HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

To all the ghosties and ghoulies and critters that go bump in the night...

May your day be filled with fun activities and your night be filled with...

Falling Back Into The Writing Habit...

 

I feel like I've been in hibernation all summer long, away from the sights and sounds of this writing community. But I'm finally back and eager to catch up on all the exciting things happening in everyone's publishing journeys.

I love the fall with its changing colors and cool, crisp mornings. Being allergic to both sun and heat, this long summer I just survived has me dreaming of cooler weather and falling leaves.  

I hope everyone enjoyed the encore presentation of my WRITERLY WISDOM series. No matter whether we are just beginning to craft our stories, or we're a seasoned writer,  sometimes it helps to have a refresher course on the basics of the whole writing journey. Thanks to all the wonderful authors, editors, and agents who took the time out of their busy writing lives of share some of their own writerly wisdom with those of us still fine tuning our own writing skills.

How's everyone's writing...or reading...coming along? I have a number of projects I'm juggling right now. My head is spinning from fine tuning the waterfall world of LUNADAR all the way to researching life in the US during the 1940's for the next book in my historical fiction series. I've also read almost 300 picture books to my summer camp kids and devoured many a chapter book for mentor text. I'm surprised my head doesn't explode from all those words I've been cramming in it these past few months.

Now it's half way through October and in the past I would be preparing for both PiBoIdMo AND NaNoWriMo next month but my friend, Tara Lazar, pulled a surprise out of the hat and moved PiBo to January so that frees up my writing plate a little bit...;~)

Mother Nature may be getting ready to go into hiding for the next few months, but in my neck of the woods I plan on gathering my harvest and making something fabulous...

ABC'S OF READING & 'RITING: LETTER S

Halloween is almost here.Time for some SPOOKY children's books to help get you in the mood for a creepy, crawly, fun-filled night!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Happy Halloween everyone!

 

Blurb: Addie comes from a long line of readers or "story catchers" as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own the wiggly words play tricks on her. She tries different ways to make those words sit still but it will take a little faith for Addie to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords

JOIN THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB!Membership includes:

 
Membership Certificate

Bi-montly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news, and other goodies

Reading Log for earning STORY CATCHER AWARD

                  

 

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Rob Scotton

 

 

Title: Scaredy-Cat, Splat

Author/Illustrator: Rob Scotton

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishing

Ages: 4-8

Synopsis: 

It's Halloween and Splat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. Unfortunately he's just too much of a scaredy-cat. How will Splat win the contest once the teacher turns the lights off to read a scary story?

Why you should read it:

Anybody who knows me knows Fall Festivals and Halloween is my favorite time of the year.  At the first hint of chill in the air and I run for the nearest library to check out the latest holiday children's books. Mr. Scotton does such a great job with Splat the cat and this author/illisturator's artwork is so vivid in detail I just know Splat will fall out of that book any minute now and well, go SPLAT! This holiday picture book has just enough gentle scares for it's intended age group and slightly older children will still enjoy this quick read. A nice addition to any home library's holiday selection.

Like-o-meter Rating scale **: 5 out of 5...grab it!

**5 out of 5...grab it!

4 out of 5...think about it.

3 out of 5...take or leave it.

2 out of 5...maybe not for you.

1 out of 5...forget about !

 

 

Blurb: Addie comes from a long line of readers or "story catchers" as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own the wiggly words play tricks on her. She tries different ways to make those words sit still but it will take a little faith for Addie to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Buy Links:Amazon Kindle ¦ Paperback ¦ B&N ¦ Smashwords



JOIN THE STORY CATCHER FAN CLUB!Membership includes:
 
Membership Certificate
Bi-montly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news, and other goodies
Reading Log for earning STORY CATCHER AWARD



TALES FROM THE BAYOU: There's A Strong Wind Blowing

In honor of the Fall...my favorite time of the year...I thought I would list my ten favorite things about this season when I was growing up.

Living in the swamps of southern Louisiana was very different from where I live now in the hills of Tennessee. It's almost like living in two different worlds but I can remember some traditions carried over from my younger days that still make me smile today when I think of them...

DONNA'S FALL FAVORITES

1. Cloudy days...Being allergic to the sun, bright Summer days in the muggy south weren't exactly my idea of fun. Give me the overcast, grey days any time and I was a happy camper. That hasn't changed now I'm grown up.
2. Halloween...One of my favorite holidays smack dab in the middle of my favorite season. What more can a kid ask for? Guaranteed candy I almost never indulged in the rest of the year and a chance to get away from the house to prowl the streets for treats. My kind of childhood fantasy when I was a kid.
3. Rain Puddles...There is something hypnotic about the sound of rain on a tin roof that I like. Being in southern Louisiana there was plenty of rainfall during the Fall and that produced plenty of rain puddles to splash in, float leaf boats in, and just have a good time.
4. Umbrellas...I've always loved umbrellas. When I was a kid, I could open an umbrella on a rainy day and imagine it was an invisible cloak to hide me from the monsters who lurked behind trees as I walked to school. It fascinated me that something as simple as some vinyl stretched over some metal bars could keep me dry in most any storm.
5. Warm towels...I tended to get tonsillitis and bronchitis a lot when I was a child so if I had to walk home on a rainy day in the Fall, I could almost guarantee that there would be a warm towel heated from an old space heater waiting for me when I got home. Mother would make me take off my wet socks and shoes at the door. Then she would wrap me in a warm towel and tell me to go stand by the heater until the chill was gone and I was dry.
6. Hot Cocoa...This and Mother's bread was probably THE favorite things of Fall. If there were warm towels waiting for me when I got home from school, there was always a cup of homemade hot cocoa to warm my insides. The first day she made a batch of hot cocoa I was allowed to drink as much as I wanted in one sitting and then it was rationed out to one cup a day until it was gone. It was so good I almost wished for more rainy days than we had each year!
7. Fresh Bread...A close second to the hot cocoa was Mother's fresh bread. If I timed it right, I could walk in the door after school to the smell of freshly baked bread being pulled from the oven. Back then bread at the grocery store was something like twenty cents a loaf and even that was too expensive for our family of six so Mother would bake the bread. Nothing is better than a slice or two of homemade bread (with homemade butter on it) and a mug of homemade hot cocoa. It's one of the best memories I have of my childhood.
8. School...Yes, I was one of those nerdy kids who loved, loved, LOVED school. With home not being a place I enjoyed much and never being allowed to have friends, I sought the company of books and learning. I excelled in my studies and maintained near perfect grades all the way through high school. I even graduated second in my class and had to do a commencement speech at my graduation. Even without the ability to connect with my classmates because of my Mother's rules of social behavior, when it came time to vote for Senior Favorites, I was voted Most Like To Succeed which astounded  me because I never realized the people at my school even knew who I was because I was so incredibly shy as a kid.
9. Thanksgiving...With all the various and unusual things that crossed my plate over the years growing up, the holidays usually meant Mother had saved up enough money to make the Thanksgiving meal special. It was one of the rare times of the year when not only was there more than enough to eat...you also actually wanted to eat it!
10. Hallmark...Who doesn't remember the wonderful, magical Hallmark holiday movies of their childhood? I would get giddy with excitement when the holidays approached because I knew there would be a number of Hallmark movies that Mother would let me watch. Even more special than the movies, though, were those Hallmark commercials. Special moments frozen in time where I could just imagine one day someone would give me my very own Hallmark card. Funny what becomes important to a young mind and even now when the holidays roll around you can find me standing in some card aisle, just reading the various sentiments waiting inside to be shared with someone special.

The holidays are what we make of them and even during the most challenging of years growing up, Mother always managed to make our holidays special.  Knowing now what I didn't know then makes me realize she was much more special herself than I ever gave her credit for. I can only hope wherever she is now, she can hear me when I say...

Thanks, Mom.

TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Trick Or Treat, Smell My Feet...

Give me something good to eat.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year, yet Halloween will always hold a special place in my heart. For the child I was, this time of the year reminds me poverty doesn't keep children from being able to participate in the age old tradition of running around the neighborhood in costumes begging for treats. Poverty doesn't prevent youngsters from being able to sit on their beds amongst a mountain of candy as they try to stop their head from swiveling off their shoulders, gazing in wonder at their good fortune.

And poverty won't make the sweet goodies disappear the next morning as the kiddies wake up from sugar induced dreams of just how, if they try really hard, they will make that stash last at least until next Easter if they're lucky.

My costumes were usually homemade and my "bucket" merely a pillowcase but there was such freedom to prowl the streets of my hometown with my siblings, knocking on doors and giggling to see my bounty grow by leaps and bounds. To sneak a piece here and there, to savor what I could not hope to have again for another year.

So I welcome the coming of fall with it's swirling array of multi-colored leaves crispy crackling under my feet as I count down to today.

My candyfest.

My savorfest.

My Halloween!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Marjorie Dennis Murray

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books as we finally reach Halloween!***

Title: Halloween Night

Author: Marjorie Dennis Murray

Illustrator: Brandon Dorman

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Ages: 4 to 8

"Twas Halloween night, and all through the house

Every creature was stirring, including the mouse;"

Synopsis: Everyone from the witch to the banshees are getting ready for the best Halloween party ever. Too bad they never thought to warn their guests about what to expect on the scariest night of the year!

Why you should read it: Rich artwork by illustrator Brandon Dorman combine with a tantalizingly familiar tale by author Marjorie Dennis Murray about getting ready for party guests to arrive. It's minutes before midnight and everyone in the old haunted house is getting ready to party. I enjoyed all the colorful pictures but it was the whimsical, rhyming storyline that kept me flipping the pages just to see how this would end. I especially liked the look on the party guests' faces when the old witch opened the door to invite them in!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Margie Palatini

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books every day from now until the end of the month as we count down to Halloween***


Title: Broom Mates

Author: Margie Palatini

Illustrator: Howard Fine

Publisher: Hyperion Books For Children

Ages: 4 to 8

Synopsis: Preparing for her big howliday party can be tiring, and Gritch the Witch needs her shut-eye. No sooner does she shoo away the bedbugs and curl up for a good night's sleep than the doorbell rings. It's Mag the Hag, her bossy big sister, a day early for the party. Can they survive being broom mates for twenty-four hours?

Why you should read it: I know what it's like to have a big sister around and sometimes the fur can fly when both of us spend too much time with each other. Readers young and old will be able to relate as these two siblings nudge, snort, and pillow-fight their way to sleep. The next day doesn't get any better as Gritch and Mag wrestle things out in the kitchen. It will take a special visit from a certain someone to get these two broom mates back on their best behavior just in time for the party!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Rob Scotton

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books every day from now until the end of the month as we count down to Halloween***

Title: Scaredy-Cat, Splat!

Author/Illustrators: Rob Scotton

Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers

Ages: 4 to 8

Synopsis: It's Halloween, and Splat is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. But when his teacher, Mrs. Wimpydimple, turns off the light to tell a ghost story in the dark, Splat is just too much of a scaredy-cat to sit still. Maybe turning the lights back on will shine some light on a scary situation and give Splat a chance to impress the class!

Why you should read it: I love, love, LOVE the artwork of author/illustrator Rob Scotton in this funny and not too scary tale of poor Splat. Young readers will love this scaredy-cat trying not to be afraid as he and his little mouse buddy, Seymour, try to win the class Halloween contest. But it's what happens when the lights go out that will have everyone cheering for Splat the cat!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Erica Silverman

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books every day from now until the end of the month as we count down to Halloween***

Title: Big Pumpkin

Author: Erica Silverman

Illustrator: S D Schindler

Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Company

Ages: 4 to 8

Synopsis: Once there was a witch who wanted pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the only pumpkin she had was too big to move by herself and Halloween was only hours away. It will take some careful planning and a little help from her friends to make this year the tastiest one yet!

Why you should read it: I just love the way author Erica Silverman and illustrator S D Schindler worked together to create a delightfully funny Halloween story.  Young readers will wonder how the witch will ever get to eat some pumpkin pie and everyone will be able to guess how this clever story ends!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIES: Pamela Jane

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books every day from now until the end of the month as we count down to Halloween***


Title: Little Goblins Ten

Author: Pamela Jane

Illustrator: Jane Manning

Publisher: Harper Collins Publlishers

Ages: 4 to 8

"Over in the forest

where the trees hide the sun

Lived a big mommy monster

And her little monster one."

Synopsis: It a kooky, spooky, silly twist to the old nursery rhyme Over In The Meadow as ghosts, goblins, and other cool beasties make their way through the forest on a creepy fun filled Halloween night.

Why you should read it: Anyone who knows me can tell you my favorite time of the year is the fall. For me, Halloween begins the official holiday season in my house! Author Pamela Jane has managed to turn an old nursery rhyme into a new tale for reading on a crisp Autumn evening. I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what other creatures of the night would go on a fun romp through the forest. Illustrator Jane Manning's delightful artwork is a perfect compliment to this engaging story that will have your own little beastie coming back for more!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Charlotte Gunnufson

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books as we count down to Halloween***



Title: Halloween Hustle

Author: Charlotte Gunnufson

Illustrators: Kevan J Atteberry

Publisher: Two Lions Publishing

Ages: 4 to 8

"In the dark, a funky beat,

Something white with bony feet.

Skeleton dancing up the street,

Doing the Halloween Hustle."

Synopsis: Skeleton is dancing his way to a Halloween party but as he grooves across town, he keeps stumbling, tumbling, and falling apart! Can Skeleton stay in one piece long enough to make it to the party?

Why you should read it: There is so much vivid color and delightful animation going on in Mr. Atteberry's illustrations I almost felt like I was dancing along with Skeleton! I wasn't sure where Ms. Gunnufson was going to go with her story when I first started reading but when I saw how skillfully she employed the "three" theme in her story, I couldn't wait to flip the pages to see what would happen next. If Halloween is your thing, you will enjoy this wonderful rhyming story!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Lois G Grambling

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books as we count down to Halloween***



Title: T. Rex Trick-or-Treats

Author: Lois G Grambling

Illustrators: Jack E Davis

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Ages: 4 to 8

Synopsis: It's the darkest, scariest night of the year and T. Rex can't decide what he wants to be for Halloween. Maybe his friends Diplodocus and Iguanodon can help him decide before it's too late to go trick or treating!

Why you should read it: Universal themes like what will you wear to go trick or treating appeal to me because Fall is my favorite time of the year and Halloween is the beginning of the holiday season. Maybe it's the delightful illustrations created by the award winning Jack E Davis or maybe it's because I wrote a somewhat similar story two years ago before I even discovered this one that made me appreciated Ms. Grambling book. Either way, younger readers will enjoy going along on T. Rex's journey to select the most perfect costume to scare up a little fun on Halloween!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

BOOK NOOK REVIEWS: Ryan Heshka

***In celebration of one of my favorite times of the year, come join the fun as I romp through adorable holiday themed picture books as we count down to Halloween***



Title: Monster Town

Author/Illustrators: Ryan Heshka

Publisher: Christy Ottaviano Books

Ages: 4 to 8

Synopsis: As soon as the sun sets on Monster Town, creatures of all kinds go to work. So hop on the Ghoul Bus and see for yourself. But be warned, it can be a bit scary out there!

Why you should read it: I like how picture books give young readers a chance to visit other worlds and MONSTER TOWN is no different. Mr. Heshka provides a wonderful play on words as we travel through the streets after dark to see how the other side lives. Full of familiar faces, everyone will smile to discover what their favorite Halloween characters actually do whenever they aren't out trick or treating!

Like-O-Meter Rating: 5 out of 5...grab it!

Flash Fiction Friday

The Mighty Jungle 

by Donna L Martin

Today's Flash Fiction Friday is a little bit different. I will be writing Halloween themed Flash Fiction all this month in honor of the holidays but woke up this morning too sick to sit at the computer for very long so I thought I would ask for your help. Here is this week's picture prompt...a bevy of beautiful beasties to spark YOUR writerly creativity. Who will be brave enough to START this week's Flash Fiction Friday? I in turn promise to add to each and every comment I receive...even if I get ten different story beginnings...and since I'm feeling pretty awful right now, NOTHING would make me feel better than to have a Halloween treat basket full of story goodies to sink my teeth into so who's up to today's challenge? ;~)

In A Flash (Fiction) It Was Gone...

I had a really tasty short story to share with you today.  One to give you the shivers and get you ready for Halloween. But something happened on the way to this post.  What should have been a spooky, chilly holiday tale, suddenly morphed into this wonderful picture book story and in a flash, my flash fiction today was gone like a gourmet cookie and all that was left was a hint of what might have been...

That's one of the things I like about writing  The freedom to twist and turn your words into something different than what you originally envisioned.  A fleeting thought can become an idea which blossoms into a story which before you know it, becomes a five book series.  In real life, I'm an organized person who takes only calculated risks...never straying far from the path I planned out for my life.

In the world of my imagination...oh, that wonderfully twisty, turny, never-ending world in my mind...I am free to create whatever those unlimited boundaries will allow.  And so, when my flash fiction laughed at me, removed it's mask, and revealed it was a picture book manuscript I decided to go with it.  Instead of capturing one moment in time, I find I have stepped into yet another world of my own making and I will follow it wherever it might lead me.

But just in case you are wondering what you might be missing, here are the first couple of lines from what WAS going to be my flash fiction piece as well as the picture that inspired it...

Its dark and creepy, for just a little peeking,

As we sneak up to the gloomy ghoul hall.

While outside drooping, silently swooping,

Birds of the night will eerily call.

With eyes gleaming, glowing, and gnashing teeth showing

A scary scarecrow welcomes one and all.

A dark lumbering cloud drapes the moon like a shroud

Lightening our way to the gloomy ghoul ball.

Now, don't you wish it would have stayed a flash fiction piece so you know what happens next?  Just wait to you get the book...