Big Hug Books Blog Tour With Author Shona Innes

Today, I'd like to welcome picture book author Shona Innes to my blog. Shona is here, with a guest post, as part of her Big Hug Books Blog Tour. I love this idea! I'm thinking of writing a letter to myself. Thank you, Shona.

A Letter for Shona Innes

By Shona Innes

I’m a clinical and forensic psychologist working in a busy private practice in regional Victoria. The Big Hug series evolved from letters that I write to my younger clients after each session.  The letters help them to remember what we talked about and the things they should be thinking about, noticing or practicing. The letters also let their parents, carers or teachers know what they are working on as well. I guess it’s okay to say the letters are supposed to help everyone to (pun alert!) ...“be on the same page”.

I thought it only fitting that I set aside some time to practice what I preach....
 

Here’s my letter to me.

Dear Shona

This is a note to you from me to remind you of the things we have been working on.

It has been an amazing time for you with the Big Hug books set to launch. Who would have thought that your work with children would become so exposed? It’s no wonder that you’re a little anxious about the whole process. What started out as intimate letters to some of your little clients have now evolved into beautiful picture books – a much bigger audience than you intended. How lovely that your words can help reach so many more children, school and families!

The illustrations in “Life is Like the Wind” and “Friendship is Like a Seesaw” are truly beautiful. Yes, and they are much better than your attempts at drawing. It’s fun to look back and laugh at the children’s reactions to your pictures in sessions. It’s probably good that you show them that some people are good at some things, but not so good at others.

I know that the publishing world is not your usual pond, Shona-fish.The terminology is a little different, the peaks and troughs of busy-ness are a bit rough to plan around, and you don’t have many solid connections to anchor you. I also know that you can find people to help you to swim in this big new pond, too. Just give yourself time, ask for the help that you need and it will soon feel like you have always swum out this deep.

I’m glad that you are feeling proud and excited. Pride is the feeling where you want to say, “Hey, look at me and look what I managed to do – yey”. I know you are sometimes scared to have this feeling because you worry someone will tell you that you are boasting or “getting too big for your boots”. Excitement is the feeling where you are thinking about what is happening and getting prepared for it in a good way. It’s very similar to anxiety, except it’s about expecting good things rather than expecting bad things. Remember, you don’t need to travel in time with your mind to avoid new feelings. Time travel is best left to Dr Who. Be sure you embrace and breathe in these new feelings and this moment, right now.

I know that you are very grateful for all of the special people that you have in your life. These people are the ones who know you and love you, even if you don’t get your bed made, cook a nutritious meal from scratch or phone them every week.

Take care of yourself – eat well, exercise, sleep and laugh.....and don’t work too hard.

Shona       
          X

shonainnes.blogspot.com

Facebook – Shona Innes – Psychologist

twitter.com/Shona_Innes
 

Blog Tour Dates:

Mon 14th April
Writing Children's Books with Robyn Opie Parnell
http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au/

Tues 15th April
Booktopia
http://blog.booktopia.com.au/

Weds 16th April
Children's Books Daily
http://childrensbooksdaily.com/

Thurs 17th April
Kids Book Review
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/

Fri 18th April
Buzz Words
http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/

Further Big Hug Books Links:

Big Hug Book - Friendship is Like a Seesaw
http://www.fivemile.com.au/catalog/new-releases/big-hug-book-friendship-seesaw 

Big Hug Book - Life Is Like The Wind
http://www.fivemile.com.au/catalog/new-releases/big-hug-book-life-wind 

Big Hug Books Blog Tour With Author Shona Innes - Coming Soon!

Blog Tour Dates:

Mon 14th April
Writing Children's Books with Robyn Opie Parnell
http://www.robynopie.blogspot.com.au/

Tues 15th April
Booktopia
http://blog.booktopia.com.au/

Weds 16th April
Children's Books Daily
http://childrensbooksdaily.com/

Thurs 17th April
Kids Book Review
http://www.kids-bookreview.com/

Fri 18th April
Buzz Words
http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/

If you'd like a sneak peek of the Big Hug Books, please visit the following links:

Big Hug Book - Friendship is Like a Seesaw
http://www.fivemile.com.au/catalog/new-releases/big-hug-book-friendship-seesaw 

Big Hug Book - Life Is Like The Wind
http://www.fivemile.com.au/catalog/new-releases/big-hug-book-life-wind  

I especially like Life Is Like the Wind. 

You'll find out more next Monday. See you then.

Love and Light,
Robyn Opie Parnell

Robyn Opie Parnell - An Article By Anastasia Gonis

The following article was written by Anastasia Gonis for the April 15 2013 edition of Buzz Words Issue 151. The article is reproduced on my blog with Anastasia's kind permission. Thank you, Anastasia.

ROBYN OPIE PARNELL
© Anastasia Gonis

Robyn Opie Parnell is an Australian children’s book author, screenplay writer, and a generous heart with a vision to becoming so much more. She has published 88 books since she began writing. 

“When I was fifteen, my English teacher gave me an A for every essay I wrote. One day, as he handed me back an essay, he said, ‘You should be a writer.’ At the time, I hadn’t given any thought to people writing books. I only thought about the characters and the stories.

Thanks to my English teacher I realized I, too, could write a book. So I did!

“Unfortunately, the first book I wrote at fifteen wasn’t suitable for publication. My main character was too similar to the super-sleuth Nancy Drew. I was a big fan of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew when I was growing up. In my early twenties, I tried to get a story published but I had no idea that illustrated books of 2,500 words were difficult to get published. Picture books are usually less than 700 words. I knew nothing about the publishing industry and I had a lot to learn.
 
“From 1994, I spent about five years reading every book I could find on writing children’s books. I also did several courses, one on picture books and the other on writing for children. The writing for children course was through TAFE (Technical and Further Education) and Elizabeth Hutchins was my tutor. The feedback I received from Elizabeth helped me move forwards in leaps and bounds. Three of my homework assignments from the TAFE course with Elizabeth went on to be published by Macmillan Education. They were my chapter books The Mad Mower, Martian Milk and Mrs Twitch and the Small Black Box. I believe feedback from an experienced writer is vital.”
 
Robyn believes this course was the turning point for her. 

“I knew I was ready to submit to publishers, thanks to Elizabeth’s help and feedback. I also joined a writers’ group and formed one of my own. My first children’s books were published in 1999.
 

“I signed a contract with Barrie Publishing for my first three books, which were packaged and published by Macmillan Education. My next six books were also signed to Barrie Publishing but published by Macmillan Education. I had three chapter books published by Blake Education in 2002 and 2003. I had a lucky start, with many of my books published either by Macmillan Education or Blake Education.”
 
Robyn worked with Era Publications from 2001 to 2009 with her first books published by Era in 2002. In March 2011, she terminated her publishing agreements with Era after a dispute about the assignment of rights.
 
Robyn believes in exploring all avenues for her work. She has even submitted a story to Hollywood producer Wolfgang Petersen for consideration as a family movie, and a screenplay to an Australian producer. But it’s at children’s books that she excelled. She elaborates. 

“I wrote a story with my husband, Rob, that I believed would make a great Hollywood movie. Rob put together a proposal, which we then sent to Wolfgang Petersen. Why not? Wolfgang Petersen might be a famous movie producer but he’s also a businessman looking for good projects. And we believed we had a good project. 

“A week after we sent our proposal, I received an email from Wolfgang’s Creative Executive. We signed a release form so that Wolfgang could consider our proposal. Approximately four weeks later, we received a phone call. While everyone agreed that our project would make a great movie, Wolfgang had decided not to make three disaster movies in a row. Alas!

“Encouraged by the experience, Rob and I pitched a new, uniquely Australian idea, to Australian producers, which was accepted. However, as first time screenwriters, we were offered terms that were well below the Australian Writers' Guild recommendations, so we followed our instincts and rejected the offer. We submitted the screenplay to other producers. We're still awaiting their replies. Fingers crossed.”
 
How easy/difficult was it for Robyn and Rob to write a screenplay? 

“Rob and I co-wrote our family feature screenplay. We were surprised at how easy it was to work together and to write this particular screenplay. We simply adapted what we knew about writing books to this different medium of film. The first draft was completed in four weeks.” 

Things seemed to fall in place for Robyn once she began writing. Even submitting her work to mainstream publishers went without a hitch due to networking. 

“All of my books have been published one way or another as a result of networking. For example, I found out about Barrie Publishing’s call for submissions from another member of a writers’ group I attended. Once I had the publishing credits with Macmillan Education, other publishers were willing to accept my unsolicited submissions. 

“I wrote a story called The Pony Game, which was based on my childhood experiences. I researched the Giggles series and discovered that Lothian Books didn’t have a pony story in its Giggles series. When I attended the Children’s Book Council of Australia conference in Sydney, I approached Helen Chamberlin and asked if I could submit a story to Lothian Books, despite the fact that its website stated ‘no unsolicited submissions’. Helen was pleased to receive my submission. Three months later, The Pony Game was accepted.  

 
“I met Sue Whiting, from Walker Books, through an online writers’ group and then at the CBCA conference. Sue was happy to read my submissions, despite the fact that Walker Books’ website stated ‘submissions from agents only’. Walker Books published my novel Black Baron in Australia and the UK. While I was able to submit to mainstream publishers due to my publishing credits, my books were published as a result of networking.”

But mainstream publishing has definitely changed over time. Robyn tells us about these shifts in publishing.
 
“Publishers have changed the way they accept submissions. Some are now only accepting submissions via an email query or pitch. ABC Books request an appraisal from a reputable manuscript assessment agency. Penguin Australia will only look at one type of book each month. September is picture book month. A proportion of publishers only accept submissions sent via a literary agent. Overall, a writer’s ability to submit to publishers has been curtailed by the much tighter, more restrictive submission guidelines.
 
“The other difference is in publisher response time, which has obviously led to the tighter, restrictive submission guidelines. When I submitted Maya and the Crystal Skull, I waited 7 months for one publisher to respond and 12 months for two others to respond.

“Publishers receive thousands of submissions. The changes are obviously meant to allow publishers to continue to receive unsolicited submissions from writers but in a more manageable way.”

Robyn’s books now are mostly Self Published. She explains how and why she chose this path, considering the time-consuming tasks such as marketing and promotion which she has had to include in her work load.
 
“My husband, Rob, has been publishing books since about 2005. He has wanted to publish my books for a long time but I’ve resisted. I didn’t want to do the extra work I was used to publishers doing, such as proofing, design, distributing and marketing. After waiting 7 and 12 months to hear from publishers about my novel Maya and the Crystal Skull, I had a change of heart. I’m a psychic medium who communicates with spirit guides. (More on this in a moment) Through consultation with my spirit guides, I realized that self-publishing was my destiny.

“Marketing and promotion is always the difficult part when publishing one’s own books, for it is time-consuming work for an author when all they want to do is get on with their writing. Nowadays, it seems to be a necessary evil. The real-world stuff isn’t as much fun as my fiction.
 
“I have a distributor that sells to bookstores and a distributor that sells to libraries. I create order forms with special deals for libraries and schools. I’m always available for author appearances, workshops and school visits. I promote my books through my website and blog, as well as other people’s websites and blogs. I also use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Where possible, I look for opportunities to be interviewed in the media.”
 
In Backstage Betrayal, Robyn covers themes of envy and jealousy, and in Our Secret Place she explores the repercussions of one’s actions, loyalty and friendships. In Black Baron, published by Walker Books, Robyn builds an exciting adventure around a racing cockroach and a race to save his life. Eye of the Future is about a girl with the gift of second sight.

Robyn, too, has a special gift. I ask her if she would share the other side to Robyn Opie Parnell, the writer, with us. She is more than willing to oblige. 

“In 2005, I became interested in psychic mediums. I watched TV shows and read books to learn more about this amazing field. After a ‘chance’ recommendation, I also went to see a psychic medium for the first time. What a life-changing experience! My fascination with psychic mediums continued.

“In September 2010, after watching Tony Stockwell’s Psychic Academy on Foxtel, I bought a pendulum and began using it on a daily basis to communicate with my spirit guide. Around this time, I also began meditating every day. In November 2010, while having afternoon tea with a friend, I had my first experience as a medium. I saw the spirit of my friend’s deceased husband.

“Despite all my research through television and books, I doubted my first experience and didn’t want to mention it to anyone. My friend’s husband had other ideas. He wanted his spirit presence acknowledged – he jumped up and down, and waved his arms around in the air, until I acknowledged him. When I got home, my deceased nana said to me, ‘See! You can do it!’ Another life-changing experience! I’ve learned so much and had many wonderful experiences since November 2010. Living with spirit is now as important to me as being a writer.”

Robyn Opie Parnell’s most recent books are:
· STOP! Do Not Read This Book, which is the story of Sam who hates to read, but the reason for this is her well-kept secret; and
· You’re Amazing: the Law of Attraction for Young People, is a clear and easy to understand approach to the Law of Attraction that reinforces the laws of the universe, (a strong presence in Robyn’s informative and well-structured How to Write a GREAT Children’s Book) and
· Maya and the Crystal Skull, the superb first book in a fantastic series. It is a thrilling paranormal adventure, set around the Mayan civilization, its ancient laws and the spirit world. This has an interesting and diverse selection of themes and subjects. The sequel, Maya and the Daring Heist, will be available in May 2013.

“When I wrote Maya and the Crystal Skull I had to do a lot of research about psychic mediums and spirituality. By the time I wrote Maya and the Daring Heist I was writing from my own experience.”

The wonderful Maya series is riveting reading, full of intrigue, adventure, and betrayal. But are there additional books planned for the series? Readers certainly hope so! We are put at ease when Robyn confesses that she is forced to write a third book due to the open-ended winding up of Book Two, despite the preparation for the paperback production of her two e-books and so much more in the pipeline.

“Maya and the Daring Heist ends on a cliff-hanger, which puts me under pressure. I have to write a third book in the series, even though I have no idea what that story will entail at this point in time. I trust my spiritual guidance, so I took the plunge and left the story open for a third instalment.

“My novels Stop! Do Not Read This Book and Best Joke Ever have been published as kindle e-books but still need to be produced as paperbacks. I have two picture books Wiggle, Jiggle All Around and Jade’s Goals I’d like to see published. I also have a novel about a family dealing with a daughter’s O.C.D. called If Not Jannah, a novel about a boy looking for his dad called (surprisingly) Looking for Dad, and a novel about a boy who becomes a spy called Undercover K.I.D. Sheep Trouble all of which could be ready for submission or publication in 2013. I illustrated my novel Best Joke Ever – a first for me – and I’m considering illustrating If Not Jannah.” 

A writing life incorporates more than books for Robyn. She also runs writing classes based on her How to Write a GREAT Children’s Book. But what other services does she offer?

“I offer manuscript assessment and editing services. I don’t advertise these services on my website or blog because I don’t want too much work. I’m happy with the paid work I get without advertising. This work usually comes through students of my courses or via email queries. Obviously I need a balance between my work and other people’s work. If I spend too much time on other people’s work, I don’t have enough time for my own.”
 

Robyn is also a generous supporter of many charities through her websites. The environment, nature, animals and spiritual living are extremely important to her. She shares her vision with us.

“Besides writing, my passions include animals and nature. I believe it’s important for all of us to spend time in nature, so we can ground ourselves. One of my favorite experiences was going to the Singapore Zoo at night. Sitting with my husband watching the giraffes at eleven-thirty at night was one of the most peaceful and memorable experiences of my life. Our world is a beautiful place with so much breath-taking scenery and totally amazing animals.

“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to be able to donate large sums of money to charities. I want to make a difference. Animals can’t speak out for themselves. They are at our mercy. One of the reasons I write and want to be successful is so I can donate money to charities. When I’m old and grey, sitting in my rocking chair on my front porch, I want to look back at my life and know that I made a positive impact on the world. 

“We should marvel over our environment, instead of abuse and destroy. Life should be revered for the miracle it is, instead of discounted and discarded.”

As always, I ask what advice Robyn would offer to anyone dreaming of a career in children’s books. 

“Run! Just kidding! In my early twenties, when I submitted my first manuscripts to publishers, I didn’t know about word counts, age groups, types of books or anything else to do with children’s books/publishing. My first manuscripts were rejected. My advice, based on my own experience, is to learn everything you can about writing, especially about your chosen genre. After all, you wouldn’t think of piloting a jumbo jet without first learning how to fly.

“If you’ve learnt about your chosen genre, then my advice is persistence. Professional
writers often say that the secret to their success is persistence. They never gave up.”

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Buzz Words is a fortnightly e-zine designed specifically to cater for the needs and interests of children’s writers, illustrators, librarians, teachers, editors and lovers of children’s books. It features interviews with editors, authors, illustrators, agents, booksellers and publicists as well as valuable information on the children’s book community in Australia and internationally including writing markets, opportunities, competitions, courses, conferences and book reviews. And it's delivered straight into your in-box. CLICK HERE for more information about Buzz Words.

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Christmas Gift Ideas From Robyn Opie Parnell

 
Move over Indiana Jones...
 

Maya's life has changed. Her mother is dead, killed in a car accident; she's befriended by Ethan, a boy who claims he's from the spirit world; and now her father is missing.

What does the legend of the crystal skulls have to do with her father's disappearance? Will Maya travel to Mexico to save him? How can Maya's destiny have anything to do with the future of humankind?

The Mexican jungle, ancient Mayan ruins, dangerous bounty hunters and evil kidnappers...

Yes, Maya's life has changed. The fate of the world now depends on her.

For children aged 10 and older.

BUY NOW from Amazon Kindle - $2.99

BUY NOW from the publisher - $19.95

CLICK HERE to watch the trailer

Available On Amazon Kindle Only

Sam hates to read. She hates books. 

Unfortunately for Sam, her family are bookworms, her mom writes children's books and her teacher thinks reading is important.

Every day is a battle for Sam to avoid reading and to keep her secret. Life gets so bad, Sam is ready to move to Antarctica.

Instead, Sam is about to have the most embarrassing experience of her life. Will she survive?

Stop! Do not read this book - and help Sam keep her secret.

For children aged 8 to 12.

BUY NOW - $2.99


Gary is sick of being a loser. He wants to be popular.

So, he comes up with the best joke ever.

But the joke gets out of control. Soon the whole town is involved. The school is in danger. Gary is too. Can he fix everything before it's too late?

For children aged 8 to 12, or reluctant older readers.

BUY NOW - $2.99

It's Christmas Eve, 1974, when Cyclone Tracy hits Darwin in Northern Australia.

Lucy is at home with her parents and her dog, Foxy. As the ferocious cyclone intensifies, Foxy goes missing. Will Lucy be able to save her dog from the storm? Or will Christmas be a disaster in more ways than one?

This is a moving tale of one family's ordeal during a true-life event.

BUY NOW - $2.99

More Children's Books by Robyn Opie Parnell:

You're Amazing - The Law of Attraction for Young People (R&R Books, 2012) e-book $19.95	How to Write a Great Children's Book (Magellan Books, 2012) paperback $23.95 e-book $27.00	Black Baron (Walker Books Australia, 2008) (Walker Books UK, 2009) paperback $9.99
The Pony Game (Lothian Books, 2007) paperback $7.95	Eye of the Future (Blake Education, 2003) paperback $10.95	Our Secret Place (Blake Education, 2002) (Steck-Vaughn, 2007) paperback $10.95
Backstage Betrayal (Blake Education, 2002) (Steck-Vaughn, 2007) paperback $10.95	Living in Space (Barry Publishing, 2001)	Jen Stays Inside (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $7.50
My Bike (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $7.50	People Need Trucks (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $7.50	Working like a Dog (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $5.00
Mrs Twitch and the Small Black Box (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $7.95	Martian Milk (Macmillan Education, 2000)	The Mad Mower (Macmillan Education, 1999) paperback $0.85
Jack’s Great Search (Macmillan Education, 2000) free PDF

Choosing Children's Books

Choosing books for children can seem like a daunting task due to the huge number of available titles. It’s important to make good choices, too, because an inappropriate book can lead to boredom, frustration or both. Certain considerations will help to narrow down the choices.

1. Age Appropriateness - Be sure the topics explored in the book are not meant for a much older or younger audience, and the vocabulary and complexity of sentences and story line are not too difficult to follow or too simple to enjoy. Suggested age ranges can be found on the back of the book, on bookstore websites, or in bookstores and libraries.

2. Level of Independence – If the child will be reading to himself, the book will need to be less difficult than if he is reading aloud to you. If you’re choosing a book to read aloud to a child, you can look at titles that are written at one or two grade levels above the child’s independent reading level.

3. Art – Picture books introduce children to art along with literature; Caldecott Medal winners are children’s books that have been recognized specifically for the quality of the artwork. Remember that picture books are often written at a high reading level because it is assumed that they will be read aloud to the child.

4. Quality – Some bets are safer than others when you’re choosing from books you haven’t read. Look at time tested classics and winners of awards such as the Newbery Medal and the Geisel Award.

5. Topic – You may want to look for a fiction book that goes along with topics the child is studying. A search on any library OPAC or bookstore website will bring up children’s novels and picture books that pull in topics from history, science, social circumstances, and the arts.

6. Non-Fiction – When looking for a non-fiction book, be open to different formats. Since children learn best when they’re entertained, some of the best non-fiction books incorporate humor, illustrations or both.

Once you’ve gotten a feel for what’s available, searching for the perfect book for a child can become as enjoyable as picking out a gift for his birthday. If you carefully consider the purpose, difficulty and quality of books, you can confidently select appropriate books for children that will nurture their love of reading.

Author Bio:
Jason Miner, an expert freelance writer, loves writing articles on different categories. He is approaching different bloggers to recognize each other's efforts through http://www.blogcarnival.com. He can be contacted through e-mail at jasonminer8atgmaildotcom.


Examples - Books by Robyn Opie Parnell

For more information on books by Robyn Opie Parnell, please visit her website - http://www.robynopie.com

5 Must Read Classic Bedtime Stories

Your child’s bedtime ritual is sacred - visit the potty, brush their teeth, listen to them try to chat their way out of bedtime, tucking in and, of course, reading a story. There are probably books from your childhood you know by heart or bring a smile to your face when you hear them. Create these kinds of memories for your little ones with these classics:

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown - A sweet bedtime story about a bunny on his way to falling asleep. The soft words and delicate rhymes are almost like a lullaby for your children. This may be a short story taking place in the same room but if the reader is careful you can slowly see things in the room move around during this bedtime ritual.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - A book about a young boy and his relationship with a tree and it’s progression over the years. This one will definitely tug at your heart and one that parents understand. It’s no wonder that this book was translated into over 30 different languages. 

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams - An adored classic of a toy rabbit's search to become real with the love of his little boy owner is an everlasting, cherished story. Your kid will be holding his/her stuffed animal a little tighter tonight. Definitely a tear-jerker and very similar to the Toy Story theme.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak - A classic that most parents read as children about a misbehaving boy named Max and his made up world. If the story doesn’t capture your child’s attention, the graphics will. The artwork is beautiful. The movie adaptation released in 2009 portrays it eloquently but may be too intense for the youngsters.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - Your child may not understand why this book causes you to tear up, but a parent does. A mother sings the same lullaby to her child through years, only to have the child return the same lullaby many years later to their own. One of the newer books on this list, printed in 1984. 

These stories all send wonderful and special messages to your child and will become their favorites in no time. Enjoy these little moments because there will be a time when they no longer need you to leave the door cracked or the night light on.

Author Bio

Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about a wide range of subjects, like health, parenting, child care, babysitting, nanny, www.enannysource.com/ etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com.