December 21, 2010

Why I Don’t Have Time To Write

In honor of the holidays, I’d like to post something I wrote a few years ago. The hypothetical situations have changed a bit. My child’s a little older now. Things like dirty diapers would no longer apply. But I still can identify with the spirit of this piece though. I’m sure some of my fellow writers can too. Without further adieu, here’s …



Why I Don’t Have Time To Write

(Sung to the tune “Deck the Halls”)


Baby’s playing with paint thinner

Fa La La La La La La La La


Worked all day, now cooking dinner

Fa La La La La La La La La


Toilet’s backed up, what a mess

Fa La La La La La La La La


Daughter flushed her Christmas dress

Fa La La La La La La La La


Dirty diaper, really reeking

Fa La La La La La La La La


Sink and bathtub both are leaking

Fa La La La La La La La La


But bubble gum has many uses

Fa La La La La La La La La


At least I’ve written my excuses

Fa La La La La, La- La -La -La



May all of you have a safe, happy, wonderful, time this holiday season.


Peace,

Kevin

December 7, 2010

Guardian Angel Kids Magazine-December 2010 Issue

Guardian Angel Kids Magazine has released their December 2010 issue of their ezine. If you get a chance, stop by http://guardian-angel-kids.com/ and check it out. On the “Creative Crew” page, you just might see a familiar face. :-)  Enjoy…

M E D I A R E L E A S E


CONTACT: Donna McDine, Editor-in-Chief, Guardian Angel Kids Ezine
Email: submissions@guardian-angel-kids.com


Website: http://guardian-angel-kids.com/

For Immediate Release

December 2010 issue of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine Now Available


The blustery days of winter have arrived and what better way to spend a cold

afternoon then taking your young muse on an interactive adventure at the

Guardian Angel Kids Ezine

http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/.


Be prepared to spend memorable time as you both explore the monthly

features:

A Blessed Bethlehem Birth Flip Book by Walter Lee McElligott

Follow A Star - a Rooter and Snuffle Story by Shari Lyle-Soffe (read aloud

by Donna Shepherd)


Children poems, stories, and articles:


"Blanket of Snow" written by Alice Knisley Matthias, takes you on snow

filled vision.


"Twas the Night before Christmas, Down on the Farm" written by Ann Ingalls

and illustrated by Kim Sponaugle immerses you in the wonders of Christmas on

a farm.


"All by Myself" written and illustrated by Samantha Bell brings you on an

adventure of one young girl's determination.


"Nothing Was Stirring" written by Marion Tickner and illustrated by Jack

Foster is a laugh out loud mousy adventure.


"Treasures, Treats, and Traditions" by Lisa Hart brings to life the wonders

of this magical time of year with a bonus Pinwheel Candy craft.


"Names for Nick" by Carol Douglas, the origins of good old Saint Nick.


Tune your child into the wonders of prediction through Dorit Sasson's parent

and teacher article "Teaching Prediction in Picture Books and Non-Fiction

Text," and by doing so will make their reading adventure that much more

enjoyable.


Stop by for a gander and enjoy your time together, for the adventurous world

of reading is at your fingertips.



Thank you for your time and interest.

###

Full Media Kit and more are available upon request electronically.

December 2, 2010

Be There Bedtime Stories

I just saw this press release for Be There Bedtime Stories.  Be There Bedtime Stories is a great service for those who would like to read to the little ones in their life, but can't be there in person.  All you need is a webcam and an email address and they will create a video of you reading a book.  The book and the video will be sent by email to be enjoyed at bedtime, or any other time.  If you're traveling on business, stationed in the military or just live too far away, I think this is a terrific way to stay involved in a child's life.

Their press release includes a You Tube video that contains excerpts from two of my books, The Soggy Town of Hilltop and If I Could Be Anything.  The Sister Exchange is also available there.  How cool is that?

I've included the press release below, but if you would like to see the video, please follow the link below. 




New Website Enables Families to Be There for the Holidays

IRVINE, CA, December 1, 2010 - Webcam bedtime stories is an innovative new technology being added to the list of family-friendly media, this Christmas. ALISON SANSONE is Creator of BE THERE BEDTIME STORIES, a new website that combines e-books and video of a family storyteller.
Grandparents Read Bedtime Stories with a Webcam

“We believe this broadens the scope of users and the value to families as a fun and new alternative to existing multi-media products on the market,” Irvine, CA (PRWEB) December 1, 2010
The process takes place entirely on the BE THERE BEDTIME STORIES website in three steps: 1) select a children’s book from the bookstore, 2) read the story in front of a webcam as it displays on the computer screen, 3) the child receives an email with the link to view the e-book on the website with video of the storyteller positioned on each page.
The beta website went live in September of this year with over one hundred published children’s books available in the online bookstore. There are one hundred more titles in production with the interface, from five different publishers so far, including ten original works to be published by BE THERE BEDTIME STORIES.
The business model for BE THERE BEDTIME STORIES was inspired by her own problem of living far from her only two nieces, who live in Chicago. SANSONE was working in video production at the time, in Orange County, California. “I was unable to be a part of their development - unable to be recognized when I would visit once a year,” SANSONE explains her frustration. “Bedtime stories seemed a convenient and entertaining activity that would solve that problem.”
SANSONE explains the findings of the initial two months of testing. “The effects exceeded my expectations. When I visited my nieces for the first time after four story recordings, they instantly latched onto me from the moment I walked in the door.”
An additional finding from the beta launch is children were excited to read a story back to family members, regardless of their reading level. “We believe this broadens the scope of users and the value to families as a fun and new alternative to existing multi-media products on the market,” SANSONE concludes.
SANSONE expects grandparents and military families] to see the value of a recorded bedtime story over live or real-time webcam services as a way to utilize more family members for childhood development, and to preserve those family memories for future generations. The stories are priced at $11.99 for unlimited children and there is currently a Buy One Get One Free holiday special. Live storytelling and Mobile App delivery are options scheduled for subsequent development.

ALSO SEE:

Guardian Angel Publishing, Sylvan Dell Publishing, Illumination Arts Publishing and Lobster Press are the initial four publishers to license works for sale in the BE THERE BEDTIME STORIES online bookstore.

ABOUT:

ALISON SANSONE, Creator and CEO, started her career in the hospitality industry. After a decade of working in diverse leadership roles ranging from national Quality Assurance Manager to Human Resources Director to Investor Relations, Alison decided to pursue a focus in marketing and business development as her true passion. In 2005, she combined her training in videography with her marketing acumen to start her own company, producing web-based media tools for small businesses and non-profit organizations throughout Orange County, California.

The idea for Be There Bedtime Stories came from a personal frustration, during that point in her career. The youngest of 6 children with just 2 grandchildren out of the bunch, she was frustrated living so far from her only 2 nieces, who lived in Chicago. Her experience with video media inspired the business model of connecting families across miles through the simple activity of a bedtime story.



She began building the business plan in early 2007, but the idea ended up on hold for two years, after the unexpected death of her husband that summer. Beginning in October 2009, she decided to commit full attention to the business plan, dedicating her own personal time and resources to the launch of Be There Bedtime Stories, based in Orange County, CA. The Beta site went live in September 2010