Monday, August 17, 2015

MY PRIDE AND JOY!

In 2012 at the ripe old age of 68 I gave birth. Miracle? Not really because instead of a boy or a girl, I presented the world with my first children's book. Since that June, I've written six more tales for ages 3-7, and four chapter books for tweens/teens. Eleven newborns in three years! I guess you could say I have a very fertile imagination!

I consider my works to be honest, factual, and funny. Every one of them is framed and mounted in our family room right up there with all the grandchildren.  Each has been a labor of love. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to my pride and joy:


GRAMMY'S GANG SERIES
Ages 3-7


1. NO WAY TO HAIRCUT DAY! 



A whimzical tale of a boy who can't understand why he must get his hair cut and puts up a fuss when in the barber's chair. However when the deed is finally done, when he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he decides the monthly ritual isn't as bad as he once thought. A big red lollipop is another reward he can certainly appreciate!











2. DIRTY FACE LIAM  

    http://tinyurl.com/nvbejxf





A dirty kid is a happy kid! Liam loves to play in the mud, chew bubble gum, scribble with markers, and do all the things boys do that make their moms wish they were pretty, prissy girls! No matter how hard she tries, this mother cannot clean up her son's act!










3. CALLING ALL GRAMMIES  A Christmas Tale of Friendship 

    http://tinyurl.com/qgo5tcy






Santa is in big trouble now. His sleigh is busted and Christmas might have to be canceled this year. But after he makes a call to his dear friend, Grammy, her plan just might change everything. Grammy emails her pals from all over the world, and together they work hard to make all the children's dreams come true!









4. THERE'S A BABY IN MOMMY'S BELLY!  

     http://tinyurl.com/kjaflyx





How can a baby be in mommy's belly? How did it get there? Why is mommy getting so fat? What is jumping around inside mommy? Why is there a puddle of water under mommy? These are just a few of the questions her younger son wants answers to but nobody seems to be able to help, not dad, not big brother. Is there really a baby in mommy's belly? You'll have to read this hilarious tale and see!










5. SWEET, SWEET, SWEET BAREFEET! A JOYFUL RAP

   http://tinyurl.com/qbh3wwo




Two boys have been friends since birth. Ty-Ty is white and Thomas is black, but color never crosses their minds. The only thing these buddies want is to have fun in the sun, tease Thomas's sister, and enjoy mama's soup and sweet potato pie. They plan to be pals forever!











6. WHEN GRAMMY GOES AWAY

    http://tinyurl.com/op6ejcd








Grammy's grandson can't image life without her. Where would she go? How would she get there? What would she do there? Would she have her favorite things to eat? Would he ever hear her sweet voice again? Sadness and anger fill his soul until mom explains that Grammy will be with him, always and forever!






7. YO! BABY, GO! GO,BABY! 

http://tinyurl.com/ow9mlw5




The new baby in the family is a mover and a shaker! After tricking dad to think he was asleep, this bundle of energy rolls out of the house and into the world of fun and excitement. He rides a bike,plays basketball, and meets new friends. When trying to climb a giant try, baby finds himself waking up in his crib. Did he really do all those things or was he dreaming? What do you think?











WHEN WE WERE KIDS SERIES
Chapter books for tweens/teens


1.PLAYING HOOKY




In this story, readers are introduced to Betty Lou and Danny Kolinski for the first time. Growing up in the Fifties without their father, Frank is difficult for the sister and brother team. They attend parochial school, play hooky, and revel in their freedom until faced with a band of rock-throwing bullies. Danny is seriously injured, and although Betty Lou confronts his attackers, she is ridiculed and sent away without resolve. The girl must face the horrible truth that she alone is responsible for the harm that has come to her brother. While waiting for her mother and Danny to return from the emergency room, Betty Lou realizes that her anger towards the bullies is rooted in the rage she harbors because of her dad's death. She's mad at God, mad at the doctors for not saving him, mad at the world, but mostly mad at herself because somehow she believes she is responsible for his passing as well.








2. PUPPY LOVE


In the second book of the series, Danny experiences his first crush on Emily Salay, a classmate at St. Michael's Parochial School, who captured his heart during the summer of 1953. At the start of the school year though, Danny grows anxious when his buddies see him in Emily's company. How does he handle this dilemma? Not very well, to say the least.


Betty Lou is involved in puppy love for the first time, too. The nine-old isn't really sure she can handle the rollercoaster ride of emotions she and Bobby have embarked on. Only when her Baba tells Lou the story of Millie, her childhood pet, does Betty Lou finally understand the real meaning of this unsettling yet strangely wonderful experience.













3.PIMPLES AND PERIODS




Dealing with ugly zits, school bullies, and a three-day suspension leaves  Danny Kolinski sad and angry. His younger sister, Betty Lou, has her own problems. Most of her seventh grade friends are wearing bras, but she remains flat-chested. To compensate for her delayed development ,Lou takes unusual measures to make herself look and feel better. 

One day, while her daughter is standing in her underwear before the full-length mirror in their bedroom inspecting her body, Mary accidentally walks in.  Betty Lou flies into a rage, telling her mom she's totally mortified, and insists on privacy from now on. After allowing some time to pass, Mary sits beside her tween and explains what happens when girls and boys begin going through puberty. She not only discusses the physical changes, but emphasizes the emotional and social turmoil that both Lou and Danny will be experiencing over the next few years. Mother and daughter come to an understanding that during this difficult time in one's development, it is extremely important that they keep an open dialogue while taking this journey together.









 4. PROMISES



When Betty Lou Kolinski decides to attend high school away from home, her family adamantly objects. But ever since she learned to read, Lou's dream has been to become a famous author, and going to Vincentian Academy promise her the chance to achieve her goal.

Danny, now sixteen, meets a dark-haired beauty, and invites her out for a soda. To his surprise, Marion accepts and the teenager is walking on air. Though life promises good things ahead for him, Danny soon loses his job and is badly beaten by town bullies.

Some promises are meant to be kept, and some promises should never be made. Find out whether or not Betty Lou and Danny choose wisely where promises are concerned.









I would be terribly remiss not to acknowledge the midwives (illustrators) that contributed their amazing talents to the births of my eleven beautiful stories. Derek Bacon did the covers and interior pages for the first five children's books. When he could no longer work on my projects, Abira Das took over to lend her expertise to books six and seven. Elliott Beavan designed the covers of the first three chapter books, and again, Abira willingly accepted the job posting for PROMISES. These three illustrators are among the best in the business. I contracted them by going to the website, Upwork.com. If you're ever in need of professionals who illustrate, edit, format, or anything else related to publication, Upwork is the place to go!

As does any proud mother, I, too, love showing off my offsprings any time I get the opportunity in pictures and prose. After all, they truly are my pride and joy!





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