HEART OF THE OAK

by

J.L. NOVINSKY

Genre: Children’s / Nature / Life Cycle

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing

Publication Date: November 15, 2017

Number of Pages: 36 pages

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Heart of the Oak is a sweet story of the life of an old oak tree.

He’s old and weathered; his skin is rough and knotty.  But he has memories of joy, of love, and of tragedy.  He has endured many years and felt the sorrow of so much loss.  But his greatest joy is just ahead!

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Praise for HEART OF THE OAK from Amazon reviewers!

“Such a great book with a heartfelt story!”

“My children and I LOVE this book. We had a wonderful and insightful conversation after we read it.”

This may be a book geared toward children, but anyone who reads this book will capture the message within the pages – that love is there for everyone and that everyone (and everything) has a purpose in this life.

This book shares the life cycle with the reader. From birth and all through life, the ups and the downs that we all experience at different times. If I look at the focus of the book, a mighty oak, it reminded of the many trees I have seen over the course of my life and the good times climbing up high, picking the fruit, taking shelter from the sun or rain, or just sitting underneath them while enjoying a book. Some of those trees are no more and some continue to thrive and grow and provide enjoyment to others.

I am not afraid to say that this book had me teary-eyed near the end of the story as the tree is feeling despair but all of a sudden new life comes to his little corner of the planet and the tree received quite the surprise when people come to see the tree. I don’t want to spoil any surprises so go pick up this book and read it quickly!

We give this 5 paws up and I will be sharing this with my great-niece and nephew so that they can also learn the moral of this story.

J.L. (Joan) Novinsky was born just outside of Chicago, but she got to Texas as fast as she could! Joan started college at age 55, and while taking a Creative Writing class, she wrote her first story, Heart of the Oak. Joan has now written a second children’s book, Horace and Giselle, available for on-line purchase January 2019. She was married to Bob in 1992, had a son, Stephen, in 1998, then in 2001, she and her husband took on the challenge and excitement of adopting a boy from St. Petersburg, Russia. Andrei joined the family in 2002, and the family resides just north of Dallas with their various and numerous pets.

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Synopsis

When a boy brings his pterodactyl to school for show-and-tell, hilarious havoc ensues. The creature’s delightfully demented antics, the kids’ expressions as they try to avoid the hungry pterodactyl, and the out-of-control imagination of the boy yield a wild and wacky romp.

Kids who dig dinosaurs will devour this preposterous pterodactyl tale written in rhyming couplets and teeming with edgy school-age humor and giggle-inducing illustrations.

You can buy the Kindle version now or preorder the book.  

Review

This is a cute children’s book with wonderful illustrations that reflect what happens when you take a Pterodactyl to school. I think children will enjoy the illustrations and the simple story line. It even has a few moments that made me laugh out loud.

We give it 5 paws up

About the Author & Illustrator

Author Thad Krasnesky is a writer of children’s stories trapped in the body of an army major. He served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as an active duty intelligence officer in the US Army. He lives in Lansing, KS, and this is his third picture book.

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Illustrator Tanya Leonello has an MFA in medical illustration, and specialized in scientific illustration for over 15 years. Her second career as a mother inspired her to create art for children’s picture books. Tanya lives in Dexter, MI.

Synopsis

Sarah and her twin brother Jon are heirs to an ancient magical realm and its most valuable treasure, an enchanted library. The library endows readers with the supernatural means of crossing into the uncharted inner-sanctum of the second dimension, inhabited with peculiar and sometimes perilous creatures.

The children are emboldened with a wondrous mystical gift that no other being has ever possessed. But fate intervenes and triggers a disastrous inter-dimensional war that disrupts the fabric of time and space spanning multiple universes, tearing destiny a new and savage pathway.

The two must rescue their world from a phantom hybrid alien race controlled by a demented dark-wizard, Jeremy Sermack. They will either assimilate or be exterminated.

Will they be the saviors the prophets spoke of, or will they retreat to the perceived safety of their distant homeland?

Read an excerpt here

Review

People that enjoy fantasy novels just might like this one as it has all sorts of magical beings and a mystery to boot.

The story starts off and we follow Sarah and Jon and a visit to the grandparents. They are intrigued with the farm and everyone that lives there and learn that the dog likes pickles! They are quickly exposed to magical beings and some magic. It is implied that they hold a lot of magical powers themselves but were not raised in that world, so their learning curve is quite steep. I do not remember how old they are (young, perhaps 12ish?) and I would have thought they would be more inquisitive about magic and what they can do, but it is like everyone wanted to hold that information back from the kids.

And then there is the book that has been hidden on the farm thanks to Grandpa’s habit of taking items of interest to him. We are offered a glimpse into the book and its potential powers, but it isn’t really full explained but perhaps that is because no one can read the text?

I felt the like book moved along smoothly for about 2/3 and then it went a bit haywire for me. Many characters were introduced and the library is being inundated with magic from books and evil beings. The story moves quickly, but perhaps too quickly and I felt like there wasn’t a good flow. I’m not sure I really understood what was going on with all the characters and Sarah and Jon were not given a strong introduction to their magic that they could have assisted with what was happening in the library.

The story ends but I don’t think everything is wrapped up (at least not to my liking) so I wonder if there is going to be another book to continue the story?

We give this 3 paws up and this series (if it is a series) has some great potential.

About the Author

Mark was born number seven of eight children in a small town in Ohio. His family moved to Florida where he grew up, met an incredible woman, got married and raised four fantastic children, three boys, and a girl.

Many years later an empty nest left him to his true calling, storytelling. His first remarkable story is about a heroine whose courage and unrestrained personality, like his daughters, breathes passion and fervor into this adrenaline packed fantastical story.

Synopsis

In this sequel to Where is Pidge?, our young hero decides to audition for the school musical along with her canine buddy Maverick. Not everyone thinks Pidge can learn to sing or Maverick can be trained, but Pidge believes. Through their theatrical escapades, Pidge discovers that singing requires hard work and that Maverick might not be ready for his stage debut after all. And by the end, Pidge understands that being a star is all a matter of perspective, and unconditional love matters more than fame.

Review

What a cute children’s book with a good message. With many not wanting to work for anything, in this book, Pidge learns that she has to work hard to earn a spot in the talent show. It isn’t easy as she discovers, but I think this is what makes her success that more amazing because it wasn’t handed to her. Now her dog Maverick? Let’s just say he is a lost cause!

There are some funny parts in this story as well, mostly due to Maverick’s antics. But it rounds out the story nicely and continues to teach the lesson that anything worthwhile is more satisfying when you worked hard to achieve that goal.

I think this book would be good for children 4 and up.  While the younger ones may not quite grasp the full concept of working hard to attain a goal, I think they might understand enough especially with continued reinforcement of that concept.

We give this 5 paws up!

About Michelle Staubach Grimes

Michelle Staubach Grimes began journaling years ago and enrolled in the SMU Creative Writing Continuing Ed Program in 2012 to hone her writing skills. She fell in love with creative writing and studied “story” through that program. Where is Pidge? debuted in March of 2015. Michelle is thrilled to now be releasing her second book, Pidge Takes the Stage. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Check out Michelle’s Guest Post on my blog from last month about children’s literacy.  Some great information and worth sharing!

Website

I have been an avid reader since I was a young child and have my parents to thank for encouraging me to read.  Many do not have family or friends that encourage writing.  Today, Michelle Staubach Grimes is here to tell us what we can do to help create a new generation of readers.

 Ways to Encourage Childhood Literacy

As a mother and an author, I’m passionate about childhood literacy. Literacy is the foundation for education. If one never learns to read and write, he or she will struggle their entire life.  It’s important that we communicate with one another so we can make the world a better place. Literacy allows the student to understand another point of view, have empathy for others, and encourages he or she to follow their dreams.

I couldn’t write this article without giving tribute to one of my heroes – Mrs. Barbara Bush. I learned so much about the literacy crisis in our country each year as I attended an annual event in Dallas called The Celebration of Reading, hosted by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Everyone knows that Mrs. Bush’s passion was literacy. She worked tirelessly to create awareness about literacy. When Mrs. Bush gave the commencement address at Wellesley College for the Class of 1990, she spoke of her commitment to literacy:

“If more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many problems that plague our nation and our society.”

The only way to ensure more people can read and write is to place books in the hands of children. Additionally, Mrs. Bush emphasized that the home is a child’s first school. In this, the importance of parents reading to their children is paramount, as a parent is a child’s first teacher.

Her work has inspired me to follow in that tradition. Below are some frameworks to think about this issue, and ways that can help us work toward improving literacy across the world.

Literacy Starts at Home

As the parent or caregiver, it’s never too early to read to a child. It’s crucial to start when they are newborns, as they can hear the parent’s reading. As he or she gets older, one can then introduce the pictures and words together.  Let your children tell their own stories as you explore the book together. It’s fine to encourage children to make up their own stories from the pictures before they can read. Have fun with the book – let your child touch and flip the pages. Don’t worry about a page being torn. Your goal as a parent is to make reading an exciting experience for your child so they come back for more.

Homes without Books

As adults, we have a bigger responsibility to help those living in homes without books. Not all homes are capable of providing children with books, and in many cases, the parents are illiterate so they can’t read to their children. This is where we, as a community, must come together and ensure that all children have access to books and learn to read. However, providing newborns and toddlers with books is more difficult because we can’t physically go into the home. Consequently, when these children start school, they are behind in their literacy skills.

How to Ensure those Less Fortunate Receive Books

It’s crucial to support underprivileged schools financially and through volunteering, to help these children catch up to their peers. I’ve been able to donate books alongside with a generous foundation in the Dallas area. I visit schools, read my books, and then every child goes home with a new book. The smile on their faces is priceless when they find out they get to take home a brand new book.

In addition to visiting schools, there are many programs in communities with the goal of helping children learn to read. Both adults and teenage children can volunteer their time to mentor young children struggling to read.

When Community Programs Aren’t Enough

Community programs are limited due to funding. The city government must intervene and ensure children are being educated. Foundations like the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy are an excellent example of creating awareness on a national level about the literacy crisis. We must be advocates for these children who don’t have a voice.

What You Can Do to Encourage Childhood Literacy

• Read to your child at home every day. Make reading a fun experience so he or she wants to read more books.
• Ensure you are reading books often so you teach your kids by example.
• Visit your local bookstore. You don’t always have to buy something, but you can browse the books with your children.
• Visit your local library often.
• Volunteer your time to read to kids. There are many community organizations that foster a love of reading.
• Donate books to your libraries, schools, and community centers.
• Financially support literacy organizations.

About Michelle Staubach Grimes

Michelle Staubach Grimes began journaling years ago and enrolled in the SMU Creative Writing Continuing Ed Program in 2012 to hone her writing skills. She fell in love with creative writing and studied “story” through that program. Where is Pidge? debuted in March of 2015. Michelle is thrilled to now be releasing her second book, Pidge Takes the Stage. She lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Website

Book Title: The Boy Who Dreamt of Fire Trucks by Alvita Mack
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 26 pages
Genre: Children’s Books, Cars, Trains & Things That Go, Cars & Trucks
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Release date: September 26, 2016

Synopsis

This story is about a little boy who is fascinated by fire trucks. Throughout his early life, he has dreams about the adventures at the station and the exciting life of a firefighter. The little boy holds his dreams close until one day they become a reality.

Trailer

Interview

Today we sit down with Alvita and ask her about some of her rituals around her writing.  Thanks for joining us today!

Do you snack while writing? Favorite snack?  I snack sometimes when I am writing. My favorite snack would have to be pita chips.

Where do you write?  I write in bed. If an idea comes to me sporadically then I will jot it down but I love being in a comfy bed to relax and write.

Do you write every day?  I do not write every day but I do write often.

What is your writing schedule?  My writing schedule can be inconsistent because I have so many responsibilities but if I am working on a project I try to carve out a specific schedule to stick to.

Is there a specific ritualistic thing you do during your writing time?  There isn’t anything I do ritualistic wise to write but I like to meditate and read up on some things to motivate me.

In today’s tech-savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper?  I actually write all my books on paper first and then I type them up. I guess I am old school in that sense but I have to write it down first.

If you’re a mom writer, how do you balance your time?  I am a mom writer and balancing everything can be a challenge, it helps that my books are centered on children because I can find a way to incorporate my son in the process. I am a mom first, so I have to be strategic and prioritize what’s most important. I am lucky to have a supportive husband that picks ups the pieces when I fall short at times.

About the Author

Alvita is a lover of writing, a teacher, and most importantly, a mom. Writing has always provided a creative outlet for which she finds sensible solutions. Having a son with developmental delays was very challenging for her. However, she used books and original stories to help him overcome the obstacles he faced at an early age. Alvita believes that the imagination is truly a key that unlocks the doors to an endless journey.

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Giveaway

Prize: Win a copy of The Boy Who Dreamt of Fire Trucks plus a $5 Amazon.com gift card (open internationally to wherever Amazon delivers – 1 winner)

(ends June 30, 2018)

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Synopsis

Sarah and her twin brother Jon are heirs to an ancient magical realm and its most valuable treasure, an enchanted library. The library endows readers with the supernatural means of crossing into the uncharted inner-sanctum of the second dimension, inhabited with peculiar and sometimes perilous creatures.

The children are emboldened with a wondrous mystical gift that no other being has ever possessed. But fate intervenes and triggers a disastrous inter-dimensional war that disrupts the fabric of time and space spanning multiple universes, tearing destiny a new and savage pathway.

The two must rescue their world from a phantom hybrid alien race controlled by a demented dark-wizard, Jeremy Sermack. They will either assimilate or be exterminated.

Will they be the saviors the prophets spoke of, or will they retreat to the perceived safety of their distant homeland?

Excerpt

Chapter 12

THE FRONT DOOR LAY FLATTENED, hinges bent and twisted and the sliding bolt-lock contorted. The door jam was broken and splintered.

“What is this?” Grandpa roared, waving his walking stick at the mountainous intruders. “Which one of ya’ is gonna pay for all this?”

The dust settled and the two ominous figures stood just outside the doorway, the bright moon blazing behind them. Tattooed across their pale blue foreheads were the numbers thirty-seven and thirty-eight. Each was stuffed into a suit two sizes too small and busting at the seams, barely able to contain their hulking, muscular bodies. Black, wraparound sunglasses hid their eyes from view and Sarah could tell that something strange lay behind them. One muttered into a small microphone curled toward his lips and the other stared straight ahead.

Grandpa rolled up behind them. “Collectors!”

“Collectors?” Sarah whispered to Jon. He shrugged.

“You know why here,” Thirty-seven grunted, flipping one side of his jacket open and exposing a peculiar gold badge attached to his belt. It was a cluster of mechanical gears embedded with astrological symbols and a mechanical winged dragon clinging to a peculiar orbs.

“We do not!” Grandma shouted, leaning on her walker.

“Overdue book,” the other one boomed, holding out a six fingered hand.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about ya’ thug,” Grandma said, rolling her walker closer. “Who’s gonna fix me door?”

The Collectors muttered something in another language to one another.

“We haven’t even been ta’ the bloody library in years,” Grandpa argued. “Ya’ have that written in your records?”

Thirty-seven moved closer, his hand out again. “Special text overdue.”

Sarah and Jon eased backward a little. The tone of its voice sounded threatening.

Guest Post

Hello Everyone!

I’m Mark Morrison. I’m originally from a teeny-tiny town in Ohio called Salem. My father used to say that it was the armpit of the country. Peeuuw! I have seven brothers and sisters, a slew of nieces and nephews and a couple dozen great nieces and nephews. I now live in Florida with my loving wife, four children and two beautiful grand-babes. It’s hot, but it’s just a sticky, obnoxiously wet heat. Hahaha.

My father used to say that I was definitely an uneducated genius. I’m not exactly sure what he meant by that. I suppose it was because I spent most of my time in school more involved in sports and art classes growing up than mathematics, history or science. I did, however, sneak in several elective credits as a librarian’s assistant. That was a whole lot of fun and I was able to read a ton of awesome books.

As a boy I grew up reading things like The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew mysteries, and the classics, like Huckleberry Finn and Charlotte’s Web. I also read some outstanding comics and MAD magazines. But as I got older my taste changed. I was big into Isaac Asimov, George Orwell and Edgar Allen Poe. I didn’t just read. I watched a little Television as well. Star Trek, Dark Shadows, The Twilight Zone, Dr. Who, Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, the Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island rounded out some dull afternoons.

As most folks with large families know, board games are an inexpensive way to entertain ourselves. We’d always get a batch of new games at Christmas along with a new pair of socks and underwear. On one particular low budget Christmas, my father introduced us to a game he claimed he’d invented called, “Uh!”

We’d all gather in the living room and one of us was elected to start. That person would have to create a totally fictitious story out of thin air. They’d pause mid-sentence and let the next player take over from there. This continued around the room until someone hesitated or said “uh”. That player was out and the game continued until only one person was left. The stories were creative and often incredibly strange, each of us attempting to make the next in line chuckle and fumble. It was an awesome game of improvisation and I credit my love of storytelling to that silly game.

Every night my mind is inundated with a fresh batch of unusual dreams and nightmares, always in outlandish worlds and dimensions fraught with bizarre characters who can do wondrous things. I keep a notepad and pen at my bedside to jot down what I can remember each night but an unlucky few manage to slip away before I can journal them for future reprieve. But through my writings I’ve allowed some of the lucky ones to escape to the freedom of my first novel, TwoSpells. I’ll consider pardoning another batch of weird mind games and characters in future books.

TwoSpells is a magical tale about a set of teenage twins, Sarah and Jon, who find out that they’re heirs to an ancient, magical realm containing an enchanted library that can transport a reader to anywhere or anytime the author has written into the story.

They’re soon caught up in an inter-dimensional war between good and evil, both sides looking to claim the library’s unique magical enchantment. Along the way, the twins meet astonishing and fascinating characters who can do amazing things, but not all are good. Some are of unspeakably horrific creation and are bent on one thing: destroying the two strange intruders who have entered and disrupted their sacred two-dimensional domain.

Sarah and Jon must leave behind their much simpler life as Regulars and embrace their new positions as successors to a very special kingdom designed for their kind only, the Irregulars.

Thanks for listening,

Mark Morrison

About the Author

Mark was born number seven of eight children in a small town in Ohio. His family moved to Florida where he grew up, met an incredible woman, got married and raised four fantastic children, three boys, and a girl.

Many years later an empty nest left him to his true calling, storytelling. His first remarkable story is about a heroine whose courage and unrestrained personality, like his daughters, breathes passion and fervor into this adrenaline packed fantastical story.

Title: SNICKETY DICKETY DOO
Author: Danica-Lea Larcombe
Publisher: Blurb
Pages: 90
Genre: Children’s Fiction

Synopsis

George, Fiona and Marni find a tin of bubbles, not just any ordinary bubbles but planets. The planets shrink the children and take them to faraway lands. The children have many exciting adventures and try not to let their secret be discovered.  They learn about different cultures, currencies and languages, and are inspired at school.

In Series Two, George, Marni and Fiona continue their adventures around the world in the planet bubbles. They narrowly escape being killed by some monks in Turkey, find a little companion in Paris and visit royalty in Monaco.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

It wasn’t just a small piece of tin.  Curiosity got the better of her and Marni decided she better keep digging around.  She could see the edges now and it looked like it was a tin box of some sort.  Marni suddenly forgot about her wish and dug frantically to get the box out.  It was quite a light box of about medium size.  It was not painted and there was no writing on it.

“What on earth could be in it?” Marni wondered.

It had a small padlock but this was rusted and broke off easily.  She opened the lid carefully to find nine individually wrapped balls, or so she thought.  She unwrapped one of the balls to find it was not a ball.  In her hand it shone like a bubble, and was soft and tender to touch.  It had little feet and hands and was the colour of the sun.

“Oh my”, Marni whispered, “It has got a face!”

The bubble’s eyes were closed and the mouth still.  On the other side it had the shape of a door, but there was no door handle.  How odd.

Marni looked at her watch quickly. It was six o’clock which was tea time and her parents would be calling her any minute.  She hastily re-wrapped the ball and closed the tin.  She put her secret wish down the hole and filled it up with the dark brown coloured soil.

Somehow Marni made it back inside the house and into her bedroom without anyone seeing the box.  She could not wait to show it to George and Fiona but it would have to wait until after tea.  Her hands and knees were filthy dirty now, and her father questioned her.

“What have you been doing? You look like a gypsy”.

“Oh, just helping Fiona in the garden” Marni lied.

Dinner was always a silent occasion in the Dimond household, and you got your knuckles rapped if you spoke.  Which Fiona did quite often.

Marni wished tea time would hurry up and finish but she had to wait for the compulsory pudding first.  It would either be apple crumble or apple strudel with ice-cream.  Her mother baked wonderfully, but never seemed to want to try new recipes.  Now they were all allowed to leave the table because everyone had finished but the dishes still had to be dried and put away after her mother had washed them.  It was the height of the summer and daylight savings time meant that sunset would not be until about 8.30pm.

“George, Fiona, come into my room.  I have something to show you” Marni said.  “Quickly then” grumbled George.  “I want to finish my hut”.

“Ooh what is it?” asked Fiona.

About the Author

Danica-Lea Larcombe has a B.Sc (Environmental Health), a Grad.Dip in Education and has taken courses in Journalism, Travel Writing, and Photography. She is currently undertaking a thesis in Biodiversity and Human Health and lives with her Japanese Spitz Bella.

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Synopsis

Fourteen-year-old Ozzy lives near Portland, Oregon, and is desperate for help. His scientist parents have been kidnapped after discovering a formula that enables mind control. Their work was so top secret Ozzy is afraid to go to the police, but without help, he fears he’ll never find his parents. Then he stumbles across a classified ad in the local newspaper that says “Wizard for Hire. Call 555-SPEL.” Ozzy has read about wizards in books like Harry Potter, but wizards couldn’t actually exist today, could they? After Ozzy meets the wizard Labyrinth–aka Rin–he’s even more skeptical.

Sure, Rin dresses like a wizard, but the short robe and high-top tennis shoes seem unorthodox, as does Rin’s habit of writing notes on his shoes and eating breakfast for every meal. Plus, Rin doesn’t even cast any magic spells, which means that the unexplained coincidences that start happening around Ozzy are just that–coincidences.

With the help of a robotic-talking raven invented by Ozzy’s father, a kind and curious girl at school who decides to help Ozzy, and, of course, a self-proclaimed wizard who may or may not have a magical wand, Ozzy begins an unforgettable quest that will lead him closer to the answers he desperately seeks about his missing parents.

Excerpt

Chapter One

In the dense Oregon woods, there was a small cabin, a little wooden home with a crooked green roof and round windows. The cabin was surrounded by aspens and oaks and topped off with clouds that loved to huddle above it. Behind the home was a thin stream that ran parallel to a tall wall of black mossy stone.

As the noon hour arrived, a small hole opened in the clouds, allowing a loose rope of sunlight to drop down. The light coiled up into a mound of warmth, flopping against the ground and lighting up the front steps of the cabin. A man with a dark mustache and thick brown hair sat on the steps. He lifted his right hand above his eyes to look up at the light. Next to the man was a woman with glowing skin and hair the color of milk chocolate. The man was Dr. Emmitt Toffy—the woman, his wife, was also a doctor, but her name was Mia.

Two charming people sitting in front of an interesting cabin in the middle of a lush forest.

Make that three.

Because, next to Mia was Ozzy, their seven-year-old boy with wide, grey eyes. His complexion was dark and his hair was thick and black, like a night with no stars. At seven he was already tall for his age, but thin. He had a deep purple birthmark that covered the pointer finger on his left hand like a single-finger sheath.

Despite the dark complexion, hair, and finger, Ozzy’s face was giving the sunlight some competition.

The boy smiled at his parents as he played with a plastic dragon on the steps near his mother.

“I never get tired of this sunshine,” Ozzy’s father said, still looking up. “I have an affection for light.”

“It is wonderful,” his mother observed. “The forest is perfect, Emmitt. I’m afraid I don’t miss the East at all.”

Two months before, they had moved with Ozzy into the isolated Oregon forest. Emmitt was a neuroscientist. He was also an inventor. Mia was a brilliant theoretical psychologist, studying how people thought and acted and dreamed. They had lived successfully back East for many years, but they had recently sold everything and, under the cloak of darkness, taken Ozzy across the country to Oregon.

The cabin they had purchased was hidden from the world. There were no roads leading up to it or even trails. They received no mail, had no visitors, and since they had arrived, Ozzy had seen no one other than his parents. The inside of their wooden home was filled from floor to ceiling with boxes that had yet to be opened or organized. The only place that had any semblance of composure was Ozzy’s space. His room was in the attic, which was accessible by climbing twenty thin wooden stairs. Engraved on the front of each stair were dozens of small black stars that made it look like Ozzy was traveling the cosmos to reach his room.  Other than that, the inside of the house looked like a convention of cardboard and chaos and it didn’t seem as if the doctors were in any hurry to remedy that. They had unpacked only the essentials for the moment.

“The boxes can wait,” Dr. Emmitt always said. “Today is about what’s already unpacked.”

About the Author

Obert Skye is currently writing this short bio you are now reading. He is worried that saying he has many best-selling books and has won numerous awards might sound braggy. Likewise, he is concerned that listing some of his titles—like the Leven Thumps series, or the Pillage trilogy, or The Creature from My Closet, or Mutant Bunny Island—might sound brash and uncouth. Sure, he’s good at doing underwater handstands and reciting the alphabet by memory, but pointing out things like that only feels as if he’s showing off. And is it too personal to mention that he is married and has multiple kids and lives somewhere warm? Who knows?

What’s important is that Obert Skye is coming to the end of writing his current bio and is wrapping things up by saying that the best way to question or bother him is by going to his website or finding him on Twitter.

Book Title: Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day! by Marsha Nowakowski
Illustrator: Joan Coleman
Category: Children’s NonFiction, 34 pages
Genre: Education
Publisher: Lanier Press

Synopsis

Welcome to the wonderful world of Matt and Mattie, where every day is a learning adventure! Just as our ten toes help our bodies balance, Matt and Mattie’s ten daily habits help toddlers learn balanced behaviors that will guide them in leading happy, healthy childhoods.

Interview with Marsha

Where did you get the inspiration to write Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day?

As a grandma with a new outlook on parenting, I realized the need for teaching healthy habits to youngsters as early as possible to help them become successful and always be able to do their best! This needed to be fun and something they could relate to themselves! Learning their ABCs and numbers was hardwired in school, but I wanted to create a book with diversity that would make multiple everyday habits fun, balanced, and even adventuresome for toddlers. So it was my true conviction of healthy children and a healthy nation that inspired me to write Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day!

What inspired you to write Matt and Mattie as feet?

Characters in children’s books have been many things like sponges, princesses, animals, and superheroes, but there were no FEET! As a nurse spending many hours on hard floors, one of the pure pleasures in my life was having pedicures and leg/foot massages. Every time I had my nails painted, I had fun designs put on my large toe. During a trip to Florida with my husband, the radio was playing, and my feet started dancing on the dashboard where I had propped my legs. I knew then that children could really like a unique and different type of character such as feet that would take them on adventures.

Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day! is part of a series. What will the next book be about?

The next book I have in mind is about Matt, Mattie, and Murdock the Horse. Because of my love of horses, I would like to write ten safety tips for toddlers visiting a barn and being around horses for the first time. Murdock will be a sad, lonely soul looking for his lost barn when Matt and Mattie come upon him. They become fast friends, find Murdock’s home, and soon Murdock is the comic relief in teaching them about safety tips in the barn.

What is the last great children’s book you’ve read?

This is really hard to say because great makes me think of the books that have stood the test of time:

For creativity: I think Dr. Seuss books are the greatest, especially Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

For everyday lessons: Sesame Street books

For rhyming: the traditional Mother Goose books

My favorite book to read to my granddaughters at bedtime is simply about Grandma’s love and is called Grandma Wishes.

What advice would you give budding writers?

As a writer, you are vulnerable to criticism and rejection, so you should never give up and develop a thick skin.

Writing is the easy part, marketing is the challenge! You will need to put a lot of time and effort into the sales of your book.

Life is short, so follow your dreams! Your dreams can come true, but it will require patience, revisions, editing, and a good publishing team.

About the Author

Marsha K. Nowakowski is a loving wife, dedicated mother to three children, and a “grammie” to her grandchildren.

This is Marsha’s debut book for toddlers. She has spent forty years in the healthcare industry, primarily as a cardiac nurse. Her inspiration for writing Matt and Mattie’s Adventures developed from her own observations that patients who recovered more quickly exhibited healthy habits and good attitudes toward life. As a mother and grammie, Marsha recognized the need for books teaching healthy habits to help young ones develop into successful people who always do their best.

Matt and Mattie’s Adventures makes everyday habits fun, balanced, and adventuresome for toddlers. Marsha’s own adventures include travel, horseback riding, and reading. She also enjoys golf, baseball games, and sailing with her husband. According to Marsha, every day is an adventure!

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