VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

I had the pleasure of talking with not one, but two authors this week as they prepared for their World of Ink virtual tour. One of which is Natasha Yim, a children's book author and freelance writer. Charlesbridge Publishing published her first book, Otto’s Rainy Day in 2000. It was selected as a Kids' Pick of the Lists. She has written for Highlights for Children, Appleseeds and Faces magazines, and her new picture book biography, Cixi, The Dragon Empress was released by Goosebottom Books in October 2011. Natasha is also a full-time Mom. She shared, “I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to be home with my kids. Now that they’re in school at least part of the time (My son is in a half-day kindergarten), I can have larger chunks of writing time.” Read more at http://blogcritics.org/books/article/author-spotlight-natasha-yim-and-gretchen/

Author and artist Jan Britland lives in Punta Gorda, Florida with her husband Bill. In addition to a bulldog named Madison, and a parrot named Lola, the household pets include three red-eared slider turtles named Sparky, Luigi and Hale. Oh, and Goldie a pond fish. All of whom are portrayed Jan's stories. When she is not writing children's books, Jan teaches oil painting to adults. Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/meet-jan-britland-author-of-the1/#ixzz1dDirBNcz Meet Jan Britland, Author of the Rodger Dodger Dog Series for Children - Books - Blogcritics

Award-winning Author Jewel Kats joins the Stories for Children November 7, 2011. Jewel Kats is an award-winning writer. She’s also one tough cookie. At the age of nine, Jewel endured a car accident. Her physical abilities altered forever. She spent weeks in the Hospital for Sick Children recovering, has survived eight leg surgeries, and currently walks with a cane. (Note: It’s fashionably handpainted!) Nothing stops Jewel. For six years, she penned a syndicated teen advice column for Scripps-Howard News Service and TorStar Syndication Services. Jewel has earned $20,000 in scholarships from Global Television Network and Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. She’s penned three children’s books, including: Reena’s Bollywood Dream, What Do You Use to Help Your Body? and her latest book Cinderella’s Magical Wheelchair . You can find out more about Jewel Kats’ World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/JewelKats.aspx . The Stories for Children sh

Karen Cioffi is an advocate of education, reading, and the environment.  She loves how reading can spark a child’s imagination and bring him or her to new worlds and on amazing adventures. Along with writing children’s books, Karen is a ghostwriter and freelance writer, and has several nonfiction books on writing and book marketing. She has lived in New York City all her life, and two of her favorite sayings are: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” American proverb “Be the change you want to see in the world.” M. Ghandi VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, Karen. To start things off, what do you do to help balance your writing life with your family life? Karen: My family life keeps interrupting my writing life. J Obviously, family obligations and responsibilities must come first. And, with MS, it’s not always easy keeping up with everything. When I get overwhelmed, I tell myself the only writing obligation that I have to meet on a tim

It all started with five simple words at the end of a phone call. This is why I love sister authors Judy Snider and Joan Dickow´s recent book, I love You, Be Careful—a picture book that is also designed to be a gift book for adults and children alike—shares these words that follow us our entire lives and sometimes we may not say often enough. With this thought in mind, I started thinking about my children and how fast they are growing up. They inspire me to write funny children´s stories and keep me motivated to share the love of reading with others. I asked Judy if her children have also inspired her writing. "Oh, yes, they have throughout their lives. They are in their 20´s now, but I remember driving them in the car with their friends and asking their opinion, reading stories to them on a daily basis, and they are zany and fun." Joan also has kids and grandkids, so they have definitely had a positive effect on inspiring her to write this book (I Love You, Be

Brain Warp Author: Gil Snider ISBN: 978-1-58348-472-2 Genre: Medical Thriller Pages: 267 Reviewed By: Brian Knight Official Premium Promotional Services Rating: 4 Stars                         Wrap your brain around this thriller. Peter Branstead, the intelligent neurology doctor at Saint Mark’s hospital, has stumbled into a medical mystery never before seen in the medical profession. Vagrants from the local area have flooded into the emergency room of Saint Mark’s. All of them with the same symptoms and all of them end with the same result – death. But what is causing these symptoms and why can’t the doctors save these patients? As Peter investigate this mystery he discovers that everything is not as it seems. In fact it goes well beyond the simple virus or outbreak. Each patient did not simply die, they were murdered. Why? Little does Peter know but the closer he gets to the answer the closer he gets to extreme danger. There are people in the world who would do anything for power

Utah Children's Writers: Guest Post: Creating Stories for Young Readers : This is not an easy subject, because I have to look at my process of creating a story in retrospect. I just have a story and I write it. I’m...

I can suggest some components of a good story. The ones I would highlight are characters who have feelings and problems that the reader can understand and care deeply about, a subject that the author knows well and expresses with passion, and a setting and events that are described in such rich detail that the reader has an experience that goes beyond the simple words on the page.  Perhaps a discussion of some of my favorite “reads” would be fun. A recent book I found compelling was The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which recounted the lives of characters with whom I could deeply engage. I grew up in the South of the 1950s and 1960s. The book spoke to me not only by evoking memories but also by giving me a chance to reflect on that time from an adult perspective.  A genre I enjoy tremendously is the mystery. I especially find a series intriguing and usually find one that has both highly developed characters and elaborate and intricate plots. I have read all of the mystery novels written

I Love You Be Careful with Judy Snider Joan Dickow 10/18 by FMMK Talk Radio | Blog Talk Radio This was a great show! From the moment we are born, someone is telling us to be careful. No matter what country we call home or what language we speak, these words follow us our entire lives. You might hear parents , friends, family or children loving say this phrase at least once a day. Think about all of the times that a loved one goes off to school , play or work, and you say, "I Love You, Be Careful!" Award-winning children’s picture book author Judy Snider teamed up with her sister Joan Dicknow to write this heartwarming and uplifting book highlighting some of our “be careful” moments in life.

Halloween can be a fun and scary time for kids. Here are a few tips for keeping Halloween safe too. 1. Make sure masks and costumes don't block the vision of your child. Keep props easy to carry and avoid using any prop that has sharp points or edges to prevent injury while trick or treating. 2. Use flashlights, reflector material on the costume, or bright clothing to make sure others see your child, especially vehicles following or driving in the neighborhood. 3. Inspect all candy and treats before allowing children to eat them. Dispose of any that are not sealed properly. Fruits and homemade goodies should only be consumed from those you know, and not strangers. 4. One option to trick or treating might be a small party for your child's friends. Supervision by parents that you know, foods that you are preparing, and having the party at your house all work towards keeping your children safe while providing a fun atmosphere. Games, prizes, and a movie or bonfi