Michele Paiva interviewed Author Jeff Yosick and posted these comments on her website:
Children's author and poet, Jeff Yosick
I realized during this show, that not only do many authors have a humanitarian purpose but that some authors, such as Jeff Yosick, probably have a high spiritual purpose while living on this earth.
Yosick, a husband and father of three, brings to our children (and adults), books that help them process struggles and challenges all too frequently experienced in our society, such as cancer, illness, parents going to war, and the awareness that not all individuals wake up with a roof over their head and food to eat.
Yosick is available to travel to Canada and the USA this upcoming year (other international engagements will be considered), to visit organizations, schools, churches and so on - he is not only an author but an inspirational speaking, helping children become equipped with the tools to filter and process challenges.
Blog: http://jyosick.blogspot.com
Books can be found at www.rainbooks.com or www.amazon.com or www.target.com
If you are a parent or listener who would like to take a letter to your school or organization for Jeff to speak, please cut and paste the
following:
***
Dear (insert name of principal or leader of organization),
An inspirational children's author is available to speak at our organization. He is based out of Ohio and has books that help children sort through challenges that they will inevitably encounter directly or indirectly.
We would like to contact him to visit our organization; please advise to what month and date we may be able to offer this opportunity to parents and children in our community, and serve as the host to this speaker.
Kindest,
(insert your name)
Realizing What is Important to You
Realizing What Is Important to You…
Only Takes One Phone Call
By Krissy Brady
I am best known for my hectic schedule—long work days, hoards of paperwork, more e-mails than time to reply. It’s what a career is all about. Sometimes I am questioned: “Are you sure this is really what you want to do? Are you sure you’re not taking on too much?” Of course this is what I want to do, and of course I am taking on too much—why would I want it any other way? It seems, at least in my case recently, that it doesn’t matter how well I manage my work/social balance, I still end up with someone looking at me with their head tilted to the side in concern. I know it is meant to show good intentions, and to help me keep things in perspective, but it ends up making me feel isolated, as if my hectic lifestyle is wrong. I am looked at from a perspective that I cannot relate to, and choose not to. I have a balance that works for me, and I have nothing to apologize for, yet for some reason it is assumed that I should.
My personality has always been fast-paced—I always want to gain as much of an experience as I can from the opportunities I am given. I do not take my work lightly, but at the same time do not pressure myself to be perfect. I enjoy what I do, and the reason why I am able to work long hours is because my work feels natural to me.
As well as my writing, I enjoy contributing to the writing industry through a non-profit organization called the FREZE Artist Help Center, which helps artists/writers/musicians make the necessary connections to succeed. We had a fantastic phone conference recently, which has helped me to put my life into perspective more than any look of concern I have ever received.
Here we were: me in Ontario, Miko in Georgia, Erika in California, and Angela in New York, all talking about what was important to us: the artists accepted into the 2006 FREZE program, our families, our friends, and of course our very hectic work schedules. The conference call helped me to realize that I am not the only one who seemingly cares too much about the “starving artist” industry and the welfare of those in it, and that feelings of isolation were no longer an option—I really do belong.
About Krissy BradyKrissy Brady is a freelance writer residing in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. She is the editor-in-chief of Brady Magazine, an online writer’s trade directory dedicated to putting writers on the map. Tidal Wave was released by Rain Publishing in 2006 This article is free to publish as long as it is kept completely in tact.
Only Takes One Phone Call
By Krissy Brady
I am best known for my hectic schedule—long work days, hoards of paperwork, more e-mails than time to reply. It’s what a career is all about. Sometimes I am questioned: “Are you sure this is really what you want to do? Are you sure you’re not taking on too much?” Of course this is what I want to do, and of course I am taking on too much—why would I want it any other way? It seems, at least in my case recently, that it doesn’t matter how well I manage my work/social balance, I still end up with someone looking at me with their head tilted to the side in concern. I know it is meant to show good intentions, and to help me keep things in perspective, but it ends up making me feel isolated, as if my hectic lifestyle is wrong. I am looked at from a perspective that I cannot relate to, and choose not to. I have a balance that works for me, and I have nothing to apologize for, yet for some reason it is assumed that I should.
My personality has always been fast-paced—I always want to gain as much of an experience as I can from the opportunities I am given. I do not take my work lightly, but at the same time do not pressure myself to be perfect. I enjoy what I do, and the reason why I am able to work long hours is because my work feels natural to me.
As well as my writing, I enjoy contributing to the writing industry through a non-profit organization called the FREZE Artist Help Center, which helps artists/writers/musicians make the necessary connections to succeed. We had a fantastic phone conference recently, which has helped me to put my life into perspective more than any look of concern I have ever received.
Here we were: me in Ontario, Miko in Georgia, Erika in California, and Angela in New York, all talking about what was important to us: the artists accepted into the 2006 FREZE program, our families, our friends, and of course our very hectic work schedules. The conference call helped me to realize that I am not the only one who seemingly cares too much about the “starving artist” industry and the welfare of those in it, and that feelings of isolation were no longer an option—I really do belong.
About Krissy BradyKrissy Brady is a freelance writer residing in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. She is the editor-in-chief of Brady Magazine, an online writer’s trade directory dedicated to putting writers on the map. Tidal Wave was released by Rain Publishing in 2006 This article is free to publish as long as it is kept completely in tact.
National Military Family Association Recommended
BOOK SELECTIONS FOR CHILDREN LIVING THE MILITARY LIFE
NMFA-National Military Family Association
Recommended Reading:
Timmy and the Storm
Author: Jeff Yosick
Timmy is a young boy whose father serves in the military. A difficult moment arises when his father is called to go to war. Timmy’s mother comforts him with a tale of three little bunnies that get caught in a rain storm. The tale turns into a heartwarming lesson that helps Timmy to understand and accept what his father has been called to do. Although it is still very difficult for Timmy to say goodbye, the moments spent listening to his mother’s tale allows him to accept the job that his father has been called to do.
Visit http://www.rainbooks.com/Shop/product.php?productid=16145 for product details.
Shadow Blight...Just A Tease
Release January / February 2008
Author: Tina Griffith
Title: Shadow Blight
Category: Horror
Publisher: Rain Publishing Inc.
It is a time of unrest, where families turn against each other and no friend can be trusted. The Empire is quickly spiraling into chaos. The Imperial family at its heart is broken and riddled with deceit. When treachery brings about a grievous and bloody crime against the Empire’s neighbors, war breaks loose, but the sides are muddy. And a far more sinister danger lurks just beneath the surface. Will the people of this land come together to ward off their age-old enemy, or will the Shadow overcome them in these troubled times?
Author: Tina Griffith
Title: Shadow Blight
Category: Horror
Publisher: Rain Publishing Inc.
It is a time of unrest, where families turn against each other and no friend can be trusted. The Empire is quickly spiraling into chaos. The Imperial family at its heart is broken and riddled with deceit. When treachery brings about a grievous and bloody crime against the Empire’s neighbors, war breaks loose, but the sides are muddy. And a far more sinister danger lurks just beneath the surface. Will the people of this land come together to ward off their age-old enemy, or will the Shadow overcome them in these troubled times?
Meet the Author...L.P. Chase
L.P. Chase is a children’s author and poet. Initially known for her middle grade novel, Elliot Stone and the Mystery of the Alien Mom, L.P. Chase has gone on to publish several other works of fiction including, Elliot Stone and the Mystery of the Backyard Treasure, Today is Tuesday, Silly Spoon, and soon to be released in late 2007, Hannah’s Hula Hoop. Chase plans on continuing the Elliot Stone series and is in the process of writing the third installment. She is also the author of I Kiss the Moon, a collection of poetry. In addition to writing, Chase is working toward a degree in Social Work. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her three children, exercising, baking, and reading. Chase resides with her family in Smithtown, New York.
Review: Abductors
ABDUCTORS by Bernadette Gabay Dyer
Category: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+Release
Date: 6/1/07
Publisher: Rain Publishing
Reviewed by: Marta Morrison, Teens Read Too!
Rating: 5 Stars
Balance. That is a theme that I have come across in books and society. We need balance in all we do. We need it in work and play, physical and mental, good and evil, and in spiritual and earthly. The earth is out of balance and we need to make it right again. ABDUCTORS explores this theme in the realm of good and evil. The good starts with the plight of Graeme Hulis, who awakens on the Downs in Sussex, England. He is found by a professor who is studying the paranormal. Graeme cannot remember anything about his life. Then he meets a beautiful girl named Anna Wall. The professor then decides to hypnotize Graeme, and he tells him and Anna the fascinating story involving the abduction of his mother by little men, the arrival of spacemen in Toronto, Canada, the love of fairies, and the future of the balance in nature. There are many interesting characters in this story, There is a loving family, a talking fox, little men, amazing friendships, and a main character who the reader will grow to love. It is a quick read that holds the reader's attention. I hope Ms. Dyer will write a sequel, because I would like to hear more about Graeme and his friends.
Category: Science Fiction
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+Release
Date: 6/1/07
Publisher: Rain Publishing
Reviewed by: Marta Morrison, Teens Read Too!
Rating: 5 Stars
Balance. That is a theme that I have come across in books and society. We need balance in all we do. We need it in work and play, physical and mental, good and evil, and in spiritual and earthly. The earth is out of balance and we need to make it right again. ABDUCTORS explores this theme in the realm of good and evil. The good starts with the plight of Graeme Hulis, who awakens on the Downs in Sussex, England. He is found by a professor who is studying the paranormal. Graeme cannot remember anything about his life. Then he meets a beautiful girl named Anna Wall. The professor then decides to hypnotize Graeme, and he tells him and Anna the fascinating story involving the abduction of his mother by little men, the arrival of spacemen in Toronto, Canada, the love of fairies, and the future of the balance in nature. There are many interesting characters in this story, There is a loving family, a talking fox, little men, amazing friendships, and a main character who the reader will grow to love. It is a quick read that holds the reader's attention. I hope Ms. Dyer will write a sequel, because I would like to hear more about Graeme and his friends.
Dogs and Children
Dogs and Children
By: Victoria Tatum
By: Victoria Tatum
It must have been my dog that made Blue decide to date me. His family had raised a few Labrador retrievers, and at the time I met him his dad Jim had a black lab named Covey, as in Willie McCovey. Covey had paws the size of baseballs, which served him well when he escaped from Jim’s office to chase ducks on the San Lorenzo River. As soon as he tired of running, Covey jumped in the river for a ride downstream to the Boardwalk, where he stole corndogs from innocent children.
With this family history, it should have been no surprise when Blue ordered my dog his own burger at In “N Out. Bud traveled in the right rear corner of my Toyota shortbed truck, his head hanging out the camper shell window. Blue ordered an extra burger no fixings, no bun, thus giving new meaning to the term “drive-through,” as the camper shell and Buddy’s head passed the drive-through window.
When I packed my belongings into the truck and moved from West Berkeley to Santa Cruz to be with Blue, I saved space in the right rear corner of the camper shell for Bud. He was as happy about the move as I.
Wherever Blue and I lived, we set up Bud’s bed under a table, giving him the cave-like quarters dogs need. He had free reign of the backyard where we settled to raise our family, chasing cats and, unqualified guard dog that he was, wagging his tail at intruders. But even docile ones like Bud have an uncanny sense of danger and adventure. They know before we pack our bags if we are going on a trip, and watch vigilantly to be sure they aren’t left behind. If someone is dangerous but gives no outward signs our human senses can detect, dogs who are normally docile sniff it out, growling and barking. Our retrievers, despite the occasional false alarm --a bronze dog statue or a log that looks like a bear-- are our deliverers and our angels.
Like Covey, Bud was a wanderer. He couldn’t jump the fence with his stubby legs, but he dug under the fence instead or chewed his way through. He was living testimony to the fact that Labradors should be fixed. Bud, however, lost his balls with little glory.
Glory or no glory, Bud was my fertility angel when, early in my pregnancy with Carly, I walked into the vet’s office and Dr. Miller asked me if I wanted to breed him. Dr. Miller’s Labrador Rosie conceived with Bud just two weeks before the truant was impounded and taken in a prison van to the vet’s, where by strict orders of the SPCA, I was not allowed to see him until he was neutered. Bud had a rap sheet with the SPCA three pages long.
Shortly after the fateful impounding, my friend Jim’s wife Helen called out of the blue and said her family was ready for a puppy. “What timing,” I said, and a few months later Helen, pregnant with her first son and accompanied by her daughters, went home with Buddy’s son Buster.
Bud was my fertility angel when Carly was born two weeks ahead of her predicted due date. A couple of nights before, he tried to scratch his way through the sheetrock to get out of the garage. Being an animal, he smelled what was going on. I let him out, stood in the dark while he peed, and an hour later my water broke.
The morning after Bud ate through the sheetrock, I met our midwife Mary Ann at her office. “Go home and get ready,” she said, “The contractions will start this afternoon.”
I went to the drugstore and picked up the necessary supplies. I got my hair cut. I put Jimmy Cliff in the tape deck of my truck and sang “Many Rivers to Cross” to the baby preparing to enter the world.
Strong contractions started sweeping over me that afternoon when I was standing in line at Safeway. I waited my turn, but inside I was yelling, “Get out of my way! I’m in labor!”
At two in the morning we drove to the hospital. By noon I was fully dilated, but I pushed for four hours. Mary Ann arrived before dawn and stayed all day. My mother came and hung out with me in the sunny courtyard, where I rode out the steadily increasing contractions on the lawn. Connie, my sister-in-law and a labor and delivery nurse, came in on her day off. Mary the nurse on duty was there. When Mary’s shift ended she stayed, and Connie’s friend Nancy came on. Thirty-six hours after our arrival, Carly was born in the company of her parents and four amazing women.
The Old Testament and ancient Hindu texts make reference to midwives. From this we can infer that women have always had midwives. I believe every birthing mother should have, if not a midwife, a few women in the room.
I put Carly in the old fashioned pram passed down from Blue’s mom and pushed the pram into the backyard. I parked Bud next to the pram for protection and slipped on my gardening gloves. Carly gazed up at the giant redwood tree and sucked on her pacifier for long stretches while I gardened. When her hands started flailing I knew the binky had popped out. I slipped off my gloves, popped the binky back in, and returned to my work. When Carly started walking, she and her pram protector were best friends. They played tug-of-war with the stick before she could talk.
I attribute Carly’s independence as a baby to her feeling safe in the world. Her brother Eliot did not feel so secure. From the day he was born he needed us close by. When he started to walk, Bud’s wagging tail was a grave threat. Bud was old and slow by then, but it didn’t matter to Eliot. He dodged Buddy’s wildly wagging tail like a point guard on a full court press.
Eliot’s birth was not the blink-and-it’s-over delivery I was hoping for after the Carly marathon. I had heard stories of women giving birth to their second babies before the midwife could get there, so the five hours of labor with Eliot seemed like an eternity. He was also born two weeks past his due date. Eliot grew in the womb at his own pace, just as he continued to develop thereafter, teaching me to put away my own time line and go by his.
Nor was he the idyllic water birth I had envisioned. After an hour in the hospital tub I abandoned my water dream and moved to the bed. Eliot was born face up which made pushing more painful, but at least the second time around I knew what to do. There are things they don’t think to tell you in the birthing class.
When I was in the bath Blue fanned me with a towel. I told him I felt as if he were fanning me with banana leaves and feeding me figs. While I was in the shower letting the hot water run on my lower back, he washed my feet, like Jesus washing the feet of his disciples.
Carly and Eliot were little when Buddy died. For Carly the sorrow came a year later, and she cried a lot at bedtime. For Eliot the sorrow came seven years later when he was ten. That was the way his developmental delay worked; he went through the same major stages Carly did, only much later and for longer. So it was that his best friend was Buddy’s successor Shoe.
Shoe had long legs that could have propelled him over any fence, but he showed no proclivity to wander. This was probably because he was neutered as a pup, but there were personality factors at work as well. Bud had a block of a head that hung so low his nose was always to the ground, and the scents he picked up naturally lead him away from us. Unlike Buddy, Shoe was a bundle of energy but he was unfailingly loyal to his pack: me, Blue, Carly, and Eliot.
Shoe waited for Eliot to get home from school, and the two of them walked around the backyard together for hours. That was the miracle: Shoe walked. Eliot held the stick and Shoe followed calmly until he gave it up. By the time Eliot was ten he carried on long conversations with anyone who would listen, but up until then Shoe was the only one outside his family with whom he talked at length. As they walked around the backyard, Eliot held what were not so much monologues as dialogues with one person talking. While Eliot talked, Shoe rolled his eyes up at him and wagged his tail limply.
There were three possible reasons for this. One, they exchanged testosterone like Ritalin and were mutually sedated. Two, animal soul saw into human soul and visa versa. And three, Bud may have left this earth but his soul resided in our yard, assuring us that he was still part of the family.
Hear Victoria's latest interview at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yoga/blog/2007/11/15/Author-Extraordinaire-Victoria-Tatum
Ask for your copy at a local bookstore near you, or visit www.rainbooks.com or www.amazon.com for more information
Meet the Author. James W Foster
Meet the Author...James W FosterJames W. Foster is from Port Dover, Ontario, Canada. His home town is the model for the fictional community of Vollmer's Hollow where most of his stories are set. Jim has long been a fan of dark fiction.
"It's difficult to name a definitive favorite author," says Jim. "There are so many good ones, but Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, Robert R. McCammon, James Herbert, John Saul, and Jack Ketchum would all be likely candidates."
When Jim isn't spending his spare time with his son Cody, he can usually be found in the poorly lit attic where he resides pounding out dark tales. He lives in constant fear of being possessed by a demonic entity, and thinks the expression a person wears when they bump their head is hilarious.
"It's difficult to name a definitive favorite author," says Jim. "There are so many good ones, but Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, Robert R. McCammon, James Herbert, John Saul, and Jack Ketchum would all be likely candidates."
When Jim isn't spending his spare time with his son Cody, he can usually be found in the poorly lit attic where he resides pounding out dark tales. He lives in constant fear of being possessed by a demonic entity, and thinks the expression a person wears when they bump their head is hilarious.
James has penned four horror books and is working on his fifth.
About the Artist About the Adventure
Michael Cywink – “Cy”Artist/Author/Curator
Michael “Cy” Cywink is a band member to the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island, which has been designated as a Cultural Capital in Canada, 1 of 5. He is also an alumnus to the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Cy is an Independent Curator, previously he was the curator for the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation, M'Chigeeng, Manitoulin Island; a First Nations cultural consultant with Walt Disney Imagineering/ Disney's America theme park project, Glendale, California. Throughout the 80's he was a Counsellor/ contract street worker in Toronto working with agencies such as Central Toronto Youth Services, Under 21 Covenant House, The Toronto Boy's Home and Native Men's Residence.
" I am originally out of a small village, one of the main stopping places for the Anishinabe while on their migrations long before contact, this place is now called Whitefish Falls and my father Nick Cywink Sr. was born there into the Cywink/Biidassige Bear Clan. He was a veteran of World War 2. A real warrior on two wheels, "One of the best snipers doing 40 mph", he'd say. He was sixteen when he enlisted into the Canadian Army and began his journey into the spirit world in 1990. I am of Shigwadja/Neganigwane through my mother Eva Neganigwane (Pheasant). She came from the nation's capital of South Bay. Her father, my Mishomis introduced me to the world as Mii Zhen. He held me in his hand and looked at my mother and said, " This is Mii Zhen, He Is Good For You". My mother is still with us.
Writing for me doesn't come as smoothly as coloring. There generates within me a different kind of energy that comes through word art. The Adventures of Crazy Turtle came out over a period of 20 or so years. And what an adventure it is. Crazy Turtle is the basis of my Creation Story. There is no end to a Creation Story, so there is no end to the Adventures of Crazy Turtle.
The concept of having a Turtle as the main character goes back to the times when everything around you is coming down, closing in. So just as a Turtle protects themself, we hide inside our shells, in this case, we hide inside our thoughts and feelings, and we build invisible walls around us to hide and protect our being, our true feelings. But Crazy Turtle goes beyond that, Crazy Turtle brings out a truth in us that we need no longer hide, we need no longer go away and try to run from our inner being. That in-turn everything remains the same and it is our inner awareness and perception on life that evolves around our time while here with Mother Earth.
Each of us as hue-man beings, have our own time here on this earth walk and, within our growing, as an individual we must adhere to the responsibilities of tradition and value, just as our Elders are the caretakers of cultural knowledge. It is truth when said that we are spirit beings living in the psychical gift of Creation, we are not human beings falling to our knees looking for a Spirit.
This is a story for Children of All Ages, It is meant to help one understand the spirit being inside their "shell." Have you lost the child in you?"
In my workshops I discuss "The makings of Crazy Turtle, how the adventure came to be and show accompanying illustrations. The Adventures of Crazy Turtle can be ordered directly through www.rainbooks.com ISBN 13: 978-1-897381-04-5.
Without the Language to be released December 2007
Michael Cywink, PO Box 36 , Whitefish Falls, Ontario, Canada, P0P 2H0
The Power of Choice in Poetry
The Power of Choice in Poetry with Lucille Shulklapper
Wednesdays, February 6 – March 5, 7pm – 9pm
Northwest Regional Library, Coral Springs
“A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.”
~ Emily Dickinson~
Poetry thrives on possibility and choice. Explore the use of poetic devices in poems of published poets, their structure and surprise, before experimenting with exercises that will stretch your own range of poetic possibilities. Entice your muse with practical and playful ideas. Fearlessness is the only prerequisite.
Lucille’s poetry and fiction appear in numerous journals, anthologies, and three poetry chapbooks: What You Cannot Have, The Substance of Sunlight and God, It’s Not Hollywood.
A picture book, Out of Bed, Fred will be released in October, 2008.
Interview with: P.L. Reed-Wallinger
Interview With Author; P.L. Reed-Wallinger
Titles: Dark Secrets, Forbidden Fantasies, Emma’s’ Choice and soon to be released in 2008- Obscene Obsessions.
Publisher: Trade, Rain Publishing Ontario Canada
How long have you been writing? Did you take any writing classes? Do you use a pen name? Why?
I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I vividly remember once, when I was in first grade, trying to get a story written but not being competent enough to do so. We were living in Turkey at the time, and my dad was sitting on a screened-in porch, typing something. I asked him to type my story while I told him the words…and he did. Of course, it was crap. I was only six years old. But the drive was already there. The stories were starting.
At twelve, my father taught me to play the guitar. I had no money to buy music, but I wanted to play, so I wrote my own songs. Again, some of them were crap, but a few were actually pretty good.
I took a creative writing class my senior year, and even had one of my short stories read aloud to the class by the teacher—much to my utter horror. I was so embarrassed, but the point is, it was good. I KNEW I could write. It was an innate knowledge, an intrinsic confidence. I never questioned that ability—and still don’t.
When I finally made the decision to pursue publication, I decided on a pen name. I felt somewhat protective of my first name, so I opted to go with my initials. I also wanted to acknowledge my heritage as a writer, (both my father and brother are published writers), so I used my maiden name. Then, of course, there’s that need we all have for recognition—acknowledgement that YOU—(the you everyone knows)—has accomplished something worthwhile. Vanity rears its ugly little head. So, of course, I kept the last name my friends and family would recognize. Hence, the P.L. Reed-Wallinger.
Titles: Dark Secrets, Forbidden Fantasies, Emma’s’ Choice and soon to be released in 2008- Obscene Obsessions.
Publisher: Trade, Rain Publishing Ontario Canada
How long have you been writing? Did you take any writing classes? Do you use a pen name? Why?
I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I vividly remember once, when I was in first grade, trying to get a story written but not being competent enough to do so. We were living in Turkey at the time, and my dad was sitting on a screened-in porch, typing something. I asked him to type my story while I told him the words…and he did. Of course, it was crap. I was only six years old. But the drive was already there. The stories were starting.
At twelve, my father taught me to play the guitar. I had no money to buy music, but I wanted to play, so I wrote my own songs. Again, some of them were crap, but a few were actually pretty good.
I took a creative writing class my senior year, and even had one of my short stories read aloud to the class by the teacher—much to my utter horror. I was so embarrassed, but the point is, it was good. I KNEW I could write. It was an innate knowledge, an intrinsic confidence. I never questioned that ability—and still don’t.
When I finally made the decision to pursue publication, I decided on a pen name. I felt somewhat protective of my first name, so I opted to go with my initials. I also wanted to acknowledge my heritage as a writer, (both my father and brother are published writers), so I used my maiden name. Then, of course, there’s that need we all have for recognition—acknowledgement that YOU—(the you everyone knows)—has accomplished something worthwhile. Vanity rears its ugly little head. So, of course, I kept the last name my friends and family would recognize. Hence, the P.L. Reed-Wallinger.
Jeff Yosick
Author Jeff Yosick Releases Three Heartwarming Tales that Children and Adults Will Both Love to Read Again and Again
“Madison’s Special Dolly, Timmy and the Storm and Running the Race teach children about love, giving, and letting go in touching tales by author Jeffrey Yosick.”
In his three releases Madison’s Special Dolly, Timmy and the Storm and Running the Race author Jeffrey Yosick teaches children valuable lessons about life and giving while creating stories adults will love reading to their kids. Just in time for the Christmas season and during this time of war, both these books are welcome additions to the host of children’s classics.
War is hard enough for any child to understand. It’s much harder to comprehend when your own father must leave to fight in a war. For many children, it’s a scary, yet bigger then life concept that they can’t completely grasp. Kids just know that it’s bad, that Daddy could get hurt. In Timmy and the Storm, Timmy’s mother uses a tale of three bunnies to help Timmy realize what his father has to do and to say good bye to him.
“When I wrote Timmy and the Storm my number one goal was to find a way to help the children of soldiers heading off to Iraq,” Yosick explains. “I actually wrote the story in 2004 after I received word that my brother would be deployed himself. I was able to take the emotions that were bottled up from my loss, and pour it out into the story that became Timmy and the Storm. Although this book was geared to children of military parents, it is a story that would help any parent explain to their children why soldiers have to go to war.”
Yosick’s inspiration for writing children’s books comes from his own three kids. Although he’s always been an avid writer and poet and been very passionate about the written word, it was having his children that truly made him see the way his words could be just as valuable to his readers as they are to him.
Madison’s Special Dolly is a result of that inspiration and filled with love and the spirit giving as we approach the holiday season. A little girl who saves all of her chore money for a special new doll finally gets to purchase it. On the journey home, something unexpected happens to make this little girl’s dolly truly a special one. Inspired by Yosick’s own daughter’s homemade gift to him and the joy she received from just giving it to him, Madison’s Special Dolly is a book kids and adults both will find heartwarming.
“My goal for this book is to show children and adults the valuable lesson of giving,” Yosick says. “I want the readers to walk away inspired by the actions of a little girl named Madison. It is my hope that people will see how love and giving can go beyond what our imaginations allow us to believe, and that the same joy that a person feels when they receive can also be felt through the selfless act of giving.”
Both books are now available at the publisher’s website by visiting http://www.rainbooks.com. Additional information and media inquiries should be sent to info@rainbooks.com.
“Madison’s Special Dolly, Timmy and the Storm and Running the Race teach children about love, giving, and letting go in touching tales by author Jeffrey Yosick.”
In his three releases Madison’s Special Dolly, Timmy and the Storm and Running the Race author Jeffrey Yosick teaches children valuable lessons about life and giving while creating stories adults will love reading to their kids. Just in time for the Christmas season and during this time of war, both these books are welcome additions to the host of children’s classics.
War is hard enough for any child to understand. It’s much harder to comprehend when your own father must leave to fight in a war. For many children, it’s a scary, yet bigger then life concept that they can’t completely grasp. Kids just know that it’s bad, that Daddy could get hurt. In Timmy and the Storm, Timmy’s mother uses a tale of three bunnies to help Timmy realize what his father has to do and to say good bye to him.
“When I wrote Timmy and the Storm my number one goal was to find a way to help the children of soldiers heading off to Iraq,” Yosick explains. “I actually wrote the story in 2004 after I received word that my brother would be deployed himself. I was able to take the emotions that were bottled up from my loss, and pour it out into the story that became Timmy and the Storm. Although this book was geared to children of military parents, it is a story that would help any parent explain to their children why soldiers have to go to war.”
Yosick’s inspiration for writing children’s books comes from his own three kids. Although he’s always been an avid writer and poet and been very passionate about the written word, it was having his children that truly made him see the way his words could be just as valuable to his readers as they are to him.
Madison’s Special Dolly is a result of that inspiration and filled with love and the spirit giving as we approach the holiday season. A little girl who saves all of her chore money for a special new doll finally gets to purchase it. On the journey home, something unexpected happens to make this little girl’s dolly truly a special one. Inspired by Yosick’s own daughter’s homemade gift to him and the joy she received from just giving it to him, Madison’s Special Dolly is a book kids and adults both will find heartwarming.
“My goal for this book is to show children and adults the valuable lesson of giving,” Yosick says. “I want the readers to walk away inspired by the actions of a little girl named Madison. It is my hope that people will see how love and giving can go beyond what our imaginations allow us to believe, and that the same joy that a person feels when they receive can also be felt through the selfless act of giving.”
Both books are now available at the publisher’s website by visiting http://www.rainbooks.com. Additional information and media inquiries should be sent to info@rainbooks.com.
Fun Writing Quiz by Margaret Watson
Writing Quiz
By Margaret Watson
Author of Cook Book: Blokes with Stoves
(1)What kind of writer are you?
a) Writing is my main source of income
b) I had a piece published in a college magazine once
c) I write regularly but rarely submit any
d) I write every day and submit regularly
(2)What is writer’s block?
a) Making the fifth cup of coffee in an hour rather than getting on with it
b) Staring at a blank piece of paper
c) A bin full of screwed up attempts
d) A teenager who says ‘You aren’t using the computer are you? Oh, were you supposed to save that?’
(3)What kind of agent do you have?
a) I receive e-mails from time to time
b) My best friend
c) I’ve got one but I can’t find his address
d) What’s an agent?
(4)How do you submit manuscripts?
a) Hand written first drafts by snail mail
b) Double spaced word processed in rtf with inch space all round sent as attachments.
c) Your 25th attempt at making the computer print it properly
d) An e-mail on the way to work
(5)What kind of writing do you do?
a) Whatever pays the bills
b) My favourite kind
c) It depends on the market requirements
d) Whatever inspires me
(6)Why do you write?
a) What else is there to do?
b) It is something I can do at home in comfort while also looking after the children/my mother/the dog.
c) I want to be a best selling author
d) It is what I’m good at
(7)What is your attitude to your writing?
a) I look forward to starting a new piece
b) I get a sense of satisfaction from completing a piece to the best of my abilities
c) It’s a job
d) The acceptances make up for the rejections
Scoring (1)a) 4, b)1, c)2, d)3
(2) a)1, b)2, c)4, d)3
(3) a)3, b)4,c)2, d)1
(4) a)1,b)4 c)3, d)2
(5) a)3, b)1 c)4,d)2
(6) a)3,b) 1 c)2,d)4
(7) a)3,b)4,c)1,d)2
Remember this is just for fun, and I could well be wrong but here it is:-
21-28 – A true professional
14-21 – You’re on the way
7-14 - A nice hobby
1-7 - Are you really trying?
By Margaret Watson
Author of Cook Book: Blokes with Stoves
(1)What kind of writer are you?
a) Writing is my main source of income
b) I had a piece published in a college magazine once
c) I write regularly but rarely submit any
d) I write every day and submit regularly
(2)What is writer’s block?
a) Making the fifth cup of coffee in an hour rather than getting on with it
b) Staring at a blank piece of paper
c) A bin full of screwed up attempts
d) A teenager who says ‘You aren’t using the computer are you? Oh, were you supposed to save that?’
(3)What kind of agent do you have?
a) I receive e-mails from time to time
b) My best friend
c) I’ve got one but I can’t find his address
d) What’s an agent?
(4)How do you submit manuscripts?
a) Hand written first drafts by snail mail
b) Double spaced word processed in rtf with inch space all round sent as attachments.
c) Your 25th attempt at making the computer print it properly
d) An e-mail on the way to work
(5)What kind of writing do you do?
a) Whatever pays the bills
b) My favourite kind
c) It depends on the market requirements
d) Whatever inspires me
(6)Why do you write?
a) What else is there to do?
b) It is something I can do at home in comfort while also looking after the children/my mother/the dog.
c) I want to be a best selling author
d) It is what I’m good at
(7)What is your attitude to your writing?
a) I look forward to starting a new piece
b) I get a sense of satisfaction from completing a piece to the best of my abilities
c) It’s a job
d) The acceptances make up for the rejections
Scoring (1)a) 4, b)1, c)2, d)3
(2) a)1, b)2, c)4, d)3
(3) a)3, b)4,c)2, d)1
(4) a)1,b)4 c)3, d)2
(5) a)3, b)1 c)4,d)2
(6) a)3,b) 1 c)2,d)4
(7) a)3,b)4,c)1,d)2
Remember this is just for fun, and I could well be wrong but here it is:-
21-28 – A true professional
14-21 – You’re on the way
7-14 - A nice hobby
1-7 - Are you really trying?
Cromarty Biggs Powder Monkey
Title: Cromarty Biggs: Powder Monkey
Author: Stuart Rivers
Synopsis
In contemporary Britain, a police investigation is underway as a hunt is mounted for the two boys who seemed to have vanished without a trace from the dockyard. Not until Cromarty finds his way back, leaving Craig behind to experience the Battle of Trafalgar, and he tells his uncle the story of their disappearance, does the truth become clear to Jim Biggs.
On Cromarty’s insistence, they must return to the 21st October 1805 and rescue the powder monkey who died saving the life of Lord Nelson by taking the bullet that was meant for the iconic admiral. Only then, will history be restored.
Meet the Author: Rachna Trivedi Jain
Rachna Trivedi Jain born in Solapur, Maharashtra, India, and grew up in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh). In the course of a writing career spanning over ten years, she has written over a hundred short stories for children.
Born in a traditional Hindi Brahmin Family, Rachna’s childhood days spent with her granny find a heavy influence on her poems, which mostly revolve around the tales of fairies, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, flowers, the birds and animals -the central characters of folklores and stories told by her granny.
In a career spanning over almost a decade, Rachna has "carved out a unique literary landscape". Replete with unassuming humor and quiet wisdom, her children’s rhymes manifest a deep love for nature and people.
A collection of her children’s rhyming picture books for the very young are - 'Sea Beach', 'Wonder Why' and 'From Where Do You Come?'
Born in a traditional Hindi Brahmin Family, Rachna’s childhood days spent with her granny find a heavy influence on her poems, which mostly revolve around the tales of fairies, the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, flowers, the birds and animals -the central characters of folklores and stories told by her granny.
In a career spanning over almost a decade, Rachna has "carved out a unique literary landscape". Replete with unassuming humor and quiet wisdom, her children’s rhymes manifest a deep love for nature and people.
A collection of her children’s rhyming picture books for the very young are - 'Sea Beach', 'Wonder Why' and 'From Where Do You Come?'
Meet the Author: Horane Smith
Author: Horane Smith
Release: 2008
Title: Seven Days in Jamaica
Publisher: Rain Publishing
Horane Smith was born in 1957, at Yardley Chase in the parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, home of the famous tourist attraction Lover’s Leap.
Mr. Smith commenced a career in journalism at the
government information bureau, the Agency for Public
information (now the Jamaica information Service) in 1975.
From the API, Mr. Smith moved to Jamaica’s first community radio station, JBC Radio West, in 1979, where he worked as a freelance producer and programme producer.
In 1980, Mr. Smith was the recipient of the Jack Anderson Memorial Scholarship for Journalism awarded by the Press Association of Jamaica, to study Mass Communication at the University of the West Indies. Jack Anderson was a veteran Jamaican journalist and the scholarship is awarded annually to honour his commitment and dedication to the profession.
After graduating from UWI, Mr. Smith returned to the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, this time at its Kingston headquarters. He started there as a freelance writer and
moved quickly up to the rank of Senior News Producer/Reporter/ Editor and subsequently acted as Assistant Director of Television News. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Dedication to Duties Award from the JBC.
In 1988, Mr. Smith left full time duties at JBC to work as Information Assistant at the United States Embassy in Kingston, where he served as the main contact between the media and the Embassy. During that time, Mr. Smith was Consulting Editor to the JBC Newsroom.
Mr. Smith and his family left Jamaica in 1990, to take up residence in Toronto, Canada. While in Canada, he continued his journalism duties, corresponding for JBC-TV and writing columns for the Jamaica Herald and Dawn newspapers in Canada. In 1995, he returned to Jamaica on a visit and went to the famous and legendary tourist attraction, Lover’s Leap, where
he used to play as a young boy. Three months later, his debut novel, Lover’s Leap: Based on the Jamaican Legend was written. The novel was published in England, in 1999, to international acclaim.
John Prebble, the late British best-selling author, well-known for the 1960s box-office hit Zulu, starring Michael Caine, commented: “I have read it with great admiration, for not only
is it a bitter-sweet story but a profound comment on a contemporary subject.” Just before he died in January 2000, Mr. Prebble was asked by friends what was one of his regrets in
life. He responded that he wouldn’t be around to see the success of four new writers. Horane Smith was named among them.
Mr. Smith’s second novel, Underground to Freedom, was published in 2000, and the popular Port Royal in 2001. The Lynching Stream, his fourth work of historical fiction, was published in July 2003. Reggae Silver is his fifth novel, and was published in 2004. His sixth, Dawn at Lover’s Leap, the sequel to Lover’s Leap, was published in 2006.
Mr. Smith has been described by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, one of the largest in Canada, as “no ordinary novelist.” He has been described by book reviewers as “prolific…going from
strength to strength…an engaging writer...a gripping writer.”
Mr. Smith works for a media monitoring/intelligence Firm and lives in Woodbridge, Ontario, where he lives with his wife and children.
Horane Smith is the winner of the inaugural Burke’s Books Literary Awards (BURLA) for his outstanding contribution to African-Canadian and Caribbean Literature. He is also among the first 100 outstanding Jamaicans to be recognized by the Jamaica-Canada Diaspora Foundation for his contribution to Jamaican literature. His latest novel Dawn at Lover’s Leap, was a finalist in the USA Booknews Best Book Award for Historical Fiction.
http://www.horanesmith.com/
Release: 2008
Title: Seven Days in Jamaica
Publisher: Rain Publishing
Horane Smith was born in 1957, at Yardley Chase in the parish of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, home of the famous tourist attraction Lover’s Leap.
Mr. Smith commenced a career in journalism at the
government information bureau, the Agency for Public
information (now the Jamaica information Service) in 1975.
From the API, Mr. Smith moved to Jamaica’s first community radio station, JBC Radio West, in 1979, where he worked as a freelance producer and programme producer.
In 1980, Mr. Smith was the recipient of the Jack Anderson Memorial Scholarship for Journalism awarded by the Press Association of Jamaica, to study Mass Communication at the University of the West Indies. Jack Anderson was a veteran Jamaican journalist and the scholarship is awarded annually to honour his commitment and dedication to the profession.
After graduating from UWI, Mr. Smith returned to the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, this time at its Kingston headquarters. He started there as a freelance writer and
moved quickly up to the rank of Senior News Producer/Reporter/ Editor and subsequently acted as Assistant Director of Television News. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Dedication to Duties Award from the JBC.
In 1988, Mr. Smith left full time duties at JBC to work as Information Assistant at the United States Embassy in Kingston, where he served as the main contact between the media and the Embassy. During that time, Mr. Smith was Consulting Editor to the JBC Newsroom.
Mr. Smith and his family left Jamaica in 1990, to take up residence in Toronto, Canada. While in Canada, he continued his journalism duties, corresponding for JBC-TV and writing columns for the Jamaica Herald and Dawn newspapers in Canada. In 1995, he returned to Jamaica on a visit and went to the famous and legendary tourist attraction, Lover’s Leap, where
he used to play as a young boy. Three months later, his debut novel, Lover’s Leap: Based on the Jamaican Legend was written. The novel was published in England, in 1999, to international acclaim.
John Prebble, the late British best-selling author, well-known for the 1960s box-office hit Zulu, starring Michael Caine, commented: “I have read it with great admiration, for not only
is it a bitter-sweet story but a profound comment on a contemporary subject.” Just before he died in January 2000, Mr. Prebble was asked by friends what was one of his regrets in
life. He responded that he wouldn’t be around to see the success of four new writers. Horane Smith was named among them.
Mr. Smith’s second novel, Underground to Freedom, was published in 2000, and the popular Port Royal in 2001. The Lynching Stream, his fourth work of historical fiction, was published in July 2003. Reggae Silver is his fifth novel, and was published in 2004. His sixth, Dawn at Lover’s Leap, the sequel to Lover’s Leap, was published in 2006.
Mr. Smith has been described by the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, one of the largest in Canada, as “no ordinary novelist.” He has been described by book reviewers as “prolific…going from
strength to strength…an engaging writer...a gripping writer.”
Mr. Smith works for a media monitoring/intelligence Firm and lives in Woodbridge, Ontario, where he lives with his wife and children.
Horane Smith is the winner of the inaugural Burke’s Books Literary Awards (BURLA) for his outstanding contribution to African-Canadian and Caribbean Literature. He is also among the first 100 outstanding Jamaicans to be recognized by the Jamaica-Canada Diaspora Foundation for his contribution to Jamaican literature. His latest novel Dawn at Lover’s Leap, was a finalist in the USA Booknews Best Book Award for Historical Fiction.
http://www.horanesmith.com/
Sisters
Nellie’s NewsletterVoices of Women
2007
Sisters
by Joanna Shawana
My sisters, my friends, my companions. As I stare into your eyes, I see our father's and mother's eyes in each of you. The eyes of caring, sharing and loving that we Were taught as were growing up.
My sisters, my friends, my companions. You were there when I cried for help. You were my eyes when I could not see clearly, You seen things that I was not able to see.
My sisters, my friends, my companions. You were there when I was numb. You felt my pain when I could not feel. You took my pain to help me go through with life.
My sisters, my friends, my companions. You were my voice when I could not speak. Each of you spoke from your hearts. Each of you share my pain, my hurt and frustrations.
Each of you has helped me see, feel and speak. My sisters you will always be a part of my life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joanna Shawana' adds her "voice' against violence speaking at such organizations as "Nellies", The Brock University, The Woman's Bookstore and many others. Her book of poems and aboriginal teachings "Voice of an Eagle" are available by placing an order at a local bookstore near you or by visiting www.rainboooks.com or Amazon.com
Meet the Author: Mary Brunini McArdle
Alice Reflected
Thriller
April 2008
Rain Publishing
Meet the Author
Mary Brunini McArdle
Mary Brunini McArdle was raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi. She has a B.A. with a major in History and a minor in English from the University of Dallas, and graduate courses in History, Military Strategy, and English. Continuing Education (credit and noncredit) consists of Marine Science, Creative Writing, Art, Environmental Science, and Zoology.
McArdle’s work experience has been varied. She has numerous publication credits and awards in Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Short Plays. For eight years she was Poetry Columnist for an Illinois journal. Publication credits include THE VILLAGER, MISSISSIPPI GARDENS, MISSISSIPPI OUTDOORS, INNISFREE, THE ROSWELL LITERARY REVIEW, MOBIUS, and others. Recently she has been publishing online, in COMBAT MAGAZINE, APHELION, THE TRUTH MAGAZINE, BEWILDERING STORIES, and more.
McArdle also participated in the recording of a CD of contemporary religious music by an Alabama musician. She has been active in church, senior, and combined choirs. McArdle also designs original, handmade doll clothes.
She has taught Military Strategy, History, and Poetry for the U.A.H. Lifetime Learning Program and Writing at the Huntsville and Madison Senior Centers.
This summer she won two prizes (her first) in Southern Expressions, an annual Tennessee art exhibit.
How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?
How to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?
Don’t give yourself any other choice…
By Krissy Brady
I’ve always wanted to be a full-time writer—literally since I was six years old I have pictured a life of manuscripts, publishers, and book tours.
Now that it is actually happening, I am ecstatic, though terrified at the same time. When I was six, I lead a cushioned existence. As I got older, fears and complexes started to set in—self-consciousness, the need to find and establish a status for myself, and of course the dreaded comfort zone that has always been difficult for me to shrug off.
I think the biggest fear of anyone when trying to establish their dream career is the fact that once it becomes your reality, there is no escape. When I was working towards what I currently have, the thought of reaching this ultimate end result would always help to take me away from my current reality, one I wasn’t entirely satisfied with, yet knew I would be eventually.
There is no escape now, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. My problem has become the lack of understanding from those who, while they are close to me, are not able to relate to my endless need for writing industry success. Until they know what it’s like to sacrifice everything for what they want, and the sacrifices that come with keeping it, there will always be a barrier in our conversations.
I have met too many people who settle, and sometimes have a hard time understanding why they choose a comfort zone instead of their ultimate end result. When I left my job to work at home full-time, I was looked at like I was crazy: why would I leave a steady job? A guaranteed income? A defined existence?
I left my steady job, guaranteed income, and defined existence because that’s all it is: an existence. I want an identity. I want to contribute. I don’t want to be told what I can and cannot do. Basically, I don’t want to be stifled, and I want to work hard towards influencing others to do the same. If you don’t give yourself any other choice but to be who you really are, and not who you think you should be, there is no greater satisfaction. The sacrifice is always worth the ultimate end result.
About Krissy BradyKrissy
Brady is a freelance writer residing in Gravenhurst, Ontario, Canada. She is the editor-in-chief of Brady Magazine, an online writer's trade directory dedicated to putting writers on the map. She is also a poet, whose book Tidal Wave (Rain Publishing, October 2006).This article is free to publish as long as it is kept completely in tact.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)