Cara C. Putman's Blog, page 127
June 12, 2012
4 Tips for Traveling with Kids
School is out so that means it's time to travel as a family. No matter how big or small your family is, any time you had children to the mix, it adds to the packing joys. And the traveling angst. So here are a few ideas that help our family as we're on the go.
If you are stopping on the way, pack one bag with everything you'll need for that night. That way you don't have to unpack the entire
If you are stopping on the way, pack one bag with everything you'll need for that night. That way you don't have to unpack the entire
June 8, 2012
Summer Reading Suggestions
It's the time to grab books and head to the pool. Last week, I read two books in very different genres. Bonnie Calhoun's novel Cooking the Books is a very enjoyable debut novel in the P.I. genre. Lena Nelson Dooley's Maggie's Journey is an engaging historical romance.
Sloane Templeton's life is chaos in Cooking the Books. Her mom's died, she's running a business she doesn't want, and she longs
Sloane Templeton's life is chaos in Cooking the Books. Her mom's died, she's running a business she doesn't want, and she longs
June 6, 2012
Pressing the "Hot Buttons"
Today I'm delighted to turn over my blog to my good writing bud Nicole O'Dell. I love her heart for tweens and teens. And my daughter adores her writing. Today she's here to share a bit about a new series of books I'm excited to see...these books explore Hot Button issues. The ones we as parents can't ignore and the ones our young people will confront. Here's Nicole:
What are Hot Buttons?
Well
What are Hot Buttons?
Well
June 4, 2012
Summer Plans? 4 low-cost ideas to try with your kids
Summer is officially upon most of us. The calendar has turned to June and that means school is out for most of us. It also means we need to fill the suddenly empty days. Whether you homeschool or not, here are a few ideas to get you started. Then let me know what ideas you can pass on to the rest of us!
Become a tourist in your own back yard. With just a little digging, I bet you'll find
Become a tourist in your own back yard. With just a little digging, I bet you'll find
June 2, 2012
Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan
At our house right now, my tweens are racing through Andrew Klavan's books. Here's what my daughter says:
Crazy Dangerous is a well-written thriller. Sam is a regular boy who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. He just wants to be a normal kid, but not pushed around anymore. Jennifer is a school mate with some type of mental illness. She talks crazy and hallucinates. This shouldn't
Crazy Dangerous is a well-written thriller. Sam is a regular boy who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. He just wants to be a normal kid, but not pushed around anymore. Jennifer is a school mate with some type of mental illness. She talks crazy and hallucinates. This shouldn't
May 30, 2012
Scavenger Hunt Stop #3
Welcome to the first ever Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! Make the loop to discover 23 new or upcoming novels, and write down the clue at each stop. When you know what the clues say, fill out the Rafflecopter form by June 4, 2012 (midnight EST) at www.LisaBergren.com, and you could be in the running for the grand prize of 23 new, autographed books (if you live in the USA; unsigned if
Three Tips for Creating Compelling Characters
I don’t know about you, but characters often make or break a story for me. As a writer, I try to remember what makes some characters and their stories more compelling for me than others. Here are a few tips I try to keep in mind as I write based on the characters that I love to read about again and again.
1) Give your characters a few quirks.
Quirks are those things that we all
1) Give your characters a few quirks.
Quirks are those things that we all
May 28, 2012
Like Supernatural Fiction? Meet author Shannon Dittemore
Today, I'm delighted to introduce you to a new-to-me author who could become a fun friend. Shannon Dittemore's debut novel releases May 29...just in time for summer reading. And the publisher has agreed to giveaway a copy of this book, so be sure to leave a comment here or on the teen blog with a way to contact you. My daughter received this book when we were on vacation and loved it! That
May 25, 2012
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Coming May 31st!
Do you love Christian fiction? I mean really LOVE it?
Then you have to join the Christian fiction scavenger hunt that is coming on May 31st. I'd list all the authors who are participating here, but there are 23 of us. Here are just a few of them:
Lisa Tawn Bergren
Colleen Coble
Rachel Hauck
Jenny B Jones
Sharon Hinck
Angela Hunt
Me :-)
Carol Cox
See that pile of books on the left?
We're
Then you have to join the Christian fiction scavenger hunt that is coming on May 31st. I'd list all the authors who are participating here, but there are 23 of us. Here are just a few of them:
Lisa Tawn Bergren
Colleen Coble
Rachel Hauck
Jenny B Jones
Sharon Hinck
Angela Hunt
Me :-)
Carol Cox
See that pile of books on the left?
We're
May 23, 2012
Three Tips when writing about something you've never done
Last spring when my writing bud Nicole O’Dell asked me if I
wanted to be part of a novella collection with her, my initial reaction was “of
course!” Nicole is so prolific and accomplished I couldn’t imagine not writing
with her. And if it also meant I could help a Valerie Comer, a debut author,
get her first contract, then my enthusiasm for the project only went up.
Then they told me the
wanted to be part of a novella collection with her, my initial reaction was “of
course!” Nicole is so prolific and accomplished I couldn’t imagine not writing
with her. And if it also meant I could help a Valerie Comer, a debut author,
get her first contract, then my enthusiasm for the project only went up.
Then they told me the
