The Gift

I grew up in a fun, loving, and fun loving family. Our Sunday night gatherings often included a meal with 15 or more seated around the table, most of us laughing so hard we were crying. Those meals, however, always began with us holding hands - including the little chubby ones of whatever small child was sitting in the old high chair - and singing our Moravian blessing. Be present at out table Lord, be here and everywhere adored. From Thine all bounteous hands this food, may we receive with gratitude. I don't know where that blessing came from, but I know where it's going.

Over the years , though the family is scattered from Minnesota to Pennsylvania to New Jersey to Maine, the blessing is always sung when any of us get together. So we, of course, continued to sing it in our family as our children grew up. Last year we were gathered at my daughter's house for a meal. Both daughters were there with their sons, Connor and Tucker. The boys were barely three years old and had been present at all our family meals. But this time would be different. We all held hands, bowed our heads, and began to sing. Now, if you have grandchildren, you know you keep one eye slit open to watch their faces during times like these. The boys were just watching and listening. We finished singing, dropped hands and then heard Tucker's little voice, "Again, sing it again." Through tears and smiles, we did just that.

There were double singings of the blessing for most of the family meals during the year. And Connor and Tucker were soon singing the words, despite not knowing what they meant. But through the singing, they were learning what family meant. Last Sunday the boys came with their moms to decorate a gingerbread train - perhaps a new tradition in the making? Before beginning we had a quick lunch. The boys were seated with their bowls of mac and cheese when Tucker said, "Mama, let's sing the Lord be present song." We held hands, we sang, and He was present in the gift of those two little boys.

May you, too, have a blessed holiday with your gift of family and friends.

Egads - eBooks!

I receive daily updates from Publisher's Weekly and lately they are full of the rise of ebook sales and the demise of traditional books. Now, I'm not a techno phobe - I use computers daily, have a cell phone and manage to navigate my way around these gadgets. But I'm not a techno enthusiast to the point of having the newest of everything whether it is needed or not. However as an author, this is one technological development I can't ignore.

I can see the advantage if you travel frequently of carrying one tablet size device rather than three books. I suppose if you lived in a space without bookshelf space, it might make sense, also. But, of course there is also the library, where they will shelve your "collection" of favorites. As I deal mainly in children's books, I didn't pay too much attention to the ebooks until I received an addendum to my contract for ebook publication. Apparently teachers can download an ebook to their computer and then project it on a SmartBoard and write over the text/illustration to instruct students in a certain concept. Most contracts from the traditional publishers now contain a paragraph refering to e rights.

But what about the thrill of opening the cover of a brand new book, smelling the new ink smell and feeling the texture of the paper? At first I thought maybe I felt this way because I love children's books. But no, I don't want to relax in my big comfy chair, with my hot cocoa and a view of the birdfeeder and turn on my e reader.
I want to open my book to where my tattered bookmark has saved the next part of my reading adventure. I want to balance the book in one hand as I sip my cocoa and not worry that a spill will do anything more than darken a corner of a page. I want my book.

This afternoon I am "attending" a web seminar on children's publishing and e books. Will it change my mind? I hope not. But it may help me figure out as an author where I fit into this new publishing sphere and how I can still hold on to my book.

Much to do!

I have received great feedback from my student editors. I collated all the comments and then categorized them into similar responses. From this process, I was able to determine the major weaknesses of the manuscript and make a plan for revision. Now I have so much research and revision to do, I don't know where to begin! During my last visit to the 7th grade class, I ran my revision ideas past them. I knew I was on the right track when their eyes lit up and they started nodding. Putting a piece out there and allowing students to be open and free with their comments - not having to worry about being tested,etc. - resulted in authentic feedback from an unbiased audience. Although it was scary, I would (and will) do it again. There is a chance a fifth grade class will still get to take a look at it also, as it was written for this grade level. Don't hold your breath to see this one - it will be a while, if ever:)

Don't forget, A Isn't for Fox and Zero, Zilch, Nada:Counting to None are great holiday gifts for a special child or teacher. School Visit brochures and Birthday Visit brochures are available by sending me an email request. The first surprise birthday visit was a great success!

Student editors

The small novel, The Boat Builder's Secret, is now in the hands of a 7th grade class and a 9th grade class. I was pleasantly surprised by their reactions to being asked to edit my story. They were rather shocked that an adult writer would want their opinion and were quite pleased to be the only classes chosen for the project. One freshman young man asked if he could say it "sucked?" I told him he surely could, but then he had to tell me in detail why it sucked! Everyone laughed and we were off to a great start. As I was finishing up my ideas, I looked around and they were already reading, so I stopped talking and handed the class back to the teacher. It will be quite interesting to see the first comment sheets.

I have started "teaching" more writing in the second grade class. It is amazing what they can do if given some confidence building and a little push. This week we worked on using "juicy" words instead of "blah" words in our writing. They amazed us when they began using words like agitated and disappointed to decribe how a certain situation would make them feel. We were all so proud of their writing at the end of the lesson.

As the weather turns cooler, my writing muse becomes more active. I am being called by a certain dragon to come back to work on his story and the number 10 is whining about having his own book. So on go the smart wool socks, turtlenecks and fleece and may the writing begin!

Once a teacher ...

Despite being no longer employed as a teacher, I find myself back in schools more and more. I am now in year three of second grade and loving it. I continue to work one day a week with math and the other day with writing. I was so impressed yesterday with how hard the students worked writing poems. Imagine not only trying to decide what you want to say, but not being able to spell many of the words you want to write! Their observations are quite insightful and imaginative, but ,oh, the patience it takes to help them through the frustration of trying to get it down on paper. After they were finished writing, we had a poetry reading and we finger snapped our applause.

Today I am meeting with the first of three teachers who have graciously agreed to work on a student editing project with me. I finished writing a short middle grade novel called The Boat Builder's Secret. Three classes - grades 5, 7 and 9 - are going to be my editors. I am hoping for honest feedback from the target audience to use as I begin rewrites. I am excited and a bit anxious about the project, but hope it will be as useful to the teachers and students as it will be for me. I will post updates as we work through the project.

My new brochure for giving an author visit to a single classroom to celebrate a child's birthday is now available. If you would like one, please email me and I will send one your way.

This Sunday I hope educators in Maine will join me at the Barnes and Noble in Augusta between 1pm and 3pm. As I mentioned last time, this store is a treasure chest of materials for educators and home schoolers. Come take advantage of their Educator's discounts and meet and greet with three authors. Hope to see you there!

Moving forward...

The end of summer brings a re-assessment of where one is in the overall scheme of life. After several months of changes - wanted and unwanted - it is time to move forward.

I was notified a week ago that my editor is no longer with the publishing company. This was difficult to take in as she was the editor for all three of my books. I had actually visited with her twice and felt comfortable with her. Now she is gone and there is no contact and it leaves an empty feeling. It also leaves me with questions - am I back at square one, what will happen to the mauscripts the publisher is still holding, will I ever talk to her, again? Time to move forward. I will continue to write, research publishers and submit manuscripts. I will continue to file rejections and rejoice at acceptances.

The new school year has begun and I am in second grade for the third year - I am getting better at math! The economy continues to plague the schools with larger classes, dropped subjects and little funding for enrichment. Time to move forward. This afternoon I am picking up brochures for a new way to get an author - me, actually - into classrooms. The basic idea is to give my author visit as a gift to a single classroom to celebrate a child's birthday. The $60 fee includes mileage, reading two of my books, a group activity, Q&A and a signed book for the birthday child. Right now the program is limited to within a 60 mile radius of Bath, Maine. However, when I travel to PA the program would travel with me and include a 60 mile radius around Lebanon, PA. I will be sending the brochures to local schools and it will be available at the Bath Book Shop. If you would like a copy, send me an email and I can email the file to you or send you an actual brochure.

After Zero came out this summer, my publicist asked if I wanted to present at the National Council of
Teachers of Math convention. After I stopped laughing, I politely declined. So she set me up to do a workshop for homeschooling parents on how to use picture books to teach math. I researched, bought books, practiced and had a successful presentation at Barnes and Noble in Augusta at the end of August. And it was actually fun - talking about math - who would have thought? Time to move forward. I am now working on expanding the presentation to a workshop format to present for teachers. I plan to integrate hands on activities to use with specific books so there is an immediate "take home and use" aspect to the workshop.
More on that as it becomes a reality.

I will be at the Educators Event at the Barnes and Noble in Augusta, ME on Sunday, October 10 from 1 - 3pm. This store has invested more space and inventory for teaching than any store I have been in in a long time. There is plenty there for teaching or if you are looking for additional academic support for your child.

So it really is time to move forward and here I go!

Wondering why?

This past weekend we attended the Newport Jazz Festival for the 7th time. It was all the great fun it usually is - spending time with friends in Jamestown, riding the ferry to and from the festival, enjoying the fabulous music on three stages, and being part of a cultural and ethnic melting pot brought together by the beat of jazz. It wasn't until the last performance late Sunday afternoon that I realized the real reason why I was at this festival. Chris Botti - my favorite trumpeter, next to my nephew Eric - was the final performer. I have several of his albums, with Italia being my favorite. Mr. Botti came out on the stage and in front of thousands of jazz fans, began his set with Ave Maria. Even the wind and the waves stopped for a moment to listen. It was amazing, but not yet my moment of awakening.

After several more tunes, Mr. Botti told an amusing, and inspiring story about a trip to Italy with his band. After playing for an Italian wedding reception, their violinist, a young talented woman, tripped and slit her fingers severly on a wine glass. A career ending injury. She was flown back to Los Angeles, underwent surgey and months and months of rehabilitation. After the story, she joined Mr. Botti on stage, violin in hand and began to play. As the trumpet and violin began to merge into one musical storyteller, the musicians disappeared, the crowd disappeared, there was only the most beautiful music I had ever heard. I wept, lost for that moment in what must have been a passing of angels through my soul. When it ended, I began to wonder why. Why had I allowed music, which had been my only world for so long, to be pushed to the bottom of my favorites list?

I will wrestle with this question, knowing it can't stay at the bottom any longer. But as I strive to achieve some sense of balance in my life, I know it can't ever return to the place of absolute dominance it once held. I will start a new song, with no repeats.