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Let There be Peace on Earth and Let it Begin with Me


We really do have the power to make it happen, one brush stroke at a time. ~ Bette A. Stevens (Image from Pinterest)

We really do have the power to make it happen. ~Bette A. Stevens (Image from Pinterest)

Knowledge of the past holds one of the keys to world peace. Knowledge of the people in the world around us today holds another essential key. However, knowledge in and of itself is useless, much like a collection of unused paint brushes resting on the world’s shelf. It is our job to pick up the brushes and start painting. The perfect portrait of peace begins within each of us.  It’s painted one brush stroke at a time. Here are some simple steps that we can all take to contribute to that portrait:

Take the time to learn about those who are different from us in some way. We may want start with someone in our own family. Even there, we often find differences in opinions, race, religion, beliefs, customs, cultures, political affiliations. The list of personal differences and the diversity of relationships goes on….

Working in the classroom as a teacher of students from diverse backgrounds, I learned first-hand that those who hold different beliefs from my own are all unique individuals with whom I have many things in common. We all share the same needs and desires, the same frustrations and fears, the same hopes and dreams.  Whether students, parents, staff, volunteers, administrators or colleagues, I have gained respect for and have been deeply enriched by each encounter. Life-long relationships are nurtured and continue to blossom and grow.

Sure, that all sounds great; but what can we actually do as individuals to promote peace?

  • Listen to others
  • Get to know them (That means spending time with them) Let them get to know us (talk)
  • Respect differences
  • Look for commonalities
  • Nurture relationships
  • Offer and extend a helping hand
  • Encourage others
  • Enlist the help of others
  • Give input and feedback
  • Keep the conversation going 


The brush strokes to peace lie within each of one us. How do we paint the canvas? One brush stroke at a time. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS—listen, share ourselves and our ideas, respect those of others, look for commonalities. Our individual and collective lives will continue to be enriched as we work together to paint a perfect portrait of world peace. We really do have the power to make it happen, one brush stroke at a time.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

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Written

on 12/31/2016

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25 Interesting Facts about American Literature


Featured Image -- 6474American Literature, Books, Classics, English Literature, Facts, Famous Authors, Literature, Writers. ENJOY! ~ Bette A. Stevens 4writersandreaders.com

InterestingLiterature's avatarInteresting Literature

Interesting trivia about American writers and their work

As it’s Independence Day, how about some facts about the great and the good from American literature, from Edgar Allan Poe to Toni Morrison? What follows is a compilation of our 25 favourite facts about American authors and their writing.

Edgar Allan Poe’s prose-poem Eureka predicts the Big Bang theory by some eighty years.

Marlon Brando was a huge fan of Toni Morrison; he would often call her up and read passages of her own novels which he particularly enjoyed.

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Written

on 07/04/2016

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Milkweed – It’s Not Just for Monarchs


GOT MILKWEED? Monarch butterflies and other amazing pollinators need it and we need them! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Mary Anne Borge's avatarThe Natural Web

One of the most well knownassociations between an animal and plant species is the relationship between Monarch butterflies and Milkweed. Monarch butterflies may certainly be seen nectaringat various species of milkweeds…

Monarch nectaring on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) Monarch nectaringon Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Monarch nectaring on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) Monarch nectaringon Butterflyweed(Asclepias tuberosa)

Monarch nectaring on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) Monarch nectaringon Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

but this isn’t unique – they also drink at a wide variety of other flower species.

Monarch nectaring on New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) Monarch nectaringon New York Ironweed(Vernonianoveboracensis)

It’s the dependency that Monarchs have on Milkweedsas the only food source for their caterpillars that makes this relationship so noteworthy. Monarchs, like many species of insects, have evolved to specialize in their larval (in this case caterpillar) food source in order togain protection from predators through the chemicals they ingest from the plants they eat. Milkweedscontain cardiac glycosides, which are toxic to many species of birds and mammals. Plants have evolved these chemicals to protect themselves from being eaten, a strategy…

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Written

on 07/02/2016

June/July 2016 Writing Contests


Happy Writing! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

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Articles of Interest, Writing

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Reading to Big Kids..Don’t Stop, Be Readin’…Hold on to that Feelin’


IMG_4052May is NATIONAL GET CAUGHT READING MONTH—perfect time to discover and share why reading aloud with kids of all ages is so important! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Michelle R. Eastman's avatarMichelle Eastman Books

I posted this piece a while back…

With my son’s 4th grade year coming to an end, I find this information more timely than ever.

DSC_9435

I love picture books, and I often write about them.  In my post, Top 10 Reasons Picture Books Rock, I touch upon the importance of continuing to read aloud to your child even AFTER he/she is able to read independently. Please note that although children may be ready for early readers and chapter books, I implore parents to continue reading picture books with/to your children. There is no better way to connect at the end of a hectic day than to get lost in a picture book together. This ritual is one you can continue well into their teen years (yes, really, I promise). A child should not be denied this sacred time with you, just because he has “grown up”. Reading and/or…

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Articles of Interest, Education, Inspirational, Parenting, Reading with Children

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National Get Caught Reading Month


IMG_4052Reading with children is a great investment in their future and the world’s! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Written

on 04/22/2016

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British butterflies, good and bad news


petrel41's avatarDear Kitty. Some blog

This video says about itself:

Metamorphosis: The Beauty & Design of Butterflies

Throughout history, butterflies have fascinated artists and philosophers, scientists and schoolchildren with their profound mystery and beauty. In Metamorphosis you will explore their remarkable world as few ever have before.

By Peter Frost in Britain:

Threatened butterflies given a fighting chance

Friday 26th February 2016

Agricultural intensification, the loss of wildflower-rich grassland and changing woodland management have threatened these colourful insects — but help is at hand, writes PETER FROST

Lepidopterists, butterfly spotters, have been rubbing their eyes and checking their calendars in what is proving to be a remarkably early spring this year. In my native Northamptonshire, a Small Tortoiseshell was out and about on New Year’s Day.

Brimstones, Speckled Wood, Painted Ladies, Peacock and Comma had all been recorded on the wing by the end of January.

I love butterflies, the first…

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Written

on 02/27/2016

The Stories Behind Our Books, an interview with Lois W. Stern


The Stories Behind Our Books

What Is Your Back Story?

Guest post by Lois W. Stern

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basLois. you have been a guest blogger here several times before, but as a quick intro, I’ll just say that you are an author, editor, presenter, marketer and innovator. Your title for this blog post really grabbed my attention. You are inviting our readers to tell their back stories. So please explain. What exactly do you mean by back stories?

lois_charli3_lite_blueBette, as authors we work so hard to polish our stories to perfection, often working for years before our manuscripts go to press. Hopefully, our readers enjoy the fruits of our labors; but as a presenter, I find that my audiences often find my back stories particularly compelling. So I share little back stories about what propelled me to begin my Tales2Inspire project. Why it was important to me to do this. How I went about the process. What challenges I faced along the way. If I had any cheering squad of supporters or any naysayers of non-support, and how they affected me as I pursued my dreams.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basSo now it seems you are inviting other authors to share the back stories to their books?

 

lois_charli3_lite_blueYes, that’s right Bette. And I’m hoping that we can select a number of their stories to appear right here on this blog. Does that work for you?

 

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basLove that idea, Lois. Let’s go for it! For those of you who don’t know Lois yet, she is the creator of Tales2Inspire, an ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project/contest. Suppose you tell us a bit about the back story to your Tales2Inspire books. For openers, what propelled you to begin this project?

lois_charli3_lite_blueActually, my first full length book had nothing to do with inspiring stories, Bette. Its title, Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery, was a ground-breaker in many ways. (It even merited a few paragraphs on a front page of the Sunday Style section of the NY Times.) I secured a contract with a NYC agent, but despite a lot of publisher interest, ultimately they all turned it down. Why? Word was that I didn’t have a strong enough platform, and I didn’t even know the meaning of that word at the time!) That’s just the first part of my back story, the wake-up call to the state of traditional publishing today and my search for alternate paths to publication.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basWow, Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery sounds about as far from inspirational stories as you can get! How did that transition happen?

lois_charli3_lite_blueActually, it wasn’t a transition at all, Bette, just another side to my personality. I always loved inspiring stories, was drawn to them with an almost magnetic force. I even started a column for a New York webzine that I titled Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives several years before writing Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery. I have a passion for sharing uplifting stories about good people and wonderful happenings because we rarely read about them. It seems that stories of heinous crimes and violence dominate the news.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basWe sure could use more uplifting stories in today’s world, so I understand your passion for writing inspiring stories. But why did you open up Tales2Inspire to other authors and turn it into a contest?

lois_charli3_lite_blueGood question, Bette, and the one I’m asked most often. After my letdown experience with traditional publishing, I began to think, this must be happening to many other authors, talented authors who are never given a chance because they lack that elusive author platform. That’s when I began to envision creating an alternate path for all of us, seeking ways to help strengthen our opportunities for discovery and name recognition.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basIt sounds like initiating this Tales2Inspire contest was just a seed of an idea in 2012. My guess is that you never dreamed it would grow in such strength and numbers as it has.

lois_charli3_lite_blueYou are absolutely right, Bette. Tales2Inspire is like a dream come true for me. I have self-published five Tales2Inspire books filled with amazing stories from an incredibly talented group of authors.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basI bet readers would be interested in the back story to how you spread the word? Did you meet any naysayers along the way?

lois_charli3_lite_blueI sure did! I first introduced Tales2Inspire on some of the LinkedIn writers’ groups, and ran into a few skeptics who challenged me every step of the way. I can think of one person whose comments were so nasty that I felt like bopping him over the head. But when that happens, you really have to take a deep breath and step back. It would be the kiss-of-death to become confrontational and feed into that negativity. So I would say something like, “I’m so sorry about the misunderstanding. Let me give you a little more information to help allay some of your concerns.”

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basIt takes a lot of diplomacy when your back is pushed to the wall. What about supporters? Can you name anyone in particular?

lois_charli3_lite_blueYes, Dan Poynter, an extremely successful self-published author and author advocate, whose newsletter had a subscription base of many hundreds of thousands. I had met Dan at several writer conferences. When I spoke to him about my project, he encouraged me to write up a blurb for his newsletter. What a difference that made! The spread was enormous. I have received winning stories from South Africa, Australia, England, Canada and from across the United States, all because of Dan. And having information about Tales2Inspire appear in his newsletters certainly gave my project an air of legitimacy.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basSounds like Dan is the guardian angel every author hopes for!

 

 

lois_charli3_lite_blueYou’re right, Bette, but unfortunately now we have to use the past tense. Dan passed on several months ago, but his legacy lives on.

 

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basBeautifully put, Lois. I think readers might like the back story to why you call Tales2Inspire a project as well as a contest.

lois_charli3_lite_blueI work feverishly to find new and innovative ways to strengthen my winning authors’ platforms, to give them many diverse opportunities for discovery. And I involve them in the judging phase of this contest. It’s all explained on my website at www.tales2inspire.com.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basFinally, I think our readers would be interested in your answer to this one front story question. What is the theme of your next contest and what are the entry criteria.

lois_charli3_lite_blueThis theme of this next contest is ‘inspiring animal stories’, subtitled Stories in Feathers and Fur. It’s underway right now and for any of your readers who are interested, or simply faintly curious, all the guidelines and submission details appear on my website at www.tales2inspire.com. And I guess I should mention that it is FREE. There are no submission fees to enter this contest.

72-Bette_21 TIGHT CROP basThank you, Lois, for a fascinating interview.

And now, readers, we’d love to hear from you. How about sending us the back stories to your books.

lois_charli3_lite_blueMy pleasure, Bette.

Before I say goodbye, I would like to offer your readers a gift —a FREE sampler of Tales2Inspire published stories. Just click on http://tales2inspire.com/?page_id=804 and it will be yours!

 

 My Author Links:

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Articles of Interest, Author Interviews, Indie Authors, Inspirational, Inspirational Fiction, Memoir, Non-fiction, Short Stories, Writing

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INSPIRING EARLY READERS: Author on a Mission


Early last winter, I discovered that one of my author friends regularly metamorphoses into “Blossom the Butterfly” to share her love of reading with pre-school and elementary school children. I asked Pamela to share her story. Opportunities abound for all of us! ~ Bette A. Stevens

CHILDHOOD LITERACY: Sharing the love of reading

Guest post by author Pamela Beckford

IMG_2405How did I get so involved in childhood literacy? I’ve asked myself that question dozens of times. I’m not a teacher, nor did I ever have any aspirations of being a teacher. I’m not a librarian, nor did I ever have any desire to be a librarian. But I am an avid reader myself and I have seen how much reading means to me personally.

I have the world’s best job as CEO of a local United Way. We have a goal of making sure that 90% of all children in our county are ready for kindergarten by 2020. I really didn’t think that was an unattainable goal. In fact, I thought we were probably pretty close to that number already. But, as it turns out, we have our work cut out for us.

One of the reasons is that parents can’t keep up with the changes in our education system. I don’t know how many times I have heard parents say “but that isn’t the way it was when I was in school.” And keep in mind, that these are the youngest parents too. Kindergarten is not what it was even five years ago, let alone what it was like 20 years ago.

I have read study after study about early literacy. They all show the value of reading to children as early as birth (some say before birth). Children need to see parents reading; they need to feel a connection with their parents and their voice. Picture books are one of my favorite genre. I love the rich cadence of many of the books, as well as the beautiful illustrations. There is no doubt in my mind of the importance of talking to and reading to your children.

As part of our Early Childhood Initiative, we developed a new website to serve as a resource for parents. I know that life happens. We get busy with the day-to-day things, work, maintaining a house, etc. Sometimes we just need to be reminded to spend a few minutes reading to your child and why it is important. We always think we can do that tomorrow, but tomorrow never seems to come. The website (90by20.com or childrenreadytolearn.com) is a work in progress and will be continually updated and changed.

PAMELA Blossom & the kidsOne of the other important things we have done is create a reading mascot—her name is Blossom the Book Butterfly. Blossom (me) reads for children every chance she gets; she participates in activities in the schools and child care program; she even had a book written about her that will be distributed to all the new mothers in the county. But Blossom isn’t the only one who reads to children—ALL adults should find a way of volunteering their time with their children/grandchildren/schools/preschools, etc. It only takes a few minutes to read a book to a child and yet its impact is life long.

One of the things I am most excited about though is having Blossom read Indie-authored children books on YouTube videos. This has been a project that has taken much more time than I thought it would but I think it will be a great resource for children and parents. Plus it will promote books from indie authors. I haven’t pursued traditionally published books for this because of the difficulty of getting the video rights, but indie authors have been eager to have their books showcased. Watch for the section on the website in the next couple of months—and if you are a children’s author and would like to allow me to use your books, please contact me.

There are so many other aspects of what we are doing to encourage early literacy—you can see most of them if you look through the website.

I fear I may have gone on too long but this is one of my favorite subjects and I could talk about it all day. Thank you for the opportunity to share our efforts in early childhood literacy.

FIND OUT MORE

VISIT PAMELA BECKFORD

(BETTE’S BLOG)

Written

on 06/10/2015

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How to Conquer the Book Marketing Monster


Conquering that Marketing Monster

Guest post by Lois W. Stern

marketing.monster2Writing our books is the fun part, as it challenges our creativity, satisfying a need for self-expression. But marketing our books . . . that’s a whole different story. I call it the marketing monster! Many internet sites are out there to help us slay that dragon, but I’d like to share three little gems that you might have overlooked.

Hold on for a second. Before we begin, I want you to build yourself a promotional template. It will take a little time, and you won’t need all of these items for each venue, but trust me, in the long run, it will be a real time saver.

Template Items:

  • Book title:
  • Author:
  • Genre:
  • Book formats (paperback, hardcover, Kindle, other e-reader formats):
  • ISBN #:
  • Author bio:
  • Book teaser or elevator pitch:
  • URL links to any places where your book has a presence:
  • your website or blog
  • amazon.com, Barnesannobles.com
  • Your social media pages (Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter)
  • Goodreads
  • Amazon Central page
  • Images:          your headshot            book cover(s)
  • Several compelling reviews of your book”
  • An enticing excerpt:

Here are three ideas I have discovered that I can recommend for free or low-budget book promotion.

newbookreview_banner_full

Submit your book and some of its best reviews to Carolyn Howard-Johnson* for a free posting on her website and you will get some great cross promotion opportunities.

Follow these guidelines.
(or copy and paste: http://www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com into your browser.)

Watch this brief video to meet Carolyn and learn about her fabulous writing and book marketing credentials.
(or copy and paste: http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com into your browser.)

* Carolyn’s site has been named to Online University’s 101 Best Blogs for Readers.

1000 Words Plus

 

 

 

Recommended through Dan Poynter, One Thousand Words Plus is a fabulous new site where you can actually create a separate web page for each of your published books. You are given the opportunity to:

  • Display a synopsis/description of each of your books
  • Display chosen samples of text from anywhere within your books
  • Direct potential readers to your preferred online retail outlet for your book
  • Direct potential readers to your other relevant URLs

(i.e. publisher’s website, author’s website, blog and social media pages, etc.)

  • Post book cover images and more.

The publishers have agreed to offer a 50% discount for readers of this blog who sign up by the end of this calendar year. By using Code LWS2015, you will be charged only $24.95 for the lifetime exposure for each of your books (normally $49.95). Note: Since there are no annual renewal fees, this is quite a bargain.

To get familiar with their format, go to:

http://www.onethousandwordsplus.com/

Then click on the words: I’m an author, I want to learn more to promote your book.

Next Best Thing

The Next Best Thing, sent to me by Linda Maria Frank, host of The Writer’s Dream LTV Show, is both free and a clever original. It is set up more or less like a blog tour, to help market yourself while helping your fellow authors. The basic idea is to respond to ten questions about your published or about-to-be-published book, while submitting your headshot and book cover images. Follow these directions carefully and click here to see how I set up my page.

Note: I will limit my blog tour to the first ten people who respond. It’s free but I will only have space to include the first ten authors who follow every step of the directions, so read carefully.

Please use the comment area below to share one great marketing tip or lesser known website you have discovered to help conquer that marketing monster.

About the author

lois_charli3_lite_blue

Author Lois Stern

My first two books focused on physical beauty: Sex, Lies and Cosmetic Surgery (with sound advice and personal emotional undercurrents to cosmetic surgery) and Tick Tock, Stop the Clock ~ Getting Pretty on Your Lunch Hour (with chapters written by eleven nationally renowned experts and outstanding practitioners, detailing many of the most current minimally invasive beauty procedures).

Then my writing career took a seemingly sharp turn as I began to focus on inspiring stories, stories to touch the heart and soul. But in truth this was not a new interest for me as I always had a special appreciation for feel-good stories that reach the inner spirit, inspire, motivate, make us question. I started to develop this idea further as I initiated a Tales2Inspire™ ‘Authors Helping Authors’ project/contest, and with contributing stories from other talented writers, have begun a series of inspiring story anthologies. I have now published the first four of these little jewel books: the Emerald, Topaz, Sapphire and Ruby collections, with more on the way. Each book is enhanced by the inclusion of original photos and drawings.

 

If you think you might be interested in participating in Tales2Inspire™, do visit my website and click on the word CONTEST for details. Winning authors receive an incredible number of platform building opportunities. And isn’t that what all talented authors are seeking? DISCOVERY!

Thanks so much for sharing these great marketing tips with us, Lois.

And, writers, don’t forget to tell us about your favorite marketing tips in the comments section below.

HAPPY WRITING & BOOK MARKETING, ALL!

Bette A. Stevens

Bette’s Blog

Written

on 06/03/2015

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