National Get Caught Reading Month
Reading with children is a great investment in their future and the world’s! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com
Archive for the ‘Maine Author’ Category
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“Winter’s Last Hurrah” a poem by Bette A. Stevens
Winter’s Last Hurrah
A poem of seasonal transition by Bette A. Stevens
First day of spring at the farmstead in Central Maine and more than migrating birds flutter about to entertain us. Snowflakes join the celebration. The flurry of Slate-colored Juncos and White-breasted Nuthatches (I managed to capture a snapshot of one at the feeder) don’t seem to mind at all.
Wonders of the seasons—they never cease to amaze us!
~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
Find out more about birds mentioned in “Winter’s Last Hurrah”
- Juncos
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/juncos.html - Nuthatches
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/nuthatches.html
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AMAZING MATILDA: Monarch butterfly inspires children to follow their dreams!
AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale by Bette A. Stevens
Why write a book about a Monarch butterfly?
“I wanted readers of all ages, not only to learn about nature, but to learn from nature. Readers and listeners will discover facts about Monarchs and their habitat, all while they enjoy a tale filled with excitement and adventure. That’s the wonder of creative writing. Matilda and her friends not only teach lessons about patience and persistence, they show children that they can reach for their dreams and make them come true.”
~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
http://bit.ly/19Qr3Y0 “Look Inside” at YOUR Amazon…
Purchase Paperback any time and Download eBook version for FREE at YOUR AMAZON today!
Monarch butterflies and their habitat are threatened —author Bette A. Stevens advocates for their protection and conservation. Find out more about the author and her books right here on the blog.
[Explore Bette’s Blog]
ONLY 99¢ February 7th-14th: DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens
Celebrate Love Month this year with a hearty helping of DOG BONE SOUP, a novel by Bette A. Stevens. The soup’s simmering and it’s on sale for ONLY 99¢ from February 7th through 14th. Set in the 1950s and 60s, DOG BONE SOUP is the coming-of-age saga of a poor boy growing up in rural New England. In DOG BONE SOUP, you’re sure to discover why “Compassion is such a beautiful thing.” Already have your copy? Please share the news with your friends!
Latest ✰✰✰✰✰ book review:
‘Wow! I don’t know where to start with this story. Every now and then a book comes along that really makes an impression on you. Dog Bone Soup is one of those books. I didn’t grow up in the 1950s, but I didn’t have to because the author put me smack-dab in the middle of them (then later in the 60s).
‘Told from oldest son Shawn’s point-of-view Dog Bone Soup is the tale of the Daniels family. Shawn is bright and intelligent, devoted to his younger siblings and his mother. He’d hold he same regard for his father if the man didn’t go on drinking binges and turn on Shawn’s mother.
‘With a father who is considered the town drunk, and a family forced to eke out a hardscrabble living, Shawn dreams of escaping and one day becoming an Air Force pilot.
‘If this story sounds bleak, it’s far from it. Rather it is a vividly told tale of a family that finds ways to circumvent the poverty in which they live. There is so much heart here—devoted, honorable characters who do what’s necessary to survive. The descriptions and the settings soar off the pages. Read Dog Bone Soup and you’ll know what it feels like to go flying down a hill on your bicycle, hike to the creek to catch fish for dinner, or turn in empty bottles for penny candy. I devoured this book in two nights. Pick it up once and it’s extremely hard to put down. Highly recommended!’ ~Mae Clair, author
If you’ve already read DOG BONE SOUP and enjoyed it, I invite you to share this post. If you haven’t tasted it yet, I invite you to celebrate Love Month by downloading a copy on YOUR AMAZON for only 99¢ from February 7th-14th.
HAPPY LOVE MONTH, FRIENDS!
Bette A. Stevens
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AMAZING MATILDA, Monarch Butterflies & The Purple Dragonfly Children’s Book Award
A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on a leaf of the Swamp Milkweeden (Asclepias incarnata) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest recognizes excellence in children’s literature.
AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale is a children’s picture book about a monarch caterpillar who only wants to fly. “How can a creature without wings every hope to fly?” Matilda’s friends wonder as they laugh at the tiny caterpillar. As Matilda progresses from egg to butterfly she learns that if she keeps trying, she can do anything that she really wants to do. AMAZING MATILDA’s storyline and illustrations follow the actual life cycle of the monarch butterfly and includes milkweed, an environmentally near-threatened plant. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat.
Judges of the 2013 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards contest, which recognizes excellence in children’s literature, have spoken, and AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale by Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens, won Honorable Mention in the Picture Books – 6 & Older category.
“Winning any place in the Purple Dragonfly Contest is a huge honor because in order to maintain the integrity of the Dragonfly Book Awards, a minimum score of 72 out of 80 must be earned for a first-place award, 64 out of 80 for a second place and 56 out of 80 for an honorable mention – even if it is the sole entry in a category,” explains Linda F. Radke, president of Five Star Publications, Inc., the sponsor of the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards. “Competition is steep, too, because there is no publication date limit as long as the book is still in print.”
The book retails for $9.49 (paperback) and $3.99 (kindle/eReader) and can be purchased on YOUR AMAZON or ask for it at your favorite bookstore. GET the eBook for #FREE when you purchase the paperback from Amazon.
You can find out more about the author and her books…
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May your day be filled with wonders!
A winter day’s inspiration: Late summer roses at the Farmstead in Central Maine
Thanks for stopping by my blog for a visit. I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature—one who needed an extra bit of inspiration on a cold winter’s day. These roses are a vintage variety from last summer’s garden (originally dug from the edge of the woods and transplanted by us in 2006) at our Farmstead in Central Maine. May they brighten your winter’s day! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
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“Peace Comes Walking” a poem by Bette A. Stevens
Wishing you love, joy and peace in the New Year and beyond. ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
[Bette’s Blog]
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dear Friends,
Thanks so much for helping to make 2016 an amazing year for me. Your friendship and your wonderful blog posts, your visits here and the encouraging words you’ve left are gifts that I treasure. May 2017 be an amazing year for you.
Wishing you all “A Beautiful & Blessed New Year!”
~Bette A. Stevens
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“Season’s Makeover” HAIKU by Bette A. Stevens
Here at ‘The Farmstead’ in Central Maine, the when leaves have fallen and we’re feeling a little blue, we awake to morning magic—a landscape transformed with fresh fallen snow. Our first season’s adornment arrived last week—a mere inch and a half of that lovely white lace. Blessed by late autumn’s makeover. ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
- Read more of Bette’s poetry at http://www.4writersandreaders.com
- Take a “Look inside” Bette’s books on YOUR AMAZON
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May All of Your Days be Amazing!
As a monarch butterfly conservation advocate and author/illustrator of the children’s book AMAZING MATILDA, I was fortunate to capture several photos of these amazing butterflies at our farmstead in Central Maine this summer. This one landed on our phlox. Read along to discover more about our amazing monarch butterflies, and about my children’s picture book as well.
Here’s wishing that all of your days be amazing!
~ Bette A. Stevens
Monarch butterflies are a near-threatened species. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Food Safety filed a legal petition requesting Endangered Species Act protection for the monarch and its habitat.
Eighth-generation monarch butterflies in the US and Canada migrate south each fall—destination: Mexico and California’s coast where they over-winter before mating to create the first generation of monarchs for the northern migration that begins the following spring.
About Bette’s award-winning monarch butterfly children’s book
One concern parents have is how to inspire their children to meet challenges with patience and persistence. This is the plot of the award-winning picture book, AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarchs Tale, written and illustrated by Bette A. Stevens. In this story a caterpillar wants to learn how to fly. She asks all of her friends in the meadow, but doesn’t find an easy answer. Yet, she continues the quest until, at last, she becomes what she wants to be—a butterfly. AMAZING MATILDA offers adults the opportunity to inspire the children in their lives to meet everyday challenges with patience and persistence. Matilda and her friends will show them how to make their own dreams come true!
AMAZING MATILDA is available in Paperback ($9.49) and eBook ($3.99) versions OR purchase paperback and download the eBook for FREE! Take a “Look inside” at YOUR AMAZON
Stevens, a retired teacher, accurately portrays the Monarch’s life cycle in storyline and illustration. She has done extensive research on the Monarch: its diminishing habitat (milkweed plant) and its status as an indicator species in the global environment. During her research, she learned that Monarch markings are different for males and females. Males have black spots on their back wings. Hence, her story title: AMAZING MATILDA, (no black spots) was “hatched.” The Monarch is unique among butterflies: the only one of its genus that does not hibernate, but migrates instead.
- Explore Bette’s blog to find out more about monarch butterflies, download her FREE PDF + a FREE poster about how YOU can help protect
these amazing creatures (top tabs of blog).
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 04/22/2016