"Squirel Mafia", Photography, Sharon C. Williams

Shooting squirrels

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After I had to delay the release of Squirrel Mafia due to the pictures, I was up and running trying to find new pictures. The little buggers who were always around and under my feet simply were no longer around. It’s like they knew I needed new photos.

This past Sunday my husband and I went out with the intention of doing so at the site we took the originals. While the color version of the book is fine, the black and white copy needs some adjustments.

At first when we sat down on benches, in the hot as heck North Carolina weather, I had no luck. A few minutes passed that turned into 10 that soon turned into 20 minutes again with no luck. The little demons were purposely avoiding me.

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Then I heard it. The sound of empty nut shells falling on the payment by the bench I was sitting on. Looking up I noticed the little guy above staring at me as he busily ate. I was so giddy I had found one I almost missed my shot. But he wasn’t going anywhere as he kept on eating the food that was around him. That taught me to instead of looking with my eyes that I needed to listen with my ears as I heard in other nearby spots the sound of shells hitting the payment and the tell-tale sound of the squeaking, for lack of a better word, of them communicating with each other.

It didn’t take long after that for me to end up with a selection of pictures that I hope will end up in the book so it can be released. I will sort through them, and send them off to my editor after which when she is done, will order a new proof to see if I was successful.

Cross fingers everyone. Hopefully soon I will be able to add this book to my list at http://tinyurl.com/meedtwe

Books, Sharon C. Williams

Reviewing a children’s book

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As a reviewer for Booksneeze, we are required to write a 300 word review. Easy peasy, right? The book I received on Monday was so short it took me under 30 seconds to read it. The material is geared at the young children who are learning to read on their own so it had short sentences and a heck of a lot of pictures.

My first thought was, “How in the hell was I going to come up with a 300 word review?” It didn’t help that my reviewer brain went into full gear as I picked it apart from a level of a book meant for an age much older. I didn’t like the concept, parts didn’t make sense and overall I was left flat in feeling.

Being the first reviewer for this book I did not want to leave such a remark on a book. I sat back in my chair and thought on how to write this. Then it hit me. It didn’t have to work for me, it had to work for the child reading it. Once I made the realization the review was easy. I commented on the short sentences, the easy words, the colorful illustrations that a child that young would enjoy. The book worked for it worked for the child that it was meant for.

By the time I was done writing I had 344 words. Not bad, huh? I see so many bad reviews. I wonder if people forget who the book is aimed at when placing the post up online. As a writer, we have to write for the audience that is in our target audience, why should the review be any different?

 

You can find me here at my blog that is strictly for reviews: Www.mainemuse.wordpress.com

 

Author, Freelance writing, Uncategorized, Writing review

Freelance writing review

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I had a person, who had read three of my articles in a local magazine, give me this compliment. He wrote:

@NewEngland_Muse Great articles you wrote. Hope they know the talent they have writing for them. Could you sell mag. a serial?

That made my day. It truly did. Do you tend to wonder what people think when they read a blog post you wrote, an article or a book? I know I surely do. If we are lucky we get some reviews stating what they liked about it but for the most part we don’t.

Writing is something I love to do. It is a passion that exploded a few years ago and the burning I felt then is still inside of me. I won’t make much money with my writing unless I get a lucky break, THE lucky break, that we might dream off.

So we need to look at other things that makes us continue to write. One of my reviews for Jasper, Amazon Parrot: A Rainforest Adventure made my heart sing. It mentioned how the book had been for the man’s third grade grandson. Upon receiving the book, the young boy placed down his electronic toy and sat down to read the book until bed time. Wow. That blew me away.

This is one of the reasons I write. For people to enjoy the content and learn if possible from it. If I can make a child read a book, then mission accomplished. I been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, it was my beset friend growing up the books I had with me. Yeah sure the money would be nice, it really would. But until that happens, if it happens, I will continue to write books of various topics for people to pick up and enjoy.

 

The Musings of A New Englander