A Star for Anana, by Carolyn Findlay Davis
What fun to blog hop with favorite children’s authors, Brenda Barnes and Carolyn Findlay Davis. Thank you, Aileen Stewart, http://aileenwstewart.blogspot.com/ for the original invitation.
I was thrilled when Aileen Stewart asked if I would like to blog hop with her. Aileen is the author of Fern Valley, a story about make-believe characters who teach moral values to children in a way that is not only delightful, but entertaining. I soon learned In order to blog hop, one must follow a few rules, which includes answering four questions about writing and inviting three authors to participate. These authors must be willing to submit a short bio of themselves, as well as, a synopsis of their work. I suppose I broke one of the rules because I only have two authors. Their names, book titles and links are listed below my answers to the questions.
1. What are you working on right now? I’m working on my fifth children’s book, Tired of Being Little, which teaches it’s not what’s on the outside, but inside that counts. Although I’m hoping Tired of Being Little will be available by early fall, in the meantime, I’m working on a middle grade novel about two girls growing up in the early 60’s.
2. How do my works differ from other works in its genre? The books in my children’s series differ because although each one links to the preceding book, they also can stand alone.
3. Why do you write what you do? Being a retired teacher, I have been with children all my life and love hearing the excitement in their voices when they learn new things. The idea for my Tired Book Series came from listening to children. The first book in the series is Tired of My Bath. Although every child can relate to this generic theme, in the end, the main character, John Allen, finds taking a bath is fun and that Mom knows best.
4. How does your writing process work? When I have a new idea for a story, I first sit down with pen and paper to begin, but, eventually, take the rough draft to the computer to develop. Many times the plot takes twists and turns that surprise even me. The one thing for sure is there will be lots of editing and rewriting. It’s like putting a puzzle together. It’s never complete until the last piece is in place.
My four books are Tired of My Bath, Tired of School, Tired of Being Different and Tired of Being a Bully, all available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. (If interested in lessons modeled by a fourth grade teacher for each book, check out the Youtube tab on my homepage).
Highlighted Authors: Carolyn Findlay Davis and Brenda Barnes
Carolyn Findlay Davis:
Carolyn Findlay Davis is a children’s author, who at one time was not only a teacher, but also a nurse. With many resources to pull from, Carolyn is especially proud of her book, A Star for Anana. Originally intended as a story for her granddaughter, Carolyn published the story so others could enjoy it, too.
The story begins with the main character, Anana, a polar bear cub, getting lost in a blizzard. Remembering the skills her mother taught her for survival in the wilderness of the Arctic, she saves another lost cub in the process. Soon both cubs see a new, brilliant star in the sky which helps in guiding them to safety. A Star for Anana would not only make a wonderful book to read at Christmas, but it would also make a great resource for opening up discussions about what life is like for polar bears in the Arctic. A Star for Anana is now available on Amazon.com. and Carolyn’s website, http://www.carolynfindlaydavisbooks.com
Brenda Barnes
I met fellow children’s author, Brenda Barnes, this summer at an Altrusa Book Festival at Patterson Farms in Mt Ulla, NC. She has such a strong desire to spread the word about recycling and taking care of the earth that she wrote a book about it. When asked how she came up with the idea for the adventures of Calvin the earthworm, she said:
“My first children’s book, Calvin Compost in Organic City, was inspired from a visit to a local elementary school.” Brenda said the school sponsors a weekly Garden Club, where children learn about gardening and taking care of the earth. During one of those meetings, Brenda saw the children working in the compost bin. With the experience fresh in her mind, she went home to write a story about a little earthworm named, Calvin. When she came back the next week to read it, Brenda was thrilled the children loved her story.
Brenda kept adding details until the story was complete, choosing The Laurus Company for publishing. She is currently working on a second book with the same theme of taking care of the earth, titled, The Highly Electric Lightning Bug. To learn more about Brenda or her books, check out the following links:
http://recycledmomsraisinggrandchildren.com
http://hyphenbird.hubpages.com/
