A Free Kindle book for people in the US

OK here is a freebie for all my American friends who have Kindle.
Arthur Slade's, Edgar-nominated horror DUST (the Kindle version) is available for free for a short time on Amazon.

Here's the link you need:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004M8SSBO

Enjoy!

Your Book Cover In A Game

What if your book cover could be part of a "spot the differences" game....on your site.....for free?

Free interactive media of your cover, logo or anything else you can think of is available at http://mediabarr.blogspot.com/

Help keep people at your site and passing your game on to friends.

Also, thought the scratch card might be a great idea for wishing a friend a happy birthday, we're pregnant or any other special message you might have for that someone special.

Picture Book Chat

If you are looking for a place to chat about picture books then you need to join #pblitchat. Aussie writers Kat Apel and Karen Collum run a blog called Picture Books Only which is the home to #pblitchat. The chat is held once a week all about picture books is open to writers, librarian's and all lovers of children's picture books. Even though they state "Sorry – no middle-grade or YA novels allowed" they do tend to enter the conversation every once and a while however the main focus is pictures books.

I have found these sessions very informative and entertaining with a very friendly group. We're all learning so no question is ever to stupid to ask and I feel comfortable asking all my "stupid" questions here. Every week there is a different picture book topic and sometimes a special guest. Kat and Karen listen closely to participants of #pblitchat and some of the topics are based on the feedback they get. Some topics in the past have been so popular more than one session has been devoted it.

Topics include:
POV, technology, submission tracking, goals, myths in picture book publishing, plagiarism and copyright, From idea to polished manuscript: How do you get there? and the list goes on.

Special guests such as:
Aaron Reynolds and Neil Numberman (creators of the ‘Joey Fly’ graphic novels) and other published authors and illustrators, publishing consultant Alex Adsett, agents, poetry writers...

Time and Place
The chat is the same day every week but you need to pay close attention to place and time of the chats. To help accommodate the different time zones the time and place of the chat alternates each week.

Every 1st, 3rd and 5th (if there is one) Thursday of the month the chat is held at 7:00 am Eastern Time on Twitter using the #pblitchat tag.

Every 2nd and 4th Thursday the chat is held at 6:30 pm Eastern Time in a Chatzy chat room.

For a full listing of #pblitchat times in each timezone see the About Picture Books Only page. In order to enter the Chatzy room a password is required but don't let that scare you off. Simply email pblitchat[at]skymesh[dot]com[dot]au or pblitchat[at]bigpond[dot]com and request the password. (This was necessary due to some off-topic gate-crashers.)

Miss a chat or what to know more information about a topic previously covered? Kat and Karen happily post the chat transcript on their blog. You can find the transcripts on the Picture Books Only home page. I'm also hoping to summarize the transcript here on my blog.

Picture Books Only: http://picturebooksonly.wordpress.com/
Karen Collum: http://www.karencollum.com.au/
Kat Apel: http://katswhiskers.wordpress.com/

Cover Reveal Fun!

Cheryl Rainfield, author of SCARS (WestSide Books, March 24, 2010) has just revealed the cover of her new book. So, I've created a little fun using her new cover.



Adobe Flash Player is required.

Some YA Books Dontated! Yippy!

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting fellow writer Joanne Levy at a local coffee shop. We had meet through twitter and have been corresponding ever since.

When I sent out a tweet about the book drive my work was doing for Habitat for Humanity, Joanne was one of the first people to pipe up. She wanted to donate some books. Fantastic! When we met we talked for a bit and I expected her to hand me a book or two. I was shocked when she hoisted up onto the table a bag FULL of YA books. Ten in all. Yes, TEN.

After picking my jaw up off the floor, we went through the books - some even signed. I cannot believe how generous people can be for people they have never met.

Below is a photo and a list of the books Joanne has donated.

• Radiance by Alyson Noel (x2)
• Trance by Linda Gerber (x2 - 1 which is signed)
• Wake by Lisa McMann (x2 - both signed)
• Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (signed by Margaret Stohl)
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (signed)
• What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook
  

Joanne, thank you so much for the wonderful books. You're so generous. They look like fabulous books and I think I am going to have to go buy some of them for myself. I'm sure the families going into these HFH new homes will love them.

Interested in donating a book to the book drive? Please email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com or visit me on twitter @auntieflamingo for more information.

Your help is needed. We need books for children of all ages.

I'm So Excited And I Just Can't Hide It!

Today, I received a package filled with children's books for our Book Drive for Habitat For Humanity Hamilton Robert Land Project (Phase 1) and the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre library.

And what is more exciting is I'm in Canada and these books were sent to me from Australia! I would like to send a huge, heart felt thanks to writer BELINDA J of Australia for sending me the following books:

• And Kangaroo Played His Didgeridoo - by Nigel Gray - illustrated by Glen Singleton
• When Henery Caught Imaginitis - by Nick Bland
• Henry and Amy (Right-way-round and upside down) - by Stephen Michael King
• Mutt Dog - by Stephen Michael King
• The Pocket Dogs - by Margaret Wild - illustrated by Stephen Michael King
• Za-za's Baby Brother - by Lucy Cousins
• Let's Read DVD and posters
  

Belinda and I only know each other through twitter.

Belinda, I was over joyed when I received the package and overwhelmed by your generosity. One of the conditions to be met for these families to qualify for these homes is they must be prepared to contribute hundreds of hours of Sweat Equity (work on the home.) Children of the families can contribute to these Sweat Equity hours by keeping their grades up. Books, such as these, and reading will help them achieve this goal and more in life.

Interested in donating a book to the book drive? Please email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com or visit me on twitter @auntieflamingo for more information.

Your help is needed. We need books for children of all ages.

Book Drive is ON

There is so much I want to tell you I'm not sure which point to start with first. If you want to jump directly to the book drive information just scroll down to the title BOOK DRIVE.

I'll start with this: I do not like to donate money to charity!

It's true. The reason I don't like donating money is because I don't know where my money is going. Is it going to administration fees? Is it going to someone who is abusing the charity? Is someone else pocketing it before it gets where it needs to go? Is the charity actually a scam?

I know it's a terrible thought but these things happen.

I do want to donate and I like to volunteer so I jumped at the opportunity, through my day job, at a chance to volunteer with Habitat For Humanity on a building project in my community. There are two reasons why I wanted to help with this organization.

1) I'm donating my time and as much or as little as I want. I know exactly where my time is going and I am doing good.

2) The families who require the organization assistance is getting a "hand up" not a "hand out." These families have to put in “sweat equity” into their home - meaning they help build it and are taught how to maintain it.

Ok so what does this have to do with a book drive?

The build I'm participating in a Phase 1 consisting of 4 town home units. So far the families that had have been accepted for these home are single mothers of 3 or more children. I am a married, working mother of 2 children and I know how difficult that is financially, physically and emotionally. These mother's are raising 3 or more children on their own while working 2 or 3 jobs. I can't imagine how they do it.


BOOK DRIVE
We have decided to hold a book drive for these families and I need your help. I am looking for children's books from infant to Young Adult. If you are interested in donating you can email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com and I can give you more information and where to send your books.

AUTHORS! I have extra information for you. If you would like to donate a signed copy of your book just email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com and let me know. I will send you information on where to send your book. When I receive your book I will post your donation on both my blogs, http://madelinebarr.blogspot.com/ & http://auntieflamingo.blogspot.com/ PLUS I have been given permission to post your donation on our HFH blog at http://cawlocal555socialjustice.blogspot.com/

So, a book for us, exposure for you and another child reading. You can't argue the importance of a child reading....can you?

How much exposure will you get? Not sure exactly but let's put it this way:

- Your book posted on 3 blogs
- I'll tweet your donation @auntieflamingo
- There are more than 7,800 staff at my work. More than 2000 are in the union supporting this build.
- The build has barely started and has been in the newspaper 3 times 4 times as of October 5, 2010.
- The populations on my city is roughly 504,559
- You will get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you were part of something special

I hope to get enough signed book donations to put into a special package (like a large basket or something.) I plan on handing over the signed books separately from the other books.

One more note: I believe in Habitat For Humaity so much (now that I know more about the organization) I plan to participate in future builds after this one with my work.

More information:
Habitat For Humanity Hamilton: http://www.habitathamilton.ca
CAW Loca 555 HFH Build Blog: http://cawlocal555socialjustice.blogspot.com/
Habitat For Humanity Canada: http://habitat.ca

Non-fiction Picture Book. Yikes!

This year for NaPiBoWriWee I am going to attempt to do something I have never done before - Write a non-fiction picture book. Yikes!

Just saying it out loud makes me want to run the other way. I don't know where to begin.

Well, I guess first I need to decided what the non-fiction picture book is going to be about. In this case it is who it is going to be about. I have two personalities I would like to write about who I have a connection to.

Next, I need to search the Internet and see if it's 'been done.' Even if it has 'been done' I need to decide if I can put a different spin on the book or if I should abandon the idea altogether. Fortunately, before I got too far into this I did a quick search on Amazon and discover one of my ideas has 'been done' and maybe even 'over done.' There appears to be at least 72 children's books about Buffalo Bill Cody (I wanted to write about him because I'm somehow related to him.) My other idea seems to be fresh. And, while searching, I came up with another personality I could write about so I'm jotting it down for later.

Ok, now, I will need to do a little research to get the facts. I hope this week I can find time to get the facts because NaPiBoWriWee starts next week!!

I also plan to search the site of my author friend Paula Yoo http://paulayoo.com/ (founder of NaPiBoWriWee) She has written two non-fiction picture books: SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY and Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds - The Sammy Lee Story. Her site has a forum area where she (and other authors) will answer your questions.

As I learn more about writing a non-fiction picture book I will share it with you here.

Book Trailer: SCARS by Cheryl Rainfield

Available March 24, 2010. http://cherylrainfield.com

A portion of the sales of SCARS will go to RAINN and the Toronto Rape Crisis Center.

I Met Lesley Livingston, Author Of DARKLIGHT

Today I got the privilege of meeting Lesley Livingston, author of WONDROUS STRANGE, at a local Chapters promoting her new book DARKLIGHT.



I recently bought both of her books and after hearing the excerpt she read today, I cannot wait to read them.



If her books are half as good as she is friendly, then I'm sure I am really going to enjoy them.



For now, I will leave you with some pictures from today's event and report back once I've read her books.



*Thanks to my 7 year old son for taking these pictures. Great job!*

Great Sudoku Puzzle books

I love puzzles and games. If you are like me and looking for a good Sudoku puzzle book here are my recommendations.


Pocket Size Sudoku Volume 1 (Paperback)
(Oct 25, 2009) by D. R. Sloan

Over 200 multilevel Sudoku puzzles. Perfect size to take anywhere.








Sudoku Volume 1 - Paperback - Large Print (Oct 12, 2009) by D. R. Sloan

Over 200 large-print, multi-level Sudoku puzzles.












Both books are available on amazon.com. Just click on the titles above for direct links to the books on Amazon.

Happy Solving!

A Must Read

Read it. Loved it. Waiting for the next one.

SMUDGE'S MARK by Claudia Osmond.



I can totally see this becoming a movie.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year and welcome to 2010!

2009 was good to me. I was so close to getting my first picture book published. My manuscript was one of six manuscripts to make it to the final round in selections at a small publishing house. Unfortunetly, they only publish one children's book title a year and regretably the couldn't take mine. What a rush to be so close!
I participated in 3 writing challenges: NaPiBoWriWee (May 1-7) where I met some wonderful writers, PiBoIdMo (November) where I won a draw and had 5 of my ideas reviewed by an agent (more on that in another post), and NovPAD (November) which I completed but did not polish my poems for the final Chapbook submission (though there is still time.) And though I did not submit my writing to many magazines or publishers this year I did have a sci-fi poem published in the printed issue of Scifikuest (I hope to receive my November contributor's copy soon.)


This year, though I am back at my full time job after being on a 1 year maternity leave, I plan to participate in all of those challenges again. I'm editing the manuscript that was so close to being published and plan to submit it as much as possible to those publishers that are a good fit for the book. I'm very pleased with the changes I have made to it and I'm more confident than ever. I have my ideas from PiBoIdMo ready for NaPiBoWriWee which will be the only time I write new picture book manuscripts this year. The rest of the year I will polish the manuscripts I already have and write articles for children magazines. I will maintain my blog on my thoughts, progress and general happenings in my day to day life.

I hope you have a wonderful New Year and you will come back to visit me here to see my progress and share your comments with me.

All The Best. CHEERS!

You Might Find These Interesting Too

Here are two links to other blogs I have been reading. I particularly like these two posts: interesting, informative and entertaining.

Jill Corcoran Books - Live. Love. Write.
GETTING YOUR BOOK ON B&N's, BORDERS', ETC. DISPLAY TABLE

Editorial Anonymous - a blog of a children's book editor
The Subtle Art of Form Rejections

I Met Claudia Osmond author of Smudge's Mark

Here are the pictures taken by my 6 year old son (LOL) I'll update the text tomorrow.

Claudia is signing my book:

Claudia and me. Remember this is taken by a 6 year old so the picture is taken upwards. Claudia is not short, I'm tall (5'11")

We both bend down so my son can take a better picture. We look good.

Claudia, very friendly and very happy. Who can blame her? She has a wonderful YA book published.

Claudia and my little photographer.

Creative Children Book Trailers

I've been looking for examples of good children book trailers. In my opinion I have only seen two. They are both interesting colourful and the sound is clear.

The first one I have seen is the trailer for Pond Scum by Alan Silberberg. I love the animation and the lizard's speach. The trailer gives a magical feel which is prefect because that is what the book is about. ;) The trailer can be found here: http://silberbook-blog.blogspot.com/2007/04/pond-scum-book-trailer-part-deux.html


The second one I just came across today. The trailer for The Clever Stick by John Lechner is bright and colourful with soft gentle music. I'm now curious to see what the stick is up to. You can view this trailer here: >http://johnlechner.com/cleverstick_trailer.html

The ones I don't like are the ones with a scratchy recording of the author reading their book in a monotone voice while the odd, fuzzy still shot of the book appears on the screen.

Is there any children's book trailers that you love?

Friendly Writer's Forum

Looking for a 'safe' place to ask a writing question? Want to talk about a new book you just read? A publication question?

Paula Yoo, author and screenwriter, has created a friendly forum on her website at
http://paulayoo.com/forum The forum headings include Announcements, Writing 101, Reading 101, Publishing 101, Author / Illustrator News and, of course, Procrastination, anyone?

In this forum there is no such thing as a stupid question and I have found everyone to be kind and helpful.

So grab a cup of coffee and I'll meet you over there.

Day 2 of NaPiBoWriWee

It's day 2 of the first NaPiBoWriWee and I am not doing well. Of course, I expected that for the first three days. I have 2 picture book manuscripts started, ideas for 2 more in my head and none finished. One of the picture book manuscripts I started is almost finished and the other is written by hand in point form in my notebook.

When the boys (my hubby and son) are home I don't get much done in writing. I'm not blaming them, oh no. I just love spending time with them and I choose not to write. Plus, they helped me clean the house so who can complain?

When Monday hits it will be just me and the baby again during the day and I should be able to finish off the manuscripts I have started over the weekend and then write one (or more) a day until Friday.

Good Luck to all those who are participating.

The Other Manuscript

"Ok Auntie Flamingo, on March 27th you said you submitted another manuscript but you have only talked about the poetry book, IF MY FISH FEET . What is the other book and why haven't you talked about it?"

This is true. I have only been talking about one of the books. Like Mother Goose, Auntie Flamingo is known for her poems. Though the other unpublished book is in rhyme it will probably be published under my 'other' name and not Auntie Flamingo. However, I will talk a little about it here.

In a CANSCAIP interview by Lucy Falcone, author Arthur Slade said, "And there's no such thing as 'normal'. Even if there was, who wants to be normal anyway?" Every child, at some point, will feel abnormal about something. For me it was my height. As a child, playing house in kindergarten I was always the mother but was never allowed to play the role of the baby, I was always in the back row for class pictures and my pants were often a half inch too short. ANNALEE is a story about an unique young woman who is nowhere close to being ordinary. Many of the things she does is upside-down, backwards or just a little crazy. The town's people of Normalville tolerate her antics until the day the media arrive looking for someone to place in their magazine. Fearing ANNALEE's weirdness will ruin their chances the town's people cruelly tell her to go home on the outskirts of town. Will ANNALEE get her chance to try to impress the photographer and reporter?


Now grown, I see what a gift my height really is and I have realize how being different opens doors. This is something very difficult for a child to understand.

Comments on the story? Is there something you are/were insecure about? Isn't is nice to know that you are not the only one who feels this way?

Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day! What are you doing today to help make the earth GREEN?

I'm trying to drive less today, reduce waste, properly recycle and turned the heat down in the house. (Where's my sweater? It's wet and cool today where I live.)

According to the David Suzuki Foundation Website, if you took all the spaces where heat could escape in an average Canadian home and put them all together they would make a hole a size of a basketball! Properly weather sealing your windows and doors can help reduce the problem.

In my unpublished book, IF MY FISH HAD FEET I have two environmental poems. THE MOTHER OF ROCK AND ROLL and HUMPHRY DUMPHRY.

HUMPHRY DUMPHRY is what I call a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM. A MOTHER GOOSE-ISM is taking a Mother Goose poem and changing the words and the meaning of the poem. Children do this all the time. For example, during my daughter's swimming class we sing the following before jumping into the pool.

Jack be nimble.
Jack be cool.
Jack jump into
The swimming pool.

Here is another blogger's post about Earth Day you might be interested in: Lori Calabrese Writes!: Celebrate Earth Day with these children's books

Leave a comment on what you are doing to participate in Earth Day or if you have a MOTHER GOOSE-ISM of your own.