You can access the newsletter here. Read Megan Hoyt's backstory for her picture book about Grand Central Station, find other book recommendations, and discover how to build a roller coaster!
If you're a home school educator or librarian tell me in the comments and I'll enter your name twice! U.S. addresses only. Giveaway ends April 20.
A few weeks ago I attended a Monarch Publishing event and was fortunate to meet two fantasy authors, Stephanie Cotta and Angela Hughes. They recently started a podcast, The Ink Mages, and agreed to answer questions about the process. Take it away, Stephanie and Angela!
INTERVIEW
Carol: What does your name mean?
Stephanie and Angela: We are The Ink Mages! We wanted to come up with a catchy name that had a magical fantasy ring to it (since we’re fantasy nerds) but also had a writing-esque vibe to it as well. So, after bouncing around some terms and names, we landed on the word ‘Mage’ and then we slapped ‘ink’ in front of it, and our name was born. As Ink Mages, we feel the name embodies how we create magic on the page when we write.
Carol: Why did you decide to create a podcast?
Stephanie and Angela: We wanted to grow our audience and platform, and doing a podcast was something we both had been discussing for months. So, naturally doing one together seemed the perfect fit. Second, since we have so much fun discussing our own books, myths, legends, and fantasy books, we wanted to create a space where we could invite readers and writers into our imaginative world and “nerd out” with us.
Carol: What are your goals for The Ink Mages podcasts?
Stephanie and Angela: Our goal is to interview other authors, grow our audience, share about our books, help encourage aspiring writers, and build a community of nerds who love to talk about fantasy books. Our current goal is to do four episodes a month, shooting for one a week. We’re hoping to do our first interviews next month in September 2023. So be on the lookout!
Carol: What were your fears or concerns in creating a podcast? Did you have any bumps in the road when you got started?
Stephanie and Angela: Our biggest concern was, how do we start? Where do we go to record? Do we need equipment? And how involved will this be? But, after we spoke with Dr. Jen Lowry of Monarch Press, she helped us navigate which platforms to use and where to start. From there, we just hopped on Streamyard a month ago and said, “We’re doing this, let’s record!” And that’s how our first episode happened. We had a blast just nerding out together and knew this was going to be a special endeavor.
Carol: I know your podcast is pretty new, so who do you hope your audience will become? What do you hope to offer that other podcasts don’t?
Stephanie and Angela: We really hope to grow a community of writers, readers, and lovers of fantasy. There are plenty of nerds out there who love talking “all things books,” and we want to stick to what we do best: writing fantasy and being passionate about our favorite sci-fi/fantasy stories. We want to focus on those two elements so our audience knows with every episode what our niche is. We love broadcasting that we are “Super Nerds” when it comes to fantasy and sci-fi—hopefully, that will set us apart as well.
Carol: How do you plan to grow your audience?
Stephanie and Angela: Through social media. We have created an account for The Ink Mages on all the major social platforms, and we try to make several posts a week to engage with our audience. We run polls ask questions and encourage people to leave comments on our videos so we can have a fun dialogue. Check out our LinkTree to connect with us!
Carol: What type of equipment do you need? Hardware or software?
Stephanie and Angela: We started very basic with our equipment. We record on Streamyard using their free service. Angela uses a microphone, but Stephanie does not. There are plenty of free resources out there, including uploading on YouTube and Spotify, so starting a podcast is not an expensive venture. As we grow, we may expand and upgrade the services we use, but for now, the most important thing for us is just to get out there and start.
Carol: How did you decide on Spotify for your platform?
Stephanie and Angela: Spotify Podcasters seemed a natural choice, and it was recommended to us—plus it’s easy to use. You can add interactive questions and polls on this platform, so it gives us feedback on what episodes we should do next. And it has all the links to other podcast platforms, making it easy to upload to all of them with one click.
Carol: What advice would you give to others who want to start a podcast?
Stephanie and Angela: Just start. Figure out what you want to focus on, find your niche, and just start recording. Don’t overthink it. If you’re introverted like us, find a partner to host it with you—that’s what sealed it for us. On our own, it seemed daunting, but having a friend on the show made the conversation more fun and engaging.
Carol: How much time does it take to create a podcast?
Stephanie and Angela: Getting started took a little legwork of creating our Ink Mages account on all the social platforms. But before we even did that, we had to design a logo—that was the fun part. Having our name figured out really helped the design take form. We chose a feather quill pen to highlight the writing aspect of our podcast, followed by an image of a stack of books, to show our love of reading!
Once we had that, it put a fire in us to really dive into our podcast and make it happen. Next, we created a shared email, so we have access to all the accounts. We used Canva for designing all our YouTube video thumbnails, and initially that took thirty minutes to design. From there, we can reuse the template, just changing out the information for our new episodes. It’s very easy and not time-consuming at all.
When recording, our episodes run a little under an hour, and then we splice them for easier consumption. We do minimal editing, so after a recording, we spend an hour or two getting it ready for uploading.
Leave me a comment with your preference and I'll enter your name. PLEASE make sure you include your email address if you are new to my blog. Giveaway ends on September 7 so enter now! If you prefer, feel free to email me instead.
This week I have two very different picture books for you courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press; both are related to Canada's national winter sport--hockey. If you want to win either of these books, make sure to include your name and email address when you leave a comment and let me know which book you're interested in.
Jocelyn Watkinson took The Three Little Pigs, gave them a Canadian twist, and produced a fun picture book that children--and the adults who read this book to them--will really enjoy.
When Wolf chases him down in his fancy Zamboni, the pigs cry out,
"I'm sorry there, Wolf, you are sorely mistaken--"
and Wolf responds,
"Oh no! But I'm not! You're Canadian bacon!"
The puns and Canadian references only get better from there.
Of course, Wolf goes to their modern-day snow fort cleverly designed by Marcus Cutler and of course, he tries to "huff and puff and blow it down." And of course the pigs reply,
Despite enlisting his friends Bear and Moose, the snow fort cannot be shaken. The pigs demand to settle their feud the "Canadian way"-- which of course, means on the hockey rink.
It's no surprise that the pigs take the lead. Wolf gets mad and resorts to some nasty moves.
Moose and Bear come to the pigs' defense and Wolf leaves with an empty tummy. But since the pigs are an honorable sort, they invite everyone back to their fort.
Now, wait up there, eh! There's no need to take off!
There's tons of great food back at home in our trough!
Wolf apologizes, "Pigs, I'm so sorry that I was a brute."
They wave him off with,
Then they all turned on the game, and they put up their feet...
and Wolf announces,
Being friends with Canadian bacon is sweet!
****
Jocelyn told me that she wrote The Three Canadian Pigs because she had moved to the U.S. and was homesick for Canada. She was working on some fractured fairytales when her mother said, "Do the three little pigs but make them Canadian!" This goes to show, we ALL need to listen to our mothers!
GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE! The Joey Moss Story by Lorna Schultz Nicholson, illustrated by Alice Carter
Lorna Schultz Nicholson has crafted a heart-warming story about Joey Moss, a man who became a Canadian hero.
The first spread shows the reader how Joey Moss loved to make people smile--just by being himself. Then the book flashes back to September 1963 when Joey was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The fact that he was born with Down Syndrome didn't change how his family of eleven siblings welcomed him and incorporated his tambourine playing into their musical act.
Joey graduated from a special school for children with developmental disabilities and got a job working at a local bottle depot. It wasn't much fun and Joey had to catch several buses to get to work.
But, things changed when a family friend, Wayne Gretzky, saw Joey shivering at a bus stop one day.
Wayne helped Joey get a job working in the Edmonton Oilers equipment room. Despite being made fun of at times, Joey loved it!
Joey worked hard and the team loved his friendly enthusiasm.
The TV cameras focused on him when he sang the national anthem before games. After the Canadian Football League asked him to work for them also, he became so popular that people asked him for his autograph!
He helped out at charity golf events and modeled clothes at the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society fashion shows.
Whether it was belting out "O Canada!" before a hockey game,
or helping people, Joey loved making people smile.
For the rest of his life, Joey Moss continued to be an inspiration for people and an advocate for those with disabilities.
Just by being himself, Joey showed the world that everyone can be a force for good, active in their community, and a positive role model.
****
Joey Moss was an inspiration to Lorna and she is happy that she got to dance with him at the Edmonton Down Syndrome Society fashion show. The illustrations by Alice Carter are warm and inviting--just like Joey was.
Here is a Joey Moss Tribute video that will help you realize why Lorna wrote this inspirational book.
GIVEAWAY
I am giving away both of these books! Leave a comment with your name and email address, or send me anemailif you prefer. Please let me know which book you prefer. If you share this on social media, you will get one extra chance; if you follow my blog you will get another chance. Tell me what you have done and I will enter your name accordingly. U.S. postal addresses only. Please note that your comment will not show up until I approve it. The giveaway ends on March 9.
This opening page sets the tone for the entire book:
Just before Christmas vacation, the first snow fell.
On her way to school, Miss Mary tested the snow for good packing.
She designed amazing snowmen and snow angels in her head.
Excitedly, Miss Mary gave her students an extra long recess.
Their little cold hands were frozen--nobody had any mittens!
Miss Mary would take care of that.
What was Miss Mary going to do? Her students needed mittens!
On the way home from school a piece of yarn from her hat came loose. That gave her an idea. She ran home and started unraveling her hat, scarf, and gloves.
Miss Mary worked at night--winding balls of yarn--and the next day she started knitting. With only two days before Christmas, she had to hurry!
Finally, she was done! She delivered her gifts to each student and on Christmas, her students were seen all over town--building snowmen, making snow angels, and helping to shovel snow.
But the best thing of all appeared in Miss Mary's front yard.
Her students spelled out, "We love our Mittens in the snow outside her door.
Miss Mary's Christmas Mittens is more than a Christmas book. It's a story about a teacher's generosity and what it looks like when a person put others' needs before her own. And although the book revolves around an adult, (contrary to popular recommendations to writers that the protagonist must always be a child) Miss Mary is kid-like in her imaginings about playing in the snow. Plus, she had a problem and solved it in a very unique way.
Back matter includes instructions on making a mitten ornament.
Written by Helen Foster James and with endearing illustrations by Petra Brown, this is the latest book in this family love series (my title!). I have reviewed Welcome to the World, Daddy Loves You in previous blogs. Every picture celebrates love within a family.
Here is the opening page which invites Auntie into the rabbit's home and the reader into the bunny family:
We go together like ribbons and bows,
holly and jolly,
and tickles and toes.
Together, Auntie and bunny do make crafts, bake, decorate the Christmas tree, and make snow bunnies.
Family and friends with holiday wishes.
Mistletoe comes with big hugs and kisses.
Sugarplum sweetie, on this merry night,
we'll wish on a star and its twinkling light.
The book includes a place where the child's aunt can write a note as well as a place for a picture of the two of them.
GIVEAWAY
Miss Mary's Mittens belongs in every school library and every aunt needs a copy of Christmas With Auntie. If you are a librarian you will get an extra chance for Mittens and if you're an aunt, you get an extra chance for Christmas With Auntie. If you're both--I'll put your name into both giveaways. Just make sure you tell me in the comments who you are and what book you want. Please leave your name and email address if you are new to my blog. The giveaway ends November 30th.
Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won Monster in the Briny, and to Emily Weitz who won Pirates Don't Dance from last week's blog.
If you're like me, you give books as presents. On today's blog, I have two fun books published by Sleeping Bear Press that will make great presents for a young pirate or sailor in your life. Both books use great wordplay which will tickle the ears of both kids and adults.
What happens when a young man (who loves to dance) signs up to be a pirate? Author-illustrator Shawna J.C. Tenney answers that question in this action-packed picture book.
More than anything, Jack wanted to be a pirate.
......
When Jack heard the
slosh slosh slap of the waves,
the flip flip flap of the sails,
the creak creak crack of the ship,
he felt the rhythm in his soul
But, he quickly found out that,
Jack danced without knowing it. At sword-fighting practice, he saw the pirates-in-training stumble and fumble. Jack couldn't help himself.
He showed his fellow trainees how to grand jete' over gullies during a treasure hunt. But that got everybody in trouble.
Finally, a feared pirate came on board. Jack and his friends hid and watched.
Jack couldn't just stand by and do nothing--he had to dance!
It was a fierce battle. In the end, the Captain conceded. "Blimey! Keep dancing, Jack! KEEP DANCING!"
Jack's amazing dancing steps won the battle, the Captain's heart, and the reward of becoming an official pirate. From then on, everyone put their best foot forward.
Parents, grandparents, and teachers will enjoy the pleasure of reading this story out loud and children will enjoy the onomatopoeia and how an unlikely hero wins the day.
To read about Shawna's backstory for writing and illustrating this book, please see this post on Kathy Temean's blog.
Back matter includes an author's note, explanations of dance movements, and pirate speak definitions.
Lynn Becker's rhyming debut picturebook is about mythical sea creatures and the mayhem they cause when they meet up with a boat full of hardy, young sailors. Scott Brundage performs his magic with marvelous illustrations that are as funny and rollicking as the text.
The first monster who appears even before the first page is a Kraken.
You would
Share some jokes and your best riddle,
Feed her cakes from Cookie's griddle,
Teach her how to bow the fiddle,
Kraken in the briny.
Just when the sailors successfully tame a surly, scruffly, sea goat, the ship gets a visit from a
The sailors
Keep a bucket at the ready,
Mop his forehead if he's sweaty,
Tuck him into serpent beddy,
Serpent in the briny.
Next, the brave sailors meet a tearful turtle. They find innovative ways to cheer him up.
Readers will be anxious to find out what sea monster is next.
How about a hungry hydra?
"Yo! Ho! And up he's rising, Yo! Ho! He's quite surprising,
But wait.
One of the sailors is sick of shipwrecking monsters.
So,
Yo! Ho! And up we're rising,
Yo! Ho! We're all surprising,
Yo! Ho! We're harmonizing,
Monsters in the briny.
The back matter includes two pages about sea monsters and the music to "Monsters in the Briny" which is based on an old sea shanty about a drunken sailor.
If you're interested in reading about Lynn's book journey, you can find it on Kathy Temean's blog.
I recently took a webinar with children's book author Pat Miller. She encouraged picture book writers to look at different frameworks for their story idea. Using a song was one of her suggestions. Now I see how that can work so well--particularly with the imaginative team of Lynn Becker and Scott Brundage. This week Lynn and Scott will share some of the inside scoops behind this sea-faring creation in the Talking Story Facebook group. Don't miss the childhood game that inspired Lynn and some of Scott's drafts! (P.S. If you're not a member yet, just click on the link and request to join it.)
GIVEAWAYS
Please leave a comment by November 23 and let me know which book you're interested in winning. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG. If you follow my blog or sign up to follow it, I'll give you two chances.
Congratulations to Theresa Milstein who won SUPERPOWER? from last week's blog.
For many of us, our goal in writing for all audiences (both Christian and general) and about all topics (both fiction and nonfiction) is to glorify God. Then the work we put into the writing is worth it (even if it is never published).
FOR MORE INFORMATION on the 3 WORKSHOPS: Click here.
BONUS #1: Editor Wiley Blevins of Reycraft Books will be visiting the Master Class to tell YOU how to submit your manuscript to HIM!
And editor Rachel Pfeiffer of Clubhouse Jr. magazine will be there, too, to tell YOU what she’s looking for in nonfiction articles and how to submit to HER. (Can I tell you a secret? I write nonfiction for Clulbhouse Jr. and it’s one of the best ways for Kidlit writers to break into this coveted magazine!)
BONUS #2: We'll be giving away several of Annette's books including, SCURRY, RIBBIT, and WOOF!
On a personal note, I am going on vacation for two weeks so you won't be hearing from me for a little bit. I'm going to unplug and enjoy the Canadian Rockies on board the Rocky Mountaineer!
Rumor has it we'll be walking on an ice field. I better go pack some warmer clothes!
Congratulations to Beth Anderson who won F is for FEATHERS and to Danielle Hammelef who won Beyond the Stars.
