IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE: Just Chillin' Quirky, Hippie MG Author Newsletter Swap Introducing ... Virtual Visits Zahra's Earth-Friendly Tip My Personal Gossip |
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JUST CHILLIN' This winter has been unusually snowy—at least for central NC. Mother Nature has been generously (well, not to kids who want school canceled) scheduling our snow events for weekends. After a couple of years with barely a dusting of the white stuff, it's been a beautiful and inspiring change of pace. |
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As a budding middle grade author, I caved under the swell of a tidal trend and created an author TikTok account. I can be found (and followed ... PLEASE follow me) @inspiredscribe. Book reviews and author personalities are gaining momentum on the platform. And while yet another social media account to keep up with seems daunting, I like it. It gives me a place to be creatively goofy while I let off artistic steam. Thanks to TikTok, the stop-motion and film editing lessons my dad gave me with his ancient video camera can finally be put to good use. Over the next few months as my book release nears, you just might see what authors go through to write, edit, and publish a book (if you follow me on TikTok @inspiredscribe ... PLEASE follow me). Just keep in mind my little TikToks will likely be embellished versions of a reality that you might want to take with a grain of Himalayan pink salt. |
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My latest blog is all about "Author Micki" on TikTok. I explain how I honed in on the quirky, hippie middle grade author that resides within to guide my adventures on the new platform. A huge thanks to Jacquie Reininger, the talented local jewelry artist I tapped for my one-of-a-kind "Author Micki" eyewear. Find her on Etsy! | | |
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Just as in any profession, networking is an important ingredient to the success of authors. In one of my middle grade networking groups on Facebook, another author and I agreed to a newsletter swap. Here's an excerpt from The Burrow Newsletter subscription page by Ellaura Shoop, author of The Meer book series. Clay hates his name. He has since the whole family witnessed Quiet, a bully of a pup, push him into a pit of clay. When a leopard begins terrorizing The Powers family of meerkats, Clay seizes the chance to prove his worth and maybe even make a new name for himself. But first he’ll have to be brave enough to face the most dreaded enemy that The Powers have ever known, he’ll have to challenge terror alone… In The Burrow there's room for everyone! Get ready for an adventure, subscribers get a FREE digital copy of Naming Clay! |
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A few months before a release date, book reviewers read and evaluate an advance copy of the book. In addition to professional adult reviewers, I'm thrilled to introduce you to some of the youth reviewers who agreed to read SOCIETY OF THE SENTINELIA ahead of time and share their opinions. In addition to getting their written feedback, I'll be chatting with them virtually to hear what they think. Clips of their interviews will be included in future editions of this newsletter as well as on my social media channels. This month, I'd like you to meet my West Coast and New England reviewers. |
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Rebecca Boomer Representing the West Coast, Rebecca is 11 years old (the exact same age as Zahra). She resides in Vacaville, CA, a town midway between San Francisco and Sacramento. |
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Cassie & Patti Anderson Representing New England, Cassie (left) and Patti are 9-year-old twins. They live in Auburn, NH, which is in the southern half of the state and not too far from the ocean or Boston, MA. |
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Look for more youth reviewer introductions in next month's issue! |
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Last month, I received some news. The author platform I (and many children's authors across the US) used for virtual visits crumbled under debris from the fallout between its founding partners. My first thought? What a bowl of overripe lemons! (That's the cleaned-up-because-I'm-a-children's-author version of my first thought.) We all know what to do with lemons, right? Once I digested the news, I decided to make lemonade with a side of lemon meringue pie topped with a lemon twist. I did find the silver lining once the dust settled. I now offer virtual author visits directly. That means I can offer them for less than the online author platform that went up in flames. |
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My lemonade-pie-with-a-twist revised virtual author visit flyer includes rates and topics. And as with my Author Micki custom glasses, presentations can be customized to fit your audience's unique interests and needs! | | |
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Contact me at mickibare@gmail.com for more information and to schedule both in-person and virtual author visits! |
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ZAHRA'S EARTH-FRIENDLY TIP |
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There's so much to love about winter. When the world around us is covered in a blanket of fresh white snow, or bare tree branches sparkle wrapped in a glaze of ice, or we watch our breath as it puffs through the crisp air with each spoken word, we absolutely must take a moment to enjoy nature's beauty. |
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This month, Zahra simply reminds us to pause and take in the magnificence of the season. Zahra was born in the winter season (as was her father). She especially appreciates the stillness after it snows. The stark contrast between a bright red cardinal on a snow covered evergreen. Icicles acting as prisms reflecting the sun. This month, Zahra's Earth-friendly tip is to simply enjoy winter before it melts into spring. Relish the long, dark evenings by spending cozy time with family and friends. Let the joy of winter blossom inside you and spread to others. Earth-friendly is more than recycling and planting trees. It's also appreciating the seasons and each other. |
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A couple of years ago, one of my son's gifted me with a wine making kit. It didn't come with grape concentrate, which was no problem. I looked forward to finding a place to buy my supplies and picking up a juice that I could transform into a delicious dry red wine. Then COVID hit. |
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Fast forward to November 2021. I finally found a place about 30 miles away that had everything I needed to get started. The only thing I couldn't buy was experience and something to ward off my clumsiness. My first attempt at winemaking began with a crime scene. |
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Well, not an actual crime scene. Just something that looked like someone may have been hacked to pieces in my kitchen. There was no hacking. Rather, when I tried to pour the juice into the fermentor, there was a bit of a spill. Learning to rack the wine was an adventure as well. I had to Google how to siphon with the tools that were in my winemaking kit. The tools were labeled before I unwrapped and sanitized them. By the time I got around to needing them, they were a pile of unfamiliar tubes and thingamabobs. Despite all the fumbling, I do have about two dozen bottles (the kit makes 30 bottles when experienced hobbyists are in charge and don't spill) in a carboy. The mixture is clarifying. I'll spend Valentine's weekend racking again (siphoning into a clean carboy) so I can age my Cabernet Sauvignon-like experiment for a few months. By summer, I should have a few bottles of a wine-like substance to toast the release of my first novel! |
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