Let's Talk Holiday Traditions

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it was a wonderful day with so many things to be thankful for. My family and friends are just the best. I have a full time job that puts food on my table and pays the bills. Plus, I get to illustrate and write children’s books which is a joy of mine. I have completed Into the Ocean which is my first children’s chapter book. I got my paperback proof last week and it was so exciting holding the final product which I’ve spent so much time creating. It is available on Amazon in e-book and paperback form now!  https://tinyurl.com/yd9tkdul

 

 

Christmas is quickly approaching; my decorations and tree are up and shopping has begun. Do you have any holiday traditions that you do every year? A special ornament(s) you put on your tree, a sweet treat you only make during December, a favorite carol you love to sing?

These are a few of my favorite things 🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶

 

 
 
 

 

 

Feel like sharing one of your Christmas traditions? You may leave a comment here or on my Facebook page. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Check out these other wonderful authors and learn some of their holiday traditions. ⛄🎅🎁

#gr8blog

 

Cat Michaels ⛄🎄

Sandra Bennett 🎅🎁 

 

K. Lamb 🎀🎄

 

James Milson 🚃🎀

 

Rosie Russell 🎅🎁

 

🎅🎄🎁🎀⛄❄

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Release!!

It's finally here! My latest book, Into the Ocean, is out now! This book is my first children's chapter book and I'm so excited for you to read it. It is available in e-book form right now with the paperback version coming soon. Read more to learn more about it.

Join GW on an undersea tour. My new release, Into the Ocean, is a fun, educational book that takes you and your children on a submarine voyage into our world's ...oceans with tour guide, GW (the friendliest shark you'll ever meet). Discover some of the amazing marine animals that call the sea their home and other fantastic ocean facts during your tour. Along the way, GW will entertain you with all of his ocean knowledge and silly jokes. Very silly jokes.

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/ybmthrvu

 

 

 

Want to learn a little more about me? Check out my interview on Books by Rose. http://booksbyrose.com/featured-authors-and-artists.html  

 

I will also be on podcast next week. Join me on my Facebook Page or Twitter @AuthorRLyndsey for more details and links for that.  Happy November!

 

Happy Fall!

October?? Already? When did that happen? Haha! Been a long beginning of the school year but things are finally starting to calm down and a routine is becoming the norm. I have been able to get some illustrations done….all of them in fact. 😁 So now I’m working on the cover and then it’s finishing up the formatting. I’m hoping to have it published on Amazon by November. Into the Ocean will be my first kids chapter book for early readers. This book explores our world’s oceans and the sea life that calls it home. I will be posting more about it later, on my Facebook page so make sure to follow me.

Are you a fall fan? I’m sad to see the warm temperatures slowly fade away but I love Halloween and Thanksgiving, then Christmas and snow isn’t far away. One of my favorite things about Halloween is creating Halloween decorations in my classroom for our big school event. Love to draw? You should check out harptoons.com for some fantastic how-to draw videos and books by Steve Harpster. My students are having a blast! The decorations this year are going to be Spooktacular! What is your favorite thing about fall?

 

Time to get back to my cover design! So excited! Can't wait to share!

 

Happy Book Lover's Day!

Are you a book lover like me? I not only love to write books, I love to read them! Children's books, YA, contemporary romance, paranormal, mystery, and everything in between. Hahaha

In honor of Book Lovers' Day on 9 August, my amazing author pals and I are having fun this week by sharing all the ways we adore reading with the #BookLuvHop.

Visit the awesome bloggers listed at the end of this post who share their libre passion.

So do you have a favorite book, book memory or favorite author? I have many! Does that surprise you? Haha I always had many books growing up. My dad loves to read, as do both my sisters and step-mom. Now my dad on one hand loves thrillers, but my brain likes to take those books and turn them into vivid dreams so I stay away from them....mostly. 😉  Have to say, Harry Potter is one of my all time favorites! Along with the Magic Tree House books, Junie B Jones, Goosebumps and I could go on and on. If you enjoy paranormal books filled with romance, humor, and drama then you need to check out Ann Charles and her Deadwood series. In fact, you can't go wrong with any one of her books. She is an amazing writer!

I love to bring my passion for books into my classroom. My position is art and technology. There are so many wonderful ways to combine art and books. I will often read a story to my students, discuss it along with the illustrations and then have them create their own piece inspired by that book. Deep Space Sparkle has many author/art projects if you want to learn more ways to do this.

I get asked numerous times if my students know I am an author and illustrator and the answer is Yes. I have a copy of one of my books, Imagination Destination, in my classroom as well as the school library.  I haven't created an art project to go along with my books but maybe that is something I will do in this coming school year. I might even see if I can work some of my wonderful author pals into projects as well. Possibly even asking them to Skype with a couple of my classes.

Summer break is about over and yes I want to cry. I have accomplished a lot but not as much as I really wanted to. I did get my new children's book written! I've sent it out to a few friends to get input and so far, so good. I do believe this book will be classified as an Early Reader Chapter book. I still need to decide on illustrations and learn how to format it but I am excited for its release. I am going to try to get it published before Christmas.

If you're looking for a new children's book right now, you really should check out Cat Michaels and Rhonda Pagila's new releases on Amazon. Cat's link can be found below.

Thanks for visiting. Hope you've enjoyed learning a little bit more about my book love. Please visit these awesome bloggers next, who will inspire you and make you smile with more book loving in the #BookLuvHop  #Gr8Blogs

 Enjoy the day and the rest of summer! ☀

Carmela Dutra
A Blog for Your Thoughts


Cat Michaels

Cat's Corner

James Milson  

 

Julie Gorges

K. Lamb


Rosie Russell

It's Been a While

Sorry that it's been a while since my last post.  I love to write, but blogging just isn't something I think about a lot so I tend to forget.  Anyway, it is officially summer!! I have never been so thankful. I am enjoying it as much as possible.  My husband and I went on a vacation to Tennessee and had a blast!  I have been spending my time at home reading, painting, and writing.  There is even some house cleaning and organizing going on since my magic wand is on the fritz. Anyone know of a good wand repairer? 😉

I am really close to having my next children's book written.  This one though has had a mind of it's own so I don't think I am going to publish this one as a picture book but as a chapter book, with a few  illustrations thrown in.  I mean come on, I cannot create a book and not create the illustrations that go with it.  As I'm writing it, the images just pop in my head.  I am going to have to be more creative this time because I am going to try to keep the images in black and white with possibly a little color mixed in in order to keep the cost of the book down and the file small.  My love of marine life is the inspiration for this book.  I will reveal more as the project progresses. 

The Fourth of July is in just a few days.  What all do you do to celebrate?  You can comment on my FB author page. Here you can also see some of my latest artwork, if you're interested. I tried to get the comment section here working but for some reason I had no luck.  Guess it wasn't meant to be.  I'm hoping my sisters get to make it in this holiday.  We always like to have a picnic together, then head on out to watch the fireworks display and back home to sit around the fire pit.  It's a day to remember how lucky we are, and to give thanks to those who fought and are still fighting for our independence.  

Okay, well that is the end for this time.  Those dishes are not going to wash themselves, and that book I'm reading isn't going to read itself....hmmmm choices....choices. Hahahaha 

Happy Summer and Happy Independence Day!  Hope to hear from ya on my fb page.  

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

 Have you ever heard the saying "In like a lion, out like a lamb." to describe the month of March?  Well for us here in West Virginia and in many other states, March is definitely living up to the first part of that saying this year.  I am a fan of thunderstorms as long as they don't bring a lot of destruction with them but today it brought in a lot of damage to some places.  I wonder if this is a preview of what's to come this spring? Hoping everyone is safe in these lines of severe storms. 

Soooo enough about the weather.  What is your favorite thing about spring? The warm weather, flowers blooming, opening house windows and letting the breeze in?  For me, it is opening the windows, spring storms and Dr. Seuss's birthday! I know his stories can be so silly but there are some great messages in them as well. I love Dr. Seuss and this day gives me an excuse to play fun and silly games and read some amazing books to my classes.  I've been searching on Pinterest for some new ideas and I found a few.  I can't wait to play Dr. Seuss charades tomorrow and see all the kids dressed up as their favorite character. Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss book or game/activity you like?  Care to share? I have enabled my comments section for my blog just for this post and I will see if I want to keep it open in the future.  March 2nd is also Read to Me Day so please take advantage of it and read to a child or make some free time to read yourself.  You could even make every day Read to Me Day. That's what I do. ;) You can read in bed, while standing on your head. You can read in the tub or even while sitting in the mud.  Okay, I've been looking at Dr. Seuss ideas for way to long so that is my cue to bid adieu.  Happy March! 

A New Year Has Begun

Christmas and New Years Eve has come and gone for 2016 and we say hello to 2017.  Are you one to make resolutions?  Do you take the time to reflect on things and make goals for yourself?  Maybe just make al ist of things you want to do this year?  I am not one to sit down and make resolutions but I do try to make goals for myself and make plans for things I want to do or places I would like to go.   This year though, I've been thinking a lot about possibly taking a course or two to help make a career change.  Lots of doubt float through my mind as of how to do this, or what classes to take.  It will come to me eventually though. 

 Another item that has been on my mind is book ideas current books in the works.  Hopefully I will have time to work on them this year.  Fingers crossed!! What do you think the hardest thing about being an author if you are one?  For me it is the marketing.  Finding time and money for promotion is an ongoing battle.  Getting reviews is also an obstacle. If you have read any of my books, especially Bullies? No Worries? and you enjoyed it, please leave it a review.  Reviews are golden and help an authors book get promoted.  Want to read one of my books?  You can find them on my Amazon page. 

What is something you love to do?  I love to paint and I plan on spending more time on that this year.  I would like to learn some new techniques and possibly start selling some of my art.  It's an exciting dream.  Do you have any youtube artists with how to videos you recommend or artwork you would like to share?  If you do find me on my FB author page, I'd love to hear from you.  One of my favorites is Mark Waller, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH8xAeu6njY  Also check out Painted With Love by Lisa on Facebook.  She has some beautiful paintings and is a wonderful inspiration.  This is one of my latest paintings: 

It has been a very long week at work.  I think I am in need of some art therapy.  

Happy 2017 everyone!