Dede Sophie

Readers, please join me welcoming Fiona Ingram who will be guest blogging here today! Her book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab , is a thrilling adventure for two young boys, whose fun trip to Egypt turns into a dangerously exciting quest to uncover an ancient and mysterious secret. Sounds like a great read! No wonder it was just nominated a Finalist in the Children’s Fiction section of the USA National Best Books 2009 Awards. It got the same nomination earlier this year in the New Generation 2009 Indie Book Awards. Transforming Your Non Reader into a Reader Parents already know that books are vital to their child’s scholastic achievements, and developing life skills. It can be disappointing when your child expresses absolutely no interest in reading. However, you can change that by coming up with new and interesting ways to ‘package’ the art of reading. Reading is a skill, just like any other skill. It has to be introduced, nurtured, and developed. Imagine trying to play champi...

Readers, please join me welcoming Misa Ramirez, author of  Hasta la Vista, Lola!: A Lola Cruz Mystery who’s guest blogging here today! All in the Name of Research Writers are willing to do a lot in the name of research. I’m no exception. My name is Misa, and I’m a mystery writer. Mysteries with a touch of romance, that is. I wrote Living the Vida Lola, the first book in my mystery series, without having to do anything outrageous. I visited the marina, took notes and pictures of the boats docked there, the rickety steps leading to the water, the color of the metal rooftop. Tattoos figure prominently in the book, but I didn’t actually go out and get a tattoo. A belly button piercing has a starring role, but no, I didn’t go out and get my belly pierced, either. In book two, Hasta la Vista, Lola!, there’s identity theft. I didn’t go out and steal anyone’s identity (though I did become WAY more cautious about my own papers and private information as a result of my research) and no o...