Tea Parties, Books, and Birds.

Last week, as I do every year, I went back to my hometown to visit with the children from the After School Group. This group is very special for several reasons. The first being that it is run by Barb Annon. Miss Barb was not only my 4-H leader when I was young, but she is also the mother of one of my besties from junior high. What is so amazing about that you ask? To which, I would reply their farm. The farm I spent many hours visiting. The farm where I gathered eggs, swung from ropes in the barn, and had a generally good time. The farm that inspired my choice of farm animals for my Fern Valley characters.

The second reason is the children. The children who yell, "She's here. She's here," as they run down the hall announcing my arrival. The children who so eagerly share with me the stories they have written. The children who surprise me every year with something unique. This year's surprise was a recreation of a tea party in the first book of my Fern Valley series. A recreation that included cucumber sandwiches, mint tea, poppy seed muffins, hand made napkin rings, and a mason jar filled with flowers for a centerpiece.

 

 

It was a perfect beginning to the warmer weather we have been experiencing. It also made me want to read some special spring books for this week's review. The first book I read was Have You Heard The Nesting Bird. This book is very multi-faceted in that it describes each bird flitting past the nesting bird and it describes the sound each makes. This was particularly interesting since my husband and I were discussing all the birds we heard outside that morning. It takes you on a bird watching journey past the robin who sits quietly on its nest until its bright blue eggs hatch. And as an added bonus, at the end of the book there are questions and answers which explain why the nesting bird was so quiet compared to the other birds. A great read for the younger children still in the picture book phase and even for those who have graduated to chapter books.

The second book I read was The Gentleman Bug. Gentleman bug is different then the other bugs because he loves to read. Even though other bugs make fun of him for this, he doesn't mind being different. That is until a new ladybug came to town. In an effort to gain her attention, he dresses in a new suit and goes to a party where he hopes to meet her . Unfortunately she pays him no mind and an embarrassing accident sends him running home. Later, he receives an invitation to the library where he meets the new librarian which turns out to be Ladybug. Happily, they become fast friends.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequel, Return To Fern Valley, and the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days

The Great Snowball Fight Of 2014!

A friend of mine, the lovely Candice Simpson, came up with the idea of  having forty days of giveaways for her many author, artist, and bookish friends. Since in many parts of the country it has been a long and cold winter, she decided to call it "The Great Snowball Fight Of 2014". The idea was that every day, for forty days, someone would get hit with a snowball, and it would then be their day to host. It just so happens, that today, I was smacked by Author Vickie Johnstone. I was smacked virtually of course, and no people or animals were harmed, so we can all remain calm.

Candice even went so far as to create this lovely picture to go with the Great Snowball Fight. And I must admit, it is a work of art. And just look at all those lovely names of the creative people who are participating!

She started the whole thing off by smacking our mutual friend and a fellow children's author, Wendy Nystrom, who I had the privilege of meeting last year in Michigan. Wendy had a health scare recently, but I am glad to share that she is recuperating nicely. So if you have a minute, why not stop by her site and leave her some comment love to help her more speedily recover!

Since I am today's giveaway hostess, I should probably tell you what I am giving away and how you can enter. For my portion of the giveaway, I decided to offer three pdf copies of my first book, Fern Valley. If you enjoy it and decide you want an actual paperback copy or you are not a winner in today's contest, it is available at most online retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

To enter for a chance to win, simply follow my blog and leave a comment below.  It's that easy peasy. Then at ten o'clock eastern standard time tonight, I will randomly select the winners. There are absolutely no strings attached, but if you find you enjoy the stories in Fern Valley, a review would be more then appreciated.

I have one more bit of good news before wrapping this post up, and that is the upcoming release of my sequel, Return To Fern Valley, summer 2014. Just this past week, I received some character sketches from my illustrator. And I'm probably a bit partial, but I think they are simply adorable. How about you?

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day! Oh, and don't forget to check out my sneak attack on tomorrow's hostess, Author Tara Brown. I think I will smack her with an exceptionally large snowball to wash off some of that gruesome blood trail.

Just A Hoppin' Around

Once again I have been invited to a children's blog hop, but unlike the last time (I'm sighing and blushing now), this time, I remembered to post. For this particular hop, I was invited to participate by the very sweet Angie Churney, author of the Writing On The Sly blog. Please be sure to stop by her site and leave her a little comment love.

As with most hops, when the host is introduced it is then time for the new hopper (me) to answer some writing questions. So with out further ado, I will dive right in.

What are you working on right now?

Now that November has arrived, I am getting ready to start the production process for the sequel to Fern Valley which is titled Return To Fern Valley. For those of you not familiar with the publishing process, I begin with editing. My editor will make suggestions and it is up to me to follow through and make corrections. From there, I will move onto various stages like working with my illustrator, cover designer, layout designer, and last but not least, the final editing stage. I am also working on the third book in the Fern valley series in hopes of having it ready for publishing possibly next fall.

How does your writing process work?

My writing process isn't really a process at all. Unlike what all the trendy articles tell you, I do not write daily, I do not set aside specific times every day, week, or month to write. I do not use outlines. Basically,  I only write when I feel inspired. I do most of my writing after my daughter goes to bed or while she is at school because these are the two times of maximum quiet. If I try to write while she is home and awake, I hear a constant whine which sounds something like this, "How much longer are you going to be on the computer. Are you done yet? You are always on the computer." You can probably imagine now, why I choose those specific times to write!

.Who are authors that you most admire? 

I admire many, many authors both living and dead. Of those who have long ceased to be, I admire Samuel Clemons, otherwise know as Mark Twain, quite a bit. I  have also been know to gush about Phyllis A Whitney,  and  George Elliot aka. Mary Anne Evans. Of those still with us, I very much admire the books of new author, Laura Eckroat, the ever so famous, Tommie dePaola, and my friend from across the pond, Joyce Dunbar.

Where do you turn for instruction and inspiration?

I  turn to fellow authors for instruction. Those well seasoned veterans not adverse to sharing their wealth of knowledge. And since I do indeed believe in paying it forward, I also willingly pass on the tid-bits of wisdom I acquire on my journey. As for inspiration, that comes from almost anywhere: my childhood, my daughter, my cats, music, nature, even the strange dreams my besties share with me.

Well now that you know more about me, possibly more then you ever wanted to know, it is time to pass the torch to my fellow hoppers.

Please be sure to check out my fellow children's authors Gailya Keller and Pat Brannon as they continue the hop.

Gailya is the author of  The Secret Of Smiley Woods and her blog can be found at So, the other day I was thinking.

  

Pat is the author of many books, including Has A Donkey Ever Brought You Breakfast In Bed, and her blog can be found at Pat's Blog.

And just in case you are wondering where I get my beautiful, free, clip-art,  I use the excellent work of Phillip Martin. So be sure to stop by his lovely site as well.

Signing of for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!