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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

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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

Your Readers - What Have YOU Done for THEM Lately? by Sam Cheever

Tis the season for giving and appreciating what you have. And it's a time for authors to nurture the important relationship between us and our most faithful readers. It's a time for us to think about what we've done for them lately to show them how much they mean to us.

But wait, you might be thinking, I give them books. I give them hours of entertainment. I give them a chance to escape into the pages of a carefully crafted world with characters they can fall in love with. I hand them my heart and soul on a platter and pray that they handle them with care.

All of that is absolutely true. But let's be honest. Unless you're an extremely rare bird, you're not writing just for the fun of it...or to share your creative largess with a lucky public. You're writing for money and hopefully fame.

There's nothing at all wrong with that. I freely admit that's what I'm doing. But that reality doesn't take away from the beauty of the friendships I've formed in my writing journey. It doesn't make me appreciate the relationships I'm building any less. So it makes sense, especially at this time of year, to think about how I can give back to them for their love and support. This year I'm doing that by giving my newest release, a collection of fun Christmas short stories based on my Bedeviled & Beyond world to my approximately 1,200 member newsletter list. It's my Christmas gift to them and I've asked them to share the book with their own families and friends. This is a one time offer but it's given from the heart. It's a season of giving so I'm giving to them and allowing them to give, if they want to, to their loved ones.

But the giving doesn't always have to come at Christmas. Throughout the year, I also send each of my newsletter subscribers a note and a gift on their birthday. Along with my heartfelt birthday wishes, I offer to send them either a free book or box of promotional goodies as my birthday gift to them. Yes, this costs me money and time. And it would be much more spendy if I didn't own rights and control for most of the books I send out, but it's an investment in my relationship with them so I figure it's well worth it.

Gifts to your readers can come in many forms. You can send them the spicy scene you were forced  to cut from your latest book. Or write a short story based on a popular series that only newsletter subscribers will receive. You can offer monthly newsletter contests, as I do, so they have a chance to win a gift of your choice (I offer a $10 gift card to each month's winner.) You can offer new releases to them early and/or at a special discount only for them. The list goes on and on. You're limited only by your imagination. The old adage, it's the thought that counts, has never been more true. Readers who know that you're thinking of them and wishing to make them happy will be committed, loyal readers. And in return you get to sell books and make more friends. It's a win-win for all involved!

Bedeviled & Bah Humbug - 4 Fun Christmas short stories to make the season bright!

Based in the Bedeviled & Beyond world, this fun collection of Christmas short stories will put a smile on your face and turn every day into a Hell-i-day!

#1. Astra Takes out the Grinch: Astra’s been conscripted to deal with a hairy, green demon who’s stealing presents and creating havoc. The Big Guy has grown increasingly tired of the Grinch’s antics and, this Christmas, has called out the big guns.

#2. Astra gets a Lump of Coal – Thumps an Elf: Astra is forced to spend Christmas in Satan’s backyard, helping the angels figure out how the green dragons are escaping Hell to terrorize the human realm on Earth. But in true Astra form, she figures out much more than that!

#3. The Year the Grinch Stole Santa: Astra is determined to take Christmas off so she’s been ignoring the nearly constant calls from the North Pole to help them find Santa, who’s disappeared just days before Christmas. But Astra learns the hard way that Santa’s minions will not be ignored!

#4. An Elvish Catastrophe: Astra and Darma are Christmas shopping at the mall when a pack of ninja elves invade the place and demand the execution of all faux Santas. Talk about little man syndrome…these ninjas have it in spades!

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018CQFVDE/?tag=wwwsamcheever-20

Amazon.ca: http://www.amazon.ca/Bedeviled-Humbug-Christmas-Shorts-Beyond-ebook/dp/B018CQFVDE/?tag=wwwsamcheev0d-20

Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bedeviled-Humbug-Christmas-Shorts-Beyond-ebook/dp/B018CQFVDE/?tag=wwwsamcheever-21

Amazon.au: http://www.amazon.com.au/Bedeviled-Humbug-Christmas-Shorts-Beyond-ebook/dp/B018CQFVDE

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bedeviled-bah-humbug-sam-cheever/1123009462?ean=2940157694999

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bedeviledbahhumbug-1935886-172.html

iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1061451223

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and

mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.

If you haven't already connected, Sam would love it if you Liked/Followed her wherever you enjoy hanging out online. Here are her online haunts:

Newsletter: http://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html Subscribe to my newsletter and win a free copy of the fun and sexy Honeybun Fever Box Set
New Release Notifications: http://books2read.com/author/sam-cheever/subscribe/1/23540/
Website: www.SamCheever.com
Blog: http://samcheever.com/blog/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/samcheever   
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/samcheever
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/samcheever1/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/samcheever/

Intentional Gifts ~ Rose Anderson

Well it’s official. I was in a store over the weekend and Christmas consumerism exploded in the aisles beside a shopping cart full of reduced-priced Halloween candy. I’ve seen on the news  recently that some major stores have appropriated the traditional family gathering time and started their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving. I think that stinks. Way to go American consumer culture, take from families who could really use some meaningful time being thankful for what they already have. 

I admit I do go out for Black Friday. I’ve done this bargain hunting with my sister-in-law for at least 16 years. I always buy for the older kids in the Toys for Tots program. Good deals make my dollars go farther and that means a few more kids are assured of at least one gift. 
Black Friday is one crazy morning. I saw a fist fight a few years back – two women fighting over a TV. Last year I heard about a pepper spray incident over a video game system. I’ve seen a crowd turn ugly when people who've waited in line for hours encounter people just leaving their cars who are determined to cut in line. We don’t go nuts on things like electronics, we just go to save money on regular stuff like socks. Admittedly, we people watch too! 

Yes, I buy those Black Friday socks, but I mostly  make my gifts. Each handcrafted piece is done intentionally – that is – with intent. My imagination, my affection, my creativity, and my time on earth, all align in focus to create interesting or lovely things for the people I care about. 

Another thing about me. I love to repurpose things. To make nice things out of discarded things just tickles me. It also keeps junk out of the waste stream that’s clogging our landfills and polluting every corner of the planet. I’ve taken a cue from Martha Stewart and made mittens from old sweaters and shopping bags from vintage draperies. I’ve also concocted bath recipes, coffee blends, and relaxation CD’s. I invite you to look me up on Pinterest for more ideas. 
As a jump start on the holiday season, the following are a few gifts I’ve made over the years that were really well-received. Alas, I don’t have pictures, but I tried to be as detailed as possible so anyone wanting to make them should be able to follow along. 

Repurposed Stationary Set ~ I started this project by buying a sustainably grown bamboo pen for my daughter (off ebay). Then, using two sizes of opened and flattened envelopes as templates, I made crazy envelopes out of full page magazine ads and Patagonia catalog pages. A fine bead of regular old Elmers glue sealed the sides of my new envelopes. I could have used a glue stick but having had glue stick projects come unglued before, I opted for the sure thing. I added white labels for the addresses, and a recycled paper writing tablet. I made a custom cover for the tablet from a very nice picture I found online depicting the recycle symbol as a stylized tree. I also found a Save a Tree/ Reuse Paper self-inking stamp. I bundled up the envelopes in two stacks and put it all into a cigar box that I covered with cancellation marks from all over the world. It was one of my more fun projects that looked like it came from one of those fancy and pricey catalogs. 

Ransom Note Refrigerator Magnets ~ Picture one of those TV crime show ransom notes where the words are glued together from newspapers and magazines. Now picture these individual letters sticking to the front of your refrigerator. Cool huh? Being a Scrabble fan I was confident words could be made if I followed the number and ABC count of Scrabble letters. I also added questions marks and exclamation points for emphasis. After cutting large alphabet letters from cereal boxes, glossy sales papers and magazines, I stuck them on peel and stick magnet sheets. I bought those, but it’s also a great way to use up those freebie ad magnets and out of date magnetic calendars. Just carefully peel away the text or picture to get to the sticky base underneath. Tip: arrange them this way and that to save space. I then use a matte finish Modpodge coating. After they dried, I cut them out. They came out really nice and got a lot of laughs. They look fabulous on the fridge.

Snowmen vs. Santas Checker Set ~ A friend of mine drinks different types of beer and saves bottle caps of all colors and brands for me. A few years ago I thought up a twist on an old standard game – checkers. You’ll need:
• 24 bottle caps. Be sure they’re not bent.
• 1 bottle of clear Diamond Glaze (check your craft store) or two or three bottles of cheap dollar store clear nail polish
• 12 pictures of Santas and 12 pictures of Snowmen thought really it could be anything as long as there are 12 of one and 12 of the other. I cut mine from a catalog with vintage pictures but you could also check the dollar store for inexpensive holiday greeting cards. It’s possible to cut the small circles (bottle cap size) by hand by tracing a quarter. Or buy yourself a nice quarter-sized hole punch. I eventually did that. Much easier and super fast.
• Glue Once you’ve assembled your supplies, dab a dot of glue inside the bottle cap and carefully center the picture inside. Smooth out any bubbles and lumps. Allow to dry then slowly fill the bottle cap with Diamond Glaze or nail polish. I found simple checkerboards at my local dollar store and used those to go with my games. You can easily make your own. A search online will give you the exact count of squares needed.

Secret Book ~ This book innocently sits on the shelf with the rest of your library, but when you turn a few pages, you’ll discover this crumby old book is actually a secret compartment. It’s a box made out of a book and the cover is the lid. Sneaky.
• You’ll need a thick old and boring-looking book. Try a thrift store or the library for a free or inexpensive discard.
• Modpodge and applicator (foam or bristle brush)
• An Exacto knife or box cutter blade.
• A sheet of foil or waxed paper Flip open the book and go at least ten pages in. Mark the page by tucking your sheet of foil or waxed paper inside and close the book. This is what you should see – ten loose pages and a protective sheet of foil or waxed paper. The rest of the pages will be the box. Now apply a liberal coating of Modpodge to the edge below those ten pages. Put something heavy on top, smooth any blobs with the brush or foam applicator and wait about an hour for it to dry. The book will be stiff now except for those few loose pages at the front of the book. Determine the size of the compartment your book will have within its pages. Trace out a smaller rectangle and carefully use the Exacto blade or box cutter to cut out as many pages as you’re able to at one time. Keep on going until you almost reach the back cover. Once you have a nice deep center cut away, paint on the Modpodge to seal the raw edges just like you did to the outside. Using the scrap pages you’ve cut out, paste these over the raw edges inside with more Modpodge for a nice finished look. Leave your book open to dry. And there you go — a very cool looking, infinitely useful, gift.

And when my gift making is over for the year, my creativity turns inward and I write! 
News: Coming later this week -- my Exquisite Quills group blog and companion yahoo group's Exquisite Quills Holiday Anthology Vol I. 

 
Rose is multi-published award-winning author and dilettante who loves great conversation and learning interesting things to weave into stories. She lives with her family and small menagerie amid oak groves and prairie in the rolling glacial hills of the upper mid-west.  
 
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