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  • A Word with Beth — about Me, Myself and I (Part Two)

    By Beth | May 18, 2014

    As I indicated last month, the Owl really gets his grammar feathers in a twist when it comes to the use and misuse of the word Myself. In an attempt to smooth the Owl’s feathers, I’d like to mention a few of the ways Myself is abused in conversation, writing, and speech-making, and suggest alternatives.

  • Moving Forward — with Flowers for the Living

    By Beth | April 27, 2014

    I attended a birthday party recently — a 70th birthday to be exact. One of the main features of the afternoon was “Open Mic Time” during which various family members and friends went up to the microphone and told the gathering what the honored guest had meant to them over the years, and what she…

  • Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers (YA)

    By Beth | April 24, 2014

    Have you ever left a note for a family member on the refrigerator door? Most of us have. It’s a central location, and most people go to the fridge on a regular basis. You can pretty much count on them seeing the note. Have you ever thought of writing a book consisting solely of fridge…

  • Reciprocity and Gratitude!

    By Beth | April 23, 2014

    Recently, three of my wonderful friends have posted about Flubs2Fixes (my copy editing and proofreading service) on their blogs, and I am so grateful for these shout-outs! All three posts were completely unsolicited. I knew about one ahead of time, while the others were a surprise. Not only do I appreciate these shout-outs, and will…

  • A Word with Beth — about Me, Myself, and I (Part One)

    By Beth | April 20, 2014

    The Owl has observed that Me, Myself, and I are often troublemakers in the grammatical world. Me and I work in tandem to cause confusion, while Myself causes quite enough problems on its own. Today I’m going to talk about Me and I. Myself will get a post all of its own, next month. Here’s…

  • How to Make a Picture Book, part 3

    By Beth | April 13, 2014

    How to Make a Picture Book, part 3 Story Development   Julie Gribble is back with the third installment of her blog series. You’re going to like this… … … Bonjour, mes amis! I’m taking a break from sightseeing in Old Montreal to write this post. It’s a nippy spring day and the shining sun…

  • We’re Going on a Book Hunt — Perfect Picture Book Friday

    By Beth | April 10, 2014

    Title: We’re Going on a Book Hunt Author: Pat Miller Illustrator: Nadine Bernard Westcott Publisher: Fort Atkinson, WI: Upstart Books, 2008.

  • In the Spotlight — Mary Aalgaard, On the Page and Off the Page

    By Beth | April 6, 2014

    Some of you may remember that in 2012 I participated in the amazing blogging challenge, the A to Z Challenge,  in which bloggers post every day in April using the letters of the alphabet as their daily prompts. I made some great friends through that challenge. One of those friends is Mary Aalgaard, who is…

  • In the Spotlight — Teresa Robeson and Fiction for a Cause

    By Beth | April 3, 2014

    My friend Teresa Robeson is multi-talented. She’s a homeschooler, a homesteader, and a writer in several genres. And you should see her sketches of birds! I got to know her because of her interest in writing for kids, and particularly writing picture books, but the books we’re focusing the spotlight on today are collections of…

  • Moving forward — Writing is Not Just Writing

    By Beth | March 23, 2014

    Last summer, when many of my writing friends were gathered in Los Angeles for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators international summer conference, they had the opportunity to attend a break-out session/workshop that I so wished I could be part of. I’ve often mentioned Julie Foster Hedlund. She is an author, the originator…

  • A Word with Beth — No Lies about Lie and Lay

    By Beth | March 16, 2014

    The owl who gives a hoot about grammar is back this month, as I talk about a couple of words that lay traps for the unwary, then lie in wait for the traps to be sprung. 😉 While some might say that the language is evolving, and we shouldn’t worry about the mix-ups in usage,…

  • How to Make a Picture Book — The Making of Bubblegum Princess: Part 2: Choosing your Illustrator/Choosing your Author

    By Beth | March 9, 2014

    It’s the second Monday of the month, and that means it’s time for Julie Gribble’s guest post series on How to Make a Picture Book. I love the subtitle of today’s post: Choosing your Illustrator/Choosing your Author or How to Find a Best Friend for You and Your Story. If you missed the first post in the series,…