TITLE: Timmy The Tractor Train Truck: Danger At The Dam!

AUTHOR: Seth Warburton ©2025

ILLUSTRATOR: Cristiana Silva

PUBLISHER: All Things Neena, LLC

FORMATS AND PRICES: Kindle-$4.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited, Paperback-$11.99

ISBN: 9798285958536

ASIN: B0FX44QVDT

 

 

Timmy is just a regular pickup truck who drives around with his friend, Kenny. Or is he? One day a big green truck is driving up a mountain when its tire blows. It falls into the town's dam. It puts a hole in the huge dam and it begins spouting water. What can Timmy do?

In this adorable rhyming picture book we find Kenny encouraging Timmy to be a hero! What can the little truck do? Can he save the town from the broken dam?

Your three to eight-year-old will love Timmy The Tractor Train Truck: Danger At The Dam! It can  either be read aloud or your beginning reader can read it to you. ‘Timmy The Tractor Train Truck: Danger At The Dam!’ encourages your child to help others.

I highly recommend this little picture book. If you wish to purchase it for your home library, you can find it at Amazon .

 

DO BOOK TRAILERS HELP BOOST BOOK SALES?

Do you want to learn to make book trailers or not? Will it help my sales? Some say it do while others say no. These nay–sayers are convinced that no–one watches them. Just how do they work?

Raise interest:

They raise interest in the book itself. I have been known to go to Amazon after viewing the book trailer to download the book.

Expands reach:

Book trailers can help attract audiences outside of a book’s usual niche or genre, potentially reaching new readers who might not have discovered it otherwise. 

Provides a professional image:

A high-quality trailer can give the impression that the author is professional and committed to their work, setting the book apart from competitors. 

Introduces the book in a dynamic way:

It offers an alternative to traditional marketing summaries or reviews, providing a more immersive and emotional introduction to the story. 

Boosts sales potential:

Statistics show
people are more willing to buy a book after watching a trailer, and they can be used effectively in online ads or even on Amazon book pages. 

Since I don’t have a book cover or illustrations from my book, I’m just using a few photos from the pictures folder in my computer. These pictures don’t have anything to do with children’s books at all. They’re three or four pictures from my visit to Gettysburg Battlefield.

I’ve found out something about making a book trailer. It should be entertaining. I’ll be the first to admit this: my mad attempt to make a trailer with my battlefield pictures isn’t entertaining at all. Except for me. Right now, it’s all I have to work with.

I made my sample book trailer with Animoto.com and put some music behind it. Since I used the free, thirty–second version, I didn’t have access to their full library of music. You pay for that service, but I hope the music fits in with the battlefield pictures.

I will try this over and over with different programs, including Clipchamp, that’s built into my computer. I’m scouring the internet for some free music that I can download to use for the video I make with Clipchamp. I mean, why pay a fee when you can do it for free or next to nothing?

I found a YouTube video and a blog post that might help answer the question: Will it help my book sales? First, the YouTube video by children’s book author Eevie Jones. 

Now, here’s a blog that looks at book trailers by Picture Book Den. This blog is from 2017, but it’s still relevant.

I also found this article from 2022 telling why book trailers still work. It’s from Elite Authors. 

So yes, it is worth it. It depends on whether your trailer is made well and if your book is sold online.

 

 

 

  

 

TITLE: Stories of a Swedish Elf featuring Gus the Tomte

AUTHOR: D.A. Chase

PUBLISHER: Jewel Press Publishing

FORMATS AND PRICE: Kindle-$7.99, Paperback-$15.99, Also in                                               paperback at Barnes and Noble-$15.99

ISBN-13: 9781959218012

This fast paced short stories is focused on the adventures and misadventures of Gus the Tomte.

Gus is a Swedish elf-in-training. He's not exactly like an elf that works for that guy who lives in the North Pole, though. His main job is to care for the animals in Sweden, but sometimes humans come into the picture. Also, many times Gus has to take courses to learn new things in order to find the solution to his current problem ... like cooking!

Children 8-12 will laugh with delight when the read all the trouble Gus gets into! They'll also learn that they have to learn what they're doing in order to find a solution.

If you would like to add 'Stories of a Swedish Elf featuring Gus the Tomte', you can find it at Amazon or in paperback at Barnes and Noble.

WHEN I GROW UP - A review

TITLE: When I Grow Up

AUTHOR: J.M. Ashmore

FORMAT and PRICE: Paperback - $9.99

ISBN: 9781957696577

What will you be when you grow up? Brother's imagination went wild when Sister asked him this question. He could be a grocer, a pilot, a truck driver, or even an astronaut exploring the stars. There are so many choices!

When I Grow Up will be a welcome addition to your home library. It sparks your child's imagination and let's them know he/she can be anything they want to be!

If you'd like to purchase When I Grow Up for your child, you can purchase it at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 

SHOW, DON'T TELL

What in the world? You’ve just finished your latest and (hopefully) your greatest story. You’ve let your friends read it and, of course, they liked it. They’re your friends. You also read it to Rex, asleep in the corner of your office. He gave a yawn of approval, too. You proofread your manuscript and proofread some more. Is the punctuation okay? Check. Does each word move the story along? Check. What’s wrong with it? 

Try reading it to Rex again and listen to your words. Forget about your friends and family, since they’re just going to tell you what you want to hear. There. Hear that? Read that section again. There’s no life in your character, nor is there an appropriate description in the narrative. You have to write visually and bring your book to life.

 

What is writing visually? It’s something we’ve all heard before. Show, don’t tell. For those of you who haven’t heard those particular words, here’s my definition: It’s when you reader can put himself/herself in your book. You should engage all five senses to do this. Let your readers feel Jason punch Harry without warning. Your readers can actually feel Jason’s anger rising! Let everyone see Mary bend over and smell those fragrant roses. Have your characters talk naturally. Describing in a few words what they feel (emotionally), see, question, etc. People aren’t robots. When was the last time you saw someone talking with expression never changing or not talking with their hands? Maybe this person held their hair down as the wind blew?

For instance, Keira left school. “I’m going to the mall,” she said to Sasha. Here’s the same sentence brought to life. Keira raced down the hall, stopping when she saw Sasha putting her books in the locker. “I’m going to the mall after school,” she puffed. “Wanna come?” “Sure! Wait a sec until I fix my hair. Maybe that new guy will be there.” Which description would you rather have in your manuscript? Which one shows more instead of tells? That’s right. This all boils down to ‘show, not tell’.

Take a look at these sentences: The three young people climbed the hill. Okay. Now read this: As the three friends climbed, they swatted flies away from their faces. Bees buzzed around them while low-hanging tree branches smacked them in the face. Which sentence shows more, thus giving it life?

The trick is to give your characters some character not only in the dialogue but in the narrative as well. In the narrative, your reader can see them struggling up that hill. In dialogue they can see, feel the emotions of the girls and relate to them.

VIDEO

Here’s a video by The Three Minute Writing Teacher that will help you along the way to bring your book to life! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d68vWb5rvso

I’ve also found some books, blogs, or websites that will help you with this.

BOOKS
Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers  
You Can Write Children’s Books by Tracey E. Dils  

Picture Writing for Kids by Anatasia Suen

Blog
How To Write Visually by Donald L. Vasicek  
 

 

 

MAGIC, MYSTERY, AND THE MULTIVERSE - A REVIEW

 

TITLE: Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse 

AUTHOR: Aurora Winter

FORMATS AND PRICES: Hardcover - $22.95, Paperback - $14.99, Kindle - KU $0.00 or $3.99 to buy

ISBN: 9781951104269

Zac and Anna want some adventure so they take Dad's car for a joy ride. What harm could it do? They'd be home shortly anyway, right? Little did they know it was an experimental car that could take them into a different galaxy! Whoa! They didn't know they'd be stuck in this different galaxy, either. From the minute the two teenagers wreck the car, they realize that they aren't on earth anymore.

I loved this book! This fast-paced book held my attention all the way through. From the car crash, working in a midieval home, fighting the four evil witches, Anna almost being hung as a witch, to being summoned by a wizard, I was enthralled. 

If you'd like this book for your home library, you can find it on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.

The Gang From My Hungle Bungle Jungle Books

JUST A WORD FROM ME

I just thought I'd check in and tell you how interesting it's been at my place. Sure, I've been on the computer most of the time, but I'm finding it dog-gone interesting!

You remember Harry, my cat, don't you? Right now, he's sprawled out on top of my desk waiting for supper-time. Thank heavens he's not walking across the computer keyboard!

I have another Hungle Bungle Jungle story floating around in my head. I better write this idea down so I don't forget my main idea! Yep. Giraffe, Elephant, Snake, Chimpanzee, and Monkey are going on another adventure. I wonder what it will be? Honestly, I have no idea about that. The characters let me know. I only know the basic concept and the ages the book will be for. I'm sure you understand what I'm saying.

I'm finding book marketing very interesting. I recently found another website just for authors and marketing. Here it is.

I have a newsletter called KidzTales News. Presently, it's on one email list site that I'm disappointed in. They don't have what I want for free anymore. So, I'm moving to a better place. I'm working on this now and hope to see you there! 

Look for my sign-up form on my website home page! You get a free children's book to read to the child in your life when you sign up. I also, but I hope to offer some coloring pages in the future.