New Book Out!

I have great news! My picture book, A Fine Day on the Bay, is now available for pre-order! It can be ordered online by clicking on this link, or in person through your favorite local bookstore (just ask customer service to look it up on their computer system) if you prefer to buy in person.

I am also updating the cover for my children’s chapter book, The Halloween Caper. It will have a new cover and will be available in paperback and hardcover. I am so excited about this because it was my first manuscript, written in 1994. It makes me so happy to finally see it in print!

If you would like to buy a signed copy of one of my books, I will be at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland on November 12th. Click here to find out more about the festival.

If you are able to snag a copy of one of my books and you enjoy it, please consider leaving a review on the site where you purchased it. It would mean so much to me, and honest reviews help authors like me to grow and reach new readers! Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance!

If you would like to receive news about my next book release, subscribe to my blog for updates. I will also be adding to the writing tips section and sharing what I learn as I go. Talk to you soon!


Available for Pre-Order

Click on the Universal link to purchase:

Buy Book Here

or buy directly from Amazon.com:

Hardcover    Paperback     eBook

 

 

 


More Books

 


Tools I Use

Stop by my Tools I Use page where I share tools and resources I use to help me with my writing projects. I will add to this list as I learn more about software and digital tools that make life a little easier for today’s writer.

Stay Updated

If you want to stay updated about my new releases, writing tips, and craft projects, sign up in the subscription box in the sidebar on the right-hand side of your screen. I look forward to sharing my latest news with you!

Crafts

Do you like to make crafts with your children? I find that reading stories stirs up the imagination and leads to creative energy for making something that is both hands-on and fun. Here are a few that go well with my books. Click on the images for details and instructions. Or visit my Crafts Page


Note: There are affiliate links within this website to products and services that I recommend and use personally. This means that I receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you, and in some cases, you may receive a discount for using my link. I only recommend products and services that I believe are of good quality, so I hope you find them useful.


New Release: Frogs Eat Spaghetti…Right?

Frogs Eat Spaghetti…Right

I’m thrilled to announce the release of my new children’s picture book, Frogs Eat Spaghetti…Right? This is my first foray into illustration, and I am both nervous and excited about its release. I wrote the first draft for this book 20 years ago! How can that be? But here it is in all its glory with plans for more titles to come in this animal series.

It is now available as an eBook and Paperback through Amazon.com. If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for FREE! It will also soon be available in hardcover.

Description:

Do frogs eat spaghetti? Do whales eat cheesy nachos? Find out what animals eat in this fun and savory romp through the animal kingdom.

Pre-K to grade 3 | 32 pp | 8.5 x 8.5 | Subject categories: Animal Diet, Animal Habitats, Zoology


If you’re interested in
Frogs Eat Spaghetti…Right?
grab a copy today!

Don’t forget to leave a review if you enjoyed the story,
and you can find out about new book releases
by clicking the Follow button on my Amazon Author Page
or by hitting the Subscribe button on the right side of your screen.


Toys and Gifts

My children used to love a little softy with their favorite books. I have selected a few from Amazon that I think would pair nicely with this book. Click on the images to find out more.


More Books

 


Crafts

Do you like to make crafts with your children? I find that reading stories stirs up the imagination and leads to creative energy for making something that is both hands-on and fun. Here are a few favorites. Click on the images for details and instructions.

 

 


Note: There are affiliate links within this website to products and services that I recommend and use personally. This means that I receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you, and in some cases, you may receive a discount for using my link. I only recommend products and services that I believe are of good quality, so I hope you find them useful.

Fall is Here

 

Hello Fellow Creators,

Fall is here! At least the feel of Fall is here, even though Autumn doesn’t technically begin until September 22nd. I hope you all enjoyed the summer as much as I did. I think I will miss most the ballgames, the beach, and family game nights. But, I have to admit, I do love the Fall. I look forward to getting back to school routines, outdoor Fall activities, the cooler change in the weather, and setting out Fall decorations. What do you like about the Fall? Let me know in the comments below.

As you all know, if you have been following my blog, I have decided to follow the current trend in publishing by self-publishing my books. I have a picture book planned for the spring and I hope to publish a chapter book by October. It’s a story I wrote back in the ’90s and would love to see it in print. My difficulty though is in the illustrating. I hope to be able to come up with some decent line-art illustrations for the interior and a color illustration for the cover. It sounds easy, but I am new to this, so I’m just taking things slowly, learning as I go.

I also have some new writing tips I plan to post in the coming months, as well as new craft activities. I can’t wait to share them all with you!

Here is my latest attempt at illustration. I’m learning as I go, one step at a time. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Ghost Crab

Happy writing,

Elaine


Tools I Use

Stop by my Tools I Use page where I share tools and resources I use to help me with my writing projects. I will add to it as I learn more about software and digital tools that make life a little easier for today’s writer.

Check Out My Books

Check out my books on the My Books page. I currently have four traditionally published picture books, but I am branching out into self-publishing. Hopefully, this will be a growing list.

Stay Updated

If you want to stay updated about my journey into self-publishing, new writing tips, craft projects, and book releases, sign up in the subscription box in the sidebar on the right-hand side of your screen. I look forward to sharing my latest news with you!


 

Summer Fun

Hello Fellow Creators,

I hope you all are doing well after this past year of quarantines and lockdowns. I am happy to say I along with my family have received our vaccines and are hopefully putting this whole crazy experience behind us. We recently visited Disney and Universal in Florida. So much fun, but so very hot! It rained at some point each day, but on the last day we had the benefit of this beautiful rainbow.

Over the past year, I haven’t been able to spend much time writing and crafting, ironically with all this downtime. I don’t know about you, but I find when the whole family is home it’s not easy to get any work done. Especially when work is writing, which can always be put on hold for chores, homework help, making meals, and recently, touring college campuses. On the upside, I’ve spent many pleasant hours with my family that I would not have been able to do otherwise. So there is definitely a silver lining.

So with “normalcy” just around the corner I’ve decided to spruce up my website and plan some new projects. It has been a while since I published a book, so I am itching to see a new one in print. As I get older, the path to traditional publishing and its snail’s pace has become unbearable. So I have decided to self publish for the first time! I’m a little nervous but so excited.

I have been working with a program called Sketchbook Auto Desk in an attempt to illustrate my next book, tentatively titled “A Fine Day on the Bay”. I’m learning as I go, one step at a time. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sandpiper

Happy writing,

Elaine


Tools I Use

Stop by my Tools I Use page where I share tools and resources I use to help me with my writing projects. I will add to it as I learn more about software and digital tools that make life a little easier for today’s writer.

Check Out My Books

Check out my books on My Books page. I currently have four traditionally published picture books, but I am branching out into self-publishing. Hopefully, this will be a growing list.

Stay Updated

If you want to stay updated about my journey into self-publishing, new writing tips, craft projects, and book releases, sign up in the subscription box in the sidebar on the right hand side of your screen. I look forward to sharing my latest news with you!


 

Olly is 11 years old!

Olly the Oyster Cleans the Bay, illustrated by the awesomely talented Kelli Nash, was first published by Tidewater Press eleven years ago today. Our amazing editor, Jonna Jones gave Olly a chance to see the world and we owe her many thanks! A year later it was picked up by Schiffer Books. It has been so much fun visiting schools and spreading the word about the importance of oysters! Since then two sequels have been published, Olly’s Treasure and Olly Explores 7 Wonders of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as a companion book, Mallory the Forgetful Duck, each highlighting the wonders and beauty of sea life along the Chesapeake Bay. Happy birthday Olly!

For an easy oyster craft activity, click here.

For a crossword puzzle with key vocabulary words, click here.

To find out where to buy a copy, click here.

To schedule an author visit, click here.

Author Visits

Olly’s Treasure Book Trailer

 

Reading Olly's Treasure
Reading Olly’s Treasure

The book trailer for Olly’s Treasure is here! I love this story because it is about the real treasures we have in oyster reefs as well as in our own friendships, community and environment.

Here is the full description… 

Continue reading “Olly’s Treasure Book Trailer”

St Margaret's Day School

New Book Trailer

Reading Mallory the Forgetful Duck
Reading Mallory the Forgetful Duck

After a brief hiatus from writing and blogging, I am looking forward to jumping back into the writing world! To that end, I have finally put together a book trailer for my book, Mallory the Forgetful Duck.

This story about a mama duck and her baby birds is one of my favorites. I came up with the story while rocking my baby to sleep in the middle of the night. With its message about mama birds and their eggs, it’s a great book for springtime as well as Mother’s Day which is coming up soon! Hope you enjoy the book trailer.

Continue reading “New Book Trailer”

Wonderful Spring

It has been a wonderful spring! Family activities have kept me very busy–maybe too busy! Between soccer practice, shopping for the school dance, volunteer work in the classroom and dealing with pollen allergies, it has been a wild ride. I have managed, however, to do a few author events in the past year, although writing projects have definitely taken a backseat. This includes writing for the blog which I have most definitely and sadly neglected. I plan to hold tight to the steering wheel however, and get back on track, starting now. Hopefully, there are smooth roads ahead. Okay, enough of the driving metaphors! Continue reading “Wonderful Spring”