“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. ’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” Mark Twain

Some FREE Christmas Treasures - Including My Own!!

I know - not quite Thanksgiving yet - but have I got a Christmas present for you :)

I know I've mentioned it here earlier this month, but I have three stories in a wonderful Christmas anthology that is available on Amazon right now called Christmas Treasures: A Collection of Christmas Short Stories. There's a little something for everyone - romance, humor, tears, you name it - all about this wonderful time of year.

The anthology features 14 different authors, including some of my dearest friends (and maybe some of yours too!): Patty Wysong, Linda S. Glaz, Christina Rich, Karen Wingate, Karen Campbell Prough, Karla Atkins, Donna Hubbard Scofield, Elaine Stock, Karlene Jacobsen, Kathy Rouser, April Strauch, Anne Garbozci Evans, Susan F. Craft, and yours truly :D
Get it here!

And the best part? Today through Saturday, the book is FREE for the Kindle! Hope you'll stop by and pick it up - and tell your friends! (It's also available in the print version for only $5 - also a great deal, don't you think??)


 
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1

What's your favorite Christmas memory?  

Perfect Picture Book Friday: A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe

I've been pretty busy with writing and editing and such, and haven't had a chance to participate in Susanna Hill's Perfect Picture Book Friday in a while. SO VERY glad I'm making time to do it today - as this book has been sitting on my desk for at least a week or two, waiting for the chance to be featured. And the time has FINALLY come!

Title: A Crazy Day at the Critter Cafe
Author: Barbara Odanaka
Illustrator: Lee White
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry/Simon & Schuster
Age Range: 4-8
Theme/Topics:Animals, mayhem, restaurants, humor, rhyme
First Page:"It was a quiet morning at the Critter Cafe. The cook was dozing in his cheese souffle. The waiter was whistling sleepy tunes when through the door walked three raccoons."
Synopsis: Swish, zoom, swish. Clickety-clack! When a bus full of critters breaks down, a sleepy roadside café suddenly wakes up! Raccoons, elephants, zebras, and rams are only a few of the many animals demanding grub, and it is all that a cook and a waiter can do to keep up. But when Skateboard Cow swerves her way through the crowd, more than a few feathers are guaranteed to be ruffled! Rhythmic text and energetic illustrations combine for a romp of pure fun and entertainment.

Resources: I found a couple free printables for this book here. Here is another cute idea for making word burgers. Having the kids play restaurant would also work.

Why I LOVE it: The voice is fabulous, the pace is fast and TOTALLY fun, and the story absolutely delightful and silly and relateable (to kids - yeah, that's it). And the end surprised me delightfully. The art AND words are a super combination. Just plain fun !

Hope you'll give this book a look - and check out the OTHER perfect picture books for today at Susanna's blog - and Susanna's ever-growing list of wonderful picture books.
 
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1

A Fantastic, Fun Project (with Friends!)

This post is party of Patty Wysong's
A to Z meme. This week's letter is "F"

A to Z blog hop at Patterings.
I don't know about you, but I LOVE Christmas. As a Jew who came to Christ in her early 30s, there is such rich meaning to this time of year for me that I never realized as a child (or even a young adult).

So, when my extremely dear friend (who shares my brain) Patty Wysong mentioned a Christmas short story anthology she wanted to put together, I  was on top of it. (Sort of) I found a few of my Christmas flash fiction articles I'd written and sent them off to her right away (actually, I got distracted and didn't send them until a couple days AFTER the deadline - but that's because SHE had the brain :P). And despite my tardiness, my three little stories will be in this wonderful anthology which will be available VERY soon!

We are still working on a cover and release date, but we have a TITLE - which is super exciting to me!

So, if you to sit down with some Christmas stories that will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and worship (and who knows what else!) be sure to keep your eyes open for:

Christmas Treasures: A Collection of Christmas Short Stories

We have more than a dozen different authors in this book (many of which are VERY dear friends), and the stories are in a variety of genres, so there is sure to be something for everyone.So, you want to know who ELSE will be in this anthology? Well, feast your eyes on THIS list (and click the links to see their blogs/webpages)!

Donna Scofield
Joanne Sher (yeah - that's me :D)
April Strauch

I promise to let you all know when we have a cover, a release date, AND when it can be purchased! I'm pretty stoked :)
 
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1
 

My One Word: 2016 and 2017

Most who know me know I am a very goal-oriented person (in fact, I already shared my goal wrap-up for 2016 and my new ones for 2017 on this...