News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Award Winning Children's Book Author Diane Mae Robinson         Announces New Reviews And Future Releases Robinson’s multi-award winning books, ‘Sir Princess Petra', and the second book in the series, 'Sir Princess Petra's Talent', teach children valuable life lessons through engaging fiction. Both  books have received rave reviews. Two more books are scheduled for future release [June 4, 2014, St. Paul, Alberta, Canada] Award winning Canadian author Diane Robinson 's highly  praised, multi-award winning children’s book, ‘Sir Princess Petra’, the first in the Pen Pieyu series,  features surprising plot twists and turns, brilliant flashes of humor, zany characters and is rooted  in timeless values that shine through the charismatic main character. It is written in the tradition  of C. S. Lewis and is reminiscent of ‘Shrek’. Reviewers have labeled the award winning book a  ‘fantasy adventure that is sure to become a timeless classic.’ 'Sir Princess Petra' took an Honorable Mention award in the 2013 Readers' Favorite International  Awards for Children Grade K - 3rd. Robinson was honored with two major awards for the book.  She was awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artists Award for Children’s  Book Author and took 2nd place in the Purple Dragonfly Book awards for Children’s Chapter Book. The second book in the series, 'Sir Princess Petra's Talent' has already received a number of very  favorable reviews. The book recently garnered 5 more 5 star reviews and even more praise from  Midwest Book Review and Readers Favorite. “Writing and creating this fantasy series has been a fun adventure,” stated Robinson. “Petra is a  spunky character who teaches children about kindness, accepting others for who they are,  and believing in yourself. My grammar book is written in the same essence as this series.” Robinson is currently at work on the third book in the series, 'Sir Princess Petra's Mission'. She is  also writing an easy-to-understand grammar book for elementary children, 'Grammar for Kids and  Dragons'. The book deals with elementary grades grammar lessons in a humorous medieval tone. While dragon books are one of the most popular segments of fantasy fiction and children’s books  in today's marketplace, in these fantasy fiction books, Robinson uses the dragon books concept  as the background to teaching young people traditional values. Ms. Robinson's highly praised  work demonstrates that dragon books can be something much more than dragon books. Diane Mae Robinson is available for media interviews and can be reached using the information  below or by email at robinsond@mscnet.ca. More information, including reviews, information for  teachers and librarians, a downloadable lesson plan and a special children’s section is available  at her website. Both books are currently available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. About Diane Mae Robinson: Diane Mae Robinson has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal, and an advanced  diploma from the Institute of Children's Literature in Connecticut. She is a writing instructor/tutor  for the Children’s Writing Course at the Creative Writing Institute. She is also an artist, writing  tutor and teaches acrylic and watercolor art to children. She lives with her husband, Allen, in a  small hilltop castle near St. Paul, Alberta.  They have four dogs and three horses, along with a f orest inhabited by gnomes, fairies, a princess, and a dragon. This magical forest is where Diane  creates her characters and gets the inspiration for her stories. Contact: Diane Mae Robinson http://www.dragonsbook.com robinsond@mcsnet.ca Teachers/Librarians page link:  http://www.dragonsbook.com/teachers-librarians.html Lesson plan link: http://www.dragonsbook.com/Sir_Princess_Petra's_Lesson_Plan.pdf

- See more at: http://www.freepublicitygroup.com/release_diane_robinson_dragons_book_may_114.html#sthash.bfk3hTPY.dpuf

Local Literary Arts Event

Multi-author autographing event set to go

 St. Paul, Alberta - In a gathering unlike any St. Paul has seen, six area authors will be introducing themselves and their books to the community at a group autographing session in the new St. Paul Value Drug Mart on Friday, 20 June 2014 from 1 – 3 pm and again in the evening from 6 - 7 pm.

A broad taste of books will be available to purchase from the authors.  Shannon Ouellette, writing as Shannon Raelynn, will be there with her romance, SEASCAPE. 

Diane Beveridge, writing as Diane Peeling, will present her brand new book of poetry, A JOURNEY IN WORDS: Discovering my Being.

Award winning author, Diane Mae Robinson, will be on hand with the two books in her children’s series: SIR PRINCESS PETRA and SIR PRINCESS PETRA’S TALENT. 

Learn a bit of local history from Ella Drobot with her semi-autobiographical anthology BEHIND THE KITCHEN STOVE and Nicholas Verbisky with his autobiographical EMBARRAS PORTAGE:  Before, and After.

Eileen Schuh will be promoting the first three novels in her young adult BackTracker series: THE TRAZ, THE TRAZ School Edition, FATAL ERROR and FIREWALLS as well as her adult science fiction novellas, SCHRODINGER’S CAT and DISPASSIONATE LIES.

“All the authors are very excited about this opportunity,” Schuh says, noting St. Paul and area businesses, organizations and individuals have been exceptionally supportive of her career. “We love writing and are really looking forward to sharing our words first hand and face-to-face with members of our community.”

As St. Paul doesn’t have a bookstore, the Value Drug Mart for years has supported area authors by stocking their books. Now, with an expansive new location, they’ve decided to further promote the literary arts in their community by sponsoring an autographing event for the authors behind the books on their shelves.

Hope Ainsworth, Store Front Manager for St. Paul Value Drug Mart, whose idea sparked the event says, “We are looking forward to showcasing talent that is in our own backyard and seeing many of you stop by to chat and meet the people behind the stories .”

Authors will also gladly grant interviews during the event.

For more on my fantasy kids books, visit my website at: http://www.dragonsbook.com 

Strange Facts About Words

Some strange facts about words

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious." 

There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

No word in the English language rhymes with month,orange, silver, or purple.

The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" 
uses every letter of the alphabet. 

                         *************************************

Heteronyms are words that are spelled the same as another, but having a different sound and meaning.


     - The dragon wound the cloth around the wound on his leg.

     - He could still lead the knights if he could get the thick lead door opened.

     - Upon arrival, the royal dove dove through the window.
   
     - The royal carpenter built the door to close to the window—it would not close.

Homographs are words of like spelling but with more than one meaning. 

  - The prince, even in his present state, was to present the present to the princess (the 1st and 3rd "present" are the homographs; the 2nd "present" as to the 1st and 3rd "present" are heteronyms). 
      
  - The kingdom’s gardener was summoned to produce lots of produce, or else.

  - The princess did not object to the shinny object the dragon brought her.
  
  -  Some of the soldiers got in a row as they tried to straighten the row.

                   ********************************************

Then there's the odd word up. Look it up in the dictionary. It is a two-letter word with the most meanings of any two-letter word:

Upon waking up, the princess looked up in the sky. The cloud art brought to mind a topic she must bring up to the royal councilman--she must speak up. Who would be up for election? And who would write up the royal reports? 

As she pondered, she decided to polish up the silverware and warm up spaghetti. Later, she cleaned up the mess before opening up the royal library. Deciding it was time to get dressed up for the ceremonies, she wondered if she was up for it. The whole deal would take up a lot of her time, but if she did not give up, she might wind up with a new role.

"Hmmm, it's clouding up outside." She closed up the shutters and wrapped up in her shawl.

                 I am one mixed up writer.

copyright, Diane Mae Robinson, 2014

For information on my dragon books for children: http://www.dragonsbook.com

Ukrainian Pysanka

The original Easter egg.

Pysanky artists decorates Easter eggs using methods and symbols that have been part of Ukrainian culture for centuries. Pysanky (PIH-sahn-kih) are eggs decorated with a process that employs wax and dyes, using different colors and symbols that have special meanings in Ukrainian tradition. A single egg is a pysanka.

Pysanka art by Sophie Pidwerbeski,
my baba

My grandmother, Sophie, and her sisters, mother, and grandmothers, who were all born in the Ukraine, knew the art of this treasured Ukrainian tradition.

The tradition of pysanky is believed to pre-date Christian times, even going as far back as Trypillian culture--and ancient Eastern European civilization. As Christianity spread into Ukraine, the pagan symbols used to decorate the eggs were given Christian associations, and pysanky became a form of folk art connected to Easter.

The art form, somehow, and often in secret, survived despite the many hardships of the artists over the years: war, Communist rule, and even during the period when religious practices were outlawed.

Although I do not know the art myself (it is on my bucket list of things to learn), I do remember my mother and grandmother drawing on the Easter eggs, first with pencil then with wax, and then dipping them into different colors.

The pysanky are created using a wax-resistant dyeing technique: the eggs are dyed in progressive stages and wax is applied to resist the dye from settling in certain parts.

Drawing the wax design on the eggs is called "writing"--the term comes from the word "pysaty", which means "to write". The writing is applied with a stylus called a kistka.                 

Eggs made by my aunties and cousin that still live in the Ukraine
and somehow got them to Canada in original condition.

The designs are filled with symbolism---all the shapes and simple picture have a particular meaning, for examples: triangles represents the Holy Trinity; a rooster symbolizes fertility; yellow is associated with youth; black with mortality; red with love and passion for Christ.

Instructions on how to do the pysanka art: http://www.ehow.com/how_8568216_pysanky-instructions.html

Another good resource page on the art: http://www.conjure.com/icon.html

My aunties and cousin in the Ukraine.
1985

Pysanky art is a wonderful art form that I fear is fading away with the older generations. 

That gives me an idea. After I learn the art, I could give art classes where I teach visual arts. Anyone want to take an Easter egg course?

copyright, Diane Mae Robinson, 2014

Related post, The Ukrainian Writer: http://www.dianemaerobinson.com/2013/06/the-ukrainian-writer.html

Long Live The Lexophiles And Logophiles

Lexophile and logophile are words not found in the dictionary, but are terms created by writers over the years. 

Lexical: origin Greek lexikos "of words".

Logo: origin Greek logos "word".

A lexophile is described as a lover of words and loves to use them in unique ways. Another word used to describe people who are fascinated by words and language is logophile: one who derives pleasure from various use of words, who appreciates the nuances of different words, and who is alert to synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and homonyms, often using them for effect and often in humor.

Lexophiles/logophiles are writers who are fond of word play and explore ways in which words can sound and feel different from everyday use such as puns or compositions which play with unusual or obscure words.

Some unique sentences that have been published:

The roundest knight at King Arthur’s round table was Sir Cumference.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

The math professor went crazy writing on the blackboard--he did a number on it.

A backward poet writes inverse.

A plateau is a high form of flattery.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion. Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses.

When you've seen one shopping Center you've seen a mall.

He had a photographic memory which was never developed.

Police were called to a day care Center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

I am a lexophile/logophile, so here are some of my own quirky sentences:

The young show horse had to wear a ponytail (okay, that's only funny if you know how much grooming is required for show horses).

The puppy was looking forward to going to church with his dogma (now that is funny).

The woodsmen saw all the trees (hilarious).

copyright, Diane Mae Robinson, 2014

For information on my adventure kids books: http://www.dragonsbook.com

Don't Give Me Any More Trouble.

Any more or anymore? What is the difference in North American usage?

Any more (two words) is an adjective phrase that means, any additional:

 The dragon didn't want any more onions added to his soup pot.

Anymore (one word) is an adverb that means, still, any longer, nowadays, and can be used in a negative or a positive sense:

      Negative sense:  Apparently, the king doesn't like onions anymore.

      Positive sense:  The royal councilman wanted to know if the dragon grew onions anymore. 

Another way to think about the distinction is: anymore is used to indicate time, any more indicates quantity or degree.

     The king doesn't like onions anymore  (any longer) because he doesn't want any more (any additional) embarrassing burping episodes in the royal court.

One more rule: when you follow with the preposition than, always use the adjective phrase any more.

     The royal councilman didn't appreciate the king's burbs any more than the king liked expelling them.

However, British English often identifies anymore as an alternative spelling for any more. So, depending where your kingdom is, the royal rules vary.                         

  

More on my dragon books for children:  http://www.dragonsbook.com

copyright Diane Mae Robinson, 2014                                                                                                         

   

Point Of View In Writing For Children

• Point of view, or viewpoint, can be a confusing aspect of writing for many writers at the best of times. In writing for children, there are some stricter rules on the subject.

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• There are several different viewpoint techniques in writing, but in writing for children, the viewpoints that are acceptable in modern writing are limited to a few and the viewpoint in writing for younger children is always limited to only one character's point of view.

Children relate to the point of view character in the story, so making it clear who is telling the story at the beginning of your story is very important.

Viewpoint is basically divided into objective and subjective.

Objective

The objective narrator only reports what can be seen and heard, like a camera, and does not get inside the character's head to interpret any feelings or thoughts of the character. Young picture books are written in this style where the illustrations would show the emotions of the character. 

Subjective

Subjective narrations is described as having all five senses through the character. This is the most common form of narrations in children book writing and is further divided into four categories:

First Person viewpoint

The viewpoint of the story is through the main character using their own words and the pronouns I, me, myself. First person viewpoint can be a straightforward telling of the story or in the form of a letter or diary.

This viewpoint gives a personal account of the main character's thoughts and feelings, whether right or wrong, and connects the reader quickly to the main character. The problem with first person viewpoint is the frequent use of the word "I", which can become intrusive.

First person narrative is best told in the present tense so that the reader feels the character is telling the story and not the writer. You must know your character very well and limit all thoughts and feelings to the character. 

This viewpoint is not usually used in books for younger children.

Third Person Limited Viewpoint

Third person viewpoint is similar to first person viewpoint in that the writer is inside the character's head. The story is told through the main character's senses using the pronouns he, she, they, etc. and the story is told by only showing the main character's experience--the main character must be in all scenes.

This viewpoint gives the feeling that the story is unfolding and not being told, as in first-person viewpoint. . Writing in this perspective allows the writer to keep their own prose style, and to interpret the character's behavior while still offering depth of emotion. Third person limited viewpoint is the most common form of writing children stories as it is the least obtrusive viewpoint; allowing the best reader involvement.

Third Person Multiple viewpoint

This viewpoint is written through more than one character's perspective. Either two or three (maximum) characters are relating the story through their thoughts, feelings and experiences. This type of viewpoint is used when writing for older readers. The different character's views are usually divided into different chapters or with page breaks so as not to confuse the reader.

The purpose for using third person multiple viewpoint would be to let the reader experience two different sides of the bigger picture within the story, and decide for himself which character is right if either of them are at all.

Third Person Omniscient

The narrator knows and sees all, like he is floating above the story in a Godlike manner; he sees all events, knows all the thoughts of all the characters, and can even look into the future.

This type of viewpoint is most often used in fables, fairy tales, and read-a-loud picture books.

Third person omniscient does tend to distance the reader from the story as the reader doesn't feel that he knows or cares about any one character better than the other.

There are several other points of views with variations and combinations used in writing, but when writing for children it is best to stick to the simpler point of views listed here.

When a child hears or reads a story and feels like they have experienced it along with the main character, then you have done your best writing.

Visit my author's website to view my adventure kids books at: http://www.dragonsbook.com

Illustrations by Samantha Kickingbird

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Radio Interview/Book Review by Renee Hand

Re-post from The Crypto-Capers Series Blog Spot, Renee Hand.  

http://thecryptocapersseries.blogspot.ca/2014/03/interview-with-diane-robinson-for-pen.html

Interview with Diane Robinson for The Pen Pieyu Adventures 

Come and join me as I talk with author Diane Mae Robinson about her picture/chapter book Sir Princess Petra's Talent on Stories From Unknown Authors 
Radio interview here: https://player.cinchcast.com/?show_id=6061273&platformId=1&assetType=single

Book Summary:

Sir Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This, however, does not please the king and queen--they want her to behave like a princess and forget this silly knight nonsense of hers!

• Paperback: 92 pages
• Publisher: Tate Publishing (September 24, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1625106823
• ISBN-13: 978-1625106827

Renee's Review:

Sir Princess Petra's Talent is a wonderfully inspiring story of acceptance and friendship. Children of all ages are going to love the author's humor as she shows how Petra's determination, acceptance of others, and kindness change a kingdom and break the rules of the closed mind thinkers. Petra as a knight is a unique and lively character that will assuredly capture the hearts of many.

Dragon books for children 

http://www.dragonsbook.com

Book Review: Elven Jewel

Elven Jewel by Kasper Beaumont
book 1

Cover paintings by Scott Patterson and Mae Mai Bidlake

• Series: Hunters of Reloria
  
• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 24, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-1491294376

Book synopsis:  This fantasy adventure begins when the magical continent of Reloria is threatened by cruel, scaly invaders called Vergai from the wastelands of Vergash. These invaders are barbaric and are intent on destroying the protective elven forcefield and conquering peaceful Reloria. The Vergais’ plan is to steal the Elven Jewel which is the key to the Relorian defence system. Halfling friends Randir and Fendi and their bond-fairies are the first to discover the invaders and they embark on a quest to save the Elven Jewel. They leave their peaceful farm village with their fairies and race against time to stop the invaders. They join forces with dwarves, elves, men and a mysterious dragon, and call themselves the Hunters of Reloria. The quest is perilous, with numerous encounters with the ruthless Vergai, who are determined to fulfill their mission. The Elven Jewel is stolen and the quest becomes a race to the portal to retrieve the jewel before it can be taken to Vergash. A battle for Reloria ensues where the consequences for the Relorians is death, unless Vergai are stopped.

About the story: The story is a fantasy adventure about good versus evil. Four halflings, along with their bond fairies, set out to save their land, Reloria, from the evil Vergais (large, scaly creatures). There are also dwarfs, elves, knights and a dragon that team up with the halflings on their adventures to return the stolen Elven Jewel and, in turn, save their homeland.

What I thought: The story started out slow for me, but as I read more into the adventure and got closer to the characters, I couldn't help but become drawn into this fantasy world. This world is in some ways familiar to the reader, yet has its own uniqueness in the diverse, entertaining characters and plot to make it an original fantasy tale.

The characters are original, well-rounded, and believable. The reader comes away from the story with the sense that not all beings are evil, that their is hope for the future, that friendship is worth fighting for, that sometimes good can come out of adversity, and not to give up on what is important.

I always enjoy a good quest with mythical creatures, magic, elves, dwarfs, knights, a dragon, high action and dangerous adventures, and characters that run me through a gamut of emotions. This book has all of that and more. 

Biography

Kasper J. Beaumont was born and raised in Australia and lives a quiet life with the family in a seaside town. Kasper has combined a love of fantasy and a penchant for travel in the Hunters of Reloria trilogy. Kasper started to write on the urging of friends and family and enjoys watching readers become immersed in the magical world of Reloria. 

website: www.huntersofreloria.weebly.com

Categories Of Children Books

There are several different types of children book categories and sub-categories. The writing style and word count is different in each type of category. The following list is a general guideline of the categories, and these guidelines may vary by publisher.

Board books/ Toy books:  Ages newborn to 3 years. These books are for the youngest of listeners and are meant to engage their minds in learning with textures, pop ups, flaps, noise makers, and lively illustrations. The words in these books are more about the sound they make when spoken by the reader. These books can have one word or just a few words per page.

Toddler books/ Concept books: Ages 3 - 5 years. Introducing basic learning through shapes, colors, alphabets, animals, and people, these books have a stronger emphasis on the words than the previous category.  The images and interaction of the book are still the main focus for the child. These books average 200 - 300 words and are often in the form of the board book format.

Early picture books:  Ages 4 - 6 years. Often referred to as picture story books, these are books written to be read to preschool and kindergarten children. The words are still simple but more intriguing with their sounds.  The word count is between 200 - 1000 words with just a few lines per page and a simple plot. The color illustrations on every page are still the main focus for telling of the story. Pages vary as per content--usually less than 32 pages.

Picture books/Easy readers:  Ages 5 -7 years.  Early picture book are books written for children just starting to read on their own. These books have between 500- 1500 simple words (1000 words being the average) and have a stronger focus on an entertaining story through the story's action and dialogue. Color illustrations are still on every page or every other page. These books are usually 32 pages.

Early chapter books:  Age 6 - 9 or 7 - 10 years. The story is divided into chapter of 2 - 3 pages per chapter.  The plotting and characters become more complex than a picture book, but not too much that the child loses interest.  Theme and style of writing grab the child's attention. Most chapter books for this age group still include some illustrations, usually black and white, but not on every page. The word count can be up to 10,000 words and up to 65 pages.

Middle grade chapter books: Written for children 8 - 12 years of age, the characters and plotting of the story becomes more complex as the topics have a wider range and the writer has more leeway to include some narration and descriptive setting, introduce more characters, and add dramatic effects to the theme and style of writing.  Chapters are 3 -4 pages each with few illustrations or no illustrations. Kid get hooked on character at this stage of reading. Word count can be up to 20,000 words within 65 - 200 pages.

Young adult books: Often referred to as YA books or  juvenille novels, are written for readers 12 and up, 14 and up, and 17 - 18 years.Topics and language vary greatly. Most YA books have an adolescent protagonist where the focus is on plotting, character and setting, while theme and style often take second place. Plotting can have subplots with several major characters, although, one character should still emerge as the focus of the story. Harry Potter books are consider YA novels.

Whatever age group your intended audience, the main character of your story should be a little older than the intended audience.


Visit my author's website to learn more about my dragon books for children:
http://www.dragonsbook.com

copyright, Diane Mae Robinson, 2014

Free Teacher's Lesson Plan, Grade 4, L.A.

Award winning author, Diane Mae Robinson, has announced that a teacher's   lesson plan (elementary language arts) is now availalble for 'Sir Princess Petra'.  The lesson plan is available at no charge as a download from her website. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Teachers Lesson Plan (Elementary Language Arts)    Now Available From Award Winning Children's Book Author Diane Mae Robinson Robinson's multi-award winning work, 'Sir Princess Petra', teaches children valuable life lessons  through engaging fiction.  A no-cost teacher's lesson plan, developed by an elementary school teacher, about the book is now available. The general outcome of the lesson plan: students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences. Full News Release here: http://ow.ly/sSeQO Contact: Diane Mae Robinson http://www.dragonsbook.com robinsond@mcsnet.ca Teachers/Librarians page link:  http://www.dragonsbook.com/teachers-librarians.html Lesson plan link: http://www.dragonsbook.com/Sir_Princess_Petra's_Lesson_Plan.pdf-