​​Have you ever been out somewhere, and something caught your eye? You wanted to know more about it, but how? Sunday I ate lunch at Texas Roadhouse. I looked up and found something looking down at me. I thought it was a buffalo.

​My husband thought it was either a buffalo or bison, but he wasn’t sure which. Now I was curious. Same animal, or different? There wasn’t a computer in sight, but, I had my phone so I asked it, “What’s the difference between buffalo and bison? I couldn’t believe the answer!

The animal we all know from the Wild Wild West isn’t a buffalo  – it’s a bison! Real buffaloes come from Asia and Africa. So what’s the difference? Read the paragraph below. Then test your knowledge. 

First look at the head. There are 2 clues. Bison have huge heads. Buffalo have smaller ones. Bison have beards. Buffalo don’t. I read that bison are the cool cows! LOL! I thought that was funny!
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Second bison have huge humps for their shoulders. They can use them as snowplows. I could use one this winter – LOL again! Now, can you tell which is which?

                                    #1 and #2                                Which is Which?                          Buffalo or Bison?    

#1 is a bison. See the beard, big head, and shoulder hump? It’s a dead give-away! #2 is a buffalo from Asia. See its small head? It’s missing a beard and a hump! A dead give-away! Did you know Asian buffalo have horns that span 6 feet. This one sure looks that wide! 

                                      #3 and #4                                   Which is Which?                         Buffalo or Bison

#3 is a buffalo. It’s from Kenya, in Africa. Its horns are much smaller than an Asian buffalo, but it’s head is small, and there’s no beard or hump. #4 are American bison. All 3 have big heads, beards, and shoulder humps.
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So how did this happen? How did bison get turned into buffalo?

The mix-up started when the first Europeans came over, before Jamestown and the Pilgrims of Plymouth. Think of the explorers in the 1500’s from  countries like Spain, Portugal, England, and France.

Those explorers had been to Asia and Africa. They’d seen buffalo there, and they thought they saw them in America too. Now looking  at them side by side, it’s easy to see the difference, but those explorers couldn’t.  And that’s how buffalo and bison got misnamed.
Google Source: https://www.livescience.com/32115-bison-vs-buffalo-whats-the-difference.html 

​​Same day, same lunch, I was telling my husband about a movie I’d seen called The Fifth Quarter. The 2011 movie was based on a miraculous college football season from 2006, but I couldn’t remember the name of the college. Guess what – I googled it!
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_5th_Quarter
The team – The Wake Forest Deacons. The movie is about what happens when a family loses their 15 year old son in a car accident. They turn a tradgedy into a miracle for the team, for organ donors, and for families who lose their teenagers in car accidents.

I've been on my journey for 9 days, longer if you count the day or two of pre-journey research. Last winter I joined Noom, and I have a personal trainer/adviser. When I hit a wall with my sleep, I asked Lisa for advice. So here are my results from Stage 1. I went over them with Lisa to plan Stage 2 . 

​The Results: 

5 of the 7 nights, it worked. I powered down at midnight. By 12:30 I was in bed, and 5 of those nights I went to sleep, just like the girl in the picture. It was lovely!

​
​​4 of the 9 nights, I couldn’t go to sleep, even though I powered down. 2 of them were in the first couple nights when I was getting used to the new system. Three is a pattern so Stage 1 was a success! Hip Hip Hooray!

The Next Goal:

I saw my speed bump ahead – the earliest wake-up call of all – getting up early to substitute teach. It was coming, but what was the best way to handle it?

This old body loves to sleep 9 hours a night, I can only get 6 when I sub.
​
I asked Lisa for advice. She didn’t answer. Instead she asked me about my sleep cycle. My answer – I’m a night owl. Lisa thought sub days would force this owl into becoming an early bird. You can’t be something you’re not so I came up with a compromise . . . 

My goal is to power down at 10:30. It will take some time to pull that time back an hour. Lisa said to move it in increments of 15 minutes. I want 3 days to get used to the change before making another one.

That works for most days. But when I sub, I’ll have to work with less sleep. I’m OK when I’m with kids. They energize me. At home I’ll take my 20 minute power nap. I’ll  drink more water and keep moving. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth a try.  
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Here’s to Stage 2! I’ll post when I have something to share.

Do you believe in superstitions, you know black cats, the number 13? If you’re not sure, listen to this song written by Stevie Wonder back in 1972. It won him a Grammy  in 1973, and here’s him singing it live in1974: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vjj6J7gXp

​This version’s from 2015. It’s a minute longer, but at 50 years old, it’s still a great song about superstition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo6LRLWUMwU
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Superstition cuts both ways. People avoid Black Cats and 13, but they carry around four leaf clovers. In sports players wear lucky socks and jerseys. 

This version’s from 2015. It’s a minute longer, but at 50 years old, it’s still a great song about superstition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo6LRLWUMwU
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Superstition cuts both ways. People avoid Black Cats and 13, but they carry around four leaf clovers. In sports players wear lucky socks and jerseys. 

​My superstitions come out for college football. Can you guess my favorite team? It’s the OSU Buckeyes! We may be a bunch of crazy nuts,  but we’re pretty tasty whether you wear us, eat us, or watch us on TV. 

If you’ve never seen my Buckeyes on TV, check out this link. It’s pregame with the best darn band in the land. Oh, the memories! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iar01OwPkAw

Did you recognize anything? How about with the photos of Brutus Buckeye and that team in white? I’ve watched them since I was born. In high school my dad took me to a few games, maybe to encourage my choice in colleges. The best thing about those games, calling plays with the legendary Woody Hayes and my Dad. We matched him 80 – 90 % of the time. It was crazy fun!

So what does any of this have to do with superstition? I don’t remember how, or when, but I didn’t want my Buckeyes to lose so I started shopping online on Gameday. It gave me something to do, something that made me feel like I was helping. On Saturday, September 21st, the Buckeyes were playing Miami of Ohio. Within minutes they were behind 5 – 0. OUCH! 

​​I got to work! I started shopping, but I didn’t buy anything. I  window-shopped, and within minutes the Buckeyes scored. They didn’t look back. They won 76 – 5. I bought 3 books I’d been looking at , and I helped my Buckeyes. It was a winning strategy!

The game was over, but, not my superstitious shopping. The dogs came out – the Georgia Bulldogs. They played Notre Dame, and the announcers gushed over Georgia and the SEC. Oh My! They thought the SEC walked on water and should have 2 teams in the National Championship.

​I didn’t shop, not till Georgia tied the score. Notre Dame needed help so I had to! I started looking for a book I needed as a mentor/teacher. I bought it, but Georgia pulled ahead. So I started on shoes, and YES, I let the dogs out, the shoes. I didn’t buy them, but oh, was I tempted! Something stopped me. Maybe I finally realized winning isn’t in my hands. I let God decide, and DARN! He picked Georgia. 
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I didn’t buy the shoes, not till two days later. I still wanted them, and, my husband won’t let me have a  dog, so really, this was a great idea! Right?

This post was inspired by more superstitious shopping. OSU was playing Nebraska. I had to help, so I shopped on Pixabay and Wikipedia. That’s how I found all these great images – AND – a little inspiration!

STAGE 1  -  I’m not a morning person. I’m a night owl. I love staying up late and sleeping in. 

​I look at morning people, the ones who bounce out of bed, and I just want to tell them to stop. 

​I hate mornings. It’s a fight to get up. I just want to close my eyes again and go back to sleep. I hit the snooze button like 10 times before I can get up. I HATE it!

​ This is what sleep should look like, peaceful, dream-filled.  ​For a couple of weeks, I was  submerged in sleep. I slept 10 hours, sometimes more, every night. When I woke up, I napped for another hour or two. It was lovely. I needed it after a stressful summer, after the SCBWI writing conference.

​But by the end of the 2nd week, I started to worry. I had too much sleep, and I felt like a zombie trying to get things done.

​It ended, finally, the way I thought it would, with the opposite extreme – I’m having trouble going to sleep. I lay there, hoping. I get up, do a little work, and try again. It’s horrible!

So now, I’m on a sleep journey, trying to find a happy medium. I’ll have to learn to set and stick to a bedtime, but I’m committed to this change. I’m tired, all puns intended, of getting either too much sleep, or too little.
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My first step, to power down. To shut down all my electronics 15 – 30 minutes before bedtime. That means sometimes I’ll have to finish a post the next day, but at age 60, I’m going to learn to shut things down. Here’s to the journey! I’ll let you know how it goes in a few days.

PS- It’s tonight, the evening after I wrote the post above, and  it worked! I finished the post, but I didn’t put it up on social media till now. Best of all – I didn’t feel guilty. YAY!!!
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You can’t kill the golden goose, AKA you, AKA me. If you don’t take care of yourself, there is no you to write, to do whatever makes you special. So tonight when it’s midnight, it’ll be a tiny bit easier to stop.
Here’s to my sleep journey, and to yours, whatever it is! I’ll post when I have more to tell, probably when I take sleep journey.                                                                                                                                                  

​The Results: 

​5 of the 7 nights, it worked. I powered down at midnight. By 12:30 I was in bed, and 5 of those nights I went to sleep, just like the girl in the picture. It was lovely!

​
​2 of the 7nights, I couldn’t go to sleep, even though I powered down. 2 of them were in the first couple nights when I was getting used to the new system. Three is a pattern so Stage 1 was a success! Hip Hip Hooray!

The Next Goal: 

I saw my speed bump ahead – the earliest wake-up call of all – getting up early to substitute teach. It was coming, but what was the best way to handle it?

This old body loves to sleep 9 hours a night, I can only get 6 when I sub.

I asked Lisa for advice. She didn’t answer. Instead she asked me about my sleep cycle. My answer – I’m a night owl. Lisa thought sub days would force this owl into becoming an early bird. You can’t be something you’re not so I came up with a compromise . . .

My goal is to power down at 10:30. It will take some time to pull that time back an hour. Lisa said to move it in increments of 15 minutes. I want 3 days to get used to the change before making another one.
​
That works for most days. But when I sub, I’ll have to work with less sleep. I’m OK when I’m with kids. They energize me. At home I’ll take my 20 minute power nap. I’ll  drink more water and keep moving. It’s not perfect, but it’s worth a try.  

​                                                 Stage 3
I’ve been on this voyage now for a month, since September 26th. I’m in a much better place than I was. I no longer sleep 10 hours a night or need hour-long naps every day. The last post I wrote was October 5th. Here are my results since then.

​​I didn’t track numbers this time, but over the last 22 nights I’ve been able to get 9 hours of sleep. I probably had 1-2 early mornings each week. I got up, and I didn’t take naps longer than 20 minutes on those days. I followed my rules.
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I managed to power down somewhere between 11 and 11: 15. I wanted to push it back to 10:30, but I decided not to. I’m a late night person, and an 11:00 powerdown time works for me. Sometimes close enough, like 11:15, is good enough.

​ The next problem I took on was waking up. I can hit the snooze button for an hour.  It's a really bad habit! ​I decided to try something new. I let myself snooze for 15 minutes. Then I wanted to try something positive, something that would make me want to wake up.

​My New Game Plan
This is exactly  how I feel at this stage of the game. I have basic rules that help me go to bed and wake up, but it’s not perfect. I’m still tired, especially after a day spent subbing.  I need to do some tweaking, maybe even break a rule or two when necessary.

Most nights 9 hours of sleep works, but it doesn’t on subbing mornings. Then I feel tired into the next day. I discovered, when I really can’t get up that next morning, I gift myself with an extra hour of sleep. It breaks the rules, but  I feel so much better. It’s my plan for tomorrow and for Thursday, my recovery day after subbing.
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This week I discovered turning  on the light, sitting up in bed, and checking my phone – it  works! I can wake up in 15 – 30 minutes, and that’s a new record for me! It changes the rules, but who cares! I don’t, especially if they work better. My goal is to make waking up something I enjoy, not the chore it’s always been.

Lisa, my Noom coach, suggested meditation as a way to help me fall asleep. There are some nights when I’m so excited/upset that my head spins with ideas. I can power down my body, but it’s a lot harder for my head.

I reached out to my Noom social group. I asked for ideas, and I got 3. Someone suggested using a musical playlist of 3 - 4 songs. Another suggested two different kinds of breathing exercises, and the last one had a You Tube video.
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I think I’ll start with the breathing. I use a BIPAP sleep machine. It’s for sleep apnea, but it also stops my snoring. I used to be Snoring Thunder. Now I’m Snoring Whisper. The BIPAP machine makes it easy to focus on breathing because it pushes air in and out of my nose every minute of every night. I’ll let you know in a week or two how it worked! I hope the force is with me!

Have you ever wondered how your favorite book cover came to be? ​

Check out this week’s On the Scene blog post with author Jarm Del Bocchio.
​She’ll let you in on her cover story.
https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/the-heart-changer-a-cover-evolutio

​Meet Russ Cox, the illustrator of THIS COWGRL AIN’T KIDDN’ ABOUT THE  POTTY. When I look at the last picture, I can see how much fun he had bringing it to life. I need this book . . .  My grandgirl and her Texas parents,will love it . . . once she’s born!

​https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-russ-cox-illustrator-of-this-cowgirl-aint-kiddin-about-the-potty
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Scroll on down and enter the Back-to-School Giveaway. You still have 3 days left to enter and win. Good luck!

Check out this interview with Milanka Reardon. She arrived in the US at age 6. Read how art helped her learn English. Then take a peek at how she made this book come alive!
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-milanka-reardon

Check out our interview with Dannie Deeptown. He’s the perfect illustrator for COUNTING SHEEP. Danny lives deep in the the British countryside where sheep can be found.
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-danny-deeptown
​

Now featuring Claire Sedovic and Odd Animal ABC's​

Check out this interview with Claire Sedovic. She made each piece of artwork speak to you.
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-claire-sedovi

​​And check out our Summer Book Releases:

• The Pencil Eater by Stacey Corrigan

 

• Llama Drama by Lisa Kalma

• Who Will? Will You? By Sarah Hoppe

Three Great Picture Books for you!   

Check out this interview with Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Every bird in her illustrations counts!
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/interview-with-stephanie-fizer-coleman-illustrator-of-bird-count

Check out this interview with Gareth Llewhellin. I love how his illustrations gave this book energy!
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-gareth-llewhellin

I love how her illustrations brought this book to life!
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-wendy-leac

Check out his interview. I can’t wait to peek inside the book when it comes out!
Link: http://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-steve-page​

Batter up! Here’s that first illustrator interview with Cole Roberts.
Link: https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/an-interview-with-illustrator-cole-roberts

It did! I realized I had something to write about, the SCBWI conference I’m attending this weekend.
I haven’t been to Northern Ohio for three years, since I started going to Midsouth . That’s where I found my critique partners. I attended regional conferences with them for the last two years. But this year, I needed to go home to my writing roots.

This song started playing in my head as  I began to type. I remember it from high school, and it gave me a title for this post. I found the video/theme song from the TV show, WELCOME BACK, KOTTER. It’s how I feel about coming back to Cleveland. Enjoy! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmm3KTa601s

Here’s the 2019 All Star Faculty with four authors, three author/illustrators, two assistant editors, one art director, and two agents. They are out-of-this-world good!

If you want to grow as a writer or an illustrator, this is the place to be! For two whole days you’re with people who love books, who love finding the right words, the right way to tell a story. It’s like finding  your tribe. You fit. You belong.
​
I signed up for one three hour class, two critiques, and  four short classes. Best of all three of my favorite authors will divulge their secrets to writing magic.  
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Friday- An intensive, two stories, and a surprise

This is Tami Sauer. I took an intensive with her. She was my teacher for 3 hours. That’s a long time to sit in a class, but I’d sit all day with her! She is so full of energy and great ideas that it’s easy to stay tuned in!

Her session had 2 parts. The 1st was on finding inspiration. I left with a few new ideas I’d like to map out. I also have some ideas for stories I’m working on now. It’s fun to imagine and reenergize yourself. I can’t wait to get home and get started!
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The second half was even better! Tami gave us her ‘Love Notes.’ These are a list of strategies to run your words through. Your first 50 words have to capture an editor or agent’s attention. I think her love notes will help me do that! I have one manuscript that I’ve worked on, polished for 3 years. It’s close, and I’m hoping Tami’s notes will help me close the deal! 

This is Rosemary Wells, one of my favorite authors. I started buying her books early in my career. I loved them, and my kids did too. I sat in the front row and listened to her stories about making  writing magic. Here are my two favorites.

The first – she told about being  a creative kid, the bane of a teacher’s existence. In 4th grade Rosemary had to draw a map of Brazil showing its products. She thought it was boring. Instead she drew fun products that she’d like to buy. Brazil had 1 river. Rosemary drew 10. Not boring! Can you imagine what her teacher said? I can! Something like go back and do the real map!
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Rosemary went on to tell about her life as an author/illustrator. She talked about how she listened and followed her editor’s directions. I had to ask – how did you go from rebel to rule follower? Rosemary said, it was her editor. She stayed with the same one for 22 years. Today she still hears that editor in her head. Only 1 adjective, not 2! Write the story your young readers want. You have to have a character that they can understand. Someone their age. It makes sense – if a story doesn’t appeal to kids, it won’t sell, and it won’t be published.

Here’s the surprise! I couldn’t believe it! I was shopping for books in the SCBWI bookstore, and look who I found – me and Neil! I hope I didn’t squeal!
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My friend Aileen took this picture. I’m so happy she captured the joy of that moment. I’worked for 12 years to publish my 1st book. I thought I was selling it myself, and that was good, but seeing it in the bookstore – It’s been a  dream – to have a book for sale here ever  since the first conference I attended. And now, it’s true!

​I AM NOT – a morning person, but Pat Cummings’ Opening Address woke my brain and held its attention. The title - Going from “Who Will Let Me?” to “Who Will Stop Me?” I’m a retired teacher, and I love being in control. Ask my family!

It wasn’t boring, AT ALL! Pat taught with stories. My favorite was how as a 5 year old, living in a military neighborhood in Germany, she hopped on a bus with some  older girls and went off on an adventure. She landed at a dance school where she whirled and twirled till it was time to hop on the bus again. Attached to her sweater- a note that read ‘Don’t send her back again.” Pat’s take-away – don’t ask. Do! I’m not as brave as Pat, but I’d like to be.
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My other favorite story was how she landed her first book. Her editor asked if Pat had any questions. She said no and then found a published friend to ask. Her take-away, you don’t always have to admit what you don’t know. Use your resources, and try your best! Good things will happen, and you’ll learn from your mistakes!
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My take-away, everyone has fear, but people like Pat face them and brave their way through. That’s what I did when I self-published Neil. It worked!

The Midday address was by Tricia Lin, an assistant editor at Simon & Schuster. Her topic  – First Chapters, Voice and Good Fit: Things an Acquiring Editor Looks For. I was eating so my attention went in and out, but her talk made me feel good about things I’m working on in my writing.

With a chapter book, that first chapter is key. You need to set the scene and get the plot moving on the first paragraph, that first page. If you don’t, editors and agents like Tricia must stop reading. They have piles of new material, and they’re mining it for texts of gold. They look for voice, the part of your writing that is unique to you. You use that voice to  keep them reading. You’ve succeeded if they ask for more chapters.
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However Tricia also pointed out that writing is a very subjective industry. You have to do your research  to find the right editor, the right agent. For example, if someone’s a cat lover, don’t send them a dog story. If they like fantasy, don’t send them nonfiction. It’s great advice, and it makes  me feel like I’m on the right track. Eventualy I’ll find my just-right match.

The closing address was by Tami Sauer, the queen of picture books. Her work is golden! It’s full of heart, and it’s funny! She is my writing hero! Her topic – Tami’s Top PB Secrets – REVEALED! They’re her keys to the writing kingdom. I can’t share them. They’re copyrighted to Tami, but if you read her books, you’ll find them.

They’re the same elements Tricia talked about in chapter books, but you only get 400 – 500 words to tell that story. Your first 50 must shine if you want agents/editors to keep reading. Try Tami’s first words! Then finish the book. Her stories are golden! That’s my writing take-away, to work on those first 50 words in 3 manuscripts. Then – keep going!
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Tami is also a great speaker. She’s a former preschool teacher, and her speeches are filled with that kind of energy. She even gets audience participation! How? By giving out prizes and tickets for prizes. You participate because you want to win. My take-away, give your audience content, make it fun, then let them win. It works like magic!

​After Pat Cummings got my brain moving, I went to my first class, Solving the Mysteries of Research to Strengthen Your Fiction and Nonfiction. The title sounds snore-inducing, but Julie is good. I’ve known her since a Mazza class at the University of Findlay in 2011. Mazza is the most fantastic illustration museum, and it’s in Ohio.  PLUS Julie made it fun – she added in Nancy Drew! How? Huh?

Julie wrote a book about the author of the first 26 Nancy Drew books – Millie Benson from Toledo, Ohio! Can you believe Nancy was birthed in Ohio? I don’t remember the whole 50 minutes, but I can’t share it anyway. Remember, copyright?

What I do remember is the detailed research that Julie did. She was able to speak to the family, go to Millie’s college. I peeked inside Julie’s book to see how she handled research, and I wished I’d looked before I started working on Neil. There’s so much I didn’t know then, or now. But if wishes were horses, I might win the Kentucky Derby. Probably not, I’d fall off first!

My take-aways – I bought the book so I can look at her research whenever I’m searching for real details. For those of you who know my ant story that I’ve worked on forever, the first time I had it critiqued in 2011, at Northern Ohio’s fall conference, Bruce Hale told me to fine-tune and publish. He also asked if ants had hearts. I said I don’t know. He said, you’ll find out if you want this published. I did! They do, sort of!

The second take-away – I already do! Yay, me! I looked for mentor books for Neil to see how I wanted to write it. At one point I was debating between a picture book, a chapter book, or a graphic novel. I looked at all three and picked the chapter book format. Julie also gave me some new resources to find facts and mentor books. Yay, Julie!
​

​After Julie’s class I headed to my next session, Promoting from Your Heart with Maria Carluccio. Would you believe I wound up buying her book? It’s SO clever. I decided to make it this week’s pick for My Reads.

The best part about meeting Maria, other than buying a book for my grandgirl-to-be, is that she made me feel good about what I’m doing on social media. Maria puts out one Instagram post per day. I do too, when my internet cooperates. Sometimes I get an error message that it isn’t working, and then I forget to post it later.

I also post to Facebook, my personal and business page, plus Twitter and Instagram. It lets you know when I put something new on my web site. I just checked in with its creator, Lisa, another Northern Ohio friend. She said the site was doing well, and she gave me a few ideas to tweak it. YAY! If you want to be a writer or an illustrator, you have to have a thick skin. I don’t, but I love learning what I can do to grow as a writer.
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Maria also gave me a few promotional ideas that I can use for future school visits. They involved products that I think teachers and kids will love, but I can’t reveal what they are! If you want to know, invite me in for a school visit. My price, a substitute teacher’s daily salary, in either dollars or book sales. It’s a good deal for everyone, especially young writers!
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​After lunch, Megan talked about Nonfiction for Young Readers. She shared some great picture books that were all well researched and written, but they had a hook, something that made you want to open the book and learn something new.
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For older readers Megan recommended reading Steve Sheinkin’s books. She shared a few passages from BORN TO FLY, his next book. Steve researched and wrote about women like Amelia Earhart who flew across America in the 1929 Air Derby. He showed how each one learned to fly. The detail was incredible! If Steve couldn’t prove it happened or was said, he had to leave it out. That’s the difference between nonfiction and historical fiction, research determines what’s in the story. I bought this book so I can learn from Steve. 
​

My last class was with Michael Armstrong, Putting Together a Marketing Plan for your New Book. Mike understands marketing; I don’t. He started by talking about WHAT a marketing plan is in the book world. I’m happy to see I’ve done some of those things already.
​
Mike shared a sample plan to market his debut book in 2020. Everyone got a paper copy. When I look at it, I see things I can do now to promote Neil. I see steps to take as I work on the next book that’s coming out in May of 2020. I’m glad I have Mike’s plan to help me move forward as a writer and as a publisher.

Two critiques and an autograph session

​ The main reason I attend SCBWI conferences is for the critiques, for the chance to have talented writers look at my work and help me improve it. There are a couple of writers in Northwest Ohio, but no editors, or agents.

I registered for two critiques back in July. One face-to-face, the other written-only. By early August I decided to send one manuscript to Angie, and a different one to Tami. I got my two critiques at the end of the conference. I was exhausted so I took a quick look and headed home. I can’t tell you specifics, but here are the areas Angie and Tami commented on:

              Positive aspects                                               Elements require attention and improvement
              Character development                             Plot and Structure
              Language and diction                                   Voice
              Marketability                                                    Next steps                         
              Additional comments                                   Line comments within the manuscript itself

​Both manuscripts have been through multiple critiques. I worked on the one for Tami for three years. I spent two years on the one for Angie. I brought them to Cleveland to get fresh professional eyes on them. The advice from Angie and Tami was priceless.
​
My next step - to go through their comments and work them into the story. Then I’ll polish it and begin the critique process again with my critique groups.  

And the finale . . .   I was part of the autograph session! Me, autographing books at the SCBWI conference with authors like Rosemary Wells and Tami Sauer! It’s great to enjoy this moment after 12 years of work.

Now, back to life, back to reality! Time to go home to Wapak to edit and prep another book to self-publish. My goal is to have it ready by May of 2020.

It’s also time to edit, polish, and submit the manuscript that Tami critiqued to a traditional publisher. I have two other manuscripts that I’m polishing for traditional publishing too. Finally, it’s time to look for the next book to self-publish a year from now, in September of 2020.

I’m glad Aileen took this picture. Cheers! 

​Need a few good books? Here’s a great collection of AUTOGRAPHED children’s books from the On the Scene Team, and I’m so proud that Neil is represented! Just ​​click on the link , follow the directions, and you'll be on your way! GOOD LUCK FROM THE ON THE SCENE TEAM!

​​        Two Great Picture Books

​
The Pencil Eater hunts for tasty treats but encounters obstacles along the way.  Frustrated by his efforts, he visits an elementary school, where a whole new set of problems await.
So cute! Kids and teachers will LOVE this book! We’ll finally discover what happened to all those missing pencils!

​In this unique pup story, Lottie makes an unusual discovery while beachcombing one day. She then spends her day wondering, Who will care for this little lost pup? and asking, “Will you care for this little lost pup?” But she finds that it will take a special person to care for this very special pup. Who Will? Will You? keeps readers guessing exactly what kind of pup Lottie has found, as they learn about different pups along the way. Includes fun animal facts for a pup-tastic good time!

Everyone loves a dog story, especially one with a happy ending!

One Chapter Book
​
Neil Alden Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969.
Most people know that story, but very few know how Neil’s teen-age dream to build a wind tunnel helped him walk into history.

Read how Neil’s love of planes took him from the Cleveland air races to the
Wright Brother’s wind tunnel. Read on to discover how at sixteen he made his first
dreams come true.
If you like STEM activities, check out the back matter and my favorite science site – Instructables.com. PLUS win an autographed copy of my book!

One Middle Grade Chapter Book
​
Giant scorpions, evil gods, and one intimidating princess—ancient Egypt is nothing like Jagger Jones expected. In order to get his sister, Aria, home safe, Jagger—a thirteen-year-old whiz kid from Chicago’s South Side—must defeat the evil general. Armed only with his knowledge of history and a few modern objects mined from Aria’s sparkly purse, the siblings have exactly one week to solve supernatural riddles and rescue the royal family.
Time travel to ancient Egypt? Count me in, especially with author and PhD Egyptologist Malayna Evans guiding the way!

Don’t forget  . . . Just ​​click on the link every day, follow the directions, and maybe the odds will be in your favor! 
                                                   GOOD LUCK FROM THE ON THE SCENE TEAM!

Next Up: An Interview and a Pair of  Podcasts

Journey to Kid Lit
From Unpublished to Self-Published: How to Self-Publish a Book with Rinda Beach
An Interview by Brooke Van Sickle                                       
I am so excited to share my interview with Brooke Van Sickle. Self-publishing is a journey! Here’s the link to our July 9th interview: https://journeytokidlit.com/from-unpublished-to-self-published-with-rinda-beach/?fbclid=IwAR04L3CZDIKRYM8tDfNpQuGsOt3E-qoreCpVXhcPxcxAcm48DA2TOd0EHDo

Book Echoes
Writing about Neil Armstrong 
A Podcast by Connie B. Dowell
Connie, thank you for the opportunity to talk about my writing journey and publishing NEIL ARMSTRONG'S WIND TUNNEL DREAM.

​Here’s the link from her July 17 broadcast: http://bookechoes.com/2019/07/17/writing-about-neil-armstrong-with-rinda-beach/?fbclid=IwAR0N1I6sO5lMKdTwxlqfjfjpSuBguGmUtBRKzfNvmD73UXCAI9YmIHKU6_c#comment-18541

​ Reading with Your Kids . . . Celebrating Young Neil Armstrong
A Podcast by Jed Doherty

Jed wrote . . . Most people know Neil Armstrong as the first human to step foot on the Moon. Rinda Beach is on the podcast to reveal that his journey to the Moon started with a dream to build his own wind tunnel. Most people know Neil Armstrong as the first human to step foot on the Moon. Rinda Beach is on the podcast to reveal that his journey to the Moon started with a dream to build his own wind tunnel. Here’s the link to our August 18th interview: http://hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/0/d/2/0d29af574264aca3/Rinda_Beach.mp3?c_id=49042928&cs_id=49042928&expiration=1567996106&hwt=935c7f117e9562f77f70814ce43b63ac
​
​Now Showing: Boomer is on the Scene!

Vanessa wrote an acrostic poem to celebrate her debut book. If you’re not sure what that is, click below and read her poem.
 https://onthescenein19.weebly.com/blog/why-youll-love-the-book-boomer-at-your-service
Scroll farther down to enter the Back-to-School Giveaway. Click and enter to win. Good luck!

​Here’s my acrostic ode to Neil Armstrong – thanks to Vanessa’s inspiration!
 
     Neil loved airplanes.
     Every day he worked to build better ones.
    If he failed, he didn’t quit. He
    Looked and looked till he built a better plane.

Last, but not least! An Update from 9/6/19  

Last month I got an email from Jo in New Zealand. She liked my post about working dogs and asked if I would put her link in it.
I checked her post and loved the article about 6 popular dog sports. I learned something new, and I thought you might too. I was also flattered to get Jo’s email. Here’s her link. I hope you’ll check it out.
Link: https://yourdogadvisor.com/dog-sports/
Here’s my original link for working dogs, including the new update. http://www.rindabeach.com/blog/working-dogs
PS – I think I’d like to do a post about sporting dogs, and Jo’s link is the perfect place to start!

​Come on a Scavenger Hunt with me for NEIL ARMSTRONG’S WIND TUNNEL DREAM. We’ll start in Wapak and see what we can find. Let’s go!

​First Stop - Riverside Art Center – It’s at 3 West Auglaize Street. Take a peek inside. Their motto is ‘Let Your Creativity Flow.” I did! This is where I started searching for my first illustrator. I don’t see my book yet, but if you are looking for local artists and classes, this is the place to start. I’ve taken painting classes here, and someday I may teach a class, writing and editing of course.

Look at the first picture above! It’s me and Neil. I was taking a walk through town and found myself in Riverside’s window. I’ve seen my shadow before, but I’ve never seen it with a book I published. WOW! Dreams do come true. The other picture is me signing books at Riverside. BTW, if you pop into Riverside to get my book, they’re already autographed for you. 
​

Next Stop – Casa Chic – at 109 West Auglaize Street, down the block from Riverside. It still looks like this outside. Casa’s still celebrating Neil’s 50th anniversary. Find a golf cart, and you can go ‘astronauting around Wapak for a little longer, but fall’s coming and so’s our favorite annual holiday, ‘Wapa-Ween.”

It doesn’t matter which floor I’m on . . .  This is my happy place. I always find treasures. At Saturday’s book signing they were all for my grandgirl. Really! 

I also made some new friends. It doesn’t matter whether you buy a book or not, I love chitchatting about Neil and the stories I discovered from my research. The books at Casa aren’t autographed, but my card and a bookmark are inside in case you’d like to message me. I’m glad to answer, to snail mail an autograph too. 

​
Stop #3 – Armstrong Air and Space Museum – at 500 Apollo Drive, next to Interstate 75. Two new statues made their debut this summer. Young Neil sits  by the curb  with a model airplane. An older Neil stands by the entrance ready to make a test flight. Come to Wapak, and tour the museum.

​You’ll find exhibits inside and out. The plane you see below is an F5D Skylancer. It was one of the planes Neil flew during his test pilot days. Go inside and discover what Neil and his fellow astronauts wore in space. Then check out the museum gift shop with its great souvenirs., including my book!

​Save the dates! Saturday, September 28th and Sunday, the 29th are the Museum’s Festival of Flight.  Come make your own paper airplanes, helicopters, and kites. Look skyward for drones and  more kites. Come inside for a tour. I hope you’ll stop in to say hello. I’ll be there signing books and meeting young astronauts and their families!

Stop #4 – Auglaize Embroidery – at 4 N. Wood Street in Wapak. This is Auglaize Embroidery, all spiffed out for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Come inside and meet everyone’s favorite employee, Bo. He’s always there to meet, greet, and get his ears scratched. He is one GREAT DOG!

​I never thought Neil would be  at Auglaize Embroidery. They don’t sell books, but they sell mine! Here’s how it happened. I’ve known the owner, Judy, since high school. I was thrilled when she decided to buy four books for her grandchildren. I brought them in, signed them, and headed off to the lake. A couple days later Judy called me and left a message that she wanted to sell my books. What? How? Why?

​ called her back. Remember the four copies I sold her? She had multiple people come in and try to buy them. She decided then and there to sell my book. Judy has stocked Neil ever since. Her copies are autographed and come with a bookmark and my card. Stop into Auglaize Embroidery for all things Neil and Wapakoneta!

​Stop #5 – Image Master Print & Copy Center –

​
​It's at 129 East Auglaize, down the street from Riverside and Casa. ​​
I met Mary when she bought a book for her grandson. She surprised me by selling Neil at her shop this summer. Now it’s fall, and Mary still has a copy you can read while you wait. If you like what you see, walk down the street, or go shopping online.

​The Final Wapak Stop #6 – Wish Boutique – at 28 East Auglaize. It’s across the street from Riverside. All the other businesses have been around for years, but Wish opened a year ago, and I just discovered it this week when I was running an errand. Jessica manages the shop, and it’s a great place to hunt for gifts. I found five for my grandgirl, and I wasn’t even looking. Jessica made another dream come true – she decided to sell my book in her store

​Do you see my book on the top shelf? I’m thrilled to be there! Right below Neil are Jean Reagan board books too. If you know a preschooler, they’re the perfect gift!

​Here are just a few treasures you can find at Wish Boutique. I have a feeling this will become my new place to shop, and it offers new customers for my book. A  two-fer!
 
BTW – I picked up some grandgirl gifts. None of them are in the pictures, just in case my Texas kids are reading this post.

​This has been an exciting summer for me. May 17 my first book debuted. I’m excited to say I’ve sold about 400 copies so far. As a debut author I had no idea what to expect. I’ve written for 12 years, but until now my stories only existed in my brain and in my computer. This summer has been so exciting!

If you’re one of the 400 who’ve bought my book, I hope you’ll consider writing an honest review. It’s one of the best ways to help new readers discover Neil and his wind tunnel. More reviews make it easier to search and find us.
​
Another way to help Neil and his wind tunnel is to recommend it  to your local library, or buy them a copy. To date I’m now in 6 libraries. For this reader that’s pretty exciting!

​But, this moment was more exciting! This is a picture from June 1st from my daughter’s wedding. As you can see from the picture she’s my mini-me, and this was a military wedding. I’ve only  been to one other. It was when one of my college roommates got married in the 80’s. All I remember were the swords, but  I remember so many moments from my daughter’s, like her father walking her down the aisle.
​
But there’s another moment that I’ll never forget. I don’t have a picture of it, but I’ll remember it as long as I have memories.

You see, my son and his wife pulled my husband and I over to take a selfie – ONLY it wasn’t a selfie. It was a picture of a sonagram. Do you know what was in it?

My husband didn’t, but I did, right away! It was a picture of my grandbaby. My first! So the night of my daughter’s wedding, I got a 2-fer . . . I got a son-in-law AND grandbaby. WOW! What a great surprise!
​
Then the parents-to-be  got their siblings together for another selfie. My daughter got it before her brother, or her husband. The wedding photographer got that shot, the moment comprehension dawned on all three faces.

Then the parents-to-be took their show on the road. They did the same selfie trick to the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. What a great way to announce a baby.!And its name . . . you’ll love it . . .  REALLY! Baby Blob!
​
Why? Because the baby looked like a blob for its first 10 weeks. BTW – this is not my grandbaby. I have the real picture, but it’s not mine to share, not until I ask my Texas kids for permission. 

A Road Map for this Grandma-to-be
I won’t be driving cross town to visit the baby. I’ll have to drive from Ohio to Texas. Through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana to get there. That’s 18 hours by car, fewer if we fly. I’m glad my  son and his wife live on the east side of Texas. It’s huge compared to Ohio!

​With that kind of distance, we won’t have a lot of face-to-face time, but we’ll use technology instead! We can visit anytime online with  apps like Facebook or Skype. 

​When we’re together, I hope we’ll explore the world, chit-chatting about all the things we see. Then we’ll snuggle into a good book and take turns reading together. What could be better?

​Grandmas Just Want to Have Fun!
Baby showers . . . Birthdays . . . Christmas . . . Let the shopping begin!

​I wonder what I’ll pick for the baby shower. I love gifts with a theme,. Maybe I’ll pick a lamb to give her sweet dreams, and the right book of course! OOPS! Did I let something slip 😊

​I hope I’m there for dress-up days like church or dance recitals.

​But I’d rather be there for regular ones like walking her dog or lunching on Happy Meals. Grandmas and grandgirls should have fun together.

Oh the Places You'll Go!

​Can you guess two places we’ll go? My husband and I live on Norris Lake. There’s so much to share with our grandgirl. Swimming, tubing, boating – I hope she’ll love it!

My  kids loved beach vacations! Now it’s time for a  grandgirl to take their place. Building sand castles, hunting for seashells, leaping over waves – I’m looking forward to it all! Here’s to my grandgirl and the fun we’ll have together!

​This week more schools, especially up north, are back in session. Here’s a geography warm-up for your academic muscles. This is a US map.  Find these 4 states -- Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida.​

                                                                                           Question #1 
Which state has the longest freshwater shoreline in the United States? Hint – it’s up north!                     
                                                   Minnesota          Michigan          Ohio          Florida
 I listed the states from west to east. Minnesota is the farthest west, and Florida is the farthest east.
                                                                                    And the answer is . . .  Michigan!

Only Alaska beats Michigan with a shoreline of 6,640 miles, but it’s almost all saltwater.​

​Sources: Michigan.gov | Date Updated: June 27, 2019
          https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer-what-state-has-the-longest-freshwater-shoreline-in-the-country/

This is a satellite picture of the Great Lakes. I guessed wrong, but I was close.
Question #2 – How many are there?     4     5     6     7

​And the answer is . . .  5.
I guessed 6. See I was close, but I always told my 2nd graders close counts in horseshoes, but not in math. Or on questions like this. 
​
​*****
Now look below at the satellite picture of North America. The red box shows how much space the Great Lakes take up. I don’t think I can answer the next question correctly. How about you?

Question #3 – Can you name the Great Lakes in order, going from west to east?

Remember that state to the north, the ‘M’ one? Can you see it on the two maps above?

​
I pasted a map of Michigan to the left. Lake Michigan forms the western border. Lake Huron and Erie make the eastern border.
Lake Erie also forms part of the southern border between Ohio and Michigan. Did you know when they formed them, there was a war over who got Toledo, which sits on Lake Erie? Ohio won – we got Toledo, and Michigan got the Upper Peninsula.

Question #4– Which is the Deepest of the Great Lakes?
Huron, Michigan, Erie, Superior, or Ontario.
I have no idea. How about you? Take a look at this table, and I bet you can find the answer.
My source:  1. EPA
2. https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/physical-features-great-lakes
3. https://quizzclub.com/games/bonus/which-is-the-deepest-of-the-great-lakes/answer/2006/

 ​Huron          Michigan         Erie            Superior            Ontario
750                   925                 214               1332                     802       Depth in feet
  22                      99                    2.6                 191                           6        Retention time
Retention time is the average time water spends in a lake. To find it, divide the lake volume by the water flowing in or out.

And the answer is . . . Superior! It IS Superior! It’s the deepest, at 1332 feet deep, the coldest, and the farthest north. Water stays in the lake for about 191 years before it finally leaves.
​
Can you find the opposite? It’s Lake Erie at only 214 feet deep with 2.6 years to stay in the lake.

                                                                                                ******
The Great Lakes are 750 miles across. They hold 84% of the freshwater in North America, 21% of the worlds’ fresh water. They really are GREAT!
Source: https://www.traveltrivia.com/answer-how-many-great-lakes-are-there/
 
Question #5 – How ere the Great Lakes formed? I found the answer in a picture. What do you think the answer is?      Meteors        Volcanoes     Glaciers

                                                                                   And the answer is . . .
Glaciers. If you look at the illustration below, you see how the great glaciers covered all of Canada. I remember from Ohio History how they moved down through Michigan then down into Ohio. They reached Moraine, near Dayton, Ohio before receding north again. This illustration doesn’t show that, but it does show how the history of the Great Lakes in 4 illustrations. 

If you’d like to read more about the Great Lakes or find more great pictures, click on this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lake