"The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go."
– Dr. Seuss
The Orb Adventures Writing Process
I coauthored the first two books in the Orb Adventures series in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Tim Knight in Cornwall, England. We used a process called 'shared writing' to write both books. How did it work? We started with a single idea and I wrote the first chapter. I sent it to Tim, who read and critiqued, and then he wrote the next chapter. We proceeded through each book this way. It was a fantastically creative way to write. We didn't know what direction the other person would take and we built the story by linking events as they unfolded in our imaginations! The story arc came naturally for us using this strategy and the endings were also a surprise for each of us.
One of our major challenges was that we were writing in two completely different voices. Tim used British English and wrote lyrically. I used American English and focused on narrative and dialogue. Our editor, Ellen Todras, with great talent, helped us fuse the two styles into a lovely book. Reviewers enjoyed Tim's beautiful descriptions and my natural dialogue among the characters.
I am currently writing the Orb's Origin story, Book 0, and the last story in the series, Book 3, which takes place in Finland. I hope to release both books in 2025.
The Orb Adventure Series
Middle Grade
A glowing Orb beckons.
Ten-year-old best friends, Caleigh and Griffin, follow the images from the mystical Orb into the Allegheny National Forest, where a startling discovery leads them into an adventure beyond their dreams. Will they make it out of the forest unharmed, or does the Orb have evil intention?
A tiny dragon beats its wings against the roaring storm. Reach land, or die!
The Orb heads to England and into the hands of James, Tristan, and Talia Jenkins. Not only does the Orb show them THAT image, but it transports them back in time to medieval Tintagel, the home of King Arthur. Determined to help the dragon, can the siblings outwit the ancient creatures in their path?
STEAM 4 Littles Writing Process
The STEAM 4 Littles series began as a middle grade story about a penguin that got lost at sea while exploring. My writing group (every good writer is part of a peer writing group) encouraged me to take the plunge into the world of Children's Picture Book writing. That was a VASTLY different genre from Middle Grade! It was one that I was not prepared to tackle, so I immersed myself in a week-long, 9AM-5PM Children's Book Mastery Boot Camp for Writing a Picture Book.
WOW! I DID IT! I wrote the entire manuscript that week, created a 'dummy' picture book, and decided THIS would be my next writing adventure. IT WAS HARD and so worth it. Writing a book for young children in less than 800 words is a lesson in humility.
As Percival's Amazing Adventure took shape, it made sense that all the books I write in the series encompass the STEAM process of thinking and learning. STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math. My motto as a Speech and Language Pathologist and a Teacher of the Deaf is that "LIFE IS A LANGUAGE LESSON" and STEAM is language abundant.
Every book in the series will have a focus on one or more of the areas in STEAM. Each book will also include an Activity Book with 10 activities enhancing the concepts developed in the book.
Percival's Amazing Adventure (2025), the 'baby' of the series, focuses on the magnificent penguins I encountered on trips to Antarctica and Australia. Themes of friendship, protecting the environment, and respecting differences are the SCIENCE focuses of Percival's Amazing Adventure.
The next two books in the series are in development. Honeybee Nursery's focus is Engineering. The Wormbergs Go Wandering is focused on Artistic design. Look for these books in 2025 and 2026.
STEAM4Littles Series
Children's Picture Books
Lost at sea!
When Percy goes exploring and falls asleep on the ice, he finds himself in the cold, dark ocean all alone. How will he ever find his way home?
Help comes from the most surprising little package. Join Percival on his exhilarating journey as he learns the importance of friendship and trust.
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