Wanda Luthman's Blog, page 4
July 6, 2024
leo and the alien
Available on AmazonHi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog!
I’m super excited to introduce you today to a team of authors, Leo and his Grandfather, Phil! They co-wrote a book called Leo & The Alien: The Story of the Alien Human Basketball Association.
Stick around to the end because I have something special to share with you!
The publishing company who published their book, Clear Vision Press, is here to tell us all about it…
“The story is about Leo and his friends who get tired of playing the traditional two-basket game of basketball and invent a new game by adding a third basket and another team of five players. Each team defends one goal and can score on the other two. It makes for a fast-paced, fun-filled new game. The story was inspired by Leo’s Uncle Tom who back in2006 invented the game and played it at Washington Square Park in NYC.
Leo & the Alien goes on to tell the story of Edwin the Alien who notices the game being played while on a scouting trip to find new and interesting games to play on his planet Zenon. Edwin approaches the boys and invites them to his planet to teach their “people” how to play this new fun game. After traveling with Edwin to Zenon where they teach the basketball players how to play, an unlikely friendship develops between Earth and Zenon and they form the Alien Human Basketball Association.
Leo & the Alien echoes today’s efforts to create respect and tolerance among groups of people who, although may appear different, are essentially the same and want connection. It’s a fun read for young children who especially like the sport of basketball.”
Thank you to Clear Vision Press for sharing with us about this really fun book today!
If you have made it this far, here’s the surprise I have for you…LIVE ACTION of 3 teams recorded playing this game in Washington Square Park in NYC. Watch it below
Here’s the link, if it doesn’t play for you automaticallyThank you to my loyal blog followers for stopping by and checking out this post. I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Leo & The Alien to read to your favorite child(ren).
As always, likes, comments, and shares are appreciated.
God Bless You, Everyone!
July 1, 2024
single and sublime
Available on AmazonHi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog.
Today, I have an author, Debra Gaskill, that I have met in person. She’s beautiful inside and out. She wrote a wonderful book called Single and Sublime. I think you’re going to love it! And her!
She’s here today to tell us about it…
“Have you ever made a relationship choice that you regret? Have you ever made more than one? If you are tired of history repeating itself, I invite you to embark on a quest to figure out why. You see, if we don’t take the time to uncover the root cause and fix it, we will probably keep making the same mistakes that will waste decades of life and derail hopes and dreams.
Are you willing to stop, listen, learn, and correct? Discover how to become the most excellent version of you possible and do something extraordinary with your life–whether with a quality man by your side, or sublimely single.
Let’s talk… about following your heart, seizing the life God specifically has for you, and getting to the place where you can truly say, la vie est belle. Life is beautiful. And so are you!
Author, Debra Gaskill, of Single and SublimeAbout Me:
Debra Gaskill is an author, inspirational speaker, missionary, and has helped countless others discover their God-given specificity. In Single & Sublime, she shares her own story and the valuable lessons learned along the way, which include becoming strong in spirit, no matter what life is dishing out, and building resilience. With wisdom and humor, she leads the reader to a place of emotional health and well-being so they can recover from bad relationship choices and live an extraordinary life. Let’s get started!”
Thank you, Debra, for sharing your book with us today. I love that this book is your story. Thank you for being vulnerable and doing that. I believe it’s going to help alot of people.
Thank you, to my loyal blog followers, for stopping by today.
As you can see, this isn’t one of my usual children’s books. This one falls in the Christian category. I hope you will pick up a copy for yourself or a friend.
As always, likes, comments, and shares are appreciated.
God Bless You, Everyone
June 29, 2024
inside the pencil box
Avni Saxena, Author of Inside the Pencil Box on AmazonHi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog,
Today, I have an author named Avni Saxena who wrote an incredibly creative book about school supplies coming to life called Inside the Pencil Box.
Here she is to tell us about herself and her book…
I have always been fascinated by the power of storytelling and how it can convey important life lessons such as the powers of teamwork and friendship. Just like the characters in “Inside the Pencil Box,” I’ve experienced firsthand how working together with others can lead to innovative solutions and outcomes. This belief in the importance of overcoming differences to achieve a common goal has been a driving force in my life and is a central theme in the book, making it a reflection of my own values and experiences.
My goal with “Inside the Pencil Box ” was to create a positive and fun world for young children to see themselves in, so that they could apply their learnings from the colorful story about responsibility and cooperation, like the pencils and erasers, into their real-life situations and conflicts. The book provides a whimsical, relatable setting that readers would be familiar with- a pencil box, in the classroom- which sets a good foundation for them to have valuable learning and growth from the storyline. Having extensively worked with children of all ages, I understand the importance of being taught problem-solving strategies at a young age, especially because these habits and knowledge are carried with them throughout their school and work life.
Purchase from Avni’s WebsiteSummary of Book:
Inside the Pencil Box, an Amazon Best Seller, teaches the powers of teamwork and friendship in a creative children’s chapter book with an engaging story and vibrant illustrations where pencils, erasers, and other school supplies come to life. This Teachers’ Pick children’s book is a wonderful story about the importance of overcoming differences to reach a bigger goal.
Step into the magical world within Emma’s pencil box, where two kingdoms lie: The Pencil Kingdom and the Eraser Kingdom. Citizens of the two kingdoms express discontent, each believing themselves to be the most important school supply. As tensions escalate between the two kingdoms, chaos ensues, leading to a disastrous turn of events during Emma’s school day…
As the narrative unfolds in this chapter book, pencils, and erasers gradually discover the need for collaboration. Their cooperative efforts ultimately led to the innovative eraser-tipped pencil. This pivotal moment unites the characters from the pencil box, showcasing the significance of technology and innovation in a way accessible to young readers, while also offering valuable discussion points for parents and teachers.
While the target age group for this book ranges from four to eleven years old, its heartwarming tale and delightful illustrations will captivate readers of all generations.
Thank you, Avni, for sharing about yourself and your book with us today! I’m impressed with the creativity of your book and the wonderful message about working together. I have always found that we are better together.
Thank you to my loyal bloy followers for stopping by today. I hope you’ll grab a copy for your favorite child(ren) in your life.
As always, likes, shares, and comments are appreciated.
God Bless You, Everyone
June 24, 2024
the groundworld heroes
Author, Adrian So, of The Groundworld Heroes which will be available on Amazon August 6, 2024Welcome Everyone to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog.
I’m super excited today to share with you a young author, Adrian So, who published his first book, The Groundworld Heroes at the age of 13. He’s here to tell you his story of how he got traditionally published!!
“I signed a publishing deal when I was 13. That was mostly luck, and of course, perseverance.
Since Grade 5, I’ve dreamt of becoming a published author. I started scribbling silly stories on loose leaves, ranging from ridiculous raccoons to a pot of mac and cheese’s escape from the kitchen.
As weird as those stories seemed, it brought me joy. But I never seriously thought about publishing until Grade 6.
At that time, I wrote a book about a magical feather that could heal any sickness. But the story just didn’t ring for me. I ditched the project altogether, and writing as a whole.
That was until Grade 7, when I had the inspiration to write my debut chapter book, The Groundworld Heroes. I loved the idea of a community of talking animals who lived under the humans’ feet.
The thought hit me when I was sitting in a chair daydreaming and I immediately got to work. I wrote three (very short) chapters in one sitting. And then I wrote more the following day, it felt like my fingers wouldn’t let me stop typing.
New events and sketches of characters just flushed into my brain. And after three months, and more than three writer blocks in the middle, I finished my book! But I made one fatal mistake. I thought it’s good enough.
Instead of revising like many authors do, I sent the manuscript to publishers almost right away. And got instant rejections.
I was devastated, but I couldn’t identify problems in my work. So I sent the manuscript out to many authors, just to see if anyone would be willing to be my alpha reader.
Quite a few of them got back to me and sent me their notes and comments, which I was beyond grateful for. I was reluctant with the edits at first, hating to see my book getting annotated.
The hatred of revision wasted my time. I gave up on the project for a few months straight. Then one day, I got back to work. I started editing furiously according to my alpha readers’ notes. But that was far from enough to get me published.
I thought my book was awesome after those edits, and I sent it out to publishers again, with high hopes of getting acceptances.
Rejections rolled in.
I went for a second round of edits, this time with a set of beta readers, who aren’t authors. They gave me feedback, sometimes conflicting, but I took them into account. So I revised.
Another month went by and I’m finally done with my second round. And by two rounds of edits, I meant more than forty edits, since that is the number of people that engaged in the revising process.
I edited five more rounds after that, involving about eighty or so readers. Then finally, I tried querying again.
“Sorry but we do not work with minors.”
“Our agency only takes on adult clients.”
“Unfortunately, your submission is not a fit for us.”
Rejections again. But this time, mostly about my age. I thought to myself, Now those publishers and literary agents don’t have a problem with my manuscript. They have a problem with me, and my age!
I was mad. I didn’t take into account how minors weren’t typically accepted in the publishing game. I could name less than five child authors off the top of my head.
But I didn’t give up. I believed that until I had queried every single publisher and literary agent in the world, I still had a chance. And I really did.
It was March 2023, when I first queried my current publisher, Dr. Jen Lowry at Monarch Press.
I first came across Monarch when I watched Dr. Jen Lowry’s YouTube video on writing. I enjoyed it quite a lot so I checked out who she was. And she was a publisher! I knew I had to query her right away. So I did.
And she responded in less than ten minutes, telling me to submit my first three chapters. I was thrilled. I jumped up and down in my room like an overly energetic monkey then I prayed for a full manuscript request to arrive.
That full manuscript request came. It’s just joy. I quickly sent it in. And a few weeks later, it’s annotated with notes. It must be a revise and resubmit. But I didn’t despair this time, it’s the last round of revision I had to do before I got published, so I revised and resubmitted.
About a month later, the manuscript came back again. And this time, still full of comments. But really minor ones about grammatical structures. I fine-tuned everything in one hour and turned it back in.
Is The Groundworld Heroes gonna be accepted for publication? I kept asking myself. It felt like Mrs. Lowry devoted a lot of time just to make my book better. Is she just doing me a favor or is she genuinely interested in it?
I didn’t wait long for an answer. The following day, when I’m having breakfast with my family, we’re about to go to school. My dad opened his Gmail account and saw this: Official Offer for Publication of THE GROUNDWORLD HEROES
Available on Amazon August 6, 2024He quickly announced the good news and we all whooped in joy. I’m going to become a published author!
And fast forward to now, Monarch Press is a great place to be at. Their authors and editors are friendly and I must say that it’s a pleasure for me to be a part of this growing Monarch family.
No matter who you are, if you work towards your dreamland persevere, you’ll get there one day.
Find my profile: https://monarcheducationalservices.com/adrian-so
Follow me on Twitter: @Adrian62852188
Visit my website: adriansotheauthor.my.canva.site
Wow, Adrian! I am so very impressed at your journey. You definitely worked hard to achieve your dream. Congratulations!!!
Here’s my review of the book
This book was very interesting. It took me into an underground world of armadillos, badgers, rabbits, and moles. I love the specific language used such as “paws” when we would say “hands.” The author does a great job of creating excitement and tension and you want to keep reading to see what’s going to happen. I won’t spoil the ending, but the book does have a positive message. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you for sharing your story with all of us today.
And thank you, to my loyal blog followers, for stopping by. Please pre-order your copy for the favorite child(ren) in your life.
As always, likes, comments, and shares are appreciated.
God Bless You, Everyone
June 22, 2024
stop existing and start living
Available on AmazonHi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog!
Today, I have a patriotic book for you which would be perfect for the 4th of July!
Here’s the Media Release on the book…
“Author Launches Children’s Book Series Based on Wholesome American Ideals
Fairfield, NJ — As parents begin thinking about holiday gifts for their children – one new children’s book author, Stephen Clifford, wants to remind parents of the lessons they were raised with that seem to be forgotten by society today. His patriotic and motivational book series titled, “Forgotten Wisdom Books, Lessons from a Former Marine and a Retired Teacher,” focuses on topics such as perseverance, determination, accountability, grit, and standing up to bullies. In his first book, “Stop Existing and Start Living,” the two protagonists in all of the stories, TJ and Ryan, find themselves unmotivated and attached to their screens on a beautiful day. Prompted by their father and grandfather, the latter of whom served in the United States Marine Corp., they all embark on an adventure where they learn it is better to get dirty and explore than to be held captive by their devices. They also discover that they are stronger and braver than they ever imagined.
“My wife and I were searching for books that emphasized old-school values essential to growing up as an American and we couldn’t find any,” says Clifford. “It occurred to me that other parents may feel the same way. So, I decided to take some of the lessons I learned growing up, that we have been using to help shape our two children, and write the type of books we have been seeking.”
At the start of the book, Clifford, who grew up during the 1980s and 1990s, writes, “Our children live in a world with different challenges and distractions than we faced growing up. Many children are tempted to choose the easy way out and become a follower, rather than a leader. Most of all, many may not understand the profound pride that comes with being born an American.” He concludes by saying that the advice he offers is “based on lessons and advice my parents taught us, but not unique to my family. These are guided lessons that you may not necessarily get in the classroom, that I am hoping to share with the next generation.”
At the end of all of his books, he includes a short story of American excellence based on the lesson, which Clifford hopes will further encourage pride in being an American. In “Stop Existing and Start Living,” Clifford includes a story about Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea, and their courage in exploring a new frontier.
The books also offer an interactive page to assist parents in reinforcing the message of the books. In “Stop Existing and Start Living,” Clifford encourages parents to talk about a time with their child(ren) when they felt alive exploring or enjoying nature, regardless as to whether it was a big adventure or a small experience.
A unique feature of the series is that each book includes a physical “Wisdom Badge – Reward.” These patches can be awarded to children when they complete a goal they set with their parents or guardians based on the lesson in the story. In “Stop Existing and Start Living,” Clifford suggests challenging one’s child to “put down the tablet or phone, or turn off the video game and explore.” He encourages his readers to go outside and do something involving nature, either by themselves or with a family member, where they can make some wholesome memories.
“I had a great childhood entrenched in American ideals that I want to share with my children,” says Clifford. “My goal is to keep these traditions alive and to share them with my readers. We live in a time where everyone is really busy and sometimes it’s easier to let children remain on their electronics for long periods of time in order to get work and other things done. However, that’s not ideal for our children. They need to have physical experiences and enjoy the great outdoors. They need to face challenges and learn that nothing changes if nothing changes. My goal is to drive these points home so these lessons are not lost on future generations.”
Clifford’s books and badges are available on his website Forgottenwisdombooks.com. All four books are available without the badges on Public Square and Amazon.”
Thank you, Stephen, for writing some amazing books that will help to instill patriotic values and other wholesome morals in our children.
Thank you to my loyal blog followers for stopping by today. I hope you will purchase all 4 of his books and share them with your favorite child(ren) today!
As always, likes, comments, and shares are appreciated.
God Bless You, Everyone!
June 20, 2024
Tim Challies a La Carte Post
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog!
I wanted to share with you today’s blog post by Tim Challies. He writes an incredibly resourceful blog on Christian books.
Check it out at the link below
June 17, 2024
tanks and tractors; a tale of bravery and bond
Available on AmazonHi Everyone,
Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Christian and Children’s Book Blog!
Today, I have a wonderful book and author to share with you. It’s a book about Tanks and Tractors by Mac Moonstone.
Here to tell you a little bit about himself and his book, is Mac…
Hi,
I’m Mac Moonstone, a retired Air Force Colonel turned author, who’s flown around the globe and met fascinating people. I’ve penned a children’s book about a brave tractor, teaching lessons of courage, friendship, and environmental stewardship through a captivating narrative.
Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of “Tanks and Tractors: A Tale of Bravery and Bond,” a children’s book that masterfully intertwines themes of courage, empathy, environmental preservation, and the transformative power of friendship. Set against the backdrop of resplendent sunflower fields, the narrative follows the valiant Johnny the Tractor as he defends his cherished home from the intimidating arrival of Tanya the Tank and her crew. This beautifully illustrated tale, designed to engage and educate children aged 4-8, provides a fertile ground for discussions on good citizenship and kindness. It showcases how unlikely alliances can foster harmony and understanding, making it a delightful and enlightening read for young minds. Amidst the roar of engines and the clash of metal, discover how a single act of kindness can ignite a deep and lasting friendship, bridging even the widest chasms.
Thank you, Mac, for sharing your awesome book with such a great message!
Thank you to my loyal blog followers for stopping by today. I hope you’ll pick up a copy for the favorite child(ren) in your life.
As always, likes, comments, and shares are appreciated
God Bless You, everyone
June 16, 2024
the glorious end without the difficult means by tim challies
The Glorious End without the Difficult Means
Tim Challies is a Christian Blogger that I follow and I wanted to share this post with you because it’s powerful.
Please click on the link to continue reading it.
