Happy Thanksgiving!

Me and my Bookie...!!

Meet Bookie!

My adorable "puggle," adopted the same day my book, PUDDLE PUG, was released. They go together!

TEN ON THE SLED nesting dolls

Here's the set of nesting dolls I made for my agent, based on Liza Woodruff's delightful illustrations in our book, TEN ON THE SLED. I had a lot of fun doing these. They're made from two sets of 5 dolls each that I bought from "Bits and Pieces," a puzzle & game seller. They came already painted as homely little Russian dolls. I painted over them with with white paint and started from scratch. (Click on the photo to see a larger image.)

If you have a copy of TEN ON THE SLED and would like some activities, check out the FREE printable activity sheets in my Teachers-Pay-Teachers shop by clicking here.

Kim Norman

Mr. McFeely... the early years.

Was I the only one who always thought Mr. McFeely was a truly odd name for a children's TV show character? In tribute...

FREE teleconference with Marion Dane Bauer!

Hi followers of Stone Stoop! Before I begin today’s guest blog post, I’d like to give a big thank you to Kim Norman for allowing me to share with you today.

I am an aspiring children’s book author who, just like you, is a follower of this blog, so I’m so tremendously excited to be a part of it today.

So back to the post…if you are, or ever have been, an aspiring children’s book author, then like me, you’ve had times when you’ve either been closed out of great conferences, had to travel great distances to hear from experts in the field, or spent a lot of money on fees and travel.

I was a frustrated, but very motivated, aspiring children’s book author, who decided to do something about it. Having been an aspiring children’s book author for a very long time (on and off for 12 years – children, career changes, etc. etc.) and having made the decision to finally devote my free time and career to doing what I really loved (writing for children), I needed education and training from the best, experienced children’s book authors available. So in an effort to help other aspiring, frustrated, and motivated aspiring children’s book authors (and myself), I began Writing for Children Live.

Writing for Children Live is a website where you can learn from the best experts in the field of writing childrens' books, from the comfort of your own home, through FREE, LIVE teleconference calls and webinars. No fees, no travel. You can listen in on your phone or via your computer. If for some reason you can't make the call or webinar at the time and date it is scheduled for, there is no need to worry. A replay of the call/webinar will be made available for your convenience FREE for 24 hours following the live call. So no getting closed out, either.

If you miss the replay of your favorite, author, agent or publisher, or if you heard the call, but wish you could hear it again, and again, for all of the great information and tips, all calls will be made available to purchase on an MP3 download (after the 24 hour free replay). All webinars will also be available to purchase, so that you can watch it as many times as you want to.

My favorite quote from the movie Field of Dreams is “If you build it, they will come.” So when I decided to start Writing for Children Live, I thought that if this website was meant to be, the speakers will come. You can imagine the THRILL I had when the first author to submit a proposal to speak on Writing for Children Live was the one and only, Newbery Honor Award Winner for her book On My Honor, Marion Dane Bauer!

I can’t wait to host Marion Dane Bauer’s teleconference call and webinar in September and am so tremendously excited about hosting all of the other great authors that are coming this fall: YA author Angela Morrison, YA author Susan Shaw, nonfiction author John Micklos, Jr. and YA Author K. M. Walton. Even more great authors are coming this Winter and Spring (you won’t want to miss my interview on writing coming this spring with Gail Carson Levine!!!) Kim Norman, herself, may be doing a presentation this Spring as well!!!

To get notified of how you can access upcoming author presentations, visit WritingForChildrenLIVE.com.

Now, just in case you were wondering…I have managed to get a professional book published for librarians and teachers, called Once Upon a Sign, but am still waiting for that book contract to come in for a children’s book. I continue to get rejection letters, but am starting to get a few sentence response in my rejection letter instead of just the “form” letter, so I figure I’m getting closer.

I look forward to helping each other to achieve our writing and publishing goals together through Writing for Children Live!

My creative room -- mostly done!

Here it is!

A few notes:

It also serves as a guestroom, (will happen at MOST once a year), but that's the reason for the old brass bed. My sister made the lovely quilt, but I need to get some decent linens.

Cubbie shelf is also second-hand. Paid about 20 bucks. It was unfinished when I bought it. Looked like it had been knocked together by a handyman who needed to store some tools. Baskets came from the dollar store, a buck-apiece. They fit perfectly!

You can get a better view and explanation of the twig valance by clicking here on an earlier post.

Frame was FREE. I think it came with our house and has been in the attic for 20 years. Dreadful old painting (print) came out. (Maybe I'll repurpose THAT, too.) I hot-glued the frame with bunches of stuff that are all about me: old earrings, a belt I wore in a show, items from late loved ones. Inside the frame I've displayed some old books I enjoyed reading to my kids when they were little. (The books were old when I bought them 2nd hand.)

 This is a pin that belonged to my late grandmother. (The back of the pin is broken.) My grandmother had carefully written the names of the stones on a note inside the box. I thought that was so sweet that the whole thing deserved to be saved. The rick rack is also hers as well as the skeleton keys. The cuff link was my grandfather's.

I removed the closet door and replaced it with an easy-to-move curtain. Fabric came from my  grandmother's sewing closet. Used the same fabric to strategically cover the chair, which I got for 10 dollars at the thrift store.

 This was a coffee table I bought for 5 bucks years ago, for my son to put his gaming TV on. Now the hole for the missing drawer (which was always missing) is perfect for storing poster boards. The squares are heavy tiles that lift out. I painted the backs, in case I change my mind and want to go back to their original color, which was faux stone in neutral tones.

I bought cool old purses and hung them as extra storage. One is holding a clamp light with a broken clamp.

 The vase holds 50-year-old yardsticks, among other things. ("See the NEW '62 CHEVROLET!" Ha!) I bought the vase 2nd-hand and painted it to match the room. Luckily, it was a rough textured ceramic that took the paint well.

 And, of course, old suitcases are also serving as storage. The bottom one was my mother-in-law's in the 40s, and the one in the middle (with the white handle) was my mother's in the 50s.

"Yarn bombed" the old office chair (given to me by a friend) with yarn and rick-rack that belonged to my late grandmother. I like the old wood of the chair and didn't want to paint it.

And that's IT!... well, except for those linens, and maybe a scatter rug to cover a colorful spot on the rug that looks like it may have been greasy Halloween makeup. (This was my son's childhood room.)

Now here's to great creativity in my new creative room!

Kim Norman