Sandra Warren's Blog, page 2
June 17, 2020
Of Grief, Garlic & Gratitude - A Book Review
Rarely does a book come along that everyone, and I mean everyone, should read; a book that teaches us how to comfort those who have lost loved-ones, especially those who've lost children, and how to make it through each day if the family involved is yours.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Do you remember what you were doing on October 9, 2013? Probably not. It's a date that the Franceour family and their friends will never forget. The date is forever embedded in their minds and hearts as the day they received the terrible news, news no parent should ever receive, news that their charismatic, happy, friend-to-all-son Sam, passed away.
Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude takes you on an unthinkable journey with Kris Franceour as she shares her day to day struggle to accept the fact that her fun-loving, caring, twenty-year old son is never coming home again. Through raw emotion and inspirational thoughts, Franceour reminds us that nothing compares to the death of a child and, even though love is everlasting, pain also follows for days, months and even years beyond the passing. The book ends with thoughtful suggestions for those who suffer a similar loss as well as those left to comfort the bereaved. There is much to learn from this brave and heart-wrenching story.
You may not think this book will have value for you. It's not a fun read, but it's an important read that is also inspirational. Years ago, within a two year period, my husband and I were friends with six families who lost children; five boys and one girl. Four months ago we learned of another. All were unexpected. All were devastating. I wish I had, had the suggestions listed at the end of, Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude to know how to be a better positive source of comfort for each of those friends.
Of Grief, Garlic and Gratitude: Returning to Hope and Joy from a Shattered Life―Sam’s Love Story
_______________________
Contact Sandra Warren
www.arliebooks.comhttp://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
June 3, 2020
FLY GIRLS MADE ME ANGRY!
Never have I read a book that made me angrier than Fly Girls by P. O'Connell Pearson.
The story itself is the amazing true account of the 1102 women who became WWII WASPS (Women Air Force Service Pilots) risking their lives on a daily basis, flying planes their male counterparts wouldn't fly and accepting missions the men refused to take, with little thanks and support from from the male dominated Army Air Corps. They bought their own uniforms, paid for their own meals and housing, paid their own way back home after delivering their assigned bombers to bases all over the country and parts of Europe, all while keeping quiet about what they were doing so as to not undermine the egos of the military male pilots.
Whereas the men were trained and flew only one type of aircraft, the WASPS flew and were expected to fly all different types, sometimes on a moments notice, flying in a cockpit they'd never seen before with the directions in their laps. Some pulled targets behind their airplane so soldiers on the ground could practice with live ammunition hitting flying targets. And yes, several WASPS lost their lives to men who failed to hit the target and brought down the plane instead.
It would be 35 years before the WWII WASPS were granted full military status after years of battling the chauvinistic military establishment and Congress. Prior to the bill being passed, arguments were still brought forward claiming WASPS were not under military discipline when they flew. This was hogwash since all the WASPS received the same training as the U.S. Army Air Corps male pilots and all of their missions were ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corp.
This story is dear to my heart because a women who graduated from the high school I later attended, Jane Baessler Doyle, was a WASP. I had the privilege of meeting her prior to her passing, at 97-years of age. Up to that time, she was clear minded and youthful. You have only to Google her name to see and hear her story profiled on many television spots. My greatest regret is that I didn't interview her when I had the chance and offer to document her story.
If you have a relative or neighbor or church member who served in WWII, please sit down with them and record their stories. You don't have to write a book about them. Just record their stories and send them to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Hats off to ALL our service personal but especially the WWII WASPS who are still living.
To read more about these amazing women, check out the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas. www.waspmuseum.org.
**********Sandra Warren has written has written a WWII story about what children accomplished during that war; We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as, two biographies of Army Reserve nurses who served in the Persian Gulf War; When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had To Go and Hidden Casualties: Battles On The Home Front.
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
The story itself is the amazing true account of the 1102 women who became WWII WASPS (Women Air Force Service Pilots) risking their lives on a daily basis, flying planes their male counterparts wouldn't fly and accepting missions the men refused to take, with little thanks and support from from the male dominated Army Air Corps. They bought their own uniforms, paid for their own meals and housing, paid their own way back home after delivering their assigned bombers to bases all over the country and parts of Europe, all while keeping quiet about what they were doing so as to not undermine the egos of the military male pilots.
Whereas the men were trained and flew only one type of aircraft, the WASPS flew and were expected to fly all different types, sometimes on a moments notice, flying in a cockpit they'd never seen before with the directions in their laps. Some pulled targets behind their airplane so soldiers on the ground could practice with live ammunition hitting flying targets. And yes, several WASPS lost their lives to men who failed to hit the target and brought down the plane instead.
It would be 35 years before the WWII WASPS were granted full military status after years of battling the chauvinistic military establishment and Congress. Prior to the bill being passed, arguments were still brought forward claiming WASPS were not under military discipline when they flew. This was hogwash since all the WASPS received the same training as the U.S. Army Air Corps male pilots and all of their missions were ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corp.
This story is dear to my heart because a women who graduated from the high school I later attended, Jane Baessler Doyle, was a WASP. I had the privilege of meeting her prior to her passing, at 97-years of age. Up to that time, she was clear minded and youthful. You have only to Google her name to see and hear her story profiled on many television spots. My greatest regret is that I didn't interview her when I had the chance and offer to document her story.
If you have a relative or neighbor or church member who served in WWII, please sit down with them and record their stories. You don't have to write a book about them. Just record their stories and send them to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.
Hats off to ALL our service personal but especially the WWII WASPS who are still living.
To read more about these amazing women, check out the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas. www.waspmuseum.org.
**********Sandra Warren has written has written a WWII story about what children accomplished during that war; We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as, two biographies of Army Reserve nurses who served in the Persian Gulf War; When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had To Go and Hidden Casualties: Battles On The Home Front.
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
May 22, 2020
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!
Memorial Day is just about here and I thought I would share a poem written by my brother, Don Dieleman, a Navy veteran. On this special day of remembrance, if you can't attend a service or parade, at least give thanks to those who have gone before us as well as the young men and women serving now to protect our freedom. In this day of isolation and the battle with COVID-19, the poem also seems relevant and applicable to those fighting this virus on the front lines.
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE (copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)
Freedom isn't free
Look around and you will see
Some are crippled some are lame
With their stories to proclaim.
Some have scars you do not see
Cutting deep in memory
They gave their all for you and me
So that freedom we can see.
It's hard for young to comprehend
When family goes to war
But one day they will understand
What they went fighting for.
We enjoy so much of everything
In a land of liberty we sing
Help us Lord to always see
That lives were lost for you and me.
We seem very out of touch
With many places that have not much
Especially freedom that they seek
May we always freedom keep.
So pray that where our troops may go
To distant lands away from home
That they will always lead the way
To help spread freedom everyday. (Copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)
When you see a man or woman in uniform or just wearing a military hat, thank them for their service and say a little prayer that the negative memories embedded during their service will diminish, give them peace and a sense of pride.
***********
I never served in the military but I had the privilege of writing two memoirs of Army Reserve nurses who served in the Persian Gulf War; then 2nd Lt. Dianah Kwiatkowski, When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had To Go, and Sgt. Sara Raye (pen name), Hidden Casualties: Battles On The Home Front, as well as the WWII story of home front America and what a group of children from one school accomplished, We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway.
Please SHARE and leave a comment before May 30th and I'll put your name in to WIN the book of your choice from above.
************
Sandra Warren has published works in multiple genres. For SKYPE/ZOOM visits and/or CONTACT information see her website: www.arliebooks.com or www.sandrawarren.com
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE (copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)
Freedom isn't free
Look around and you will see
Some are crippled some are lame
With their stories to proclaim.
Some have scars you do not see
Cutting deep in memory
They gave their all for you and me
So that freedom we can see.
It's hard for young to comprehend
When family goes to war
But one day they will understand
What they went fighting for.
We enjoy so much of everything
In a land of liberty we sing
Help us Lord to always see
That lives were lost for you and me.
We seem very out of touch
With many places that have not much
Especially freedom that they seek
May we always freedom keep.
So pray that where our troops may go
To distant lands away from home
That they will always lead the way
To help spread freedom everyday. (Copyright, Don Dieleman, 2004)
When you see a man or woman in uniform or just wearing a military hat, thank them for their service and say a little prayer that the negative memories embedded during their service will diminish, give them peace and a sense of pride.
***********
I never served in the military but I had the privilege of writing two memoirs of Army Reserve nurses who served in the Persian Gulf War; then 2nd Lt. Dianah Kwiatkowski, When Duty Called: Even Grandma Had To Go, and Sgt. Sara Raye (pen name), Hidden Casualties: Battles On The Home Front, as well as the WWII story of home front America and what a group of children from one school accomplished, We Bought A WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of A Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway.
Please SHARE and leave a comment before May 30th and I'll put your name in to WIN the book of your choice from above.
************
Sandra Warren has published works in multiple genres. For SKYPE/ZOOM visits and/or CONTACT information see her website: www.arliebooks.com or www.sandrawarren.com
April 25, 2020
KEEP ME AT IT!
"Keep me at it," is a mantra that applies to just about everything I start during this pandemic isolation. After over almost two months in quarantine, as I sit among boxes pulled out of my closet, I worry about my inability to stick with or to any one task. Like a humming bird flitting from flower to flower, I'm flitting from job to job. It seems to be my new normal as I struggle to adjust to these strange times.
Clear out and clean out is a worthy goal, but I'm finding it difficult to complete one task before starting another, consequently, there are boxes opened, some emptied, contents piled on tables in every room in the house. My office, a large second family room in our lower level, is almost impassable as I try to unload years of files filled with proof that being a wife and mother was just one of many hats I used to wear. Things on my computer aren't much better. Another distraction. Am I alone?
In one of the files I was emptying, I found a letter from Anne Cox, a long ago. acquaintance, that contained words of inspiration; words I needed to hear at that precise moment; words by Marjorie Holmes that inspired me and I hope may inspire you.
KEEP ME AT IT by Marjorie Holmes
God, give me due respect for the abilities you have given me.
Don't let me sell them short.
Don't let me cheapen them.
Don't let me bury my talents through indecision, cowardice or laziness.
Plant in me the necessary determination.
Keep me at it!
Rouse in me the fires of dedication.
Keep me at it!
Give me the energy, strength, and will power to bring your gifts to their proper fruition.
Keep me at it!
When I falter or fall, lift me up and set me back on my destined path.
Keep me at it!
KEEP ME AT IT, seems especially pertinent to those of us who write or illustrate; a profession with so much rejection. If we give up, so many stories and wonderful pieces of art will never be told or shared. So KEEP AT IT!
Look around you. Whatever you've started or haven't started but know you should, whether it's cleaning or sorting or writing or painting or exercising or cooking or resting, remember Marjorie Holmes's words of wisdom to KEEP ME AT IT! If you do that today, then I will too. Now, I'd better get hopping or I'll never be able to clear a path out of my office.
*************
Sandra Warren has published works in a variety of genres. She lives and writes in the NC mountains.
Contact Information:
www.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
Clear out and clean out is a worthy goal, but I'm finding it difficult to complete one task before starting another, consequently, there are boxes opened, some emptied, contents piled on tables in every room in the house. My office, a large second family room in our lower level, is almost impassable as I try to unload years of files filled with proof that being a wife and mother was just one of many hats I used to wear. Things on my computer aren't much better. Another distraction. Am I alone?
In one of the files I was emptying, I found a letter from Anne Cox, a long ago. acquaintance, that contained words of inspiration; words I needed to hear at that precise moment; words by Marjorie Holmes that inspired me and I hope may inspire you.
KEEP ME AT IT by Marjorie Holmes
God, give me due respect for the abilities you have given me.
Don't let me sell them short.
Don't let me cheapen them.
Don't let me bury my talents through indecision, cowardice or laziness.
Plant in me the necessary determination.
Keep me at it!
Rouse in me the fires of dedication.
Keep me at it!
Give me the energy, strength, and will power to bring your gifts to their proper fruition.
Keep me at it!
When I falter or fall, lift me up and set me back on my destined path.
Keep me at it!
KEEP ME AT IT, seems especially pertinent to those of us who write or illustrate; a profession with so much rejection. If we give up, so many stories and wonderful pieces of art will never be told or shared. So KEEP AT IT!
Look around you. Whatever you've started or haven't started but know you should, whether it's cleaning or sorting or writing or painting or exercising or cooking or resting, remember Marjorie Holmes's words of wisdom to KEEP ME AT IT! If you do that today, then I will too. Now, I'd better get hopping or I'll never be able to clear a path out of my office.
*************
Sandra Warren has published works in a variety of genres. She lives and writes in the NC mountains.
Contact Information:
www.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
April 1, 2020
Consider the "What ifs?"
One of the things we're told to do when developing stories is to consider the "what ifs?" We look at an incident, behavior or personality of a character and think about changes that can move a story forward, add interest and an opportunity for character growth. Many times we don't want our characters to change, especially if that changed is forced upon us by an editor or critique from a writer we respect, and even when we know the change will improve our story, sometimes it's just hard to cast aside our original concept and respond to the "what ifs?"
The "what ifs," I'd like you to consider has nothing to do with the development of story but more about life itself. If we've learned anything from the pandemic we're all living through, it's that life is precious. With everything shut down, we've been given the gift of time to reflect and share with our spouses, children, family and friends in ways we've never done before. And all though we don't want to think about it, what happens if our family is hit with the virus and loses a loved one? And, what if that loved one is you?
What if it is you? Have you left clear instructions as to how to access your computer files, your works-in-progress, contact information for the important people in your career; agents, editors, publicist, lawyer, publishers? If published, does your spouse or loved one know which publishers to contact regarding royalties and for which books? Royalties don't stop when you're gone.
I could go on and on with more "what if" questions but I think the idea is clear. We all need to have a plan. We all need to prepare for the "what ifs!"
Have you ever considered this? Do you have a plan? I'd like to know.
***************
Sandra Warren is the author of books in multiple genres. Contact via her website listed below.
Obsessed By A Promise: A Childhood Promise! A Lost Brother! The Orphan Train! A life On Hold!
She Started It All - middle grade historical fiction of bomber story We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmxqhIpadI Spivey's Web! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wtJESsIxXE&feature=youtu.bewww.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/
The "what ifs," I'd like you to consider has nothing to do with the development of story but more about life itself. If we've learned anything from the pandemic we're all living through, it's that life is precious. With everything shut down, we've been given the gift of time to reflect and share with our spouses, children, family and friends in ways we've never done before. And all though we don't want to think about it, what happens if our family is hit with the virus and loses a loved one? And, what if that loved one is you?
What if it is you? Have you left clear instructions as to how to access your computer files, your works-in-progress, contact information for the important people in your career; agents, editors, publicist, lawyer, publishers? If published, does your spouse or loved one know which publishers to contact regarding royalties and for which books? Royalties don't stop when you're gone.
I could go on and on with more "what if" questions but I think the idea is clear. We all need to have a plan. We all need to prepare for the "what ifs!"
Have you ever considered this? Do you have a plan? I'd like to know.
***************
Sandra Warren is the author of books in multiple genres. Contact via her website listed below.
Obsessed By A Promise: A Childhood Promise! A Lost Brother! The Orphan Train! A life On Hold!
She Started It All - middle grade historical fiction of bomber story We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmxqhIpadI Spivey's Web! Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wtJESsIxXE&feature=youtu.bewww.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/
March 25, 2020
Pandemic: A Time to Pull Back, Reflect & Write!
Who among us could have ever imagined a time when everything, and I mean everything would shut down; churches, schools, movie theaters, Broadway shows, sports events and restaurants, and live television shows where the announcers and commentators are broadcasting from home? Where folks over 60 are told to stay home to stay safe? Where those that have to be out and about are told to stay six feet apart, bump elbows instead of shaking hands and absolutely no hugs? It sounds like a movie script about the future; fictitious words no one would believe. And yet, here we are in the middle of a World Wide Pandemic!
Writing, for those of us who love to create stories, will be the escape we so desperately need in these challenging times. Intellectually, we all know that what makes a story great are the trials and tribulations our characters face and overcome. That's where our characters change and grow, hopefully for the better.
Life has given us all the opportunity to model those positive changes in our own lives. We need to record and remember that the emotions we're feeling, the highs and the lows, the fears and bright spots along the way, words of encouragement and words that depress, can all be applied to the characters in our current works in progress, or in characters in stories to come.
Positive, extraordinary things can emerge from the most horrendous experiences.
Write on, writer friends. Write on!
Writing, for those of us who love to create stories, will be the escape we so desperately need in these challenging times. Intellectually, we all know that what makes a story great are the trials and tribulations our characters face and overcome. That's where our characters change and grow, hopefully for the better.
Life has given us all the opportunity to model those positive changes in our own lives. We need to record and remember that the emotions we're feeling, the highs and the lows, the fears and bright spots along the way, words of encouragement and words that depress, can all be applied to the characters in our current works in progress, or in characters in stories to come.
Positive, extraordinary things can emerge from the most horrendous experiences.
Write on, writer friends. Write on!
December 31, 2019
Unearthing & Celebrating History
I hated taking History in school. I don't know why--well, maybe I do. Events, dates, causes and consequences didn't interest me. For the most part, I couldn't relate. Too many things were going on in my teenage life. I didn't care about what happened years ago even if, as my teachers tried to explain, the past allowed me to have the freedoms I take for granted.
Today, we live in an era of technology where the Internet has given us access to information through videos, documentaries, nonfiction as well as narrative non-fiction, podcasts and blogs, Internet radio and even "Alexa" where you only have to ask "Alexa" to get the answers to most anything. The way History is taught no longer needs to be boring.
Whether or not a student clicks in will depend, I believe, on their sense of curiosity and timing; curiosity to begin to explore a topic in new and different ways or appreciate those that do and did, and timing that connects them to some part of the story. If I had heard about the Orphan Trains as a teen, I'm not sure I would have been as horrified with the process as I was years later as a Mother of three. The story certainly wouldn't have resonated with me in the same way.
In the early 1990's, while working for an educational publisher, I came across a little book called The Orphan Trains. Intrigued, I sat down and read it cover to cover. For days, weeks, no months, I couldn't get the information I had read out of my mind. I kept thinking of the "what ifs?" My father had passed away when I was six and we were quite poor. What if my mother hadn't been able to care for me and my brother? Would she have been forced to give us away? Could that have been us? What if my brother and I had been separated? What would my life or his have become? Slowly but surely, through all the thinking and imagining and researching, a story emerged; a story that would evolve over the next twenty-plus years before culminating in a book.
First titled, My Brother's Keeper, and then, They Called Me Blue, Obsessed By A Promise follows the lives of two brothers separated in the Spring of 1929. The youngest is taken and eventually sent out west on the Orphan Train to a new family while the oldest is frantically searching for him. Devastated by the loss of his little brother, the elder dedicates the next fifty years of his life to the search.
Strangely, history also played a major role in one of my other books. We Bought A WWII Bomber centered on a historical accomplishment of students during World War Two. Doing research for that book unearthed a seventy-year old mystery, made history in a small town that had forgotten the important event, and resulted in the placement of two historical markers in two different States.
Experiences writing these two books have taught me to pay attention to the world around me. What is current today may be significant history tomorrow. Had you told me back when I was in school that history would become an important part of my future as a writer, I wouldn't have believed you. I hated History classes in school so it's very strange to me that I enjoy writing about it today.
*******
To celebrate the NEW YEAR, I'm giving away an autographed copy of either We Bought A WWII Bomber, or Obsessed By A Promise. Leave a comment by January 5, 2020 and one winner will be able to choose their book of choice.
www.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
Today, we live in an era of technology where the Internet has given us access to information through videos, documentaries, nonfiction as well as narrative non-fiction, podcasts and blogs, Internet radio and even "Alexa" where you only have to ask "Alexa" to get the answers to most anything. The way History is taught no longer needs to be boring.
Whether or not a student clicks in will depend, I believe, on their sense of curiosity and timing; curiosity to begin to explore a topic in new and different ways or appreciate those that do and did, and timing that connects them to some part of the story. If I had heard about the Orphan Trains as a teen, I'm not sure I would have been as horrified with the process as I was years later as a Mother of three. The story certainly wouldn't have resonated with me in the same way.
In the early 1990's, while working for an educational publisher, I came across a little book called The Orphan Trains. Intrigued, I sat down and read it cover to cover. For days, weeks, no months, I couldn't get the information I had read out of my mind. I kept thinking of the "what ifs?" My father had passed away when I was six and we were quite poor. What if my mother hadn't been able to care for me and my brother? Would she have been forced to give us away? Could that have been us? What if my brother and I had been separated? What would my life or his have become? Slowly but surely, through all the thinking and imagining and researching, a story emerged; a story that would evolve over the next twenty-plus years before culminating in a book.
First titled, My Brother's Keeper, and then, They Called Me Blue, Obsessed By A Promise follows the lives of two brothers separated in the Spring of 1929. The youngest is taken and eventually sent out west on the Orphan Train to a new family while the oldest is frantically searching for him. Devastated by the loss of his little brother, the elder dedicates the next fifty years of his life to the search.
Strangely, history also played a major role in one of my other books. We Bought A WWII Bomber centered on a historical accomplishment of students during World War Two. Doing research for that book unearthed a seventy-year old mystery, made history in a small town that had forgotten the important event, and resulted in the placement of two historical markers in two different States.
Experiences writing these two books have taught me to pay attention to the world around me. What is current today may be significant history tomorrow. Had you told me back when I was in school that history would become an important part of my future as a writer, I wouldn't have believed you. I hated History classes in school so it's very strange to me that I enjoy writing about it today.
*******
To celebrate the NEW YEAR, I'm giving away an autographed copy of either We Bought A WWII Bomber, or Obsessed By A Promise. Leave a comment by January 5, 2020 and one winner will be able to choose their book of choice.
www.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
September 25, 2019
Old Books Keep Coming Back!
The other day an author friend of mine said to me, "Once you publish a book, it's always with you. You never know when it will unexpectedly pop-up again." The comment was prompted by unexpected orders that arrived out-of-the-blue for the purchase of several of her books that hadn't sold a copy in months.
Her comment made me laugh because last November, I received a call regarding my children's mini-musical story book, CD and DVD package, Arlie the Alligator, asking about purchasing multiple copies for an alligator preserve's gift shop. I was thrilled, of course, and somewhat amazed. Although Arlie the Alligator has received modest success over the years, I never expected a bulk order at this time.
The original Arlie the Alligator came out in the early 1990's as a hard back book and audio cassette package. Then, in 2000 a CD replaced the audio cassette. The book was brought out in paperback with updated illustrations in 2013, and in 2014, a DVD was produced. By traditional publishing standards, Arlie the Alligator would have been relegated to the cancellation pile, but because it was independently published, it has remained on the market selling one book, CD or DVD now and again. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when I received the request for a bulk order. Amazingly, thirty-eight years after it first hit the market, Arlie the Alligator has been given a new chance to continue delighting children in story and song, in a Texas gift shop.
This happened with two other books of mine, also. In 2016, publisher Royal Fireworks Press, re-illustrated and republished, If I Were A Table and Reflections On Being Gifted, a title change for a book originally called, Being Gifted: Because You're Special From The Rest. Both of these updates and returns to market were surprises to me since both books had original publishing dates on them of 1981 and 1986.
You never know when you put your heart and soul into a book or an idea if it will find an audience and have a lasting impact.
It's like my friend said, ". . . You never know when [a book you authored] will unexpectedly pop-up again."
Sometimes books are like volunteer flowers in the garden that surprise you in the Spring. They pop up to delight when you least expect them.
Has interest in any of your books popped up again after many years?
Leave a comment by October 10th and Sandra will gift one lucky winner with a copy of Arlie the Alligator.
* * * *
Sandra Warren is the author of books in several genres.
Contact her at:
Her comment made me laugh because last November, I received a call regarding my children's mini-musical story book, CD and DVD package, Arlie the Alligator, asking about purchasing multiple copies for an alligator preserve's gift shop. I was thrilled, of course, and somewhat amazed. Although Arlie the Alligator has received modest success over the years, I never expected a bulk order at this time.
The original Arlie the Alligator came out in the early 1990's as a hard back book and audio cassette package. Then, in 2000 a CD replaced the audio cassette. The book was brought out in paperback with updated illustrations in 2013, and in 2014, a DVD was produced. By traditional publishing standards, Arlie the Alligator would have been relegated to the cancellation pile, but because it was independently published, it has remained on the market selling one book, CD or DVD now and again. So, you can imagine my surprise and delight when I received the request for a bulk order. Amazingly, thirty-eight years after it first hit the market, Arlie the Alligator has been given a new chance to continue delighting children in story and song, in a Texas gift shop.
This happened with two other books of mine, also. In 2016, publisher Royal Fireworks Press, re-illustrated and republished, If I Were A Table and Reflections On Being Gifted, a title change for a book originally called, Being Gifted: Because You're Special From The Rest. Both of these updates and returns to market were surprises to me since both books had original publishing dates on them of 1981 and 1986.You never know when you put your heart and soul into a book or an idea if it will find an audience and have a lasting impact.
It's like my friend said, ". . . You never know when [a book you authored] will unexpectedly pop-up again."
Sometimes books are like volunteer flowers in the garden that surprise you in the Spring. They pop up to delight when you least expect them.
Has interest in any of your books popped up again after many years?
Leave a comment by October 10th and Sandra will gift one lucky winner with a copy of Arlie the Alligator.
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Sandra Warren is the author of books in several genres.
Contact her at:
www.sandrawarren.com
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/
March 6, 2019
Sharing Your Secrets In Presentations
While planning a weekend presentation, it occurred to me that my audience might like to hear more than a synopsis or a reading of the book. I know I do when I attend an author event. Don't read me a page from your book. I can do that myself, later. Tell me something not in the book, something I learned from being at your presentation.
Things like: Where the idea came from and what inspired you to pursue it? How long it took to write? Did you have to do research? Are the characters based on someone you know? What was the hardest part of the story to write? How many times did you rewrite it? Where did the title come from? Sprinkle in your personal writing experience too; Is this your first book? Did you always want to write? Who is your favorite author? Who is your biggest supporter? Where do your other ideas come from? Do you have a critique group? And so on and so on.
This weekend I will be speaking to group of adults and young adults at a local library about my newest work of historical fiction, She Started It All. But rather than talk about the story as written, I am sharing my secrets about how I turned a nonfiction story into the historical fiction they came to hear about. As interesting as I think the story itself is, I believe it's more interesting to share how I determined what facts from the nonfiction needed to be in the historical fiction. What pitfalls I faced? If I use real character names? Why or why not? Stuff like that. In my humble opinion, this will be much more interesting than merely telling the story.
The flyer for my presentation reads like this: From A Bomber Story to She Started It All: Creating Historical Fiction From Nonfiction.
If you're out and about near Morganton, North Carolina around 2:00 pm on Saturday the 9th, stop by and critique my presentation. I'd love to see you!
************
Author of Arlie the Alligator and other books for children and adults!
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNC
https://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/
https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
www.sandrawarren.com
Things like: Where the idea came from and what inspired you to pursue it? How long it took to write? Did you have to do research? Are the characters based on someone you know? What was the hardest part of the story to write? How many times did you rewrite it? Where did the title come from? Sprinkle in your personal writing experience too; Is this your first book? Did you always want to write? Who is your favorite author? Who is your biggest supporter? Where do your other ideas come from? Do you have a critique group? And so on and so on.
This weekend I will be speaking to group of adults and young adults at a local library about my newest work of historical fiction, She Started It All. But rather than talk about the story as written, I am sharing my secrets about how I turned a nonfiction story into the historical fiction they came to hear about. As interesting as I think the story itself is, I believe it's more interesting to share how I determined what facts from the nonfiction needed to be in the historical fiction. What pitfalls I faced? If I use real character names? Why or why not? Stuff like that. In my humble opinion, this will be much more interesting than merely telling the story.
The flyer for my presentation reads like this: From A Bomber Story to She Started It All: Creating Historical Fiction From Nonfiction. If you're out and about near Morganton, North Carolina around 2:00 pm on Saturday the 9th, stop by and critique my presentation. I'd love to see you!
************
Author of Arlie the Alligator and other books for children and adults!
www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNC
https://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/
https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
www.sandrawarren.com
November 7, 2018
SURPRISE GIFTS FROM THE HEART!
Throughout my journey as an author I've learned to accept the ups and downs of the profession. I know that everyone won't love my work or "get it," whatever the "it" is built into the particular story they've just read. I expected to get reviews and prayed they'd be good ones. I've come to realize that my readers, children especially, think it's pretty special to meet me. What I never expected were what I call, gifts of the heart, that I've been blessed to receive from my readers.
It all started years ago with my Arlie the Alligator: Story-Song Picture Book. Although designed for primary children, preschoolers caught on to the catchy tunes and insisted on playing the audio tape and then CD, over and over again. They loved to BELLOW with Arlie, much to their parents dismay. One three year old boy named Bryan, insisted that his mom buy Arlie's Mom, he called me that, an alligator necklace that he saw in a store. It was totally unexpected and I cherish it to this day.
Other alligators followed. I've received stuffed alligators, and wooden ones, puzzle alligators and ones made out of metal. Here are two more clever fellows that look just like Arlie. Inside their mouths sits a tiny bird. I named the bird, Odetta, and plan another Arlie adventure based on her. They were given to me by a friend who saw them in a jewelry display and had to buy them for me. I wear them when I do school visits.
Although my new book, Spivey's Web, is less than a year old, I've already received related gifts. One friend saw this cute mug and said she just had to get it for me. Another gifted me with this unique spider's web that I have hanging in my office window.
With my We Bought A WWII Bomber book, I've received several unique gifts. One, a ring made by a school boy in 1943 out of a part of the bomber from the story. After wearing it for a couple of years and fearing I would lose such a treasure, I donated it to the Patrick County Historical Society from the county where the bomber crashed. They will preserve and keep it safe museum.
An exact replica of the B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber was also gifted to me complete with the correct tail numbers #229577 and the name given to the bomber by the students who raised the money to purchase it, The Spirit of South High, Grand Rapids, Michigan, painted on the fuselage.
A real surprise gift came in the mail a few days ago from the caterer of the reception that followed the Dedication of the Wayside Historical Marker placed on The Blue Ridge Parkway, October 1st. For the reception, the caterer's husband made a B-17 bomber cookie cutter so she could make gingerbread bomber cookies. Two days ago a box arrived with a bomber cookie cutter inside. I am thrilled! What a wonderful surprise! It arrived in time for me to make bomber cookies for the November 20th Book Launch of She Started It All, the middle grade historical fiction version of the bomber story.
And last but not least, I can't forget to mention the wonderful cape made for me by the daughter of one of the gentlemen from Meadows of Dan, Virginia, who came forward to show me the spot where the B-17 bomber, The Spirit of South High, crashed. He was an 11-year old boy at the time, heard the crash and went running to the site. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago and wasn't able to witness the dedication of the marker. Linda Fain surprised me with this beautiful fleece cape.
All of these were SURPRISE GIFTS FROM THE HEARTS of my readers. Each and every one was totally unexpected.
Have you received GIFTS FROM THE HEART? I'd like to hear about them.
******************www.sandrawarren.com www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
It all started years ago with my Arlie the Alligator: Story-Song Picture Book. Although designed for primary children, preschoolers caught on to the catchy tunes and insisted on playing the audio tape and then CD, over and over again. They loved to BELLOW with Arlie, much to their parents dismay. One three year old boy named Bryan, insisted that his mom buy Arlie's Mom, he called me that, an alligator necklace that he saw in a store. It was totally unexpected and I cherish it to this day. 
Other alligators followed. I've received stuffed alligators, and wooden ones, puzzle alligators and ones made out of metal. Here are two more clever fellows that look just like Arlie. Inside their mouths sits a tiny bird. I named the bird, Odetta, and plan another Arlie adventure based on her. They were given to me by a friend who saw them in a jewelry display and had to buy them for me. I wear them when I do school visits. 
Although my new book, Spivey's Web, is less than a year old, I've already received related gifts. One friend saw this cute mug and said she just had to get it for me. Another gifted me with this unique spider's web that I have hanging in my office window.
With my We Bought A WWII Bomber book, I've received several unique gifts. One, a ring made by a school boy in 1943 out of a part of the bomber from the story. After wearing it for a couple of years and fearing I would lose such a treasure, I donated it to the Patrick County Historical Society from the county where the bomber crashed. They will preserve and keep it safe museum. 
An exact replica of the B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber was also gifted to me complete with the correct tail numbers #229577 and the name given to the bomber by the students who raised the money to purchase it, The Spirit of South High, Grand Rapids, Michigan, painted on the fuselage.
A real surprise gift came in the mail a few days ago from the caterer of the reception that followed the Dedication of the Wayside Historical Marker placed on The Blue Ridge Parkway, October 1st. For the reception, the caterer's husband made a B-17 bomber cookie cutter so she could make gingerbread bomber cookies. Two days ago a box arrived with a bomber cookie cutter inside. I am thrilled! What a wonderful surprise! It arrived in time for me to make bomber cookies for the November 20th Book Launch of She Started It All, the middle grade historical fiction version of the bomber story.
And last but not least, I can't forget to mention the wonderful cape made for me by the daughter of one of the gentlemen from Meadows of Dan, Virginia, who came forward to show me the spot where the B-17 bomber, The Spirit of South High, crashed. He was an 11-year old boy at the time, heard the crash and went running to the site. Unfortunately, he passed away a few months ago and wasn't able to witness the dedication of the marker. Linda Fain surprised me with this beautiful fleece cape. All of these were SURPRISE GIFTS FROM THE HEARTS of my readers. Each and every one was totally unexpected.
Have you received GIFTS FROM THE HEART? I'd like to hear about them.
******************www.sandrawarren.com www.arliebooks.com
http://sandrawarrenwrites.blogspot.comhttp://twitter.com/SandraWarrenNChttps://www.instagram.com/sandrawarren_author/https://www.facebook.com/SWarren.Author
