Magic, Music, War and Friendship

My subject line, Magic, Music, War and Friendship, is from the cover liner of The Wrinkled Crown, by Anne Nesbet.

I had to smile when I copied it—minus the music, it could well describe Piper Pan and Her Merry Band! In fact there are a number of similarities between this imaginative tale and my own: […]

Power of “What If”

It’s what makes for great fiction: the power of “What if?”

When the idea for Piper Pan and Her Merry Band came to me, some of the “what if” questions I asked myself were:

 

What if the Neverland were dying?

What if Tinker Bell were […]

Cover Redesign

We all judge books by their covers, in spite of the saying cautioning us not to. A book’s cover attracts us, or it does not—we pick the book up, or we don’t. Sometimes a cover redesign can mean the difference between success and anonymity for the author.

I’ve found a book that is truly magnificent—and […]

Rules for Dream Keeping

As promised: the rules for Dream Keeping.

I told you last week about how I’ve been teaching people to be Dream Keepers. Today I bring the rules for Dream Keeping to you. The Dream Keeper concept is from my second book, Becoming Piper Pan.

“Rules” sounds harsh. I could say guidelines, only bear in mind […]

Magical Tale for Adults

Book Two

**Read to the end, I have a gift for you!

You know I enjoy fantasy adventure: Piper Pan and Her Merry Band is a “sprout” out of that genre. Although officially for children, I like to think of my series as a magical tale for adults. That’s what today’s recommended […]

Beloved Children’s Story

Talk about a beloved children’s story! This one’s a classic…

When a well-loved book wears out at the library, providing it still enjoys frequent circulation, it gets reordered—and for a time it enjoys “New Book” status. I frequent the “New Books” shelf in the children’s section looking for fresh yummy books to recommend to you. […]

Translated Classic

Today’s book recommendation, The Cat Who Came In Off the Roof is a translated classic. Here’s a snippet from the About the Author blurb:

Annie M. G. Schmidt, (1911-1995) was regarded as the Queen of Dutch Children’s Literature and her books have been an essential part of every Dutch childhood for the last […]

Passion and Peril

Here’s yet another way authors can grab and hold a reader’s attention throughout a book: passion and peril. By “passion,” in this case I mean gripping excitement and intensity. Peril, of course, is the intense danger just about to happen that keeps you from turning out the light while reading at bedtime!

Today’s book recommendation […]

Weirdos Unite

In saying weirdos unite, I’m pointing out that when we become friends with another outsider, those parts of ourselves that are ostracized, can become a source of bonding.

One of the strong themes in my books is friendship and its transformational power. Friendship adds to an individual’s life in at least two […]

The Merry Band

Boy, do I have a treat for you! The Merry Band poster, the one of all the girls, is here and it’s yours for free! I love all the character posters, but it gives me special delight to give you this one.

Creative collaboration is one on my favorite things. Some creative endeavors are […]