Middle School Survival Guide By Kadee Carder Four-square. Glasses. Braces. Saturday morning cartoons. Middle school was a time of firsts. First camera. First boom box. First email address…first basketball to the nose and broken glasses. Friends were fickle and the days dwindled for endless golden hours. At the small private school I attended, we would often play four-square during PE class and the girls would get into the biggest knock-down, drag-out fights over who was cheating. Some of those girls saw me as the awkward nerd; some of my friends, however, were the creative vessels I needed to get through the hours of homework and high expectations of honors classes. A small group of friends consistently stuck by me through the shimmery Texas days. Those girls and I created a story that we would play out, through free time in PE or the random recess, after-school get-togethers, and quietly passed notes between classes. The game we played actually served as the foundation concept behind my young adult book series. Girls on an adventure. High seas, runaway dreams, and, of course, extraordinary abilities. Not every day brought sunshine and happiness. Those middle school years were some of the loneliest, as I wrestled with figuring out who I was, what I wanted, what I liked, and what I disliked. Stories – written down, pulled apart, packed back together – those brought so much comfort. Stories were there to keep me company when the clock ticked quietly in the background as I swept the driveway every Saturday. Carving up sentences, piecing the words together, matching up characters to their tasks, those puzzles kept the shadows at bay. With my friends, we would pretend we could be heroes; back home in my journals, I could continue the adventure. When I didn’t have friends around, those hidden figures could explore the universe together, with me by their side. Maybe it was lonely, but those hours provided ideas which have grown and blossomed over time into something much greater than I would ever have imagined. My daughter is currently in middle school, facing her own adventures and challenges. We chat daily about the survival game. These few things, if I can get her to remember any of them, are what I would place on those post-it notes for a survival guide: 1)Focus on the good and remember it. Let the ‘mean girls’ and the things they say fall away. 2)Know that you are built with purpose and have been entrusted with good work to do that only you can do. 3) Concentrate more on who you want to be than your crushes and who they are. 4)Write in a journal. Save your stories and thoughts and work through them. Keep some private. 5)It’s okay to be lonely; it’s necessary to build solid friendships. 6)Don’t just grow up, grow wise. Wisdom is the combination of knowledge along with practical application. Getting through middle school, through high school, those days take a good support system and a lot of love. Creating an encouraging environment for your middle schooler, especially, requires showing up, being willing to wait, and being willing to give second chances. Whether you are in those middle school or junior high years, or if you are the parent of one, these years are the times when they are looking for the ones who show up. Who is reliable? Who will be there? Maybe it’s you. *** Fierce yet sparkly, I rally seekers to thrive in their stories. The goal is magic, the medium is ink, and the fuel is coffee. And sometimes pizza. I teach English on the university level when I'm not dancing around the living room with my family, lifting heavy at the gym, traveling the planet, or binging superhero shows. INSURRECTION, INCOMPLETE, INDELIBLE, HERE BE DRAGONS, EARTHSHINE and non-fiction inspirational KINGDOM COME and IGNITE roll out perilous motives, twisty plots, and daring protagonists. Grab some real estate and your copy of my latest adventure, and follow along on KadeeCarder.com. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kadeecarderink Instagram: @kadeecarderink Find her books here (affiliate link): amzn.to/43Abmjk
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Review of Writing a Romance Novel For Dummies (For Dummies (Language & Literature) by Victorine Lieske Writing a Romance Novel For Dummies is a great reference guide for answering questions you might have when writing a romance novel. It's very detailed and contains info for people considering traditional publishing, indie publishing, or both. Lieske gives clear information that's easy to understand when trying to figure out the ins and outs of the book world. A valuable resource with a wealth of knowledge. I would recommend getting this as a paperback for easier flipping back and forth as a reference guide Pick up a copy here: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you Amazon: amzn.to/3zHgpAJ Cecily in the City just released and it hit #1 in several hot new release categories! Check out the blurb for the 3rd book in the Cecily Taylor Series: Cecily Taylor thinks her life can't get any better when she moves to the city after getting a job on a soap opera. She's excited to act and be in the same city as her pop star boyfriend, Andrew Holiday. Then she stars in another pop star's music video, but there's more drama behind the scenes than what's in the script. Pretty soon there are media posts about Cecily and the new singer and her relationship with Andrew is threatened. She just wants to act, be with Andrew, and help the causes close to her heart, but life sure is different in the glare of the spotlight. Can Cecily hang onto her dream life while in the big city? What you can expect from the book A happily ever after Swoony moments PG rating New pop star on the scene Loyal & funny friends Easter eggs from the Star Series (Cecily ends up on the show) Cecily works with her soap opera crush Find the book here: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you I'm co-hosting with Marsha Casper Cook on the Michigan Avenue Media podcast today. The topic is reaching your creative potential and we'll talk about things that help with creativity and creative slumps. Find the show here: www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2023/02/21/reaching-your-potential--michigan-avenue-media Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reaching-your-potential-michigan-avenue-media/id1375404913?i=1000600994143 Find Marsha's work here: amzn.to/3Kw6Hba Find Krysten's work here: amzn.to/3IoEe43 Check out the new book trailer for my middle school novel, True Colors. You can find the book here on Amazon (Affiliate link): ADVICE FOR YA READERS by Joey Paul When I saw the call go out for contributions for this kind of blog post, I knew I had to sign up because as someone who’s been writing since they were a teen, it made sense for me to pass on both my experience as a teen writer, but also as an indie author who’s got twenty books out in a variety of genres and has drafted over forty. Before I get into the advice, I should give you a little background. I’m 41, and was born and have lived my whole life in the same town in the UK. My parents split for good when I was 13, which was also the year that I lost a few people, including one of my friends from school. I went from hanging out with one group of friends, though I was always more on the edge of them, to moving across town and having to find my way with new friends. I stayed at the same secondary school, but I didn’t have people to walk to and from school with, and we moved a lot those next few years because we were living in rented places so there was always the fear I’d either have to change schools (nightmare) or would move out of reach of any friends (also a nightmare). As it turned out, I ended up in another friend group that contained my now best friend and we got through those days together. She and I have been friends for almost 30 years (yes I am old!) and we still live together now. She actually became my full time carer when I first got sick at 19, and later ended up needing to use a wheelchair full-time. So that’s the background out of the way, now onto the advice! My best friend and I, her name’s B, we would write stories together, but even within our small friend group, we were very much the weird ones. She was voted most likely to be on another planet in the yearbook, I can’t remember what I was voted, it’s been a fair few years, but it was probably something along the same lines. Our idea of a good Friday night was going to the local library and checking out books, which we would then devour through the week and go back again. It might sound familiar to you if you’re also a reader, which I hope you are, but my advice is simple: embrace the weird. Don’t be afraid to stand out, don’t be afraid to be who you are. I know it’s not as simple as it sounds. I know that bullies and other people want you to conform, but I have to say that while bullies were a thing, and while I was a target, I didn’t shy away from who I am, and who I was back then. If I hadn’t embraced my love of telling stories, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I wouldn’t have written all those stories and I wouldn’t have found a career that I could achieve while being chronically ill and disabled. When I had to stop working a conventional job because of being so sick, it was writing, it was those stories that I’d started as a teen, that gave me something to cling to and something to keep me going. It sounds drastic I know, but my point is that embracing that side of myself, never being afraid to be who I am, that’s what has kept me going on even the most dark days. A few years ago, I was asked by a disability blog to write a letter to my 15 year old self, and I said things along the same lines as I’m saying here. Everyone has things they don’t like about themselves, and everyone has their own hurdles and struggles to get through, but there is always something about you that makes you who you are. For some kids it’s music, for other it’s drama, others it’s art, and others still, it’s writing or reading, or any number of things. Some kids are more academically minded, others lean more to cooking or working with their hands. None of this is a bad thing. None of this is wrong, and none of this are things to be ashamed about. Embrace your weird side, don’t be afraid of accepting that it’s part of who you are, and that while it may change and adapt as you get older, it’s okay to spend time exploring it. It’s okay to spend time having fun and being yourself. I was lucky to find B, I was lucky to have that small group of friends who did accept me, and were okay with my weirdness. I don’t remember much fondly about my school days, but I do remember the fun I had telling stories, and making friends, and being myself. So be yourself, embrace the weird, find your friends, there are always going to be others who like the same things and want to do the same things. Embrace it, accept it, and know that these days are not the only days of your life. You will get past the hard times, and you will move onto better ones. And maybe, one day, you’ll sit down and look back at that weird and realise that it’s gotten you to the point you are today. I know mine did. Pick up Joey's books here (affiliate link): Amazon US: amzn.to/3YcAWb6 www.joeypaulonline.com www.instagram.com/AuthorJoeyPaul www.twitter.com/MsJoeyBug www.facebook.com/JoeyPaulOnline www.youtube.com/JoeyPaulOnline www.goodreads.com/JoeyPaulOnline I'm excited to share a new feature on the blog of young adult and middle grade novels offering advice to our readers. I had such a great response to this when I posted about it online and I'm thrilled to begin this project. I'd like to introduce YA fantasy author, Annie Sullivan to share her thoughts on what she wishes she had known when she was younger. When I first set out to write books with for young adults with princesses, pirates, and thieves, I didn't know I'd be writing about issues—like bullying, gossip, and difficult family relationships—that kids today face all the time. So when I started writing A Touch of Gold about the cursed daughter of King Midas who faces pirates, sirens, and thieves on her quest to retrieve her father's stolen gold, I wanted to entertain readers. However, like most authors, as I got further and further into writing and editing the book, I realized my main character, Kora, had a lot of my characteristics and faced many challenges that I had also faced as a child. She became a way to address those issues in a way that hopefully readers can learn from. Because as my writing evolved, my goal became creating books that would help kids escape a hard world and come back to it a little bit more ready to fight their own battles after seeing their favorite character take them on and win. One way I did that in A Touch of Gold was have Princess Kora be an outcast in her society. As the daughter of King Midas, she was turned into a golden statue by her father when she was a young girl. Now, she's been turned back into a living, breathing human being, but she has some side effects from her time as a golden statue—like having golden skin and the ability to sense the other objects her father turned to gold. Due to this, rumors fly that she turns back into a golden statue at night, that she leaves golden footprints, and even that looking in her eyes can turn you to gold. With gossip like that, Kora has virtually no friends and a lot of enemies who want to see if her blood runs as a gold as the rest of her. Thus, she keeps to her father's palace, always wearing a veil and heavy gloves, but even in her own palace, the servants run in fear. Yet, when Kora has to be the one to retrieve her father's stolen gold, she's forced to leave behind her palace and face the real world for the first time in years. She has to learn to get past the stares and mean words of others, and as she does, she discovers what makes her different is truly what makes her special. It's what gives her the ability to do what others can't. And too often in both real and fantasy worlds, people who look or act different are ostracized. But Kora's character makes the point that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that talent and power and morals can come from anyone—no matter their shape, size, color, or form. So as I look back at A Touch of Gold and onward to other books, it's become clear to me that what I'd wish I'd known when I was younger, around Kora's age, is that each one of us has something that makes them special. Some people can draw pictures that look photographs. Others can play piano. And still others can make a basket from anywhere on the basketball court. But there are so many other things that people should be valued for too outside skills. Being able to forgive others, having compassion for animals, making strangers feel welcome, helping someone in need. These are all things that each person can showcase that will truly change the world—even if it's just the world for one person. So that's the takeaway message here: you can change the world. You don't need magic powers or the ability to fly. Just being yourself is enough. Author Bio: Annie Sullivan is the author of three young adult fantasy books: A Touch of Gold, A Curse of Gold, and Tiger Queen. She grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and received her master's degree in Creative Writing from Butler University. She loves traveling, kickboxing, and anything related to Jane Austen. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@annsulliva), on Tik Tok (@authoranniesullivan), or on her blog: anniesullivanauthor.com. Website: https://anniesullivanauthor.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/annsulliva Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAnnieSullivan/ Twitter: twitter.com/annsulliva Tik Tok: @authoranniesullivan Find her book here on Amazon (affiliate link): amzn.to/3H0t2Kl
. YOu canI'm so excited to share with you my new book cover for Best Friends...Forever?
A middle school series dealing with friendships, frenemies, first crushes, & finding your path in life. Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying. Landry gets her first boyfriend, but then gets dumped just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry learns to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue competition. Can Landry find where she fits in and feels comfortable while staying true to herself? The cover was done by Cora Graphics. You can find the book here (affiliate link). It's free in Kindle Unlimited: So excited to show you the new cover for my middle school book, True Colors. It's a funny middle school novel that deals with self-esteem, handling mean girls, first crushes, and staying true to yourself. The updated version of the ebook is available now and the paperback will be coming very soon! The ebook is free with Kindle Unlimited. All the books in the series have been updated and they will be getting new covers soon and new paperback versions soon. The cover was done by Cora Graphics who I've worked with now for almost nine years! You can find the book here (affiliate link). It's free in Kindle Unlimited: amzn.to/3hE25Um "From Readers' Favorite-"Krysten Lindsay Hager did a great job of capturing that young tween voice and I think young girls will absolutely love this story! And parents will certainly approve of the healthy message about friendship and staying true to oneself." Blurb: A little competition can really bring out people's true colors. Landry just wants to be one of the interesting girls at school who always have exciting things happening in their lives. She wants to stand out, but also wants to fit in at school. Landry gets "unfriended" by her two best friends after she advances in a competition and they aren't chosen. She tries to make new friends, but gets caught up between wanting to be herself and conforming to who her new friends want her to be. Along the way she learns that being popular is nowhere as glamorous as it seems, how to deal with frenemies, a new crush, and that true friends see you for who you really are and like you because of it. Let me know what you think of the new cover! Columnist Dorothy Rosby joins author Marsha Casper Cook and myself on the podcast today (Nov. 17th at 12 pm EST) here: www.blogtalkradio.com/michiganavenuemedia/2022/11/17/author-interview-michigan-avenue-media Check out my pre-interview with her below: What is the book about? ’Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate is a collection of humorous essays about the stress we put on ourselves in the name of celebrating. All of our holidays, special occasions and not-so special occasions can have this effect on us. I start with Christmas and work my way through the year because no holiday makes me feel more inadequate than Christmas—except maybe Nude Recreation Week. Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? I’m not saying it’s not real, but as someone who’s been self-syndicating a humor column in the West and Midwest for more than 20 years, I’m saying I better not get it. And the way I stave it off is by a daily discipline of writing—even if I don’t like what I’m writing. Occasionally I have to get up and walk away, clear my head. But that can be dangerous if I overdo it. Writing is the only cure I know for writer’s block. How did you get into writing humor? It was my experience as a humorous (allegedly) speaker that led to writing humor. For many years, I’ve been a member of Toastmasters, an organization where members practice their public speaking skills. I loved doing humorous speeches and I won some humorous speech contests. So I decided to type up some of my speeches and submit them to my local newspaper. The editor agreed to take me on as a humor columnist and I’ve been writing a column ever since. Eventually I began marketing to other newspapers and now my column runs in small community newspapers throughout the West and Midwest. Why is humor important? As a humor writer, I often feel like what I do is trivial. But I reassure myself that when I’m escaping into my writing, I’m also giving my readers a way to escape the troubles they face. I often hear from readers who tell me that a good laugh is just what they needed. One reader who was going through a difficult time, commented on my blog post, “Thank you for making this day a little more tolerable.” If what I write can do that, that’s enough for me. What advice do you have for new writers? Believe in yourself. You’ll get a lot of rejections, and if you don’t I hate you. Not really! What I meant to say is, if you don’t get rejections, you’re probably not submitting enough. Some readers may even say very cruel things about your work. The way I see it, there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who do something with their life and those who criticize those who do something with their life. That’s easier. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn from criticism. You definitely should. But you have to have this unshakeable belief that you're good and getting better at what you do no matter who tells you otherwise. You can pout now and then, even fall into despair for a day or so. But you can never give up. Check out her new book: ’Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate: Holidays, Special Occasions and Other Times Our Celebrations Get Out of Hand Christmas comes but once a year; chaos never ends! Happy Halloween, merry Christmas and joyful Lumpy Rug Day. We didn’t make that up. Lumpy Rug Day is celebrated every May 3, though “celebrated” might be too strong a word. It’s the American way to create a celebration for everything, then turn it into a chore or worse, a nightmare. ’Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate is a collection of humorous essays about holidays, special occasions and other times we let high expectations take the joy out of our celebrations. It’s understanding for those who think Christmas form letters can be honest—or they can be interesting. And it’s empathy for anyone who’s ever gotten poison ivy during Nude Recreation Week or eaten all their Halloween candy and had to hand out instant oatmeal packets to their trick-or-treaters. Dorothy Rosby has been lampooning our celebrations in publications across the West and Midwest for more than twenty years. Join her in celebrating National Bicarbonate of Soda Day December 30—in case Christmas gives you indigestion. Bio: Dorothy Rosby is a South Dakota author and humor columnist whose work appears regularly in publications in the West and Midwest. Her humor column received first place honors from the National Federation of Press Women in both 2015 and 2020. And in 2022 she was named the global winner in the Erma Bombeck Writers Competition, sponsored in part by the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop in Dayton, OH. She is the author of four books of humorous essays. You can learn more about her at: https://dorothyrosby.com/ Pick up her book here: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you
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AuthorAuthor of the Landry's True Colors Series, the Cecily Taylor Series, the Star Series, and Dating the It Guy. Archives
January 2024
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