Book Review---Sir Nathan and the Quest for Queen Gobbledeegook

                   








Sir Nathan and the Quest for Queen Gobbledeegook
by Mark Simon Smith
Cover Art: Mark Simon Smith
Interior Illustrations: Derek K. Gebler
Published by Mark Simon Smith, 2012
ISBN 978-1470059064
223 pages

From the back cover:  Queen Gobbledeegook has gone missing and it is up to Sir Nathan, the Hero of Mariskatania, to find her. Along the way he meets all sorts of odd folks, including pixies and wizards and a hulking creature named Mitzy that likes to knit.The land of Mariskatania is a colorful one, filled with bright Jubb Jubb Trees and fuzzy, blue Hobnobber Squirrels who spend all their time looking for a snack guaranteed to poison them.

This very clever and very silly adventure book is definitely one of my new favorites. The writing is crisp and exciting, and the totally out-of-the-box humor is amazing. I laughed, and I mean, I laughed a lot!

Sir Nathan is a great character: he is short, determined, somewhat scatter-brained, and he "hates evil" most of all. And although the "evils" don't turn out to be so evil after all, Sir Nathan tackles each evil situation with the utmost fierceness.

Princess Abbey, Tupolev, Sir Nathan's talking horse, and all of the other characters are quirky, interesting, and just plain fun.

The interior illustrations are black and white line drawings by Derek K. Gebler and are a wonderful addition to the story.

This book is imaginative and lively. A book that is easy and fun to read, and a book that any reluctant reader would definitely stick with. It is also a book that anybody, of any age, would thoroughly enjoy.

Mark Simon Smith's book 2, Sir Nathan and the Troublesome Task: Another Somewhat Silly Story, is also available.

Visit Mr. Smith at the Somewhat Silly Stories website:
http://www.somewhatsillystory.com/reviews.html

or Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/somewhatsillystory

Intruding Characters

Who is this character and why is she showing up in the middle of my story? Did you ever have this happen?

I'm in the process of writing the third book of The Pen Pieyu Adventures series. I have a few new characters that compel the story forward, and those characters are behaving quite well.

Then, as I'm writing away, minding my own writer's business, along comes an intruder. The unscheduled Bablelyn comes waltzing into the forest, right in the middle of a great mud-slinging fight scene I have planned between Petra and Snarls against the Leafmen in the land of The Boogie Goobees.

 Bablelyn is, apparently, Sir Princess Petra's cousin. And you guessed it, she never shuts up.

I am trying to point out to Bablelyn that she is not a planned character nor is she in the outline of book three.  She doesn't seem concerned with my petty author problems, she just insists she has every right to be here and to show up now, in book three.

I've never had this happen before.

Day by day, Bablelyn is becoming a stronger and more outspoken character in my mind and she's upsetting my writing process, even as I try to ignore her, by her constant pestering. Right now, she reminds me of an itchy mosquito bite that I have to keep scratching.

So Babelyn babbles on and on trying to convince me she is an important character. She is Petra's cousin from a far away land that I haven't even heard of. Babelyn is proving to be the exact opposite of Petra. Where Petra is kind, understand, and accepting of others, Babelyn is self-centered,  nearly rude, and most definitely annoying.

So now what?

Reasoning with Babelyn has not worked. Ignoring her just makes her stronger. I've even tried explaining to her that her kingdom is not on the map that is in this series. Her response---make the map bigger.

Finally, I resolve to quit writing my "planned" story and start writing down facts and characteristics about Babelyn, hoping that this may quiet her down or just calm her ego enough that she may leave.

For the most part, before I start writing the next book in the series, all my characters, scenes, and plotting are planned out. Some of this information is written down in my "character diaries" book, and a lot of the plotting is stored in my head, like movie scenes I keep replaying.

Regardless of the way I create the story, I've never had an unscheduled character intrude on my stories before. It is kind of unsettling. I thought I knew everything there was to know about this new story.

So, as this new and strong character intrudes on my story, and it appears she will not take "no" for an answer, I must consider what part she could possibly play in the story line.

And why, pray tell, did she show up in the important mud-slinging scene with the Leafmen?

Well . . .Babelyn is definitely an interesting character. She might rile things up a bit.

Humm . . .

Please visit my author's website at: http://www.dragonsbook.com

And my other writer's blog, One Girl Writes, at: http:www.dragonsbook.com/blog

The Editor

Writing something interesting is a hard job. Writing something interesting with perfect punctuation, grammar and spelling is even tougher. Writing something interesting with perfect punctuation, grammar and spelling  that will be accepted by a publisher . . . well, that takes a lot more effort.

So, you've done your best work, you've been submitting your work, you get a bite, and eventually a contract.

And just when you think that all the hard work was in the creating, plotting, writing, checking grammar, etc., and re-writing some more---you're wrong.

Once you have a contract signed for your work, you will be assigned an editor.

The editor picks out punctuation and spelling errors easily, but their biggest job is helping the writer create the best story possible. And I, for one, really appreciate the editor.

I've just been through the ropes of editing book 2 , Sir Princess Petra's Talent - The Pen Pieyu Adventures, to be pre-released January, 2013. It was grueling.

The editor is not a scary person, but an editor has eagle-eagle-eagle eyes, and can spot not only the mistakes in sentence structure, but holes in the plotting. This is where the writer has to work harder still.

When a writer gets too close to their story, the writer knows all the little details in their head, and it's easy to forget to put in that tiny little detail "A" that has something to do with why or how detail "B" is in the story.

I've only been through the editing process twice, but it was more or less the same both times. I thought the plot was organized, clear and well thought out. And for the most part it was. But then eagle-eagle-eagle eyes asks the question,"what does this have to do with anything?"

Good question! I'm dumbfounded. I thought the story was all so perfectly clear.

Well, it's back to the drawing board to wiggle in those little detail so it does become clear. And knowing where to wiggle in those details takes a lot of thought.

The editor will never tell you how to fix a particular sentence structure problem or plotting problem. They will only tell you where they see the problem---the writer has to come up with the solutions.

I have a love/hate relationship with editing. It's hard work, brain cramping work, but I know in the long run it will make the story so much better.

The editing of book 2 took many hours over many weeks with lots of email back and forth to the editor. But slowly and surely, the little details finally did all came together.

Once I had the plot details in order, my editor was very happy with the re-write and the optimizing of some sentence structure. But I thought it could be better. I started going through every sentence, every word, every feeling to make sure it sounded just right. I think a writer could do this until their brain explodes, but there does come a moment, after pounding your head against the desk for a few days, when you write the word, the sentence, the feeling yet again and know that now, it is absolutely perfect..

So no mistake about it, editing a manuscript is hard work. But now that it's done,  I know the book is better for it.

I'm very thankful to have expert editors with my publishing house. I had a different editor for each book, and each editor was extremely helpful in making the books the best they could. be.

I believe strongly that the more hard work a writer puts into the story, the more the reader will get out of it.


Please come by and visit my other blog, One Girl Writes, at: http://dragonsbook.com/blog

Guest Post by Kids Lit Reviews

Diane has asked me why I like to review books, what I don't like about reviewing, and a little about the authors I have meet and the books I have read.

For starters, I have been reviewing books for several years. I started when my mentor, Jill Rubacala, told me in order to write well, I needed to read as many books (at least 100), in the genre I wanted to write. So I did, and then wrote a review placing it on numerous sites across the web. One day, a spark went off. It was not fireworks, but a neuron in my head. This spark told me it was silly for me to give my words away. I needed my own review site. Kid Lit Reviews went live nearly two years ago.

But that is not why I like to review books, but how it all became formalized. I like to review books for several reasons.

              1.  ARCs. Reading a book before it's published is simply cool.

2     2.   Free Books. Who doesn't like a free book? Soon my shelves were bulging with kids books. Instead of getting more shelf, I decided to give the local library the books—which they are thrilled to get.

3       3..  People. I get to meet other bloggers (YEAH!), publishing company people (YES‼), and authors (THE BEST!).

        4.  I stay busy doing something I enjoy (writing), about something I love (books).

What I don't like about reviewing is the person who either does not read the submission guidelines or who has, but does not follow what is needed. This happens not only with authors, but also with PR Firms. Publishers are actually the best about this.

The other thing I am not thrilled with is the new trend in self-publishing, which is to make your own "publishing company" to "publish" your book. If the company only published that one book or only that one author's books, it is not a publisher. I feel like the author is trying to fool readers into thinking their book is printed by a legit publisher and/or trying to hide the self-published part of their journey. The stigma is all but gone, so own your work—with your own name not a vanity publisher.

I have met some terrific authors and a couple of not so terrific ones. I like the terrific authors better. Most authors are generous, and non-demanding. One author and illustrator were so happy with the review, they sent a print from their book and a signed copy. The print is awesome. It is above my desk where I can see it each day for inspiration. I do not expect a gift or a donation for a good review, but it was a nice surprise to receive that print. Other authors have been generous with their talent, answering my questions about writing and publishing, which had nothing to do with reading or reviewing their book, yet they took the time to answer. The not so terrific authors, reps, publishers? I will just leave at that, "not so terrific."

The one thing I do not like about reviewing is the uncertainty that anyone is reading what I have written. The same quandary writers go through. They mark their success in terms of books sold. As a reviewer, I mark my success in two ways, the number of comments each posts receives and the ease of receiving books from publishers. For me, the latter is easier, and I do not know why.

I think reviewers and writers are in this together. A reviewer should want to help that author as much as possible. I am not saying over-glorify a book that was anything but glorious, but to treat each book with respect and kindness. Remember it is the book being reviewed, not the author.

Authors can help reviewers by following any submission guidelines they might have, respond to questions and needs quickly, and remember, negative reviews and comments are going to happen, but good or bad, respond with style.  Not everyone will like your book, let's just hope most do. 

The other thing I  would love to see is the author commenting on the review, and responding to comments. People love to make contact with authors and this small short-time consuming act will increase your popularity, positive word-of-mouth, and book sales.

Sue Morris, Kid Lit Reviews

http://www.kid-lit-reviews.com

For the review I did of Diane's book, Sir Princess Petra:

http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/01/03/sir-princess-petra-the-pen-pieyu-adventures-by-diane-mae-robinson/

Kid Lit Reviews

Books for Children

My Favorite Children's Books

This week I am paying tribute to some of my favorite children fiction books and the writers who captivated me with their words.

I have been an avid reader ever since I learned to read by myself at the age of seven. The magic of the story in those first books I read will stay with me forever. And I know that same magic is what compels me to write books for children.

Here are my three favorite childhood books:
                                                                     Black Beauty

Black Beauty, The Autobiography Of A Horse, Anna Sewell, 1877

Black Beauty opens with its main character describing his first memory as that of a "pleasant meadow."  He narrates about his life as a colt, his mother's advice on how to behave as a well-bred horse, and his master's kind care. When Black Beauty is two, he witnesses the brutality of a rabbit hunt and the tragedy of one of the riders being killed in a fall from his horse. At age four, Black Beauty is broken in to the use of the saddle, bridle, and carriage harness. The book is a masterful work of Black Beauty's life, written through the eyes of the wonderful horse that he is.

Sewell's intention in writing the book was to promote the humane treatment of horses.While teaching animal welfare, it also teaches to treat people with respect and kindness. It was written in the last years of her life. She lived several months after its publication to witness the success of her novel.

Black Beauty was the only book that Sewell wrote, and she sold the manuscript for only twenty pounds.
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-black-beauty/

In my opinion, Black Beauty is the greatest story ever told. I cried and laughed and cried again.

                                                               The Gnome-Mobile

The Gnome-Mobile, retold by Mary Carey, 1967 (originally entitled  The Gnomobile,  writtenby Upton Sinclair, 1936)

The Gnome-Mobile is a delightful story about two children and their uncle who stumble upon a pair of gnomes in the forest. They befriend the "little people" and  protect them from a freak show entrepreneur and a group of unscrupulous land developers that want to destroy the forest. This task becomes even more difficult when the uncle is thrown into a mental institution because he is seeing the gnomes!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gnome-Mobile 

This is one of the great fantasy kids books. A story with humor, friendship and adventure.

Nikki Nikki Tembo

"Nikki Nikki Tembo No So Rembo Oo Ma Moochi Gamma Gamma Goochi" is the name of a little Chinese boy in a story called "Long Name No Can Say" narrated by Paul Wing. It was available as a recording in the mid-1940's. There have been many variations of the same story subsequent to that time period, which is perhaps the origin of the "Tikki Tikki " variety written by Arlene Mosel, 1968.

The story presumes to function as an aetiological myth about why Chinese names are so short today.
For more information of Nikki Nikki Tembo, and to download the recording go to: http://www.visi.com/~tmarx/index.htm

I do not know who originally wrote this story. It is a story that has many different names. I knew the story as Nikki Nikki Tembo. As a child, my family told this story so many times, we have memorized the Chinese boy's name and can say it very fast. His full name is: Nikki Nikki Tembo No So Rembo Oo Ma Moochi Gamma Gamma Goochi. This is one of the best children's books ever.

I have been taken on many adventures, into many fascinating worlds, through the magic of books. Some are funny, some are sad. Others are good and still other are great. Whatever the adventure, whatever the story, it was created out of pure imagination by the author. And for that, I give honor to all writers.. 

What was your favorite book as a child?

Please visit my new web site: http://www.dragonsbook.com

My author's web site

New post coming soon.

I've recently had foot surgery and am I still having trouble sitting at the computer for any length of time, most probably from the effect of all the pain killers. It's just not fun yet.

 In the meantime, please have a look at my new author's website and let me know what you think. We are still working on getting little characters up on the Kid Page where kids can click on them and get information (and some little known facts) about the characters from book one, Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures.

http://www.dragonsbook.com

Summer Send-off Contest--250 word story challenge

illustration copyright Heather Newman 2012 used by permission

                                                             

                            The Hero Writer by Diane Mae Robinson 

                                                                          

King Sillyknot has sent me on yet another quest to rescue his wife, Lily, from the lair of the dragon. The job pays 3 quill pens per week, which is a good and fair wage for a hero. You see, I am a hero by day and a writer by night, so the quill pens are needed.

The dragon, Tullula, of the Witless Kingdom captures Lily Sillyknot on a weekly basis, holding her ransom. The ransom never comes because King Sillyknot is very cheap, hence, my hero job.

Tullula is quite easy to trick and easier to embarrass.  He now turns instantly pink the moment he sees me. I have tricked him with such lures as; home movies, dancing girls, jugglers, and his favorite, Mars bars. All I have to do is distract him with something simple, then get Lily down from the tower and take her home.

The job has become somewhat mundane except in my inventiveness to distract Tullula.

     “Do you see that?” I yell in fake surprise, pointing to my newest distraction. Today I have brought along the palace chef who is frantically tossing pizza dough.

Tullula’s embarrassed-pink color pales while he’s subdued, drooling and gawking at the chef.

I dismount my steed, go around back of the dragon, walk the 59 paces to the tower, yell to Lilly it’s safe, she comes down, and we leave.

“Au revoir,” I bid to Tullula, and we are already off and galloping when Tullula’s pink color intensifies.

 (248 words)

The 250 word children story contest, created by Susanna Leonard Hill.

Contest Rules:

The contest is for a children's story of 250 words or less based on the picture above and in which somebody somewhere in your story says, in dialogue, "Did/do you see that?" (you may substitute any of the other senses - "Did/do you hear/feel/taste/smell that?") and somebody somewhere in your story says, "Goodbye!" (you are allowed to substitute "Farewell!", "Au revoir!", "Sayonara!", "Ciao!", or "So long!")  Entries must be posted on your blog between Friday August 31 and Tuesday September 4 at 11:59 PM EDT.
http://susannahill.blogspot.ca/2012/08/summer-send-off-writing-contest-and.html

Getting Inside My Character's Head

In writing fiction for children, getting inside the head of my characters is one of the most important things I can do.

I am definitely a character writer over the plot-driven writer. Don't get me wrong, plot is very important. But to me if my characters are real, solid, and living through me, the plot will come naturally through those characters just because of the type of characters they are.

I write children's books, so I have to immerse myself into the child character just as the child character has to be immersed in me. To do this, I have to remember what it was like to think, act, and talk like a child. Then, go beyond the thinking until I can feel it, taste it, see it, and be in the moment again before I can express it.

The way my child-self  thinks is a lot more fun than the way my adult-self thinks. My child-self says things with a lot more pizzazz. It's also important that I express those feelings or situations that I want to convey in the story in my own words. This is what livens up the prose and makes it stand out and become memorable for the reader.

 Here are some examples of emotions I've used in my own stories:

Excited:  "I had a bunch of jumping, swirling bugs in my stomach that couldn't wait to get out."

Feeling content: "I felt all warm and fluffy, like cake."

Sad: "My heart fell sideways and stayed laying down."

The way a child views a situation is also different from the way an adult would view it.

Here are some examples I've used also:

"I know grandma can fly. She has those flabby, flapping arms that are her after-dark wings."

"The ferns tickled the smaller flowers, making them wiggle and giggle."

"The wind was yelling and being just plain mean."

A writing exercise I like to do to get into my child mode of thinking is to look at things, people, situations and emotions, then write down all the different ways to express it with originality. Then try to express it simpler and with more innocence, just as a child would. The longer I think about it and the more I write down, the better the expressions become. The more childlike I become.

So when my friends call me immature (which they all do, believe me), I take it as a good thing, a compliment, and an affirmation that I can do my job as a writer of children stories.

Character Building

One of the first things I do when creating characters is to give them names, (once I know what they are; a nine year old princess, a dragon, etc) then an image of them starts to form gradually in my mind. After the image of  each character forms, their personalities start to come alive. Once their personalities become clear, their adventures are ready to be written.

This is my process. The whole process takes months and as new details come to me, I jot them down on paper. Each character has their own section in my character log book.

When I feel that the characters are whole and real, I start imagining what their adventures will be. I start to make a mini movie in my head as I visualize the 'where and what' of the plotting. The plotting is still work, but plotting seems to come so natural once the characters are fully formed.

When you're writing children stories, you don't have a lot of space to 'tell' about the character's descriptions, nor do you want to. So a lot of the characteristics will come out as other characters meet them or through what that character is doing and saying.

The really cool thing about getting your characters to be real and whole (even if a lot of that information isn't told to the reader), is that it does come out in the story. It comes out in the "Show Don't Tell" that all writers have heard a thousand times. I think it becomes a sub-conscious process to the writer because the writer knows those characters just as much as knowing a long-time friend. And if your characters are real to you, the writer, it is amazing how the illustrator will have the same vision as you had for those characters.

When book one, Sir Princess Petra, was in the illustration stage, I nervously waited and wondered what the artist's vision of the main character, Petra Longstride, would be. I worried for all the characters. After all, I felt my reputation and all my hard work as the writer was at stake.

The thing about the whole creative process is this: if you, the writers, have made believable and whole characters, the illustrator gets it just as easily as if you had sent her photograghs.

When I received the illustrations for book one, they were perfect. All the characters were exactly as I had envisioned them. I had learned about this process in writing school, but until I had been through this process, I wasn't sure that it actually worked. It does work. And when it did work, I knew I had done my job as the writer to create fully rounded, believable characters.

 This is exactly what Petra Longstride looked like to me, in my imagination, before the illustrations had even begun. The illustrator of the book is, Samantha Kickingbird and she was assigned by the publisher to my book.
                               


                                                                   

To take your characters seriously is one of the best things you can do for your writing.

copyright, Diane Mae Robinson, 2012

More on characters in the post "Where Do Characters Come From" here: http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/07/04/where-do-characters-come-from/.

National Nurture Your Soul Week.

Well, not really. I just made that up. But it's a really good idea.















As we rush around our busy lives; kids, husbands, jobs, yard work, and a whole other big list, we often put our inner music on the back burner.

I know this was very true for myself for many years.

In my younger married days, and when my daughter was young, it just seemed like there was no time for writing. I didn't start college until I was 35 years old.  I didn't graduate all of my writing courses until I was 41 years old. This was all done by correspondence courses, as I always had a full time job.

At age 41, I started to write seriously for publication, research the markets, send query letters, send manuscripts when requested by a publisher, and wait . . . . . . (don't hold your breath while waiting for an answer). So, I wrote many children's stories during this time, but there was always one story that was near and dear to my heart, Sir Princess Petra. This is my first published book, and it took 9 years and 27 rejections before a publisher accepted it. I'm glad I didn't hold my breath. (Book 2 in this series will be released in early 2013).

I also didn't know I was an artist until I tried it at age 39. I love art. I now teach art. Any sometimes, I even sell a painting.

Okay, I'm not saying I'm old. I'm just saying I'm a late bloomer.

That inner music was always inside of me, I just had to wait until the time was right to find out what it was playing.  So, no matter what your age is, it's important to find and follow your own inner music.

To be able to write well, we have to nurture our own souls. I have a list of things that work for me and I do at least one of these things every day: daydreaming in the forest; laughing with a good friend; listening to classical music and painting a picture; playing with my dogs and horses; gardening; meditating; or one of my favorites, making really creative mud pies which should technically sell for $2.59 each, but don't.

Whatever it is that releases your soul from everyday chaos, find the time to listen to your inner music, and in turn zone in to your creative source.

Me, creating book 3.

Public Speaking Events, Ahhhh!

Recently, I told my marketing manager: "If you would have told me a year ago that I would be doing school presentations, library visits, book signings, and live radio interviews, I would have told you that you were crazy."

You see, I am not one of those naturally calm public speakers that engages an audience. In fact, I have more of a tendency to run away from being the center of attention in a crowd.

My fear of public speaking goes back to my childhood. I was an extremely shy child and mostly only spoke to my parents, sister, and grandparents.

My first day of grade one: my mom, my grandma, and my teacher all trying to pry me off the classroom doorknob. I was winning for quite awhile, but eventually, they did get me off the doorknob and sitting in a classroom desk. The whole class was laughing. I was not laughing. I vowed to never speak again, well until supper, anyway.

 I don't know why I was so terrified of being in front of a crowd, or even around a crowd, but I was. I was the kid in the school play that was frozen, mouth agape, eyes bulging. You know, you've all seen that kid and probably wondered, what the heck is wrong with that kid? Sheer terror, I tell you.

What was going to happen if I said the wrong lines or did the wrong actions? Was I going to be sucked into some kind of dumb-kid vortex where all the unable-to-speak, frozen kids from the earth were kept?  Then hoping my parents could rescue me from this dumb-kid vortex, and assuming they wanted to rescue me, how long would I be in this frozen-kid vortex?

 And another question I had: why are all those other kids able to say their line, dance, do what they were asked to in front of a crowd and not seem scared? The answer--they were not real kids, they were robots! I was sure of it.

Some of these robots were my friends. But my good friends were really non-robots acting as robots for the benefit of parents and teachers.

Ahha! Soon, the answer came to me. I had an acting problem, not really a fear-of-crowds problem at all. Intent on fixing my fear-of-crowds problem I focused on my acting lessons.

My main and only acting pal was my younger sister. I would make up the situations and plot the adventures. She really would go along with all my senerios as long as she could wear her cowboy suit. This didn't quite fit into my princess/prince stories (which all the plots were), but with a little imagination on my part, she was a fine prince. She listened to me.

Same plot, different day: I was a princess in distress, she was my hero prince about to rescue me.

One day, I took the plotting too far (or so my mother said). My sister was to jump from the edge of the roof and spring on top of the imaginary, nasty villian that was trying to kidnapp me. She played her part perfectly, her flight from the roof was spectacular--all except for the part about breaking her arm.

According to our parents, my acting lessons were over. Indefinitely.


Well, to me, indefinitely meant moving my plays deeper into the forest, where we had more privacy. I thank my sister for all the years of helping me with my acting lessons, that in turn have helped me to become a better plotter, a better writer.


As an adult, I have found a  few things that help me prepare before a public speaking event:  a 10 minute session of  deep breathing before I have to engage a crowd, and visualization meditation such as Kundalini the morning of the event. If these things fail, a big yell outside the building you are about to enter does wonders too, although this does make you look unstable and ridiculous. Use this last technique with caution.


In the last several months since my first book's released, I have participated in several public events. A couple of crowds were nearing 100 people. They always clap and some buy my book. Whether they are clapping because they liked the presentation or they are giving encouragement to the stunned, horrified looking adult on the stage, I don't know.


 But book signings, presentations, school and library visits, will all become a big part of an author's promotion of their book. It's something an author must do.


The good news is, it does seem to get easier each time I do an event. Maybe it is something, like all things new, we learn with time.

My first author event was a book signing in Maui, Dec. 4, 2011,
at Maui Grown Coffee House. This is me with the owner, Jeff.

The Princess Stories

I recently had a photo shoot for my upcoming and improved website for my books. The photographer is Kim at KAS Images, and she did an amazing job. I'm so impressed to have such a talented photographer in my small home-town of St. Paul, Alberta.

All the photos were taken at my acreage. The photo above is in the horse field. The chaos just out of the photo are two dogs and three snoopy horses. Of course, when we tried to get a horse in the picture, he would just nonchalantly walk off.

This photo is on a path from the house leading to the horse field.

The whole point of the fantasy photo shoot is to create an image for the new website. And to create a branding statement about me, the author and fantasy writer.

I write fantasy-adventure-princess-dragon-faerie stories for children. My first book, Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures, was released in January, 2012. Book two in this series will be released in late 2012 or early 2013. I am currently writing book three.

My belief is, that as a fantasy writer, I have to somehow immerse myself in that world to be able to write well.

I don't usually walk around in a princess dress or believe I am a princess (well, maybe sometimes), but I do try to get into the frame of mind of what it would have been like to live in those days. Some research is involved, of course. And keeping a record book of words that portray that period is also important.

Most of my inspiration comes from the forest that surrounds my place. I believe in the magic of the forest. Since I was a child I've envisioned the adventures of princesses, dragon, gnomes and faeries in one forest or another; their adventures, just beyond my site.

When I'm seeking a new character for a story, I gaze into the forest or go for a stroll through the woods. This never ceases to amaze me. When I  immerse myself into the magic of what could be, fantasy characters of all natures seem to come out to greet me. I call this process; the character auditions. (Read the blog below for more on character auditions).

Of course, my husband thinks I'm somewhat delusional, but he's not a writer. And non-writers don't understand what a writer has to wrap their head around to write the story.

So, if being delusional is what it takes, I'm all in. I must conquer the quest of bringing my characters and stories to life. And hopefully, and if I've done my job right, enhance the reader's experience while they are in that world.

Award Winning Author,
Diane Mae Robinson

Don't die with your music inside you. Listen to your intuitive inner voice and find what passion stirs your inner soul.  Dr. Wayne Dyer

Now Accepting Character Applications For Book 3

NEWS FLASH


Diane Mae Robinson, author of Sir Princess Petra - The Pen Pieyu Adventures, book one, is now accepting applications for a character role in book 3.

Book two is being published now and all character roles are taken.

The applicant for the character in book three must be, well . . . a character. One who is willing to appear in a children's chapter book along with many other zany characters. THIS IS NOT AN APPLICATION FOR REAL, LIVE  PEOPLE (but real, live people can leave comments).




JOB DESCRIPTION

1. You must be willing to live in the land of The Boogie Goobies, which is quite a nice land for a story character to live in.
2. Must be witty and fun to work with.
3. Must not have previously been involved in any lawsuits with a writer or film director.
4. Neat appearance not necessary.
5. Must get along relatively well with the other characters: Sir Princess Petra Longstride, Snarls, Prince Nastybun, and Duce Crablips, to name a few.
6. Must, absolutely, positively, listen to the writer.
7. Pay is very minimal, but snacks are included.
8. You may or may not appear in book 4.

                         This is the end of the application form

To those of you that are new to my blog site, welcome. To those of you that actually read my blogs, thank you. You are reading a blog written by a person who lives in a forest and talks to fairies, gnomes, the occasional troll (though I'd rather not), and one unruly dragon and one strong-headed princess.

I am currently writing book 3 in The Pen Pieyu Adventures.

But, seriously, if you'd like to know more about "Where Do My Characters Come From", read my guest post on my friend Sue's blog site Kid Lit Reviews http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/07/04/where-do-characters-come-from/

Diane Mae Robinson, Award Winning Author.

                                               

Another Book Award

Purple Dragonfly Book Award

Congratulations Diane!

Ms. Robinson took second place for chapter books in The 2012 Purple Dragon Book Awards. Kid Lit Reviews. http://kid-lit-reviews.com/2012/06/16/now-this-is-a-big-deal/

The Purple Dragonfly Book Awards recognizes and honors 
accomplished authors in the field of children's literature. Being
honored with a Purple Dragonfly Award will confer credibility upon
the winners, as well as provide extra positive publicity to further their success. http://www.PurpleDragonflyBookAwards.com

When I came home from the Lieutenant Governor Awards on 

June 14, 2012, still wearing my medal and a permanent smile pasted

on my face, I received an email that my book won another award. 

How much excitement can a girl have in one day?

The news was incredibly exciting and made me cry once again. I've

put in many years of hard work to get book one accepted by a publisher;

9 years and 27 rejections to be exact.

The point is, if a writer doesn't have the guts to succeed, they 

probably won't.

The publishing industry is not for the faint of heart. It does take guts, and 

several pounds of stubborn, but mostly, it take a ton of belief in yourself

as a writer.

http://www.dianemaerobinson.tateauthor.com

Join the Kid Lit blog hop Dec. 5 -26, 2012: http://kid-lit-reviews.com/kid-lit-blog-hop-6/

Book Review: Angel Eyes

Angel Eyes
Author: Shannon Dittemore, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson, Inc
ISBN# 978-1-4016-8635-2
Paperback Edition

Back cover: Brielle went to the city to chase her dreams and found only tragedy instead. She's come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and guilt . . . and an incredible, numbing cold she can't
seem to shake.

Jake's the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadow nearby, hiding in plain site. Two angels stand guard, unsure what's going to happen. And beauty brighter than either Brielle or Jake has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all humans choices begin.

A realm that only angels and demons--and Brielle--can perceive.

I liked this book because it is intriguing, original, bold and suspenseful. The characters are fully rounded and believable with a well-driven plot line. It is an amazingly fresh story about angels and demons and their battles in this world and beyond. It is also a story about human tragedy and triumph.

The author has created a story that is truly "out-of-the-box",  and for that, I say Kudos!

Angel Eyes is an emotional journey and a must read in Y.A. fiction.

For more information, please visit:
www.shannondittemore.com

Link to the Litfuse blog tour
:http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13501700/angele


Celebrate the release of Angel Eyes with Shannon by entering her Nook Color Giveaway and RSVPing for her Author Chat Party on FB 6/26! Click for details. http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13501700/angeleyes

Review by Diane Mae Robinson,
Award Winning Author

Diane Mae Robinson Recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award

Diane Mae Robinson is a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award

 Literary Arts

Artists get "catalytic" boost on the road to success

Edmonton - June 14, 2012. Eight Alberta artists received the 2012 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award in a ceremony hosted by His Honour Col. (Ret'd) The Honourable Donald S. Ethell and Her Honour Linda Ethell.

"These artists represent the best of a community that challenges, enlightens

and entertains us," said Lieutenant Governor Ethell. "Creativity of this magnitude

is infectious."

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Awards is among

Canada's most generous art awards program. Each recipient receives a

medal and $10,000.

Susan Green, Chair of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards, 

says, "Ten thousand dollars to an emerging artist is a catalyst for great things."

"We've seen careers blossom in previous recipients and we know today's

award will strengthen these artists and Alberta's performing, literary and

visual arts culture in the process.                                  

          2012 Alberta Emerging Artists

Kyle Armstong - Filmmaker

Naomi Brand - Contemporary Dancer and Choreographer

Mitch Holtby - Emcee, Producer, Composer, Multi-Instrumentalist

Kristopher Karklin - Photographer/Sculptor

Chris Millar - Painter/Sculptor

Emma Parkinson - Mezzo-Soprano

Diane Mae Robinson - Children's Author

Eric Rose - Theater Director

Diane with Lieutenant Governor, His Honourable Donald S. Ethell

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation has established a program of awards for emerging artists to support and encourage promising artists, early in their careers, while also serving to raise the profile of the arts in Alberta.

The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Awards are awarded every second year, beginning in 2008. Each Award consists of $10,000 and a medal. Up to ten prizes may be awarded in each awards cycle. Award recipients are selected by an application and adjudication process. Emerging Alberta Artists who meet the eligibility criteria may make application for the Award.

Appraisals are required from two established artists who are in a position to provide the Foundation with a candid assessment of the Applicant’s current accomplishments and potential to develop.

The Awards will be presented by the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta at an event held at Government House in Edmonton.

http://www.artsawards.ca/EmergingArtists/

This was the most amazing day of my writing career! The prestige and recognition of receiving this award is beyond description. I am honored and

humbled.

As most of you know, my first book took 9 years to find a publisher. During that time I can't say that I was never discouraged, but I can say that I always believed in myself and my writing ability.

The path to becoming a published author is not an easy venture, but it is an adventure. I wouldn't change any of those baby steps it took for me to get there because now I totally understand what all the hard work and years add up to for me.

Thank you to everyone who supports me in my writing endeavors and to those who have encouraged me along the way.

Thank you to the two professionals that had to submit an appraisal of my work for this award; Amy Malo and Gisela Felsberg. You both must have said something amazing!

The four northern Alberta Emerging Artists; Kristopher Karlkin, Photographer/Sculptor; Kyle Armstrong, Filmaker; Mitch Holtby, Producer,Composer, Multi-Intrumentalist; Diane Mae Robinson, Children 's Book Author.

A big thank you; Donna Cardinal, Susan Green, Lee Elliott and all the board members of the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards

 A

Book Review - The Mystery of Nida Valley

The Mystery of Nida Valley                            
Book 2, Captured
eBook edition
E.J. Ouston
Morris Publishing Australia, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9872444-4-4


Meg is a 15 year old girl that lives in this world, but has a special fondness for another world, Nida Valley.
Through the use of their special travel watches, Meg, her family, and friends can travel to this other, wonderful world.

Different magical traits run throughout Meg's family and friends. These powers begin to be discovered around the age Meg is now. On Meg's 15h birthday, she received a special pen handed down to her by her grandmother. Through the use of this special pen, which acts as a wand, Meg starts discovering her magic abilities to be; mind reading and spell casting.

In Nida Valley, Meg belongs to The Guardians of the Valley family, who are the keepers of the prehistoric animals and also the guardians against their extinction. And after learning more and perfecting her magic, Meg is next in line to be the leader of The Guardians.

Meg has already travelled back in time to bring back the herbs to heal, Willie, the last existing wombat. She hopes to travel back in time again and bring back some more wombats to live in the valley.

The adventure and mystery begins when the megafauna Pteros go missing. They could not have escaped from their protective cages or have gotten past the force field of the valley by themselves. They suspect Grundymere, who leads an army with an alternative motive towards the valley and the animals.

But there are other suspects, too. Miss Cashmere, the housekeeper; Alvin, the zoo assistant; even Meg's friend, Jack. They all act suspicious and any one of them could be helping Grundymere.

The adventure and mystery intensify with threats on Meg's life, kidnapping, escapes, more kidnapping, spying, shape shifting and magic spells.

I like this book because it is a page-turning adventure/mystery that just doesn't slow down. The author has created a prehistoric world with animals such as; meiolania oweni, diprotodon, ichthyosaur, and  muttaburrasauras. Then there are travel portals, stun guns, and lots of magic.

The teenage heroine and her teenage friends are portrayed perfectly through their mannerism and language.
All the other character are well defined, also.

The author has created an intriguing and exciting story.

 I was sent on an adventure that I truly felt a part of. And that, in a nut shell, is the essence of good writing.

Please visit the author's website:
http://themysteryofnidavalley.com 

Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare

Book Review of: Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare

Author: Sands Hetherington                                
Illustrator: Jessica Love
Publisher: Dune Buggy Press, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9847417-1-7
Paperback

     The story starts out with a nine year old boy named John Degraffenreidt meeting a comical red crocodile named Crosley. Crosley appears in John's room at bedtime and convinces John to join the Night Buddies Program and help solve the mystery of all of the missing pineapples cheesecakes from the factory across town.

     Crosley has a "I-ain't-here" gadget that enables them to become invisible so they can sneak out of John's house.

     John and Crosley get on the subway and ride the Night Folks Limited to the factory where they meet the giant manager, Big Foot Mae. Big Foot Mae can't figure out where all the pineapple cheesecakes are
disappearing to, and hires the duo to solve the mystery.

     There are dangers involved, but the Night Buddies are up for it. And with all of Crosley's special gadgets, it's bound to make for an interesting and zany adventure, especially when the Night Buddies pursue
The Iguana Gang, the suspected cheesecake thieves.

     I liked this book because it is imaginative, fun, has zany characters, and it made me laugh, a lot. John and Crosley work well together to solve the mystery of the missing pineapple cheesecakes. Both John and Crosley are very funny and come up with the best "one-liners".

      I fell in love with Crosley's character and found him to be a charmingly funny and  loveable crocodile. He is mesmerized by cheesecakes and drools, forgetting what he is there for. He definitely needed John to help him with this mission and keep his crocodile head on straight.

     Big Foot Mae and the Iguana Gang are also fun characters. The Iguana Gang is hilarious in the way they talk and react to situations.

     The book also includes a Night Buddies Uncommon Word dictionary, which kids will get a kick out of:
Jeek! Yigg! Yerk Yerk! and more.

     The black and white illustrations by Jessica Love are wonderful and capture the essence of the story.

     Children will love this book and get many laughs out of all the comical situations.

     Excelsior, Mr Hetherington! (Totally super in Night Buddies language)

For more on Sands Hetherington and the Night Buddies series, please visit:
www.nightbuddiesadventures.com