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Today I welcome Karen Tyrrell on the first stop in her STOP the Bully tour. Karen is an Aussie author who cares passionately about mental health and family well-being. STOP the Bully is a lively, well-paced story for mid-grade readers. Best of all, it's not only an "issues" book. The characters are people we come to care about.
To prepare for Karen's virtual visit, I asked her some questions about Stop the Bully.
Q. Brian is a somewhat unusual name for a 21st Century child. How did you come to choose it for your main character?
A. Brian is an old fashioned kid with old fashioned morals. I named him Brian from the very inception and it just stuck.
Q. There’s an interesting twist in the book. I won’t give it away, but here’s a question; did you begin with the twist in mind or did it come up later?
A. The twist idea and the ending came first for me. Then I wrote the story backwards, giving clues to the mystery, making sure the twist would only be revealed in the final chapter.
Q. STOP the Bully has an arresting and powerful cover design. (See below.) Could you tell us a bit about that?
A. I wanted a cover to be provocative, eye-catching and a tiny bit controversial. So, the teacher or parent would ask the class, what do you think the story is about? Are the characters assertive or aggressive? In reality, the cover depicts two different scenes where Amelia in one scene and Brian in another, save a bullying victim from the bully.
Q. STOP the Bully seems to me to be an excellent book for classroom read-aloud. Is that the way you envisage it being used, or is it more of a novel that just happens to have this particular subject matter?
A. YES, I envisage teachers reading a chapter or two each day leaving the kids wanting to hear more. (Fingers crossed). I would love children to be hooked in until the very end when Brian’s story is solved and resolved. STOP the Bully is perfect for spring-boarding discussions on bullying strategies and resilience.
Thanks Karen! Read on for more on this brand new book.
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| STOP the Bully, by Karen Tyrrell |
Want to follow the tour for a chance to win a prize?
STOP the Bully Blog Tour & Book Give Away
Empower KIDs with assertive anti-bullying strategies!
WIN: Signed copies and eCopies of STOP the Bully.
Leave a comment on any of the 15 hops June 2- 11
The MORE comments you leave the MORE chances you WIN.
Blog Tour June 2-11
STOP the Bully is endorsed by
Kids Helpline and
aligned with
Kids Matter, Australian curriculum
. ISBN: 9780987274069
STOP the Bully is now available from Amazon.
Today I welcome Marko Stout, multimedia artist, to Spinning Pearls. Art and artists have always fascinated me, so I was delighted to get down to some curious questioning.
Q. Hi, Marko - Multimedia is a familiar term, but what does it mean in terms of your art?
A. A multimedia artwork can move and occupy time or develop over time, rather than remaining static as with traditional media. The work now engages senses of sight, hearing, touch and even smell. The newer formats provide an expansive palette for artistic expression for today's artists; I don’t think an artist should limit themselves to a particular medium.
Q. Do you see your work as primarily of interest to the greater public or to experts?
A. I create work that primarily interests and inspires me, hopefully it also clicks with critics and collectors. So, regardless of what others think it will still be great art to me. You need to create as if you’re not afraid of critics- they will always be critical, it’s their job.
Q. What is your own attitude to 21st Century urban life?
A. New York can be a very busy place filled with modern stress that never seems to really stop, being at red alert all day and every day- 24/7. But this is great for the artist and curious people, there is so much to taken in, some many unlimited opportunities to observe all types of people and really just not enough time. So a good artist must also intrinsically now how to distill and edit everything, so the viewer will understand what he’s talking about. This is the best time to live in the best city in the center of the universe- I love it!
Q. Does your subjects' reaction reflect or exaggerate yours?
A. When working with a model I try to provide the basic idea of what we’re going for a defined sense of its meaning- but I like the freedom to capture the aesthetic that appears sublime- that cannot be directed.
Q.Do you see your work as gallery/show based, or is it also acquired by people who just happen to love one piece?
A. Some of the larger installations or collection of works are meant to be taken as a whole and cannot be broken into smaller individual elements or the entirety and meaning of the piece ceases to exist. But, much of my work and especially the prints are indeed meant to stand alone as a lone gallery display or part of a collector’s assembly. We are now starting to provide some of the more popular standalone prints on a limited edition print series in galleries.
Q. Has your style changed a lot over the years?
A. I know my style has been influenced by the changes in the New York society that I’m trying to comment on in my work and the changes in technology and mediums that allow of ever more comprehensive artistic expression. I’m not sure if you could say my work belongs to any particular art movement or style, but whatever the style is, it is definitely modern and very 21st century. One thing that is certain is we live in a time where everything is always changing very quickly- and a relevant artist must change also. I think the terms of styles and artistic movements are losing their meaning as we all blend styles and techniques to communicate an artistic idea or a certain feeling or make a comment on society- that’s the nature of modern art.
Thanks so much for this, Marko. I love to hear from people so enthusiastic and focused on their works. For anyone wishing to find out more about Marko Stout and his artistic vision, head off to http://www.markostout.com/
Kaz Delaney is the author of quite a few books but her new title, "Almost Dead", is - well - pretty lively! I am happy to host Kaz and her book at Spinning Pearls as part of her blog tour. Now, Kaz is a modest person (fun, bubbly, wonderful... but modest). So, I thought I'd put her just a little outside her comfort zone. This is not cruelty. It is a public service. I asked Kaz to pretend she was the ideal reader for "Almost Dead" and to write a wildly enthusiastic letter to someone extolling its virtues.
"I'll try," said Kaz.
I think you'll agree she did more than try. She totally pulled it off! Over to Kaz!
Dear Auntie Kate,
Thank you so much for sending me Kaz Delaney’s latest young adult novel, Almost Dead.
What a treat! I loved it! Suspense, mystery, romance and teen angst all in one story! It even had a ghost – a very cute and cheeky ghost - which was such a change! I shouldn’t have been surprised that I enjoyed it so much. As soon as I saw the cover I had a good feeling creep over me. Such pretty, bright colours! Good energy! It just screamed “I am fun!” I suspected right from that moment that this had the potential to be a great summer holiday read. (Though, when the cool change swung in and I was curled up under a doona, I realised it was a good ‘anytime’ read.)
I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Man! That Macey Pentecost has such a lot going on in her life! At first she seems kind of tough, as in strong, and so self-contained but I soon found out that she can be just as vulnerable as the rest of us. Her outer shell is just a bit more brittle than - well - than mine, anyway. Okay, I wouldn’t say she’s all marshmallow once you peel back that shell – maybe a hard caramel that gets sweeter and softer the further you get into it? What do you think? Am I right?
I really liked her! And she so smart and funny! And oh wow – that mouth! I wish I could think up lines like she can. Hilarious! I wouldn’t like to be on her bad side though. I don’t think she’s cruel; in fact, she’s got the really strong moral streak and she fights against social injustice all the time – but if you were the underdog, she’d be on your side and I swear it would be like having Batgirl there with you! Then again, if you were cruel or thoughtless – and especially if you act in a really stupid way – then be warned: she doesn’t take prisoners! I really liked that about her.
My heart broke for her over the whole family thing. Man, I don’t know how she coped... I’m not sure how I’d cope if I was hit with something like that – especially right after her mother walked out. I don’t think I’d handle it as well as Macey did though. I’d probably fall apart and never leave my room!
Still, if I lived in a place like Macey’s that wouldn’t be such a bad idea, right? What a mansion! And right there on the beach on the Gold Coast. It sounded like paradise and it just added something to the story. I had never been that keen on the GC, but now I can’t wait to have a holiday there and walk around those streets that Macey and Finn walked. Those kebab and burger places are real you know. I looked them up! And the markets and that beach strip...
My fave parts? Hmmnn. I’m torn between the stalker story line and the romance. Nick of course was just too cute and at first I wanted Macey to get with him – even though that would have been weird because at that time he was astral travelling and therefore not really real... But then I met Finn. O.M.G. Is he hot or what? Please, please I hope I meet a Finn one day...
But you know, on second thought, it was definitely the stalker mystery that I loved best. I love, love a good mystery and this one kept me guessing all the way to the big reveal! And there were some parts that were downright scary! I couldn’t put it down; I had to keep reading to see who it was! And there were so many false clues! It could have been any one of them. Me? I truly had no idea who it was! It was like – whammo! Kaz Delaney caught me completely by surprise – and that was great! Ah-mazing!
Yep, this has certainly gone down on my fave read pile for this summer. It has great pace – it really moves along quickly. Did it challenge me? Well, apart from the mystery – which is kind of a great game between author and reader - I guess it’s not that kind of book. This is pure entertainment and on that score it really delivered.
So thank you again! I laughed, I cried and I shivered with anticipation – and sometimes in fear and worry for Macey. The perfect reading experience. J I am sooo going to go out and look for ‘Dead Actually’ now! (Unless, of course, you’re thinking you’d like to get me an early birthday pressie? Okay, just kidding...)
Love K xx
There! Now, if anyone has questions of comments for Kaz, you can totally write them in the comments area below. (Oops- now I'm talking like Macey...)
And Kaz and her publisher are offering a free comp of Almost Dead. Since I know this giveaway will be popular, I'll give you the month of February to enter. At the end of the month I'll draw the winner out of a hat. And if you've already bought a copy by then, that is totally fine. You'll have an extra copy for a friend.
Today we welcome Matthew Martino to Spinning Pearls. Matthew is a writer, actor and film producer based in the UK.
Q.1. Hi, Matthew! I see you have worked as an author, an actor and a film producer. This is an impressive resume for anyone, let alone someone in his early twenties. Please tell me which you count as your main talent or field, and why?
A. Thank you, I wouldn’t know which one to call my main talent field but I do enjoy writing , although my books may not be novels as such I’ve always enjoyed the art of researching about something and putting it on pen and paper. It's obviously a bit hard to write and I never had respect for authors until I wrote "Let's Fly". I then realised that it's not all milk and honey. That having been said I feel my knowledge and talent within film production is growing day by day.
Q.2. We'd love to hear a bit more about your book, "Let's Fly". What inspired you to write it? Who do you see as an ideal reader for this book?
A. "Let's Fly" was one of those things that I put my whole heart into. I’ve had an interest in aviation since I was back in the streets of Africa. I felt inspired to write the book as I wanted to provide resources for aspiring pilots to be able to learn more about the field. I realised that most pilot books on the market were too complex so I simplified mine as much as possible. The ideal reader for "Let's Fly" could be anyone in essence; it does have a few physics and general knowledge facts embedded in it.
Q.3. Which of your production jobs has been the most challenging and why?
My most challenging role had to be my own "Let's Fly" Documentary. I never realised how it can be to get everything together all by yourself. I usually jump onto projects where a Director and most crew are already attached but having to create everything from scratch was a bit of a challenge. Still, I do love a challenge and I learnt so much from it and I know in future when I endeavour into my own production I will know what to look out for.
Q.4. You obviously enjoy a wide range of interests and talents. How do you see these developing as you progress through your twenties?
A. I do! I’ve been told it's not a good thing to be a ‘Jack of all trades’ so I might have to stick to one thing sooner or later. In all honesty I don’t know what the rest of my twenties will bring, I have realised that towards the end of 2013 and going through to now I’ve not been spending too much time on set. I’ve gone from being on set every day to pre-production meeting, investor meetings and doing castings and location scouts. In an ideal world I’d love to continue to do a bit of everything and hopefully find a lucky lady to share the journey with me.
Q.5. Still looking into the future; do you have a specific project you’d like to tell us about?
A. Yes the future...I’m currently meant to be working on a film ‘Essex Crystal’ which will be directed by award winning director Azeem Khan. That will be an interesting venture and a challenge. I’m also in talks to bring back "Let's Fly" Documentary but I can't say too much at the minute. I’ll be signing someone on to pen the project then take it from there. I'm also looking to put a lot of time into my charity works this year and take a more hands on approach. Sadly my writing days are gone – I don’t think I can write anymore, I now tend to lose concentration quickly.
Thanks for your time, Matthew. I really admire multi-talented people.
For those who'd like to find out a bit more about Matthew and his endeavours, here's a link to his
Star Now page.
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| Kingdom of the Sun, by Ariffa Bevin |
Today I welcome author Ariffa Bevin to Spinning Pearls. Ariffa agreed to answer my curious questions about the intriguingly titled novel -
The Kingdom of the Sun.
Q. "Kingdom of the Sun" is a splendid title for a book. How did you come up with it?
A. Out of all the questions that are asked about my book, I have to say that this one is my favorite. So, thank you for asking it! I came up with the title “Kingdom of the Sun” by thinking deeply about the book’s message and what I wanted the book itself to signify. The sun is an extremely significant theme in the novella for its representation of literal and figurative light, hope, and strength.
You see, although Helena is the protagonist of the story, the book is really about the kingdom of Sooryan as it tries to regain all that was taken away from it in order to be seen as a country worthy of the name Sooryan, and I will leave it to my readers to decipher the true meaning of that word.
As an author, I want “Kingdom of the Sun” to be like the sun. I want it to not only tell the story of a nation fighting for truth, hope, honor, and happiness, but I want it to shed light on the unseen and ignored issues and perspectives of society and the world. I want my readers to feel the strength that comes from the sun in believing they have the strength to overcome anything. And like how the sun signifies hope, I want Kingdom of the Sun to represent the hope that change can and will happen for the better: in the world and in our own lives.
Q. Please tell us a bit about the story.
A. I would love to! Set in the modern-day kingdom of Sooryan, Kingdom of the Sun tells the story about a nation that became successful based solely on education and its Scholars as the foundation. However, the story opens with Sooryan in economic, political, educational turmoil. In a kingdom where Scholars and education were once top priority, the Royals of the past and present years favor competition, status, and money more. And although Sooryan’s people and Scholars are well aware of the nation’s decline, Helena is the only one who truly sees what needs to be done and has the courage and strength to do it.
Q. You know those "if you like this author, you might also like this one" lists? Please tell us a couple of authors that fit in with you and your book.
A. Well, there are two authors that come to mind. The first is George Orwell and his novel 1984. Kingdom of the Sun possesses many of 1984’s characteristics like literary symbolism, rebellion, and most importantly, its story pertains very much to what is happening in today’s countries. The second author that I believe has a similar style to mine is Margaret Duras and her beautiful novella The Lover. What I enjoyed most about this book, besides the touching true story, is that Duras uses very simplistic sentence structure that is extremely powerful and dense at the same time. I tried to do the same with Kingdom of the Sun.
To learn more about Ariffa and Kingdom of the Sun, please visit the sites below:
Thank you, Ariffa! If anyone has comments or questions, I'm sure Ariffa will be happy to respond.
I wanted to interview Bob Rich about his new book, Ascending Spiral, but since we've known one another a long time, I decided on a new approach. Here is what I asked him, and what he replied!
My Question:
I can interview you? Excellent. I could ask you questions, in the ordinary interview style, but I think I'll just go for one big question and it's THE big question. Your new book is called Ascending Spiral. Please suppose, for a moment, that it is an international best seller, fuelled by viral word-of-mouth marketing. What's the buzz? What do your readers take away from this book that prompts them to recommend it to others?
Bob's Response:
Thank you for the question, Sally... I think. I am not very good at blowing my own trumpet.
OK, first because it is entertaining. It’s a good read, and people have told me that once they start, they don’t want to put it down. It currently has 25 reviews, 17 of them 5 star, the rest 4 star. One reader posted a very critical review, but even he gave it 4 stars.
My publisher nominated “Ascending Spiral” for the Pushcart Prize http://www.pushcartprize.combecause... well, because he enjoyed reading it. Recently, a reader interviewed me (unusual, I know), and I posted the results at my brand new blog http://wp.me/p3Xihq-2a She told me she’d read it three times! No, not the interview, the book.
Second, because it is designed to change the world. I am a professional grandfather, and I love children. What kind of a future are they growing into? Let’s not worry about climate change for the moment, but there are many other things I don’t like.
We are in the middle of the sixth great extinction event of Earth’s history. Some of it is due to ocean acidification, but most is habitat destruction. Nearly half of over 7 billion people live in cities. Human structures now cover a significant area of what was once farmland, and before that part of nature. Add to this damage from mining, replacing rainforest with oil palms, land covered by transport infrastructure, and you can see that we are killing the natural world. And we are not apart from nature, but a part of it, and the beauty and diversity of life is a source of joy and wonder, as well as what keeps us alive.
A great advance of the 20th century over the 19th was the reduction of disparity between rich and poor. In most parts of the world, almost everyone could have a reasonably decent life. This is no longer the case. With the population explosion, there is less for everyone. And with a culture of greed, more and more ends up the exclusive property of fewer and fewer people.
Then there is pollution. We are poisoning ourselves, and every other living being. Combine this with all the radiation we have unleashed, and a chronically stressful lifestyle, and you have the epidemic of cancer that is rarely acknowledged, but is growing all the same. When I was young, cancer was an old person’s disease. Not any more. This is why one of my books is on cancer.
OK, enough gloom. The point is, I want to do something about it, and all my 15 books are tools for improving the world.
I could have written a nonfiction book advancing my philosophy -- but that would have only been read by people who already agree with me. Fiction is more effective at reaching people who are open to a change of viewpoint, but haven’t thought about the issues that have concerned me for over 40 years. So, by entertaining, I am recruiting: join my team!
I have diagnosed the problem: it is a culture of conflict and greed. The path to survival, to a decent, humane, equitable life for all of us, is culture change, to one of compassion and cooperation. This is what Ascending Spiral is about, and this is why I want it read by millions.
So, that's what Bob has to say when I corner him with an outrageous (for a modest man) suggestion. I found it fascinating and thought-provoking. Who wouldn't want his or her book to improve the world?
Below is a picture of Bob in one of his favourite roles, and below again, his bio.
Bob's Bio
Dr Bob Rich is the author of 15 books, 4 of them award winners. He and his wife chose to live below the official Australian poverty level, and raised 3 wonderful children while doing so. This was not on welfare benefits, but by working part time, and replacing paid work with directly providing for their own needs. A byproduct was an interesting, meaningful, stimulating, contented life. You can read about the reason for this crazy behaviour in
Bob’s essay ;. His motto for today’s world is, “Live simply so you may simply live.”
Okay, so that's Bob Rich and this is his new book. Thanks to everyone who visits Spinning Pearls. Please leave a comment. If you have any questions for Bob, I'm sure he'll answer them.
In May 2013, overwhelmed as usual by work, I decided to start a new little project just for fun. It all started before that though, with the series
The Fairies of Farholt, which I am developing with an illustrator. I thought it would be good if my young fae protagonists had signature necklaces or charms, which could possibly be marketed with the books. I looked on eBay for inspiration, searching specifically for four-leaved clover or shamrock charms for Clovie, the protagonist of the first book. I didn't find what I was looking for (they were all too big, too crude, too fancy or just too expensive) but I found a lot of wonderful charms- a much wider variety than I'd known existed. Right away, my brain concluded this was exactly what I needed for a project for my grandchildren... to read about that, tune in to the next installment of this blog-serial. (You can do that by subscribing to this blog. Don't worry... you can always unsub if I waffle on too much.)
In the meantime, here are some links to check out. (Please do!)
The Fairies of Farholt project is at
http://www.thefairiesoffarholt.com Yes I know... my son would click his tongue and tell me that url is too long. I tend to go for long descriptive urls, partly because they are intuitive and partly because the shorter simpler ones usually belong to someone else already! Here's the tinyurl version.
http://tinyurl.com/lgkde6q which is just about as long as the other one. Hmmmm.
To see CHARMS, visit
http://www.printscharmingbooks.com or,
http://tinyurl.com/pjf9tyzThe Charms project is out there now, but two other projects, KEEPSAKES and LUCKY DRAW are still open for contributors. If you're interested, pop along to
KEEPSAKES or
LUCKY DRAW Aha! Those are short! Short, I tell you! SHORT!
I get newsletters from three people in the fitness/diet/exercise/lifestyle area. Just lately I’ve had cause to write to all three of them about things they’ve done that are a MAJOR turnoff for me when clicking on their links.
One of them offers a freebie item for only postage. Now, I get his other product semi-regularly and it’s excellent, so I assume the new one would be too. However, he had a sneaky clause that meant the product would keep arriving at the full price after that freebie. I think there was a box to uncheck, but it was wayyy down. I wrote to him and said that was not the way to get happy customers (I’d read a lot of snaky comments about it) and he fixed the problem. Now you opt-in rather than having to opt-out.
One of them talked happily about “my f***y would thank me”. I told him that is not the thing to say to an international audience that will include Australians. He meant my behind would be smaller…
The third one had a link to click that promised a piece of information. Clicking the link took me to an unrelated page. He does this a lot, so I think it’s a deliberate ploy. He offers something we might want to know (which veg has the highest carb for example) and that link goes to a hard-sell page. As far as I could tell the info I wanted and was promised wasn’t there at all.
Also – there are the ones who offer information we want and then make us click through screen after screen of video and testimonial. The videos are soooo slowwww. I can read the info in 30 secs but the dude doing the audio takes 2 minutes. So, having wasted about 9 mins waiting for the screens to advance I click off that site. I will never willingly go back. And I still don’t have the info I was offered.
So- mini-rant over. Sometimes, the bait/switch techniques and testimonials tricks can backfire big time. You might pick up a few customers, but you WILL lose a lot like me.
Don't Wake the Troll! is a wonderful new picture book by Ben Kitchin, illustrated by Ben Redlich and published by Koala Books. The lively story tells of a group of dwarves whose treasure is stolen by a troll, so off they go to steal it back. The writing style is lively with plenty of word play and the illustrations are the perfect complement to the text.
This is one of those picture books that has wide appeal. Very young children would enjoy the rhythmic text while older ones would find the story exciting. Reading-aloud adults will appreciate the themes of overcoming fear, solidarity and crime definitely not paying off...I especially love the last page!
I'd love to see another collaboration between these talented creators. Let's hear it for The Two Bens!
To follow the Don't Wake the Troll! celebrations and bloghop, pop along to Jackie Hosking's blog
HERE Before you go, though, here's a contest. Leave a comment to be in the running for your choice of the following three prizes:
Ten Picture Book Mistakes (PDF)
50% off an assessment of your own picture book text from Affordable Manuscript Assessments
(Giving Our Kids) a Reason to Write (PDF)
Today Spinning Pearls is delighted to host a stop in Donna Smith's Jazmine Montgomery tour.
Hi Donna- thanks for visiting!
Hi Sally Thank you for inviting me along today to Spinning Pearls.
I thought today we could enjoy a chat somewhat a little different. When am I talking to children about writing, I am often asked about Verbs. So, today I thought I might talk about Verbs.
Understanding Verbs:
Verbs are so exciting as they not only describe a type of action but they also tell us when things are happening in the text. These include tense (past, present and future tense). A verb is also defined as a state of being. Every sentence must have a verb. Identifying the verb will give the reader greater understanding of the sentence.
The cat ate the rat. In this example ‘ate‘ is the verb as it is the action word within the sentence. In the sentence The monkey is smart there is no action word, however there is a ‘state of being’ which is ‘is‘. Therefore ‘is‘ is the verb of this sentence. Sometimes, this can be a little tricky. You can always ask your teacher for help if you are unsure.
Sometimes the verb can be changed by adding an ending. This occurs with Tense Verbs. Tense verbs have an ending added to the base verb to show the reader when things occur in the text. Such as past, present and future. The most common endings include:
1) ing – This is added to the verb to show the reader the text is ‘present’ tense. When using this type of tense verb, changing the base word always needs a little helper such as words like: were, was, are, is.
For example:
Timmy was kicking the ball.
Jazmineis going to music lessons.
Ben's kindy friends are reading books.
In each of these examples the base verb has been changed to include ing (reading) and a helper has been included (are).
2) es – This is the easiest to remember. ‘es‘ is added to a base verb which ends in ‘y‘. The ‘y‘ is dropped in most cases and ‘i’ is added, then ‘es‘ becomes the new ending.
For example:
Fly becomes flies
Spy becomes spies
Cry becomes cries
Try becomes tries
3) s – is added to a base verb to show present tense IF the subject in the sentence is a single person/ thing. ‘S’ is also added when text is written in the third person.
For example:
Timmy eatspears.
Jazmine swims fast.
Benjamin likes trucks.
Sometimes the word may also change completely such as:
I teach poetry to I taught poetry. In this example teach becomes taught – the word changes completely
I hope Sally this provides your readers some insight to what Verbs are and how they are used. I will pop by for a visit too.
Regards,
Donna
Thank YOU Donna!
Marlo Can Fly is a new Australian picture book by Robert Vescio, illustrated by Sandra Temple and
published by Wombat Books in 2013.
Marlo Can Fly is a lovely picture book. Quite apart from the story, which I'll get to in a minute, the book is a visual and tactile delight. The cover is simply designed with a light and airy look and the endpapers have a soft bird-patterned design. The interior artwork keeps the naturalistic colours of the Australian bush and the illustrator has been true to the text.
Marlo Can Fly is the story of a rugged individualist who happens to be a magpie. Magpies, so the other birds tell her, should fly. Marlo has other ideas. Why should I fly just because the others do? she thought. After an encounter with Sally the python, Marlo decides slithering looks like fun... and so does kerthumping like a kangaroo. Failure doesn't bother Marlo, but conforming does. But then she meets Kev Koala. Will Marlo put a frightened baby's needs above her own wishes?
Marlo is a doughty character with a warm heart and a waspish manner. Her story is funny, touching and ultimately triumphant as Marlo discovers the true freedom of being herself.
Visit the author at http://www.robertvescio.com/ and see the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqHEQJ9Xa-U
Today I welcome Karen Tyrrell to Spinning Pearls to talk about her follow-up to Me & Her - titled, appropriately enough, Me & Him!
1. How did the experience of writing Me & Him compare with that of writing Me & Her?
Writing Me and Her was a cathartic experience, healing from the traumas of parent-teacher abuse and mental illness. I wrote from two points of view, Me: mother, wife, teacher and writer. Her: psychic, healer to the living, telepathic to the dead and I was very psychotic.
I wrote Me and Him as a conscious decision to share my healing tools with others. Me and Him comprises two books in one. A self- help book with a guide to recovery and to mental happiness. And a memoir of dramatic events as Him, my husband-carer, divulged new insights into my illness.
2. Which book took you longer to write, and why?
Me and Her took six years and over 100 drafts to write, learning the craft of writing from the bottom up. Me and Him only took a year, utilizing my experiences as a memoir and mental health author, blogger and a magazine article writer.
3. How many editing passes do you usually make before you hire an outside editor?
I re-drafted my book until I couldn’t improve it any more. Then I sent out my manuscript to beta readers for feedback and line editing. Finally I sought Affordable Manuscripts for final editing and proof reading.
4. Do you have any advice to give writers regarding self-editing?
Complete a self-editing course like Queensland Writers Centre: Year of the Edit to learn structural and line editing.
5. If you self-edit, is there any need to hire an outside editor?
YES, you need an experienced pair of eyes to pick up spelling, punctuation and grammatical mistakes as well as errors with the facts, logic and sequence. An editor will suggest improvements to formatting and word choice too. This ensures your manuscript is of the highest possible publishable standard.
Book Giveaway
Please leave a query/comment/shared/experience here to win a free eBook of Me and Him: A Guide to Recovery.
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Thanks, Karen! I've had the chance to read both these books and I recommend them to anyone with an interest in self-determination and mental health.
2/January/2013
The Next Big Thing is a game of tag for authors. I was tagged by
Wendy Blaxland. I have tagged two other authors for next week. They answer the same questions about their own next project, and tag other authors for the week after.
Follow the game around the world…Where will it end
?What is the working title of your next book? Clovie Trefoil - Book one of the series The Fairies of Farholt.Where did the idea come from for the project? I love writing fantasy and I wanted to write an exciting new fantasy series for young readers in primary school. I decided to plan the whole series from the beginning. Working titles for the stories are "Clovie Trefoil", "Billabunya", "Tonash and Genimo", "
Lark and Shalla", "Foss Ammonite" and "Pother Sneckboggart".What genre does your project fall under? This is fantasy adventure with a quest component.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?Clovie would have to be played by an unknown, I think, since she is about ten years old in human terms. The Cromach could be played by any character actor who can do a Scots accent and carry a staff with dignity.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your project? When the Great Cairn of Sky loses its cap stone, Clovie Trefoil sets off on a quest across the Lands of the Fae to find the elusive Heatherghillie. (That's the first book only.)
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? It took about a week of work, but I didn't work on it continuously because I was away for few days in the middle of the process.
What other projects would you compare this story to within your genre?I don't know of any others that work quite this way.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?I wanted to write a series of fantasies for this specific age group, and make the stories exciting rather than "cute". (I don't do cute.) I also wanted to play with multiple formats - audio, e- and teacher-notes.
What else about the project might pique the reader's interest?The first month of work on the series is chronicled in an already-published book called
Finding Farholt. Find out more at
www.thefairiesoffarholt.comAnd next week, on 9th January, two other wonderful authors will tell you about their Next Big Event: Robyn Opie Parnell robynopie.blogspot.com.au/ and Michelle Tatam
Being a curious creature, I asked author/artst Selina Fenech about the experience of creating her first full length illustrated novel, "Memory's Wake". I was lucky enough to read "Memory's Wake" in manuscript form, and found it both enchanting and exciting to find a "new" author to enjoy. I have found three or four new, or new-to-me, authors in the indie publishing world over the last couple of years, and hope to interview others soon as well.
Now, over to Selina, to tell us how "Memory's Wake" came to be...
My illustrated young adult novel Memory’s Wake has been through many incarnations before it was completed. It started life as a comic book script, then I had plans to turn it into a story with illustrations, much like the illustrated Stardust by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. Then finally I decided that it should be a proper full length novel.
When I started writing it as a full novel, at first I was adamant that I wouldn’t illustrate it. I knew while I was writing that I didn’t want to create a book that relied on illustrations, or that was thought to be relying on the illustrations. I’d also read that a lot of people didn’t like pictures with their novels, since they liked to imagine what the characters looked like on their own. So right to the very final draft, I wrote the book as though it wasn’t going to be illustrated. Of course, when I reached that point, I changed my mind.
There were a few reasons why I chose to illustrate the novel after all- 1. Because I’m an artist. Illustrating is my “day job”, so I wanted to have a go at illustrating my characters and story world. I enjoyed painting them so much I’ve done over 45 illustrations for the book. It also meant I didn’t have to pay an outside illustrator, and I knew that the illustrations would appeal to people who were already fans of my artwork style. This has been a good thing and a bad thing. I’ve had a lot of fans of my art mention that they didn’t think the story would be very good and only bought the book for the art. Fortunately, they had said they were pleasantly surprised and loved the story too! 2. Because the story is a fairytale of sorts and has lots of fairytale references. Memory’s Wake suits being illustrated because of its genre. I also have another story which I didn’t illustrate because the other story (about super-powered teens) just didn’t suit being illustrated in my opinion.
3. Because why should teens miss out? Lots of kids books are illustrated. Even a lot of adult books, particularly in the fantasy genre are illustrated. But there’s a gap between them where books just don’t have pictures. I don’t see why teenagers have to miss out. As a teen I loved illustrations and stories, and had to turn to comic books to get my fix of both together. I’d love to see more illustrated books of all genres become available for all ages!
Of course, Memory’s Wake is going to be a trilogy, and having illustrated the first book I’m committed now to illustrating all three books! It’s a lot of work, but luckily it’s a labour of love.
Thanks so much, Selina, for taking the time to enlighten me (and other readers). Below are some links for anyone interested in finding out more about Selina and her work.
Selina Fenech - Portfolio Website
www.selinafenech.com Fairies and Fantasy Pty Ltd - Selina's Online Art Store
http://www.fairiesandfantasy.com Memory's Wake - Illustrated Fantasy Novel by Selina Fenech
www.memoryswake.com
Today I have some curly questions for Cynthianna about her new romance The Fixer-Uppers.
Hi, Cynthianna, and welcome to Spinning Pearls. I have some curly questions about your writing, and especially your new release The Fixer-uppers.
Q.“The Fixer-Uppers” is an enticing title. Which came first, the title or the storyline?
A. That's a good question! I remember I was watching the baggage handlers at an airport when we were coming home from a trip several years ago. I thought, "A hardworking guy like these guys would make a good hero for a romance story." So from there, I developed the character of Mike, the baggage handler, and then Cassie, the single mom bakery manager, sort of came to me as the perfect heroine for Mike. After that point, I had to come up with a place for Cassie and Mike to live in, and the idea of a house that's a "fixer-upper" seemed the most logical. Characters led to the storyline that led to the title. :)
Q. In your sig file you suggest Unique and original handmade gifts for that hard to please nerd in your life: www.smilingassassin.com Could you tell us a little about this?
A. Smiling Assassin Productions is our creative workshop. My husband is a talented author in his own right, A J Matthews. He's also a wonderful miniature sculptor/painter who makes all kinds of original science-fiction/fantasy and steampunk inspired artworks. He takes on commissions and has made all sorts of fun items like bookends and figurines for fans of Doctor Who and other sci-fi shows/fandoms. Be sure to check out some photos of his work at the web site.
Q. I noted your characters thought of themselves “in like” rather than “in love”. That’s a wonderful concept for a romance; much nicer than the more common “instant dislike” thing. Did you intentionally write a feel-good romance in reaction to reading one too many at-one-another’s-throats stories or do you go on a case-by-case basis?
A. I always let the characters tell me what their relationship is going to be like. Cassie and Mike are strong characters and have definite opinions about themselves and each other. Both of them are nice, ordinary people--the type of people you meet every day at work and play. They find that they share similar experiences with members of the opposite sex (their exes treated them poorly) but at the first, they're not sure they're ready for a new relationship, so they tell themselves they're "in like" and promise to be friends. Of course, the physical attraction can't be denied and sparks fly sooner not later... but I don't want to give away all the plot here, so please buy the book and find out for yourself! ;)
Q. How do you find sweet romance faring with so many lines tilting towards the spicier alternative?
A. It is sort of in the background, but I don't think it's totally out of the picture, yet. Lots of readers enjoy a good ol'-fashioned romance without graphic sex, so I hope in The Fixer-Uppers I've given them some sympathetic characters and a storyline they can relate to and really enjoy without the fear of being overwhelmed with situations they may find personally not to their tastes.
Q. OK – you’re the casting director in your dream movie. Who gets to play Mike? Who do you cast as Cassie?
A. For Mike, I've always thought Mike Nelson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame would be perfect. He's sort of tall and blond. For Cassie, I'm not sure. She's a redhead, so she needs an actress with spirit and vivaciousness. Who would you suggest? ;)
Hmmm - Anne Hathaway maybe? Thanks so much for visiting Spinning Pearls…
Thanks for having me here as your guest, Sally!
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Here are some links from Cynthianna, including a link to the book in question!
http://www.devinedestinies.com/the-fixer-uppers/X-Spam-Flag: NO
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Meet Bronte and her telepathic dog! They're the stars of the new book by Aussie Brian Curtin. I caught up with Brian in September and asked him a few curly questions about the book.Hi, Brian; Q. Bronte comes across as a very convincing twelve-year-old. How did you go about getting the voice and tone right? A. I am not quite sure of what you mean by voice and tone. I wrote it as I thought a twelve-year-old and a dog would talk.
Q. Kosta sounds like a Greek name. Did you name Kosta in the story after anyone or anything? Or did the name just pop into your head? A. Bronte and Kosta are real I have known Bronte since she was three years old. Actually she now has Kosta 2 as Kosta 1 died.Q. How did you come up with the idea of a polyglot telepathic psychic dog?A. I am not real sure. I started this book when Bronte was twelve she is now fourteen going on fifteen. I didn't start it as a publishable book; it was only some thing I wrote for her only. She is like a daughter to me. When I really got into it I began to like it and so I refined it and submitted it. When I got the idea of telepathy I searched the internet to see if I could find anything like it. I didn't want to copy anyone's idea. When I found virtually nothing I thought it might be worth writing. Q. Kosta was an astronomer once. Did you research stars for the story, or did you use knowledge you had already?
A. Yes I researched the stars. I had a lot more information about stars and there distances from earth and the name of the stars in the Canis Major Constellation, but I cut it I thought it might be an over-kill.
Q. Any more adventures planned for Bronte and Kosta?
A. Possibly, but at the moment I am working on a book for my daughter Katelyn called Katey and her Possessed Budgie. She is only six months older that Bronte and they are friends.
I took the photo on the cover and that is Bronte and Kosta. Tina at DD doctored the photo and changed my lettering. During the photo shoot Kosta would not pose as I wanted him to so I superimposed him into it. Bronte is a Ballet Dancer and would be the right age at the moment to play Liana in my first book if they made a movie or ballet of it now. She has won a lot of trophies in Ballet. I didn't write OnePlusOne on Bronte's dancing ability that book was started before she took up dancing.
Thanks Brian! I always love to know how books come to be written.
Bronte and Her Telepathic Dog is a lovely follow up to Brian's previous ballet romance One Plus One Makes One, which is also available from Devine Destinies. Follow the link below to find out more, or to buy a copy of Bronte and Her Telepathic Dog for the doglovers and stargazers in your life...
http://www.devinedestinies.com/bronte-and-her-telepathic-dog/
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| Bushland Lullaby is here! |
Hello and welcome to the Bushland Lullaby blog tour. I am delighted with my new picture book - or should I say, with OUR new picture book, since illustrator Lisa Stewart's work is a good part of the charm. This is a lap-book - ideal for bedtime reading. The pictures are in soft pastel and each shows a dream-like image of a bush baby going to sleep. Bushland Lullaby is a rhyming picture book, and falls into a gentle rhythm when read aloud.Below are details about the book, and the associated contest. Blog-tour venues will be added very soon.
| Asleep in a gently snoozing ball
Little possum's soft and small. |
| | Author(s) | Sally Odgers | | Publisher | Scholastic Australia | | Date of Publication | 01/09/2012 | | Language | English | | Format | Hardback | | ISBN-10 | 174283177X | | ISBN-13 | 9781742831770
CONTEST |
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Everyone who comments goes in the draw to win one of three PDF e-books
Please state your preference when commenting.
Writing a Picture Book Text
Finding Farholt
Writing a Manuscript Proposal
Tour dates:
Spinning Pearls 1/09/2012 (http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com)
Writing for Children with Peter Taylor 3/09/2012 http://writing-for-children.blogspot.com.au/
From Hook to Book (http://christinemareebell.wordpress.com/)
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Today I have Alison Reynolds visiting at Spinning Pearls as part of her tour with her amazing picture book A Year With Marmalade.
Hi Sally! Thank you for inviting me to the lovely Spinning Pearls.
I was wondering why picture books are such a popular genre to write. My publisher asked me to write a picture book with a background of the seasons and A Year with Marmalade emerged. But could I have written it as a chapter book? I don’t think it would have worked half as well. The juxtaposition between the words and illustrations is half the music.
5 Reasons to write picture books
They’re short. BUT this does not mean they are easy to write. Mem Fox took 2 years to write the 487 words of Koala Lou.
You can achieve a clarity and simplicity that is hard to maintain over a longer piece of work.
They can look and feel fabulous. I love the textured trunk on the cover of A Year with Marmalade. Many picture books are actual works of art.
It’s fascinating to have an illustrator interpret/add to your story.
Both small and big children love them. For many of us, picture books are our first exposure to literature. Picture books are fun!
Do any other writers out there like to write picture books? Why?
Thanks for hosting the A Year with Marmalade tour, Sally.
Looking forward to seeing your new work Bushland Lullaby soon!
Thanks, Alison... Now, see below for a competition and the other stops in the blog tour.
CONTEST
Marmalade’s personality really shines through in Alison Reynolds and Heath McKenzie's newest picture book A Year with Marmalade. Share your favourite picture showing your cat's personality to win.
Entries close on the 1st of September
Follow the tour!
Blog Tour
7th August Dee White
9th August Karen Tyrrell
11th August Tania McCartney
13th August Pass It On
14th August Kathryn Apel
17th August Dale Harcombe
20th August Peter Taylor
22nd August Susan Stephenson
23rd August Robyn Opie Parnell
27th August Sally Odgers
29th August Angela Sunde
31st August Chris Bell
Today I welcome Catriona Hoy, author of The Little Dinosaur, to Spinning Pearls.
So - I hear you had a blast at the Little Dinosaur launch? Will you tell us about that?
Hi Sally, thanks for having me over here today. Yes, it has been a hectic couple of weeks but it was great to see everything finally coming together. It was a bit scary a few days beforehand as suddenly the numbers of rsvp’s doubled and it looked like possibly 200 people were coming! I started to panic about whether I had enough food or wine and made a few extra trips to the shops. I did have an awesome cake made by Cecilia, a multi-talented lady who I teach with.
The key to the success of the whole event was the choice of venue. I held it at the Monash Science Centre, where many years ago the whole story began when I interviewed fossil preparator Lesley Kool for a series of articles for Pearson’s magazines. The Science Centre was very supportive and it was just the ideal venue. Dr Pat Vicker-Rich works there and it is her daughter Lleaellyn that the particular dinosaur in the story was named after. Pat welcomed everyone to the Centre and then Lesley Kool spoke about her work. She had everyone enthralled and was just as inspiring as when I first met her many years ago. There were lots of dinosaurs and fossils for both young and old enthusiasts to admire. The science centre were also very helpful with advertising and I can’t praise the entire staff highly enough.
How did the Monash Science Centre get the dinosaurs on display? Did they set out to obtain them, or was it serendipity?
The Science Centre is open to the public and has an educational focus. When I first began chatting to them about holding the launch, they were planning for a new exhibition. It was a bit of serendipity and a lot of hard work over the weeke
Today we welcome Donna Smith of Jelli Beanz Publishing for a pit stop on her Billy Cart Derby tour. Donna is talking about language development.
Language Development in Children.
It is interesting to know that research shows us that children do in fact have an innate biological clock of sorts which triggers the development of language acquisition.
The biological trigger usually appears at around the age of eighteen-twenty months of age. This innate trigger tends to be a universal occurrence. Research studies show that children from various cultures and countries experience the same onset of language speech in children at the same age.
What does vary however is the rate and depth to which the language develops once the onset has commenced. The onset of language itself begins well before the child needs language skills. Often babies from around six to eight months will begin to babble syllables and single utterances. True language of speech is classed as the stage to which two words are joined together clearly.
This cannot be brought forward by repetition. Language speech development will not emerge before it is programmed to emerge.
Studies show us that this not triggered by external factors. The child will begin to sp
Spinning Pearls is happy to host a stop on your blog tour. Just leave a comment to ask for a spot. Best suited to children's books, mainstream fiction and popular non fiction.
Please note; Read and Reviewed blog is open to guest reviewers. However, we do not generally review unsolicited books.
Writing for Children Virtual Course is open only to paid-up course members ($50.00 gets you in)
Affordable Manuscript Assessments is the blog for how-to writing advice and information from the Affordable Manuscript Assessments and Workshops site and service.
Today I welcome Karen Tyrrell who is answering some curious questions about writing and editing her memoir Me & Her: A Memoir of Madness..
Writing & Editing Process ME & HER: A Memoir of Madness
1. How did you go about reconstructing the scenes that took place during one of your later memory blanks?
My husband helped me to remember those traumatic memories which I had suppressed. With his hot-poker reminders and fish oil supplements, my memory eventually returned. 2. Did you find it difficult to distance yourself from the material during the editing process?
I wrote about the most traumatic events in my life, first as flashbacks. When I was emotionally ready I was able to disclose those events in detail. Beta readers, The Society of Editors and editors like you, Sally offered advice and perspective when I was “too close” to my memoir.3. How much, if at all, did you change the order or impact of events to make the story work AS a story?
I wrote my memoir over six years, perhaps with a hundred drafts. I changed the order o
This is a story written by a girl named Pat Bonney when she was ten years old. It was published in the newspaper in 1937 and I have just read it for the first time. Why would I be interested in a story three quarters of a century old? Pat was my mum! The accompanying picture shows her as a small child.
"BOTHER homework," sighed Jill as she rubbed her eyes. In a moment she was flying through the air on the back of a green and gold rosella parrot which seemed to be in rather a bad mood, because when Jill asked where they were going, he only grunted.
At last he condescended to mutter, "The Queen of Wattles sent me to bring you to Fairyland for her birth day party."
Soon they came to a beautiful wattle tree, where the parrot dropped his wings and they floated to earth to a most beautiful gully, with a rippling stream flowing through.
Jill felt a little shy, but she bowed to the Queen, who was clothed in gold, and surrounded by wattle fairies.
Suddenly there was a disturbance on the little stream, which proved to be the platypus arriving with the water lily fairies. No sooner had they arriv ed than the kangaroo came bounding along laden with the orchid fairies. There were sun orchids, green hoods, brown beaks, gnats, rabbit ears and butterfly and spider orchids, also many others that Jill did not know.
Soon after, the wallaby came with the heath fairies in their pink, white and red frocks, while the opossum followed with the gumnut fairies.
After bowing to the Queen, all the fairies danced merrily round her untilmidnight, when they sat down to a fairy supper served on toadstools.
Suddenly Jill felt a bump. She thought that the kangaroo had col lided with her, but opened her eyes to find her pen in her hand, and she heard her brother say, "Wake up, sleepy head, you can't do your home work in your sleep."
Today, as promised, I welcome Sally Murphy to Spinning Pearls to answer some curious questions about her new picture book.
1. The title of your new book is “Do Not Forget Australia”. Can you name three things you would never forget about Australia if you had to leave?
Hi, everyone! On March 7th, Spinning Pearls will be meeting Sally Murphy as part of her blog tour for her new picture book, DO NOT FORGET AUSTRALIA.
You can follow the tour at these venues.
1st March 2012 | Let's Have Words | |
2nd March 2012 |
0 Comments on Coming Soon... Sally Murphy's Blog Tour Stop as of 1/1/1900
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Hi Sally and Donna. Donna, hope you had lots of fun on your blog tour. It was interesting finding out new pieces of information every day. All the best with Jazmine Montgomery Toy Detective - The Magic Glasses.
HI Helen,
Thank you for popping by and visiting Spinning Pearls. I am glad you found the chat useful. I have had a great time during the tour and look forward to more events in the future! Regards, Donna