Virginia Wright's Blog, page 15
January 15, 2015
Benefits of Eating Fruit – Apples
Benefits of eating fruit–apples, are my all time favorite fruit. The reason I choose this fruit over pears, grapes, or any other fruit, is because it is true–an apple a day, keeps the doctor away! Read for yourself on WebMD, link below. Wow! With all this goodness, there is no wonder apples are my favorite fruit.
Apple Nutrition Facts:
1 medium apple, raw, with skin
80 Calories
Apples are: an excellent source of fiber, they are fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free, and saturated fat free. Apples are also a natural source of phytonutrients.
Source(s):http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20000621/benefits-of-eating-fruit
January 8, 2015
The Cover I Illustrated “Steampunk Alice” by Dennis Higgins Brought Home the Gold
Steampunk Alice written by Dennis Higgins, illustrated by me (Virginia Wright), won the Gold in the Authorsdb 2014 Cover Contest. So excited I had to blog about it!!!!
When I first began illustrating, it was mainly for my own books: Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, Crying Bear, The Princess and the Castle, The Prince and the Dragon, and The Christmas Secret.
Then, I met Dennis Higgins, and eventually he told me about a book he was writing (Steampunk Alice), and asked me if I would consider doing some art for it. I hesitated, but asked him to give me a brief description of what he envisioned his character, Steampunk Alice, would look like. I set my WIP aside, and began working on Alice. He liked it, and from that point on, I worked for a number of months on the cover, that Dennis also liked, and a few of the inside book illustrations.
The cover was entered in the 2014 Authorsdb Cover Contest, and brought home the Gold. For someone who had never gone to an art school, and didn’t start illustrating until late in life, and never illustrated for anyone other than myself (until now) I can tell you that I am more than elated!!!
Steampunk Alice is a great time-travel book. I am extremely proud that the cover brought home the Gold. Thanks go out to: voters, Authorsdb, and Dennis Higgins, for submitting the cover into the contest.
I am currently working on my next project, an adorable children’s Christmas book, that is slated for release Fall 2015, titled: Timothy the Christmas Mouse. Another book that I am working on is out of the usual genre I write in…. stay tuned. :-)
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and blessed new year!
Hugs,
-Virginia Wright
http://www.amazon.com/author/virginiawright
December 8, 2014
Indie and Proud …. Dennis Higgins
I met Author Dennis Higgins a couple of years ago online at one of the popular social media sites. We soon found out we had a few things in common besides writing. Both our sisters passed too soon, and we immediately adopted one another as virtual siblings.
Some years before this I met another Author, Launa McNeilly, we adopted one another as sisters. I am extremely grateful that I have gained such valuable relationships along my writing journey.
There are other friends that I have met online, that it seems as if we have known each other for years–they know who they are. Now, more about this great Time-Travel writer….
Dennis Higgins is a distant relative of Davy Crockett, is a world traveler and native of Chicago, Illinois. He says that he has always possessed a romance with things of the past that are gone but not forgotten. He now lives in the suburbs with his lovely wife, two dogs and a couple of birds.
Among his influences are: Richard Matheson, Jack Finney, Dean Koontz, Joan Wester Anderson, Peter S. Beagle and Audrey Neffenegger.
Dennis Higgins is the author of The Time Pilgrims books and they are part of a series for the YA and adult reading audience.
1.) Katya and Cyrus (Time Pilgrims Book 1)
2.) Almost Yesterday (Time Pilgrims Book 2)
3.) Tomorrow’s Borrowed Trouble
4. Parallel Roads (Lost on Route 66)
He is also author of Steampunk Alice – a Novella. The cover is illustrated by me (Virginia Wright). I had never read a Time-Travel book before Steampunk Alice. Oh, my gosh–I love it! It held my attention from page one!
The cover that I illustrated for Dennis Higgins book, Steampunk Alice, just made finals at Authorsdb.com’s 2014 Cover Contest. Excited! Excited, both for the author, Dennis Higgins, and for myself as an illustrator of the cover.
The cover contest voting will begin on Sunday, December 14, 2014 until December 21, 2014 PST. At the Authorsdb.com web site. Click on Cover Contest.
Dennis’s latest release is: Tomorrow’s Borrowed Trouble, this author certainly has been cranking out book after book the last year and two. He is a super inspiration to me as a writer.
Wishing you all the best on your latest release. Many happy sales!!
Tomorrow’s Borrowed Trouble
Hugs,
-Virginia
You can find Dennis Higgins here:
Web Site: http://www.timepilgrims.com/index.html
November 13, 2014
New Release! Wild Animal Sounds by Virginia Wright
I’m so excited!!!! It has been a very long work in progress, but finally I am happy to announce my new book release coming…. On November 27th, 2014. Wild Animal Sounds for early learners just discovering sounds.
Rhonda Patton, Author, and marketing expert is hosting me for my pre-release party now through November 25th on Facebook. Go often to see what is being given away. During this time frame Rhonda will be giving away 6 copies of my eBook, 2 Paperback copies, and a $25 Amazon gift card. On the 25th, she will be giving away three 0f these prizes, but you must participate in her questions and comment to win. You can read more about Rhonda here. Find her on Facebook too!
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Animal-Sou...
Description: Wild Animal Sounds is an interactive picture book, cleverly designed with simple text and a phrased paragraph pattern to help teach children sounds. Not only is this a great learning experience for your pre-schooler, it also provides an ideal opportunity for parents and caregivers to bond with their child in a fun yet educational way. Relive your childhood by taking an imaginary tour of the jungle! Rawr, Gr-aaaaa-ah, G-r-r-r-r-r, like a bear, MMM-ow and Psshhh, like the tallest of giraffes before hunkering down and howling like a coyote: Rup-rup-rup-aroo.
While introducing your child to some of the most popular animals in the wild and the funny sounds they make, Wild Animal Sounds will help them develop a sound, word, and picture association.
Wild Animal Sounds is a perfect fit for children who are just learning to talk.
August 25, 2014
FREE Printable Preschool & Kindergarten Pages
Preschool & Kindergarten Activity Pages at the KIDS CORNER…
For a number of years, I taught preschoolers at St. John’s Episcopal Preschool and Kindergarten, in Ocean Springs, MS. It is where a lot of the inspiration comes from, in writing my children’s books. At St. John’s, I was constantly coming up with ideas for activity pages and preschool projects for my students. Most of which, were theme based by the month. I’ve included a few below and will add more as time goes on. Enjoy!
-Virginia Wright My Books: http://www.amazon.com/author/virginiawright
CLICK HERE for list of preschool and kindergarten activity pages by month.
August 7, 2014
Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do selected as the Indie Book of the Day & ‘for life’ feature post
Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do has been selected as the Indie Book of the Day Award winner for 7th of August, 2014. As a result, my book is currently featured on the IBD homepage for the entire day today until 8-10 am US CDT the next day. The book has also been added to their winners database (http://indiebookoftheday.com/past-win...) and a ‘for life’ feature post has been created, which can be viewed here: http://indiebookoftheday.com/buzzzzzz...
BUY Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, Now!
HONEYBEES ARE AMAZING CREATURES, for they are insects that provide us with 
golden sweet food known as– honey. Learn the basics about honeybees, where and how they live. This is an educational, non-fiction book, for adults and children. Teachers, use Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do as a honeybee primer in the classroom– it is easy to understand and answers the questions:
Do all honeybees sting?
What do they do with pollen?
How do they make honey?
What is pollination?
Does all honey look and taste alike?
What can we do to benefit the bees?
What kind of flowers do honeybees prefer?
With over 2,000 words packed in this small 26 page book, Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, can be used in conjunction with other school curriculum in the classroom to teach children about honeybees. Real photographs of the honeybees, comb, hives, flowers, and even one of a bee’s tongue!
July 29, 2014
It is, “International Lipstick Day!” What is your favorite color?
It is, International Lipstick Day…. What is your favorite color? Mine is deep pink. As long as I can remember, I have worn lipstick. I do wear, red lipstick, on occasion even though deep pink is my favorite color–but it depends on what I wear. For my skin tone, I feel a deep pink is the best color for me, and is why, I say it is my ‘favorite’ color. 
Years ago, before the long lasting lipsticks were on the market, lip prints would end up on the edge of my coffee cup, on my teeth, and eventually… Wearing off to pale lips, (I hated that). I don’t know about other lipstick wearers, but I don’t feel dressed unless I am wearing my lipstick. :-)
What about you? Tell me your lipstick story.
S.W.A.K. & Hugs,
-Virginia Wright
July 16, 2014
Where is the best place in a kitchen to store honey?
Pure Honey Made by
The Honeybees
My dear friend, Kat, that I met back in the late 1970′s when we both lived in Italy…. Messaged me on Facebook yesterday with a great question. So, great–I thought I would create a blog post for The Recipe Weekly. For those of you who don’t know, I have a little hobby, I participate in the caring of honeybees, and we have one Langstroth hive in the back yard. In our family, we prefer ANAP beekeeping. With ANAP, as natural as possible, no chemicals, ever go in our beehive to treat mites or other diseases honeybees can get. The reason that is, is because, we feel that honeybees should know how to care for themselves, they did fine without us for millions of years, taking in pollen and nectar, building comb, and surviving winters and inclement weather–and well, that is another whole new blog post. So, without further ado, on with the Q & A.
By the way, thanks Kat from California, for the great question!!! It has helped me write this blog post.
Q: Where is the best place in a kitchen to store honey to prolong its shelf life?
A: The best place in the kitchen to store honey is…. Anywhere in the food cabinet! I do have a ‘but’ to add to that answer, please read on…
Yes, we
keep our honey in the food cabinet in the kitchen,
and because we are caretakers of honeybees, we do have extra honey from time to time, and place our honey in pint size,
wide mouth canning jars, to store.
Here comes the but…
But, where you are storing your honey in the kitchen does matter, Kat, ‘if ‘ you store honey in a refrigerator. Because, if you do, it just accelerates crystallization. Buying several jars of honey from a local beekeeper? Storing honey on the upper shelves in your food cabinet, or pantry, is a safer bet. This will prevent any access to colder temperatures from lower shelves, especially in the winter–and the possibility of accelerated crystallization. This would be also true for people who have un-insulated cellars, or basements. If it freezes, keep the honey where it won’t–or you will just end up with crystallized honey sooner than you want.
We have been beekeeping for several years, the last time we took honey off, about 3 years ago, we got 36 pint size jars of pure golden honey. Because our family got smaller over the years, believe it or not, we still had two jars of honey left over this year when we took honey off again. Over time, one of the two jars crystallized. I’ve included a photograph of that below.
Crystallized Honey
Honey will sugar, (crystallize) sometimes, but there is no worry if that happens, you can take a deep pan with warm to hot water (not boiling, and by no means, not over 160 degrees) and that is to maintain honey’s pure and natural properties, and to not pasteurize it. Once you have your hot water prepared, submerge your bottle of honey in it, if you have the time, you can stir inside the jar until it liquidfy’s (decrystallize’s) again–however, if you just let the jar sit in the water, it will decrystallize over time, in the warm water without stirring. You can repeat the process of warming the water, until your honey is completely decrystallized.
Caution: Do not set a jar of crystallized honey in a hot boiling pan to ‘cook.’ Turn off the hot boiling water first, and place the jar in warm to hot water–with the heat turned off under the pan.
VIRGINIA WRIGHT is author of: Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do
Buy educational, non-fiction book: http://www.amazon.com/Buzzzzzzzz-What-Honeybees-Virginia-Wright-ebook/dp/B004EYUD9G
July 13, 2014
Processing Honey, the Crush and Strain Method + Honey Butter Recipes
Honeycomb
This is the first summer (because conditions were just right) in about three years, that we were able to take the honey off of our beehives. Excited! Look at the honeycomb–light golden, summer honey, oozing out of the cells!
Crush and Strain Honey
We use the crush and strain method to process our honey; in the bucket is honeycomb/honey being strained in a special straining bag, inside of a food grade bucket.
Look at the honey line on the bucket, just after 1/2 hour of straining.
Look at my third photo, in only 1/2 hour, that much honey was already coming through the strainer (about 2 gallons).
We will let this sit overnight draining through the strainer, and we will open the spigot on the bucket in the morning, and begin filling canning jars with honey. Yum!
Bottling Honey
Bottling Honey is my favorite part of taking honey off the beehive, next to eating it!
Final process…bottled honey!
Summary: This is a delicious, quick and easy honey butter recipe with a dash of spice.
Summary: This is a simple recipe that you can make with your kids.
Honey has antibacterial properties in it…click to read more!
Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do by Virginia Wright
Visit Amazon.com to buy my book Buzzzzzzz: What Honeybees Do.” It is an educational, beekeeping book about honeybees, with real photographs. This book is not just a book children will learn from–teachers, parents, and grandparents, turning the pages of Buzzzzzzzz, will get a little bit of education about honeybees and what they do, too.
Do all honeybees sting?
What do they do with pollen?
How do they make honey?
What is pollination?
Does all honey look and taste alike?
What can we do to benefit the bees?
What kind of flowers do honeybees prefer?
With over 2,000 words packed in this small 26 page book, Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do, can be used in conjunction with other school curriculum in the classroom to teach children about honeybees. Real photographs of the honeybees, comb, hives, flowers, and even one of a bee’s tongue!
~Virginia Wright
Amazon Reviews:
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Informative Book about Honeybees
By Sherry Ellis VINE VOICE on May 24, 2010
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
If you want to know all about bees, honey, and hives, this is a book you will want to read. It is written for children ags 8-12, but even adults would enjoy reading it. Author, Virginia Wright has included many fascinating facts about bees and their environment. For example, did you know that drones (boy bees) don’t have stingers? There are pleny of photographs of the little buzzers too, including one of a bee’s tongue. Added bonuses at the end of the book include some lovely photos identifying plants that bees love, and coloring pages for younger readers.I gave the book to my eight-year-old daughter, who really enjoyed reading it. Buzzz…What Honeybees Do, is a great book for teaching kids all about honey bees.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Learning Opportunity! June 22, 2013
By Dolores Ayotte
Format:Paperback
This delightful children’s book is a great educational tool. The information provided about bees and the roles each of them play in the production of honey is very informative. The colorful cover and illustrations positively add to the reading pleasure and learning experience.Talented Author Virginia Wright clearly demonstrates her varied creative abilities as well as her desire to initiate and encourage learning opportunities for children. In her well-researched book…reading is made both fun and beneficial. I would surmise that this is the goal and greatest aspiration for most authors of children’s books and “Buzzzzzzzz…: What Honeybees Do” manages to do just that!Inspirational Author & Book Reviewer ~ Dolores Ayotte
A Woman’s Voice – Inspirational Short Stories – Volume 1
July 1, 2014
Steampunk Alice By Dennis Higgins With Illustrations By Virginia Wright–Released July 1, 2014
Light, fun Steampunk adventure, loosely based on another classic Alice in a land of wonder. Wild West and pseudo~Victorian fantasy fun for all who enter these pages.
Fully illustrated in LIVING COLOR from multiple sources, including renowned multi-genre author, Virginia Wright.
BUY BOOK HERE: http://amzn.to/1xb6s6W
— with Dennis Higgins.
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