Julia Stilchen

Oscar and Marla: Illustrated by Carole St-Laurent For Ages 6 - 10 I read this story to my daughter and she really enjoyed it. I liked how it introduces the reader to "second chance" animals. Then particularly centers focus on one of the animals among those who may have needed a second chance the most. I love how the author included humor as well and the honesty within the story. I also liked the positivity from Marla, the friendship that is developed between the two main characters, and the way the story turned out in the end. A meaningful and enjoyable story to be read! Available on Amazon.com ebook To learn more about Carole St-Laurent or to check out her other books, you can visit her online at her Amazon's Author page .

The Night Creepers by James Tingle For Ages 9 - 12 I thought that this story was interesting. When several kids attempted to venture out after dark, purely out of boredom, they discover a place that really shouldn't even be there. I wasn't sure exactly where the story was going to head. In the end, I felt the story was left at a point where it leaves the ending to reader's imagination, as far as why their secret place had vanished completely. Interesting concept. I could see this story continuing on in a series to solve some kind of mystery. Will there be a book 2? Available on Amazon.com ebook To learn more about James Tingle or to check out his other books, you can visit him online at his Amazon's Author page !

Happy Earth Day! In honor of it being Earth Day today,  Little Astronomer: Journey Into The Solar System From The Sun To Eris (Kid Lit Science Book 1), a children's educational picture book that encourages kids to learn about our solar system in a fun way, is available for free all day today! Little Astronomer: Journey into the Solar System - From the Sun to Eris

Arabelle & The Star Crystal Arabelle’s Adventures Chapter Book Series for ages 6-9 Available free via Kindle Unlimited at Amazon! eBook Paperback Venture off into the magical land of Wistaria where there are mages, elves, fairies, mermaids, magical creatures, and more! Arabelle is looking forward to obtaining her first magical star at the Starfall Ceremony. When the day finally arrives, her best friend Yunika goes missing. Will Arabelle be able to find her bff and still make it to the Starfall Ceremony in time to catch her first falling star? Arabelle is the youngest of all mages. She doesn’t let that stop her from trying her best. Even if it means confronting dragons, traveling throughout the twists and turns in the land of Wistaria, and taking on any challenge she encounters. Seeking to improve her skills, she teams up with her besties on a fun filled magical adventure. Set in a fantasy setting filled with magical adventures, each story encourages imaginati

Book Trailer: Available at Amazon here . This book encourages children to learn about Astronomy.

PACING in Writing     Art by Laura Pace I think of pacing in my writing somewhat similar to tempo in music. I used to play the flute, clarinet and piano. While playing the piano, I learned about tempo and depending on the music, you would slow down, speed up, play softly or loud, hold a note long or short, that creates emotion and feeling into the song being played. Well, I feel doing this with writing is not that far from the same if used as a technique. If you have a lot of action going on, you shorten your sentences and are more quick to the point. In scenes where you are layering details and building up characterization, these tend to be more detailed and visual. So there's a bit more written in the sentence.  So, depending on your story, you can add tempo to your writing effectively. Here are some helpful articles on how to use pacing in your novel: 7 Tools For Pacing A Novel & Keeping Your Story Moving At The Right Pace 5 Ways to Pace Your Story