Coming Attractions and Giveaways

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Mostly sunny, high 99 degrees. "It's getting hot in here." It's going to be another scorcher like yesterday. Cari had summer gym in the morning and soccer camp last night, so we swam at my sister's pool in the afternoon. It helped cool us all down, but it was still hotter than blazes.

I'm catching up with deadlines and blog posts after returning from Chicago on Sunday. Cari participated in a Feis (an Irish dance competition). She did well in all four of her dances, and visiting Chicago was invigorating, so it was a very good weekend--even when the heavy winds blew us into town on Friday night. Anyway, I thought today would be an ideal time to post about "Coming Attractions" on Donna's Book Pub for the rest of the month.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 24, my guest blogger will be Ann Whitford Paul, author of WRITING PICTURE BOOKS: A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication (Writer's Digest Books). Ann's post will be on "Grabbing Your Reader from Word One." Ann is such a generous and thoughtful writer. In addition to her guest post, she will send a copy of one of her books as a "Pick Which Book You Win" giveaway to a randomly selected visitor who posts a question or comment for her on Donna's Book Pub this week. No matter what you write, Ann's advice (and book) can help you write better. Please stop by tomorrow or the rest of the week and visit. Leave a comment or question for Ann, and you might be selected for the "Pick Which Book You Win" contest.


This coming Friday, June 26, I will have outpatient knee surgery to repair torn cartilege, so I'm not sure if I'll be up to posting, but if you're so inclined, please keep me in your prayers or send healing thoughts my way.

Next Tuesday, June 30, memoirist and poet Elizabeth Kirschner, who wrote MY LIFE AS A DOLL, will visit Donna's Book Pub to discuss how creativity crosses artistic boundaries in her post "THE DANCING LYRIC THAT SINGS AS IT BLOOMS. " In addition to her memoir, Elizabeth has published three books of poetry and has a CD released by Albany Records with her own poetry set to Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe. She collaborates with composers and has taught at Boston College since 1990. Kirschner also studies ballet with Boston Ballet.

Her topic sounds fascinating. I hope you will stop by Donna's Book Pub next week to find out what Elizabeth has to share about creativity. Elizabeth will also have a giveaway for one of my blog visitors who post a comment or question for her.

Hope you'll visit soon, especially Wednesday, June 24, and Tuesday, June 30. Oh, and stay cool if it's hot where you live.