Guest Post at Writers on the Move

Hi All,

Just a quick note to tell you that I have a guest post today on Writer on the Move.  I will be talking about the story behind my latest picture book, My Brother the Frog. If you get a chance, please stop by http://www.writersonthemove.com/ and say hello.

Thank you,

Kevin

Nice Review for My Brother the Frog

Hi All

I'm just coming back from vacation all refreshed and rejuvenated (at least for the rest of the day).  I went to Disney for the first time and really enjoyed myself, almost more than my daughter did.  But I can see that I have been neglecting my blog a little.  Well, to make amends, I'd like to share a nice review I received for My Brother the Frog.  This is from the Children's and Teens' Book Connection where they say:

"I’ve enjoyed every one of McNamee’s books that I’ve read, and My Brother the Frog is no exception. He knows how to reach kids right where they are with fabulous books and unique storylines they’ll enjoy"

How nice is that? (Big Grin)  To see the full review, please click on the link below:
http://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/my-brother-the-frog-by-kevin-mcnamee/

My Brother the Frog has been released

Whoo Hoo!  I am extremely happy to announce that My Brother the Frog has been released.  Below is the media release for this book.  :-)


M E D I A 
R E L E A S E

For Immediate Release







My Brother the Frog by Kevin McNamee: A Fun and Creative Approach to Sibling Rivalry

It’s a chicken! It’s a giraffe! It’s a penguin! It’s my brother? Humor and imagination come together in this entertaining picture book about sibling rivalry.

Sibling rivalry can be a problem in any family. But in this amusing story, a little brother deals with this dilemma in a most unusual way. He changes his brother into a frog. He does have a bit of trouble changing him back though. He manages to change his brother into a variety of animals until he finally gets it right. Meanwhile, he starts to realize how much he cares for his brother, and how much his brother cares for him.
Top notch illustrations by Alexander Morris bring the story to life and help make this book a welcome addition to any home or school library.

So while relationships with siblings may not always be perfect, this book points out some very good reasons to love your family … warts and all, especially if your brother just happens to be a frog.


This book is available as a print book, an E-book, or a book on CD from http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/brother-frog.htm/

Books are also available from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or ask your local bookstore.

Kevin McNamee is a writer and poet living in Yonkers, N.Y., and has never, ever changed anyone into a frog, although there were times that he really wanted to.

Other books by Kevin include: If I Could Be Anything, The Sister Exchange, Lightning Strikes, The Soggy Town of Hilltop and What Is That Thing?

Kevin’s poetry has been published in the collection, An Eyeball in My Garden: And Other Spine-Tingling Poems.

To find out more about Kevin, please visit his website at http://www.kevinmcnamee.com/ or his blog at http://www.kevinmcnameechildrensauthor.blogspot.com/.


Thank you for your time and interest.

###

July 2011 Edition of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine is Online

Hi All,

I’m happy to announce that the July Edition of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine is now online. This month’s theme is Outer Space. So if you or your little ones would like to see some great stories, poetry and articles (or even some online games created by yours truly), please visit http://guardian-angel-kids.com/. The full media release is below.


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


Children's Ezine Guardian Angel Kids: Swirls through Outer Space - July 2011

Issue


The unknown and intrigue of outer space is a delightful way to engage our

youngsters in the planets beyond Earth. To watch the amazement flash over

their faces and their onslaught of questions to follow is a splendid way to

explore space from the pages of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine.



We are proud and thrilled to share with our readers the July issue of

everything "outer space" and all its amazement through poetry, stories, and

articles at

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



Please feel free to drop Editor-in-Chief, Donna McDine an email at



submissions@ guardian- angel-kids. com and let them know what you think of

Guardian Angel Kids and what you'd like to see in the future. They aim to

please!



Letter from the POETRY editor: Donna J. Shepherd



Featured Books:



Video Special Feature: Sparkie: A Star Afraid of the Dark by Susann Batson



What if the Moon written and illustrated by Tracy Ahrens



Children's poetry, SHORT STORIES, and articleS:



"I Spy Wishes," by Corinna M. Johnson - sparkles with vivid imagery.



"Out of this World," by Abigail Charles - swirls you through outer space on

an alphabet adventure. Clara Smith's illustration will leave your young

muses wanting to learn more about the wonders of outer space.



"The Star Way," by Sandie Lee - like us stars are all different and go

through many stages in their lives. Share this wonderful article with your

young muses and learn about the life cycle of a star.



"An Orbiting Laboratory," by Lee Rosenfield - learn how a space station

stays "afloat" and how the astronauts live aboard the space shuttle in this

intriguing article of an orbiting laboratory.



"The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Child," by Nicole Weaver - as parents

we must prioritize our time, so we can stay engaged in our children's

emotional and educational growth. Learn important tips to implement in your

child rearing.



SPECIAL BONUS VIDEO FEATURES for KIDS



Whispering Wally written and illustrated by Kevin Scott Collier



I Can't See, But I Can Imagine, a musical picture book by Patricia Bennett

Wilson. Illustrated by Sharon Bean. Video Production by Blazing Trailers



"Jack and the Beanstalk" as told by a 2 year old! Be prepared for a

wonderful out loud chuckle!



We look forward to your visit. Thank you for your time and interest.



###

Counting Down the Days

I just took a look at the interior galley for My Brother the Frog and I’m very happy with the way the book came out. Alexander Morris did an excellent job with the illustrations and really helped to tell the story as well. I’ll let everyone know when the book is finally released. But I think this will be a great “boy book” which deals with sibling rivalry. In my humble opinion, I don’t thing there are enough books written for boys. So I’m happy to add one more into the mix.


On other fronts, this seems to be one of those days where I’m constantly moving, but I’m not getting anywhere. I still need to do some work on my website, do revisions on a new story to submit to my critique group by the end of the month, and put together a cover letter for a new submission. What have I accomplished so far? Not much. But at least I can cross “update my blog” off of my To Do list now. :-)

Featuring Marietta Taylor - Your Voice Or Mine?

Today, in a departure fro the kid-lit realm, I am happy to be hosting Marietta Taylor, who will be talking about a very important aspect of writing - maintaining your own voice.  Marietta, please tell us your story.

I am a member of a writer's critique group. For the most part I enjoy the group. However, there was one session that really rubbed me raw like a sandpaper burn. I was having some devotional work critiqued. They were written from the perspective of the Proverbs 31 woman. I thought I had a pretty cleaver idea since much had been written about her and how women could be like her, but nothing was written from her perspective.


One of the other writer's told me my work wasn't believable to her because it wasn't written in what she called a “true Jewish voice”. She proceeded to give me the name of a Christian romance writer. She instructed that I should read this woman's books and the pattern my “voice” after hers. That really got under my skin. And it stayed there for a while.

I actually stopped working on this book because of her criticism. I just recently picked it back up to review and decide if I was going to continue. I may actually change some of it, but I'll tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to mimic another author's voice. As a writer, I need to be authentic to myself. Voice is who I am as a writer. It is how I uniquely communicate my message to my readers. If I try to mimic someone else, it will come across as not being authentic.

While I understand that we can learn a great deal from other writers, I'm not a believer in being a copycat. I don't mind being influenced by another writer's strong voice. I just don't want to steal it and try to pass it off as my own. At the end of it all, I've got to be me. And I think that's important for every writer. Each one has their own unique voice. They attract readers based on communicating with their own voice. One of the things we as writers keep hearing is “Find your voice”. Once you do, go with it. I think it's the strongest part of your identity as a writer.

Readers can connect with me in the following ways:


Website: http://www.mariettataylor.net/

Personal Blog: http://www.marismorningromm.blogspot.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/raleighgirl

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marietta.taylor2



Buy my book:

Paperback:

http://shop.theextremediva.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-to-Go-6139.htm



http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Marietta-Taylor/dp/1934626139/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1304686934&sr=1-1


Kindle Edition:

http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Unemployment-Devotions-Go-ebook/dp/B004T3FPUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301968884&sr=1-1


Thanks for stopping by today, Marietta and for giving us a chance to get to know you and your book.  Best of luck to you.

June 2011-Issue of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine is Online

Hi All

The June issue of Guardian Angel Kids Ezine is now available.  The theme this month is "Wheels"  If you get a chance, please stop by http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/default.htm.  I'm sure your children, grandchildren, or other special child in your life will enjoy it.  If they like to draw,they can give my online paint program a try.