BLOGS, VLOGS, WORDS & THINGS
Elena, welcome to the blog! First of all, tell us a little about yourself? What do you do in your spare time? Do you even have any spare time? It seems like you have been so busy, getting all these fabulous books out into the world. Thanks for having me! I’ve always heard, “if you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work”, writing children’s books has proven that statement true in my life. I have a mixed and blended family. We have a total of eight children, which you will meet, as different characters, throughout my work. When I find some spare time I like to run, listen to music, and watch television. I find, on certain days when I can take a break, there are so many shows I used to watch on TV that I missed through the week and I play catch up. If we go to your website, we see the words Laws Publishing Company, are you a publisher that people can submit to or have you started the company to publish your own books? Will you look at expanding one day and taking on other authors? I started my company so that I could publish my books. In the future, after I establish myself better, I wish to help others publish their work at affordable prices. I have recently been meeting a lot of people who would love to publish their work but they don’t have the money to pay for the process. I would love to be able to help others through the process. Tell us about your books? What do you currently have out in the world? I have three books that are out at market right now: my first book, What If A Rock Could Grow Flower Petals, my second book, Pauly Walley Crocodile Goes to The Dentist, and my third, Kateesha The Koaiger Climbs Her Favorite Tree. When I was young, I loved books that were full of colour and had colourful characters. As I grew older I leaned more towards fantasy. ~~~~~~~ What If A Rock Could Grow Flower Petals is a book, I created from an idea that was sparked by my younger daughters, Viki and Lizi? When they were ages 2 – 9, every time they went on a walk, in our neighborhood or while on vacation or while on an area hike, they would pick flowers to give to me and they would pick rocks to give to their father. Every walk was a mini adventure and they wanted to be fair with both their father and me. One day I thought it would be interesting to see what it would look like if we merged the two. Most of us view a flower as soft and beautiful, and a rock usually represents strength and protection. In this book we can see, in an elementary way, what the two might look like if they were one but, the symbolism is what I am most proud of, there are many different meanings.  Pauly Walley Crocodile Goes to The Dentist is a story about a very kindly crocodile who experiences his first toothache. It’s an invitation to children, telling them it’s ok to be afraid and teaches us how we can count on our community to help us feel safe and, in some cases, make the fear and pain go away. I hope to encourage children to let those around them know when they don’t feel good, both physically and emotionally. This book was inspired by my two oldest sons Paul and David. When they were young they were always very helpful, friendly, and trusting to those around them.  Kateesha The Koaiger Climbs Her Favorite Tree is about a Koaiger, who is a young lady that is half koala half tiger, and on each day of the week she climbs her favourite tree to see what she can see. Each day she uses the ABC’s as she points out different animals doing different things. It is a rhyming book that uses primary and secondary colours. This book was inspired by my oldest daughter Katesha. Katesha is a very colourful person with a peaceful personality. Children love her and this book is a good representation of who she is and how creative she can be.  Do you have any works in progress that you can share with us? Any sneak peeks?
I have two books at the illustrators right now. One is about a dinosaur, and the other is about a beaver. The dinosaur book was inspired by my son David and the beaver book is inspired by my son Joseph. I have started another book about dragons that is inspired by my son Daniel and my biggest work is an ongoing project, which happens to be a fairy tale, that I have been working on for about 6 years. Do you have a favourite among your own books? No favourites, just like my children, I love them all the same. Do you have a favourite among other author’s work? The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is my favourite book. I remember reading this book as a child, it was the first book that I felt really stretched my imagination in a more mystical and mysterious way. Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? When I am creating a story, I don’t think about originality or delivery. I write what is real to me in that moment. The stories are representatives of how I view my children, their personalities, and events that have taken place in our lives. What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer? You are the first author that I have reached out to and befriended. You were so kind in your response to the young indie author regarding new ways market. I am a part of a few Facebook Groups that have encourage new indie authors to search through their past posts to figure out how the indie process works. That’s how I have been able to accomplish so much this year. What was the best money you ever spent as a writer? Printing hardcovers of all of my books is the best money I have spent. To hold my creation in my hand has been the most surreal experience. Now, this next question is something that I do, so I wonder... do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? There are some secrets in my work that only a few will find. Those who are close to my family should have no problems finding some of them but, they will not find all of them. I will give you an easy one, Maria Monkey is me. My first name is Maria. There are other secrets that are more embedded in the details of each book that I will leave to the audience. Do you have any advice for someone who wants to write, or someone starting out in self-publishing? Always research what you have a passion for. There is someone out there who has gone through the experience before you. With Social Media having such a long reach, you will find the information you need and others who are willing to help you live out your passion. Finally, please share your social media and contact details with us, so we know how to get hold of you and then we will say goodbye (for now). Website: elenalaws.org Email: el@elenalaws.org Facebook: @ElenaLawsAuthor and @Lawspublishing Instagram: @elenalawsauthor and @lawspublishingcompany Twitter: @ElenaLaws7 and @PublishingLaws Tik Tok: @elenalawsauthor Thanks so much for joining us today, Elena. I love your books and cannot wait to see what you come up with next. Pop over to the above social media channels folks and show Elena some support :) As always, Onwards and Upwards we go :) x x Tab Good morning beautiful people! I hope this post finds you all safe, well and enjoying your Tuesday morning. Today, I have the honour of taking part in Books On Tour. Check them out HERE Today’s book is the bright and bubbly Gorkle, written by Sydney born author Penny Macoun. Gorkle is Penny’s debut picture book which launched November 5th, 2020.  The synopsis for Gorkle: Gorkle is a gremlin who lives in cyberspace. He does not like where he lives, it is a miserable place because there are no bright colours anywhere. He likes the look of Earth. He really likes the brightly coloured text messages that humans send to each other, which he tries to keep. One day, Gorkle is visited by two humans from Earth who are looking for the text messages that Gorkle has been keeping. What will happen when they all meet? Doesn’t that sound fab? The book paints a fantastic picture of cyberspace, turning it into an out of this world experience. It is modern and colourful, with an ethereal and unique feel. The book follows Gorkle, a cute gremlin with three eyes and many limbs. He lives on a cyber planet and longs to escape his dreary, miserable home, with its dull colours and boring environment. His greatest wish is to visit that bright, colourful round ball called earth. One day, Gorkle notices some bright and colourful things floating in cyber/space and decides that he wants to collect, and you could say ‘hoard’ them. They are great! and Gorkle collects as many as he can. He fills his bucket and loves every moment of it. It is great fun and cheers him right up. What Gorkle does not know, is that these bright and colourful objects are messages between earthlings. The messages are very important, and the earthlings are baffled as to why their messages are not getting through. Soon enough, when his collection of colourful things is getting quite large, Gorkle finds himself face to face with two strange-looking earthlings and learns that by collecting the objects, he has inadvertently caused mayhem for his new companions and their family and friends. The two earthlings explain to Gorkle, the results of his foraging in cyberspace and the trio come up with a plan.. This is a bright and colourful book, from the sky to the trees and the ‘floating objects’. The illustrations are simple but fabulous and Gorkle is so cute. I would buy a Gorkle plush, if ever they became a thing. I love his three eyes and he reminds me of the aliens and creatures one would find in a kids tv show, so sweet while being … strange (in an awesome way).  Gorkle’s story teaches us the importance of cyberspace/the internet today and it shows us how easily things can go haywire. It also teaches us that sometimes, it is best to not mess with the order of things, even if it seems like it would be fun. Gorkle also shows us, that if you come across something that does not belong to you, no matter how exciting it looks and how much you want it, it is in fact.. not yours, and it would probably be best to leave it be. I liked the creative portrayal of the world wide web, the slightly depressed gremlin, and the fact that it encourages us to find the joy in the small things. He also reminds me of all of us in the current climate, feeling lonely and isolated. He does what we all should and finds happy things to concentrate on and he finds that they do in fact help. The earthlings in the book, even though they were frustrated at all of their messages going missing, were still willing to be kind. Kindness is so important, whether you are being kind to someone you know, or someone you do not. Kindness is free and it makes such a difference in some people’s lives. Well done Penny on a great book . That is all from me and for now I will sign off but will be back very soon! Stay safe x x x Tab  You can find Penny Macoun on the following Social media channels- Website- HERE Facebook- HERE Goodreads- HERE LinkedIn- HERE
Mistie is joining us today, to talk about her debut children’s book, releasing in soon. RAINBOWS FROM POPPY, is a charming and useful conversation starter for the heartbreaking topic we all come across at some point in our lives, loss. For more information on Mistie and her book, pop over and take a look at her website, Facebook and Instagram (posted at the end of this interview).  Mistie, welcome! Thank you so much for agreeing to join us today for a bit of interview fun. Can you tell us your name and the title of your book? My name is Mistie Dal Molin. My debut picture book is RAINBOWS FROM POPPY. What inspired you to write this book? My Dad. He died when I was little. His death, plus conversations with my son, as well as my previous role as a funeral director, encouraged and inspired me to write this book. Can you tell me about the book? Rainbows From Poppy is a simple picture book for children aged 3-7 years. It’s for children who will never meet their grandparents. It’s also for all the grandparents who will never know their beautiful grandchildren. Hopefully it encourages conversations and helps parents and teachers to approach this difficult subject in a gentle way. What are the lessons/ideas that you want readers to take away after reading your special and heart-warming story? I’m just hoping it brings some comfort to people who have lost someone they love. I’d like to remind children that death, unfortunately, is a part of life. Of course, it is sad and tough to go through, but there will always people to love and care for them. I guess the most important idea I’d like to convey is: sometimes, the bigger the storm in your life; the brighter your rainbow will be. Do you have any other books that you are working? If so, can we have a bit of a cheeky sneak peek? Yes, I do! I have 3 manuscripts that I am polishing, all in various stages. All works in progress for now – much lighter and happier subjects. What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any quirky habits? Early in the mornings or super late at night. Always with a green tea, and sometimes with a little chockie ... or 2! What is one big thing that you have learned during the creation of your gorgeous book, that you wish someone had told you before you began? PATIENCE. It can’t be written, edited, illustrated, designed and printed in hardcover and in my hands tomorrow! What is your favourite childhood author and/or book and what did you love about it? Early on, I loved Eric Hill’s ‘Spot’ books because they were short and sweet - lots of white space and clean illustrations. Later on, I was obsessed with Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club series, R.L Stine’s Fear Street books plus anything by Roald Dahl. If you could meet any author alive or dead, who would you choose? Maya Angelou or Stephen King. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Will you still be writing? Hopefully healthy and happy! I work fulltime for the Government and I have some amazing colleagues who I’d like to stay working with. I plan to continue working there and write in my spare time. I believe in lifelong learning. There’s always another course that I’m keen to do. I’d also love to visit my local bookstore and see a couple more of my books on shelves! ;) What do you like to do when you are not writing? I love absolutely everything about being mum! From all the sports to baking cakes, crafts, our weekly library visits and park dates - it’s crazy busy, it’s the best! I love watching true crime and serial killer documentaries - but then I get scared, so I back them up with a Disney movie to cheer myself up. I miss travelling, I miss my family and friends overseas and I secretly love country music. Tabitha, thank you so much for having me. Congratulations on your four beautiful books – pretty massive achievements with all you’ve been through. It’s been lovely e-meeting you, and your books! Thanks so much Mistie, for joining us, for the chat and for your amazing work. I cannot wait to read the book! Maybe a book review post is in the future, a swap maybe? Keep on going, you are doing an amazing job.  To find out more about Mistie Dal Molin and/or her debut picture book Rainbows From Poppy, pop over to her social media
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mistiedalmolin Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/mistiedalmolin Website- https://www.mistiedalmolin.com Good morning and a huge hello to you all! I hope this post finds everybody safe, well and enjoying the start of a new week. I just wanted to do a quick update post and share what is happening right now. I have a few things, so bear with me 😊 First up, I have joined Books On Tour, which is an awesome promotional tool for writers and illustrators. What it is? You contact the fabulous Romi and choose your plan, she then sets up a tour for your book. It will be bounced around from Blog to Blog, Instagram to Instagram. The aim being, to get many creatives to share and review your new book baby. This is a great way to get your books out in the world and I am so happy to be doing reviews for Books On Tour. Keep an eye out for my reviews, here on the blog and on my other social media channels (listed on my homepage). The first book I am reviewing is coming December 1st and although I cannot say much now, the gremlin is so very cute! Second up , Is my upcoming book! How exciting! My fifth book, titled I'm a Type One kid is in the process of having illustrations completed by the sensational Anna Kulieshova (Also the illustrator for Forever Friends) and I am so excited to be getting the first pages back. It's going to be an amazing book and resource for children who are newly diagnosed with Type One Diabetes and I cannot wait to share it with you. I will do a separate post later, with more on the book ad the inspiration behind it. I am just so excited that I wanted to share one of the fab illustrations with you. Keep in mind, that it may change slightly, but you will get the idea. Picture below! (yay!)  Don’t forget that we are now in November, so do get your Christmas orders in ASAP, or they will not make it to you in time. I also have gift vouchers available to anyone who needs them, and these will be sent electronically. The recipient can then use their voucher to purchase any of the books on my website (up to voucher value). Any amount, any time. Order via the shop now page, the same as you would the books and put in ‘Gift Voucher’ and the $$ amount and I will get right back to you.   That’s it for now, I need to go and get some writing done :) For the first time, I am taking part in NaNoWriMo and am so excited to see what my Middle Grade looks like at the end of the month. I may finally get the first draft done. 8,800 words down and …. a plenty more to go. If you are taking part in NanoWriMo2020, comment under this post with your username and we can buddy up, encouragement is good for all. For more on Books On Tour, click HERE For more on NaNoWriMo, click HERE For more on books and gift vouchers, click HERE Have a great week and chat soon! Keep on keeping on! Tab x x x  Good Afternoon :) I hope this post finds you all safe and well. Recently, I was lucky enough to nab myself an Advanced Reader Copy of a brand-new Middle-Grade novel titled Aster’s Good, Right Things by the fabulous Kate Gordon. Aster’s Good, Right Things is releasing November 1st, 2020 and is set to be a hit with young and old alike. To begin, let me share the book synopsis with you (taken/quoted from Goodreads) 'I can’t let go of them – the good, right things—because if I do I’ll turn into a cloud and I’ll float away, and a storm will come and blow me to nothing." Eleven-year-old Aster attends a school for gifted kids, but she doesn’t think she’s special at all. If she was, her mother wouldn’t have left. Each day Aster must do a good, right thing—a challenge she sets herself, to make someone else’s life better. Nobody can know about her ‘things’, because then they won’t count. And if she doesn’t do them, she's sure everything will go wrong. Then she meets Xavier. He has his own kind of special missions to make life better. When they do these missions together, Aster feels free, but if she stops doing her good, right things will everything fall apart?' I am so glad that I grabbed a copy of this book for myself and I congratulate the author, Kate Gordon on such a heart-warming and real book. The book is suitable for young and old, those who love to read and those who only read a little. It follows the journey of young Aster, a sweet, quiet, and kind-hearted girl, who attends a progressive school for the gifted. Young Aster does not feel gifted, she feels abandoned and anxious. The noise in her head makes her daily activities challenging but she finds a way to cope and sets out every day to do good things for others. She shows us that you can do good, no matter what comes your way. She teaches us that it is the small things that make a difference, to ourselves and to other people. She also teaches us that when doing right and good things, it does not have to be shouted from the rooftops, it does not have to be publicised so that other people know how ‘good’ we are. Good and right things can be and are best done quietly, under the radar and because they are good, not because they will get us praise. Such a good message to spread far and wide. Aster finds many situations challenging, as do many of us and often finds herself unable to think and function as well as she would like. Alongside her father, Aster comes up with a way to cope and It is such a sweet method. (Aster, I love flowers also 😊) As with many people, Aster gets anxiety, sometimes it is very intense and she finds it difficult to hang out with other people, they do not 'get' her. During the story, she happens to find a couple of the best friends she could ask for and they are the most unlikely trio. Alongside her new pals, Aster flourishes and even begins to dance. The three young people, all with their own challenges, grow close and though they struggle with their own situations, they find the time and the heart to support each other through their most trying times. This book is a wonderful firsthand account of the struggles that many people face. It makes us think, it makes us feel. I must admit, I found myself with a heavy heart when Aster struggled and smiled at her accomplishments, I fell into the story and found myself reading at 2 am. I just could not put it down. This book is a must for anyone with anxiety, it is a wonderful resource while being entertaining and is just a great read. The voice and feel of this book very much reminds me of ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ and ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ while also shining with its own light. I cannot wait to hear what you all think, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of Kate’s other books. Thank you so much, Kate, for sharing Aster and her friends with us. Aster’s Good, Right things is launching on November 1st, 2020 and is sure to be a big hit, do pop over to the following links and grab yourself a copy Website http://www.kategordon.com.au Direleafehall Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/kategordon
Happy Saturday everyone!
I hope this post finds you all well and safe. I have a couple of things for you today. First, I hope you love my website overhaul. I do have a few more things to fix/change, but have spent a lot of time of late fixing it up and making it a bit less busy. I am aiming to make it easier to navigate and am open to suggestions. Just pop a message in the contact form if you have anything. The second thing I have to say today, is hurray! I am so happy to announce, that I will again be working with the fabulous Anna Kulieshova. Anna Illustrated my book ‘Today I Met the Sock Fairy’ and did such an amazing job, I just had to have her work on book number FIVE with me. ‘I’m a Type One Kid’ will introduce us to a young character who is has Type One diabetes and the book will be a simple, fun way to show young and old that all of your feelings upon diagnosis, are valid and perfectly normal. I cannot wait to get started on this book with Anna and hope that you will join me in my happy squealing! Sqeeeuuuuuuul! I’m a Type One Kid Author- Tabitha J Page Illustrator- Anna Kulieshova Coming- 2021 By now, most would have seen that my latest book, titled Mikah’s Wandering Feet, has been released and is ready for purchase. The book is getting so many fabulous reviews, which I really appreciate. I will do a separate post about this latest book later. For now, if you would like to check out the title, go to my ‘shop now’ or ‘books’ page and have a read. Now I must go and crack on with the illustration notes for the new book but will be back very soon with more information and thoughts. Have a great weekend, stay safe and stay creative! Tab |
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