Another teaser to tempt the taste buds until Butterfly Bones releases on the 28th.
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Category: Uncategorized
Bullying Stories
While I was occasionally bullied at school, the moment bullying became real for me was when my daughter came home from kindergarten, never wanting to go back. It turned out a group of girls pushed her down and called her “shark tooth”–all because she had an extra top front tooth that was pointy. The tooth would eventually fall out as the actual front tooth grew in, but until then my daughter faced countless attacks from these girls.
My daughter was a fun, funny, and loveable child. She was always laughing and happy. But those girls planted seeds of doubt within her–seeds that bloomed into poor self-esteem and became noxious weeds that she would continue to fight all throughout her school years.
Bullying robs children of their innocence–of their right to be happy and free from fear and anxiety. And school should be one of the safest places outside of home. But almost all bullying occurs at school. This has to change. For our children–for all children.
Be strong. Be informed. Stop bullying.
Bullying Stories
How often do we see bullying and aren’t sure what to do? It happens every day. We write it off as not our problem or not our business. Or maybe, like in the following example, the bullying takes care of itself–until the next time.
So what’s missing in this interaction? Respect. To gain respect, one must first give respect. Bullies respect no one. That’s why they put down others–to make themselves feel better. The best teachers are those who see their students as equals–an equal opportunity for learning both ways–thus the teacher becomes the student and the student the teacher. It’s a beautiful exchange.
Respect. Give it. Get it.
Stop bullying. Start respecting.
Bullying Stories
School. A place where we send our children for an education. But are they receiving a “social” education beyond social studies? According to Stopbullying.gov.org, most bullying takes place in school, on school grounds, and on the school bus. 
Here’s one mom’s story of advice she gave to her daughter in regards to being bullied and how to deal with it.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
To bring awareness to the problem that is bullying, I have decided to post stories of bullying from anyone who’d like to share their experience, offer advice, or just join with us in an effort to end bullying.
As an early childhood educator, it comes down to one important word: RESPECT
This a lesson I teach to my 4 and 5 year olds–and if they can get it, anyone can.
(sung to “Respect” by Aretha Franklin)
R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T break it down what does it mean?
R is for Rainbow. We are all different, just like the colors of a rainbow. But when the colors combine, they create beauty, and even more colors.
E is for Empathy. I care about others’ feelings and how I make them feel. Is it hurtful or helpful?
S is for Sharing. If I have more than one, you can have one too.
P is for being Polite. Manners show respect.
E is for Everyone. We include everyone.
C is for Caring. Kindness begins with me.
T is for Talking. I can solve my problems by using my words.
Want bullying to stop? Then we must teach respect.
Fellow author, SM Rose, shares his #bullying story with us.
Thank you, SM. For some, the need to feel better about themselves drives them to bring others down. Sadly this doesn’t always end with the teen years.
Be strong. Be informed. Join the movement. Stop bullying.
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Cover Reveal for The Life Group by Maura Jortner
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The Life Group
by Maura Jortner
Genre: YA Thriller
Release Date: January 9th 2017
Lakewater Press
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Summary:
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ONE MISSING GIRL. NO SUSPECTS.
Every day since her sister vanished, Rachel has visited the radical church where Leah was last seen. There are still no suspects or leads, but Rachel’s positive clues lie in that church somewhere.
Thirteen days on from Leah’s disappearance, the pastor introduces Rachel to Tim, a devout worshiper of his Lord. To avoid dealing with his own demons, he agrees to spend the day helping Rachel search for her sister.
It’s Saturday, March 14. Maybe today will be the day. Maybe today Rachel will be reunited with Leah. Or maybe today will change Rachel’s life forever.
For fans of GONE GIRL, this gripping Young Adult thriller will keep you guessing until its explosive climax.
‘…a truly original storyline and taut pacing that pulls the reader relentlessly toward the devastating conclusion.’ USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Stormes Hawker
‘Teens and adults alike will devour this rollercoaster story…’ Emily Bleeker, author of WRECKAGE and WHEN I’M GONE
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About the Author
Maura Jortner grew up in New Hampshire and now lives in Waco, Texas with her patient husband, two amazing daughters, and one unruly cat. She teaches literature and writing classes at Baylor University. A lifetime ago, she used to direct plays and put on puppet shows for kids, which led to a Ph.D. in Theatre History. Currently, when Maura’s not writing, she’s spending her time like every native-born Texan: worrying about how many chiggers might be hidden in the grass outside her house or if she put enough sunscreen on her kids.
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Cover Reveal Organized by:
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Va Va Voom Verbs
If I could offer only one piece of advice… if I had to pick one thing that would most improve your writing, it would be to use colorful, vivid verbs. Of course, there are many aspects that g…
Source: Va Va Voom Verbs
Cover Reveal Winell Road by Kate Foster
Cover Reveal Winell Road by Kate Foster
Today is the cover reveal for Winell Road by Kate Foster. This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.
Winell Road (Winell Road #1)
by Kate Foster
Genre: Science-fiction
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: 2 September 2016
Blurb:
Living on Winell Road is hardly fun, not when your neighbors are weirder than your own parents.
But the road has a secret that few people know.
And Jack’s about to uncover it.
Mystery, action and adventure. This award-winning sci-fi series is “highly recommended” for middle grade readers.
For fans of Men in Black and Zac Power, Winell Road is jam-packed with “loads of twists and turns” that will keep you guessing to the end.
You can find Winell Road on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25597250-winell-road
You can pre-order Winell Road here:
– Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Winell-Road-Kate-Foster-ebook/dp/B01J6XJEPS/
About the Author:
Kate is an Englishwoman lapping up the sunshine on the Gold Coast in Australia with her family. She’s a freelance editor, editorial director at Lakewater Press, and a middle grade Pitch Wars mentor.
You can find and contact Kate here:
– Website: http://www.katefosterauthor.com/
– Editing website: http://www.katejfoster.com/
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winellroad/
– Twitter: https://twitter.com/winellroad
– Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13831685.Kate_Foster
The Birth of a Novel: Butterfly Bones
The Birth of a Novel: Butterfly Bones
Five years ago, while listening to The Cure, a song called “Caterpillar” came on.
I’d heard this song a million times. But for some reason, this time the music and lyrics spoke to me. The title of a book emerged: THE CATERPILLAR GIRL. Before I knew it, the idea for a short story revealed itself.
The earliest version depicted a bullied teen girl with a rare bone disease getting revenge on her tormentors. Blood and gore were at the forefront. So I grabbed a notebook and jotted down my ideas. BETHANY KEATLEY, the MC, crawled from the ashes of my imagination and evolved into a 3-D character. And it wasn’t long before I molded and breathed life into JEREMIAH WRIGHT, Bethany’s best friend and love interest. Along with many other characters, the story flickered to life.
I characterized and plotted until I knew every detail about my characters and the story I wanted to tell. Time to write the novel.
But something strange happened.
No matter how hard I tried, Bethany refused to star in a horror novel. Instead, she pushed me to pen her story—a journey through great loss, tremendous change, and the harsh reality that Mother Nature and Father Time can’t be cheated.
About a month later, I finished the short story. But Bethany still wasn’t happy. I hadn’t told her whole story—not the way she wanted me to. So I set the story aside and listened to my character.
Her wants. Her needs. Her weaknesses. Her strengths. Her story.
Soon, the short story morphed into a full novel, just over eighty thousand words. But that wasn’t the end.
After suggestions from contest mentors, I rewrote the beginning, switched the POV from third to first person, and changed the tense from past to present. The changes allowed me to see holes in the story where I hadn’t before and to make Bethany’s journey even stronger. Like my MC, my story experienced metamorphosis.
Fast forward to signing with Lakewater Press; the editor, Kate Foster, asked me how I felt about a title change. My heart dropped and a lump formed in my throat. No way. The title had always been The Caterpillar Girl—the title had inspired the book.
But as Kate threw out ideas and BUTTERFLY BONES was born, I replayed the suggested title over and over in my head, as well as reciting it out loud—growing fonder of the change with every pass over my tongue.
And then it hit me. BUTTERFLY BONES had a double meaning.
- Butterflies are fragile, yet tough as hell, and so is my MC.
- Since her bones are strengthened from butterfly DNA, Bethany literally has “butterfly bones.”
And that was it. I agreed to the title change and haven’t looked back.
And how does Bethany feel about the change?
She thinks it’s the shizz—freaking shizz-tastic!
The Habit of Writing
Your mother taught you the benefit of good habits and when it comes to writing, consistent practice is essential. In the busyness of life, how do we accomplish this? When I first started writing, m…
Source: The Habit of Writing
Rebecca Carpenter, copy editor and author 