Sometimes, the universe serves up events in THE perfect way. 

​Take this sweet invitation I just received for my niece’s baby shower -- a brilliant way to get kids hooked on books right from the start! ​ (Baby L. arriving in April...Happy Auntie!)

Please bring a book instead of a card....
Baby will become
very smart, indeed,
if we start early,
she will soon learn to read.

 
​Then I received a different kind of invitation from my blogging buddies and jumped at the chance they offered..  I'm joining them in observing Valentine’s Day on 14 February in a different way.  Instead of chocolates and cards, we’re hosting a Blog Hop and Giveaway for International Book Giving Day. 

Yep.  From now until midnight, ET, 15 February 2017, you’ll have a chance to win one of 14 Kid Lit/family-friendly softcover books and 4 E-books!  (Details at the end of this post)

​Besides our giveaway, bookgivingday.com suggests other ways YOU can observe this day and spread book love to children:

• Leave a book for a child to discover or donate a book to a local charity or library.
  
• Connect with others celebrating International Book Giving Day on Facebook and Twitter using #bookgivingday
  
• Download and print a FREE International Book Giving Day bookplate to attach to a book you give to a kid on IBGD's website HERE 
  
• Share a photo of yourself celebrating International Book Giving Day, use #bookgivingday on social media 

Good luck with our Giveaway!  And for more International Book Giving Day fun, visit my talented writer pals below below --- you might just win a copy of his or her tale!

And hey, if you’re a blogger who's pumped about books, just add your family-friendly International Book Giving Day link to your blog post in the comment section below. We’ll visit your blog and give you some blog love.  

Carmela Dutra
Julie Gorges
JD Holiday
Corrina Holyoake
James Milson  
Tracy Bryan
Rosie Russell 
Sandra Bennett

Fine print about the giveaway:
Terms and conditions: There is NO purchase necessary to enter or win. Winners will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget within 48 hours and notified by email once the giveaway ends.  Winners will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner(s) do not respond within 72 hours, a new winner(s) will be chosen. This giveaway is open internationally. HOWEVER, print books are available only to winners residing within the author’s country of origin; ebooks will be offered outside the author's country of origin at the writer’s discretion.

YOUR TURN:
How might you celebrate International Book Giving Day?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Driving Down to Dillon: A Tale of Love & New Beginnings

Growing up in a family of athletes and high-school coaches, I don’t know how it was possible for me not to love organized sports. But I do not.
​
Sunday afternoons as a kid was all about squeezing into the dining room with family to laugh and talk over huge meals. It also meant afterward enduring hours of sports being played on TV. Hockey, basketball, baseball, football. It didn’t matter the season. There was always some kind of game being played somewhere.

While I rarely watch a game, I root for the home team each season, our Carolina Panthers, who were in the 2016 Super Bowl. I’m also drawn to the team’s mantra, a quote from their beloved colleague who battled cancer — Keep pounding.

​Stirred by the Panthers’ quest to be the best, I found five pieces of advice from the world of football to inspire authors to produce their best, too, and keep pounding the keyboard….….  great for writers and also for any of life challenges.

The good folk at The Children’s Writers Guild ran my piece in their e-zine for during last year's Super Bowl season, but my advice stands the test of time.  See them all for yourself by clicking over to the Children's Writers Guild for a read HERE
 
btw…I’m going to a Super Bowl party on Sunday.  Not to watch the game but to eat All-American junque food and enjoy being friends.  Wishing you a super Sunday jammed with as much football, food and friends as you wish it to be!

Your turn: How do you keep going when you're stuck on writing or any life challenge?  Please your thoughts in the comment section.


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Send this blog to your RSS feed or email.

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Updates - Special Offers - Fun Stuff

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