By Eevi Jones  on Kindlepreneur Site:

Have you ever wondered how to write a children’s book, and if you have what it takes to create one?

For me, it’s this smile. That’s my reason for writing children’s books.

Many aspiring (and even accomplished) authors dream of writing a children’s book.

Maybe you have an incredible idea that you can’t stop thinking about. Or maybe you want to put to paper your little one’s favorite bedtime story–the one you made up while snuggling together. Whatever the reason, now is the time to check this dream off your bucket list.

Writing and publishing your own children’s book is no longer difficult to do, nor is it financially unattainable. You could spend half a fortune just figuring out how to go about all the steps involved, but this article will save you tons of moola and loads of headaches.

Unless you’re a celebrity or have a large following already, self-publishing your children’s book is a great way to get your foot in the door, even if your ultimate goal is to get published the traditional way. If you present a well-performing book and an established author platform, your chances of landing a publishing deal are much higher than if you simply submit a query or manuscript.

https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-book/

The Trojan Project by Eileen Thornton

I finished reading this book yesterday, and my review follows the author’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“A peaceful night is disturbed when a strange green light rises from behind the Cheviot Hills.

To Sarah, the light is frightening enough, but then a green mist descends across the valley. Its swirling tendrils, seeming to bear a life of their own as they snake across the land, can only be an omen of something sinister and evil. Her fears seem confirmed when her husband fails to return home from working on the land, and when he is still missing the following morning, she and her children set out to search for him. 

A terrifying discovery awaits her in the valley below her home and before long, Sarah and her children find themselves caught up in a desperate search, not only for her husband Pete but also for the meaning of the green light. Finding herself pursued by the military, she slowly begins to realise her life, and the lives of those she loves, are in mortal danger. The Trojan Project takes us into a nightmare world where no one is quite what they seem, and trust becomes a word with little meaning. Beware the green light in the sky; you never know what it hides!”

Author’s excerpts from The Trojan Project:

The sergeant raised his gun. “What the hell?” he said. “Let’s shoot the bastards.”

Still lying on the ground, Pete waited for the gun to go off. This was it then – the end. In a moment or two, it would all be over. During those few seconds, his life played out before him like a film. Pictures of his wife and children flashed through his mind, as he braced himself for the inevitable. The sergeant wrapped his finger around the trigger and began to squeeze. Pete closed his eyes…but there was only a click. Mercifully, the gun had jammed. 

In a desperate effort to stay on his feet, the sergeant grasped out at the police car, only to find his hand disappearing through the open window. Off balance and unable to pull back quickly enough, he felt his fingers sink into the thick melted flesh of what was once a policeman.

“Get it off me! Get it off!” he screamed, as he pulled his arm from the car. He hopped around the road in agony…already his fingers were beginning to blister. Holding out his arm he turned towards the other soldier for help.

But Jones took several steps backwards. “Keep away,” he shouted. “Stay away from me!” The men could only watch as the flesh on the sergeant’s fingers began to melt and drip to the ground. There was a slight hiss as it hit the road’s surface. Pete closed his eyes. Could the very same thing have happened to his wife and daughters?

My Review: 

Well this book had me gripped from the first chapter. Thornton has a superbly written book that lovers of mystery/drama/scifi and more would love. Corruption all the way to the prime minister! Page after page brought new twists and turns more puzzling than what was just read. How could one sinister man be this evil and devoted to his own wants and glories? The evil is balanced with warmth and love.

Today it’s my pleasure to introduce to you all, Lizzie Chantree, and her new book, Ninja School Mum. 

Book Blurb from Lizzie:

Obsessive-compulsive school mum, Skye, is a lonely elite spy, who is running from her past whilst trying to protect the future of her child. She tries hard to fit in with the other parents at her son’s new school, but the only person who accepts her unconventional way of life is new mother, Thea.

Thea is feeling harassed by her sister and bored with her life, but she suspects that there is something strange about the new school mum, Skye. Thea has secrets of her own and, although the two become unlikely friends, she hesitates to tell Skye about the father of her own child.

Zack’s new business is growing faster than he could have dreamed but, suddenly, he finds himself the owner of a crumbling estate on the edge of a pretty village, and a single parent to a very demanding child. Could he make a go of things and give his daughter the life she deserved?

When three lives collide, it appears that only one of them is who they seem to be, and you never know who the person next to you in the school playground really is.

Ninja School Mum by Lizzie Chantree ~ early reviews!

** It’s hard to fit in when you stand out!

** Made me lough out loud. A great romance read with a gorgeous hero

** and a feisty, strong woman. I hope there will be a sequel.

** Really good story. Couldn’t put it down!

** This story really caught my imagination and I couldn’t put it down. A romance read with fire in its belly. Didn’t have a clue to the ending, kept me guessing till the end.

Quick Author Q&A

Tell us about your new book?

Ninja School Mum is about a single mum, Skye, who is trying to protect her son from her past, whilst working out how to fit in with the other parents at his new school. This book is filled with friendship and laughter and makes you ponder the question of how much you really know about the person standing next to you on the school playground.

Do you have a writing mascot?

I don’t have a mascot, but I do always write my books by hand, with a pen my husband bought me after completing my first novel, Babe Driven.

Did you write part-time before becoming a full-time writer?

I used to write at night for the first year. My daughter was unwell and it was a good way to stay awake. I then hid the manuscript for five years until her health improved. After publishing my first book, I also ran my other creative businesses. Now I only have time to write and run my networking hour, which is great fun to be involved in. The balance of creativity works well for me, as I’m so passionate about writing novels.

Do you have pets?

I used to have a pet Peacock, but now I have a very fluffy dog, who sits on my lap or my feet while I’m writing.  My Peacock was called Hooley bird, as he was a complete hooligan. My mum wanted a few chickens in our garden, but someone from my dad’s work sent him a peacock as a joke. He was not amused, but Hooley became our very unusual family pet. Luckily we lived next to a wood and had a flat roof for him to nest on.

Your publisher?

Crooked Cat Books are an international publishing house. The team has years of experience in editing, writing and reviewing and have a number of academic publications between them. They say they look to publish high quality work with exceptional storylines and fascinating characters and want to provide authors with a comfy home to share their stories.

In the last five years they have released over 150 titles. You’ll find them all over Amazon, Barnes and Noble and a number of online stores. Catch their latest books at crookedcatbooks.com

Lizzie Chantree writes women’s fiction and romance novels packed full of friendship, laughter and laugh out loud storylines. Escape into great love stories, with compelling heroines and beautiful locations.

Author Bio:

Award-winning inventor and author, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now runs networking hours on social media, where creative businesses, writers, photographers and designers can offer advice and support to each other. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at http://www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantree
https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

Contact Details

Website: www.lizziechantree.com

Author page: viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.chantree.3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/

Book links:

viewBook.at/NinjaSchoolMum

Babe Driven

Love’s Child

Finding Gina

For any enquiries about any of Lizzie’s work, visit http://www.lizziechantree.com

Last week I underwent major, major abdominal surgery. I still have drains and such, but I’m healing. This is not why I’m writing this post. 

I wrote about a person who stole our book idea and wrote their own book here. By all means please read that first post. Our book, Suzy Has A Secret, was published as below.  

Print Length: 35 pages

Publisher: S. Jackson & A. Raymond; 1 edition (March 8, 2016)

Publication Date: March 8, 2016

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B01CRDLJB6

Their book was published as below.

Print Length: 36 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1979650454

Publication Date: November 12, 2017

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Language: English

ASIN: B077CYGDTX

I had to hire a New York City lawyer. My Suzy book was published March 2016, and that other person’s Suzy book was published Fall 2017. Ours has reviews and awards, theirs do not. Ours has sales, theirs do not. 

Right before I went into the hospital, I published a second edition of my book as Create Space told me to go ahead and I had given them the Copyright.gov paperwork. While I was in the hospital, the other person complained, and then KDP got in on the action and shut down my account as did Create Space. When I came home from the hospital, I found all this out via email. See below. 

Hello,

Due to copyright infringement and Content Guideline violations with respect to books you have submitted through your account, specifically, the submission of content for which you did not have the necessary rights,  we are terminating your account and your Agreement effective immediately.  Here are some examples of the book(s) that you submitted through your account that fall into this category:

ASIN B078RNGHTW: Suzy Has A Secret, by Jackson, S. (AUTHOR); Raymond, A. (AUTHOR); Schmidt RN BSN, M. (AUTHOR)

As part of the termination process, we will close your KDP account and the related CreateSpace account (if any) and remove the books you have uploaded through our channels from sale on Amazon.  Note that you are no longer eligible to receive unpaid royalties for sales that occurred prior to this termination.

Additionally, as per our Terms and Conditions, you are not permitted to open any new KDP and/or CreateSpace accounts.

If you have any questions, please email us at content-review@amazon.com.

Best Regards,

Claudia Z.

I had to hire a lawyer due to this mess, and I know things will work out, but this is frustrating. My lawyer is going after the ones who stole my book idea. Due to this being a holiday weekend, it will be Tuesday or Wednesday before I hear anything, and I will be with doctors out of state for post surgery visits. Thanks for listening.