Something For The Younger Readers #children's_book #melissa_keir #RB4U

Something For The Younger Readers

Do you have a child or grandchild who loves to read? My favorite part of being a guest teacher is sharing my love of books with students. This past year, I read George's Marvelous Medicine with a first grade class. They asked about it even when I wasn't in their room. 

After eight years as a romance writer and twenty years as a teacher, I combined my love of children with my love of books and wrote two children's books. 

Huzzah-A Pool Mouse came about last year when my husband and I visited historic Williamsburg, Virginia. We stayed at a hotel and while I was swimming in the pool, the idea for the story came to me. I shared it with my husband and then asked my daughter to illustrate the story for me. 

Amazon

My other book, Maple's Colors, came from a talk my husband and I had one night about a tree who didn't want to go to sleep for the winter. We talked through the idea many times until I finally decided to throw caution to the wind and write the book. With Maple, I reached out to a wonderful design company and set about selecting an illustrator to bring the story to fruition. Amazon

Both stories are filled with meaningful messages of "being yourself" and "accepting differences". The illustrations are colorful and evoke the emotions of the stories. The books are penned under my childhood nickname and maiden name- Missy Watling and feature a childhood photo of myself on the author page. 

During this past year, I have been able to share with Country Elementary School, the path I took, the illustrator's journey and the final products, which now sit on display in their library. I hope I provided motivation to those young writers to reach for their dreams. 

Enjoy your summer and Keep Reading,

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Multiple Personalities #names #amwriting #RB4U

Pen Names or Multiple Personalities?

Hello and thank you for stopping by today. With my marriage, divorce, and remarriage, my name changed which was sometimes a problem for people. My step-son is dating one of my former students and she remembers me with a different last name. It leads to some fun talks as we laugh about having drinks with teachers. 

Some of my favorite authors have more than one name. Nora Roberts who writes contemporary and paranormal romances under her own name, also writes a futuristic police series under JD Robb. Michigan author, Nancy Gideon goes by three different names, Dana Ransom, Rosalyn West and her own. Another author used her "real" name for her YA books but her pen name took off and now she's re-branding all her books under the pen name. 

For me, it was always too confusing. I wrote under my married name (Melissa Keir). It was also my only name on FB until my husband's cousin married an woman named Melissa and she changed her name on FB!  

If I used a pen name, I worried about people finding all my books. I didn't want them confused about who I was. Then there is the additional marketing for two people. I spoke at length to people who used pen names and those who didn't...and then I took the plunge.

I have written two children's books under my childhood name- Missy Watling. My experts suggested that people who read my children's book wouldn't necessarily want to read my small town romances. There are different audiences for each, but I hope that my faithful readers will take a chance on my children's books. Both books have important messages and will be favorites of young kids with their beautiful illustrations. 

Huzzah- A Pool Mouse is available now in ebook and print.

Huzzah loves puddles and loves to watch the children swimming. He's too scared to get in the pool until he must save the day.

Come along as a mouse learns to take chances and finds that being yourself is the most important thing.  This sweet tale will be a family favorite for years to come.

Do you use a pen name? Has it ever been too confusing when you search for your favorite author?

Until Next Month,

Melissa Keir (and Missy Watling)

www.melissakeir.com

Oh the Places You'll Go #Dr_Suess #Read_Across_America #melissakeir

Oh The Places You'll Go

Hello and welcome back to my monthly post on the different things in my world and in the writer's world. This month, I want to hit upon a wonderful day which passed recently. March 2nd is Read Across America Day.

Read Across America started in 1997 when the National Education Association decided to create a day to celebrate not just Dr. Seuss' birthday but also a day to celebrate the joy in reading. This past March 2nd, teachers, librarians, and community members from around the United States set aside time to read (both to children and reading alone). The reason behind this annual event is to shed light on how important reading (and literacy) is to success in life.  

As a teacher, we had the month of March set aside as March is Reading Month, a whole month-long celebration about reading. We decorated our classroom doors, had secret readers come in to read to the students, and shared book boxes filled with some of our favorite books by well-known children's authors. 

As an author, I will be sharing my knowledge with school children at different local schools, talking with them about my own road to publication and what tools I needed to get there. I'm a little nervous about it, but I speak to kids daily as a teacher and love sharing my own journey, so it shouldn't be too bad, right?

Many of us wouldn't have found a love for reading without Dr. Seuss' books. His three biggest sellers are "Oh The Places You'll Go", "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham". With more than sixty books under his pen-name, Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel adopted his pen-name while at university. When challenged to write an interesting children's book with only 250 words, Dr. Seuss stepped up to the challenge, writing "The Cat in the Hat."

I remember having all his stories as a child. When I had my own children, I was luckily able to find many of the same books through a neighbor who was getting rid of her old books. It was wonderful seeing all the same stories from "If I Ran A Zoo" to "Hop on Pop". There are so many wonderful stories to choose from, I don't have a special one. I like both the silly word choice and rhyming nature. Never having children of his own, Dr. Seuss raised generations of readers through his books. Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss story?

Since the whole Month of March is often dedicated to literacy, it's not too late! You can pick up a book and dive into an amazing world where the characters can be anything you desire. And don't forget to share your love of books. Read to your children or grandchildren. They will thank you for it.

Until next month, here's my latest book cover and blurb to entertain you. A part of Sable Hunter's Hell Yeah Kindle World, The House that Built Me is a short novella about a music star who returns to her hometown searching for a piece of her past.

Country’s newest rising star, Mandy Watkins, disappears from the limelight for a while with the help of her good friend. She’s got a lot on her plate and needs some time to figure out who she is.

Travis Perkins loves gardening after teaching at the local high school. He’s determined to leave the world in a better state either through his connections with his students or his garden.

When Mandy lands on Travis’s doorstep, he believes she will be just another of his projects, but what neither of them expect is how much their hearts may change. Can two people with only the love of an old home find a deep, lasting love? Or will their relationship end like the notes of a country tune?

Only available on Kindle or with Kindle Unlimited http://a.co/ioSn6Rh

Until Next Month,

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Looking For A Fun Christmas Present? #Children's_Books #RB4U #melissa_keir

Fun Children's Books for the Child at Heart

Hello and welcome back to another installment of Melissa's musings. I drop in each month to share some insights into writing or life in general. Please feel free to comment and share.

As a teacher, there's nothing more fun than sharing a book with students. Even older students can fall in love with a picture book. They are wonderful for lessons on life as well as great discussion points on an author's trade. 

Today, I want to share with you four of my latest favorites. These would make wonderful gifts for the children in your life as well as for yourself!

Chicken of the Family is a book that all children with siblings can relate to. Poor Henrietta, her sisters tease her and set out to convince her she is really a chicken. Anyone with siblings has felt the sting of their sharp words, but it's the message about being yourself, no matter what that resonates with kids. The author, Mary Amato also plays with "chicken" words. 

Another wonderful book is Have I Got a Book For You. As authors, we have to "sell" our books and ourselves. Salesman, Mr. Al Foxword, has a variety of tools to sell his book to you, from reviews to recommendations. This book has a tongue in cheek style which will appeal to older students but makes a great book to teach about persuasion. While most children are skilled at trying to persuade Mom and Dad to stop for candy, they don't know how to put it into words and this book shows one way.

Be Quiet are words that all children have heard at least once in their lives. In this case, Rupert has decided to create a wonderful picture book without words. However, his friends come to help and chaos ensues. Sometimes when friends want to help, it ends up being more of a problem. This book makes a wonderful discussion point for dealing with conflict situations as well as getting along. 

Finally, my current favorite book is That is Not A Good Idea. The amazing children's author Mo Willems tells a story right out of the classic big bad wolf style where a hungry fox tries to trick a goose into dinner. This story has a twist that no one will see coming, but the author does very clearly show the reader what will happen if they only pay attention. I love going back and pointing it out to the students and it blows their minds. This is a wonderful example of tricks an author can do to show what will happen as well as what readers pick up based on their own knowledge.

And for those older (*cough*) readers, I have a wonderful holiday box set which features the final story in my Wilder Sisters series, Holiday Homecoming. Just look at that cover...wouldn't you love to find that Santa putting out presents for you?

Brighten this holiday season with seven stories from New York Times, USA Today, national bestselling, and award-winning authors. Grab a cup of your favorite cocoa, coffee or tea, a holiday treat and settle in with the authors from More Christmas Lovin’ for a festive holiday read.

Santa for Christmas by Lisa Kumar
A sexy elf who hates everything about Christmas is forced to be Santa and must go into the seething heart of humanity—the abode of a beautiful single mother and her child in order to save them.

An EverAfter Christmas by K.S. Thomas 
Sailor Belle is no stranger to adventure, so being stranded in a blizzard three days before her wedding, is not about to stop her from marrying the man of her dreams. But then, as the obstacles keep coming, she clings to her last hope - it’s the season for miracles, and she may need one to get her EverAfter Christmas.

Holiday Homecoming by Melissa Keir
Two broken hearts mend as love blossoms, but when danger comes calling, can the two loners learn to rely on each other or will they lose all they have found?

Mistletoe & Ashes by RaeAnne Hadley
Tiffany knew the threats of being a firefighter on the Hot Shots team. She embraced the heat and the danger but she could have never predicted that her heart and her mind would be in peril. Could a Christmas miracle save her or would she end up as ashes?

Seduction at the Christmas Court by Jenna Jaxon
Lord and Lady Longford have journeyed to the Christmas Court of King Edward III to wait upon the king and take part in some Yuletide merriment. When Geoffrey is suddenly called to war, and rumors of his death arise, Alyse fends off an old suitor who wants to renew their friendship. But how long will he take “No” for an answer?

All I Want For Christmas by Deb Julienne 
Who knew one little boy’s Christmas wish could change so many lives?

The Christmas Fantasy by D’Ann Lindun
Widower Christian Vega believes he’ll never find true love again, until an actress catches his eye. But she’s way out of this cowboy’s league. Hope Snowden swears to never date another out-of-work actor again. Then she falls for a cowboy-turned-stuntman. Is it love, or just a Christmas fantasy? 

Only $0.99 or #free with #KindleUnlimited

http://a.co/4V8Egkr

Thank you for stopping by today and reading about my latest favorite children's books. Do you have one of your own? I'm always on the search for some new wonderful books to share with my students!

Until Next Month!

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com

Sometimes We Grow Up and Still Fall for Children's Books!

Sometimes We Grow Up and Still Fall for Children's Books!

Sadly, I'm an adult. Old enough to vote, drink and know better. I've learned things the hard way and there's even photos out there somewhere (thankfully we didn't have the internet when I was younger) to prove it.

1980's Day when when I taught 4/5th grade

As a teacher, I get to read and enjoy a lot of different children's books. Children's books that made me weep and children's books that made me laugh. And most of which, I've fallen in love with...even going so far as to buy books for presents for my students, my nieces and nephews and... okay... myself! A girl can NEVER have too many books!

Three of my favorite children's picture books are one's I've bought myself. Each for very unique reasons. 

Bad Day at Riverbend is a hilarious by Chris Van Allsburg. He's written Jumanji and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, but it's Bad Day that always gets the kids thinking. The story tells the tale of a mysterious problem that comes upon a town one day. The sheriff sets out to try to stop it. I won't spoil the ending for you... but it will leave you smiling!

 Bigfoot Cinderella is also a funny tale but more importantly, it is one that you must read aloud. The words have their own unique sounds to them as we see a fun twist on the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. In this case, Cinderella is a bigfoot who wants to protect the forest, rather than harm it like her evil stepsisters. *Hint...if you love twisted fairy tales, there's so many from Dinorella to The Rough Faced Girl.**

My all time favorite book has to be this one......and I dare you to read it without crying.

In Faithful Elephants we learn about the other losses from war. In this case, three elephants from a Japanese zoo teach us about what true friendship is and how there are two sides to every piece of history. You will never think about war in the same way.

I'd love to hope that throughout my years teaching, I've inspired a few students to fall in love with a book. I'd also love to know that I shared my own love of reading with my students and encouraged them to find laughter, sadness or learning in a book... and that even picture books are to be treasured as an adult. 

Do you have any picture books that you still love or read? Do you have a book that you've shared with your children and/or grandchildren? I'd love to hear about it and add them to my TBR pile!

Thank you for sharing a piece of your day with me. If you want to know more about the books I've written or about myself, please check out my blog at www.melissakeir.com. Until next month... Keep reading!!