Friday 29 November 2013

"Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World (Expanded Edition)" is available in print!



The Expanded Edition is available now! "Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World (Expanded Edition)" is available in print! The expanded edition has five additional Christmas illustrations inside the book, towards the end, to make your reading experience just a little bit more fun. Both books are fabulous, and these anthologies make wonderful gifts for the holidays, so if your trying to save money, you can buy the regular edition of Jingle Bells, but if you want to add a bit of oomph to your gift-giving while not spending too much more, then I highly recommend the Expanded Edition!

These stories are all family-friendly and children will love them as much, if not more than, adults. You can buy them as gifts, buy them for your won reading pleasure, or buy a copy to read a story each night to your child throughout the holidays. It's a great way to get them (and yourself) into the holiday spirit.

All proceeds from sales of the books go towards supporting the Chapter Book Challenge.

US: Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World (Expanded Edition)

UK: Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World (Expanded Edition)

Tuesday 26 November 2013

Teapot Tales: Take 2 - Guidelines for "Teapot Tales: Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea"


I have mentioned the theme for the next Teapot Tales, the one that will come out in Summer 2014, to some of the members of the Chapter Book Challenge, and some of the newer members are asking questions about formatting and submission guidlelines, so I thought it might be good to make everything clear in a post here.

I am taking submission early this time, because I am hoping it will help with the editing so that, when I finally get to the formatting, the editing will be mostly complete.

The theme for the 2014 Teapot Tales anthology will be " Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea." In fact, the full title of the next Teapot Tales anthology will be: "Teapot Tales: Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea," or something very similar.

1. Your stories must be about pirates, mermaids or other monsters of the sea. But "monsters of the sea" can be loosely interpreted and basically, your story should have the sea or the ocean somewhere in it.

2. Stories do not have to be FOR children, but they do need to be child-friendly in that there should be no bad language, no sex and, although kids love gore and violence, please keep it PG.

3. Stories can not be less than 300 words and cannot be over 800 words. Last time, the limit was 700 words, but several went over. This time, I am hoping everyone can keep it concise enough to stay within the allotted word count. The point of the title "Teapot Tales" is that each story is a short piece of flash fiction - a story short enough that a person can sit and enjoy a cup of tea while enjoying a story or two. People should be confident that they can sit and read a story in a short span of time, easily fitting story-reading into those briefly-snatched, relaxing moments throughout the day.

4. You MUST be an officially signed-up member of the Chapter Book Challenge in order to submit a story to the Teapot Tales anthology. You can sign up here. (You can read more about the Chapter Book Challenge by browsing this site or clicking on the "about" section at the top of the blog.)

5. Please follow the formatting guidelines as stated on Melusine Muse Press's page. Go here to read the formatting guidelines.

6. Proceeds from sales of the anthology go towards supporting the Chapter Book Challenge. Right now, the proceeds help pay for the prizes (we do a lot of prizes during the challenge) and the posting of those prizes. In the future, if proceeds increase, they will also help towards advertising ChaBooCha to bring in more members, advertising of the Teapot Tales anthologies (and other ChaBooCha anthologies) to help get them to a wider audience, donating our anthologies to libraries, setting up a more professional website and more. The goal is to grow membership of the Chapter Book Challenge, so we can better help each other towards our publishing goals. The Chapter Book Challenge is FREE to join and will remain so.

7. Illustrations (line art - black on white) will also be accepted.

8. Author bios must be sent in - around a paragraph each, links may be included, and must be written in 3rd person. These will be included in the book.

9. The deadline for the Teapot Tales submissions is April 30th, 2014.

10. E-mail submissions as a file attachment to Rebecca (at) Fyfe (dot) net.

Anthologies will be made available in both kindle and print formats.

*****

For those of you who do not wish to join the Chapter Book Challenge, but would still like to participate in writing a story for an anthology, we do one other anthology during the year which is open to everyone. This year, we published "Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World." In 2014, we will be doing a Halloween themed anthology. I will create a separate post to explain the guidelines for the Halloween anthology. but,m the basics are that the maximum word count for stories for this anthology will be 1,200 words, and the stories will be written FOR children.

*****

There is also a charity anthology project that will be hosted in 2014 by Melusine Muse Press, funny, true stories about cats - the cat anthology proceeds will go towards the Cat's Protection League.

Melusine Muse Press will also be accepting submissions for a much larger anthology project, in which a limited number of submissions will make it into the anthology. It is a four volume anthology with a fairy theme, with stories written for adults. Each volume focuses on stories of fairies from the different courts: Winter, Autumn, Spring and Summer. There will be prizes for winning entries in each volume.

Both the cat anthology and the fairy anthology are still having the details put together, but you can look for information on submissions for them later. Sometime in the future, the details will be posted on Melusine Muse's anthology submissions page.

Thursday 21 November 2013

"Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World" is available in both print and kindle!

 


"Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from around the World" is a collection of holiday stories created by Chapter Book Challenge members and their friends. It is full of wonderful short stories featuring stories from Hanukkah to Christmas. There are 23 authors and with 38 different chapters altogether, the anthology has 33 short stories and 5 poems. The stories range from magical to emotional and all of them are suitable for reading with the family.

Read about a clumsy dragon, a super dog who helps save Christmas, and a Christmas fairy, along with several different stories to warm your heart.

You can buy your copy of Jingle Bells at any Amazon store. The print edition will be out this week too and will make a fabulous Christmas gift for your loved ones!

The Kindle edition is on sale until after Christmas. You can get your copy for only 99 cents!

In the US: Jingle Bells:
Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World

In the UK: Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit from Around the World

Proceeds help to fund the Chapter Book Challenge (ChaBooCha)

(An extended version, with more pictures, will be available at a slightly higher cost, later this week.)

Friday 8 November 2013

Jingle Bells cover reveal and list of stories and authors

Here's a sneak peek at the cover for the Jingle Bells anthology which will be available for purchase in a few short weeks!
"Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit From Around the World"

And just for another sneak peek into the anthology, here's a look at the table of contents, complete with the story titles and names of the authors who have contributed.

1. Hope by Cecilia Clark
2. Christmas Is Coming by Emily Morgan
3. Kristel the Christmas Mouse by Kelly Vavala
4. Zeyde's Hannukah by Nancy Churnin
5. Thomas' New Coat by Marissa Ames
6. Spying a Saint by Angelica Fyfe
7. Saving Silver Square by Ashley Bohmer
8. Dirkus's Christmas by Jackie Castle
9. The Spirit of Christmas by Rebecca Fyfe
10. A Very Merry Birthday and a Happy Christmas by Kelly McDonald
11. Where Are the Bells by Melissa Gijsbers
12. Coal by Abbi Knight
13. Christmas Spirit by Alayne Kay Christian
14. The Ragdoll Under the Christmas Tree by Beth Avery
15. The Day of the Wren by Deirdre Sheridan Englehart
16. White Fairyland by C. S. Frye
17. Christmas Blessings by Theresa Nielsen
18. Olivia the Terrible Singer by Nicole Zoltack
19. Make My Christmas by Satori Cmaylo
20. The Button Box by Melanie E. Lancaster
21. The Naughty or Nice List by Ashley Howland
22. Dashing Through the School by Jo Hart
23. The Perfect Gifts by Robert Fyfe
24. Daddy's Home by Abbi Knight
25. Aussie Jingle Bells by Melissa Gijsbers
26. Duncan's Gift by Rebecca Fyfe
27. A Perpetual Gift by Cecilia Clark
28. Christmas In June by Alayne Kay Christian
29. The Holiday by Emily Morgan
30. Jack's Frosty Christmas by Jackie Castle
31. Holiday Hustle by C.S. Frye
32. Assunto's Presepi by Kelly Vavala
33. Lightning Lilly, Princess Seea and the Foggy Night by Ashley Howland
34. Dragon Magic For Christmas by Rebecca Fyfe
35. A Little Bit of Peace by Melissa Gijsbers
36. Xmas Means by Abbi Knight
37. The Mermaid's Gift by Cecilia Clark
38. The Ice Queen by Robert Fyfe

I can't begin to tell you how much you are going to love the stories within this anthology - heart-warming holiday stories written by a variety of talented authors.

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Time to Vote on the Jingle Bells Cover!


Rules: Choose the number of the cover you like best. Send your vote to me at Rebecca (at) Fyfe (dot) net. Only story contributor votes count. There will be adjustments whichever one wins the official vote. I'm thinking some of the titles will need outlines in other colors or something to make them more visible. In the first two, they were sent in without the title or subtitle, so the title can be adjusted in color and font.  (And the bells were added in after in the first one, so again, those bells can be added to any of the titles.) In #3, the subtitle was added before the artist knew what the actual subtitle would be. Again, whichever one wins, there will still be adjustments to make things work. Keep that in mind while voting. Also keep in mind that each of these will be slightly different in the print version as it has to wrap around, which will mean more work for some of the artists. Remember that the titles and subtitles can be adjusted to be made more visible if needed.



#1


#2


#3


#4


#5


#6


#7


#8



#9

#10


#11



#12




#13

























Friday 11 October 2013

Nominated for the Liebster Award

 
I am going to have to give a shout out and a heartfelt Thank You to Dani Duck for nominating me for the Leibster Blog Award. The Leibster award is giving to wonderful blogs with under 200 followers. The word "Liebster" Means sweetheart in German. It's a very sweet award.

Please visit Dani's's blog here: http://daniduckart.blogspot.ca

In accepting this award I am contractually obligated to answer 10 questions of Dani's choosing and then command 5-10 other people to answer my similarly worded questions.

 Here are Dani's questions to me along with my answers:

1. What is your favorite thing about writing or illustrating for children?

First off, I wish I was skilled enough to illustrate children's books! I'm thankful that I can write for children though. I love the way every subject can be magical for children, and the fact that their imaginations are boundless, so a story written for a child can go just about anywhere.


2. Who or what inspired you to become a writer or illustrator?

First, it would be my paternal grandmother. She taught me to read when I was only three. I was picked on a lot by my siblings, and she wanted me to have something of my own. She taught me not just how to read at a very young age, but she instilled a love in me for the written word.

Next, it would be my maternal grandfather. He lived with us when I was young and so was a big part of my life. I used to write stories all of the time, and he not only enthused about my writing, but he suggested that I could someday grow up to be a writer. That created the urge in me to write even more, and it was the first time I thought about actually becoming a writer.


3. What is one thing that most people don't know about you?

This is a difficult question for me as I am pretty much an open book. I am willing to talk about any part of my life.

I suppose, although some already know this about me, a lot of people may not know that I was once in a relationship with someone who was verbally and emotionally abusive as well as borderline physically abusive. Escaping that relationship was the best thing that could have happened in my life.
 


4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

This one is easy! I see myself with many published books, doing book signings and book readings.

5. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood?

No idea! But I've always been pretty skilled at saying the phrase quickly!
6. What do you do when you aren't writing/illustrating?

I spend way too much time on Facebook. I network with other writers and agents. I run the Chapter Book Challenge and think up other things to take up my time. I assemble anthologies and create calls for new anthologies.

7. Color or Black & White?


If it is a movie, then color. If it is a photograph, then black and white.

8. How long?

I'm not sure what this question is asking. How long do I spend writing each day? - many hours. How long do I spend on the bus each day during the school runs? - 4 hours. How long have I wanted to be a writer? - since I was a child. How long have I been working towards making writing my career? - 5 years.

9. How annoying is it that I tagged you on my blog for this?

Not annoying at all! I am weird in that I like answering these kinds of things.

10. Do you have any big events that you are going to or hosting soon?

The anthology "Jingle Bells: Tales of Holiday Spirit From Around the World" will be coming out soon. The anthology "SuperHERo Tales" will also be available before Christmas. Another anthology, written and illustrated completely by children will be completed sometime in December, so look for that on Amazon soon too!

Great blogs I am nominating:
Melissa Writes

Ashley Howland


Jo Michaels

Now I am going to do something a little different and ask different questions of the next two bloggers, my daughters Gabriella (age 11) and Isabella (age 8).


Gabriella's Art

Isabella's Imagination

 
Please answer these questions however you see fit. Since I'm lazy I'm copying and pasting the instructions: "If you choose to accept here are the directions: Link back to the blogger that tagged you. Nominate 5-10 others and answer the questions of the one who tagged you (mine are below). Then ask 10 questions for the bloggers you nominate as well as letting your nominees know of their award. Oh, yeah—and have fun! ☺"

Questions for the 1st three blogs:

1. Why were you drawn to writing?

2. How many years have you been making or trying to make writing your career?

3. Are you published? Where?

4. What is your favorite part about writing stories?

5. What is your favorite genre?

6. Where do you find your inspiration?

7. How active is your muse?

8. If you could have a conversation with your muse, what would you say?

9. What are the latest projects you are working on?

10. What plans or dreams do you have for your writing in the next year?

Questions for Gabby and Bella:

1. What do you like the most about writing stories?

2. What makes you want to write a story?

3. Where do your story ideas come from?

4. How old were you when you wrote your first story?

5. What is your favorite creature or type of person to write about?

6. What's the name of the most recent book you have read or are reading?

7. Does your school give you any lessons on how to write good stories? If so, how helpful have they been?

8. What is the name of the story you are currently working on?

9. Are you published anywhere, and of so, where? Name the book titles.

10. Is any of your writing going to be published in the future? If so, give the titles of the publications.


Wednesday 25 September 2013

"Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas" Book Blast & Interview with Author Karen Pokras Toz


Karen Pokras Toz has written a number of children's chapter books and has been kind enough to guest post on the topic of writing them both years that ChaBooCha has been running. So when she asked for hosts for the book blast for her new chapter book "Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas," I was more than happy to host it here.

Interview with Karen Pokras Toz


Tell us about Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas.

“Pie” is really two stories in one book. First it is about 12 year old Georgie Harris. Georgie’s family just moved to a new town to be closer to her grandmother, Jane, who recently moved to a nursing home. Because of the move, Georgie’s family can no longer afford to send her to dance lessons. Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her visits with her grandmother. The second story in the book is about Eve – Georgie’s grandmother’s roommate, who we quickly learn was a ballerina in Russia “back in the day.” Not only that, Eve studied and danced with a world famous ballerina named Paulina. Georgie loves to visit Eve and hear stories about what it was like to study ballet in a different time and country, and especially what it was like to dance with the great Paulina Strofsky.

What inspired you to write this book?

I grew up dancing and now two of my three children dance. I knew I eventually would write a book about dance – it was just a matter of time. I began writing Pie while waiting for my daughter to go on stage at one of her dance competitions last winter. The book originally was going to be about the competitive dance circuit – but turned out much differently once I got to know my characters (which is usually the case).

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

Of course! I’ve just started writing the 4th (and final) Nate Rocks book – Nate Rocks the City. Normally, I write my Nate books pretty fast, but I find myself procrastinating on this one. I’m sure it’s because I just don’t want to say goodbye. I’m also working on another Adult Contemporary novel called “Woven Wishes” to hopefully be released this time next year.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m a writer? LOL. It still sounds odd for me to call myself that. I don’t know what I am. I’m a mom, and I write. Sometimes if someone asks me what I do, I’ll say I write children’s books (even though now I also write adult books, too). But I have yet to say, “I’m a writer.” I guess after six books, it’s time, huh?

When and how do you find time to write in your daily life?

All three of my children are in school all day, so I try to squeeze in some writing time then. Of course, I always think I’m going to have hours and hours to myself to write, but after I get done doing the million other things on my “to-do” list, there are some days where it is hard to fit it in. Sometimes I just have to put everything aside, and remind myself that this is my job now. It helps that I love to write.

Any advice to aspiring writers looking to self publish?

Be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort – and time – and effort. You need to think of your book as a product, and yourself as a brand. As such, you need to put out the best product possible, and be prepared to compete in a very competitive market. This means – (a) write the best book you can possibly write, (b) put together a test market/group of beta readers, (c) have your book professionally edited, (d) have a professional cover made, (e) have your book professionally formatted, (f) put together a marketing/business plan – and most importantly, keep writing and improving your craft.


What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t know if it’s a quirk, but I have to have coffee, I need silence, and I don’t outline. I generally have a very loose story idea and then let my characters guide me. Sometimes (like in Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas) the story goes in a completely different direction, and sometimes (as is the case with most of my Nate Rocks books) I have to steer my characters in a particular direction (Nate tends to get a little out of control.) Also, I always like to have a title in place before I start writing. I don’t know why – maybe that’s my quirky thing.

Of all the characters you have written, who is your favorite? 

Well now, that’s like asking me which of my three children is my favorite! So, no, I can’t really answer that one. I will tell you this – I had a great time writing Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and I get a lot of requests to write more books about her. I don’t think I will, but she does live on with her very own blog on my website.

Is there a writer that you would love to co-write a book with?

It is no secret that I am a huge Judy Blume fan. Whenever someone compares my writing style or one of my books to her, I feel like I’ve hit the lottery (not in a monetary sense, but in a self-fulfillment sense). I recently (as in last year) sent her a fan letter (read – stalker letter) and was thrilled when I received an email back from her assistant wishing me well. However, I’m pretty sure I was put on some sort of ‘crazy lady stalker fan stay away from list. But – just in case they are reading this (In a ‘we should really be monitoring this nutjob’ sort of way)  well then ... Judy – call me ...

Do people judge a book by its cover? Who makes yours?

Yes, I do think so, and I also hope so! Now before you think I’m tooting my own horn – don’t. I do not make my own covers. I’m not nearly talented enough (in fact, I have zero artistic talent.) It was only by shear luck that I met my amazing cover artist Deana Riddle of Bookstarter.com. She is the genius behind the incredible artwork that I am fortunate enough to have on my covers. Thank you, Deana!!

What is your greatest challenge as an author?

Time. Writing is only half the battle – and if you really want to break down the time, it’s probably only a quarter of the battle. The other three-quarters is marketing and there is not enough time in the day to market and write. If you are also self-publishing you have the challenge of distribution thrown into the mix and the problem of having upfront costs to deal with – as you can see, there are many challenges – but there are also many rewards.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Hearing from readers – whether through parents, educators, or the kids themselves. Nothing makes me happier than getting a note (whether it be via email, a tweet, on FB, through my website, through my blog, etc) that says my child usually hates to read, but I can’t get them to put your book down! THAT is what it is all about to me.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Two things really: When I first started writing my adult contemporary novel Chasing Invisible (titled “invisible” at the time) it was the first anything I had ever written. I hired a writing coach to read through the first few chapters and give me advice. She told me it was awful. (Don’t worry - I have since re-written that story more times that I can count & I am proud to say it recently won an award!) Anyway – she told me that I had a very young voice, and I should consider writing books for kids. I had never considered this before, but I put invisible to the side, and started working on Nate Rocks the World. That was awesome advice, don’t you think?

The next piece of advice I received was when I proudly handed Nate Rocks the World over to my editor – she said, “I know you are tired and want to take a break – but don’t. Start writing the next book.” I didn’t. But, it was great advice, and it’s something I do follow now as I finish up each book.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

I get asked this question a lot. Now that I have several books out, you may notice a trend with my kids’ books. They all have moms who have “issues.”  For example... Nate’s mom is a terrible cook and homemaker, Millie’s mom is a little bit of a shop-a-holic, and now Georgie’s mom is a little high strung. Let me say this. They may or may not be based on me. That’s all I’m saying.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

While I have always loved to read, writing was always my worst subject in school. I was always a math/numbers person. In college I took calculus and differential equations for fun (and they were!) I worked as a tax accountant until just recently and only started writing a few years ago. I have no explanation for why I suddenly felt the urge to start writing, but now that I’ve started, I can’t stop!

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little about me and my books – thanks for having me on your blog!


The story will grab you from page one, and keep you mesmerized until the last page.
~ Kristy James

My nine year old daughter and I enjoyed it very much. ~ Gman Writes


From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name

Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town. 

Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.

As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.

Buy at Amazon and B&N


Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by the author. Giveaway is sponsored by the author who is responsible for the delivery of prize.The Chapter Book Challenge received no compensation for this post. 

Saturday 7 September 2013

Announcing the winner of the print copy of "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales"



Back in a post I made while the anthology of fairy tales was still being created, I said I would use Random.org to pick a winner of the print edition of "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales" when the print edition was available. Well, the print edition became available two days ago, so it's time to announce the winner!

Everyone who contributed a story was entered to win. The random number generator chose:

Melinda Lancaster!

Congratulations, Mel! Please e-mail me (or PM me through Facebook) with your mailing address and whether you want the US edition or the UK edition, and I will get your copy out to you as soon as possible.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales is available in print! #ChaBooCha



Our book, "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales," created by members of the Chapter Book Challenge is available in print now!

We are all very excited about this!

From the blurb:

"With stories to enchant readers of all ages, these fairy tales pull you into their own magical worlds. From twists on the classic fairy tales of old to completely new fairy tales, let these charming stories sweep you away into the realm of fantasy. With 35 stories, including two poems, written by 21 different authors, Teapot Tales is a wonderful collection of short stories, each story just long enough to enjoy with a cup of tea."

Go and buy your copy now! This anthology of  fairy tales makes a great gift!

If you are in the US, order here.

If you are in the UK (and/or would like a copy with British spelling), order here.

Monday 2 September 2013

Jingle Bells Anthology Project #JBAP


This is an idea brought up by members of the Chapter Book Challenge and I like the idea, so I'm making it official.

The idea was to create an anthology of Christmas stories for children. Now, I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, and I can't call it Winter Tales because Christmas doesn't fall in Winter in other parts of the world. So we're calling it "Jingle Bells." Not sure what the subtitle will be - "Stories for the holiday spirit," maybe?

This time, as many of us struggled with the 700-word limit on Teapot Tales, there will be a 1,200 word limit (with a 300-word minimum).

Stories should be kid-friendly, but do not necessarily have to be written FOR children. We will be writing these as stories that would be acceptable for 8 to 13 year old children to read.

These stories can be magical, heart-warming and anything in-between. We want people who read these tales to feel that warm, tingly, heart-touching effect from our words. You know, show them your holiday spirit! Make sure they FEEL it!

Stories are preferred, but we will accept some poems.

Artwork will be accepted (black and white/line drawings), but remember, there may be stories that are for Hanukkuh, the Winter Solstice, Yule and Kwanzaa too.

And we will need a cover. (If no one can manage a cover, I'm sure my husband has some artwork that will work.)

As with Teapot Tales, proceeds will go towards the Chapter Book Challenge. The book will be made available in Kindle and print format. For print format, we are going to need to have the edited stories in and ready no later than September 30th October 8th. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that the print version will be available by Christmas, and I know many of us will want copies to give as gifts.

If you are American, your story will keep its US spellings and colloquialisms. If you are Australian or English, your story will also retain the spellings and colloquialisms for your area. This way, there will be only one version to publish, rather than one for each form.

The Kindle version will maintain the clickable linking format that it had in Teapot Tales, and unless you send me a new bio (or did not contribute to Teapot Tales so I don't already have your bio), your bio from Teapot Tales will be used.

We will need to reach a minimum of 25 stories for this to be a viable idea though.

And there is one big change to this one:

It is not limited to only ChaBooCha members! Anyone who can write an enjoyable story can submit a story.











Sunday 11 August 2013

Get your Kindle copy of "Teapot Tales" now! #ChaBooCha #ChaBooChaAnth

"Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales" is available to buy for your Kindle now. I now know how much work is involved in preparing an anthology of stories written by different people. It's a ton of work, but I am looking forward to doing it again next year. (I'll be doing it again later this month when I put together the anthology for the Creating a Female Superhero Challenge.)


This beautiful cover is created by Kelly McDonald who also has a story in the anthology.

This anthology holds an entertaining collection of fairy tales, from twists on the classics to completely new stories to enchant readers of any age.

All the proceeds from sales of the Teapot Tales anthology will be going towards the Chapter Book Challenge, helping keep it free for everyone to join.

Look for the print version to become available sometime in September. I'll be sure to let you know here when it happens.

Now, go get your Kindle copy of Teapot Tales now!

US version                                  

UK version

Thursday 8 August 2013

Teapot Tales - Vote for our book cover! #ChaBooChaAnth

I am posting all of the submissions I received for the book cover for the fairy tale anthology. It's up to you all to vote on which one you like best. I will not include names with the submissions, so no one can claim "friend voting." (Not that any of you would actually do that!) Also, I am not voting unless we need a tie breaker.

We have until midnight GMT tomorrow night to vote. Vote by stating which one you want as the cover in the comments. Each one will be given a number and you vote for the number you like best. Please ignore any titles in the pieces up for voting as some of these were sent in before we had chosen a title, so people left it as "title" or put a sample title in. Whichever one you choose will have the correct title in the finished product.

#1:



*****

#2: 
*****
#3:
*****

#4:

 

*****


#5:  

*****
#6: (This one is a concept cover, not the finished piece.)


*****
#7:




So there you have it. You have seven covers to vote on and a limited amount of time to do the voting. So get voting! I can't wait to see what the final cover is going to be!

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Tea Pot Tales: a collection of unique fairy tales - the table of contents #ChaBooChaAnth

"Castle" by Cecilia Clark

We have a title for the Chapter Book Challenge fairy tale anthology and now we are getting together some covers for you to vote on. The cover vote will be up on the blog tomorrow for your vote. In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to list all of the stories (and their authors) that will be appearing in the anthology. So here is the table of contents for "Tea Pot Tales: a collection of unique fairy tales":


1.       Elf Dance by C. S. Frye
2.       Hansel and Gretel by Kelly McDonald
3.       Tears of the Dark Fairy by Rebecca Fyfe
4.       Rosebloom and Brujaja the Ogre by Brenda A. Harris
5.       The Frog Prince by Melissa Gijsbers
6.       Forever After by Jackie Castle
7.       The Frog Princess by Nicole Zoltack
8.       Snow White and the Pirates by Ashley Howland
9.       Stone Hearts by Melinda E. Lancaster
10.   Puss in Boots by Bron Rauk-Mitchell
11.   The Legend of Just So by Satori Cmaylo
12.   The Tortoise and the Little Bird by Elizabeth Gallagher
13.   Rooblefound by Linda Schueler
14.   Fighting Dragons by Robert Fyfe
15.   Crimson by Julia Lela Stilchen
16.   Before by Tia Mushka
17.   Prince Peter by Cecilia Clark
18.   Will the Stars Still Shine by Theresa Nielsen
19.   Tom Thumb in Hot Water by Yvonne Mes
20.   Jack and the Giant by David Jamieson
21.   Lis and Nat: A Story of Forbidden Love by Rebecca Fyfe
22.   Rapunzel by Melissa Gijsbers
23.   Midnight’s Tale by Brenda A. Harris
24.   Toadly Awesome by C. S. Frye
25.   Dicky and His Dragon by Elizabeth Gallagher
26.   Spring Folly by Jackie Castle
27.   The Sacred Sceptre by Nicole Zoltack
28.   The Three Little Cherry Trees by Linda Schueler
29.   A Name and a Wish by Ashley Howland
30.   Cindy and Ella by Cecilia Clark
31.   Unknown by Theresa Nielsen
32.   The Raven Girl by Rebecca Fyfe
33.   The Princess and the Pea by Melissa Gijsbers
34.   How Shadow Saved His Fairy by Brenda A. Harris
35. Faery Pond by C. S. Frye


As you can see, we reached 35 stories! We also have some beautiful line drawings (like the one above by Cecilia Clark) that have been created for the interior of the book. The Kindle version will be released soon, and the print version shortly after it. It's starting to get to the exciting part of the process where the end is in sight!