New Picture Book Project

Nothing makes an author more happy than having one or more of their children following in their footsteps. My son, who is graduating this year, wrote a picture in 3rd grade as a class project. The teacher had it published and family members bought the book. I hoped he would follow in my love of writing and sharing stories with others...he didn't. Instead he fell in love with art, computer games and political science.

My middle child however surprised me over this summer. My daughter has been supportive of my writing and loves reading, but she never seemed interested beyond this. She has been my girlie girl, who loves going to plays, watching movies, painting and playing dress-up. Don't get me wrong, she is also the only one who plays a sport (soccer), even though she hates running and P.E. in school.

So what was the surprise? She dropped a few pieces of paper on my writing desk while I was out one day and on it was a short story about a lonely fish. At first, I did what most parents would do...I found her and asked if everything was okay with her friends. "Everything is fine mom," she told me. I raised my eyebrow in that parently look we all get when we think our kids are trying to make light of what they are really feeling.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Concern coursing through me.

"I just wanted to share the story I wrote. Do you like?"

" Love it and think together we can make this a publishable story. Would you like that?"

The joy on my daughter's face was priceless. She threw her arms around my middle, looked up at me with her chin on my belly and said. "I would like that a lot."

I'm excited to say that my 8 year old daughter Ashley and I will be co-authoring some picture books together. I had planned on only writing one or two more picture books starring SugarPaw from my award-winning picture "Babysitting SugarPaw" and then moving my writing efforts into Middle Grade, YA and New Adult works. I still plan to do that, but also plan to help my daughter with her writing as her co-author.

Embracing Intuition, Mediumship, and the Journey to Holistic Wellness

In the recent episode of "The Soul's Whisper," we embarked on an enthralling journey through intuition, spirituality, and holistic wellness, led by Krystal Parry, an evidence-based medium and Reiki master. Our conversation meandered through the corridors of personal narratives and the subtle yet powerful messages the universe imparts upon us. As we delved into our own stories and laughed together, we discovered how engaging with our clairvoyant and clairsentient abilities allows us to gracefully traverse the chapters of our lives, fostering a more profound sense of connection. We ventured into the intricate tapestry that interlinks energy work, metaphysical understanding, and the pursuit of a holistic lifestyle. Krystal Parry illuminated our understanding of Reiki, aligning it with our body's energetic pathways. We pondered the crossroads where spirituality meets the empirical, touching upon the intriguing realms of quantum mechanics and cell biology. Our discourse ve...

What Is A Buhdeedoo - The Writing Mama Show with Virginia S Grenier

The Writing Mama show is on Mondays and hosted by Mom's Choice and Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier, who is joined weekly by guest authors to talk about the writing and publishing industry, and their books. This week on Monday June 9, 2014 our guest is Dorothy Smaniotto, whose son Alex created and illustrated the Buhdeedoo. Alex is a young man with Asperger's Syndrome. He was diagnosed at the age of 6, but has never let that diagnosis slow him down. As Alex puts it, "I embrace my Asperger's rather than look at it as a disability." Dorothy is the author of her own book called "The Burgundy Journey: Using Hope, Humor & Faith To Conquer Adversity--No Matter What." The book tells the story of her struggles with a rare, incurable autoimmune disease that has caused numerous health issues. It also details how Alex was physically attacked by classroom aides in his previous public school and the emotional scars left with him. For...

Guest Post Wed: I’m A Great Writer…In My Own Head

Today we have debut author Traci McDonald sharing her thoughts on writing, revision and critique groups. A few years ago, I was listening to a series of audio books, while recovering from a kidney transplant. These particular novels were topping the best seller lists and taking the country by storm. I hated them. The characters were underdeveloped, the story line was too slow, and I was not engaged in the plot…blah, blah, blah. I can do better than this, I told myself. If I know what’s wrong with these books, then I can write better ones. Armed with my sure knowledge of how to be a great writer I set out to write a series of stories that would top this pathetic group I had been reading. A year and a half later, I can’t read what I wrote; it is so bad. What was I thinking? Well, I was thinking that a little talent and determination are all you need to write good stories. While that may be true, being a great writer in your own head leaves your stories goo...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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