Starting Black Friday, November 28th and running clear through December 25th, for those last-minute gifts.
Click on the book title to go to the landing page. Then, select the distributor of your choice.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans – $2.50 – Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective. Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jellybeans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend– $2.50 – Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation. Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home – $2.99 – Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective. Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows take the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, separated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of luck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
WordCrafter Press is running some great holiday sales this season, because I believe that to give a book is to give a gift of love. All sales run from Black Friday, November 28, all the way through December 25th to help out with those last-minute gifts.
We’ve had a great year here at WordCrafter Press & Writing to be Read, and it’s all because of you, our fabulous readers!
2024 Publications from WordCrafter Press
The D.I.Y. Author: Writer’s Resource
Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two but being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.
In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.
Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series
Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.
Sarah is not the young girl stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.
When she is stolen away from the life she’s made, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.
Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?
Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy Anthology
There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree.
Stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johannson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow Anthology – Book 2 in the Midnight Anthology Series
17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare.
Contributing authors include Paul Kane, Ell Rodman, DL Mullan, Joseph Carrabis, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Denise Aparo, Jon Shannon, Zack Ellafy, Danaeka Scrimshaw, Robb T. White, Abe Margel, Julie Jones, Molly Ertel, Peter McKay, Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Martz, and M.J. Mallon.
Reminder: ALL WordCrafter Press Books 50% off through January 1 on Smashwords
That’s right. You can get those WordCrafter Press books that have been sitting on your wishlist at 50% of during the Smashwords 2024 End of Year Sale. But you must act before January 1st, when the sale ends and these great discounts go away. And don’t forget that WordCrafter Press books make great holiday gifts, too. Get your copies today.
On Writing to be Read, we’ve had several new monthly blog series debut. I introduced a new Monday blog series, “Everyone is a Critic”, where you can find out what I think about movies or television series I’ve watched. I brought back “Chatting with the Pros” on the second Saturday of each month, along with the debut of its sister series on the fourth Saturday, “Chatting with New Blood”, where I interview professional authors who are making it work, and rising authors about their books and lessons learned, respectively, and post my reviews of their books.
And Robbie Cheadle said goodbye to “Growing Bookworms” and introduced her new monthly series, “Read and Cook”, where each month, she reviews a book and provides a complimentary recipe with delectable photos. I believe this series will be quite popular, or at least, it has been so far. Robbie’s series appear on Wednesdays, and “Read and Cook” appears the second Wednesday of the month. The third and forth Wednesdays see her “Treasuring Poetry” series, featuring interviews with poets and reviews of their books, and “In Touch with Nature” featuring facts about African wildlife and Robbie’s brillant wildlife photography, videos and artwork.
2024 also saw a new addition to the Writing to be Read blog team, DL Mullan, with her new series “Undawntech”, where she explores the pros and cons of AI and other technology in our rapidly changing world.
In addition, Arthur Rosch’s monthly contribution, “Mind Fields”, brings poetry and essays with Art’s unique outlook on life, appears randomly, where there is space for it, often a fifth Wednesday or Friday, if there is one, or sometimes on the first Wednesday, as that’s an open spot, as well.
If you want to be sure to not to miss any of this great content, you can subscribe to Writing to be Read and receive notification of all new content right in your inbox. We’ve got a great new year ahead of us, so don’t miss a post.
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Note From the Author
That’s a recap of this past year for WordCrafter Press and Writing to be Read. I’m thankful for all that’s been accomplished and excited about the year to come. To find out what is in store, watch for this month’s “WordCrafter News” on the 30th.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from WordCrafter Press and the Writing to be Read blog team
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About author Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This post is sponsored by The Rock Star & The Outlaw and WordCrafter Press.
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her drug dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
Don’t write down to children: This is the number one piece of advice I heard about writing for children, and of course, it is true. It doesn’t mean to write about adult subjects filled with sex and cuss words, but they’re trying to get through the idea that kid’s are smart and you don’t have to dumb things down for them.
I think this is one of the biggest differences in writing for children. Children’s minds are like sponges that absorb information. While you probably don’t want to use a lot of scientific jargon to explain the workings of the solar system, plain layman’s terms are usually simple enough for kid’s to digest and understand.
In her writer’s refence book, Word By Word, Kerrie Flanagan offers snippets from interviews with three different teen and young adult authors who tackle sensitive issues in their books and have all taken heat for doing so, about handling real life issues in their writing. Jay Asher, author of the young adult novel Thirteen Reasons, which deals with the issue of suicide says,
“Yes, I shaped the story to reveal the things I wanted to say, but it had to be revealed through the words of my characters, not me. I also knew, out of respect for the seriousness of what needed to be written, that I couldn’t hold back any detail that would make the scenes feel however raw they needed to feel. That caused my book to be challenged, but I know it’s also what made it connect to so many readers.”
And New York Times bestselling adult and young adult author, Ellen Hopkins says,
“Every teen is faced with choices, and without understanding possible outcomes, they often rush headlong in the wrong direction. As authors, we can’t tip-toe around hard truths, because those truths, because those truths are part of the human condition, and fearing a challenge is a sure way to make your writing fall flat.”
When asked for advice to new writers dealing with a sensitive topic, Cheryl Rainfield, author of the award-winning novel, Scars, and other teen novels which deal with the issue of abuse and incest says,
“I think using some of your own emotion and honesty in writing is so important; readers will sense if you’re not being honest or you’re holding back or you’re afraid of the topic….”
I believe this advice is true when writing for younger children, as well. In the My Backyard Friends series, which are aimed at four to eight year olds, I deal with issues such as being lost and alone, and situations where you need the help of others, and the possibilities of self-indulgence, but the message comes through through the words and actions of the characters, and all serves the story, and there’s a lesson in each one. For a small child, being lost can be a scary experience, it can be difficult to ask for someone’s help with a problem when a child is struggling to feel grown up, and children may need help to see the consequences of their actions. My hope is that children can learn through my characters, how to cope in similar situations.
Illustrations
Many children’s books are illustrated, where adult books are usually not. This makes every illustrated children’s book a collaboration, and all parties involoved need to be on the same page about the goal. This is extremely important, and finding the right illustrator, one who understands your vision, can be a daunting process. Finding an illustrator you want to work with who has prices that fit your budget is even more challenging.
Back in 2010, I found an illustrator who met both of these criteria to do Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, and the rest of the My Back Yard Friend series. I was thrilled with her cover design and sample illustrations, and the price she gave me was reasonable, as well. She even matched me up with a small independent publisher who was willing to publish my book. I was ecstatic.
But, like traditional publishing for adult literature, publishing children’s books takes time, five years or more, and during that time, things can and do change. My illustrator ran into health issues which made it impossible for her to continue doing the beautiful illustrations by hand, and I was forced to accept first, digital illustrations, and then, a whole different illuistrator who I knew nothing about. When I requested the money I had paid for my illustrations five years previous, since they had never been completed and I would not be able to use them, the illustrator refused my refund and the publisher dumped me, and I found myself back at square one. It was enough to sour me on traditional publishing, and set aside my dreams of having my children’s books published.
This was a tough decision. I shopped around for another illustrator for a short time, I found that illustrations had become quite expensive, far beyond my budget at the time. So, the books of the My Backyard Friends series were shelved, filed away in the archives of my files for many years. You can imagine how excited I became when I learned that the talented Robbie Cheadle had taken up drawing and painting, and was actually illustrating some of her own books. Having written and illustrated her Sir Chocolate books, Robbie also had experience inside the arena of children’s literature, so it seemed to me to be a perfect fit. I was ecstatic when she agreed to my proposal to illustrate the first three books in the series in 2023, to be published through WordCrafter Press. And what a feeling of satisfaction to see them released this past July.
Robbie may live on a different continent, and her hummingbird is a different breed with different coloring than the hummingbirds in my neighborhood, but her Heather is absolutely gorgeous. Readers are not aware of the differences. All of Robbie’s illustrations are wonderful, bringing my characters to life with vivid imagry and brilliant colors. But this lead me to yet, another tough decision.
WordCrafter Press publishes wide, through D2D, and while I enjoy many of the advantages this offers, their print books are not illustration friendly, and they only publish in black and white. I did not feel that black and white would do Robbie’s beautiful illustrations justice, and thus chose not to offer them in print until I could afford to publish through other channels that of color options. Originally, I planned a Kickstarter, but circumstances in my personal life made the Kickstarter platform not a viable option for me, and I tried to do my own fund raiser during the blog tour, but the funds just weren’t there. And so, as disappointing as it may be, the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series is only available in digital format for now.
Marketing Children’s Books
Marketing is the area where some would say children’s and adult literature differ the most. I’ve heard it said, “I just don’t know how to market to children.” But that’s the thing. Children are not your marketing audience, adults are. Kid’s aren’t going to care that the My Backyard Friends series was inspired by the birds and animals that visit my backyard, but their parents might find it interesting enough to buy a book for their childMarketing children’s books really isn’t all that different from marketing adult literature. You just need to look at the value offered from a parent or educator’s point of view, because that’s who you are marketing to.
I haven’t had a lot of success using the same digital marketing strategies I use with my adult books, which blog tours and social media promotion, with the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series. According to Jason Chen, founder of Story Bundle, “We’ve done a children’s bundle once and it did really poorly. Overall parents aren’t looking for digital ebooks for their kids in my experience (yours may be different!)” But, my experience has been similar. I think children’s books fall into an area where print books are still preferable to digital ones. That’s one of the reasons I am so disappointed to be unable to offer my children’s books in print.
With that in mind, I’m thinking maybe in-person selling, which is a bit more personal, might be more effective in selling children’s books. Speaking at your child’s school, or doing a reading and book signing at your local library might just be the way to go. But that’s just my thoughts on the matter. I’d love to hear about what has worked and what hasn’t to sell your children’s books in the comments below.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, and her kid’s book series, My Backyard Friends. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Did you know you can sponsor your favorite blog series or even a single post with an advertisement for your book? Stop by the WtbR Sponsor Page and let me advertise your book, or you can make a donation to Writing to be Read for as little as a cup of coffee, If you’d like to show your support for this author and WordCrafter Press.
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This post is sponsored by the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series and WordCrafter Press.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.
Update for the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour
The WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour was a lot of fun, but unfortunately, no one replied to the question posed at the last tour stop, on Writing to be Read, so there are no winners of the surprise giveaway to announce. And because we didn’t raise any money at the My Backyard Friends store for the print editions of the series, featuring Robbie Cheadle’s lovely illustrations, it looks like the books will only be available in ebook format for quite awhile, as I will not be printing them in black & white.
The My Backyard Friends store is gone, but you can still get digital copies of all three books from your favorite distributors at the following Books2Read purchase links.
*Note: Actively seeking reviewers for this series. If interested, please contact me at kayebooth@yahoo.com.
August Projects
August will be a lull for me with no new releases to peddle. But, I’ll be hard at work preparing the last two anthologies planned for release this year. Submissions have been read, edited and the last revisions are coming due. I will be compiling them for release in September and October.
Tales from the Hanging Tree – Release Date: September 10th, 2024
Tales from the Hanging Tree is an by invitation only, themed anthology which is based on the following premise:
You would think being a paranormal tree with a life spanning over eons since the beginning of time would be pretty boring, but I’m here to tell you, I am far from bored. I suppose if I was a normal tree, I would be, but you see, I am the hanging tree and I’ve absorbed the lives and memories of every hanging that has ever taken place throughout time. I see their lives, I share their joys, I feel their pain. It would be too much for a normal tree to absorb even one life, so I exist to absorb them all. And I have seen many.
I’ve seen those accused of being outlaws and witches, some guilty, some not. I’ve seen those hanged from pure hatred, due to the color of their skin or the lifestyle they chose. When lives are cut short by the hands of others, or by their own doing, there must be somewhere for their life memories to go. For hangings, that’s me.
A boring existence, no. An often painful one, yes. But here I stand in the plane between life and death, with no recourse but to experience the lives of all hanging victims over and over again. I can’t get away from them, so I thought perhaps they would be easier to bear if I shared them with you here.
Between these pages, you will find their tales, for better or for worse. Many different lives, many different stories, with one thing in common. None have a happy ending.
Featuring stories by Joseph Carrabis, Paul Kane, C.R. Johansson, Sylva Fae, DL Mullan, Robbie Cheadle, Matt Usher, and Kaye Lynne Booth.
2024 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Anthology – To Be Released in October
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This post sponsored by WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services.
Whether it’s editing, publishing, or promotion that you need, WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services can help at a price you can afford.
This is the final stop on the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour. So today, we’re just going to recap a few things about this series and meet the three characters who haven’t been introduced yet: Ethan Eagle from Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend, and Nancy Nuthatch and Katy Cat from Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans. At the other stops, you should have met all the main characters, plus Becky Beaver from Timothy Turtle and Nicholas Nuthatch from Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home. If you missed a stop or two, don’t worry. I’m including a tour schedule with links at the end of this post, in the wrap-up section. Also, before we go, I’ll reveal the surprise which I promised at the first stop. So with that in mind, let’s get on with the introductions.
But first, a reminder that you can buy direct at the My Backyard Friends Store while the tour is running and through July 24th. Discounted eBooks, pre-orders for signed print copies, (if we can raise enough to have them done in color. Monies for this item will be refunded, if not.), and the My Backyard Friends poster with all of your favorite characters.
About Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend is a picture book with a message of friendship and cooperation.
Heather Hummingbird and Ethan Eagle are two unlikely friends who discover that it is good to accept help from others and that is what friends are for.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Heather Hummingbird Makes a New Friend through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-HeatherHummingbird
Meet Ethan Eagle
Interview with Ethan Eagle
What type of eagle are you?
Isn’t it obvious? I am an American Bald Eagle; a national symbol, I am told.
You have lots of feathers covering your head. Why do they call you a bald eagle?
There are approximately two thousand feathers on my head, and they are all white. No other eagle has a white head. The label comes from the old English “balde” which means white.
Are American Bald Eagles and endangered species?
I am told that we are no longer endangered, although I still do not believe there are many of us. For a while there we were because humans were using some kinds of poisons that made their way up the food chain to us. It thinned the shells on our eggs so that they often were crushed under the weight of the mother sitting on them, causing our numbers to dwindle. My mother used to talk about how precious life was and how past generations struggled to keep their young alive and bring them to maturity, so us kids would not behave in a reckless manner once we learned to use our wings.
Eagles can fly very fast. Did your tiny hitchhiker slow you down much?
Not at all. Heather is only about three inches in size and I bet she only weighs about two and a half grams. I was woried at first that she might not be able to keep her hold at high wind speeds, since I have a six-foot plus wingspan and my cruizing speed is about thirty miles per hour, but she grasped some feathers with her tiny claws and tucked her body down into my underdown, leting the outer feathers block her from the wind. Heather is pretty smart for a hummingbird.
Why do you think yours and Heather’s is an unlikely friendship?
Normally, we larger birds of prey don’t bother ourselves much with birds as small as hummingbirds. When I first met Heather I found her kind of annoying. She never slowed down, and she spoke in quick, brief little snippits. She’d ask me a question and then zip away before I could answer. But the day she helped me, even when I did not believe there was anything she could do, changed the way I thought about hummingbirds, and Heather in particular.
Do you consider Heather to be your friend?
By all means. Eagles don’t have many friends. I believe we are intimidating to the smaller birds, even the hawks. We tend to be loners and we are territorial with our own kind, so we cannot ‘hang out’ together or the like. Heather is the only true friend I’ve ever had.
Fun Facts About Eagles
American Bald Eagles can live up to 20-25 years.
Bald Eagles have incredible eyesight, and can see in front of them and at a forty-five degree angle at the same time.
Bald Eagles eat mostly fish, but they are also carrion eaters.
“If a Bald Eagle catches a fish that is too heavy to lift, it may grasp the fish with its talons and use its wings like oars to swim to shore.” (“Fascinating Eagle FAQ”. National Eagle Center. https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/learn/faq/)
Bald Eagles have special circulation in their legs and talons which allows them to withstand very cold temperatures and stand on the ice for short periods of time.
It’s interesting that a cat is friends with a turtle. How did that come about?
I’ve known Timothy Turtle since he was not much bigger than a tadpole. Even when he was small, I couldn’t very well eat him, because of his hard shell. I’d swat him around with my paws, but I never did him any damage. As he got bigger, he’d come by my yard on his way to the raspberry patch, or the strawberry patch, or even sometimes he would visit the melon patch. No doubt about it. That boy has a terrible sweet tooth.
Why would you suggest Timothy to turn around in his shell?
Oh for heaven’s sake, I was kidding. He had a tummy ache, and I just said that he might feel better if his tummy were in the round part of his shell. I didn’t think he could actually do it. My girl, Kimmy, called me and I had to run. Kimmy gets upset when I make her wait. When I came back, I found Timothy in a terrible bind, but I have to admit, it was kind of funny, too.
You know, I agreed to come answer your questions, but I don’t think I like what you’re implying. I might have been teasing him a little, like I always do, but I waasn’t being spiteful or mean. I don’t think I want to answer anymore of your questions.
And with a flip of her tail Katy Cat has left the building.
Fun Facts About Cats
Cats can run up to 30 mph for short distances.
Cats use their whiskers to sense changes in the air through vibrations.
Adult cats can leap up to 5 or 6 feet in the air, distances up to six times their body length, especially with a running start.
The bumps and ridges on a cat’s nosepad is unique, like a human’s fingerprints.
Cats sweat through their paw pads.
Cats have 32 different ear muscles and can rotate their ears 180 degrees.
One study claims that male cats are left-pawed, while females are right-pawed.
Cats sleep 12 – 16 hours per day, about 70% of their lives, and they dream. Science believes the dream about cat stuff like hunting a mouse or running for a food bowl, when their paws twtch in their sleep.
Cats make over 100 vocal sounds and each one has meaning.
The oldest known evidence of a pet cat was discovered by archeologists near Cyprus in 2004, and it predates Egyptian cat art by 4000 years.
Cats walk like camels and giraffes with a pacing gate, meaning they move both feet on one side, then the other.
Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows in mourning when their cats died.
About Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life.Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans is a picture book with a moral message from a young turtle’s perspective.
Meet Timothy Turtle, who has a sweet tooth. He eats too many jelly beans and finds himself in a pickle. His friends Katy Cat and Betsy Beaver try to help, and Timothy learns that you can get too much of a good thing.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Timothy Turtle Discovers Jellybeans through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-TimothyTurtle
Meet Nancy Nuthatch
Interview with Nancy Nuthatch
Why did you agree to take time out of your busy day to help Timothy Turtle?
What else was I going to do? Let him starve? I had to forage and find insects for my hatchlings anyway. It didn’t take that much time to drop him an insect or two each day. They were enough to keep him alive, but not enough to let him gain weight until his tummy shrunk down to size.
Do you know Nicolas Nuthatch?
I should hope so. He’s my little brother. He’s more of a softie than I am. That’s how he met his friend Charlie Chickadee. The little guy needed a hand and Nick was there to offer one. They’ve been best friends ever since, even though they have a big age difference. I think Charlie looks up to Nick. I can’t complain. Charlie has always been a good kid.
As for me, I see Timothy around here and there. I’m sure he’s grateful for my help with his dilemma, but it’s not like he’s my best friend for life or anything. If I had to do it again, I would. It might not be such a bad thing to be a softie.
Fun Facts About Female Nuthatches
Nuthatches lay 5 – 9 eggs each breeding season. The female sits on the nest and incubates the eggs for 12-14 days, while the male brings food to the nest for her. They have one brood per year.
Both parents feed the youngsters until they are ready to leave the nest between 14-26 days. Young are fed a diet made up entirely of insects and spiders.
Pairs mate for life and remain together year round. Mating behaviors begin in late winter, as early as January in some areas. Male raises his head and spreads his tail feathers, droops his wings, sways back and forth, and bows deeply to his mate in courtship. He may also feed her when courting. (“The White-Breasted Nuthatch”. Audobon. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/white-breasted-nuthatch#)
Nuthatches nest in large natural cavities or vacated woodpecker holes. The females line the nest with bark fibers, grasses, twigs and hair. And they sweep the nest inside and out with insects crushed in their beaks. It is believed that the chemical secretions fend off predators.
The My Backyard Friends kid’s book series is inspired by the birds and animals that visit the author Kaye Lynne Booth’s mountain home. Beautiful illustrations by children’s author, poet, and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, bring the unique voices of the animal characters to life. Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home is a story of survival from a young bird’s perspective.
Charlie Chickadee is happy with his family in their cozy nest. But whem the violet-green swallows thake the nest for their own, Charlie finds himself alone, seperated from his parents and on his own to face the dangers of the forest. His new friend Nicholas Nuthatch shows him the ropes and teaches him about the other birds and the woman who puts out food each day, and by a stroke of liuck, Charlie discovers the perfect spot and builds a new nest that he can be proud of.
If you miss the My Backyard Friends Store, which will disappear on Wednesday July 24th, you can get a digital copy of Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home through this retailer purchase link: https://books2read.com/MBF-CharlieChickadee
That about wraps things up for the tour. If you’ve followed the tour, you’ve met all the characters introduced in the first three books in the My Backyard Friends Kid’s Book Series. While we had them all together for the tour, we also put together a cool poster, kind of like a group photo, in honor of the tour. Every kid would love to have this poster, featuring Robbie Cheadles wonderful illustrations, on their wall. But you can only get this fabulous poster at the My Backyard Friends Store until July 24th, so get one for each of the kids in your life now.
My Backyard Friends Poster Designed by Sonoran Dawn Studios
But wait! There’s one more surprise to reveal.
Surprise Giveaway!
Tell me in the comments which character is your favorite and the most interesting thing you learned about them during the tour for a chance to win one of two digital sets of all three books in a random drawing. After the tour ends, I’ll leave the comments open until Wednesday, so that everyone will have time to go back and visit stops they missed and get their comments in. The winners will be announced in my August segment of “WordCrafter News” on Monday July 29th, along with who the most popular character turns out to be.
Drop by Undawnted for Day 7 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour, where you can meet Charlie Chickadee in a mini-interview with DL Mullan, some fun facts about Chickadees, and a review of Charlie Chickadee Gets a New Home. Join us as we wind down the send off for this wonderful kid’s series, written by Kaye Lynne Booth and illustrated by Robbie Cheadle.
Today, we’re hanging out over at Carla Loves to Read, where Carla Johnson-Hicks is reading and reviewing all three books with her grandchildren for Day 6 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour. Won’t you stop by to see what the kids think of this wonderful kid’s series written by Kaye Lynne Booth and illustrated by Robbie Cheadle, and find out how you can help support the color print editions.
Today we’re over at Robbie’s Inspiration for Day 4 of the WordCrafter My Backyard Friends Book Blog Tour with a guest post from me, some fun facts about beavers, and a mini-interview with Robbie and Becky Beaver. Join us in helping to send off the series and raise enough to publish them in color print editions.
