T is for Signs of TROUBLE

Signs of Trouble by Janet Ann Collins
Illustrated by Jack Foster


Print ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-111-5; 1616331119

eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-61633-112-2; 1616331127










Blurb:

Children with learning disabilities get separated from their Special Education class on a field trip and use what they’ve learned to get reunited with them. The included activities can help children learn safety rules, understanding of people with special needs, basic reading skills, and creative writing skills.


Review:

Signs of Trouble is an adventurous story about two girls, a special ed student and her partner,  who get separated from their group. With a communication mix-up and a trip to the bathroom, the girls discover they are...gulp...lost!

During this edge-of -the-seat story,  we follow the characters as they face a real life test on what to do if you are lost.  Do they go with that strange lady who offered to help them find their group? Do they go looking for their group? Should they try to find the group meeting place on their own?

With some quick thinking and a creative solution,  the girls find a way to draw attention to themselves and get the help they needed.

This is a delightfully written story that all children can relate to. I loved at the end of the book there are a large variety of academic activities. More fascinating fun with author Janet A Collins!

Where to get Signs of Trouble:

Guardian Angel Publishing
Amazon

About Janet A Collins:

Janet Ann Collins is a retired teacher who used to work at California School for the Deaf, Was a substitute teacher in many Special Education classes, and raised three foster sons with special needs in addition to her birth daughter.


She was a freelance feature writer for a newspaper in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a columnist for the Antique Auction Explorer and her work has appeared in dozens of other publications. Collins is the author of two other books with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Peril of the Sinister Scientist and Secret Service Saint.

About Jack Foster:



Jack Foster, children’s book illustrator, has illustrated more books for Guardian Angel Publishing, SHOO CAT!, Klutzy Kantor


You can see more of Jack’s work and leave him a comment at www.jacktoon.blogspot.com

S is for Seuss

Now that we've dealt with the topic of rejection, I'd like to offer some inspiration. Just because your manuscript is rejected, doesn't mean it lacks merit. It could be quite good.

His book, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street , was rejected 28 times before being published. In fact one well known comment was "“This is too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling.” Wow!  But he persisted. With persistence comes payoff.  He later went on to write more classics such as The Cat in the Cat , Green Eggs and Ham, and  How the Grinch Stole Christmas.



So when that next rejection comes along, thing Seuss!

New Awards for My Blog

You'll see two new awards for my blog awarded by Jingle :

The Talented Writer Award

And the Blogger Buddy Award.

Thanks Jingle!



R is for Rejections

As Editor-in-Chief of My Light Magazine, I had run into times where I've had to reject a manuscript. It's the thing I like LEAST about running the magazine.  However, if the magazine is to improve and accomplish it's goal to spread the Catholic faith to our readers, we must be selective.

As writers, how should we handle rejections? The professional thing to do would be to take the editor's advice - if any is offered (see Why You Get Form Rejections) and resubmit elsewhere. Unless the editor asks for a resubmission, I would avoid it.  If you are fortunate enough for this request, be sure to refresh the editor's memory by simply stating, "Per your request I have addressed the issues and am resubmitting...".

It rarely helps to defend your manuscript once it is rejected. Yes, you will be remembered by the editors - but not the way you hope.You don't want to be remembered for negative behavior and risk appearing unprofessional.

The best thing to do is run the manuscript through your critique group - yes  YET AGAIN, reassess your markets, and submit elsewhere.

The effort will pay off. That manuscript will be ready for that one right publication. Then it and you will be remembered for your writing skill - not your reaction to a rejection.

Q is for Quality Submissions

When submitting to an editor of a magazine or a book publisher, it is important to produce quality submissions to avoid an immediate rejection. When sending your manuscript, after ensuring it is ready, be sure to prepare a cover letter - even if you are submitting through electronic communication. The cover letter maintains a professional quality to your submission. Be sure it includes the title, what it's about, and how it fits in with the publication.

When writing the manuscript, keep the publishing company's guidelines in mind. What is the suggested age level? Word count?Topic or theme? No matter how well written the manuscript is, it will be rejected if it doesn't meet the guidelines.

Before submitting your work, it should have gone through several rounds in a critique group. This helps catch spelling, grammar and syntax errors. If an editor has to correct too much,he or she will pass on the manuscript.

Keeping all these tips in mind will help you produce a quality manuscript - one that is hopefully on its way to publication.

P is for Program: Jennifer Wylie's contribution to a Short Story Program

Encouraging the love of reading.


by Jennifer Wylie

I am really excited about my first short story series. Tales of Ever is part of a new short story program being put out by Echelon Press.

Electric Shorts is a pilot program for reluctant readers. Each series contains six short stories presented once per month as electronic downloads (eBooks), much the same as a television series. Tales of Ever is a fantasy series written for young adults (13-17 year olds). The first instalment, Banished, debuted March 1st, a new instalment will be available the first tuesday of the month ending in August. At only $.99 each, the short stories are affordable for all walks of life.

I was lucky enough to have a mother who was an avid reader, and became one myself at an early age. I've now passed the love of reading onto to my own children. Tales of Ever is full of action and written to captivate even the most reluctant readers. I'm hoping to share the joy of reading with many young adults.

One of my favorite parts of a new work is creating the world it takes place in. Sometimes the differences between 'our world' and my invented world are few, mostly the differences being magic or what beings are there. But not always.

My new short story series also has a new world. It is drastically different from what we could consider 'normal'. Needless to say, I'm having the most fun EVER (excuse the pun) creating this world as well. Though technically, Ever is not a world, but a place. I wanted Ever to be bizarre, crazy, and also wild and dangerous. Part of its deadliness is that nothing is normal or known. At least not to someone from earth. My character does her best to describe the crazy world she has been banished too, and I have a great time coming up with her descriptions of things. For example when she lands in Ever she falls on the border between two drastically different environments, a desert and a jungle. “The sand is pink. Not the washed out pink of granite, but clashed-really-bad-with-my-hair bright pink.” The jungle she describes as “one colored by some crazy kindergarten kids, maybe.”

I'm very excited the series will be six stories long. Misha, my main character, stays in the Rainbow Jungle for the first two shorts, however in the 3rd she travels to the Tall Forrest. I'm sure many interesting things will happen there! The second of the series, Fire Girl, was released April 5th and the third, Shadow Boy will come out May 3rd.

I hope you all enjoy the worlds I create! Happy reading and thanks so much for having me today!





Series: Tales of Ever

#1 Banished

by Jen Wylie

Short Story 0.99

Published March 1 2011 by Echelon Press



Series Blurb:

Welcome to Ever.

Ever, a deadly realm where feared, powerful and dangerous magical beings are banished. Though very large, it is not a world but a magically created prison. You can’t break through its circular boundary. Who, or what, made Ever? I’ve no idea. They were powerful, and cruel. That is all I can tell you.

Ever is like and unlike every other world. Nothing is safe. Safety is a dream. Ever is a nightmare. Few survive their first day. Nothing is what it seems. If something appears safe, it isn’t. If something appears dangerous, well it is, but probably more so than you think.

Ever has no sun, no moon, no stars at night. Time is told by the ever changing color of the sky where portals open, dropping new inhabitants, or new terrors. Time does pass. Don’t worry, you won’t get old. You won’t live that long.

The landscape changes without reason form dessert to jungles. The flora isn’t safe at any time. There is food, if you can find it without getting eaten yourself. Most plants and animals are poisonous. So is the water.

Are you afraid? You should be. This is the end. It gets worse of course. Remember the portals? Do think angels come through? Rarely the innocent do. Mostly, it is people of evil, people too powerful to kill. Their magic works here. The creature’s are worse.

Do you understand? Well you will eventually, or you’ll die. There is no escaping Ever. Ever.



Banished Blurb:

My life was normal. It sucked, but it was normal. At least until I got this new power. I can control fire. It would be cool if it wasn’t so dangerous and if I knew how to use it. Pretty much my sucky life took a nose dive once I got it. Yup, everything gone. I suppose I should be thankful some uncle I never heard of took me in. Turns out the whole family isn’t normal and my power is a lot more dangerous than I thought. I thought things couldn’t get any worse. I was wrong. They banished me to Ever.

If I’m lucky, I might survive my first day.



Fire Girl Blurb:

Surviving Ever may not be easy, but somehow I’m managing. So far. Luckily I’ve made a new friend, Jadus. He’s not exactly human, but he’s teaching me how to survive here. Even though I’m tired, I’m hungry and I miss home, he makes life bearable. Despite the not human thing I think I may be falling for him. Unfortunately Ever isn’t the place for romance. Now I have to deal with a barbarian king and a crazy shape-shifting witch on top of the everyday dangers. With each day that passes it becomes more important I learn to control my fire powers. If I can’t I might lose everything; any hope of finding my dad, Jadus…my life.



Available at:

Omnilit: http://www.omnilit.com/product-banished-519511-234.html

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44865

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Tales-of-Ever-ebook/dp/B004Q9TX4A

B&N: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Banished/Jen-Wylie/e/2940012206961/?itm=1





Bio:

Jennifer Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.

Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.

Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories. Sweet light is her debut novel to be published in 2011.

Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her husband, two boys, Australian shepherd a flock of birds and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.



My website: http://www.blogger.com/goog_59444937

My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/

O is for One Pelican at a Time

One Pelican at a Time

by Nancy Stewart
Illustrated by Samantha Bell

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-61633-138-2; 1616331380
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61633-139-9; 1616331399
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61633-140-5; 1616331402

Blurb

 Bella and Britt love living by the beach. When they find oil washing to shore from a gulf spill, they want to help but are told there is nothing for kids to do. But when their old friend, the crooked beak pelican, becomes covered with oil, they help save his life by their quick thinking and action.

Review:

One Pelican at a Time by Nancy Stewart is an inspiring story about two friends, a crooked beaked pelican and an oil spill. Bella and Britt discover the damage an oil spill caused in the Gulf of Mexico one afternoon. With a sense of urgency, the girls look for a way to help save the beach and the animals, but are told there's not much a child can do. 

However, when their old friend, the crooked beaked pelican gets harmed by the oil, the girls knew they had to do something. With some smart, quick, thinking they find help for the pelican and in the process learn the many steps it takes to fix a big problem like an oil spill. 

Author Nancy Stewart handled this big issue with great style. In addition to the story, she offers resources for more information on the event of an oil spill. Illustrator Samantha Bell's artwork complimented the story well with colorful, bright, and realistic illustrations.

One Pelican at a Time is an all around great book.

Get a taste for yourself in the trailer below:

 

Where to get One Pelican at a Time:
Guardian Angel Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble


About Nancy Stewart:
After having been an elementary school teacher, a consultant with New Options Inc. in New York City, and a university professor of education, Nancy now writes children’s books full time. She, her husband, and three sons lived in London for eight years where she was a consultant to several universities, including Cambridge.

Nancy travels extensively through out the world, most particularly Africa. She is the US chair of a charity in Lamu, Kenya, that places girls in intermediate schools to allow them to further their education. She and her family live in St. Louis and Clearwater Beach, Florida. Nancy is the author of two other Bella books, Bella Saves the Beach and Sea Turtle Summer. Both will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing. Visit Nancy at http://www.nancystewartbooks.com/ as well as her blog at http://www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com/

About Samantha Bell

Samantha Bell lives in the upstate of South Carolina with her husband, four children, and lots of animals. She’s a homeschooling mom by day and a writer and illustrator by night. Her poems, stories, articles, and illustrations have been published both online and in print. Please view her online portfolio at
http://www.samantha-bell.com/ as well as her art lessons for children at http://www.art-made-easy.com/