Hi Everyone,
I have been invited to
participate in the “Blogging from the Heart” Tour by my author friend, Enisca
Jones.
 |
| Author Enisca Jones |
Before I take my turn, I
would like to introduce you to Enisca, the
author of the “Anya Stories” and “Just Write it!”
~
Enisca L. Jones ~ was born in Nassau,
Bahamas. She grew up with a love for the outdoors which was mostly seen in her
fondness for climbing trees and going to the beach. She was, and still is, a
barefoot girl who loves to explore. A new comer to writing and illustrating,
she is determined to use her new found love to share valuable life lessons,
adventure, creativity and her heart with the world. She is an avid reader,
artist, blogger and most of all loves to tell stories. Her first series
of books include Anya's Stories Valuable
Lessons that teach the lessons of Love, Independence, Responsibility,
Decision Making and Listening. Anya
Goes Exploring Coloring and Activity Books that teach about the
sites of Nassau Bahamas. Mookie's
Excellent Adventure has now joined her group of books. Please check out Enisca’s stories at:
Thank you for inviting me, Enisca!
YYYYYYYYYYYYYY
 |
Rhonda Paglia
aka - Grammy Pags |
Before we start, I want to introduce myself:
I’m Rhonda Paglia of “Grammy Pags Stories.” I’m a
retired elementary teacher and a "not so retired" grandmother from Pennsylvania.
My husband and I have three grown children and five grandchildren. We also have
a little Yorkiepoo named Bella! She’s my
shadow!! I enjoy gardening and tap dancing - YES, I'm a Grammy tap dancer!! I also do yoga, play with my grandchildren and Bella, and of course, enjoy writing stories
for kids!
I have been asked to answer
4 questions on this blog, so here we go!
1.
What am I working on?
 |
| Coming soon! |
I have several projects going on
right now. I’ve finished a funny, actually,
it’s a pretty wacky book, that will help young kids learn their colors. It’s titled, “Grammy’s Rockin’ Color Rapalicious Rap.” Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy and it is – but
it really rocks! This Grammy had fun rapping
and writing it. Now I’m looking for an
illustrator to bring it to life.
I’m also working on Doonsey’s second
adventure. Doonsey is the main character
in his first book titled, “Doonsey’s
Beach Adventure, the Great Rescue.”
Doonsey is a feisty ocean crab.
He’s small, but mighty, and he loves to explore. The inspiration for Doonsey was a little
wind-up toy I purchased for my granddaughter when we were vacationing at Kure
Beach in North Carolina. She immediately
named him Doonsey, and before I knew it, Doonsey started on a merry adventure – exploring the beach, and later becoming
a hero! I have one or two more ideas for
Doonsey adventures, so stay tuned.
The other story that is tip-toeing
around in the back of my mind is a sequel to the “Three Little Gnomes and a Boy Named Orion.” Now that the gnomes have been introduced, I’d
love for them to share more adventures in and around Grammy’s garden. We’ll see.
2.
How does my work differ from others in its genre?
 |
| Droppin' Time Stes |
Teaching is my background and my love, so I always try to add a learning activity or component to my stories. Sometimes the learning is subtle, like in “Three Little Gnomes.” One of the gnomes is hard of hearing. He talks REALLY LOUD! His friends don’t make fun of him or call him
names because of this problem. They just try to gently remind him to be a
little more soft spoken. The name Orion
gives him ends up quite fitting, and helps this particular gnome remember to be a little more
quiet. I’ve also added a recipe in the Gnomes
book for “Droppin’ Time Stew.” Kids can make it with an adult. In the “The Little Lambs and the Very Special
Mission,” my hope is that kids . . . and adults too . . . will follow the
Lambs’ “BE” messages: to BE
 |
| Follow the BE Attitudes |
kind, Be a friend, BE polite, etc. If we would all follow the “BE’s”, we would
help make the world a better place. In
Doonsey’s adventure, kids have the opportunity to create their own Beach
Buddies. And in “Duke ‘n’ Matt, Rescue Road Warriors,” there are key vocabulary
words with definitions and some look back in the story pages. I write books I would have enjoyed using as a
teacher.
3.
Why do I write/create what I do?
I started out writing stories with
my own three children when they were young.
We had a blast and they still have their original story folders. Writing with my kids helped them become early readers. As an
elementary teacher, I would always have my students write and illustrate their
own stories. It was a huge undertaking, but
I can’t tell you how many students, who are now adults, have told me that they kept their books and how grateful they are to have those special
treasures. Now that
I’m a grandmother, I write stories with my grandchildren.
It’s great fun! We have written cute,
endearing stories, and my grandchildren love them because they get to be the
main characters. These stories will
probably never make it into a real book, but you just never know. A few of the titles are “Tractor on a Stick,” “The
Scary Monster,” “Sofies trip to the
Zoo,” and “Rowan’s Great Adventure." Do they sound like adventures you would read?
4.
How does my writing/creating process work?
I have been writing for fun. My stories are based on real . . . and imagined events . . . that happen with my
grandchildren. I use facts, but also take the
liberty of stretching the tales andadding some imagination to tell the stories. After reading “Rowan’s Great Adventure,” to my
grandson, Rowan, he said, “Grammy, that didn’t really happen!” I laughed until I cried! I’m still laughing!! [To date, this is one of those unpublished stories.]
I never thought about releasing any of my
stories to the public, because I was just writing for the fun of it. But all of that changed after the tragedy at Sandy Hook
Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
Twenty-one first graders and their 6 teachers were killed that day. As a mom, a grandmother, and a retired elementary teacher, I
was horrified by what happened. I prayed for the victims and their families. I prayed hard. During
my prayers, I was “given” a sweet children’s story. I didn’t ask for it and I was shocked when
the story came to me. I didn’t know what
to do with it. I tried to push it away,
but it wouldn’t leave me alone. So I followed through and wrote and illustrated
it to the best of my ability with the help of 14-year-old, Taylor Galaska. That story
became “The Little Lambs and the Very Special
Mission.” This story is dedicated to
the children and teachers of Sandy Hook. I donate all of the profits to the “Angels in Charge Scholarship.” The funds go to students from Newtown High School, CT, who are planning a career in
education. I wanted to do something to
honor the fallen teachers. “The Little Lambs” is a sweet, gentle
story and has a universal message. It
has received the endorsement of the "The American
Institute of Health Care Professionals, Inc., November 12, 2013:
http://www.aihcp.org/blog/rhonda-paglias-little-lambs-special-mission/ To
date, I have sold 1,000 books and have donated $5000 to the scholarship. I'm very proud of that accomplishment.
So, how does my writing / creating
process work? It depends on the
situation, the idea, and the moment. I
would say most of my stories come to me with a beginning, middle, and end. I just try to put everything together and
make it fun.
The next Doonsey adventure has been on my mind. This summer, we were on vacation at the beach. During my walk one morning, the whole
scenario came to me. When I got home, I
took notes so I wouldn’t forget my ideas and could work on the story when I had
time. That one came together
quickly. Now I just need to work on the
illustrations – which are really difficult for me – so it may be a while before
the next Doonsey story is ready. I have
several other story ideas, but I don’t have the ending yet. Sometimes the endings are the most difficult
for me. Again, it depends on the story.
The other part I enjoy is the designing my books. I have done all the layout and design of all my books - from cover to cover. It's quite a process, but I enjoy the artistic aspect and the end results are very rewarding. I'm not a professional designer, so it's a huge accomplishment when my book is in hand, and I can say, "I did that!" Writing and creating books are something that I never dreamed I would be doing, but I'm having aa great time!
 |
| Grammy Pags and Bella |
Well, I’ve got to run! Bella wants to go for a walk, Doonsey wants
me to start illustrating, the grandkids are calling, and Papa wants dinner! Such a busy place!
Thanks for reading and thanks to all
the other children’s authors who shared their stories on:
The Blogging from the Heart Tour!
YYYHappy reading everyone!! YYY
To learn more or to follow
Grammy Pags Stories, check out these links!
Website: www.grammypagsstories.com ~ or ~
www.rhondapagliaauthor.com
Special website for
The Little Lambs: https://sites.google.com/site/littlelambs20/
YPlease check out these other “Blogging
from the Heart” children’s authors!!Y
Cat Michaels - author of Sweet T and the North Wind and Finding Fuzzy: a You-Decide Tale of a Lost Friend: www.catmichaelswriter.com
Karen
Emma Hall – author of Hello Teeny Pheeny: http://www.kidliteratureauthors.com/
