Cover Reveal Fun!

Cheryl Rainfield, author of SCARS (WestSide Books, March 24, 2010) has just revealed the cover of her new book. So, I've created a little fun using her new cover.



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Hiking Up My Socks

I decided to hike up my socks and get to work polishing a picture book manuscript I have been working on-and-off for a long time.

So, last week I pulled it out of the draw and something interesting happened. That same day I had two different volunteer groups come to me and basically say, 'We'd like to use your writing skills. Can you help us? Would you write..." I don't mind helping and of course I said 'yes' but I find it funny that these requests come to me as soon as I decide to put all my focus on one of my bigger personal writing projects. My analytical mind now starts to wonder why this has happened and if there is a bigger meaning?

I think the bigger meaning is, 'you need to write...more...now.' I have finished one of the requests already and the client was very happy. Surprisingly, it wasn't as tough as I thought it was going to be. The other project will not happen for a while.

For now, I am looking to submit some smaller works, mainly poems, to magazines and web sites while I continue to work on my picture book manuscript and get it agent ready. Yay me!

You Don't Know 'Jack'

Jack and the Bean Stalk. Jack Jumps Over the Candlestick. Jack and Jill went up the Hill. Jack Sprat. Little Jack Horner.

Do you know Jack or at least why Jack seems to be in so many fairy tales?

Though the name 'Jack' has a very complex origin it's meaning is very simple. 'Jack' basically means 'guy.' Some guy jumped over the caldlestick, a guy and a girl (Jill is slang for a young woman) went up a hill.

How many 'Jacks' have you heard of other than in fairy tales? Jack-in-the-box, Jack-of-all-trades...

To read more about the name Jack see the following URL: http://tinyurl.com/22tk7x3

Letter To Santa Template

Looking for a simple template for you child to use to write his/her letter to Santa?
I have one here: http://home.cogeco.ca/~madelinebarr/letter_to_santa.pdf

Some YA Books Dontated! Yippy!

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of meeting fellow writer Joanne Levy at a local coffee shop. We had meet through twitter and have been corresponding ever since.

When I sent out a tweet about the book drive my work was doing for Habitat for Humanity, Joanne was one of the first people to pipe up. She wanted to donate some books. Fantastic! When we met we talked for a bit and I expected her to hand me a book or two. I was shocked when she hoisted up onto the table a bag FULL of YA books. Ten in all. Yes, TEN.

After picking my jaw up off the floor, we went through the books - some even signed. I cannot believe how generous people can be for people they have never met.

Below is a photo and a list of the books Joanne has donated.

• Radiance by Alyson Noel (x2)
• Trance by Linda Gerber (x2 - 1 which is signed)
• Wake by Lisa McMann (x2 - both signed)
• Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (signed by Margaret Stohl)
• Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (signed)
• What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook

Joanne, thank you so much for the wonderful books. You're so generous. They look like fabulous books and I think I am going to have to go buy some of them for myself. I'm sure the families going into these HFH new homes will love them.

Interested in donating a book to the book drive? Please email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com or visit me on twitter @auntieflamingo for more information.

Your help is needed. We need books for children of all ages.

I'm So Excited And I Just Can't Hide It!

Today, I received a package filled with children's books for our Book Drive for Habitat For Humanity Hamilton Robert Land Project (Phase 1) and the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre library.

And what is more exciting is I'm in Canada and these books were sent to me from Australia! I would like to send a huge, heart felt thanks to writer BELINDA J of Australia for sending me the following books and DVD:

• And Kangaroo Played His Didgeridoo - by Nigel Gray - illustrated by Glen Singleton
• When Henery Caught Imaginitis - by Nick Bland
• Henry and Amy (Right-way-round and upside down) - by Stephen Michael King
• Mutt Dog - by Stephen Michael King
• The Pocket Dogs - by Margaret Wild - illustrated by Stephen Michael King
• Za-za's Baby Brother - by Lucy Cousins
• Let's Read DVD and posters

Belinda and I only know each other through twitter.

Belinda, I was over joyed when I received the package and overwhelmed by your generosity. One of the conditions to be met for these families to qualify for these homes is they must be prepared to contribute hundreds of hours of Sweat Equity (work on the home.) Children of the families can contribute to these Sweat Equity hours by keeping their grades up. Books, such as these, and reading will help them achieve this goal and more in life.

Interested in donating a book to the book drive? Please email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com or visit me on twitter @auntieflamingo for more information.

Your help is needed. We need books for children of all ages

The Book Drive Is ON!

There is so much I want to tell you I'm not sure which point to start with first. If you want to jump directly to the book drive information just scroll down to the title BOOK DRIVE.

I'll start with this: I do not like to donate money to charity!

It's true. The reason I don't like donating money is because I don't know where my money is going. Is it going to administration fees? Is it going to someone who is abusing the charity? Is someone else pocketing it before it gets where it needs to go? Is the charity actually a scam?

I know it's a terrible thought but these things happen.

I do want to donate and I like to volunteer so I jumped at the opportunity, through my day job, at a chance to volunteer with Habitat For Humanity on a building project in my community. There are two reasons why I wanted to help with this organization.

1) I'm donating my time and as much or as little as I want. I know exactly where my time is going and I am doing good.

2) The families who require the organization assistance is getting a "hand up" not a "hand out." These families have to put in “sweat equity” into their home - meaning they help build it and are taught how to maintain it.

Ok so what does this have to do with a book drive?

The build I'm participating in a Phase 1 consisting of 4 town home units. So far the families that had have been accepted for these home are single mothers of 3 or more children. I am a married, working mother of 2 children and I know how difficult that is financially, physically and emotionally. These mother's are raising 3 or more children on their own while working 2 or 3 jobs. I can't imagine how they do it.


BOOK DRIVE
We have decided to hold a book drive for these families and I need your help. I am looking for children's books from infant to Young Adult. If you are interested in donating you can email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com and I can give you more information and where to send your books.

AUTHORS! I have extra information for you. If you would like to donate a signed copy of your book just email me at auntieflamingo@gmail.com and let me know. I will send you information on where to send your book. When I receive your book I will post your donation on both my blogs, http://madelinebarr.blogspot.com/ & http://auntieflamingo.blogspot.com/ PLUS I have been given permission to post your donation on our HFH blog at http://cawlocal555socialjustice.blogspot.com/

So, a book for us, exposure for you and another child reading. You can't argue the importance of a child reading....can you?

How much exposure will you get? Not sure exactly but let's put it this way:

- Your book posted on 3 blogs
- I'll tweet your donation @auntieflamingo
- There are more than 7,800 staff at my work. More than 2000 are in the union supporting this build.
- The build has barely started and has been in the newspaper 3 times 4 times as of october 5, 2010.
- The populations on my city is roughly 504,559
- You will get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you were part of something special

I hope to get enough signed book donations to put into a special package (like a large basket or something.) I plan on handing over the signed books separately from the other books.

One more note: I believe in Habitat For Humaity so much (now that I know more about the organization) I plan to participate in future builds after this one with my work.

More information:
Habitat For Humanity Hamilton: http://www.habitathamilton.ca/Home.aspx
CAW Loca 555 HFH Build Blog: http://cawlocal555socialjustice.blogspot.com/
Habitat For Humanity Canada: http://habitat.ca/index.php

Off ryhmes, Near Rhymes, Imperfect Rhymes...

... half rhymes or oblique rhymes. It doesn't matter what you call it the outcome is the same. It is when two words are close in rhyming but don't quite rhyme. Like cover and other, here and weird

Cover has a V sound in the middle and the word Other has a TH sound. Not the same.

Weird has a D sound at the end where the word Here doesn't.

So what are your thoughts on using near rhymes? Take my poll on the right and let me know.

FREE Audiobook!

Back in January I got the pleasure of meeting Toronto author Lesley Livingston. She is a lovely person. I already had her first book, WONDROUS STRANGE and I was captivated when she read a section of her second book DARKLIGHT (which I also bought and had signed by Lesley.) It was wonderful to hear the story with the voices and inflections from the author's point of view.


Well, you can imagine my excitment when I found out today you can download the audiobook of WONDROUS STRANGE for FREE! Yes FREE! Not only is it free but it is also read by Lesley Livingston. It's only available until August 25th, 2010 so you need to hurry if you want a copy.

You can download it from here:
http://www.audiobookcommunity.com/group/sync

Happy Listening!

A Quick Update

I have bad news and I have good news.

The bad news I received a rejection letter from my latest submission/inquery. I was so excited about it but hey, that's the way it goes.

The good news is I took that same manuscript and posted it to my new critique group and have received some great suggestions. I'm making changes and I will post it with the group again later. Once I'm happy with all the changes I think I am going to try to get an agent.

So that's where I'm at. I haven't posted much because I've been busy editing my manuscript.