I’ve got another great author on the site this morning – say hello to JoAnne Myers:

I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.

When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill’s Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. My original canvas paintings, can be found at: booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Other books by JoAnne:

“WICKED INTENTIONS” a paranormal/mystery anthology

“LOVES’, MYTHS’ AND MONSTERS’,” a fantasy anthology

“THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY,” a biography true-crime

“POEMS ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN”

“TWISTED LOVE,” a true-crime anthology

“FLAGITIOUS,”  a crime/mystery anthology

Contact JoAnne:

Email: joannemyers@frontier.com

Amazon Author Page: http://amazon.com/author/joannemyers

Facebook Author Page: http://facebook.com/authorpage.joannemyers

Website: Books and Paintings by JoAnne

http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

JoAnne’s Blogs:

Books and Paintings by JoAnne Blog: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com/page29

Jo Anne’s Blog: http://joannemyers.blogspot.com/

JoAnne’s WordPress Blog:

http://joannemyerswordpressblog.wordpress.com/

Jo Anne’s Postings: https://joannemyers.wordpress.com/

And here’s her book…

When two dismembered torsos wash up on the banks of the local river in the small industrial town of Pleasant Valley, residents are horrified. Between contradicting statements, police ineptitude, lust, lies, manipulation, incest, the motorcycle gang The Devil’s Disciples, crooked cops, and a botched crime scene, everyone becomes a suspect.

The young beautiful Jackie Reeves, a registered nurse, believes the killer is a man from her past. She contacts the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon. An arrest is made, but Harmon and Jackie believe an innocent man is being railroaded by local cops. How far will these lover’s go to solve this heinous crime before anymore killings. Determined to find the truth, Agent Harmon and Jackie are forced to run a gauntlet of deep trouble and turmoil, which marks them for death.

You can buy it at:

www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/MMF.html

Lulu Paperback:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/joanne-myers/murder-most-foul/paperback/product-21183493.html

Barnes & Noble Paperback:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/murder-most-foul-joanne-myers/1102906264?ean=9781612357201

And here’s an excerpt:

Unbeknown to the killer, his actions set off a chain of events that turned Pleasant Valley upside down, terrified some into moving elsewhere, and left everyone asking, “Why?”

Someone not living in the county, but also disturbed by the carnage was F.B.I Special Agent Walker Harmon, from Columbus. The type person capable of committing such savagery weighed heavily on the mind of the thirty-four year old bachelor who promptly contacted Sheriff Brown.

“It is imperative we meet and discuss my suspicions of Terry Jenkins,” Harmon urged.

“What the hell is goin’ on? What could you guys from Columbus have to say about Terry Jenkins?” Sheriff Brown asked angrily.

“Sheriff, I received a copy of the psychological profile performed by a State University Criminologist concerning the murders. The profile exactly matches Terry Jenkins.”

Snapping at the Federal Agent, the sheriff said. “I also received that psychological profile and, in my opinion, it fits a lot of people in this hick town, most especially Vernon James. I have my men on the case, and we’re gettin’ closer to solvin’ this crime.”

“Sheriff Brown!” Harmon beseeched. “We must join forces. Can you divulge the caliber of the bullets killing the victims?”

“No, I can not!” he said. “That information is privileged to only case personnel. I will not divulge it to anyone, not even a big city detective like you.” He then abruptly hung up on the agent.

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Today is the final stop on the Indie Lights Book Parade.  We’ve been meeting great indie authors all month, and this last stop is no exception.  Please welcome Stacy Claflin!

I love writing and reading a variety of genres. I’ve been writing and telling stories as long as I can remember. As a kid, my story telling would get me into trouble when I would try to convince other kids that my stories were real.

When I’m not busy writing, I spend a lot of time with my family. I run a preschool from home and homeschool my kids.

You can find me at: http://stacyclaflin.com/

You can also follow Stacy at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.claflin.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/growwithstacy

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/growwithstacy

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591338.Stacy_Claflin

Book Updates/Newsletter: http://bit.ly/10NrfMw

Her book is “Gone”

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O5GWMMY/

Macy Mercer only wants a little independence. Eager to prove herself grown up, she goes to a dark, secluded park. She’s supposed to meet the boy of her dreams who she met online. But the cute fifteen year old was a fantasy, his pictures fake. She finds herself face to face with Chester Woodran, a man capable of murder.

Distraught over his own missing daughter, Chester insists that Macy replace his lost girl. He locks Macy up, withholds food, and roughs her up, demanding that she call him dad. Under duress from his constant threats and mind games, her hold on reality starts to slip. Clinging to her memories is the only way of holding onto her true identity, not believing that she is Chester’s daughter. Otherwise she may never see her family again.

You can buy it, right now, on Amazon

We’ve got a great interview with Syacy…

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes. In Gone, the main character is a teenager who sneaks off to meet a boy she met online. After she meets him, Macy realizes that he isn’t who he pretended to be. It’s too late though, because she can’t get away.

She’s ripped away from her family and everything she loves. Though she struggles to get away, her captor has thought everything out thoroughly.

The message I want readers to get is that you should never meet with someone you met online alone. Be safe and smart about it. I also want parents who read this to realize how important it is to know what their kids are doing online.

How much of the book is realistic?

I tried to make it as realistic as possible. I read about several true kidnappings so that I had a good idea about what the captors did and how the kids felt. Even though it’s completely fictitious, I believe the events could happen in real life.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

It was somewhat emotionally traumatic writing about a girl being kidnapped. I actually had to take a month or two break from writing it because I was experience physical and emotional stress from writing and researching.

After my break, I was able to finish without any more issues. It’s a sensitive subject, so it makes sense that being so close to the subject matter would be upsetting. I think it would have been more concerning if I hadn’t reacted in some way.

What are your current projects?

I always have multiple projects going at any given time. I’m writing a story that is an offshoot of the Gone books. This one is about a side character who discovers that her life is in danger.

I’m also editing a book from another series. It’s a paranormal romance – quite different from my suspense novels!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I have a lot because I’ve learned so much as an author. A few of my top tips:

-Learn from successful authors. Follow their blogs, listen to their podcasts, join online groups, and do anything else you can to find out their secrets.

-Always educate yourself on the craft of writing. Ask for constructive criticism, read blogs and books on the topic, join critique groups…use your imagination!

-Treat it like a profession even if you have a day job. If you act like it’s only a hobby, that’s all it will ever be. I consider it my second job, and treat it as such.

What book are you reading now?

I just finished reading The Fault In Our Stars. It’s time to pick up something from my large to-be-read pile!

And finally, Stacy has provided us with an excerpt from the book…

Sitting in his warm truck across from the park, Chester Woodran watched her walk across the open field. An overhead light turned on as she passed under it in the dusk. Her long, dark hair swished back and forth behind her. She wandered around the playground, walking between the climbers and slides until she stopped in front of the swings.

He had spent hours watching her. Studying her. He knew her almost better than she knew herself.

The moment of truth would arrive soon. She’d come a few minutes early, but he wouldn’t deviate from the schedule. He would act exactly on time. He’d laid the groundwork. He wasn’t going to let her change a thing.

Chester pulled out his phone and scrolled through the pictures, stopping at his favorite. It was the girl in the park for sure, although he couldn’t see the details of her face up close yet. He would have to wait a few minutes.

From the phone, her light brown eyes shone at him. Her shy, almost insecure face smiled sweetly.

His heart sped up at the thought of many weeks of work coming together at long last. The waiting was about to end.

Clenching the steering wheel with all his might, he took several deep breaths to calm himself. Every precaution had been taken. Prepared with painstaking care. There was no chance of anything going wrong so long as he stayed with the plan.

The alarm on his digital wristwatch beeped. He turned it off and then leaned back into the seat, adjusting his over-sized glasses.

It was time.

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It’s time for another stop on the Indie Lights Book Parade.  Please welcome Lisa Buie-Collard!

I am a writer, mother, wife, sister, and daughter. I’ve been a server, dental assistant, teacher, journalist, and gardener. I love to travel and speak French. I’m from north Florida, but now abide in Georgia. I write full time and have completed six novels. Writing is life, life is writing…

Follow Lisa all over the Interwebs…

http://celticadlx.blogspot.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5081429.Lisa_Buie_Collard

https://twitter.com/#!/

https://www.amazon.com/author/lisabuiecollard

Here’s her book…

When a young writer is kidnapped by a man who can’t be seen, her only hope of escape rests on the one London cop who believes in ghosts.

On a cold, white, before-Christmas day, an assassin completes a job only to be pursued by police. Dodging through crowded city streets, the assassin nabs a young woman for cover.

Celia Wight, a reclusive American writer is shopping between engagements during a book tour. When a knife is pressed against her back, she loses her tenuous grasp on her carefully controlled existence.

Assigned to the homicide case, Detective Alban Thain, of the Metropolitan Police, suspects an assassin he calls the Wraith. The problem is, only Thain believes the assassin exists. Disregarding the consequences, Thain, who is the only one who believes there is a connection between the murder and the kidnapping, will do whatever it takes to exploit the Wraith’s first and only mistake: the kidnapping of an innocent bystander—if she is innocent.

You can buy it on Amazon

Here’s an excerpt from the book…

Daybreak would come too soon, if the storm didn’t swallow it. “You will go first. Don’t walk on the ledge. Lean in toward the building and ignore those poor excuses for railing,” he said to her. “I’ll be right behind you, and don’t look down. From up here the landing would be unkind.”

“I don’t want to go out there.”

“I know. But we have no choice. Now, go now.”

She scooted out the window, turned to face him, and stretched her feet to find the foot space inside the ledge. He held her arms as she clung to the windowsill until she said, “I found it.” Her voice wavered, but she didn’t panic.

He guided her to one side, before he twisted out and down, finding the thin space easily.

“There’s nothing to hold on to,” she said. This time her voice shook, and she reached for one of the feeble railings.

“Don’t touch the railing. Lean in toward the building.”

“I can’t do this!’

“Yes, you can.” He moved beside her and shifted until his arm encircled her back. They made it to the next window without having to climb a security wall, but this was a large building and he knew what it would take, on his own, to get to the edge of it. She had flattened herself and continued inching along. He tried not to hurry her as they moved across the cold and clammy all-but-vertical roof tiles, on their toes in the slight indent given them. The front of his jeans soon stiffened with damp, and the ground was a long way off. They had to make it to the end of the building. There, he knew a way down to the one-story shops fronting Kennington Lane. No other option existed. Escape was a given.

They hit the first divider. “We have to get over the security wall,” he told her.

“I can’t!”

“I will push you up.” He balanced himself and pulled off his coat.

“No, we can’t do this, we’ll fall.”

He took her chin in hand and stared through the dark at her. “We will do this. There is no other way.”

“Leave me. Leave me and I won’t say anything.”

“I’ll not leave you up here alone. I’ll get you to safety, but you must do as I tell you. All right?”

“No.”

“Do as I say anyway.”

She did. His plan worked more or less perfectly, and when they made it over the second one her movements became more confident.

They passed the fourth divider before he heard the helicopters. He glanced at the clouds overhead. Where was that snow? Hell, he’d be happy for rain. Beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that. Staring at her short-cropped head of hair in front of him, and knowing they had at least one more wall, he made a decision. “Let me by. We must make that wall before the ’copters arrive.”

She flattened herself as best she could. He stepped around her, holding his breath, not looking toward the ground. Ignoring all the space to his right, he raced to the partition and turned, his hand outstretched to help her.

She stood right where he’d left her, wild-eyed and stiff, as if turned to stone. The ’copters sounded louder, closer. He guessed that in less than a minute, bright searchlights would pin them, like dead moths on a collector’s board. He couldn’t leave her to tell all, and he couldn’t kill her from this distance. He’d counted on her confusion, her trepidation at the height and slant of the roof. The instant he started toward her, she twisted away, trying to head back the way they’d come. Perhaps because of the policemen below, her fear of him seemed greater than her fear of her precarious position. Damn her fear, or was it bravery? He knew what would happen, and it did. In her haste, she teetered off balance, and grabbed for the flimsy pipe rail. It gave instantly, bending under her slight weight, and over she went.

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It’s time for today’s stop on the Indie Lights Book Parade!  Please say hello to Cynthia Enuton…

Cynthia grew up in Maryland and received a BA degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland (UMBC). She worked at a State facility for severe emotionally challenged adolescents for over 13 years. Cynthia currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida, as a children/YA author and travels with one of her Fur Angels, Augie Dog, to book signings of the Fur Angel Series.

Websites:    http://www.FurAngelSeries.com

http://www.Gooberella.com

facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Gooberella

http://www.facebook.com/FurAngels

Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/gooberella

Blog           http://www.gooberella.blogspot.com

Amazon:     http://www.amazon.com/author/clenuton

The Fur Angel Series:

Angel in a Fur Coat (first book in the series) begins in a faraway place where angels are trading their wings and halos for fur coats to be born on earth as dogs. First, they must learn what it means to be a dog, so they go to school. They learn about dog breeds and various dog jobs, and after graduation they get their fur coat and are born to find the person they were made for.

Now, as Fur Angels on earth, Legend of the Pink Toe explores the wonderful world of dogs through the eyes of one special little angel who bears the mark of a legend…a pink little toe.

The legend is unleashed in Wayward Angels when fifteen-year-old Rebecca is pulled into the fantastical world of Fur Angels by her roommate, eleven-year-old Tanisha, who believes in fairytales and Angel in a Fur Coat is her favorite book. Life isn’t easy for the students of Tikkun Olam, a facility for troubled kids also known as the crazy kids. But with the help of therapy, friendship, and a little therapy dog, Peanut, maybe a fairytale ending isn’t all that impossible.

Dolittleology dives deeper into the phenomena of human and animal communications.  When fourteen-year-old Billy Cohen claims to talk with his Pug named Stimpy, he is admitted to the Tikkun Olam Institute. Once a psychiatric treatment facility for kids, but things aren’t what they appear to be. Billy discovers secrets hidden inside its walls and within the subconscious of his mind.

And here’s a guest post from Cynthia…

Every author’s dream is to publish a book and have it fly off the shelves. Promotion gives your book wings to fly. With millions of books to choose from, how do I get people to pick my book ─ or even see my book? That seems to be a common question among authors.

I begin with my website. Right now I have two sites that are linked to one another. My book site: www.FurAngelSeries.com and my fun, everything-else site: www.Gooberella.com

I envision my websites as a tree trunk where all my treasures are waiting to be discovered. I try to keep my sites simple. Book covers are displayed with a short blurb and a buy button that takes you to Amazon.

Each social media outlet I use is a branch of my website (tree) that reaches out to people all over the world. Every promotion I do leads back to my website. I try to make my branches fun and creative. Something people can relate to, makes them smile and laugh. I’ve designed my tree branches to fit my writing genre which is the fantastical world of talking- dogs. Yes, my tree is colorful, magical, and a little nutty and so are my branches.

My first branch is Facebook, and the groups I subscribe to are filled with talking-dogs, dog photos, contests, and a lot of caring people with a love of dogs. My dogs are known as the 3 Goobers. They support dog related charities, auctions with donations of autographed books, as well as host their own dog photo contests where the winners win…you guessed it…signed books.

Other branches are, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I always carry a camera with me and post at least two pictures a day on these outlets followed by a link to my website. Remember, all things posted should lead back to your website.

My nuttier branches are Fiverr, www.Fiverr.com/gooberella where I make talking-dog videos for $5.00 and Youtube, www.youtube.com/xiagooberella where I post the videos.

Anything related to your writings that could branch off and lead back to your books is a form of promotion. I also sell art work of my books illustrations on a site called society6, www.society6.com/gooberella. They put my illustrations onto shirts, pillows, bed covers, rugs, shower curtains…basically just about anything. And once again, everything leads back to my main book website.

As far as sales go, Amazon is my biggest outlet. It allows me to share my books all over the world. They have many promotional options for authors. If used in conjunction with independently operated promotional sites, authors can gain good exposure.

And finally, book signings. I love going to schools to give book presentations. It’s fun talking to students about my books, writing techniques, the publishing process, and playing my talking dog videos. The kids love them. Book festivals and book store signings are more for author interaction rather than sales. Festivals usually charge a pricey booth-space fee, and bookstores take up to 50% or more of sales. But it’s always fun talking with customers and autographing books to them and their dogs.

Book promotions can be hard and tedious but with a little creativity and thinking outside the box it can be a fun adventure.

 

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Emily grew up in small town in Wisconsin as the daughter of the local pastor. When her job was over as an teacher’s assistant she sets out to leave her town and her family. She wants to find herself and break away from the cookie cutter mold of the town. So she did what she thought was right…She moves twenty-five hundred miles away to Arizona.

Xander is the single father to a 5 year old little girl. After her mother left, Xander swears off any kind of a relationship. Xander only has four cares: his daughter, his family, his friends and his motorcycle. He refuses to let anyone get near him or his daughter ever again.

When Emily and Xander meet it’s something that neither one were expecting. The attraction is undeniable, but with Xander refusing to let anyone close, Emily decides to offer him a deal he’d be crazy to refuse.

Sometimes those that don’t make sense, actually make perfect sense.

Right Kind Of Wrong. Shelly Jones © copyright 2015

https://www.goodreads.com/shellyjonesauthor

We get to what I hope is the last bar of the night. This bar is smaller, kind of like the ones back home. Out front there’s couple of guys on motorcycles talking and smoking. We get out of the truck, I look up to see where we’re going and I make eye contact with one of the guys for a couple of seconds. The grin he gives me is sexy, yet cocky. Of course my fucking face warms and turns red, he must have noticed because I heard a chuckle come from him.

“Come on, let’s get you something to drink!” Mel wraps her arm around me and leads me inside. There’s not very many people in this bar, which makes me happy. There’s music coming from the jukebox, it’s not country music, but I know this song, it’s “When I Come Around” By Green Day, this song was played a lot at parties back home. We find a table in the back and the guys go get us drinks. Mel grabs the darts, puts quarters in the dart board and we play darts.

A few songs have played, mostly rock, but when the jukebox starts to play “Porn Star Dancing” by My Darkest Days and Zakk Wylde, My skin starts to crawl, “Ugh, I hate this song!!” I say out loud.

“Let’s go put money in that bitch and pay back the bastard back!” Mel says and we start laughing. We walk over to the jukebox and put money in choose our song, “Kiss You” by One Direction. “That’ll teach the fucker!” Mel says.

Mel, Lucy and I start dancing by the table, singing along with the song. I start scanning the bar and notice it’s more of an older crowd in here, but I keep scanning when my eyes connect with the same eyes that met me when we got here. He gives me that same cocky ass smile. My stomach does flips and I’m ready to throw up. Him and his buddies start to walk towards us. His eyes never leave mine. When he walks past me, he winks at me and walks over by the pool table.

  

Fuck, this guy is hot, he’s tall, 6’0” at least, and he’s wearing a white t-shirt, baggy blue jeans and converse shoes. His t-shirt hugs his body showing off his muscular build. He has tattoos going up both arms.  He’s wearing a black baseball cap turned backwards, but I can tell his hair is dark brown, but fuck his eyes though, I could get lost in those dark brown eyes. There’s mystery in his eyes, but yet you can tell he knows he could have any girl he wanted.  He’s not my type but he’s hot as fuck, there’s no denying that.

“Damn it Emily, snap out of it! Ain’t gonna happen!” I say to myself.

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It’s time for another stop on the Indie Lights book Parade!  Meet Jamie White!

Jamie White is a music addict, book lover, pet servant & NaNoWriMo survivor. When she’s not busy writing blog posts, she’s taking pictures and spending time with her husband and pets. She released Stains on the Soul and Clutter via Pagan Writers Press in 2013. Stains 2 is set to release February 2015.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus | Pintrest | Amazon Page

Her book is “Stains on the Soul”

It’s her last summer before going away to college and Fiona finds herself facing more than she bargained for: A boyfriend she doesn’t want who has a strange hold over her, a friend pushing her to expand her boundaries, and a new guy named Ted whose presence is more than a distraction.

If that isn’t enough, Fiona is being haunted with horrifying nightmares of burning at the stake—nightmares so real, she feels as though she’s losing her mid.

Are they only dreams, or are they trying to warn her about this new guy she can’t help but want?

You can buy it on Amazon:

And here’s a guest post from the point of view of the heroine of “Stains”, Fiona…

“The Dream”

I feel like I’m losing it. Every time I go to sleep, it’s the same thing: I wake up in a cold sweat with all kinds of horrible images fresh in my mind. I’ve been walking around like a zombie and trying not to let anyone know just how exhausted I am, and all because of these dreams.

There’s a girl about to burn at the stake. She looks terrified and I know it’s not just the fact she’s about to die. She’s terrified of what she sees before the men come and light the kindling beneath her. No… actually, I think she looks more sad than anything.

It makes me think of him, and I don’t know why. He’s new is town and he’s been coming on to me. He’s cute, so I really shouldn’t mind but there’s something about him that makes me uncomfortable. I think part of it is the fact I like him too much and I shouldn’t. I’m technically seeing someone, and I’m about to go off to college soon. Why should I bother getting mixed up with someone else? Especially someone who makes my skin crawl.

Every time I see him, I can’t breathe and sometimes I think of that girl in my dreams. She looks so sad, like she wants to tell me something important.

I told you I was losing it.

Jamie White is a music addict, book lover, pet servant & NaNoWriMo survivor. When she’s not busy writing blog posts, she’s taking pictures and spending time with her husband and pets. She released Stains on the Soul and Clutter via Pagan Writers Press in 2013. Stains 2 is set to release February 2015.

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Another day, another stop on the indie Lights Book Parade.  Today we welcome Leslie Halpern:

Award-winning poet Leslie C. Halpern has a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts and Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. In addition to children’s books, she writes nonfiction books about the entertainment industry for adults, and reviews books and movies for several online publications. Find out more about her at www.LeslieHalpern.com and www.facebook.com/LeslieCHalpern.

She’s a children’s author, and she’s got a guest post for us on that subject:

Six Things I Learned From Writing Children’s Books

By Leslie C. Halpern

1. Humor is less subjective with children than with adults.

Body functions, body parts, vegetables, animals behaving like humans, kids knowing more than adults, and anything that stinks usually get laughs from children. While adults have a lifetime of teachers, parents, and partners censoring their humor, young children know what amuses them and have no qualms about laughing out loud. The trick is finding the balance where the subject matter is funny enough to interest young children while still teaching them some kind of lesson. Adults sometimes lose themselves in funny children’s books as they let their “inner child” giggle along with the kids.

2. Children don’t fear poetry, parents do.

When parents don’t expose their children to age-appropriate poetry while they’re young, they miss the opportunity to develop life-long poetry lovers. If the poetry is too advanced or too serious for early readers, or the parents project their own lack of appreciation for poetry, they doom their children to a

built-in prejudice against one of the most creative forms of written expression. Many people fear poems because they don’t understand them, and therefore feel dumb when they can’t speak the language of poetry. Learning about rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, simile, and other literary devices at an early age will give children an advantage throughout their entire lives.

3. Reading challenges must be age-appropriate to build self-esteem.

Parents and authors share the responsibility on this one. Books should clearly state the reading level on the cover, and parents and teachers need to direct children to age-appropriate books. As the writer, use mostly familiar words, although it’s fine to challenge readers a little if the context helps define the word. Include a glossary in the back if the book includes several words that might be unfamiliar. Reading ability in children varies greatly depending upon their exposure to books, parental support, and language skills. As the parent or teacher, be aware of the level at which the child is reading and find subject matter, writing style, and artwork that make the readers stretch a little to help build self-esteem. If the material is too advanced for the reader, they feel frustrated; if the material is too basic, they grow bored. That’s why age-appropriate (emotional age, intellectual age, and chronological age) are so important with your readers. 

4.. Gadgets, toys, and musical instruments bring poetry alive for children.

I include many literary devices, such as onamonapia, rhyme, and alliteration in my poetry for children (ages 5-9), and take full advantage of these when reading poetry aloud for an audience. However, even with an animated voice and colorful pictures, my readings and other presentations are often enhanced by props. For example, in Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub: Funny Children’s Poems About Self-Image, several of the poems and illustrations include yellow rubber ducks. I include a variety of ducks when I read from this book including wind-ups, pull-strings, squeakers, and quackers that never fail to elicit giggles from the audience.

5. Artwork is often more important than the text.

As a writer, it hurts to say this, but the graphic design and artwork are the primary motivators when people buy children’s books. No matter how much they like the subject matter and text, if the artwork isn’t fun, colorful, or interesting, people don’t buy the book for children. Illustrations need not be masterful; it’s a question of reader engagement rather than artistic skill. Unless you have the ability to write and illustrate, hire an artist to provide illustrations that will capture children’s imaginations and make them curious about the text.

6. Don’t stereotype your customers.

When I first starting writing the Funny Children’s Poems book series, I assumed the primary market would be 20-something parents and 50-something grandparents shopping for young children. I soon learned people in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s sometimes have young children, and grandparents also come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. In addition, aunts, uncles, cousins, godparents, brothers, sisters, friends, and teachers buy children’s books. Other people who might be interested in buying (or displaying free copies) include doctors, dentists, child psychologists, and other professionals who have children visiting their waiting rooms.

And here are her books!

Award-winning poet Leslie C. Halpern wrote her Funny Children’s Poems book series to educate and entertain early readers, ages 5-9. The series includes Frogs, Hogs, Puppy Dogs: Funny Children’s Poems About Animal Friends (2014), Shakes, Cakes, Frosted Flakes: Funny Children’s Poems About Table Manners (2013), and Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub: Funny Children’s Poems About Self-Image (2012), all published by Cricket Cottage Publishing and illustrated with whimsical watercolor paintings by Oral Nussbaum. Told from a child’s perspective, Frogs, Hogs, Puppy Dogs takes a light-hearted look at our relationships with house pets and zoo animals; Shakes, Cakes, Frosted Flakes humorously studies eating habits, nutrition, and etiquette; and Rub, Scrub, Clean the Tub provides a child’s distorted view of personal hygiene, interpersonal relationships, and self-image. All three books in the Funny Children’s Poems series include parent-teacher resource pages with challenging questions, fun games, and glossaries of unfamiliar words. Find Leslie’s children’s books and adult nonfiction books about the entertainment industry at www.Amazon.com , on her website at www.LeslieHalpern.com, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/funnychildrenspoems.

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Please welcome another great indie author to the site today – Andrea Cooper:

Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn’t until she was in her late twenties that she wrote novels.

Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories, until she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).

She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaRCooper.author

Blog: http://andrearcooperauthorblog.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaRCooper

And her book is “Stolen Hearts”

She stole a cop’s heart… will this thief pay for her crimes?

Crystal has spent her entire life training to be a thief in order to find evidence against the man who had her parents murdered. In her pursuit of justice she’s had to give up her identity, her name, and any chance at love. When Crystal is forced on a blind date with the cop who is investigating her, she plays a dangerous game of hearts that could land her in a prison cell.

Kade is in search of a new life, after losing his partner. He’s taken a new job, in a new city, and met a new girl. In order to keep his fresh start, he will have to catch an elusive thief targeting one of the largest corporations in the country. Desperate to forget the failures of his past, Kade has no intention of failing.

But secrets can’t be hidden forever.

 You can buy it on Amazon, right now!

Here’s an excerpt:

“And what about Kade? He saw me.” Her gut told her there was something more to him than what he and Paul told them.

She had seen Paul’s car parked in the street and thought nothing of it. Since Ruby was dating him, she’d already snooped through his files and they knew he was investigating their thefts. Crystal wanted her sister to breakup with him as soon as they found out, but her sister refused, saying she could use her connection to find out where the police were on the case. When Kade rushed out after Crystal in the rain, she ducked behind the house. Thankfully, she was able to signal to her sister and dashed inside while Paul wrestled with the downstairs bathroom sink faucet Ruby yanked off to distract him.

Of course, Kade must have assumed she was an intruder. As a thief in the case Paul was trying to solve it would not bode well for her to be caught in her black outfit with Westridge’s Financial Advisor’s data and jewels in their possession. Eventually, once they collected all the records everyone would know the truth, including Kade and Paul. No more sneaking around.

Paul would not be happy when he discovered they were the criminals behind this case. Nor would he appreciate their involvement with George and Gustin: both thieves and convicts. The Uncle’s past as thieves, whatever else they had done but refused to share with the sisters, and the years they spent in prison would not help their case. Even though they weren’t family, the Uncles had taken them in and raised them as their own daughters.

Uncle George and Gustin always had someone watching over them. Tommy, as a young teen, had discovered carbon monoxide filling their house—and they suspected Westridge was behind it.

Maybe Tommy was outside somewhere keeping an eye on them right now. When she was younger, she was comforted by the thought of a big brother type looking after her and her fraternal twin. At this moment, with all their preparation and age, it felt like the Uncles didn’t trust them to do the job they were trained for.

Ruby checked her eyeliner in the mirror, smearing a stray harsh line. “Then you must help Kade focus on something else. I see the way you two ogled each other.” She rummaged through a drawer and slathered on red lipstick. “Either get him off our backs or our Uncles will take care of him for you.”

And I’ve also got a great interview with Andrea…

Who is your favorite author?

Just one? I have so many…My two newest favorite authors are T.F. Walsh and Tmonique Stephens

How do you describe your writing style?

I had to ask readers for help answering this one: Poetic at times, some have said that my writing is deep because of foreshadowing and connections that might not be noticed if reading quickly.
Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book?

Because I create captivating heroines who, in one way or another, are warriors or become one. And that love is magical in all it’s forms.

Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself?

Pieces of me are in all my characters. Probably the closest is Beth in a YA Fantasy novel I completed writing last month.

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why?

Tough question… probably Mirhana from Son of Dragons Book 2 Legends of Oblivion because she knows how to fight and since she’s Elvin, weaves magic as well.

What books have most influenced your life?

The Sword of Truth series, Hallows series, Black Jewels series to name a few. Sad to say, I didn’t read George R.R. Martin or Tolkien until after I wrote my first three fantasy novels—even though some readers have compared my writing and stories to them—for which, I’m honored.

If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why?

Any of the George R.R. Martin books. Why? Because I wouldn’t kill off so many characters – at least half would stay alive. LOL

Beatles or Monkees? Why?

Monkees – they were more upbeat and I used to watch re-runs of their TV show. Got the walk down pat J

Who should play you in a film of your life?

Rena Sofer. She has similar coloring to me and we both have green eyes!

(James’ note: great choice!  I loved her back when she was on “General Hospital” back in the early 90’s)

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