I am a guest blogger with Christian Children’s Authors. Check out my review of this T.V. series. I watched and re-watched these episodes during the COVID19 Pandemic and LOVED THEM! I can’t wait for season 2. You can get the free app and watch them on your phone, or right now on You Tube you can also watch them. I highly recommend.
You can find out more about The Chosen TV series here
I’m so excited to introduce my special guest to you today. It is Bonnie Clark, debut picture book author of TASTE YOUR WORDS which is being released on April 7 by WorthyKids. It is illustrated by Todd Bright.
Thanks for joining me, Bonnie! First off, I LOVE the title and idea for your book. It seems so relevant for not only children, but all of us as we think about our speech. I have to ask you, where did the idea for this book originate?
The idea for TASTE YOUR WORDS originated with myself and my children when they were younger and learning to communicate with each other. (LOTS of sibling squabbles!) Inspired by Proverbs 16:24, I would tell them to taste their words before they let them out of their mouth. The idea that we could taste our words was fun and I was surprised at how quickly they understood the concept.
That really does make the concept more understandable. I love it! I am also wondering what sparks your creativity as you contemplate new ideas for your picture books?
I think all writers are noticers first, and I get inspired almost everywhere I look. But most of my inspiration comes from my personal experience and interaction with my children. If I discover something that is helpful or interesting, the writer/mother in me wants to communicate it well (simply and entertaining) through a picture book.
We really do write from our own experience, don’t we? I am also curious about your writing process. How do you shape a new book into completion?
After I’m inspired, I write my thoughts in an outline or first draft that I hope no one ever reads! I meet monthly with my kidlit Critique Group and at this point I may run the idea by them to get their opinion on the project. After I get the idea out, I begin creating the story. I usually know how I want to end it- the problem I want the main character to solve, but the challenge is creating the arc and timing of events. Again, I will get feedback from my group about what is working and what is not and eventually the story starts to emerge. I personally like to paginate my manuscripts because page turns are important in picture books and help with the pacing. When I start to feel good about a manuscript, I will then start trimming. Word Count is another important piece of picture book writing and I like to keep mine around 500 or less. When I feel like its getting closer I’ll read it to my kids (my OTHER critics!) and then I’ll send it to my agent Adria Goetz for her review (with my fingers crossed). 🙂
Very interesting! It is definitely a process, isn’t it? I have also found a critique group to be very helpful. I love the cover for the book. Do you have a favorite illustration in the book? What is it and why is it your favorite?
Oh wow. That’s a really hard question and you will understand when you see these AMAZING illustrations by my step-brother Todd Bright. He is an incredibly talented and accomplished animator and he has indeed made this story come to life on the pages. BUT if I had to choose, I think my favorite spread is the “ah-ha” moment in Amera’s bedroom after she has struggled through her day and finally discovered how to turn it around. It is an incredibly sweet scene and the light pouring in the window is just gorgeous. I love her expression and the way she is sitting on the bed. And the picture on the wall behind her has a special meaning for me personally. You’ll have to wait until April 7th to see it!
I am really looking forward to “seeing” what you are describing! Now that you have a book published, do you have any inspiration or words of advice to share for other debut authors?
My biggest piece of advice for any aspiring author is to join SCBWI and get involved in a critique group that will give honest and kind feedback. For me, my group of Kidlit authors and illustrators have been an invaluable piece of my journey to publication. I couldn’t imagine making my way in this industry without their constructive criticism and timely advice. I joined the group to learn and as a bonus I’ve made some pretty incredible (and talented!) friends.
Do you have any other exciting news that you can share with us about upcoming books?
2020 will be a BIG year for me… TASTE YOR WORDS will launch on April 7th and my second picture book CATCHING THOUGHTS will launch August 11th. While TASTE YOUR WORDS is a book about speaking kind words, CATCHING THOUGHTS addresses mental health- a topic that I am passionate about and hope that kids who are struggling will find helpful.
Both are such important topics and issues. Sounds wonderful! I wish you all the best, Bonnie! Thank you again for answering my questions!
Thank you for having me Mindy! I hope your 2020 is full of yummy words and beautiful thoughts.
Pre-order TASTE YOUR WORDS on Amazon at this link.
Author Bio:
Bonnie Clark loves books that make her laugh, cry, or think for a long time. She enjoys writing for children because she believes that childhood is the most important time in a person’s life–the time that shapes who we become as adults. When she isn’t writing, Bonnie does yoga, reads books, raises three adorable kids, and drinks lots of coffee. Bonnie lives in Canton, Georgia, with her husband, their children, and two French bulldogs.
You can find out more about Bonnie Clark at her website.
Follow Bonnie on Intstagram, Facebook, and Twitter! See links from her website.
Today I am interviewing author Natalee Creech about her new picture book Nothing. If you haven’t seen this book, you should definitely put it on your list. It is darling, and best of all, packed full of TRUTH that can impact the hearts of the children in your life!
First, I have to ask, what inspired this story? And, in addition, what do you hope your readers take away from reading your book?
I started writing NOTHING when I was teaching first grade at a Christian school. I was always on the lookout for books (songs, poems etc.) that would reinforce our weekly Bible lesson and memory verse. It was easy to find books that focused on heroes of the Bible and well-known stories, but harder to find books about a specific verse or theological concept. I don’t think I had decided to try and become a published children’s author when I began writing NOTHING. Rather, it grew out of my teaching, my faith, and my hobby of writing poetry. When I did decide to pursue publishing, it was a piece that I continued to work on.
Ultimately, NOTHING is about God’s unconditional love. It reassures children that wherever they go they can never go away from his love, and they can never lose God’s love because of their actions. Readers may find that it’s also about forgiveness, grace, and parents’ unconditional love. Romans 8:38-39 is a powerful reassurance for children and adults alike. How amazing (and humbling!) that the God of the universe loves us, and that there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from that love!
That is a powerful truth for sure and an important take-away for all of us! My next question is to help new authors and writers. What advice would you give new authors for brainstorming story ideas?
If you are a picture book writer I would say to write down any glimpse of potential brilliance as soon as it comes to mind. It may or may not turn into a book, but if you don’t record it, you will surely forget it, no matter how many times you repeat it to yourself and promise yourself you will not! Yes, I am speaking from experience here, and, shamefully, it took multiple times to learn this lesson. Make it a habit to carry around a notebook because somehow this act heightens your general awareness. Just having the intention of writing ideas down tunes you in more closely to your surroundings. You might be surprised what you notice when you take the time to listen and see.
I love the notebook idea! I will have to try it. Would you mind describing your road to publication? How did you find your agent and publisher?
I have always loved children’s books; as a child, as a college student studying education, and as an adult before having children of my own. However, it took me a long time to admit to myself and to my family that writing for children was a dream I wanted to pursue. In 2015 I joined the SCBWI. I wrote while I was teaching full-time. When we moved from South Korea back to the United States for a few years I chose to find a job that didn’t occupy my mind outside of work hours as much as teaching did. I had a hard time turning off my teacher brain outside of school and wanted to have more creative energy for writing. Fortunately, the public library was hiring and it was the perfect place to work while taking steps toward becoming published. During the time I was in the U.S. I connected with my agent, Adria Goetz, through #faithpitch. I also wrote the manuscript which turned into my first picture book WHEN DAY IS DONE. (Beaming Books, February 2019) Adria sold NOTHING to Worthy Kids a few months later.
Congratulations! It is really fun to hear “road to publication” stories. Everyone’s journey is so unique. Also, I really loved the illustrations in your book. Do you have a favorite page/illustration in the book? If so, what is it and why? Did you submit your manuscript with any illustrative notes or did you leave it all up to your illustrator and publisher?
I love all of the illustrations! Joseph Cowman did an absolutely amazing job. I was nervous about the illustrations because they are so critical to a picture book’s success. We judge books – especially picture books – by their covers and illustrations every day. That being said, I didn’t submit any art notes with the manuscript.
Interestingly, my favorite illustration is part of a substory that I did not detail in the text. Near the end of the book a little girl joyously rides her bike through a garden of yellow tulips, totally decimating them in the act. On the next page she realizes what she has done and presents her father with a bouquet of the tulips. Then comes my favorite illustration with the text: “You’re loved and forgiven. What a wonderful thing! You’re adopted as God’s own. You’re a child of the King!” You see the girl, lifted high in her father’s hands as he spins her around. The girl wears a garland of yellow tulips on her head. I love the symbolism of the flowers as a crown, matched to the text about being a child of the King. I also love that the tulips, representing her sin, through grace become a symbol of redemption. Even though the idea of forgiveness and redemption was in my text it was the illustrator, art director and editor that provided all those details.
I really love this illustration, too. It is fun to “see” the one you like the most. Well, I have one more question for you, I’m wondering if you have any other exciting news you might like to share?
I just found out that NOTHING will be translated into Hungarian, which is amazing and humbling to me!
Wow! That is really amazing news! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! Thanks so much for joining us today, Natalie. It has been a special treat to chat with you! I love your book so much, and its message. I am definitely planning to share it with the kids I teach in Children’s Church in the upcoming weeks. I wish you all the best!
How to connect further with Natalee:
Website:nataleecreech.com
Twitter:@nataleecreech
Facebook:nataleecreechauthor
Looking for a way to introduce your children to world cultures world missions? I recommend Operation World’s Window on the World. With over 90 countries and people groups highlighted, as well as a section for each major world religion, it is a wonderful tool for families who want to emphasize and pray for world missions in their homes. The newly revised edition includes up-to-date information on countries like Uzbekistan and India, two countries that are dear to my heart. I love how the colorful pages filled with photos not only include prayer points, fact files, and maps, but also tell how children in each culture live, what they wear and eat, and what they like to do. Window on the World is also available in e-book.
Need a fun idea for a family ministry outreach?
Idea: Host a “family” gingerbread house building party!
In early December I attended a fantastic event at Harbour Shores Church in Indiana. I was so impressed with how it was organized, and saw great potential for other churches to duplicate the morning with the families in their churches.
Step One– Invite families
Families registered online and decided if they ordered one, two, or more gingerbread house kits. They prepaid for the event.
Step Two– Buy supplies, light refreshments, and prepare the work space
Event organizers made sure to have work space set up in the church gym, and enough gingerbread kits for everyone. In addition to the gingerbread house kits, extra frosting and toppings were provided and laid out at each work station.
Light breakfast food was served as the participants arrived. The menu included fruit, muffins, doughnuts, juice, and coffee.
There was also a station to do a sticker/coloring craft if the participants wanted to do so.
Families mingled, found their work stations, and ate their refreshments.
Step Three– Read a Christmas story and present the gospel
I attended the event and read Mouse’s Christmas Gift. This was a great way to introduce spiritual truth into the event. After the story, I took approximately 10 minutes to present the gospel, using an object lesson.
Step Four — DECORATE the gingerbread houses
After the devotional time, families worked together to decorate their gingerbread houses. So much fun and so many smiles!
The entire event lasted just under 2 hours.
