New Releases from Guardian Angel Publishing

Guardian Angel Publishing

March 2014 Releases

 

ANCIENT SYMBOLS, ARTWORK, CARVINGS AND ALPHABETS Bk 2 

Academic Wings Author & Illustrator Eugene Ruble

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/symbology2.htm

Book Two—Join Professor Hoot as he explores more ancient arts and artifacts. The art, tools, and text represent various cultures and development from ancient eras, including fossils, too.

 

Lana Tries Yoga  

Health & Hygiene Author & Illustrator Roey Ebert Hardcover Softcover 

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/lana-yoga.htm

Follow Lana as she tries to capture the sunlight when it journeys to the 4 corners of the earth. The story centered yoga routine is simple for children to remember and fun for children to reenact. 

 

Lily and the Return to Htrae

Wings of Faith Author Lindsay Bonilla; Illustrator Alexander Morris

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/return-to-htrae.htm

Lily returns to the darkness of Htrae to take the King’s message from the City of Light. Even though she doesn’t think she can fulfill this mission, with the help of Ruah she embarks on the difficult task of inviting others to the great forgotten city.

 

Real Mysterious Easter Eggs

Academic Wings

Author: Patricia Karwatowicz, Illustrator: Kathleen Bullock

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/mysterious-eggs.htm

Noah and Isabela take a journey in Great Grandmother’s kitchen to discover the Easter story by coloring eggs Grandmother’s “old-timey-way.” Color meanings help them learn more about who Jesus is and who they are.

 

Rip the night engine: The Rolling Along Train Series Book 1

Littlest Angels Author Melanie Lutes, Illustrator Eugene Ruble

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/rip.htm

Rip, the night engine, constantly worries about his passenger’s comfort on overnight train rides. He knows bench seating is not comfortable for sleeping. His cars are redesigned as Pullman Palace cars equipped with sleeping compartments. He finally lives up to his name that means Rest In Pillows.

 

There's a Lion in the House

Animals & Pets Author Mary Esparza-Vela, Illustrator Jack Foster

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/lion-house.htm

A young rabbit loves to tease his older brothers. He goes off into the woods by himself and boasts that he’s not afraid of anything. One night, he hears a lion roar in the house.  He tells his brothers, but they ignore him

 

Quotes

I was looking through my writing calendar (A Writer's Year:  Managing Your Time in 2014) to see what I have and have not accomplished in the past few weeks and started reading some of the quotes (yes, again procrastinating a bit but, what the heck, the quotes are there to read, right?!!). 

The first I noticed speaks to my post last week about writing without waiting for a muse or bolt of inspiration.  William Faulkner says, "Get it down.  Take chances.  It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good."

Well, that just seems to be the epitome of a "duh" moment, does it not?  There are often so many fears which prevent us from writing, but, if we don't, we can't get better, won't have anything to submit and, therefore, will not have any chance of publication.  So write, take the risk...perseverance pays!

The other quote that spoke to me this morning is along a similar line.  EL Doctorow says...

"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night.  You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."

I love this comparison.   It's like that old saying...put one foot in front of the other.  One just needs to keep moving forward one line at a time, paragraph by paragraph and soon...viola...a book is born (or story or article for that matter).  Focus on the here and now (what is within your headlight zone), and it will lead to the final destination whatever that may be. 

I would love to hear about the process of your writing journey if you feel inclined to share.

Thoughts on Writing

Long ago, I started reading Cecil Murphey's UNLEASH THE WRITER WITHIN but haven't gotten back to it in some time.  I picked it up this morning to read a few chapters while I sat in the massage chair and found several worthy tidbits to share. 

I find I identify with Mr. Murphey's writing style easily and much of his wisdom speaks to my heart.  His conversational tone and commonsense approach are quite relatable.  In what I read this morning, there were many words of wisdom.  For example...

"It's much easier to edit a page of writing than it is to edit a blank screen."  He encourages the reader to write first from the heart ("creatively") and "second from the head" so the writer can "edit analytically" thereafter.  Well, that seems commonsense though can be quite difficult for some.  I read all the time of writers who find it easier to edit as they go.  I cannot.  It is much easier for me to write first (though it is typically a blank pad of paper rather than screen) and then go back to edit and re-write.  How about you?

Murphey talks about being true to oneself and unafraid in one's chosen risks in writing honestly, simply and transparent.  He says, "I would rather be disliked for who I am than to be admired for who I'm not."  I found this so true as I think many of us, as writers, face those fears of "Is it good enough? Will others want to read it? What if I can't find a home for it? Is it too honest? Too bold? Too this? Too that?"  One can't hide from feelings but needs to write from the heart to really make a reader feel something and want to continue reading. 

Murphey also discusses the fact that writers, write.  Always, without waiting for inspiration.  While inspiration is welcome, one cannot depend on it as, "to write only when you're inspired devalues the craft and defies your need to learn and improve."  He talks about the feeling that we, as writers, shouldn't feel we are unable to write without inspiration or some outside force.  We need to rely on our skill and abilities, our effort and fortitude as writers for, "if you work at your craft and write regularly, you develop whatever talent you have.  The more you use what you have, the greater your improvement." 

This is so true of all things.  Take a professional or Olympic athlete, for example.  He/she doesn't wait to "feel like" training; he/she just does so.  It is part of who she is, part of what defines her.  Thus, we write...because that is who we are and what defines us. 

Emotion

A recent issue of Writers Digest contained a Robert Frost quote which spoke to both the reader and writer in me.  Frost said:

"No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.  No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."

How true those words!  I think of my favorite books, many of which I love because they spoke to my heart, which made me identify with the characters and enter a world totally separate from my own.  That is ultimately what led me to want to write--that desire, no need, to create a world in which the reader could submerge as I loved to, away from reality, and bring to life a whole different world for someone.  I love the feeling of wanting to come to the conclusion of a book to see how it ends but being sad to do so and leave the world in which I was living during the length of the book.  I hope and strive to one day create that feeling in others, to make them not want to put my book down, to escape reality and remain in the world of my book.  If I can dig deep and invoke the tears, surprise, joy, etc., in myself as I write, I can offer it to others as they read.  What a true accomplishment that will be!

Do you have a particular book which elicited strong feelings in you? I'd love to hear about it as well as what drives you to write.

Better late than never...

Visit award-winning children's author, Donna McDine, on her blog tour for her newest book, A Sandy Grave.  You won't be disappointed!

 

 

A SANDY GRAVE TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, March 3

Book trailer reveal at If Books Could Talk

 

Tuesday, March 4

Interview at As the Pages Turn

 

Wednesday, March 5

Guest post at My Sister Is My Best Friend

 

Friday, March 7

Book review at The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

 

Monday, March 10

Guest post at Literarily Speaking

 

Tuesday, March 11

Book featured at The Writer’s Life

 

Wednesday, March 12

Interview at Rebecca’s Writing Services

 

Thursday, March 13

Book review at Rebecca’s Writing Services

Book review at Farm and Fru Fru

 

Monday, March 17

Book feature and giveaway at My Sister Is My Best Friend

 

Wednesday, March 19

Interview at Straight from the Author’s Mouth

 

Friday, March 21

First chapter reveal at Read My First Chapter

 

Monday, March 24

Book feature at Between the Covers

 

Tuesday, March 25

Book feature and giveaway at The Busy Mom’s Daily

 

Wednesday, March 26

Interview at Nancy Stewart’s Books

Guest post at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase

 

 

Thursday, March 27

Book review at My Devotional Thoughts

 

Friday, March 28

Interview and giveaway at PUYB Virtual Book Club

 

Tuesday, April 1

Guest post at Strands of Thought

Wednesday, April 2

Guest post at Lori’s Reading Corner

Thursday, April 3

Character interview at Beyond the Books

Book trailer reveal at A Leisure Moment

Friday, April 4

Book review at A Leisure Moment

Monday, April 7

Book review at Blooming with Books

Tuesday, April 8

Interview at Blooming with Books

Wednesday, April 9

Book feature at 4 the Love of Books

Thursday, April 10

Guest post at The Story Behind the Book

Friday, April 11

Book review at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Monday, April 14

Book trailer reveal at 4 the Love of Books

Wednesday, April 16

Book feature and giveaway at Blooming with Books

Thursday, April 17

Book review at Mary’s Cup of Tea

Friday, April 18

Book review at By the Book

Monday, April 21

Book feature at Plug Your Book!

Wednesday, April 23

Book review at 4 the Love of Books

Book review at Mymcbooks’s Blog

Thursday, April 24

Book review at WV Stitcher

Friday, April 25

Book tour highlights at The Book Rack

 

A Sandy Grave ~ January 2014 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

 

Powder Monkey ~ May 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

Hockey Agony ~ January 2013 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. ~ Reader's Favorite Five Star Review

The Golden Pathway ~ August 2010 ~ Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
~ Literary Classics Silver Award and Seal of Approval, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention and Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards Finalist 

 

Website: www.donnamcdine.com

 

Blog: www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com

Announcing the Newest Edition of GAK...

Guardian Angel Kids Ezine

March 2014 

Dazzling Color

www.guardian-angel-kids.com

SPECIAL FEATURES

Colors That Only Mother Nature Can Do Reported by GAK, our very own Angel Gecko

A Rainbow of Birds by Janet Halfmann, illustrated by Jack Foster

 

POEM

Colorful Classic by Guy Belleranti

FICTION SHORT STORIES

Caramel Mocha Babies by Trisha Faye

A World filled with Colors by Felicity Nisbet

A Rainbow in My Hand! by Christine Collier

NON-FICTION ARTICLE

Aurora Borealis–The Northern Lights

by Robert Niven

ACTIVITY FOR KIDS

A Rainbow of Three by Trine Grillo