

My family knows this, but not many others: I am a morning person. I like to get up early to write or to read, and I even sing before breakfast. In fact, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

(Ugh! A morning person! I cannot relate with you on that!)

Besides writing, what are some of your other hobbies or interests?

I like to read—endlessly, omnivorously, every chance I get—it’s almost a character flaw. I have to be stern with myself or we’d have dry cereal every night for supper, except that I like to cook too, and my family enjoys that. I also like the outdoors and such activities as hiking, canoeing, and kayaking.

(I enjoy reading, kayaking, and canoeing as well.)

Do you illustrate your own books?

I do not. If I could, I would—believe me—because I usually have a vision for what each scene should look like, and my artist, who is superb, may look at it a different way. Then I usually take a deep breath and rewrite the story to fit his art.

Do you make your own covers?

For the Tales series, I use an illustration that the artist gives me and design my own covers. For my novels, I hire a professional to design the covers.

What are you working on now?

I have the illustrations for Tale #5 waiting for me to incorporate into the story. I need to do that as soon as I get past the holidays. My hope is to write the rough drafts for Tales #6 and #7 (the last one) this spring.

Do you write in any other genres?

I write Christian novels as well. The Forever Stone is first in The Dumont Chronicles. It is the story of a young widow who, desperate to escape the memories of her abusive husband, joins her aunt’s house-restoration project in the Pine Barrens. She is determined to take a stand for independence, but two men have different plans for her—and so does God. http://www.amazon.com/The-Forever-Stone-Gloria-Repp-ebook/dp/B00AKZO1HI/

I have just released the next in the series: Deep Focus, which centers on an adventurous photographer, another of the Dumont women. http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Focus-The-Dumont-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00H8CKKYE/

What other genre(s) would you like to write some day?

I’d like to write historical fiction, beginning with stories of the Dumont women in Colonial days.

Gloria, thank you for sharing with us today. I hope everyone enjoyed the interview and will check out Gloria's work.

Announcements

Please remember the "Clarinda Cloud" contest...the last one of the year! You can have a chance to win a free copy by just answering two questions...you can pick from the questions on this site and my other blogs:

*Clarinda Cloud's Feelings Blog
*DUO Education Learning Blog

Here are your questions:

1. Please explore the site. What would you like to see offered for readers or authors on this site?
2. What kinds of books and on what topics would you like to see more of for children? Why?

A winner will be chosen from the people who answered at least two questions at the end of the month or beginning of next year. If nobody answers at least two questions, I will donate a book to someone or some place. If you win but would prefer a book to be given elsewhere, please let me know. (U.S. addresses only at this time, please.) Thank you. Good luck!

*Also.... My ebooks are free today (12/18/13) on Kindle. You can click on the titles to take you directly to their listings on Amazon.com. It is a great time to get your copy of "Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun" and "Clarinda Cloud." And... maybe you could even write a review. I would love to hear what you think of the books. Thank you!

Next Wednesday is Christmas, so I won't be blogging on Wednesday. I will do a simple blog on Tuesday to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

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Reflections, Ponderings, Giveaways, and Announcements

12/11/2013

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“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
~William Shakespeare

Hi everyone! I have been doing some reflecting and pondering lately. Maybe it is because I have been answering interview questions for a few people who will be interviewing me on their blogs. More than likely, it is just the way I am. I like to reflect and ponder.
I have thought about how I have grown as a writer, illustrator, formatter, marketer, and person from when I first started a little over a year ago. (Well, I started as a person a little longer ago than that.)
I have met quite a few kind people along the way who have been willing to help me, encourage me, advise me, promote me, etc. We have shared, chatted, brainstormed, and helped each other. I have truly built friendships along the way.
In the beginning I was a beginner in all of it. Today, I still consider myself a beginner as I am still fairly new to the field. Yet, I am feeling more confident in the field and more experienced. Maybe, I could even consider myself in the intermediate level!
I have made quite a few changes along the way. Recently, I changed the cover to one of my books, "Clarinda Cloud," to make it more eye catching. I didn't think of that as much in the beginning. Yet, the importance of cover designs means more to me now and my illustrating skills have improved.
In the beginning, I also "liked" pages and shared things by other authors without considering my target audience, the family friendliness of my sites, or the quality of the things I was liking and sharing in hopes that other authors would return the favor. Yet, I have decided to be more discriminate in what I share or like. I want to "know" more about the things I like or share, so I can really stand behind them. I try not to say anything I don't mean or know about a book or author any more.
I still hope to be able to share, like, and promote books and authors. There are many wonderful books and authors out there. I just want to make sure that I am being honest with my shares, likes, and promotions. And, just because I don't recommend a book, it may not be that it is a great story. It may be that it has some errors in it. Sometimes if there errors were fixed, I would happily give a glowing review!
I am currently thinking of ways I could help encourage quality work in 2014 and beyond. I have thought about possibly offering a proofreading service for children's/MG/YA authors. If I don't do it myself, I have thought about creating a network and offering referrals to other wonderful people who do author friendly services such as editing, proofreading, formatting, PR work, illustrating, cover creations, etc. I have also thought about creating a "write and publish your own children's book" class or mentoring program. (Yes, I am only at the intermediate level with this, however I am an experienced educator. And, often times people will choose people just a little ahead of them in the progress to support them, so that they feel the supporter "knows how they feel and what they are going through" because he or she was there not long ago.)
Research and considerations are in progress for these things now. I would like to get your feedback and ideas. Also, if you would be interested in joining the network, please feel free to contact me.

Notes and Announcements

*Please check out the latest interview of me. It is by Fiona McVie and she did a wonderful job! Thank you, Fiona!
*Along with all of this reflecting and pondering, I have been thinking about how I could make my sites better. I would like your help there as well. For mainly that reason, I am offering a giveaway contest on my blogs. For more information and a chance to enter, please follow the links the posts on the following sites. I am hoping this chance for you to win a copy of "Clarinda Cloud" will be a win/win for both of us.
~DUO Education Learning Blog
~Clarinda Cloud's Feeling Blog
~What is New with Jodi Desautels?
Good luck!
*I am having a giveaway for my ebooks on Kindle on December 17th and 18th. That means you will be able to get the Kindle edition of "Clarinda Cloud" and "Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun" will be free on those days. Taking advantage of free giveaways on Kindle is a great way to decide if you want to buy the softcover, give the author a review on the book, or have it for trips and in the car. (I don't particularly like the idea of ebooks for children, but they do have their uses.)
*Also, I am going to be co-hosting (with Virginia Wright) the "2nd Annual Author Christmas Giveaway" event on Facebook on December 17th. You are all invited! It is a great way to "mingle" with authors online, ask questions, get answers, play games, win books, etc. Many authors are expected to show up.

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Author Interview with Angie Harris about her Book: "Momma's Little Helpers", Announcements, Clarinda Cloud Contest, and Shout Outs

12/4/2013

3 Comments

Hello everyone! Today I am interviewing a fellow Vermonter! Yay for us Vermonters! LOL! Okay... please welcome fellow Vermonter and fellow author/illustrator, Angie Harris.

Angie, please tell us about yourself.
a.    I wear many hats on any given day…I am a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter, friend, confidant, and a counselor. During the day, I am an IT tech and facilitator at a high school, along with many other titles and descriptions… And by night, I am a friend to all who need me. Somewhere in the middle of all of this, I find time to write and indulge my inner child—who can be a bit bratty at times. Wink… wink. ;)

What is the title of your book?
a. Momma’s Little Helpers

Please tell us a little about your book.
a.    Momma’s Little Helpers is a wonderful little story about five young girls who embark upon some great adventures to rally support for their sick mother.

What inspired you to write this book?
a.    Honestly, this book was never meant to be written as a story which I intended to share…It was meant to inspire my mother as she was struggling to overcome lung cancer.

Which of your characters is your favorite and why?
a.    That would have to be Misty…her character has some great scenes. And because these characters are all representative of my sisters and me, I was able to easily imagine Misty and how she would react within the story. For her small size, she was brave and courageous and fought a great battle with a leprechaun. But truthfully, Misty (my sister) remains a child at heart and always will. I made her parts within the story so colorful because I knew how hard she would laugh when I read it to her—and boy did she!

What is your hope for your book?
a. Only that it keeps doing as well as it has up to this point. It has been received very well and has surpassed any expectations that I had for it. Just a few short weeks ago, Momma’s Little Helpers was bestowed the honor of receiving a B.R.A.G. (Book Reader Appreciation Group) Medallion! What a wonderful honor and completely unexpected. A friend had submitted the book for review and it passed all their judging panels and was awarded the Medallion.

What genre do you write?
a.    I like to challenge myself and try to write in as many different genres as possible. Currently, I have written children’s books and YA books within the fantasy category, but have mixed some of them with science fiction and love writing poetry.

How long have you been writing?
a. Since I could hold a pencil…I know…cliché…but also true. I have always been a bit of a story teller and always will be. It is part of my nature, part of who I am and how I express myself. Sometimes I share what I write, and sometimes I don’t. I write for pleasure and sometimes as a means of therapy.

What is your favorite way to promote yourself and your book?
a.    I would have to say that would be doing book readings. While it can seem a bit intimidating at first, I have always had my most rewarding experiences reading and discussing the books I have written.

What is your favorite place to market your book?
a.    Twitter

Do you have other books? (Feel free to list them.)
a.    Yes. I have written two novels in my YA fantasy series The Gates of the Realm, The Realm and Vanya’s Quest. I have also written two other children’s books for another series called Monster Feet. Monster Feet was actually self-published and gained some decent attention in a very short time. About three months after its publication, it was contracted by a publishing house. Sue’s Deep Sea Adventure is the second book in that series and has not yet been released.

Is there a message, a lesson, or a moral to your story? If so, would you like to share it?
a. There are many messages hidden within the pages of Momma’s Little Helpers. The girls exhibit teamwork, compassion, support of a loved one during times of need, selflessness and even courage. As the pages turn these five girls deliver many different messages to their audience.

Do you make your own covers?
a.    So far, I have for all of them except for The Realm.

Do you have a blog or website?
a.    Yes. http://www.angieharris.weebly.com

Are you a morning person or a night person?
a.    Morning.

Ugh... a morning person. Not me. I am more of a night owl. But... it must work for Angie, because I know her and her writing. I like her books! And, I am so happy for her! Thank you for sharing, Angie!
Having a BRAG medallion is a wonderful honor for an indie author. If you are an indie author and want to know more about the BRAG medallion, you can go to their website at www.bragmedallion.com.

You can connect with Angie Harris on:
Facebook
Twitter

You can also find "Momma's Little Helpers" on Amazon.com.

A New Cover and a New Contest

Wonderful news! "Clarinda Cloud" is getting a new cover! What do you think? I got to thinking that my original cover may not be eye catching enough. I hope to get it changed this week. It will be down for a day or two during the transition. But... after...it will be the same great book.... just with an even better cover!
There is also a new "Clarinda Cloud" contest...the last one of the year! You can have a chance to win a free copy by just answering two questions...you can pick from the questions on this site and my other blogs:

Clarinda Cloud's Feelings Blog
DUO Education Learning Blog

Here are your questions:

1. Please explore the site. What would you like to see offered for readers or authors on this site?
2. What kinds of books and on what topics would you like to see more of for children? Why?

A winner will be chosen from the people who answered at least two questions at the end of the month or beginning of next year. If nobody answers at least two questions, I will donate a book to someone or some place. If you win but would prefer a book to be given elsewhere, please let me know. (U.S. addresses only at this time, please.) Thank you. Good luck!

Announcements and Shout Outs

*I am now giving shout outs and promoting other authors more than I have in the past. I try not to give the impression that I know more about a book or author that I really do. If I know about an author or book, I try to say so and give a more specific shout out. If I don't... I try to make it fairly noncommittal! But... I am happy to help other authors. As all my sites are family friendly, I do not promote R-rated or X-rated. If you are an author, please feel free to contact me. There will be more information on this to come, so please stay tuned!

Here are the shout outs for today:
*Author Staci Stallings gave me this shout out to post... "Wonderful story of love, faith & forgiveness" DEEP IN THE HEART by Staci Stallingshttp://www.amazon.com/Deep-Heart-Staci.../dp/B005LVVIIG
*Children's author/illustrator Karen Deming also wanted a shout out. I have seen some of her illustrations. Nice work! You are see her site here.
*I would also like to give a shout out for author Bill Hillman. (Bill's work history includes much more than being an author.) He is turning his book into a movie. "Quigley's Christmas Adventure" is now in the funding stage.... you can find out more here. (I am so excited about this, because Clarinda Cloud will be making an appearance in this movie.)

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Sandra L. Portman Guest Posts about How to Make Interactive Ebooks

11/27/2013

1 Comment

Hello everyone! I would like to introduce to you, children's author, Sandra Portman! She has some interesting information on how to make e-books interactive for children. I can't wait to try this out! Thank you, Sandra!

Now that I am retired, I get to play and do things I couldn't do while I was raising a family and working. I guess it's not so much that I couldn't do them, but there never seemed to be enough time and I really wanted to concentrate on my children and my husband. I worked long hours and I spent most of my free time cooking and baking fresh food for the family.

Now that I have "all the time in the world," I wanted to explore my childhood love of reading and writing. Back then, I spent a lot of time with friends making up stories and games for our never-ending list of clubs. I don't remember why this was so important to us, but we always had a new club for some new adventure or hobby. We even made invitations for the new club and went through the neighborhood inviting other kids to join.

My second venture into writing for children came with a new series for pre-school children. I wanted to explore the use of interactive functions within digital books. I could just imagine the fun kids would have choosing the correct answer and clicking on a button. All I needed was bright, colorful pictures ad buttons. Starting from birth, these books could start out with just the pictures from which the kids would learn subliminally.

This would have been a nice series of books for each stage of learning up to kindergarten, but I thought it would be much more fun to have all the books in one volume. Each of my children had a favorite book during those years that they wanted to read all the time. As parents, we quickly become bored and tired of the favorite book, but they don't.

To take advantage of this favorite reading habit of young children, all I did was extend the early concepts to take advantage of the levels of learning from birth to age four. This meant children would have their favorite book with all their favorite pictures that grows with them.

There are two books in the series to learn the numbers and the alphabet. Each book has four levels of learning:

Birth to age one: The goal is to respond to pictures by copying sounds and pointing and patting the pictures.
Up to age three: Answer questions, identify pictures, and attempt to read with "pretend reading."
At age three, children are ready to read by themselves, and perform activities for longer periods of time.
Age four is when children begin to recognize familiar signs and labels, and make up silly phrases and rhymes. At this age, most children can count to ten.

Developing the Books

I don't use fancy software or tools when writing my books. All my books are written using Microsoft Word. In this series, the first two levels mainly use pictures and pointing to introduce children to the concept of numbers and the alphabet. In "Learn the Numbers," level 3 is used to teach children to point to each number in a collage of numbers and say the number.

In level 4, children are introduced to counting. They are presented with multiple pictures on a page and given a multiple choice answer. To answer the question, they press the correct button that corresponds to the number of pictures. If the correct button is pressed to answer the question, they proceed to the next question. If the answer is not correct, they are given the opportunity to answer the question again.

To create this type of book, it's easiest to create a data flow showing where you will take the reader when a button is used. You have two choices, a correct and an incorrect answer. These will be defined in the document with the Insert: Bookmark feature and the Insert: Hyperlink feature. These features are added after your book is completed. Whether you're creating an interactive fiction book or an interactive non-fiction book, create the appropriate headings for the functions. These headings will be used for linking.

Bookmark Feature

The bookmark feature will be used as the target - it's where you want to link to. It's the destination for the reader after they click on a link in the book. The first step is to tag the chapter or section headings in the body as bookmarks. The links are added later.

In my "Learn the Numbers" book, each multiple choice answer must lead the reader to a function; either the answer is correct or it is not. One answer will take the reader to a new section for the next question; the other two buttons will take the reader to the error message section.

Go to each chapter or section in your document, highlight the title, and click on Insert: Bookmark. Give your chapter/section a name and click add. Bookmarks cannot have spaces or odd characters. As an example, if you are adding a bookmark for the title, "This is Question 3," you can create a bookmark for "ThisIsQuestion3," or "this_is_question_3."

Linking to Bookmarks

In my example above, I have a multiple choice answer with three buttons. For each button, highlight the button, right click and select Hyperlink. When a new box opens, click on "Place in Document" on the left menu. You will now see your bookmarks listed in the main window. Select the bookmark to be used and click OK. Repeat this process for all the bookmarked chapters/sections in the document.

Testing Your Links

This is the tedious part, but must be completed to ensure all the links work. Click on each link and make sure it goes to the correct location. If it jumps to the top of your document, it means you are not linking to a valid bookmark. Make sure you're not linking above or below the target destination.

The last step is to test for hidden bookmarks, which can corrupt your document. To locate them, click on Insert: Bookmark and click on the Hidden bookmarks option. Try turning it off and on look for any bookmarks that start with an underline, such as "_Hlt30xxxx" Click the name of the hidden bookmark, then click the delete button on the right to permanently delete it.

Interactive Fiction Books

My new series, "Nathan, Family & Friends" are fiction stories around 2K words. In 2014 I am going to explore the use of interaction to have the reader decide where the story should go. For example, what happens to a character when different choices are made? This simulates real life and will help children learn to think before taking actions which could negatively affect their life.

Sandra's blog: www.sandralportman.com

You can also find her on her social media sites at:
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter
Pinterest

Here are images of Sandra's books. You can press on the images to see them listed on Amazon. You can read the reviews, read the descriptions, see the rankings, and even purchase your own copies.

Notes, Announcements, and Shout Outs

*There is still time to win a copy of the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book." You can find out more information on how to win on this post. Also, Clarinda Cloud reveals more hints as to where the waterfall is on her new "Clarinda Cloud's Feelings Blog."

*I forgot to tell you, Clarinda Cloud has her own blog now! She is going to blog every Wednesday, just like me! Her blog is about feelings. Some of her blogs will be children's books promotions by talking about the character's feelings. If you are interested in having your children's book promoted, please contact me.

*I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a Happy Hanukkah this week!

Shout Outs

*My friend, Virginia Wright, has a book titled, "The Chrismas Secret." It is a wonderful children's story with a great Christmas message. Press the link to see the book on Amazon. Maybe I can even get her to guest blog for me here, so you can get to know her better.

*This shout out is for someone who can greatly help authors. It goes out about Choice Social Media Management. Marie Anne is very helpful! She has helped me quite a bit this week!

*My friend, Joyce Van Kirk, has an adorable little book titled, "The Six Forest Friends." The little animals are so cute! And... the message of friendship is a breath of fresh air!

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New Release: "Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang" by Rhonda Patton... as well as Notes, and Shout outs

11/20/2013

2 Comments

Hi everyone! Today, I want to tell you about a new release by Rhonda Patton titled, "Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang." Rhonda's husband, Chester McDaniel is the illustrator of the book and makes the story come alive with his drawings.
"Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang" is about a frog who has a dream of playing music in the city of Croak Orleans. Ride along with him to see who he meets and if his dream comes true!
I had the pleasure of formatting this book and have enjoyed reading the story! It is available on Amazon.com or Create Space.
Rhonda Patton is the author of quite a few other books as well! You can check them out at www.thecroak500.com!

Notes and Announcements:

I have quite a few notes and announcements today! The first two concern fabulous news for Clarinda Cloud! Clarinda Cloud will be making an appearance in a cute little Christmas movie titled, "Quigley's Christmas Adventure!" I am very excited and honored to be a small part of this film! I have been promoting it and did a blog post about it not long ago! I think this could be great exposure for Clarinda Cloud, her book, her website, and her brand!
The movie is currently in it's second fundraising campaign. If you would like to help it in any way... you can go to it's new site at www.fnd.us/c/fe2o9. (It may look like a broken link. But... if you push the "home" tab and then search "Quigley"... it will bring you to the correct page.)
The other news about Clarinda Cloud is that she is going to have her own blog! It will be in her voice! Among other things, she will talk about characters and their feelings in children's/MG/YA books to help promote them for their authors. I am hoping it will be a great blog for both parents and children! And, if you are an author of a book in one of these categories, please contact me about possibly promoting your book!

Don't forget to comment for a chance to win a free copy of the Clarinda Cloud Activity Book. I will send a copy to one person who can tell me the name of this waterfall! I will give you a hint. It is in my home state of Vermont. I will give you another hint... It is listed on this list. (I love waterfalls!) Even if you do not know, please comment a name of an elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counselor where I should donate a copy.

Shout outs:

I hope to give a few author or book shout outs in each blog post. If you are an author who wants an interview, book promotion, or shout out....please contact me!

*My friend, author Angie Harris, just got a B.R.A.G. medal for her children's book, "Momma's Little Helpers! Congrats Angie!

*My new friend, Nanlie Sealy and her granddaughter will be doing a book signing and reading of their book "Freddy the White Flamingo" at the Barnes and Noble children's hour from 10:00 to 1:00 on 120th and Washington in Denver, Colorado! You can connect with Nanlie on Facebook under her other name of Lizzie T. Leaf for more information!

*My friend, Ayana Sala Baugh, is holding auditions for: The Loopiehotamus "I Am Not Afraid" musical stage play! So....exciting from this author! She put out this announcement on Facebook: We had a great first audition yesterday for The Loopiethotamus "I Am Not Afraid" Musical Stage Play. So much awesome talent was displayed. I am so excited to continue hosting private auditions until March 1, 2013. If you are interested in auditioning for this play, please contact Author, Ayana Sala Baugh at 804-552-0193 or ayana@loopiethotamus.com. More info on the website: http://www.loopiebooks.com/.

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Kelly Hagen's Interview of me for "Clarinda Cloud," Book Giveaway, Shout out about Author Friends

11/13/2013

8 Comments

Hi everyone! I have been interviewed lately on a friend's blog. I would like to thank, Kelly Hagen for the lovely interview. And, hope that you all will go to her site and check it out. at Author Kelly Hagen. Kelly did a wonderful job with the interview.
Networking is very important for authors, especially Indie Authors, like myself. Sometimes it is difficult work and sometimes it is a blast. You meet all kinds of nice people. I enjoy meeting people.
Author Rodica Iova has also been kind enough to post my books on her pages. Here is the link to "Down the Chimney Penguin Joe'" Facebook page. (That is the title of one of her lovely books.) There she has the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book" featured. And...check out the illustration of her penguins! They are so cute! They make me want to read her book! Thank you for posting, Rodica.
I have another friend who just got a new logo for her author page, www.thecroak500.com. Check it out! Rhonda Patton is also a children's author. She has many more books out than I do. And, she loves to market and promote! She is a great resource for all authors.
And, I have another friend who is having a "Release Party" this weekend. If you are near Wakefield, MA on Saturday afternoon... it should be a blast! I hope you will stop by! Here is the link for the Release Party Event for more information. And, what book is she celebrating? Why, "Journey to Jazzland" of course! Great book for music lovers and especially music teachers! Check out her cool site! I wish I were closer to Wakefield, so I could go to the party this weekend.

Giveaway

Authors also will often run giveaways. I am no different! I am giving away a copy of the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book."
I am trying to make it fun by placing a picture of the cover in another image and having people guess where it may be. Do you know where this waterfall is? If you do, please comment the answer below. If you do not, please comment with the name of an elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counselor where you think I should donate the book if nobody guesses the correct answer. (Please, only U.S. addresses at this time.) Go ahead and comment! Make this a fun contest! Thank you!

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Where in the World is Clarinda Cloud?... And Clarinda Cloud as a Spokescloud

11/6/2013

5 Comments

Hi everyone! Last month I started a monthly giveaway from now until the end of the year. Nobody guessed where Clarinda Cloud was, so I will be donating a copy of "Clarinda Cloud" to a library. By the way, she was at Hartman's Farm Stand in Sheldon, Vermont. (Please stop in, if you are in the area. They have great produce. And, no, I am not related nor do I get paid in anyway for saying that.)
Time for another book giveaway contest! As you can see the "Clarinda Cloud Activity Book" is Photoshopped into a picture of a waterfall. Which waterfall is it? Do you know? Where in the world is Clarinda Cloud? Please comment your answer for a chance to get a free copy and if you don't know, please just comment the name of the elementary school, daycare, library, or children's counselor in the U.S. where you would want me to donate it if nobody guesses. (U.S. addresses only at this time, please.) Good luck!

What Else Have I Been Doing?

What else have I ben doing? I am glad you asked. LOL! I have been promoting Clarinda Cloud as spokescloud for Anti-bullying and Bullying Prevention issues.
There is so much bullying these days. Clarinda Cloud wants to help... and so do I! We are trying to raise awareness and give ways to prevent bullying.
October was "Anti-bullying and bullying awareness month." During the month, I created some posters like the one shown here featuring Clarinda Cloud. Please go to www.ClarindaCloud.com or www.DUOEducation.com to search for them. And, if you know away that Clarinda Cloud and I can help, please comment below or contact me. Thank you!

5 Comments

Author Bill Hillman and his Movie; "Quigley's Christmas Adventure"

10/30/2013

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Hi everyone! I would like you to meet Bill Hillman! Bill has an impressive background as actor, writer, producer, director, songwriter, filmmaker, and author. I hope I didn't miss anything, Bill. LOL! I told you it was impressive.
Let me show you the fundraising site that Bill has going to raise money in order to create his movie, "Quigley's Christmas Adventure."

I saw this poster come across my Facebook page! Well, I like Christmas and I am all for cute animals, so I had to check it out!
I researched about Bill. Then, I researched about "Quigley's Christmas Adventure," which is also a book and the book is available on Amazon.

Aw! Here is a picture of the doggie auditions. Isn't it such a cute doggie!?! If the dog looks this cute for the audition, you can only imagine how cute it will be in the movie!
Okay. This movie isn't just a movie with a cute dog. No... and... it isn't a big business movie that we won't know anything about until after it is out. No, this is a movie with which we all can be involved.
I had never heard of such a thing. Maybe that is what caught my eye about this movie. So, check out this video clip about "Quigley's Christmas Adventure." If it is something you would like to help fund and be involved with... you can follow this link to Kicktarter. I know times are hard... but Bill will even tell you that the minimum donation of $5.00 will get you involved and keep you connected with this film. Every little bit helps.

I mentioned some of Bill's impressive background in the beginning of this blog post. And, from the picture, you can tell that Bill loves dogs. Yet, when I said that I wanted to post about Bill's film, I told him that I wanted him to share something that is not on his website. This is what he shared with me:

When I was in the Military Academy, we vowed not to lie, steal or cheat, but I fudged in journalism and took a shortcut. Instead of reading a few books and writing reports, I made up my own books and then review them. Of course I got caught, but the end result was a promise I made to my professor .. to become a writer. It took work to regain his trust, but I made a promise and never broke it.

If you want to read more about Bill Hillman, please visit his site at www.williamhillman.com. Please feel free to leave Bill or me a comment here.

Please remember that you still have a chance to win a free copy of "Clarinda Cloud" for the month. Do you know where this photograph was taken? You could win a free copy of "Clarinda Cloud" if you do. Yes... it is on a tractor. It is in Franklin County, Vermont. It is at a place that sells pumpkins! What is your guess?
Don't know? That is okay. You can comment anyway. If nobody guesses, I will still donate a copy at an elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counsellor in the U.S. Please comment recommending a place for me to donate a copy of "Clarinda Cloud." Thank you.

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An Author Interview with Kelly Hagen

10/23/2013

8 Comments

Hi everyone! I would like to introduce to you another talented author, Kelly Hagen. I hope you will check out her work. Hi Kelly.

Hello everyone! Thank you Jodi for having me as your guest, I appreciate that. My name is Kelly Hagen, and I'm the author of the recently released “Haunted by the Past”.

In “Haunted by the Past”, you’ll meet a young Christian named Nadia. Nadia’s life seemed to be just right, until one day when that all changed.

You’ll also meet Trent. Trent is a friendly guy, and has over a short amount of time grown very fond of Nadia.

But her past is making their friendship somewhat eventful.

Nadia never dreamed her life would be turned upside down, but that’s exactly what happened after her husband’s murder. After she receives a chilling letter in the mail soon after his death, she decides to move out of town, in hopes to leave it all behind. Trent has been praying for God to lead the right woman into his life. As soon as he lays eyes on Nadia he knows she’s the one. But will the situation they find themselves in be more than he can handle? Will their faith in God be enough to bring them through the uncertain future Nadia faces, letting their friendship grow into more?

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Growing up I never enjoyed writing, or reading for that matter. It wasn’t until a few years back that the reading “bug” got a hold of me. To my surprise I found that I actually enjoyed reading historical romance. That was a very odd thing to find out about myself!

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer, like some authors, if not most authors’ do. The thought never crossed my mind to be perfectly honest. But God had other plans. He’s opened the door for me on many different occasions and things continue to move forward. So, for as long as He leads me in this journey, I will follow.

I also enjoy spending time with my family, and listening to music. That is one thing I have always enjoyed.

2. Have you written other books? If so, what are the titles?
As a matter of fact I have. I have a children’s book that was published in 2011 called “Jake and Jesus”. It’s a story about a boy and his best friend- Jesus. You can find it on Amazon.

3. Why do you write?
I write to glorify God, and to bring encouragement to others. I write to let people know, that no matter how old we are or what we’re going through God is there. He loves us.

4. Do you use an outline, plot, or just see where the story takes you?
I just see where the story takes me. I write what God places on my heart, and when God places it on my heart. I’m not one (at least not yet) that can sit down and “force” myself to write. I’ve tried that in the past and let me tell you, it did not turn out well. All that could change in time though.

5. Do you ever get writers block? If so how do you overcome it?
I don’t know that I’d call it writers block. There are just times of silence where I don’t write. Then from out of no where all these ideas and words will hit me. That’s when I tend to be in front of my computer for hours at time.

6. Do you prefer to read ebooks, paperback, or hardback?
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my kindle…but…nothing takes the place of me being able to hold a book in my hands and turn the pages.

7. What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on the story of Trent’s past. I hope to have it out early next year.

8. What is your favorite book of the Bible?
My favorite book of the Bible is James. I think it really helps me to keep myself in check.

9. Where can readers find your books?
You can find “Haunted by the Past” & “Jake and Jesus” on Amazon.

You can find me on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKellyHagen

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kelly_Hagen

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Past-Novella-Kelly-Hagen/dp/1617521647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380657710&sr=8-1&keywords=haunted+by+the+past+by+kelly+hagen

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Jake-and-Jesus-ebook/dp/B0079G0UVM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1380658501

Kelly, thank you for stopping by and sharing your work with us. I hope all of you will check out Kelly's books.
And, please don't forget the giveaway for "Clarinda Cloud." Do you know where this photograph was taken?
This one seems to be a tough one. So, I will give you another hint. Local Vermonters would probably recognize this better than anyone else. This tractor is located in Franklin County, Vermont. Do you know where in Franklin County it is located? If so, please comment for your free book. If not, please comment the name of an elementary school, library, daycare, or children's counselor where I should donate a copy if nobody guesses!

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CLARINDA CLOUD and JOHNNY'S ADVENTURE MAKES READING FUN by Jodi Desautels are Free on Kindle 3/5-3/7 2015

Clarinda Cloud

Johnny's Adventure Makes Reading Fun

An Author Interview with Gloria Repp

Announcements

Reflections, Ponderings, Giveaways, and Announcements

Notes and Announcements

Author Interview with Angie Harris about her Book: "Momma's Little Helpers", Announcements, Clarinda Cloud Contest, and Shout Outs

A New Cover and a New Contest

Announcements and Shout Outs

Sandra L. Portman Guest Posts about How to Make Interactive Ebooks

Notes, Announcements, and Shout Outs

New Release: "Dylan and the Croak Orleans Gang" by Rhonda Patton... as well as Notes, and Shout outs

Notes and Announcements:

Shout outs:

Kelly Hagen's Interview of me for "Clarinda Cloud," Book Giveaway, Shout out about Author Friends

Giveaway

Where in the World is Clarinda Cloud?... And Clarinda Cloud as a Spokescloud

What Else Have I Been Doing?

Author Bill Hillman and his Movie; "Quigley's Christmas Adventure"

An Author Interview with Kelly Hagen

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