Jessica McCann's Blog, page 3

Words from Nature

The connection between today’s children and the nature world gets further eroded each year. The Lost Words is a big, beautiful book of poems and artwork created to celebrate the wonder and reinforce the importance of everyday nature in all our lives.

Here’s a summary from the publisher: “In 2007, when a new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary — widely used in schools around the world — was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around forty common words concerning nature had...

Memoir Spotlight: Forget They Were Ever Born

Forget They Were Ever Born

By Sharon Flanagan-Hyde

Paperback, 193 pages

Published October 2019

Buy Forget They Were Ever Born at Bookshop.org and support indie bookshops and authors.

When it comes to sharing my thoughts and writing reviews about books, I’m never at a loss for words. That changed when I read Sharon Flanagan-Hyde’s memoir, Forget They Were Ever Born. Upon turning the final page, I pretty much gave up on being productive for the rest of the day. My mind was flo...

Giving Thanks Every Day

“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson #grateful #historicalfiction #histnov #justread #readingcommunity #givingthanks

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Halloween Book Fun

Giving out books to trick-or-treaters has been a fun way to share my love of reading with children. I stumbled upon the idea years ago when Googling creative ways to donate books. California mom and author Rebecca Morgan founded “Books for Treats” in 2001 to “feeds kids’ minds, not their cavities.”

I don’t object to giving out Halloween candy. (Truth be told, it’s possible I’ve eaten as much of it as I’ve handed out over the years.) But I do champion literacy and the mental health benefit...

Writing to Grab the Reader

Historical novelist and creative nonfiction author Jessica McCann answers two questions from aspiring writers in this four-minute video.

How do you write an opening line that will grab readers?There are so many entertainment options out there today. Do you think it’s getting harder to catch the attention of readers?

Contemporary Fiction Spotlight: Afraid of the Light

Guest post written by Barbara Anne Waite

Afraid of the Light

Paperback, 352 pages

Published June 16th 2020 by Kregel Publications

Written by Cynthia Ruchti

Buy Afraid of the Light at Bookshop.org and support indie bookstores and authors

Afraid of the Light is a contemporary novel that taught me some interesting, yet disturbing, facts about a serious subject.

Often when I read, I wince at parts of a story that seem unnecessary or too much fluff. This story fell into the wo...

Historical Fiction Spotlight: When I Last Saw You

Guest review written by Lynne Spreen

When I Last Saw You

Paperback, 358 pages

Published May 4th 2021 by Bent Pine Publishing Corp

Written by Bette Lee Crosby

Buy When I Last Saw You at Bookshop.org and support indie bookstores and authors.

Margaret, in her late 60s, is recently widowed. When going through her husband’s files, she finds a receipt from a private detective. She calls him and finds out that he did some work for her late husband, years ago, trying to uncover the t...

Newsletter about Reading, Writing and Life

I’m launching an email newsletter and monthly giveaway to shine a spotlight on reading, writing and life. It will feature content that isn’t on my website (so be sure to subscribe p even if you follow my blog), highlighting interesting books and articles, writing tips and inspiration, motivational quotes and ideas, and more. Plus, every month one newsletter subscriber name will be drawn to win something fun and bookish (like a bookstore gift card, signed paperback, audiobook, journal, etc.).

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Writing Deadlines and Goals

Historical novelist and creative nonfiction author Jessica McCann answers two questions from aspiring writers in this five-minute video.

You said when you’re writing a book, you should take time to get it right. But how do you take your time when you’re on a deadline?Do you set daily word count goals to get your book written?

Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Elephant of Belfast

The Elephant of Belfast

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published April 6th 2021 by Counterpoint Press

Written by S. Kirk Walsh.

Buy at Bookshop.org and support indie bookstores and authors.

Review written by Annette, reposted from Goodreads with her permission

Inspired by the true story of Denise Weston Austin, the “elephant angel.”

Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1940. An orphaned elephant leaves an island of Ceylon to make a new home at Bellevue Zoo. At the docks, Hettie Quin, zookeeper, m...