Re-release of Duck and Cover

I've been so busy writing and rewriting lately, that I seem to have lost track of time. In addition to working on getting my book back on Amazon, I have also been working on another historical fiction novel (this one geared more toward adults) and my picture book manuscripts.

My contract was up with my middle grade historical fiction, and I decided not to renew it.

I wanted to change the cover (I thought the children on the original cover were too young for the main characters and intended readers of the book) and make some formatting changes to the manuscript. Some of the changes may seem trivial to people, but I feel that little things can sometimes make a big difference.

Here is a small snippet from the book that I feel fits right in with the cover:

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   The house was so quiet, I couldn't sleep. I put my clothes on, slipped out of bed and walked outside. While I stared at the moon, a shooting star flashed across the sky.
   Is that what a Russian missile would look like? I hope I didn't ever find out. I closed my eyes tight, made a wish and went back inside and climbed into my bed. 

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The main character also yearns to be an astronaut and travel to the moon when he grows up, so I thought the front cover needed a moon - and a shooting star to make his wishes on.

You will now find a new cover, a few !'s marks scattered here and there in the story (which I feel were really needed), a short timeline in the back of the book and a slightly different format.


I hope you like the changes I made - I do.

You can click on the cover on the sidebar and find it on Amazon.

I'm not very good at making book trailers yet, but here is the one I made for Duck and Cover.
It takes a few seconds, but it will play.

Or . . . you can click here to view it on YouTube.  Give me a thumbs up or thumbs down or leave a comment.   Thanks!

Happy writing and reading everyone!

Duck and Cover Star Mobile Craft

In addition to writing, I also love to craft.

I decided to make a craft to go along with my MG book, Duck and Cover.

The book is about The Cuban Missile Crisis, but it is also about a boy and his dreams. His mom tells him to "Hang your dreams on a star, and you'll go far." So that's what he does. He hangs his dreams on the North Star.

I'm going to show you how you and/or your child can make a star mobile.

And, as always with crafts, if you need to make a few changes, do so. That is why crafts are so unique. They are all different.

I used a 9" Styrofoam form.

I tore 1 1/2" strips of material. It took around 9 feet.

 

Wrap it around the form. I pinned the ends with straight pins. You could glue the ends if you wanted to.

Then I got three pieces of craft wire 18" long. I stuck the ends into the Styrofoam (you could put a little Elmer glue onto the wire before sticking it into the foam), brought them together at the top, twisted the last couple of inches of the wire around each other and bent it over into a hook. I tied a ribbon around the wires at the bottom of the hook.

   

Go here and run off on card stock the PDF of Stars. Cut them out. 

Punch a hole into the large stars. Cut different lengths of fishing line. Tie into the holes and then tie around the Styrofoam ring. Let them hang at different lengths. Then get a glue stick and glue the small blue stars onto the hanging ribbon. If you want, you can color the backs of the stars to match the front.

Now have your child write his or her dreams or wishes on the individual stars.

Hang it in their room.

 I hope you enjoyed this craft and I hope you enjoy my book.

Author Take Over on Facebook

Hi, all.

Summer has been very busy here at the Smart house in Jackson County.

I finally finished my cookbook, Cooking with Family: Recipes and Remembrances, that I have been working on for a very long time. I am about ready to send for the proof.

I have also been re-writing a novella that takes place in 1908/09 rural West Virginia.The idea for the book came from my grandparents who lived during that time period.

Saturday on Saguaro's Facebook page they are having an Author Take Over. I have never participated in one of these before, and I must admit I don't know what I'm doing. But, I am going to have fun trying.


Come over on Saturday and join me during my 20 minute time slot of 3:40 until 4:00 Eastern time.

I will tell a little about my me, my book, and my favorite character in the book.

I will be answering any and all questions you may have about my book, Duck and Cover.

I will be posting links to my sites and my Pinterest board on Duck and Cover.

Come by and say hi, so I won't be lonely.

Happy Writing!

This and That

I like to edit, but sometimes I don't know when to quit. Recently I have been wondering if I should make my other MG book take place in the then and now or keep it in the 1960s.

I like it in the 1960s. But I have had one person say she thinks it should take place now - in 2017.

I haven't had any luck in getting it published, so I have been toying with the idea of changing it. I have made another word copy of it and have been making the changes it needs to make it take place in the present day.

Decisions, decisions . . .

Do you like having your stories set in the past?

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I have been having fun with Duck and Cover that was recently released. I have had two book signings and have another one planned for early June.

My cousin and I volunteer at the local Senior Center. We do a craft workshop once a week. I just love our Crazy Crafters (that is the name we voted on).  The Director wants me to read a chapter of my book and do a little presentation. I finally gave in and said I would do it and decided that afterward my cousin and I would do a craft with our craft class that has something to do with the story. I am now looking forward to it. It will be a lot of fun.



Recently, I was excited that Homer Hickam took the time to read my book and send me a following blurb:

"Duck and Cover is a charming novel of young people coming of age during a very frightening time, the early 1960's at the height of the Cold War. Set in West Virginia, Smart's characters are as real as the hills in which they live, and as enduring. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and believe this author is one to watch (and read) now and in the future." –

Homer Hickam, author Rocket Boys/October Sky and Carrying Albert Home

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There are soooo many books on Amazon and I have no idea how my sales are doing on there, but if any of you have read it, I would love if you could write an online review.

Any suggestions or ideas on how to get your book noticed among all those listed?

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I have an author page on Facebook. You can find it here.  

 

Book Release!

I had been a stay-at-home mom since I married.
I dabbled in sewing, quilting, crafting, couponing/refunding---and raised three boys, which I consider my greatest accomplishment.

Ten years ago, with my husband getting close to retirement, I started writing. I had been working on a picture book about picking berries. I thought it wasn't half bad. I found out about a writing group that met once a month in Ripley. I called one of the members and started attending the meetings. I got up my nerve to read it in front of the group. They were very nice, but I found out I didn't know much about writing.

Thankfully, I am a pretty quick learner.

A year later, I got a story published in an anthology. Then shortly thereafter, I started writing a children's column in a monthly regional magazine.

Along with writing PBs, I got brave and wrote two MG manuscripts. They have been sent out many times and received many rejections.

My second MG, Duck and Cover, took first place in the 2015 WV Writer's annual spring writing contest! Woo hoo! I had placed many times in the annual contest, but this was my first 1st Place!

I did a little more research on publishers. I found one that only published first-time authors and only published MG and YA.
They were not a vanity publisher. I didn't have to pay anything.
I took the chance and sent Duck and Cover to them.

They accepted it! It was officially put up on Amazon the end of February. It is available in paperback, kindle, and Nook on Barnes and Noble.

What is my advice? Never give up. Keep working on your manuscript until you get it the best you can get it --- and send it out.
And keep sending it out until you find someone who likes it as much as you do.

My book is going to be featured in the next few weeks on a couple of writer's blogs.

Today (Monday)it will be on the GROG Blog. Click over and check out the interview. Comment and you will be in a drawing for a free copy of my book.