Here’s hoping all your wishes and dreams come true in the coming year. Have a wonderful holiday season.

I know I’m a party pooper, but I seriously hate this time of year. I do my best to get into the mood of the season, but for the most part I feel alienated and lonely.

Possibly I have a bit of SAD going on, and the weather has been typically winter dreary most of the week. The sun was out briefly this morning and I opened the front door to let it stream in and allow the cats to peer at the outside world through the safety of the storm door glass.

I packed up a flurry of last minute orders from Magickware.com and headed out of the house to run my morning errands in good spirits. Fill up the gas tank on the car, swing by K-mart and pick up some meds, finish off by shipping out the packages over at the post office. The wind was fierce and whipped around me while I was filling up the tank. The price of gas has dropped dramatically so I was able to do it for less than a king’s ransom. I drove over to K-Mart and decided I’d better get some non-denominational, un religious cards to send out to friends and family who don’t celebrate Christmas. I wanted something cute and happy. I like cute and happy.

After berating myself for yet another year when I didn’t complete a painting for holiday cards, I poured over the shelves of boxed cards. They had cute. They had happy. Only ALL the cute and/or happy cards had santas or verses inside wishing the recipient a Merry Christmas. I ended up with a basic winter woodland painting type thing with what is in all likelihood a couple of deer. All very bland. But not blatantly Christmassy. I have since lost motivation to address and write short notes in them today. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be in a more holidayish mood.

My husband and I had made tentative plans to welcome back the sun this year by walking on the river banks, but seems that the weather will be dangerously cold on Sunday night. We would be better off staying home instead of tempting possible frost bite down on the edge of the river. So I asked the family what they’d rather do instead. “I dunno” was the unanimous response.

I will make my infamous almond crescent cakes on Sunday. My step-sons would never forgive me if I failed to provide them. One year I was having a difficult time finding almond flour and one of my sons said he would grind the almonds himself if he had to, so we would not go without the confection.

The pile of presents is all wrapped and awaiting delivery to their recipients. Last night, instead of working on my December coloring page, I helped my daughter complete her holiday gifts for her school mates. I spent the evening crocheting a long skinny red scarf.

Maybe I’ll finish my holiday painting tomorrow and send it instead of the lame winter scene I settled for at the store.

Oh, and my X called me by accident when trying to call his girl friend. I think my amusement at his expense didn’t go over very well. But, hey, I wasn’t the one calling the wrong number and asking for someone who isn’t me. Bwahaha. My husband thought it was as humorous as I did.

Winter officially begins on Sunday and I find myself longing for the stirrings of spring already. Maybe it will snow. I like the snow. I miss a real snowfall. A dreary winter day is all so much prettier under a blanket of white fluff. Building a snowman would be fun…

Well, maybe not love exactly, but I am pretty darn pleased.

Last month I splurged and bought myself a laptop. One of those teeny tiny ones. It has a 9″ screen and weighs less than 2 pounds. It fit’s quite comfortably in my cargo bag along with a sketch pad and a box of pencils and erasures.

It’s a PC, not a MAC which is weird for me. I have been using a MAC since the late 80s, almost as long as the personal computer has been around. But I had to purchase a particular piece of software and wouldn’t you know it, they only make it to run on a Windows machine. So I took the plunge. I bought the software in June and the PC in November so it wasn’t a very hasty plunge, but for me that is moving at lightening speed.

Last night I took my tiny little lap top and a WIP that needed editing and went upstairs and stretched out in my bed! To work on edits! In complete comfort in my PJs. Yup, I’m in love.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. The PC came with some bundled games — one of which is pinball. I’ve loved pinball ever since I was a little kid. Some of my fondest memories are of the time I spent on the New Jersey shore. When I was a young kid my grandfather worked on the Lakewood boardwalk. He had a candy shop there. And not just any candy shop mind you, but one that people came from around the country to just to buy up his handmade chocolates. Anyway, once a week, I would get to take a little red wagon filled with soda syrups around the boardwalk making deliveries to all the shops with soda fountains. I’d get a nickle for each delivery. When the wagon was empty and my pocket full of jingling change, I was allowed to venture into the arcade and play any of the games there I wanted until the nickles ran out. My favorite two were skeet ball and pinball. I would hit the pinball machines first. I got really good at them by summer’s end and managed to keep my ball in play for a long time making my nickles last. After half the nickles were gone, I’d head over to the skeet ball area. If I was really careful and scored high enough, I’d end up with a huge handful of tickets. If I had enough tickets, I could pick a prize from the coveted top shelf toys. Funny thing that. I don’t remember a single toy I picked but I do remember the joy of being able to say I had enough tickets for them!

Anyway, pinball on a lap top isn’t quite the same as the old arcade, but it sure beats a stick in the eye any day!

Merry Hi Friends!

I don’t know about all of you, but my November has been quite full. In fact, it’s been so chock full it got away from me when I stopped to regroup. When I came up for air it was already the 24th!

The month started with my leap into trying to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. November is National Novel Writing Month. http://nanowrimo.org Thousands of aspiring (and published) authors from around the world drop everything to attempt writing a 50,000 word novel in a month. I didn’t make it this year, but my word count is double what I managed last year, so I am pretty pleased.

Next up, I was invited to be a guest speaker at the Annual Fall Conference of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Missouri chapter. I spoke about the process of creating art for picture books from start to finish. See below if you’d like to have me speak at your school, club, group or event. I hold workshops on the publishing process, as well as teaching Pagan centered crafts or workshops.

Right about the same time, I was given my first case as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. http://www.nationalcasa.org/ It’s a volunteer position, but a lot of work. I speak for a child in the foster care system to make sure his/her needs are met and that he/she is placed in a loving, safe and permanent home as soon as possible after being brought into care.

With the recent Thanksgiving holiday just past this week, it only seems fitting to thank each and everyone of you for supporting me in my dreams and career. Without your emails, comments and yes, book purchases, I could not continue to live my dream of writing and illustrating fun and entertaining books for children.

Yule is just around the corner, and many of us are tightening our belts until it hurts. Still, we do want to give gifts to our loved ones. Please consider adding one of my books to the list. Dollar for dollar books are a better investment than most other forms of entertainment. Do your part to help support your local
businesses and buy locally and through independent retailers and booksellers whenever you can. Magical Child Books has made locating your local independent book seller easy. At the bottom of each book’s web page (along side the link to amazon) is an buy Indy link. You click on the link and type in your zip code and the 5 closest book stores to you will be listed with all their contact information.

Below are all my books currently available on the publisher’s web site: http://magicalchildbooks.com, amazon and other online book stores or your favorite book seller.

AN ORDINARY GIRL, A MAGICAL CHILD
Written and illustrated by W. Lyon Martin
Magical Child Books — Trade Picture Book - Available NOW!!!
An Ordinary Girl follows Rabbit, a young Pagan child through the wheel of the Year. Readers follow along with her as she celebrates Wiccan holidays, rituals and spells.

AIDAN’S FIRST FULL MOON CIRCLE
Written and illustrated by W. Lyon Martin
Magical Child Books — Trade Picture Book - Available NOW!!!
An interactive picture book. With hidden pictures in the main story, children get to help a friendly squirrel gather acorns for the coming winter, all the while learning the basics of a Wiccan Full Moon gathering.

WATCHERS
Written and illustrated by W. Lyon Martin
Magical Child Books — Trade Picture Book - Available NOW!!!
Based on a poem by Kelley Magee, this book is a bedtime story filled with subtle Pagan symbols in the illustrations. The hero, Thomas, is worried about the eyes watching him in the dark. He hatches a plan to capture them only to find out what he fears is really there to protect him.

Due for release to booksellers in FEBRUARY 2009
RABBIT’S SONG
Written by S. J. Tucker and Trudy Herring; illustrated by W. Lyon Martin
Magical Child Books — Trade Picture Book
Is currently only available for purchase through the publisher’s web site. A limited number of autographed copies (S.J., Trudy and my signatures are all there for you!) are still available. Buy before December 13th to assure delivery in time for Yule gift giving. Plus, as a special bonus for people placing
pre-orders for Rabbit’s Song, you will receive a MP3 file of Trudy and SJ reading a special story available no where else.. This is a limited time offer and is only available for those placing pre-orders for the book. The MP3 file will be removed from the servers on February 14th, the official release date of the book.

At Magical Child Books you can see inside pages of the books, read reviews and even find teaching guides. You can even leave your own reviews in the publisher’s shopping cart if you want to share your own views on the books.

Freebies:
This month’s coloring page is “L” of the ABC’s of Lesser Know Goddesses. Leucothea is a sea Goddess known for fostering the baby Dionysus. Go to the group’s web site to download this and previous coloring pages. If your budding artist sends me their masterpiece after coloring it in, I’ll post it on my blog. (Please keep files under 1 MG please.) Remember the monthly coloring pages are archived at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/magicalchildnews/. Let me know if you have a favorite Goddess who you think will be a good addition to the pages. We are only half way through the alphabet, so any letters we haven’t covered (M-Z) are still open for suggestions.

Visits:
To invite me to speak at your school or event, learn more at
http://magicalchild.handcraftedpagan.com/workshops/ or email me at [email protected].
To view my current schedule of events, go to http://magicalchild.handcraftedpagan.com/bio/appearances/. NOTE: Due to my current involvement as a CASA, I am limiting appearances in 2009 and 2010.

Note:
Again, I appreciate your continued interest in the milestones in this amazing career of mine and hope you’ll invite your friends and family to learn more about my books and enjoy my free downloads by sending them to the links above. Of course, I don’t want to bug you, so if you’d rather not hear about these things, you can always unsubscribe. But I sure hope you’ll stick around to share
this exciting trip!

Bright Blessings,
Lyon

Children’s Book Writer & Illustrator
http://www.handcraftedpagan.com

Things I’ve done are in bold. What about you???

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.

Magical Child Books

I really tried, and in fact I am pretty pleased with what I managed to accomplish. But with only eight days to go in this month’s National Novel Writing Month challenge and my measly word count of just over 13,000 words, I don’t think it is physically possible for me to write the 50,000 required to win.

I started off the month right on track, I planned to write about 2,000 words a day, because I know there would be days when I would be too busy to make time to write. I was on track until about the middle of the second week, too. And than, as it usually does, life happened.

I was assigned my first case as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). It is a rather complicated scenario and the more investigation I do the more complicated it becomes. I have spent several days each week in the last few weeks just making phone calls and tracking down info. I have received so many faxes, I have to go out an buy another roll of film for my fax machine. I was hoping to wait until January when the stores send out 50% off coupons and I can make a big purchase for my needed office supplies. I rerolled the film, but that’s just a band aide for the immediate future. There have also been several trips up into St. Louis to meetings and such, which because of the drive, the time spent and such, have left me with no energy left after preparing dinner for my family and making sure the house doesn’t fall down around our ears. So several nights I sat staring at my computer screen and not a word being written because my brain refused to function.

Last week, my printer also decided to misbehave again. This has been an ongoing problem since I purchased the damn thing and no one wants to take responsibility to replace the monstrosity which arrived damaged and needed a service call before I could even use it! So the service guy was here again last week, to fix it, and again could not fix it.

I finally found an electrician who wasn’t going to cost me $150 to walk in the front door. My daughter’s room now has a light switch and a new light fixture replacing the old crayon shaped ceiling fan we installed when she was 6. The ceiling still needs to be sanded and painted but if we don’t look up, it’s not noticeable so most likely will wait until I am more ambitious. While the electrician was here, I also had him rewire the studio with grounded outlets and bring the room up to code. The new outlets are on their own circuit on the breaker box as well, which should help save us from having to replace electronic equipment should we have another storm like last August’s.

AND my dentist finally talked me into getting a mouth guard. I have been grinding my teeth since I was a small child and it has gotten to the point where it’s causing me trouble. Because of the way my lower jaw is shaped what should have been an hour visit turned into several hours long visits until the guard fit properly. I wore it for the full night last night for the first time. I think it’s the first time I can remember not waking up with my jaw muscles in knots.

But all of this “life” has really crimped my writing time. So no NaNoWriMo award for me this year. I am very proud of my 13,000+ word count and may even continue to work on my story in spite of the fact I won’t be a NaNoWriMo winner this year. As a picture book writer/artist I have had to work to keep my word count under 1,000 words, so a novel of any length is quite an achievement for me. And it’s been fun to get on a roll and find I’ve written another scene and finished a chapter without struggling for perfection. I still have no title for my story, but it no longer matters. I won this year no matter what else happens this month. I have a really cool novel started and may even see it to completion some time in the near future.

I have a November coloring page in mid sketch calling to me, so I must skiddaddle off and finish that before it become December and I have to do a coloring page for next month! This year has streamed by entirely too fast!

I love getting emails from the readers of my books. It’s what makes this all worth while. Today, one of my newsletter members Magical Child News sent a request to update her email address and a short anecdote about how Watchers help her granddaughter deal with her fear of fairies. Notes like this make me and my husband go “awww.” Those little bits are just too cute

Oh! BTW! My 4-year-old granddaughter Mykayla is in love with your “Watchers.” In a weird twist, her mother painted her bedroom with fairies, and Myk freaked to the point of nightmares. She somehow became convinced that fairies were bad, and she was afraid of her room.
We read “Watchers,” talked about her fear, and she then became convinced that fairies and guardian angels are one in the same. I’m thinking that as misconceptions go, that’s one we can live with for awhile. Ha!

Hugs,
Mari

If you’d like your own copy of Watchers, (or any of the other books) it’s available from the publisher (you can have it autographed!), amazon or your favorite local bookseller. Magical Child Books Store.

Mama Dragon aka Trudy Herring, the coauthor of our upcoming picture book “Rabbit’s Song” has graciously invited Trickster to use her livejournal page http://uglygrandmother.livejournal.com/ to record his diary of his search for animal representatives.

Read the story behind the story while you wait for your copy of the book to arrive.

It would be wise to get out of this little hooligan’s way. I sketched this out in early September but never finished it as other more pressing projects kept me occupied. She’s been yelling at me ever since. So I finished her up today. Maybe now I’ll have some peace and quiet?

Hello Again,

Many of you have already received multiple notices of the upcoming Benefit Auction for Beltana and her Family. Since the last post, listing the items to be auctioned, we have receive several more exquisite items. Although the following list looks familiar, please take the time to look it over and make note of the changes. Thank you.

This is one last, final reminder (at least from me!) Come one, Come All! This saturday, November 8, 7-11 PM… 4271 Delor, St. Louis Mo… at the IAFF Local 73 union hall.

This is the auction you don’t want to miss… By now just about everyone knows we’re trying to raise money to help Beltana and her family. Every dollar we raise at the auction will go to Beltana. Some of the items on the auction block are:

Jewelry, both local custom made pieces and numerous ones from Ireland.
The jewelry is comprised of silver, saphires, rubies, topaz and more.
A variety of men’s and women’s festival clothing, including tie-dyes.
Total retail value of the jewelry and clothing exceeds $3000.
Gift certificates for events and services from Ozark Avalon and WyldeHaven.
Concert tickets to the Pageant.
Art work from Pam Burton, Mickie Mueller, Carey Oxler and others.
Music collections from Celia, Ginger Doss & Bekka Kelso, and others.
Unreleased music and videos from our own Sooj (Skinny White Chick.)
A custom made dagger from Govannan.
Numerous signed book collections including from MR Sellars & Laurel K. Hamilton
A custom made, full length, hooded cloak made by Lyon Martin.
Custom made candles from Bear’s Den.
Much, much more………………

Total retail value of the auction items exceeds $5000. The starting bids will be determined by the value of each item. Starting bids range from $5 to $300.

There will be live entertainment from Ed Frances & friends….. Pickin’ Lickin’…
Belly Dancing…….. And a psychic will be on site doing readings.

There will be food available, non alcoholic beverages… and an open bar of beer and wine. The open bar will be available for a donation of $10, which is less than you would spend on an average night out.

This is your chance to do some early holiday shopping….. or find something wonderful for yourself! The starting bid on most items will be 50% of it’s worth….
This is potiential bargain time.. not to mention our cause… to help Beltana and her family in their time of need, helping her to keep food on the table, the utilities paid and clothes for little Bela’. There is no admission fee… so please join us for a very good time and a very good cause. Bring your love and healing energy….. as well as your wallets, check books and generousity.

If you’re coming from a long distance and need a place to stay, please contact us as soon as possible so we can make the necessary arrangements.

A major thank you to everyone who generously donated items to make this auction possible, Zettl Photogaphy for printing the flyers, IAFF Local 73 for donating the use of the union hall, the Riverfront Times for advertising the event, and many, many others for their help.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Blessed Be,
Robynn
(314) 368-0371

This just in from Publisher’s Weekly:

As bedtime books go, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd (HarperCollins, 1947), remains one of the gold standards. But author/illustrator Michael Rex thought the classic tale could use a healthy dose of spookiness, so he set to creating Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody (Putnam). Apparently, plenty of parents and kids were ready to follow Rex down the parody path, because the book has hit bestseller lists and now has 100,000 copies in print, since its August publication.

read the full story

This month the ABC of Lessor Known Goddesses features Kebechet. She is the daughter of Anubis the Egyptian God of the Dead. Her job is to carry water to Her father for the purification of the dead’s souls.

Join the Magical Child News Yahoo group to download this and previous coloring pages.

I got this today from another illustrator who like me makes her living from her artwork. It explains the whole Orphan Works situation very simply in layman’s terms. So for anyone who is not quite understanding what is is all about and how it affects the creative community, or for those looking to explain it to others in a simple way, feel free to read this and pass it on…

Below is the letter composed by Kathy Fincher with the intent for anyone to customize it to their own art business and then share with everyone you know. You are also welcome to send it out as is if you prefer.

The goal is to give a personal, simple explanation of how Orphan Works will affect everyone.

Kathy is considered the foremost inspirational artist in our country. She fights a continual battle with non-profits thinking they can use her work without permission or payment, due to the “message”…

September 30, 2008

Dear Friends…

During the weekend when most of our Senators were heavily involved in trying to save our economy, a small group of Senators managed to pass a bill that has been blocked for more than two years. It passed with most Senators never having read it nor realizing a vote was in progress. Now this new law is only a breath away from complete passage should the House agree, which could happen any day now. I hope you..re sitting down as I try to explain and unravel this complicated bill into everyday language. The Senate voted that — Without your knowledge, personal property may be used for someone else’s profit — and it will be legal. It gets worse — should you discover your property is being used by a stranger and you can prove it, the law makes provisions for them to continue using it and you may be required to work together and share the profits.! (Remember, I recommended that you sit down. It gets deeper) So if the personal property they are using is your livelihood, this new law may allow the perks of ownership to be shared! Ethically you may not like or agree with how your property is being used, but that is not addressed in this new law.

This new law passed by the Senate downgrades this particular property owner’s day in court. You will find that rather than capping the ability to collect damages, this new law says that the property owner may not sue for them even if they win the case! Attorneys are still scratching their heads with this one. How can you win a case, and still not collect attorney’s fees, damages, or even regain control of your property?

Does this sound like the America that you and I know?

The type of ownership that I am talking about is creative ownership or copyright. As an inspirational artist known for painting children, like other American artists, I have rested in knowing that today’s laws consistently follow a timeless principle, you cannot use something that does not belong to you. The House committee wishes to pass this legislation this week and this simple principle is being replaced with anyone that can’t seem to find me can use my paintings of children for themselves. They may even build a business around my hard earned work and talent. Here’s another way of saying it. “Anyone that sees and likes my work, but can’t find me, can use it.”

This law tells me that as a creative property owner, I must be available and not difficult to find. (Could you imagine someone legally using your car because you left it to do some errands? After returning, you discover someone has rented it out because they could not find you. You take him to court to make him stop and the judge follows the new laws and decides that it is your fault because you were too hard to find. The court will arrange for you to work together and share the profits.)

Should you wish to protect a child’s work or your own, this new law requires that you take the same necessary steps as professionals: make a digital file of the work, upload it to a privately held digital data bank (or many data banks), and add a description. No one knows how much this will cost or even if this system will work. But we do know that if you do the math, it is understandable why Google and Microsoft have been pushing these bills! The Small Business Administration reviewed the case and has addressed their concerns for artist’s small businesses.

We invite you to help us in our efforts to stop the House of Representatives from passing this horrible bill. (Notice I didn’t suggest that you send this letter to 10 friends. I get so tired of those emails.) If you love exclusive ownership, the ability to have your day in court, small businesses, the arts, parents rights, keeping good laws and not exchanging them for bad ones — if you are a crafter, quilter, writer, poet, song writer, sculptor, painter, graphic artists or any sort of creator — please read the information below as it is very easy to help us.

We wish to protect new and old pieces of art, whether created by professional hands, hobby hands, or children’s hands. All should be able to say without hesitation — “all mine”!

Blessings from a very concerned artist,

Kathy Fincher

If you want to know more about this bill, it is called the Orphan Works Act of 2008.
Individual artists, such as myself, and many art organizations representing more than 75 professional art groups with over half a million members; as well as artists from around the world, are growing daily as they realize we must fight for our livelihoods. America’s illustrators have taken the lead by fighting this bill for more than two years. They have an excellent website: http://ipaorphanworks.blogspot.com/ that explains things such as:

*How the name “orphan works” is deceptively being changed from its international definition of “deceased” artists to including “living” artists. Unfortunately this is working. The good parts of the bill (such as museums releasing archived art) are being broadcasted - but not the bad. Visit http://www.owoh.org with great info.

*Someone can take your artwork, make a few changes, file it into a database system, and sign their name on. It may then be claimed as their own personal property. (Similar to taking someone’s car, painting purple and then registering it as your own property.)

*This is a law that was originally designed to make museum’s and library’s archived work available to the public without fear of being sued. Artists support this, but as you will discover through research, legislation got carried away. Perfectly designed copyright laws are being rearranged.
http://www.owoh.org provides more information.

*We have made contacting your House of Representative very easy. Click on the link below and it will guide you through a speedy process. http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11980321

Thank you so much if you have read this far. I encourage you validate what you have read by visiting those websites above.

After dinner last night my husband informed me that both grandchildren had soccer games this morning. We were up at about 8 am and the teenager growl at me when I asked her if she wanted to go with us. We left her sleeping and headed on down to game #1 - the grandson’s team played first at the AmVets field on the southern side of town.

We stopped at the Coffee Cabin (the closest thing to a Starbucks in the area) on the way and got hot coffees and cocoa. While the drinks where being prepared the Jefferson County Fire Engine Parade streamed past. Horns going, bells ringing and assorted hoopla. Some fine old engines went north toward Herky. Some folks were even lining the side of the road to watch! We got our coffee, paid and by the time we left the parking lot it was over. So we got to see it, and not get snarled in traffic. How cool is that?

The game was already started when we pulled up. It always amazes me at how different in shape and size children of the same age can be. My husband commented that if our grandson got any skinnier he’d only have one side. That boy is sure compact, and all legs and neck.

His team played like a well oiled machine. They won 5-0. His mom said they were the “hard” team to beat, too. Totally awesome! We then packed up and headed across town the the park for the granddaughter’s game.

These kids were 5 & 6 year olds. Still totally adorable, but at an age where they are starting to “get” the rules of the game. Our granddaughter devised a game plan that worked really well for her. She’d hang back from the “herd” and wait for the ball to be kicked free. Then she’d get it and speed down the field to the goal. She did this with amazing regularity. Unfortunately, she and her team couldn’t seem to score. She was pretty pleased with her part in the action though, so the score wasn’t an issue.

Of course, we forgot the camera, so no pictures of any of it.

After the game we came home, the teenager was still in bed. It was nearly 1:30 when we arrived back at the house. I got myself some lunch and promptly fell asleep on the couch for two hours. *shrug* oh well, it’s Saturday. I deserve a day off. After I woke u I decided to be productive. Since that book keeping program is on the DH’s computer and he was using it, I moved onto a different project. Probably just as well as I still haven’t located the 2007 records. I decided to fix the pages on my writer’s web site. It’s been festering since April, and I’ve been too busy to do anything about it. So I have now fixed all the pages that are there. I still have to create a few pages of content that I have accumulated since April, but that will be a piece of cake once I sit down to do it.

My husband left for the track while I was working and after her returned, I was still at it. He asked if I’d even moved from the computer. Silly man, I’d washed a sink full of dishes and made dinner, which was cooking in the oven. We actually had dinner all together sitting at the dining room table like civilized people. And nobody complained. There was pleasant conversation and amiable laughter. It’s the only time we saw the teenager all day.

I did some research on the bone spurs in my feet. It seems it’s a form of osteoarthritis. So I am now taking a calcium/magnesium supplement. And rolling a tennis ball around with my foot. I still hobble around like an 80 year old woman. These things are incredibly painful. Standing aggravates them, sitting does as well. The doctor says they’ll go away eventually, and not to wear shoes that tie or press on the top of my foot. Yeah, right. EVERY shoe I own puts pressure on that part of my foot. I guess I may have to break down and do some shoe shopping for myself next week. The last 5 times I went to the shoe store, I got shoes for the teenager!

It seems like the day has got away from me again. It’s nearly 11 pm and I still have a half a dozen things I want to get done today. *blink*

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a campaign designed to bring attention to the importance of early education. By encouraging hundreds of thousands of children and adults to read the same book on the same day, Jumpstart aims to break a world record and to make early education a national priority.

Children and adults will read together at events nationwide on October 2, in schools, libraries, stores, hotels, playgrounds, offices, and homes. This year’s book is Corduroy, by Don Freeman.

Proceeds from the sales of the book will benefit Jumpstart, a mentoring program that helps at-risk preschool children build vital literacy, social, and emotional skills. Jumpstart delivers a research-based, best practice curriculum to nearly 13,000 preschoolers in close to 70 communities across 20 states in America.

Learn more at http://www.readfortherecord.org

My new book, Rabbit’s Song has a book trailer. That awesome voice on the sound track you hear is one of the authors –S.J. Tucker.

I am truly excited about this project. It was so wonderful to be able to work with such talented and extraordinary ladies.

Mabon Greetings All!
Thanks so much for your continued interest in my books and career, I feel like I have quite the cheering squad at this point. So I am especially thrilled to share my latest news with you - I have just finished the art for my first collaborative picture book. Written by SJ Tucker and Trudy Herring, “Rabbit’s Song” is an engaging tale of mythical proportions. Trickster God comes to Earth to find animals to teach His lessons to man. Based on SJ Tucker’s wildly popular ballad by the same name off of her CD “Blessings,” this picture book the work of several years of intensive conversations between the three of us.
This book is truly a dream come true for each of us. For me, working with such talented and loving people has been a wonderful blessing. The combination of each of our talents has pushed me to create what I consider some of my best illustration work so far.

Meanwhile, the demand for An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child has been astounding. I realized when my child was born in 1994 there was a need for Pagan children’s books in America, a need that is only just beginning to be met. When An Ordinary Girl was first released in 2005, there were hardly any books for the young Pagans. I receive frequent emails from parents thanking me for giving them a tool to help explain their Paths to their children. I am happy to report that there are now several more Pagan children’s books available. I hope that this small trickle will increase to fill this niche with quality books for our youth.

AN ORDINARY GIRL, A MAGICAL CHILD
Written and illustrated by W. Lyon Martin
Magical Child Books — Trade Picture Book - Available NOW!!!

An Ordinary Girl follows Rabbit, a young Pagan child through the wheel of the Year. Readers follow along with her as she celebrates Wiccan holidays, rituals and spells.

The next book in the series “Aidan’s First Full Moon Circle,” is an interactive picture book. With hidden pictures in the main story, children get to help a friendly squirrel gather acorns for the coming winter, all the while learning the basics of a Wiccan nighttime Full Moon gathering.

And don’t forget my latest book:
Based on a poem by Kelley Magee, “Watchers” is a bedtime story filled with subtle Pagan symbols in the illustrations. The hero, Thomas, is worried about the eyes watching him in the dark. He hatches a plan to capture them only to find out what he fears is really there to protect him.

All books are available on the publisher’s web site: http://magicalchildbooks.com , amazon and other online book stores or your favorite book seller.

At Magical Child Books you can see inside pages of the books, read reviews and even find teaching guides.

Plus, as a special bonus for people placing pre-orders for Rabbit’s Song, you will receive a MP3 file of Trudy and SJ reading the story. This is a limited time offer and is only available for those placing pre-orders for the book.

Freebies:
Remember the monthly coloring pages are archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/magicalchildnews/ . Now that the art for Rabbit’s Song has been delivered to the publisher, I’ll be sending out the next ABC Lesser Known Goddess in the series.

Visits:
To invite me to speak at your school or event, learn more at http://magicalchild.handcraftedpagan.com/workshops/ or email me at [email protected].
To view my current schedule of events, go to http://magicalchild.handcraftedpagan.com/bio/appearances/ .

Bright Blessings,
Lyon

Dear friends and family,

Back in June I asked you to help a dear Sister when she fell ill and was hospitalized.
The need is still great. Bel’s condition is going to be one of life-long recovery. Months
of hospitalization and specialized nursing care have been adding up. Household bills
still need to be paid and Bel’s business has been moldering without her since her illness
started.

We, her friends and adoptive family, have banded together to organize a benefit auction
to help raise funds to pay for some of the multiple expenses. If you can attend the
benefit, we’d love to have you there. If you can donate items for the auction, time or
money, we would be thrilled if you contacted either myself, Robynn or Kitten for details.
Even if you can’t donate anything right now you can still help by forwarding this message
to as many people as you can letting them know that Bel needs their help.

Below is the most recent information from Robynn concerning the auction. Thanks for
reading.

Blessings,
Lyon

Greetings Everyone,

For some of you this will be new news. For others this will be an update. As many
know, one of our own, Beltana of Sona & Bellawyk, is in trouble. Approximately three
months ago she contracted Guilliame Barre Syndrome. GBS has no known cause or cure. It
is a neuro-muscular disorder which disables and attempts to destroy the body’s nervous
system, which effectively paralyzes the body, often including the diaphragm which
controls one’s ability to breath. GBS also permanently, severely impairs the immune
system.

Beltana got lucky. A doctor recognized her illness and started aggressive treatment
relatively early into the disease. Beltana started out paralyzed from the neck down, and
has bravely battled her way back and is now learning to walk again. Her recovery will be
a life long battle. As I said, her immune system is permanently compromised. What for
you and I would be a simple common cold can easily turn into pneumonia for Bel.
Fortunately, Bel also happens to be extremely determined and stubborn when it comes to
facing adversity. This aspect only serves to help her recovery. This is where the
pagain community, friends, and loved ones come in.

Beltana has been finally discharged from St. Johns, Springfield. She is now in
treatment at the Missouri Rehab Center, 600 Main - Rm. 504, Mount Vernon, MO 65712. Any
cards, letters, or flowers sent will help her keep her spirits up as she will be reminded
that she is not alone, that we love her and are thinking of her.

Next is the benefit auction. It is official now. It will be held Saturday November 8
at IAFF Local 73, 4271 Delor, St. Louis, MO 63116, from 7PM - 11 PM. We are working on
donations of food to be served, and there will be live entertainment.

For those of you who have already sent donations, thank you very much. For those of
you have already made plans to donate, I also extend my thanks. Please send all
remaining donations to R. Hope 5235A Delor, St. Louis, MO 63109. If the package will
require a signature or need to be picked up from the post office or UPS, please address
any shipments to D. Hope. Also, please extend the word…. so far a good number of
wonderful donations are being acquired due to word of mouth.

I would also like to thank Mr. Peter Zettl of Zettl Photography, a very dear and long
time friend of mine, who has generously agreed to help with producing the flyers to
promote this event.

Thank you to others such as Jenadrienne Charlesworth who have helped promote this event
and thus have helped in acquiring donations as well as publicizing the auction.

None of this would be possible without all of you. Beltana is my Sister, one of the
few for whom I would lay down my life. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to
everyone who are making donations, publicizing, and working so hard to help Beltana. If
anyone has any ideas toward helping Bel, please contact me directly or contact our
Sister, Kristen Hanks at [email protected].

For those of you who cannot make this event, we understand. We appreciate your kind
support. For those of you who will be able to be there, I look forward to being able to
thank you in person. If you will be coming in from out of town and need a place to stay,
please let us know in advance. Again, thank you ever so much for your support.

Blessed Be,
Robynn (aka Darryl E. Hope EMT-P)
314 351-0935

THINKING GREEN

In The Bag
Burning Man The Burning Man Art Festival in the Nevada desert is the home to many visual (and other) surprises. But next week, none will top the first showing of “2663 Urban Tumbleweeds,” an eco-art installation by graphic design firm MSLK. Seeking to raise community awareness of plastic bags as a common sign and symbol of waste and overconsumption, the Long Island City NY-based design firm came up with the idea of a graphic statement on a grand scale: an art installation 2663 bags, which represents the number consumed in the U.S. each minute. At Burning Man, the bags are to be tied to the “Trash Fence” — a name participants use to refer to the boundary fence that keeps participants and trash inside the festival limits. Signage, made from recycled vinyl graphics, tells the story of the environmental impact of the bags. No new bags were harmed in making this project. The project, note principals Marc S Levitt and Sheri L Koetting, began with a visit to drop-off boxes at local stores to collect used bags.
http://www.mslk.com

The beginning of the month I was initiated into Cronehood. It was amazing and peaceful and the year of planning and waiting finally ended.

Today, I sent my baby off to high school. Well, she’s not a baby any more, obviously. But still, I miss her small head laid in my lap and her requests for me to “scratch my belly, Mommy.” Now-a-days she spends most of her free time with friends or holed up in her room writing fan fic on her lap top. She’s awesomely talented, by the way.

It seems so hard to believe that this is the same girl I wrote and illustrated my first book for. She was my model and my inspiration for An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child which came out in 2005 as a paperback.

It took me so long to find a publisher for that first book, she out grew it before it was ever printed.

Still, the last thing she said to me this morning as she poked her head back in the door on her way to school this morning was “Get to work on your pictures!” She is still an inspiration. I am so proud of the woman she is becoming. *snif*

An article in the Atlantic entitled Is Google Making us Stupid came to my attention this morning. The author starts out by writing about his inability to concentrate on long articles or books. I have to admit I have noticed the same affliction in myself. In fact, I ended up skimming through his rather longish article as well.

I had put the phenomenon down to too much television watching. As a result, I decided to watch less and read more. Unfortunately, I haven’t curtailed my use of the internet as well. Less TV has helped some, I have been able to devour a few more books in the last months, but they haven’t been really thick ones, and on top of that, they’ve been mid grade and young adult fiction titles. The non-fiction 500+ pages books I have on my to-read pile have remained untouched.

I wonder if this changing of our minds and the sound bites our brains are now accustomed to receiving via the web, the phone and the TV haven’t been the reason for the sharp reduction of the word count in picture book text. I have children’s books from my childhood. There was a lot more story intermingled in the illustrations. I also have books from my daughter’s younger years. Again the word count is much more than today’s typical picture book.

Publishers Weekly has been reporting for years that the publishing industry is in trouble. Children’s books are among the hardest hit. Kids just aren’t being read bedtime stories on a regular basis anymore. There is too much competition for their attention. Even pre-schoolers have access to the net these days, with tons of sites geared just to them and their level of development.

Think about it, when was the last time you actually picked up a pen and scribbled a letter? I’m not talking about signing you name to a get well card or the annual holiday season greeting card. I’m talking about an actual letter where you relay your life’s doings to a friend or family member, fold up and place in an envelope, address and place a stamp on and deposit in the mail box for the postman to pick up. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. It’s been even longer since I received one. The last handwritten letter I got was so long ago, I don’t even remember when it was. I do receive typed (most likely on a PC in a word program of some description) letters on occasion. The last one was in late January. I have it on my desk, still awaiting a reply, which I have on my to-do list, but that’s another story.

Will the future of picture books see the reduction of the text part reduced into nothingness? Will the picture books in 10-20 years be all wordless books?

August has been quite the month. It was my intention of blogging a new post every few days, and I was doing pretty well for a while. But we all know that life has a way of derailing even the best intentioned plans. I guess some of you who were coming by thought to yourselves, “Now, why don’t she write?” I’ll tell you.

First off, picture book art creation is a very labor intensive activity. Most talented artists I know make it look easy, but, trust me, it’s as easy as pushing a 2 ton boulder up Mt. Everest. Often times, I spend hours staring at a blank piece of paper while my characters yammer on in my head telling me what they want to do and where they think they should be and how they should look when doing it. Before I put the first pencil line to paper, I have to have a really clear vision of what the page will look like when done. Then I have to take that vision and make my hands cooperate in getting it all down on the paper the way I see it in my head. Along the way, some of what I see in my head changes to make for better flow and visual interest. Sometimes, what I end up with on the page is what I first saw in my head, but not often. My preliminary sketches can take hours to get to the point where I am satisfied with them. I get super focused and suffer from a type of tunnel vision where all I can think about is the next page of the book. It’s a kind of madness.

I am in the throws of creative madness currently, and August arrives with a bang.

I was approved for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) training (<a href=”http://voicesforchildrenstl.org”>Voices for Children</a>) which started on August 5th at the court house in St. Louis. My husband had taken some time off from work and was also headed into ST. Louis for his <a href=”http://kokondo-stl.com/”>Kokondo</a> classes. So I offered to drive him to his class, go to mine and return to pick him up when it was over. I dropped him off without any trouble, but got lost trying to get back to the highway. No biggy. I am good at being lost, I just drive until I come to a place where I know where I am and self correct from there. It all worked out, I got to the first training session with 10 minutes to spare. I met one of my class mates at the security check in and she made the comment that she hoped there wouldn’t be any homework. From her lips to Loki’s ears. We each received a 6″ thick binder full of information. The facilitator told us there would also be handouts at every session. There are 8 other women in the class, by the facilitator’s account, a large class. We then learned how very complicated our role as the child advocate really is. Yikes. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into! We were assigned the first two sections in our manual to read by Thursday’s session.

After the session I drove back to my husband’s karate class to pick him up. There was a spectacular light show in the sky most of the way, and then the sky opened up just as I arrived at the church where the classes are held. He finished up the session and we headed home, commenting on the bright flashes of lightening that lit up the sky the whole trip.

When we got home it was close to 10 pm. The phone in the living room seemed to need a charge. We got ready for bed and called it a day.

The next morning I came into the studio to boot up my computer and get to work only to discover that there was no electricity in the room. My husband opened the basement door and discovered there was no electricity there either. He grabbed a flashlight and went to the breaker box and flipped the switches back on. I booted up my computer and tried to check my email. No luck. The machine just wouldn’t stay connected to the internet. So I called AT&T and was told they had a service outage in ST Louis and Manchester and that it would be fixed by about noon. I pull out my CASA manual and read the first section. I work on Rabbit’s Song. I wait patiently for noon to roll around. We eat lunch and both head into the studio to check email.

I boot up my computer and get online long enough to see that I have email, but not long enough to do anything about it. My husband discovers that he can’t boot up his computer at all. I walk into the other room to grab the phone and discover that it is still not charged. I check the other phone for a dial tone. It’s working fine. The computer guru is called and he says he’ll show up at 9 am on Thursday morning. My husband heads out for an appointment and I work some more on Rabbit’s Song. Then I head out to pick up a new phone to replace the one in the living room. I also pick up a few last minute items for a trip I have scheduled for Friday. My flight leaves at 6:15 am, so I pack as much as I can except for a few last minutes things. Then I try and get online again. Still no joy. I get back on the phone with AT&T (by now it’s after 5 pm) and spend the next hour or so crawling around under desks plugging and unplugging cords and rebooting and resetting the internet system according to the tech guy’s instructions. To say the least, by the end of the hour I am less then amused and somewhat grumpy. He decides he can’t help me fix whatever the deal is and bumps it up to the real techs. They will call me within the next 4 hours. Grumble. It’s close to 7 by the time I get off the phone with him. I pick up my CASA book and dive into Section 2. An hour later AT&T calls and tells me that yes, there is a problem (aduh!) but it’s not with their external lines, it has to be somewhere in my lines. Would I prefer a morning or afternoon service call. I chose morning since I have to be in St. Louis in the afternoon for the CASA training and I have yet to perfect the art of being in two places at the same time. Morning it is. Any time between 8 and noon. Gotta love these 4 hour windows. I hang up and continue to read Section 2 until I fall asleep.

I’m up bright and early the next morning, my husband heads off to work and wait for the repair men to make their appearances. I read more of Section 2 while I wait. At 9 on the dot, the computer guru shows up, fiddles around with the PC and makes his pronouncement. He talks briefly on the phone with my husband and packs up the sick computer and leaves shortly after 9:30. Still no AT&T guy. I work some more on Rabbit’s Song. Around 10:30 the AT&T guy makes his appearance. He crawls around on the floor under desks for a while, plugging and unplugging and comes to the conclusion that the router for the DSL is skrootched. He has a replacement in his van. I read more of Section 2 while he installs it and yeah! I have internet again. He leaves, I have lunch and try and finish Section 2. And catch up on the email of two days. Luckily nothing had blown up in internet land, so after shooting off a few emails about the upcoming trip, I am all set. I head up to St. Louis to my training class. I never did get to finish section 2.

After class, I head home and do a final email check and pack the last minute items. I debate whether to stay up or get a couple hours of sleep before I have to rise to catch my flight. I opt for sleep and ask my husband to set the alarm for 2:30. It never went off, but lucky for me, I am a light sleeper so I was up and out of bed at the appointed time anyway. I get to the airport and make my flight without incident. The trip was for my Initiation into Cronehood, which I will blog about another time. I returned home on Monday around 10:30 pm.

When I get home, I find out that the school has called and the kid needs to sign up for classes before 2 on Tuesday. She starts high school next week. I am confused since we already have her class schedule on the fridge. While this wouldn’t be a big deal if she were home, she’s not. She’s been staying in St. Louis with her sister and working with a family friend earning some money. Since hubby has to be in the office, I have to be the one to go and get her and bring her home.

I decide I’ll call the school instead. And no,she doesn’t have to sign up for classes, only come in and get her locker assignment. I ask if I can do it for her since she’s not home. Yes. (Joy! I don’t have to drive back and forth to St. Louis to get her.) I also find out that the school has been holding her last report card because there was a 45¢ balance on her lunch account. I drive to both schools and deal with the paperwork. The I go home and eat lunch and finally pick up my CASA manual and read Section 3 which is due for the evening’s class. This time I do finish the reading assignment.

After class I head to pick up my daughter at her sister’s home. The we drive home. It’s 11 pm by the time we get there, so we all just go to bed.

Wednesday arrives beautiful and sunny. I dive into Rabbit’s Song again and actually make some progress. About mid afternoon, the computer guru calls to ask if he can drop off my husband’s new computer. I tell him to come on over. As he is finishing up re-networking all the computers to the printer my husband arrives home from work. We are in business again. Yeah!

Since it’s been so crazy, there is nothing for dinner in the house, so we head out to eat as a family. On the way my husband comments that his check battery light is lit on his dash board and he’ll have to get that checked. We have nice dinner. We come back home and I read Section 4 for class on Thursday.

Thursday started out normal enough. Husband left for work as usual and I got the kid up to head into St. Louis for her orthodontist appointment. We had plans to go to her back as well. I was in the shower when she told me to call Daddy on his cell phone.

His car had died and he needed me to come save him at the car dealership. So I rush over there, pick him up, run back home and eat breakfast, grab the kid, head to the bank and then we drive up to my husband’s office. I drop him off and take the kid to her appointment afterwards I deliver her back to her sister’s house. The I head home. It’s noon by the time I get back home. I have some lunch and try to focus on Rabbit’s Song. But my head is spinning so much, I don’t accomplish much of anything. At 3 I leave the house, go to the post office, head to my bank and drive to my husband’s office, pick him up and take him to the church for his Kokondo classes and head to the court house for my CASA classes. I got lost again. Only this time I show up late. Oh well. Life happens, right? After class, I drive back to the church to pick him up and I get lost. Grumble.

Ac we are heading home he goes down the list of what his car needed to have done. $$$ Wah! It’s nearly 12 by the time we get in so we just head off to bed.

On Friday, he took my car to the office. In the evening we went to the dealership and picked up his car.

It’s been a very expensive month and it’s only half over.

Hi everybody. I know I’ve been scarce around here. I have a good reason, though!

I’m working on the art for my 4th picture book! The publisher has placed it on the web site for pre-orders. Check it out!

Rabbit’s Song by SJ Tucker & Trudy Herring

http://magicalchildbooks.com/rabbits.html

I am super excited! Well…back to the drafting table.

Blessings,
Lyon