Come Celebrate MG author S.J. Henderson's New Release: DANIEL THE CAMP-ER

Let's give a big Camp Bigfoot hello to S. J. Henderson's brand new Middle Grade novel, DANIEL THE CAMP-ER! Stick around the bonfire, here, to learn more about this deliciously fantastic tale, and be sure to enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon card or your very own copy of DANIEL THE CAMP-ER.

Now grab a S'more and let's get this party started...

Ten Facts about DANIEL THE CAMP-ER and S. J. Henderson

1.      Daniel doesn’t have a last name, just a last initial.“A.”This is a nod to my grandparents, who have been called “Mr. and Mrs. A” my entire life. Someday I will give Daniel a last name, but today is not that day.

2.      Daniel’s best friend, Annie, was inspired by a girl my ten-year-old son has been friends with since kindergarten.I once read part of DANIEL THE DRAW-ER for her class then told them Annie was based on their classmate. I had to backtrack and make sure her class knew she doesn’t enjoy eating worms, like Annie.She does, however, love peanut butter.

3.      I have never eaten a worm or an insect (not on purpose, at least).My older sister once ate a palmetto bug, though.Palmetto bugs are super icky.

4.      When I was little, my friend and I used to pretend we ran a radio station. We tape recorded our conversations and made-up commercials.Our station’s call letters?WBUG.

5.      Unlike Daniel, I really like Shepherd’s Pie and meatloaf.

6.      If Sap was real, he would have mistaken me for one of Doctor Short Shorts evil cohorts.Someday I will be fashionable again.

7.      If I was in a talent show and given the choice between singing and dancing, I would sing. I have two left feet.

8.      When I was writing the part about the spider dropping from the ceiling of the Chipmunk cabin, a spider actually dropped down from my ceiling.

9.      Glitter Pony and I have one thing in common: I wanted to be a pony until I was about eleven years old.I insisted people call me “Crazy Horse” and galloped around the house.

10.  I have never done a Trust Fall.We were supposed to do them at sixth grade camp, but my mom wouldn’t let me stay overnight there, so I missed out.I’m super sad about that (not really).

DANIEL THE CAMP-ER Giveaway

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About the Series

DANIEL THE CAMP-ER is the second book in the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER series. The first book in the series, DANIEL THE DRAW-ER, is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and as an audiobook on Audible and iTunes.

Although Daniel’s adventures were written for boys and girls between 6 and 12, readers of all ages have found themselves swept up in these silly and imaginative stories. Fans of Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will appreciate the humor in the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER books, and parents and teachers will appreciate the lack of potty humor and themes of friendship and loyalty. And fun. Can’t forget fun.

Blurb

There are a few simple rules Daniel follows.

Rule One: never let an adult see your weakness. Daniel made that mistake and look where he ended up—summer camp.

Rule Two: never make fun of the person who feeds you, unless you like Miss Gunderson’s peppery pancakes and green hamburgers.

Rule Three: stay away from girls who love Glitter Ponies. They have cooties, after all.

And Rule Four: never, ever lose your magic pencil.

But Daniel has broken all of his own rules. Now he’s stuck and starving at Camp Bigfoot with the school bully as his bunkmate and an ooey-gooey girl who won’t leave him alone. If all of that wasn’t bad enough, his prized possession, a pencil that brings his drawings to life, has gone missing and wacky creatures are popping up all over camp.

Can Daniel survive Camp Bigfoot and find his magic pencil before it’s too late?

Excerpt

Annie catches up with me as I creep closer to the edge of the forest. Her eyes grow wide. “Why is there a moose wearing a cowboy hat here?”

“He likes soccer?” I shrug. “And that’s a sombrero, not a cowboy hat.”

“Whatever it is, I know you did this, Daniel. Are you crazy?”

“I didn’t mean to, but I must’ve grabbed the wrong pencil when I was getting my things ready. Oops.”

“Yeah, oops.” She rubs her face with her hands. “At least he looks friendly and doesn’t shoot laser beams from his eyes.”

I cringe. “Oops.”

“What do you mean, ‘oops’?” Annie latches onto me with her fingers and squeezes so tight my arm goes numb for a second. I wish people would hurt me in other places besides just my arms. There are lots of other parts of my body they could pick, but no. Everyone picks the arm, which gets super-sore, and then I start drawing stuff like a-moose-that-should-be-a-bear. So, if you ask me, this isn’t my fault.

The moose lifts up his head and snorts, sending balls of green flame into the dirt.

“Oops,” I say again, flashing a guilty smile.

Annie ducks behind me to protect herself from the moose’s attack. “Erase it, Daniel.”

Which is what I mean to do, really. I have the eraser on the pencil line making up the moose’s right nostril when he looks me right in the eye and says, “Stop! Please!”

Get the Book

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Meet S. J. Henderson

S. J. Henderson is the author of the DANIEL THE DRAW-ER series, as well as several not-yet-published Young Adult novels.

S. J. lives in Michigan with her husband and four wild boys. When she is not writing about talking cats and magic pencils, S. J. can usually be found riding one of her family’s horses or drinking a little bit of coffee with her creamer.

Connect with S. J.

Website

Blog

Facebook

Goodreads

Twitter

Pinterest

In the Limelight with MG Author: S. J. Henderson...

I want to thank and welcome magnificent middle grade author, S.J. Henderson for sharing her personal writing journey with us on my blog today. S.J.’s book DANIEL THE DRAW-ER can be purchased from Amazon, and other on-line bookstores. Bonus: Stay tuned for a chance to win an ecopy or audiobook of DANIEL THE DRAW-ER at the end of this post. So let’s get this interview started…

How long have you been writing, Jen?

I think I learned to write just about when everyone else did… kindergarten. Which is funny, because I remember sitting down at my desk the first day and being told to do something—I didn’t hear the teacher because I was probably talking. So I peeked over at my neighbor and copied his work (I know, I know!).When I was done, I looked down and discovered I’d written “Nathan” on top of my paper. We were practicing writing our names! I still struggle with putting the proper name on my papers. Just kidding.

But, seriously, I’ve been writing stories since elementary school. I used to fill hundreds of wide-ruled notebook pages with my nonsense, then the nonsense would make its rounds in my classroom when all of us were supposed to be listening to lectures. I let writing go for a while in favor of family obligations, but one day the absence of words really got to me. That was about 3-1/2 years ago, to make a short answer very long…

I see. So, Nathan, er S.J., where did you get your idea and inspiration to write DANIEL THE DRAW-ER?

I got the idea for DANIEL from my kids. Last fall I participated in an online writing course called The Story Cartel Course (http://my.storycartel.com/join-course/), and one of our assignments was to write something for our audience. At the time, I didn’t really have an audience besides myself, so I decided to write a story for my three youngest boys. In fact, my seven-year-old son sat next to me while I wrote the very first draft of what would eventually become chapter one of DANIEL THE DRAW-ER. He picked out the name “Daniel” and laughed at all of the funny parts. He was the best beta-reader. Haha.

Kids are the best critics! What sets DANIEL THE DRAW-ER apart from other books in the same genre?

Wow, tough question, Sharon! There are so many fantastic books in my genre. But, if I had to try to pinpoint it, I think my book is unique because it awakens the imagination of the reader. I’ve had so many people tell me their child picked up a pencil after reading my book just to see if their drawings would come to life. Another person sent me a photo of two pages of ideas her son had written down for my next book. That’s not exclusive to my book, but, as someone who reads a lot with my own kids, it’s few and far between.

It would be awesome if you helped shaped the minds of a few future artists, S.J.! As a children’s author, what is your writing process?

Writing process? What writing process?

Basically, I just sit down and write. Some people know how to outline and take neat and orderly notes, but not me! I write down messy notes including any ideas I might have before I start writing, but my creative process doesn’t work quite as well when I plan each step of the story out in advance. It’s hard to outline allllll this weirdness, ya know?

Once I have a good first draft I like to have a couple of friends read it and offer suggestions, which I may or may not follow depending on how much coffee I’ve had that day. I repeat the revision/critique process about a gajillion times until someone begs for mercy (and it’s usually me).Then I release the monstrosity to the world, ready or not.

If, by “process”, you really mean what gets me into the writing mood… then the simple answer for that is coffee and super mellow music. And being by myself. Do you know how hard that is to achieve with four kids and a husband? Ugh.

Four kids and a hubby? Kudos for getting the book written! How long did it take for you to start and finish DANIEL THE DRAW-ER?

The original concept for DANIEL (what is now the first chapter) took shape within a couple of weeks last October, but I didn’t really add to it until March of this year. I spent two weeks eating, sleeping, and breathing this book until it was ready for publication. Just so you know, I wouldn’t recommend that particular strategy to most people.

Amen. Do you have any advice for other writers striving to write in your genre, S.J.?

Kids are the ultimate litmus test for authors. They won’t beat around the bush or lie to save your feelings because they’re still developing those filters. So have fun with your story. If you don’t enjoy it, it’ll show, and your young readers will call you out faster than Gordon Ramsay in a McDonald’s drive-through. (Gosh, I hope everyone gets that joke!)

LOL! Got it! What’s next for S. J. Henderson the author?

I hope to have the sequel to DANIEL THE DRAW-ER published by the end of the year. Then I’ll dive into editing and releasing my many Young Adult novels. Ridiculously excited about my YA paranormal, which is next in line.

Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?

Probably back to the Garden of Eden so I could make a pair of cowboy boots out of that darn serpent.

One last thing!  I’m so excited to share with you that DANIEL THE DRAW-ER is now an audiobook, available at Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. My narrator for the book, Jay Prichard, did a great job bringing the characters to life. I think kids will really enjoy listening to Daniel’s adventures on long car rides or at bedtime.

As a thank you to your readers, I’d love to offer a chance for one of them to win a copy of either the Kindle ebook version or the audiobook of DANIEL THE DRAW-ER.

Blurb:

"This is no ordinary pencil,” says the cat sitting on the end of nine-year-old Daniel’s bed. "It's magic." 

Everything Daniel draws with his pencil--flying dragons, Octobears, and pizza-loving aliens from the planet Beezo--comes to life. It’s pretty awesome until the pencil draws a line between Daniel and his best (and only) friend Annie. 

Come along with Daniel and his fantastic creatures on this fun-for-the-whole-family journey as he discovers that friendship is the greatest magic of all.

Bio:

S. J. Henderson is the author of the children’s book DANIEL THE DRAW-ER, as well as several

not-yet-published Young Adult novels.

S. J. lives in Michigan with her husband and four wild boys. When she is not writing about talking cats and magic pencils, S. J. can usually be found riding one of her family’s horses or drinking a little bit of coffee with her creamer.

Buy Links:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Draw-er-S-J-Henderson-ebook/dp/B00JAXJF86/

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daniel-the-draw-er-s-j-henderson/1119074806?ean=9781497396999

S. J.'s store (autographed paperbacks):  www.sjhenderson.net/store/

Audible:  http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/Daniel-the-Draw-er-Audiobook/B00PMIRY22/

iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/daniel-the-draw-er-unabridged/id942710079

Social Networking Links:

Website:  www.sjhenderson.net

Blog:  www.sjhenderson.net/blog/

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/authorsunnyhenderson

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/SunnyJHenderson

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/SunnyHenderson

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In the Limelight with Middle Grade Author: C. S. Ulyate…

I want to thank and welcome magnificent middle grade author, C.S. Ulyate for sharing his personal writing journey with us on my blog today. C.S.’s book Seasons is the first book of a series and can be purchased from Amazon, and other on-line bookstores. Bonus: Stay tuned for a chance to win an ecopy of Seasons at the end of this post. So let’s get this interview started…

How long have you been writing, C.S.?

I’ve been writing for about 8 years now and will continue to write every day.

Now that’s dedication! Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write Seasons?

The idea for Seasons came from an environmental awareness project that I worked on in 2010. I fell in love with drawing and writing about a list of villains that represent different forms of pollution. Add a bit of wacky costumes, inspiration from video games, and give the villains’ world breaking superpowers and you got Mother’s Nature’s true nightmares.

What sets Seasons apart from other books/series in the same genre?

Miss Plastic

The thing about Seasons is I wrote it in mind for ADHD non-reader and female audience. I understand that finding the perfect book to read can be a bit of challenge for kids. The plots can be slow and drag on until finally something starts, but by that time the readers have already lost interest. I throw my readers into constant conflict and mystery, and make it as unexpected as it can be. I write the book like a video game; I’ll keep my characters moving to new locations, send them into the sewers, burning forests, and where ever a battle with Pollution takes place.

In the middle grade genre, I always hear about super powered boys getting to go on an awesome battle adventure full of dangerous monsters and evil forces. That’s why I have Winter take the main role with her brother Fall right behind her. Winter’s independent, she’s wants to rescue her sister and is willing to start a war over it. She may have a love interest, but her end game isn’t to fall in love with the boy, but solve the mystery of Mother Nature’s disappearance. Her ice abilities will become stronger as the series progresses to the point where she may be able to create the next Ice Age.

The world certainly needs authors like you to bring awareness to what’s happening to the Earth. As a middle grade/young adult author, what is your writing process?

Mr. Oil

My writing process involves listening to tons and tons of music from Pandora. Music brings me into the writing vibe and motivates me to come up with some awesome scenes. I’ll research the pollutions that I’m going to cover and scientific topics like water or soil to develop an overall theme. I also create a small outline for each chapter. I’ll plug in what characters I want and decide where I want them to be mentally by the end of the chapter.

How long did it take for you to start and finish Seasons?

Seasons took me around four months to write and another four months for the editing process. I want to make sure my novel is as polished as it can be.

Wow, you’re certainly focused! Do you have any advice for other writers striving to write in your genre, C.S.?

I’ve always wanted to answer this question! I would say have good judgment when you’re

Professor Voltage

researching about the writing world. There is tons of conflicting information out there that can lead you in the wrong direction. Be wise and keep researching until you’re certain. When being critiqued, don’t worry—some people will love your work and others may absolutely hate it. Know your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses. When writing for the Middle Grade genre, it’s ok to be immature; it’s our business to be immature. Don’t be afraid of what you are, some of the best inspiration comes out from things we never expect.

Wonderful advice! I love your take on strengths and weaknesses. So, what’s next for C. S. Ulyate the author?

I’m currently working on book two for Seasons: Waves of Madness. As well preparing for the two new series I will be writing in the future. Curious what the series are? Don’t worry the main characters have already made cameos and introduced themselves in Seasons.

I also have a hint for any of my readers looking forward to book 2.

Be welcomed into the sea, but for those who seek Hy-Brasil will turn to madness.

Queen Noise

The Perfume Inhales

The Farmer Counts

The Toymaker Ticks

Intriguing! You’ve got me hooked. Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?

Pre-American colonization, way back before Columbus, the Native American world is so mysterious and filled with lost history. Traveling through that time would make up for an interesting adventure.

Synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Winter is starting to believe she might be going crazy. It seems like every other way she looks, she’ll see soup cans and plastic bags form into monsters to terrorize her. But when Winter discovers that she and her three siblings were born from Mother Nature, everything is about to change. Winter’s evil relatives have kidnapped her little sister Spring and are using Spring as bait to bring Winter to Yellowstone National Park. 

Now Winter and her other two siblings have five days to get Spring back. However, Winter must be strong if she ever wants to confront her evil relatives that control oil, plastic, tin, and their monstrous trash pets. She will need to learn to surf on rivers and master her ice-age ability, unravel the past for her Mother’s disappearance, and control the nightmare that makes her maple syrup for blood boil. Unknown to Winter, the true evil waits for her underneath the Park.

Buy Links:

Amazon E-book link: http://www.amazon.com/Seasons-C-S-Ulyate-ebook/dp/B00GK517BA/

Amazon paperback link: http://www.amazon.com/Seasons-1-C-S-Ulyate/dp/1499520727/

Bio:

C.S. Ulyate (Cameron) grew up in California. As a kid, he could be found climbing mountains or kayaking in the ocean when he had free time from acting rehearsals. As an author, he loves writing about adventures that he never read as a kid. And he loves to break the rules. Who said wizard pirates can't ride mechanical dinosaurs? In the past, he has worked for several acting agencies and promoted environmental ad campaigns. 

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Guest Post by MG Author Gita V. Reddy: Does Social Networking Help Sales?

“You have to,” my friend told me, when I explained that I found all the networking difficult. “You have to put yourself out there, and connect with your readers.”

“Won’t an advertisement about my book do?”

“No. People want to know about you, and what makes you tick.”

“Who are these people who want to know about me even before knowing about my existence? I am practically unknown.”

“That’s your fault.  The least you could have done was to have your own blog.”

“What will I blog about?”

                              

“Anything. There are any number of things you can write about. You could start with your secret recipe of prawn curry.”

I knew this was my friend’s way of getting at the recipe which was guarded by my family like a state secret.

“I write for children, for middle graders. How will a food blog sell books?”

“Mommies are fond of food blogs and mommies decide what their children should read.”

What my friend said seemed logical but I was not keen on blogging, it would eat into my writing time, and I wanted to make up for the twenty-six years when I had not been able to write because of my day job.

“Join a book forum,” my friend suggested. “You love books, and you love discussing about them.”

“But I can’t discuss my own books!”

“They usually have a folder for self-promotion.”

Three months later I told my friend, “It isn’t working. I have posted in more than ten groups but haven’t made a sale.”

“Just posted? You should take part in the discussions, contribute, and network. No group likes people who only peep in to wave a poster.”

I grumbled, “No group wants authors. Just look at the names of the folders! Shameless Self- Promotion! Pimp your Stuff! They should welcome us because the relationship between a writer and a reader is symbiotic.”

“You are a struggling writer, not a writer. You are like a salesman with a new product so you should hawk your wares. You should be on facebook, twitter, Google+, etc.”

Convinced, I started posting and tweeting about my books, myself, and my cat. My friend had a huge following and he helped me build one too.  My posts spread like ripples.

A month later, when I was going through the latest tweets, my friend dropped in. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Checking to see which ones to retweet.”

“Are you reading them? You don’t have to. Just retweet and spread the word.”

“Don’t you read the tweets?”

“A few. I just retweet most of them. That is what everyone does.”

If what my friend said was true, most of the social networking I had done had ended up as statistics. The number of ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’ were just numbers. But my sales had shown some improvement, I’d made some new friends and had had some good laughs.  And the pundits swear by it.

My book, Cinderella’s Escape, is free on all Amazon stores on 5th, 6th, and 7th September, 2014. Please share, re-tweet this post.

Author Pages:

http://www.amazon.com/Gita-V.-Reddy/e/B00D3YMQ0M/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1409847460&sr=1-1

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/403624

Please connect with me through my website, facebook page, and twitter (@GITAVREDDY)

Gita V. Reddy is a writer of fiction for children and adults. She enjoys thinking up tales of different genres. She has written mysteries, adventure, science fiction and even an animal tale for childrens.

Ms Reddy was born in India, is a post graduate in Mathematics, is married to a physics professor, has a son doing research in neuro-electronics and loves literature!

Her other interests are painting and writing poetry.

Let’s get the Holiday Season started with a Goodreads Giveaway…

As the holiday season encroaches, I thought I’d set up a Goodreads giveaway for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to read the first book in my middle grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. There’s plenty of time to enter as the giveaway runs from November 15^th to December 10^th, and all shares and tweets would be most appreciated. Did I mention I’m signing the book, and throwing in a couple of trading cards and wrist bands to sweeten the pot?

Cheers and Happy Holidays to all my friends and followers!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

by Sharon Ledwith

Giveaway ends December 10, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win