Celebrate the Fun!

What a wonderful surprise to find out If Wishes Were Fishes has jumped way up in the ratings on Amazon! This book was so much fun to write and explore the possibilities of the "what if" as a young boy tries to puzzle his way through a weekend with his grandparents. JT loves visiting them, but they seem to have their own secret language. The young boy tries so hard to do everything they ask but hysterical misunderstandings happen all weekend long. This book will have you and your children giggling at their failure to communicate. The illustrations by Ginger Nielson are absolutley perfect. This In celebration we're sharing a coloring page from this fun tale. 4RV Publishing is having a holiday sale now through December 5 - check out Wishes and all the other great children's books on their site! If you would like your copy autographed I am more than happy to send you a personalized autographed bookplate.

Random Thoughts

My passion is ...my family. I can't imagine life without any of them...yes, even the dogs!

My parents always told me ......if you can't think of anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Everyone has feelings and feelings are very fragile. This is a valuable life lesson. Words are important. They can wound deeper than anything you can physically do to a person, the wounds are so deep they are often unseen. I know this is sometimes a very hard thing to remember - life can come at you fast and sometimes words get blurted out, but remember the flip side of that coin is also true - words can also inspire someone and lift them higher than they have ever been before. It all goes back to "it's not so much what you say, as it is how you say it." It is the thought, the feeling and emotion behind the word that gives it so much strength.

My childhood ambition ...To write books! I love to write, to meet my characters and help them tell their stories. I feel like characters in a story need to be multi-dimensional. You need to really know your character, not just in the moment, but on a personal level, what has led them to this moment ~~ how they became who they are and how they react, in order to tell their story well.

My favorite memory ...there are so many to choose from, I couldn't possibly say. I have been blessed. This is very true. I have so many good memories from early childhood right up to now; choosing one to be my favorite would be like trying to select my favorite snowflake~~ they are all so beautiful and unique, how can you possibly choose? Why I write ...it's a great creative outlet. I love to write...many genres...many ideas. I read somewhere that you should, every so often, write something that is outside of your comfort zone ~~ maybe something in a different genre. It tests you and stretches you and gives you a different perspective to look at and write about. What I am reading/watching/listening to ...ahhhh.....that is ever changing (lol).

My first full time job ......was working with autistic and schizophrenic children. That was awesome, life altering. You can really make a huge difference in someone’s life if you just take the time to care and show them you care.

My best moment ...was becoming a mother ~~ how can you possibly top that?....well, okay, my son's graduation was pretty awesome too! I have never felt so much pride before ~ you know how they say you are so full of pride you feel like you could just burst...I had always thought that was an exaggeration, but it's true! My inspiration ...definitely my son. I hope someday to be able to live up the image he has always made me feel that he had of me.

Are you playing along in our little game? Mention "If Wishes Were Fishes by NA Sharpe, illustrations by Ginger Nielson, is now available on Kindle and Nook" wherever you leave your cyber footprints and let me know when and where you posted any you will be entered in a drawing for a prize pack - the better the book's ratings get on Kindle and/or B&N the bigger the prize packs. How much of a buzz can we create? Just a thought...

Looking for a Good Book This Summer?

Now available on Kindle and on Nook:

Looking for some great suggestions for your summer reading? Here are suggestions you might enjoy on your digital devices:

If Wishes Were Fishes

by NA Sharpe, illustrated by Ginger Nielsen
Reading Level Ages 4-8
If Wishes Were Fishes is a hilarious picture book that will appeal to the young and the young at heart.
JT Trumanowski is a six-year old with a BIG problem…his grandparents! How do you survive a whole weekend alone with them when you do exactly what they say and still end up in so much trouble?!


A Wish and a Prayer


by Beth Bence Reinke, illustrated by Ginger Nielsen
Reading Level Ages 4-8
When Jason's parakeet flies out the window and is lost, he wishes on various objects in hopes of bringing his pet home. But is there something better than wishing? A story that gently teaches children the difference between wishing and praying.



Aldric & Anneliese by Harry E. Gilleland Jr.


Aldric & Anneliese is a tale of nation building, kings, knights, fair ladies, battles won and lost, triumph, betrayal, tragedy, revenge, redemption, and great loves It is a story for the ages.

Are you playing our game? Don't forget to mention If Wishes Were Fishes is now available on Kindle and Nook to be entered for a chance to win an autographed copy! Keep it for yourself or give it as a gift. Please help me get the word out - mention it on Facebook, on Twitter, in a blog ...or maybe you'll have other ideas to help me spread the word through cyberspace. Tell me on the blog Realms of Thought, on Facebook, or on Twitter @nasharpe when and where you mentioned it. You'll get an entry for each place and each time you mention If Wishes Were Fishes is now available on Kindle and Nook (double entries for anyone that purchases a copy). Contest runs through July 25 and the winners will be announced on July 26. Please help me build a buzz. I really appreciate your help in getting the word out - lets have some fun!

Let's Play a Game!!

I have an idea. Let’s play a game! My picture book If Wishes Were Fishes, illustrated by Ginger Nielson, was recently released into the digital world on both Kindle and Nook and now its time to spread the word. I thought I’d like to ask my virtual friends and family to help me by playing a little game. Are you in – do you want to play? (Please say yes!!)

I want to spread the word – really get it out there so I am asking my dear friends to simply mention it: on blogs, on Facebook, Twitter, in any social networks or groups you may be in, I don’t know…be creative! Please help spread the word about the new digital release and let me know where you have posted to help get the word out into the cyber-realm – each posting translates into an entry for autographed books and other goodies! Simply mention “If Wishes Were Fishes by NA Sharpe and Ginger Nielson is now available on Kindle and Nook” – it’s that simple. Each mention gets an additional entry; mention the contest to get more friends playing and you get double entries into our little contest – purchasing a copy (either paperback or digital) will get you five entries. Posting a review of the book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble will also get you five entries! The bigger we can get the buzz, the bigger the prizes will get. If we can get the Kindle and/or Nook ratings up into the top 100 children’s books will additionally win you a gift card of your choice of Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Please help me get the word out – tell me on my blog Realms of Thought, on my Facebook page, or on Twitter @nasharpe when and where you mentioned If Wishes Were Fishes is now available on Kindle and Nook. Contest runs through July 25 and the winners will be announced on July 26. Please help me build a buzz. I really appreciate your help in getting the word out - lets have some fun!

Books Make Great Stocking Stuffers!

Looking for a last minute stocking stuffer for a young one on your holiday list? If Wishes Were Fishes now at a special price for last minute shopping: only $8.50 plus shipping for this cybil nominated picture book.

If Wishes Were Fishes is a hilarious picture book that will appeal to the young and the young at heart.

JT Trumanowski is a six-year old with a BIG problem…his grandparents! How do you survive a whole weekend alone with them when you do exactly what they say and still end up in so much trouble?!

JT adores his grandparents and is thrilled to be invited to spend the weekend with them. He tries hard to follow their requests to a “T” with one disastrously humorous result after another. “Why can’t they just say what they mean?” he wonders. Talk about a failure to communicate! Join JT as he discovers people may mean what they say, they just don’t always say what they mean…clearly.

If Wishes Were Fishes Visits Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Donna’s stories and features have been published in many print and online publications, and her first book, The Golden Pathway, will be published through Guardian Angel Publishing as well as her second book, The Hockey Agony. McDine’s interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Ms. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Musing Our Children, and The National Writing for Children Center. Learn more at http://www.donnamcdine.com/ sign the guestbook, you’ll receive a FREE e-Book Write What Inspires You: Author Interviews, http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/, and http://www.thegoldenpathway.blogspot.com/.

If Wishes Were Fishes Goes Interactive!

“To be an author or illustrator for children’s books is to live in a world where dreams can come true.” ~Ginger Nielson

Ginger Nielson is a full time children’s book illustrator who lives at the top of a hill, near the edge of a forest in a semi-rural part of New Hampshire. There is a magic wand on her desk and a dragon in her basement. Everything else is perfectly normal. You can see examples of her work at http://www.gingernielson.com/

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Ginger. Some of her work for 4RV Publishing includes In My Bath, A Wish and a Prayer, and of course my book, If Wishes Were Fishes.

So, just what is If Wishes Were Fishes all about? In a nutshell, six-year old JTTrumanowski has a BIG problem…his grandparents! He absolutely adores his grandparents and is very excited to spend a whole weekend alone with them, but his grandparents have this whole secret language he doesn't seem to understand. After all, how are you supposed to survive a whole weekend alone with them when you do exactly what they say and still end up in so much trouble?!

JT knows he has a fun weekend in store for him - grandma has promised to bake his favorite cookies and grandpa said he was going to take him to a baseball game! He tries hard to follow their requests to a “T” with one disastrously humorous result after another. “Why can’t they just say what they mean?” he wonders. Talk about a failure to communicate! Join JT as he discovers people may mean what they say, they just don’t always say what they mean…clearly.

Title: If Wishes Were Fishes Author: NA Sharpe
Author web site: http://nasharpe.com
Illustrator: Ginger Nielson Illustrator web site: http://gingernielson.com)Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLCurl: http://4rvpublishingllc.com/
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
ISBN-10: 0982588674
ISBN-13: 978-0982588673
Genre: Picture book
Format: Paperback
Release date: May 10, 2010
Price: $13.99
Pages: 24

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Purchasing links:
NA Sharpe for autographed copies from the author
http://nasharpe.com/

Ginger Nielson for autographed copies from the illustrator
http://www.gingernielson.com/

Publisher, 4RV Publishing LLC
http://4rvpublishingllc.com/

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/If-Wishes-Were-Fishes-Sharpe/dp/0982588674/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276408460&sr=8-9

Barnes and Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/If-Wishes-Were-Fishes/N-A-Sharpe/e/9780982588673/?itm=1&USRI=if+wishes+were+fishes

Books a Million
http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780982588673?id=4739415082424

So, how has If Wishes Were Fishes gone interactive? With 4RV Publishing’s permission, Ginger was gracious enough to offer some of her art work from If Wishes Were Fishes for a new promotional website that provides downloadable coloring pages for kids and offers coloring contests to win copies of their favorite books. http://s932.photobucket.com/albums/ad167/coloringpagesgallery

What better way to make your new favorite book interactive?! I love the idea! Follow the link to find some great coloring pages for your kids...I especially like the ones from If Wishes Were Fishes - Ginger did an awesome job! I'd love to hear some reactions from the kids on this one - I'm betting they love the coloring pages...and maybe a chance to win a new book! Anyone wanting to enter a coloring contest on my site can contact me through the contact link in the upper right hand corner of the blog for information on how to submit entries to win a copy of If Wishes Were Fishes. Thank you and Good luck!!

If Wishes Were Fishes - Tour Day 3

Today the If Wishes Were Fishes tour will be visiting Paula Phillips AKA The Phantom Paragrapher. Paula reads and reviews books from all different genres and from authors all around the world. If you are an author who would like to have your book reviewed, you may want to contact Paula :D

For today's review and tour stop click on over with me! http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/>

If Wishes Were Fishes Virtual Tour - Day 2

Today our tour takes us to visit The Story of a Writer , a blog written by the multi-published, award winning author of children and young adult books, Beverly Stowe McClure. Beverly’s current release, Caves Cannons and Crinolines is a wonderful young adult book that will transport you back to the time of the American Civil War. It is told from the perspective of the 14-year old protagonist, Lizzie Stamford, as she learns the realities of war may not be quite as black and white as she once thought. She meets a Yankee soldier and realizes he is not at all as she presumed a Yankee soldier would be. In fact, they have a lot more in common than she would have ever believed possible.

Please link over with me now and join us at The Story of a Writer. Remember, follow along with the blog tour and comment often. Each comment will enter you in a drawing for a Wishes prize pack to be awarded at the end of the tour. The prize pack includes an If Wishes Were Fishes tote bag, a copy of the book (naturally!), bookmarks, a Wish Fish pendant and, of course, some surprises just for fun!

If Wishes Were Fishes - The Tour Begins!

I am so excited - today my blog tour of If Wishes Were Fishes will visit Lori Calabrese. Lori is an award winning children's author. Her first picture book, The Bug That Plagued the Entire Third Grade, was named Dragonfly Publishing Inc.’s 2009 Best Children’s Book. She writes for various children’s magazines, is the National Children’s Books Examiner at Examiner.com, and enjoys sharing her passion for children’s books at festivals, schools and events.

Please link over to her blog http://loricalabrese.com/blog or enjoy the review of Wishes on TheExaminer.com http://www.examiner.com/x-7597-Childrens-Books-Examiner > (It's the second review down)

By the way, anyone leaving a comment will be entered in the drawing for the Wishes prize pack at the end of the tour - an If Wishes Were Fishes tote bag, a copy of the book (of course!), bookmark, a Wish Fish necklace and several surprises! Hope to see you on Lori's site!

If Wishes Were Fishes: the Tour Plan

Okay, to say I am excited is an extreme understatement. Why am I so excited? Glad you asked! My very first picture book, If Wishes Were Fishes, illustrated by the extremely talented Ginger Nielson and published by 4RV Publishing LLC is officially released and I am starting my very first virtual book tour! Here’s the schedule:

Tuesday, August 17 Lori Calabrese is hosting me on her blog http://loricalabrese.com/blog> and on Examiner.comhttp://www.examiner.com/x-7597-Childrens-Books-Examiner> with her review of the book.

Wednesday, August 18 I will be visiting with Beverly Stowe McClure answering her interview questions and any y’all may have for me on her blog, The Story of a Writer, http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 19 The tour will join Paula Phillips on her blog The Phantom Paragrapher http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/> for her review of Wishes.

Friday, August 20 Will find me visiting with Beth Bence Reinke for an interview on her blog, Beth’s Book Basket http://blogs.bethbencereinke.com/bethsbooksbasket >

Monday, August 23 We will kick off the week with a guest blog on the Abandoned Towers blog http://abandonedtowers.blogspot.com/>

Tuesday, August 24 I will be interviewed by Penny Ehrenkranz on her blog, One Writer’s Journey < http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/ >

Wednesday, August 25 Will find us at Stephanie Burkhart’s blog, Romance Under the Moonlight for a review of the book. http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/>

Thursday, August 26 We will be visiting with Christy Condoleo.

Friday, August 27 We will finish the tour with Donna McDine’s Write What Inspires You http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot.com/>

Oh! And for added fun, please make sure you leave a comment when you follow the tour - there will be a drawing for a prize package including an If Wishes Were Fishes tote bag, a copy of the book (of course!), a Wishing Fish necklace, and some surprises!

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Splish Splash Check out "In My Bath"!

Hi Guys! Brady here. A lot of you know me from the blogs and over at the Cybrarie. I’m one of the Destineers and we had a lot of adventures in the Netherscape. I attend the Greenbrier Academy and we have a lot of really cool classes to help us learn about the fantastical nations that inhabit the Netherscape. Today Bath Boy from In My Bath is here to swap stories. I’ve been telling him all about meeting Firewing, my pet dragon hatchling I found in the Netherscape, and he’s been telling me all about the adventures he has in his bathtub – it must be really magical with all the cool places it takes him.

This is really cool, he brought a copy of In My Bath for me to see. His author is Beth Bence Reinke and his illustrator is Ginger Nielson – they are the source of his special magic and bringing his adventurous world to life. You should stop by our school Cybrarian’s blog, she’s reviewing the book today and even has a really cool giveaway to make your bath time magically fun too!

Each time Bath Boy gets in the bath, he gets to have a new adventure. Some days he gets to jump the waves of the ocean or maybe swim with the manatees – these are really great and gentle sea creatures! Bath Boy says sometimes he goes diving under a fountain of bubbly suds and he never knows what he is going to find when he surfaces – a friendly turtle or maybe a comical penguin! Tub time is always an adventure In My Bath! Pick up a copy today to share with someone else who loves to splash through their bath time looking for adventure! Where can you find your own copy? That’s easy. It’s on Amazon, at Barnes and Noble, on 4RV Publishing, on author Beth Bence Reinke’s site, on illustrator Ginger Nielson’s site and, of course, at book stores everywhere – just tell ‘em Brady sent you!

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Exciting Guest Character Tomorrow!

Hi Guys! Brady here. I’m so excited – tomorrow a friend is going to stop by the blog. That’s right, Bath Boy from Beth Bence Reinke’s latest book, In My Bath , will be stopping by so we can swap adventure stories. I can hardly wait – be sure to stop by, it’s sure to be a lot of fun! I’ve been checking out Ginger Nielson’s illustrations and, I have to tell you, this kid has some exciting adventures splashing around the water with some really cool friends! It’s always fun to have a friend over and I can hardly wait to find out more about his new book. Don’t forget to stop by and check it out!

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Magical Monday

This is definitely a magical Monday. This weekend I waqs fortunate enough to have been able to preview the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Univeral Studios Florida before Friday's official opening. It was truly amazing. I don't want to say too much and give anything away - but the castle experience is amazing - it really brings the wizarding world to life with you in the middle of it. The wand shop is interactive letting your wand choose you. The shops are built like genuine shops on a small street - not your typical theme park shop. The food is also themed around the wizarding world (the pumpkin juice is yummy!) I will definietly be back at the official opening Friday, and I can't wait!!

When I got home, I was ready to immerse myself into the Netherscape (my current WIP), but a package on the doorstep caught my eye. It was my early copies of If Wishes Were Fishes. It is so exciting to see it has been released early (the last I had heard from the publisher, 4RV Publishing, was an October release) Now comes the time to immerse myself into the magical realm of marketing for the new release. Yes, it is truly a magical Monday.

I am including the slide show for the current book, If Wishes Were Fishes in case you missed it! (**wink**) Have a magical day!

Check this out!

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If Wishes Were Fishes...The Slide Show!!

I am so excited - my new picture book, If Wishes Were Fishes, is now available for pre-order at 4RV Publishing!!!

The book comes to life with illustrations from a very talented artist, Ginger Nielson - she did an awesome job

Check this out!

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A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes!

In the magical realms, there are many types of magic and fantasy. For an author this can also take place in the form of a book release. I have taken a step outside the fantasy realm and have written a picture book called If Wishes Were Fishes.

It is now available for pre-order through the publisher’s site: 4RV Publishing and will soon be available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The story has been beautifully illustrated by the very talented Ginger Nielson. Check back Wednesday for the unveiling of a slide show for this latest release.

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