The Story Behind A Friend for Christmas by Mike Martin

 

 

 

The Story Behind A Friend for Christmas

I have always loved Christmas and each year for as long as I can remember I have written a short Christmas story for my family. These stories eventually found their way into two published Christmas books. Christmas in Newfoundland: Memories and Mysteries, Book 1 and Book 2. Both books are available on Amazon all over the world.

But in the last couple of years I have been writing children’s stories about Christmas. Why? I don’t really know. Maybe it’s because I’m a grandfather now or maybe it’s because I’m getting older. In any case, the stories started, and they keep coming. Somehow I am drawn to writing these little, fun Christmas stories for children.

What I’ve discovered is that while they are written for children, maybe they’re not really for children at all, although children can read them. Maybe they are for all of us, to remind us of the joy that we felt at Christmas when we were children. If I could capture that and put it in a bottle, it would be a best-seller, for sure. Since I can’t do that, I try and put that spirit into these Christmas books and hope that others will feel it, too.

The fun part about writing children’s books is that you don’t have convince kids things like whether or not animals can talk. To their mind, why can’t rabbits or beavers or cats talk? Children are open to the possibilities, especially younger ones. That’s before we teach them rationale thought and not to believe everything that people tell them.

The two biggest things about writing a book for children in my opinion are that we shouldn’t deliberate scare or frighten them, and that they should always have a happy ending. The world is scary enough for little people. And if there really is something that should be afraid of, like crossing a busy street, we teach them to look both ways before crossing. And we try and get through the sometimes-scary parts quickly, so they see that they can be brave and do that too.

A Friend for Christmas is available all over the world on Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Title: A Friend for Christmas

Author: Mike Martin

Publication Date: October 20, 2023

Pages: 36

Genre: Children's

Good things come to those who face their fears. 

Robbie Rabbit lived in a warren in a big city with his wife Rowena Rabbit and their nine kits. He called it their rabbit apartment. Robbie and his family were hunkering down for winter when an unexpected visitor makes an appearance. 

A Friend for Christmas is the heartwarming tale of a very brave rabbit who faces his fears and makes a new friend at the magical time of the year.  He learns that friends can come in all shapes and sizes and Robbie and his family discover the joy of Christmas.

This beautifully illustrated book is suitable for children of all ages. Especially those who still believe in the magic of Christmas.

“This lovely fable tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a family of rabbits and a gray cat named Whisper. In these war-torn times, it’s an important reminder of our innate ability to choose live over fear.” – Amazon

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3FMsbN4 

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/49ntyQ7

Mike Martin was born in St. John’s, NL on the east coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a long-time freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand. He is the award-winning and best-selling author of the award-winning Sgt. Windflower Mystery series set in beautiful Grand Bank. There are now 13 books in this light mystery series with the publication of All That Glitters.

Author Links  

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

The Story Behind Nurse Florence, What Are Emotions? by Michael Dow

 

 

 

The Story Behind Nurse Florence, What Are Emotions?

In regard to how I got published, I realized I would have very little chance to get traditionally published because I was not famous, do not have a large social media following, nor am I well connected. Someone once said, “The only way to steer a ship is to move forward.” I don’t know where my project is going to end up, but I realized to get some place, I had to start moving forward so I self-published through Lulu. Lulu is very easy to use and relatively cheap. The ease and price has enabled me to publish a book every 10 days this year. We have over 60 titles in the series now. Nurse Florence is the first of its kind health book series for kids. We believe we will have a societal impact on the health literacy of the world. The books are being translated into multiple languages. Also, coloring books are being created for some of the titles so that kids can learn another healthy coping skill of drawing to help them find peace. The series has won best educational series for kids with the Independent Press Award and the coloring books have won best series with the NYC Big Book Award. Many of the titles have won their own book award. We have many 5 star reviews from professional reviewers as well as individuals. There are over 40 illustrators working on the project. We are helping new illustrators become published illustrators through the series so that can catch a break and become experienced. Writing books is a lot of fun and my kids are part of the editorial review process suggesting changes as needed. My wife helps translate the books into Latin American Spanish. One of my cousins translates them into French. We hope to be a powerhouse in the children’s publishing world one day. Dream big dreams and do something everyday to achieve them. Never give up.

 

 

Title: Nurse Florence, What Are Emotions?

Author: Michael Dow

Publication Date: September 6, 2023

Pages: 86

Genre: Children's Book

Sometimes it seems only a nurse can bring technical information down to an understanding that an ordinary person can grasp.  The Nurse Florence® book series provides high quality medical information that even a child can grasp.  By introducing young kids to correct terminology and science concepts at an early age, we can help increase our children’s health literacy level as well as help to prepare them for courses and jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  We need more scientists so I hope that many children will enjoy this book series and consider a job involving science.

Buy Link:

LuLu

 

Michael Stephen Dow is married to Perla in Arizona and has 3 kids.  Michael was on a path to attend medical school and then the events of September 11, 2001 occurred.  Michael became angry at the terrorists and decided to join the US Air Force.  He went through Officer Training School and then graduated specialized Navigator training to become an Electronic Warfare Officer.  Michael deployed 6 times for the Global War on Terror between 2005 and 2009 with the EC-130H Compass Call mission.  Michael medically retired in 2010 and then became an US Army contractor serving Wounded Warriors and ensuring they received all of their entitled benefits for 8 years.  Michael always had a love for science and the human body so he then used his GI bill to go through nursing school and graduated in August 2020.  Michael now works as a Registered Nurse at an inpatient psychiatric hospital.  Michael’s education is as follows: B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University in 1999, B.S. in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2001, M.S. in Management from Troy University in 2010, Masters in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix in 2017, and M.S. from the University of Arizona in 2020 through its 15 month accelerated Masters Entry to the Profession of Nursing program.  Michael is the Founder and Manager of Dow Creative Enterprises, LLC.  His books have garnered the Silver Nautilus Book award in 2020 (Nurse Florence, Help I’m Bleeding) and an Award-Winning Finalist in the Religion category for the 2021 International Book Awards (A Prayer to Our Father in the Heavens: Possibly the Greatest Jewish Prayer of All Time).  Michael believes we will need the best of science and religion to successfully navigate ourselves, our civilization, through the future obstacles we will face.  More information can be found at www.DowCreativeEnterprises.com and www.NurseFlorence.org.  Nurse Florence® is a federally registered trademark by Dow Creative Enterprises.  The Nurse Florence® series seeks to promote science and health among children and to help increase the health literacy levels of our society.  With teamwork, inclusion, faith and perseverance, we can bravely face our problems and help each other reach our better selves as well as our best collective good.

Author Links  

Website | Facebook

 

The Story Behind Grace And The Golden Rule by Negrita Smart

 

 

The Story Behind Grace And The Golden Rule

I initially outlined Grace And The Golden Rule in my journal. I outlined the beginning, middle, and end of the story. I knew what message I wanted to share. I knew the name of the main character, Grace. I already visualized her face including specific details such as the freckles on her checkbones and the huge, brown, curly hair. 

Although I had this prepared inspirational message and character to share with the world, I did not know how to move beyond the creative stage. I researched the internet for steps on how to publish a book. I found several steps and suggestions but I was a novice to the book publishing process and I needed more direction. 

I remembered when we were younger, my sisters and I attended church with a person that later became a very successful author. I do not believe it was a coincidence that I suddenly remembered her from over twenty years ago. 

After a few attempts to make contact with her, she and I finally connected. I still remember the day we spoke. 

She shared her author journey with me and encouraged me to pursue my dream of writing. Not only did she provide me with sound advice and direction, she introduced me to a Children’s book publisher. Afterwards, she continued to touch base with me and provide support. I am thankful for my friend’s mentorship. She is listed on the dedication page of the book.  

The publisher and I began working together and I was guided through each step of the book publishing process. The publisher explained to me how to organize and write the manuscript which was the most important step to becoming published. I was also educated on what to expect in every step of the process from beginning to end. During our initial conversation we set goals and discussed what was necessary to accomplish the goals. 

The most extensive process was scene illustration. It was important that each scene illustration communicated the emotions and message of the book. Cover design was very important because it served as the introduction to Little Miss Grace, her debut. 

After four months of editing, scene illustration, cover design, and typesetting Grace And The Golden Rule was published and available on Amazon.  

 

 

 

Title: Grace and the Golden Rule
Author: Negrita Smart
Publisher: C Black Expressions LLC
Publication Date: February 4, 2023
Pages: 34
Genre: Children’s Book (Ages 3 – 11)

Grace loves the Winter season. It is her favorite of all seasons because she loves to play in the snow with her friends. Winter is also Grace’s favorite season because she can wear her favorite purple scarf. Grace wears it every day until she meets Ruth. After meeting Ruth as school, Grace feels differently about playing in the snow and wearing her favorite purple scarf. This is because Grace learns a valuable lesson about how to treat other people.

Purchase at Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3zh4de8f

 

Negrita Smart is a small-town girl from Dadeville, Alabama. She is a wife, sister, believer, and teacher at heart.

The first of her family to graduate from college, Negrita holds a Masters in Business Administration and the insurance designation of Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters and holds insurance licenses in Property and Casualty and Life and Health. She credits and shares her accomplishments with her supportive family.     

Negrita loves spending time with her family and has happily taken on the official role of Event Planner bringing family members together through fun and love. 

In her professional life, Negrita utilizes her talent for sharing knowledge and information as a new-hire trainer creating user-friendly webinars, courses, tests, and gauge learning within business areas such as auto, property, and agriculture.    

As an author, Negrita is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators always looking to connect, share and grow with fellow writers.    

An active supporter of her local church ministry, Negrita is driven to share life lessons with children through story-telling and relatable characters.  

Follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/negritasmart/.

 

 

The Story Behind Grandma's & Grandpa's Tales by Cheryl Carpinello @ccarpinello #Children #ChildrensBooks

 

The Story Behind Grandma's & Grandpa's Tales

In the beginning, I worked as a writer and managing editor for trade journals/newspapers in the communications industry. Then after several years, I followed my first love and finished my teaching degree. Teaching high school English for over 25 years allowed me to hone my writing and editing skills while helping students learn to express themselves through writing.

My work with readers, reluctant readers, and non-readers at the high school level fueled my interest in writing stories for elementary/middle school students in hopes of catching the reluctant readers and non-readers early in their schooling. My vehicles for these stories are Arthurian Legend and the Ancient Worlds. My high school students loved these, even those who didn’t like to read.

My Arthurian Legend (ages 8/9-14) and Ancient Egypt tales (ages 14+) along with my Medieval Writing Workshops introduce readers to these stories and allow them to experiment writing their own tales and poetry. However, I realized that there were important age groups that I was not reaching, mainly preschoolers and beginning readers.

Finding some short stories I had written many years earlier, I decided to turn these into picture books for a new series: Grandma’s Tales. Now this series has expanded into three books containing two stories each. Each of the books also come with either a Grandma or Grandpa on the cover.

I’ve done both small press and Indie publishing and been successful with both, but now I’m an Indie author. All my books are published through Silver Quill Publishing, an author co-op. We are 12 authors from England, France, and the US.

 

Grandma and Grandpa’s Tales books 1-3 encourage early readers with fun stories incorporating difference aspects of nature. Book 1, Wild Creatures In My Neighborhood and What if I Went to the Circus, explores the wildlife around neighborhoods and introduces decision-making. Book 2, Singers of Songs and The Not Too Stubborn Humpback, explores a common, but not so common insect, and lets readers see that being stubborn isn’t always good. Book 3, Vampires in the Backyard and A Fish Tale, introduces readers to an extended metaphor and lets them decide if the fish story is real.

Book Information

Release Date: Grandma’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandma’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandma’s Tales #3 (2021), Grandpa’s Tales #1 (2016), Grandpa’s Tales #2 (2018), Grandpa’s Tales #3 (2021)

Publisher:  Silver Quill Publishing

Soft Cover: Grandma’s Tales #1 – 39 pages; $9.99

Grandma’s Tales #2 – 66 pages; $13.99

Grandma’s Tales #3 – 64 pages; $14.99

Grandpa’s Tales #1 – 39 pages; $9.99

Grandpa’s Tales #2 – 66 pages; $13.99

Grandpa’s Tales #3 – 64 pages; $14.99

Amazon Ma 1:  https://amzn.to/3374bEX

Amazon Pa 1:  https://amzn.to/3uHMKpA

Amazon Ma 2:  https://amzn.to/3Jan0X5

Amazon Pa 2: https://amzn.to/34HGt2g

Amazon Ma 3: https://amzn.to/3wELnJj

Amazon Pa 3: https://amzn.to/3GyXTLJ

Cheryl Carpinello taught high school English for 25 years. During that time, she worked with numerous students who didn’t like to read for a variety of reasons. However, she discovered that even the most reluctant readers became engaged in the classroom and in reading when she introduced units on King Arthur and the works of ancient world writers. Upon retiring, she set out to write fast-paced, action-filled stories in these setting to encourage young readers to read more. Her success with readers aged 8-16 led her to reach out to the youngest of readers and those readers just starting out. Revising stories she had written for her own children, she created Grandma/Grandpa’s Tales for ages 4-7.  Her four grandchildren’s conversations created the stories in Book 3 of this series.

Visit her on Twitter and Facebook.

 

The Story Behind A Christmas Kindness by Cheryl C. Malandrinos

 

The Story Behind A Christmas Kindness

By Cheryl C. Malandrinos

You know what they say about the best laid plans? Well, that’s so true when it comes to pen names. Many moons ago, when the Muse Free Online Writers Conference existed, I met Vivian Zabel, President of 4RV Publishing. By the time we talked about A Christmas Kindness, I had reviewed some of 4RV’s books, so I knew the kinds of stories this publishing house looked for. I pitched A Christmas Kindness to Vivian during an online pitching session—these existed even before Zoom—and she asked me to email her my story.

As you can imagine, the excitement of a publisher requesting your story never wanes. Even though I have had four stories published, with a fifth under contract, you can’t help but scream in your head, “They like me. They really like me.”

But … I digress. I received the contract for A Christmas Kindness, which I told her I would publish under a pen name. “You sure?” Vivian asked. Of course, I was sure. Right?

I signed the contract and impatiently awaited the creation of artwork and a cover design. Patience will never be my strong suit, but I busied myself getting a website together and setting up social media accounts in that pen name, because you can’t easily promote your book without those.

The illustrations and editing done, the time to publish A Christmas Kindness came. The editing team and I read the final proofs and off they went to the printer. [Imagine Cheryl doing a happy dance.]

Books arrived. They looked fabulous. I shared them with everyone I knew, and from the beginning people asked, “Who is that?”

Whoops! It took a ton of effort to build a new audience who didn’t know that author. They knew me. They knew my other book. But they didn’t know who this author was whose book I was promoting all over the place.

So, in 2014, when 4RV Publishing decided to release a digital version of A Christmas Kindness, I asked them to change the cover design and the interior to reflect my real name. Much better results.

In 2020, 4RV Publishing asked me to produce additional content for A Christmas Kindness, so that we could release a second edition in hardcover and softcover. The only greater experience than having a publisher believe enough in your story to publish it, is knowing they have the faith to publish a new edition (during a pandemic, no less). The second edition has discussion questions, activities, crafts, and more.

The story behind this book is that sometimes we make a decision that winds up not being the best choice. In those moments of discovery and realization, we need to create a plan of action to get us to where we want to be. Then, having a support team behind you, move forward and embrace the change.

 

Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who only has one request for Santa, Robert is confused about what he should do.  Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?

PRAISE:

It is not often that a simple children’s book can nearly bring me to tears, but this one succeeded. There is nothing better than reading a story at Christmastime that reminds you that there are still good people and good kids in the world. This is one heartwarming Christmas story that you and your kids can read and enjoy. It will remind you of the true meaning of Christmas, and I believe that the author’s purpose is accomplished.

– Ruth, Amazon Reviewer

Robert can’t wait to see Santa. He’s got a pile of stuff he wants to ask for. Then he meets Glenn in line, and Robert himself gets to play Santa. I was touched by the main character’s transformation after he came in contact with someone in real need. The glow he walks away with can’t be bought, and he’ll never find it under the Christmas tree, but it’s the heart of the season that he’s found. Nicely illustrated, enjoyable story for readers of all ages. 

– Jude, Amazon Reviewer

• Pick up your copy of A Christmas Kindness at Amazon.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A member of SCBWI, she is blogger and book reviewer. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married.

Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com.

Connect with Cheryl on Twitter and Facebook.

The Story Behind Laurel's Marvelous Kingdom by Monique Roy

 

LAUREL'S MARVELOUS KINGDOM

By Monique Roy

The idea for Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom came from the desire to write an enticing, emotional, and comedic kid’s story using old-style fairy tale principles – princesses, a handsome prince, a beautiful castle setting, and some witchy craziness. I also wanted to teach the children who read my book an important lesson. In this case, the lesson being that everyone is unique and to respect the uniqueness of others.

Here is a brief summary of Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom:

When the wicked witch of the land snatches up Princess Astrid, her sister, Princess Laurel, realizes it will take more than her plant-growing superpowers to rescue her. With the help of a handsome prince, Laurel rides deep into the dark forest in search of the witch’s den.

To her horror, Laurel discovers that Astrid is jealous of her superpowers, and has teamed up with the witch to weaken Laurel’s powers. Now, Laurel must convince Astrid to abandon her evil ways and return to goodness — before the witch and Astrid shed harm onto the kingdom.

This fairy tale story will enliven the imagination of children with a little witchy fun in between. The story teaches children about what makes us unique, appreciating your special characteristics, and doing what you love.

How this book was published? The book is self-published. This is my fourth self-published book. I hired a great illustrator named Lauren Curtis. When it was time to publish, I found a company called The Writer’s Republic, which helped bring the book to fruition. You can learn more about my other stories at www.monique-roy.com.

When the wicked witch of the land snatches up Princess Astrid, her sister, Princess Laurel, realizes it will take more than her plant-growing superpowers to rescue her. With the help of a handsome prince, Laurel rides deep into the dark forest in search of the witch’s den.

To her horror, Laurel discovers that Astrid is jealous of her superpowers, and has teamed up with the witch to weaken Laurel’s powers. Now, Laurel must convince Astrid to abandon her evil ways and return to goodness — before the witch and Astrid shed harm onto the kingdom.

This fairy tale story will enliven the imagination of children with a little witchy fun in between. The story teaches children about what makes us unique, appreciating your special characteristics, and doing what you love.

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon → https://amzn.to/3wxQ3Oy

Monique Roy’s passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers.

Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is the author of a middle-grade book Once Upon a Time in Venice, historical fiction novel Across Great Divides, historical fiction novel A Savage Kultur, and children’s book Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom.

Monique was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It’s their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her first historical novel.

Historical fiction lets you escape to another time and place; and Monique likes to explore the past so that we can potentially better understand the future.

Monique resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son. She also works as a freelance writer.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER