Category: random drawing

Last Tasman Review Winner

adventure novel / Book Specials / random drawing / Tasman

Last Tasman Review Winner

Susanne Bacon is the final winner of a VISA gift card for reviews written in 2018 for Tasman. She’s a writer from south Puget Sound who writes cozy mysteries that also share her love of cooking. Meeting her is a gift of cheerfulness wrapped in her lovely smile and kindness. Her books reflect her love of story as well as her love of creating delicious food. You may find her stories on Amazon and at book sellers everywhere. Congrats Susanne! Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews for Tasman during 2018. They truly matter and provide a boost in interest from...

Tasman Review Winner

book reviewing / random drawing / Tasman

Tasman Review Winner

It’s always fun to read what readers think about the books they read, especially when they share their views about my books with me. Last Sunday I drew the third quarter winner of a $20 VISA card. The winner is Karen Bruck, a retired teacher, book clubber, community good neighbor and a Stephen Ministry lay person. She has faithfully written reviews and supported by other publications and I appreciate her taking the time to write a review of Tasman: An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom. Knowing her thoughts and your thoughts help me as I look forward to future writings....

Fun Writing Tools

musings / random drawing / writing

Fun Writing Tools

I love to window shop for writing tools, booklets, folders, pens, etc. This is the best time of year since the major stores have big back-to-school sales that will be ending soon. Even if you don’t have students who need materials, I suggest you think of these ‘new’ tools as a way to encourage your entire family to write. Plan ahead. Use the sales to buy birthday or holidays writing tools now and tuck them away for later. Here are a few of the ‘new’ colorful items I’ve seen for 2018. * folders with current movie scenes as covers *...

Blackout Poetry – A Creative Look at a Written Page

poetry / random drawing

Blackout Poetry – A Creative Look at a Written Page

All poetry is NOT created equal. Blackout poetry is a modern take on free verse. It requires you to find a newspaper article to enlarge or a page from a printed book that you slice free to use its words in a new way. Below are basic directions and two samples. Look for motivation on Pinterest, then dive in. It’s a challenge as well as a fun activity. Instructions for Blackout Poetry** Scan article or page for anchor words – words that jump out at you or words you know you would like to use in your poem Underline the...

The Great American Read

random drawing / survey

The Great American Read

I hope you are participating in the PBS balloting for America’s favorite books. It’s free! They have assembled 100 popular books from across the world of literature for you to think about and vote for your favorites. In Mid-October they will announce the book with the single most votes. The range of books is immense: Pilgrim’s Progress to 50 Shades of Gray; from Charlotte’s Web to Catch 22. You are encouraged to vote for as many books as you wish every day until the event ends. I’ve followed it since a PBS program introduced each book in June. That program...

Quotes Worth a Look

details in writing / musings / quotes / random drawing

Quotes Worth a Look

When I read, I often find author’s have exquisite sentences. I save them in a special notebook. Here are a few I’ve sincerely appreciated. She maneuvered through the cranky traffic…tempers caught fire as easily as backyards. Kristin Hannah in Magic Hour Perhaps there is a secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society  bby Mary Ann Shaffer & Anne Barrows As they crossed the street, the moon, at half-phase, spread creamy light over the world, trannsforming the sidewalk to pale ribbons and putting thick shadows beneath the trees… LaVyrle...

Unpublished Snippets from 84 Ribbons – The Pouch of Stones

84 Ribbons / musings / random drawing

Unpublished Snippets from 84 Ribbons – The Pouch of Stones

When I cleaned out my files, I found several unused story ideas from 84 Ribbons, book one in my ballet trilogy. Here’s one more offering.  The Pouch of Stones Walks by the bay at the end of our long street were always a chance for my dad and me to connect. We’d talk about school, my dancing, his day, our up-coming vacation plans or whatever a young child and her dad had to share. But that ended abruptly when my dad died suddenly from a fall where he worked in the shipyard. After that, the bay became a gray place...

Writing Activities with Kids

prompts / random drawing / writing with kids

Writing Activities with Kids

Keep writing activities in front of the kids in your lives to reinforce the skills over the summer break just the same as you do with reading and math. These three skills cross subject matter regardless of the grade they are stepping into in the fall. Here are a few fun, imaginative ideas to pout into your bag of tricks. Design a cereal box complete with cover art, list of ingredients, a game or activity section and a recipe that includes the invented cereal. Provide a journal (any size that will interest ‘your student’). Add a fancy pen and send...

Unpublished Snippets from 84 Ribbons -Spam and An Empty Garage

84 Ribbons / character development / musings / random drawing

Unpublished Snippets from 84 Ribbons -Spam and An Empty Garage

When I cleaned out my files, I found several unused story ideas from 84 Ribbons, book one in my ballet trilogy. Here’s one of them. More to follow this month. Spam and An Empty Garage One of the greatest opportunities in my life came when I was four. I learned to dance. My family didn’t have money for extras, but they found a way to scrape enough together for me to take dance lessons. I think those savings came in the shape of canned Spam which we ate once or twice a week. I hated the clear gooey fat that...

June’s Random Drawing

random drawing

June’s Random Drawing

Congratulations to Nicki Chen, the winner of my random drawing among people who wrote reviews for Tasman-An Innocent Convict’s Struggle for Freedom. Nicki is a PNW historical fiction writer, the author of Tiger Tail Soup. She’s a board member of EPIC Group Writers, an organization that supports writers and authors, participates in a writing group, and is an accomplished visual artist. Thanks, Nicki, for taking the time to write a review of Tasman. I appreciate your kind words. And, as they say, “the VISA card is in the mail.”   Looking ahead: Win a $20 VISA card. Write a review...