So You Want to Write for Children?

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When people find out I write books for children, their response often goes something like this: “Oh, how fun! I have always wanted to write a children’s book.” Writing for children is fun, but fun does not mean easy. And the more you learn, the harder it gets! If you are someone who wants to try writing for children, here are a few basic tips on how to get started.

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New Release: DESIGNING LOVE by Kimberly Rose Johnson

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Designing Love (Sunriver Dreams Book 3) by Kimberly Rose Johnson Mountain Brook Ink ISBN 978-1-943959-22-8 April 1st, 2017 Someone is framing Sierra. Can Spencer Preston discover the true criminal before he loses her? Sierra Robbins, single mother and interior design assistant, agrees to house sit a home in Sunriver, Oregon. But things don’t go as expected beginning on day one when a police officer responds to the alarm they set off at the house. Was that alarm a sign of trouble to come? Spencer Preston, lives for his job as a police officer in Sunriver, but when he responds to a…

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Lily Pads

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Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement — Lily Pads The lake teamed with life, both plant and animal life. The interesting view of varied grasses punctuated with groups of lily pads called for us to sit and enjoy the scene. We spotted a crane land and watched him fish for his breakfast. We heard his rasping call. Every morning the large white lily blooms opened to greet me when I slipped past sleeping family and out the door to enjoy the scene. Every evening they closed their petals into a ball resting upon its wide green leaf. The lilies on…

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Tips From the Pros: Susan G. Mathis – Encore

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Greetings from the unseasonably warm Front Range of Colorado. I’m happy to welcome another Coloradan today for her encore visit, author Susan G. Mathis. Susan, it’s good to have you here again. How many books do you have published and what are some of your latest titles? I currently have five published books. My debut novel, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, just came out, and I’m excited to turn my attention to writing historical fiction full-time.  My journey has been multi-faceted, and I consider my writing as ministry.

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NEW RELEASE: THE FABRIC OF HOPE BY SUSAN G. MATHIS

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The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy Susan G. Mathis March 17, 2017 ISBN-10: 1542890861 ISBN-13: 978-1542890861 The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy is the story of an 1850s Irish immigrant and a 21st-century single mother who are connected by faith, family, and a quilt. After struggling to accept the changes forced upon her, Margaret Hawkins and her family take a perilous journey on an 1851 immigrant ship to the New World, bringing with her an Irish family quilt she is making. A hundred and sixty years later, her great granddaughter, Maggie, searches for the family quilt after her ex…

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One Gear—Forward!

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Dianne Barker here spreading encouragement. A television documentary on ship building surprised me with inspiration. The narrator said that massive vessel under construction had only one gear—forward.

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Tips from the Pros: Ginny McCabe

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Greetings from central Florida and the lovely town of Mount Dora. Although we’re not snowed in like some parts of the country, we’ve had colder nights this week than we have during much of the winter. (I don’t want to inspire coveting, so we won’t mention how “low” our temperatures have dropped). I have the privilege today of introducing you to experienced author and journalist Ginny McCabe. Ginny has lots to share, so let’s get started. Welcome, Ginny! How did you get into writing? From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I have spent much…

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NEW RELEASE WHEN TIDES TURN BY SARAH SUNDIN

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When Tides Turn    Sarah Sundin Revell, March 14, 2017 ISBN-10: 0800723449 ISBN-13: 978-0800723446 When fun-loving glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont learns the Navy has established the WAVES program for women, she enlists, determined to throw off her frivolous ways and contribute to the war effort. No-nonsense and hoping to make admiral, Lt. Dan Avery has been using his skills to fight German U-boats. The last thing he wants to see on his radar is a girl like Tess. For her part, Tess works hard to prove her worth in the Anti-Submarine Warfare Unit in Boston—both to her commanding officers and to the man with…

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People Pleaser, Me? Couldn’t Be!

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Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in Southern California near Palm Springs. The weather is perfect this time of year and all our rains have brought out the wildflowers. I’m a People Pleaser. It’s hard to admit sometimes but the truth is, I’m motivated to please others for a variety of reasons and one main one is thinking I should never say “no.” Why? What is my thinking? 1. What will they think of me if I’m not the Super Woman who can say “yes” to everything? 2. If I don’t say “yes,” then I’ll miss out on the fun! 3….

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Writing Fiction Using Real Locations

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  Welcome to the CAN Blog from Gail Gaymer Martin @ www.gailgaymermartin.com. Today I decided to talk about one way my writing has changed in the past few years. Although I wrote about places I knew, I didn’t worry about accuracy and often I used a fictitious location so I didn’t have to worry about accuracy. Writing Fiction Using Real Locations But over time, I learned if I want to write real, I needed to visit the location of my novel. While creating a fictitious location can be easier, I’ve found that fans love to read about real places since…

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