Morning Supporters, Hey Supports, welcome to this week’s discussion about how to write a picture book. As you know I am also Blogging Through The Alphabet with Marcy @ BenandMe.com. This week I want to talk about good editing (yes, even picture books need to be edited) in honor of the letter “G”. All of my books go through at least three different editing steps. First I self edit all my books. This is a little harder than it sounds because, like most people, I tend to read what is supposed to be on the paper and not what is really there. However, I have developed the following steps to help make this process easier. -The first thing I do is allow time to pass. The more time that has passed since I last worked on a project, the more likely I am to read the actual words on the paper and not in my head. -Once I come back to the project, I tend to start with reading backwards. I start at the end of the book and read one sentence at a time to work my way to the start of the book. I find that reading what I have written out of order allows me to cognitively separate what is in my head from what is on the paper. -Finally, I use this computer software to read the story aloud to me. I know some people who just read what they wrote aloud but, for me, I feel I always need as much separation as possible between what is in my head and what is on paper. The second step in my editing process is to hire a professional editor. Yes, I know there are computer programs (Grammarly, AutoCrit, Edit Your Novel , etc.) that claim to do a great job of editing; however, they do not catch most of the mistakes a human will catch. I actually did a little scientific research on this one day when I was looking to save money. Basically, I took an article that I had a human edit and ran it through several popular programs. The human won by a landslide. I started to write a blog post about but discovered this post already did the work. You can check it out here: http://www.writers-village.org/writing-award-blog/do-copy-editing-programs-work- If you hire an editor, they may ask about the type of editing you are looking for. Here is a brief summary of different types of editing: -Proofreading or copy editing. This type of editing is typos and grammatical errors. -Line Editing is where the editor looks at the sentence structure, flow, and even the content to make sure it is complete and factual. Most picture books will not need this type of editing. Finally, I have at least two people perform what I call beta reading. This is where regular people who are your target audience read your book. In order to find a professional editor I recommend you ask for referrals. I am currently using Mr. Proof Reader. You can also use http://www.odesk.com Please feel free to share your tips for editing or if you are and editor, please feel free to leave your contact/website in the comment section. Well that is all for now, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you, Corine
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Good Day Supporters, Welcome to week six of Blogging Through The Alphabet with Marcy @ BenandMe.com. This week I would like to talk about finding joy in honor of the letter F. Can I share with you a secret prayer? One of my heart’s desires is to exude joy. However, it is a constant struggle for me to be joyful. You see, I work full-time as a psychologist in inner city Baltimore. My patients often come to me for help with problems I cannot even image facing, such as surviving childhood trauma or struggling to get their child much needed special education services. Sometimes, they come to me after experiencing the death of a loved one or for help battling a drug addiction that was caused by battling demons in their past. So each day I find it hard to exude joy. I am often left discouraged and wondering what is the point. However, Spreading Joy Daily gives me hope. It provided me with one simple idea each day of how to spread joy; how to become more aware of others and see the full potential each day has for joy. In addition to providing one idea for spreading joy each day, Marie provides ‘nuggets of joy’, also known as encouraging quotes each month. Sometimes I decide to do that day’s suggestions and sometimes I decide to keep reading until I find an idea I want to try. Marie is so committed to spreading joy that she decided to give 100% of the profits to helping others. That’s right, she has zero paid employees; everyone, including Marie, is a volunteer. She loves spreading joy just that much. She is also willing to send you ‘Spread Joy’ cards that you can use to secretly pay for someone’s coffee or meal for free (just send a SASE). To learn more about the Spreading Joy Cards click here. To help get you started spreading joy, check out these two posts:
In tribute to Marie and Spreading Joy Daily, I would like to spread some joy myself by offering a giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Marie’s book and a copy of my book Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time. Please leave a comment below about how you try to spread joy and you will be entered to win. I will pick one winner on June 20, 2014. As always, continue to pray for me as I pray for you, Corine P.S. The first sketches of Jaden goes to foster care are in, you can view them on my facebook page here Hello Supporters, Welcome to week five of Blogging Through The Alphabet with Marcy @ BenandMe.com. Needless to say, it is getting a little tough, I was tempted to delay the next step because “E” for editing is so obvious. For now, I am sticking to the steps I use and decided to get a little creative with the title. So the next step in creating a picture book is "Exploring Illustrators." Over the course of publishing four different books, I have explored different illustrators and different ways of finding an illustrator. I find the process fun and fascinating. It is also a wonderful way to get to know people. What follows is how I found my illustrator for each of my books. I found the illustrator for my first book, Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time, through Craigslist. I posted several ads on Craigslist under the gig section (if you post it under the job section, there is a fee associated with the ad in most cities) detailing what I was looking for. To my amazement, several hundred applied. After asking for work samples, discussing fees, and timelines, I picked an illustrator who met my needs in California. I feel Julie Bryant was sent from God. She walked me through the process and helped problemsolve when I ran into several issues with my printing company. You can learn more about Julie by visiting her website: www.sweetartdesign.com For my second book, My Journey with Jesus Christ, I turned to Linkedin. Linkedin has several groups dedicated to author and illustrators. For this book, I only needed a cover design because I realized the stock cover from Createspace was one of the reasons the book was not selling. Unlike my first book, I did not post an ad. Instead, I was impressed by someone’s book cover and asked for a recommendation. Since changing the cover for this book, sales have increased by over 300%. My third book, Why I Give – An Activity Book, I turned to my family. One of my nieces loves to draw. However, I was not aware of how talented she was until she began to post her drawings on Facebook. I decided to talk to her about this book, and after getting permission from her mom (she is only 13) she agreed to illustrate it. I could not be happier with the results. The illustrator for my latest book, What is Love, was found via Fiverr (I am pretty sure I am using him again, but will explore a few more illustrators before I make a final decision). In case you don’t know what Fiverr is, it is a unique site where people offer different services, including illustrations for five dollars. However, the catch to this site is that most illustrators charge per illustration and charge more for extras like coloring or the right to the image. Even with all the extras I was charged on Fiverr, the illustrations were still a great deal. Other places you may want to look for illustrators are: Sites that specialize in providing a directory of illustrators
Freelancer sites Finding the correct illustrator can take time. Therefore, next week’s post will not be about building a picture book. Instead, I will share a book that is really speaking to my heart. For a sneak peak at the book, click here. Once you find an illustrator you want to work with, you should have them sign a contact. Click here to download an example of the contract I use (not, I am not a lawyer, nor do I pretend to be one in the internet. So please be sure to seek legal advice). That is all for now. Please continue to pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Hello Supporters, Welcome to week four of Blogging Through The Alphabet with Marcy @ BenandMe.com. I am praying that you are enjoying the process of learning how I create each of my picture books. This week we are on letter “D.” So “D” is for Developing A Scene List. If you remember from last week, the 2nd step was to decide where to break the text on each page. Now it is time to determine which pictures will go best with each page, this is also called Scene Development. Yes, picture books have scenes too. Taking the time to create development a scene list ensures that the illustrator you hire can create the best possible illustrations for your book. The scene development list can be as simple or as detailed as you like but try to allow your illustrator some creative freedom.
As seen in both list, it is important to include who is in each scene, what they are doing, and any other specific details that are mentioned in the text (i.e. brown paper and vinegar). Also, remember your illustrator will have to draw every detail you specify. So if your story is about a rodent family with 20 children, ask yourself does having 20 children really enhances the story. (Note: when I first started writing picture books, I did not realize that as a writer I needed to do a scene development list. Thankfully, God blessed me to find an illustration, Julie Bryant, who was able to take the words on each page and bring my vision to life. So if you are struggling with your list, contact Julie. She may be able to help.) Feel free to ask me any questions about developing a scene list or my next book Jaden Goes to Foster Care in the comment section. Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Hello supporters, welcome to week three of developing a picture book together. I hope you had fun building on your idea last week and had a chance to get a draft of your story together. The next step in the process is to choose the right layout. There are two big decisions to make regarding layout: 1) landscape or portrait and 2) page breaks. Landscape or portrait In terms of portrait verse landscape, I believe it is a matter of personal preference. However, if you choice landscape layout it is a little more complicated to get your book to display correctly as an eBook. For this reason alone, I usually pick portrait. Page Breaks Page breaks can make or break a picture book. Most picture books traditionally have 32 pages but can be any count of 8 (i.e., 16, 24, 32). For my first book, Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time, I stuck to this rule. However, for my second book What is Love, I decided to break this rule. No matter how many pages, page 1 is not part of a two-page spread, and neither is page 32 (16 or 24). The pages in the book look like this: In a 32-page picture book, you don’t actually have 32 pages for your story. You only have 24 pages since 8 are used for the book ends, copyright and title. And 24 pages translate to 12 spreads (an illustration that spans the two opened pages in a book). As you review your manuscript, it is important to think about how the text will look in print next to pictures. Try to decide where it would be appropriate to break the text amidst a two page spread (I always consider a two page spread because all physical books will be displayed as such). Make sure that you craft your book in such a way that the lines/scenes can be split evenly to ensure easier, more child-friendly reading. The way I do this is by using a simple word document with two columns. You can download the template I use here. Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Hey Supporters, thanks for stopping by. As you may recall from last week, I will be spending the next few weeks discussing the process I use when writing my books as a part of Blogging Through The Alphabet with Marcy @ BenandMe.com.. Specifically, I will be using my book Jaden Goes to Foster Care as an example. So "B" is for Building on an Idea. My initial idea for this book was to describe/illustrate the idea relationship between the child, foster parent and birth parent. So the first step in the process of writing a book/picture book is to build on your idea. For me, this involves the following steps. As I am working through each of these steps, I am taking notes on my idea, things I want to be sure to include in the story and any other points I want to remember. 1. Seeking Wise Counsel – as a Christian, for me the first step in my process is praying. I pray about each book I write and ask God to show me how He would have me write the story. For some of my books, I have literally spent years (Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time) on this step. For other books, I prayed about them, sort of forgot about them until God woke me up one morning. The latter is the process I went through with Jaden Goes to Foster Care. Part of seeking wise counsel, for me, also involves discussing my ideas with my accountability partners. I only share the idea with a select few people. In the case of Jaden Goes to Foster Care, I spoke with a few of my therapist friends, fellow foster parents, and foster children. So ask yourself whom you need to seek counsel from about your book and schedule a time to talk to them. 2. Reviewing the Literature – Once I have settled in an idea, I also review the literature (i.e., the Bible), other books that may be similar to mine and any professional information that could help. Jaden Goes to Foster Care is the first non-Christian book that I am writing, so I did not review relevant Bible verse for it. However, all of my other books contain several Bible verses to help illustrate the story. For Jaden Goes to Foster Care, I specifically reread several other foster care books (i.e., Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care; Murphy's Three Homes: A Story for Children in Foster Care; Kids Need to Be Safe: A Book for Children in Foster Care ). Since I worked with children who are in foster care for close to ten years and was a foster parent for a number of years, I also have read a ton of other books on this topic. Note: As you are looking at other books in a similar category as yours, it is also helpful to check their Amazon rank. You can do that by scrolling down on the book’s page and looking for the number that shows after the “Amazon Best Sellers Rank.” The lower the number is, the more books this title sells. For example, #1 sells more books than #1,000. 3. Organize Your Ideas and Notes - If you would like to see my working notes for Jaden Goes to Foster Care click here. Now that you have built on your idea, go write. Try to write a draft of your story between now and next week when I will discuss choosing your layout. Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Happy Friday Supporters, Several exciting things have been going on in my life. I am working on several new workbooks and picture books; learning a lot as I review other people’s books and learning more and more about blogging. One thing that I have learned about blogging is the importance of being consistent. One way bloggers are attempting to be consistent is by Blogging Through The Alphabet from Marcy @ BenandMe.com. Since, I don’t have enough on my plate, I decided to join in. So for the next 26 weeks, I will be blogging through the ABCs once a week starting with the letter “A” and going through to “Z.” Encase you are wondering about a theme, I decided to blog about publishing a book. I am planning on taking you through the steps I take to publish each of my books starting next week. So if you are interested in publishing a book, start thinking about ideas and lets publish a book together in the next 26 weeks or less. My current Amazon Reviewer Ranking is 56,120 (down about 10,000 points since last month). In addition, I have reviewed six books in April for a total of 30 books. If you have a book or a product that you are interested in me reviewing please check my reviewer guidelines. As you may recall from last month, I decided to spotlight one book a month. The best book I have reviewed in the last month. So drum roll please.... The honor for the April 2014 Book of the Month Pick by Corine is...... But It’s Just A Game and Author Julie Cook About the Book: Meet Jasper! A young boy who is totally absorbed with playing video games… "With my game controller in my hands, I'm the boss of my whole world! I can be who I want and do as I please. I can get the highest score. I get all the chances that I need. If I make a mistake it's ok. Everyone thinks I'm 'it on a stick!' And the bad stuff all goes away." Video game addiction is on the rise, but it can be prevented. This creative story book teaches both kids and adults how to switch out their game controller for a "life controller." Video gaming is becoming a part of our culture, and we must be strategic in creating a healthy gaming balance. My Review: As a clinical psychologist, I love when I find a kid’s book that deals with a grown-up subject in a kid friendly way. In But It’s Just a Game, Author Julia Cook, deals with addiction/game addiction in a way kids can relate. I am using this book to help kids recognize how games/the internet can be addictive and how to set appropriately limits with games/the internet. This book ends with tips for parents and educators regarding games/the internet. The illustrations are engaging and colorful, and the main character, Jasper, is likable and relatable. You can order But It's Just A Game from Amazon for about $8.95. For more about But It’s Just A Game and Author Julie Cook series visit: Website: http://www.juliacookonline.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliacookonline Twitter: https://twitter.com/juliacookonline Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/juliacookonline/ To check out some of my other reviews or the reviews of my books, click on the picture below. Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you Corine Hey Supporters, Several of the authors I blog with at http://christianchildrensauthors.com have agreed to share something out of our experience as writers. You can check out the post by Cheryl C. Malandrinos and Janice D. Green. This week I have decided to share something similar. However, I have decided to talk about my ideal week because no day is typical and I am struggling with consistency in many areas of my life. I am hoping that by blogging about my idea week it will help me be consistent and accountable. Despite my struggle, I recognize I have a choice in life. I can either live on-purpose, according to a plan I have set out; or I can live by accident, reacting to the demands of others. The first approach is proactive; the second reactive. I feel like I have been reacting to life for most of 2014. However, I know that I will feel better, more at peace and just happier when I am proactive. So what follows is my ideal week. I was first introduced to this concept by Michael Hyatt. According to Hyatt, the ideal week is similar to your financial budget. The only difference is that you plan how you will spend your time rather than your money. And like a financial budget, you spend it on paper first. I created my ideal week in a simple word document. It represents the “perfect” week if I could control everything that would happen each week. As I was developing my week, I realized that there are way too many things on my to-do list each week than I had time. In order to help me focus, I decided to group like task together and break my day into three segments whenever possible. So over the next few weeks, I will be testing out my idea week and tweaking where necessary. Just looking at my ideal week, I realized a lot has to change. For example, I currently have over 30 clients on my schedule (my job only requires that I schedule 21 patients each week) and I am constantly taking on new patients. I realize I am going to have to stop taking on new patients and hold my patients account for meeting their treatment goals. I also realized that I need to set an alarm to stop working the same way I set an alarm to wake up each morning. I don’t remember the last time I left work (main job on time); I was also guilty of working on a book project till midnight this week. My final confession is the last time I started my day at 5am was for track practice back in my college days. So supporters, have you ever done an ideal week or time budget? If so, how did it go? If not, what do you think about the idea? I have also included a blank template here (simple tip, right left click to merge cells). Feel free to ask me any questions about my week or life as a Christian, psychologist, writer, and single person. Until next time, continue to pray for me and know that I am praying for you. Corine P.S. If you haven't already, please check out my most from earlier this week on helping a blogging associate adopt a child http://www.booksbycorine.com/1/post/2014/04/please-help-merissa-adopt-10-days-12000-1-baby.html Hey Supporters, As you know I have a heart for foster-care and adoption. It was recently brought to my attention that a fellow blogging friend needs help raising money to adopt a little one. If you have a moment, please read below and consider supporting Merissa. As always, please pray for me, Merissa, foster and adoptive parents, foster and adoptive children and know that I am praying for you, Just last week Merissa, of Little House Living, shared that she and her husband were preparing for their first adoption fundraiser. The blogging community quickly shared their need for donated items and hoped that many of you would come alongside of them in that effort. But, to our surprise, Merissa announced on Sunday that they had just been chosen to be the parents of a healthy baby boy born on that same day (read the full story here)! Today the blogging community has the opportunity to come alongside of Merissa and her family as they adopt this precious baby boy into their family! Merissa and her husband are traveling to pick up their new son on Wednesday, but that have not had time to fundraise. They need $12,000 in 10 days. $12,000 sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is. But, with each of use giving at least $10, it's really not that much! Can you forego a cup of coffee or a fast food lunch this week in order to bring home a new life? Not only that, would you share this with your friends? Email it, Facebook it, Tweet it, Pin it, Stumble it, G+ it. Whatever you can do. And if you're a blogger that might be willing to blog about Merissa's story, please leave a comment below or email Christie and we'll forward you the details! Life is worth it. Adoption is worth it. Let's bring this baby boy home!! This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy Hey Supporters, I know I usually post on Fridays, but with Good Friday coming up I figured I would post early this week. Today’s post is about a wonderful way to teach children what this week means using all five senses. In psychology, there is a term called sensory integration. Simply put, sensory integration is using as many senses as possible to teach a lesson. The idea behind sensory integration is that the more senses that are used to teach something, the more likely you are to remember the lesson. Making Resurrection Cookies is a way to use sensory integration in order to teach about the holiest week of the year. The below recipe uses all five senses in order to help you and your child learn the resurrection message. These cookies are designed to be made the night before Easter. On Easter morning, you wake up to an empty tomb just like disciples. Praise God that the tomb is still empty.You can also click here for a PDF version of the recipe. So that is all for now, feel free to share other ways you are teaching or learning the resurrection message in the comment section below. As always, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine P.s., if you are looking for a cute way to share the resurrection message as a family, consider this super-cute shirt that is available on Amazon. Resurrection CookiesIngredients Needed:
1 cup whole pecans or 1 c of chocolate chips 1 tsp vinegar 3 egg whites Pinch of salt 1 cup sugar Other Supplies Needed: Bible Wooden Spoon or Meat Mallet Zipper baggie - gallon size Tape 1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. 2. Place the pecans or chocolate chips inside the zipper baggie. Read John 19:1 & 3 Plate gave orders for Jesus to be beaten with a whip. 3 They came up to him and said, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” They also hit him with their fists. - Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the Roman soldiers beat him. Let your children take turns beating the pecans or chocolate chips into small pieces with the wooden spoon or meat mallet. Don’t crush them finely, but leave in small to large pieces. 3. Take out the vinegar and let all the children smell it. Explain to them that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, this is what they offered him to drink. If you child would like to taste it, allow a small taste but do not force them to. Pour the vinegar into a mixing bowl Read John 19:28-30 28 Jesus knew that he had now finished his work. And in order to make the Scriptures come true, he said, “I am thirsty!” 29 A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant. 30 After Jesus drank the wine, he said, “Everything is done!” He bowed his head and died. 4. Pour the egg whites into the mixing bowl with the vinegar. Explain to your children that eggs represent life. Then tell them that Jesus gave his life for each and every one of us. Read John 10:10-11 - 10 A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. 11 I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep. 5. Next, put a tiny bit of salt on each of your children’s hands, and let them taste it. Tell them that this salt represents the salty tears of Jesus’ followers that loved him very much. Read Luke 23:27 A large crowd was following Jesus, and in the crowd a lot of women were crying and weeping for him. Put a dash of salt in the mixing bowl. 6. Now, let each child hold out his/her hands, and this time, give them each a taste of the sugar. Tell them that this is the sweet part of the story because Jesus died for our sins because he loves us! John 3:16 KJVFor God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Add the sugar to the mixing bowl. 7. Beat the mixture on high. Keep beating on high for 12-15 minutes or until still peaks form. The mixture is now pure white. Explain to your children that this symbolizes Jesus’ purity because Jesus never sinned. Read Isaiah 1:18 I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool. Read John 3:1-3 There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Sir, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.” 3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God’s kingdom!” Now explain when your sins are cleansed by Jesus, they are as white as snow. 8. Next fold in the beaten pecans or mini chocolate chips. Drop by the teaspoon full onto a cookie sheet coverd with wax paper. Tell your children that these lumpy mounds represent the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:58-60 went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, 59 who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away. 9. Put the cookies in the oven, and turn the oven OFF! Give each child a piece of tape to “seal” the oven. Read Matthew 27:65 Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” 10. Explain how the disciples were in despair to leave Jesus’ body in the tomb. Explain to your children that you must leave your cookies in the sealed oven overnight, even if it makes them feel sad. Read John 16:20 & 22, I tell you for certain that you will cry and be sad, but the world will be happy. You will be sad, but later you will be happy. 22 You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. Now have your children prepare for bed. 11. Have your children, remove the tape and open the oven on Easter morning! Your cookies are hollow, just like Jesus’ tomb was on Easter morning! Read Matthew 28:6 He isn’t here! God has raised him to life, just as Jesus said he would. Come, see the place where his body was lying. 12. Enjoy the cookies and discuss what Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection mean to you. Also, talk about how we know Jesus rose again and there is no other explanations for the empty tomb (i.e., the tomb was sealed like the oven ant there were guards to watch the tomb. Unless otherwise noted, all Bible verse are taken from Contemporary English Version (CEV) - Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society Also note, I did not create this recipe but found it on the internet awhile ago. For all my research, I cannot find the copyright. Hey Supporters, Happy April! Easter is just 9 days away! Last year, I sent several of the little ones in my life an Easter Activity book. This year I was thinking it would be nice to give an Easter story book to several of the little people in my life. So what follows are several recommendations for a few Easter books for your child’s Easter basket, or just to share the true meaning of Easter. Each of the books below focuses on the true meaning of Easter. In addition, if you order through Amazon (just click the picture on links) you can get most of the books in time for Easter. Please feel free to add your favorite Easter book in the comment section, As always, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story by Mike Berenstaie (Author), Jan Berenstain (Author) The Bear cubs and Papa are candy-crazy this Easter! But Mama, with help from Papa, tells the cubs about Jesus' resurrection and shows them that salvation is much sweeter than candy. Includes a colorful sticker set. Easter Bunny, Are You For Real? by Harold Myra (Author), Jane Kurisu (Illustrator) Easter eggs, Easter bunnies Easter parades. Children see animated characters, hear silly stories, and shout with glee in egg hunts during the spring "holiday" season. This book helps parents help their children see beyond the commercialism and grasp the true celebration of Easter. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Easter Egg Haunt (Tales from the Back Pew) by Mike Thaler (Author), Jared Lee (Illustrator) With hilarious stories and nutty pictures, the Tales from the Back Pew series offers kid's a unique view of church. Enjoy plenty of giggles with your child---and learn fun, important truths about God, church, and the Bible. It's Easter. Will the Easter bunny be ten feet tall? Will it really lay eggs? I hope they're not scrambled! The Flowering Cross by Beth Ryan Six-year-old Katie’s next-door neighbor Papa Jack has the most beautiful flowers in town. He seems like a mean man to most, but Katie has a special place in his heart. Every Easter Sunday she stops by to get her flowers for the Flowering of the Cross at church. Only this year, Papa Jack decides to come along, and Katie helps him discover the real meaning of the Cross. Designed to place God's truths in the heart of children, The Flowering Cross, has Faith Imprint suggestions thoughout that will help parents share God's Word with their young one. Also included are instructions for making a Flowering Cross. My Easter Basket: And the True Story of Easter Board book by Mary Manz Simon Children will discover the true meaning of Easter using the colors found in a traditional Easter basket! This fun book features a rhyming format, bright colors, unique glitter art, and a die-cut shape. My Very First Easter Story Hardcover by Lois Rock (Author), Alex Ayliffe (Illustrator) The Easter story is at the heart of the Christian faith, and is here retold simply and sincerely - from Good Friday to Easter day. Extracted from My Very First Bible, this forms part of the hugely popular My Very First range whose flagship Bible has sold well over 250,000 copies. Why Do We Celebrate Easter? by Mark I Sutherland (Author), Julie Hammond (Illustrator) Have your kids or grandkids ever asked what Easter is all about? Have you ever looked for a book to tell the amazing story of Easter, with captivating illustrations that will inspire the imagination, written so that chidren ages 3-9 could understand and enjoy it, while not losing the essential elements of why Jesus came to earth? This was the situation author Mark I. Sutherland was in with his four children, and, after not being able to find a book that fit what he needed, he decided to write the story himself. His kids both enjoyed it and understood it. Now, after joining forces with professional children's illustrator Julie Hammond, Mark's story is available for you and your family.
Hey Supporters,
Now that April has started, we're one-quarter of the way through 2014. Just wanted to give you a quick update on how things are going with my Amazon raking. As you may remember, I started this year with a goal to review 104 books on Amazon and get my reviewer ranking under a hundred thousand. Good news, my current ranking is 66,877 and I have reviewed 24 books. Even though I have met my goal of getting my ranking under a hundred thousand, I still need to review 80 books by December 31, 2014. If you have a book that you are interested in me reviewing please check my book reviewer guidelines. Now it is time for a surprise. I decided to spotlight one book a month. The best book I have reviewed in the last month (or in this case three). So drum roll please.... The honor for the first ever Book of the Month Pick by Corine is......
Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot!
By Virginia Finnie About the Book: Every child has experienced it. Lying in bed, in the dark and feeling afraid. Is there a monster in the closet or under the bed? What's a kid to do? Beginning with the retelling of the story of David and Goliath, Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! gives kids the weapons they need to battle the "giant of fear." Their slingshot is God's Word (the Bible) and their smooth stones are God's Truth (scripture). God’s Warrior Kids are encouraged to speak out God's Truth to overcome fear. Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! is the second book in the Hey Warrior Kids! series. My Review: As a clinical psychologist, I am often searching for material to use in my therapy sessions with children. I was surprised on so many different levels by Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot!. I initially bought Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! to read to my nieces as a bedtime story. However, I quickly realized that it was packed with a lot of powerful information. Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! retells the story of David and Goliath in a way that children can understand. However, it does not stop there. The author helps children to apply the story of David and Goliath to their lives by explaining how every child has a slingshot (the Bible) and smooth stones (bible verses). This book also teaches children how their thoughts can overcome fears (and other life circumstances). The book ends by walking children through a personal example (feeling afraid at night). I am planning on using this book in my therapy sessions to help teach children the importance of meditating on God's Word; remembering what God says about them and not what a bully says; the importance of your thoughts (CBT); how to handle fear; and how as Christians we do not have to be afraid of anything because God is bigger. I am looking forward to seeing what is next in the Hey Warrior Kids series. You can order Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! from Amazon for about 7.99. For more about Finnie’s Hey Warrior Kids! series visit: Website: http://heywarriorkids.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12B43kZtDw4 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeyWarriorKids Twitter: https://twitter.com/heywarriorkids To check out some of my other reviews or the reviews of my books, click on the picture below. Until next time supporters, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you, Corine P.S. Feel free to share the best book you have read in the past month. Also, please share this post to that others my learn about Hey Warrior Kids! Grab Your Slingshot! Last week I post about a really great prize package of books for preschoolers, sponsored by Zonderkidz. This week, I am excited to announce that Zonderkidz have sponsored another great prize package for books for children 8-12.
I’m sure you are wondering what is in this prize package… well, you will get a total of three books.
Books will be shipped from Zondervan. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Until next time, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you. Corine
Anyone who knows me knows I love books that answer life’s questions. I have finally found a book that answers the question of why do we color Easter eggs. The story covers a little boy named Thomas and his journey to learning/remembering the meaning of Easter eggs. Thomas and his sister are playing and he asks “What are Easter eggs?” Instead of answering right away, the sister teases him. Later that night, she becomes sick and Thomas is separated from his sister while she recovers. While staying with family friends, Thomas learns about Christ’s death, resurrection, and the reason we should have hope.
My only complaints about this book are that it does not include Bible verses or focus more on the resurrection. The book does end with a discussion of the traditions and symbols of the Easter season. The illustrations are wonderful and remind you of a simpler time. It also includes several wonderful vocabulary words and would make a wonderful addition to a homeschoolers library. In fact, check out homeschoolshares for a lapbook activity. http://www.homeschoolshare.com/legend_of_the_easter_egg.php So before your Easter egg hunt this year, read The Legend of the Easter Egg and help them understand the connection of Easter eggs to the resurrection of Christ. I am super excited that my friends at Zonder agreed to give one supporter a copy of The Legend of the Easter Egg as well as two other books The Berenstain Bears Keep the Faith and 101 Bible Stories from Creation to Revelation. One winner will receive all three books. Books will be shipped from Zondervan. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Until next time, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you. Corine Hey Supporters, I know some of your are authors and/or bloggers; because of that I wanted to share this wonderful new resources that I found. I just finished reading a book entitled: The Essential Guide to Successful Publicity Kits and I am super excited about it. (So excited I decided to post twice in one week). I just made a media kit for one of my books in under 2 hours. Check out the before and after pics (and yes I am now embarrassed by the before pic, lol). The author of this book is selling The Essential Guide to Successful Publicity Kits PLUS another book called Monkey See, Monkey Do (a book about how to use PicMonkey) and a mini-ebook called Blogging Tips and Tricks for $12 (ends 3/19/2014). I am so excited about these resources and think they are well worth the investment. http://bit.ly/1lU4Hrw To signup for PicMonkey click here. There is a free version or you can upgrade for as little as $2.75 a month. Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine It’s my birthday today and as I reflect on the past 35 years, I realized I have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. First and foremost, God has blessed me with a mother who has prayed for me before I was born. Since my birth, there have been other blessings both small (a smile from a stranger to brighten a long day) and great (publishing four books, graduating from college, obtaining my Ph.D.). In the months leading up to my birthday, I have been praying about how I can be more of a blessing to others. Therefore, I am officially declaring my 35th year on this earth as a year of blessing others. To start this year off, I would like to bless all of my supporters with a free PDF copy of my book My Journey with Jesus Christ, just use the discount code “bday” at checkout. My Journey with Jesus Christ is a personalized devotional. It is designed to help your child grow in his/her relationship with God while helping him/her understand some key principles of the Christian faith. This book contains 10 lessons and includes space for you to write your child’s name throughout the book. It usually sells for $3.99 but until March 31, 2014 you can use the discount code “bday” at checkout to get it free. I would also like to bless at least 35 churches with a copy of my books. You can enter your church information here: http://www.booksbycorine.com/churches.html. Finally, one of my supporters will be blessed with a $35 Amazon gift card. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. Until next time, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you. Corine P.S., One of my author friends, Bonnie has agreed to give two of you a PDF copy of Asia: It's People and History. You can enter to win it here. I am so thrilled and delighted to share that my first picture book, Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time, has been nominated for of the year by The Christian Small Publishers Association. The Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year award honors books produced by small publishers and independently published authors for outstanding contribution to Christian life. The winners of this award are determined solely by the votes of Christian retailers and book lovers alike. If you think Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time is worthy of a vote for "providing an outstanding contribution to Christian life," I'd love it if you could vote for it. You can vote here: http://www.christianpublishers.net/14votes/ and anyone is allowed to vote once. The winners of the 2014 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year Award will be announced on April 22, 2014. That is all for now, Until next time supporters, please continue to pray for me as I pray for you. Corine Hello Supporters, Anyone who knows me knows I am busy… extremely busy. As a result, I feel that a lot of time I am out of tune with the world beyond my immediate circle. When my friend Bonnie contacted me about reviewing her newest book (Asia: It's People and History); I thought cool it would be a wonderful chance to help a fellow author. However, it turned into so much more. There are many reasons why I would highly recommended Asia: It's People and History but due to time constrains (remember I said I was busy, need to organize my receipts, fill my taxes, and plan a huge online birthday celebration) I will limit myself to just two.
Well supporters I have great news, Bonnie has agreed to give two of you will a PDF copy of Asia: It's People and History. Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter. You can purchase Asia: It’s People and History from The Schoolhouse Store, SmashWords and Amazon.com. To learn more about Bonnie visit her at Website: http://writebonnierose.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriteBonnieRose Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriteBonnieRose Until next time, continue to pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Well Supporters, it is a snowy day here in Baltimore. I believe we have over a foot of snow, which was finally enough snow to give me a snow day. My last snow day was in 2010. I decided to use my unplanned day off to work on a few learning aids for my latest book What is Love. I am happy to announce, the memory cards are done. As a child memory was one of my favorite games. As an adult and a therapist, my opinion of this game has not changed. I love this game because you can play it alone or in a group. The therapist in me knows that translates to you can use it to teach self-esteem skills/self like or socialization skills. It can also be used to build observation, attention and concentration, and memory skills. For impulsive children, this is a wonderful game to teach self-regulation. I personally could not have planned the timing better myself given that tomorrow is Valentine’s day. As you know my book What is Love is designed to help children and adults learn about Biblical love. These memory cards are designed to do the same thing. So if you already have a copy of What is Love feel free to download a free copy of the memory cards by clicking here. If you don’t, pick up a copy today. The kindle version is only $1.99 until the print version becomes available; it will be $2.99 after that (something tells me the storm may delay the print copy more). If you have other ideas of how to use these memory cards, please leave it in the comment section below. As always supporters, please pray for me as I pray for you. Corine P.S. While the memory cards were designed for my book What is Love, they also make a great stand alone resource. P.S.S. My first book: Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time was nominated by the Christian Small Publishers Association Book for a book of The Year Award. Can you please do me a favor before your go and take a moment to vote and spread the word. http://www.christianpublishers.net/14votes/ Well Supporters, the book without a title is finally here. As Renee-Ann suggested, the book without a title was given a name as I read through the completed project. As you may or may not know, my newest book is entitled “What is Love.” I am super excited about it and already it has some great reviews on amazon (including one from a non-Christian, can someone praise God with me). I am so excited about this book, I have decided to sale it for only 99 cents until 2/7/2014 (kindle addition only). In addition to my book, two of my author friends also released a book about love recently. So if you have a moment and an extra five dollars, please pick up a copy of these three books. Until next time supports, Please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine P.S. Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time was nominated by the Christian Small Publishers Association Book for a book of The Year Award. Can you please do me a favor before your go and take a moment to vote and spread the word. http://www.christianpublishers.net/14votes/ About the Books What is Love: A Kid Friendly Interpretation of 1 John 3:11, 16-18 & 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 & 13 What is Love is a Bible based picture book that is designed to help children understand what love is. In the story, twins Kar’Leigh and Kar’Moni have just learned what the Bible says about love. Come join them as they bring to life 1 John 3:11, 16-18 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a & 13 in a way that is easy for children to understand. Each page includes a Bible verse and there are links in the back of the book to download free handwriting pages (shh, don't tell anyone the free handwriting pages are also located under the free resources tab). Order now for 99 cent till 2/7/2014, then $1.99 till 2/14/2014 and then $2.99. My Heart Beats for You by Paula Lynn McGrew Have you ever wondered, "Does God love me? Can I know Him like a father?" The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" God loves you because He carefully created and crafted you. He thinks you're the greatest and you bring delight to His heart. When you were born, He and the angels rejoiced. In this book, My Heart Beats for You, God reassures us in Jeremiah 31:3, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." He loves you unconditionally and without limits ~ He always has and always will. His love is bigger and deeper and higher and wider than anything you can imagine! Order now from Amazon for only $2.99 Show Me Love by Christie Black-Murrell "Show Me Love" is a collection of poetry from the heart of the author. All of the poems are centered on love encompassing all three forms: agape (Godly love), phileo ( brotherly love), and eros (intimate love). These poems tell stories of how love is shared, given, received, taken for granted, and many times misunderstood. This book is for all ages from teen to senior and for all races, and creed. It speaks to the heart of all people through a heart full of love. Order Now for Only 99 cents at Amazon Well supporters, it has been a while. I have been busy working on my next book. I am still shooting for an early February release date; however, production has been slowed a little. One of my illustrator’s children was sick, so if you could remember them in your prayers, I would greatly appreciate it). The other thing that has me stuck with this book is the title. I am sure I do not have to go into a long dissertation about the importance of a title. Even though I know the title of a book is very important I have not been able to decide on one for my newest book. This is where I need your help. Can you please let me know which of the below titles you like the best by leaving a comment. About the book: My next book is about love. Specifically, it will feature twins that discuss what the Bible says about love. Initially, I was going to use several Bible verses like I did in my book Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time but then I settled on just two Bible verses (1 John 3:11, 16-18 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a & 13). In this book, the twins will break each verse down so that a child can understand them. Possible Titles:
Until next time, please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine One million six hundred eighty-four thousand five hundred eighty-seven (#1,684,587). This number is very important to me and believe it or not, it is very important to a lot of other people as well (maybe even you). This number is my current Amazon Reviewer Ranking as of January 1, 2014. One of my goals for 2014 is to decrease this number to fewer than one million. Maybe even to under a hundred thousand. By decreasing Amazon Reviewer Ranking I am hoping to increase the exposure of other Christian authors. Amazon uses some pretty fancy algorithms in order to determine which products are displayed in search results and emails they send out. These algorithms are top secret and no one knows for sure how to ensure that a book or a product is displayed in an email. However, what people have been able to infer is that the more rankings a book have the more it gets noticed. In addition, the more rankings a book has by a “top review” (i.e., someone with a small Amazon Ranking) the more likely Amazon is likely to market that book or product. Thus my goal. You may be wondering how I am planning on doing this. I am planning on writing on average two reviews a week for the next year (104 reviews total). Each time I write a review, I am also planning on posting to my facebooks and twitter page. What I need from you supporters is to vote if your find the reviews helpful or not. Each time someone finds my reviews helpful, Amazon also gives me extra credit and decreases my ranking. There are also a few other reasons why I am doing this. As an author, I also know how receiving a positive review can make my day. Therefore, most of the reviews I am planning on doing on Amazon will be for Christian Children. Before you think of me as some sort of saint or a completely selfless person, I will also benefit from writing these reviews. Specifically, as I read and review other Christian Children books, I am sure I will get more ideas for books and become a better writer. So supporters, here is my latest review. Feel free to leave comments on your thoughts about Amazon Reviewer Ranking and your current Amazon Ranking. Please vote yes if you find this review helpful. As always continue to pray for me as I pray for you. Corine My mother has always encouraged me to read a chapter of Proverbs each day. She pointed out to me very early in my life, that the book of Proverbs has 31 chapters; which is enough for a daily reading. My mother also pointed out that Proverbs has so much wisdom, that you could read it often and always gain something new. I also love the book of Proverbs because it is something both children and adults can read. As we enter into 2014, I challenge you to take my mother’s challenge and read a chapter of Proverbs each day for a year. As with each year, 2014 will requires us to use wisdom as we make the right decisions, set goals and continue to live our lives to the glory of God. In order to help with this challenge, I have created several free printables based on the SOAP method of studying the Bible for children and adults. You can download a copy for children here and adults here. The S.O.A.P. works like this: S- Scripture – just write the scripture that stands out to you. For children, you can have them draw what their favorite verse or write it for them. O- Observation – just write what you observed or noticed in the verse. This can be anything such as who was it written to, what the verse is talking about, or just a summary of what the verse means. For children, either have them draw a picture or help them write one word that describe what they read. A- Application – just write how the verse applies to your life. Again, for children have them draw a picture about how the verse can be applied to their life. P- Prayer – just end your Bible study time with a prayer. It can be any prayer but it is nice to link it back to what your just read. For children, you can have them draw a picture or dictate their prayer to you. Hello Supporters, I just wanted to share with you a prayer that changed my life. I started praying this pray during a time when things were pretty uncertain for me. I was literally going to work each day wondering if this would be the day I would get fired. Can you imagine what type of anxiety that caused me? Anyway, one day on my way to work, God reminded me of some very simple truths that give me comfort.
I combined these truths into a simple pray that I still say when life gets overwhelming, out of control, or just plain stress full. I also say this little prayer when I need comfort. Feel free to modify and make it your own. Lord Jesus, I come before You thanking You for this day. I am able to thank You for this day right now because I know You are in control of this day. Because You are in control of this day, I do not need to be in control of this day. Because You are in control of this day, I know You already know what is going to happen to me today. Because You already know what is going to happen to me today, I know that You have already worked the details of this day out for my good. Lord Jesus because I know You have already worked the details out for my good; I can relax today and enjoy the ride. Amen Until next time supporters, Please pray for me as I pray for you, Corine Ok Supporters, I need your help! Things are super busy with me, and my publisher just contacted me to inform me that they need my book teaser and author biography by 12/20/2013. So I need your feedback and suggestions. Here is what I came up with for the book teaser and author bio. What do you think? I have linked both to a Google document that you can feel free to edit (don’t worry I can track all the changes, so feel free to edit your hearts out or just post your suggestions in the comment sections). Book Teaser: Does your child have trouble expressing their feelings? Do they shut down when sad or yell when mad? Then Godly Feelings is the perfect book for them. In Godly Feelings a variety of multiethnic youngsters will express different feelings and teach children what the Bible says about each. This book will not only help children identify and express their feelings God’s way, but it will also teaches children that all feelings are OK because God gave each feeling to them. Godly Feelings is also for parents, teachers, and professionals who often wonder how to react to the variety of emotions expressed by children. Godly Feelings is designed to stimulate discussion and interaction between children and the adults who care for them. Author’s Bio: Corine Hyman works as a clinical psychologist full-time in Baltimore, MD. But after hours, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and dancing. While she has no biological children, she has had the privilege of helping raise four children through foster care and a host of nieces, nephews and other little people. Among the little people, she is known as Aunt Cor. She is also the author of three other books: Why I Give; Why We Give Gifts at Christmas Time; and My Journey with Jesus Christ. As always, pray for me as I pray for you, Corine To access the Google Doc and suggestion a change click here |
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