The good side of getting things wrong is that it enhances rather than detracts from learning. It’s how we challenge our children to learn to do things differently. Learning from mistakes helps develop wisdom and good judgment.

Going for a walk? Take the workbook! You never know what sort of wildlife you may see along the way! A bee, a bug, a dog, a cat, a cow, a bird, perhaps even a porcupine?  A porcupine is a bit unlikely unless you’re walking in the woods. In which case the wildlife you might encounter is endless! How about the zoo or an aquarium?  Perfect. All sorts of animals there, and you could probably fill this entire workbook in a day! However your family might like to move along a little faster so perhaps choose 5 or 6 of your favorite animals, study them before you go and observe them at the zoo! Don’t forget to draw a picture...

It was a typical Sunday afternoon. I was tying up the last bag of garbage to put in the alley dumpster before pick-up Monday morning. Unlocking the alley gate sent the dogs into their usual frenzy —  you see, being Jack Russell’s they own every piece of real-estate within the immediate 20 miles of where they live. The alley was of particular interest because, when opened, the dumpster lid can be seen over the fence … hence, the frenetic effort to claim that as their own once again. As usual gardener services had driven up the alley and dumped all sorts of debris everywhere. Though illegal, there aren’t cameras to catch them so it’s cheaper to disobey dumping laws than...

Anybody who has ever seen me in front of a crowd of people or simply one-on-one teaching about wildlife, conservation, or ecosystems knows that this is one of my most passionate callings.  I recently resigned my job of nearly a decade at a conservation zoo. I was fortunate enough to work for the education department and my job was to teach. I got to give tours, drive the train, perform creature features throughout the zoo, and walk around speaking with people about all the important aspects animals have in their ecosystems. Why is a dung beetle as important as an apex predator like a wolf? What happens when a piece of that ecosystem disappears? Why should we care? Working at...

There's lots of information being put out there for authors about advertising and promotion. Some advocate mortgaging your last dollar to advertise on Amazon, others suggest social media, while others take the time to promote locally and often.  I'm an advocate of all in moderation, but for the past several years, my friend and fellow author Hayley Rose and I, have hit every local street fair, book event, and author event we could possibly attend within a 200 miles radius. We reached thousands of people and have a solid base of repeat customers as well as new.  Homeschoolers would bring their workbooks to show me what they had accomplished and parents would tell me what great things their kids had...

I’m not a big fan of what some call ‘writers block.’ Typically it’s an excuse not to write at all.  If you’re going to make authorship a career then treat it like any other. Write. Not when you feel like it, not when the spirit moves you, not every other day or when you get the laundry done. Be disciplined and write. That being said, I know what it’s like to come to a dead end on a book or other writing project and need to step back. In those cases I write something else. Sometimes it’s a blog, a book review, I work on another project, or even write a letter to a relative or friend. Not a FB...

Here's the scoop on how to help and support an author. All six of these suggestions are great ways to help an author succeed! Even doing one of them is more helpful than you realize. So if you know an author, or enjoy the work they do give them so help! You may be supporting the next #1 bestseller! 

I found this review today - how I didn't see it before I don't know. For the entire review follow the link at the bottom!  Thanks Black Raven!

I am on a roll with finding funny and education poop books. Steve the Dung Beetle: On a Roll could have been dull. But Susan R. Stoltz’s...

When I wrote Flamboyance and began to visit schools it became evident that teaching language was much easier when entertaining animals came to the rescue.

Sometimes when I’m supposed to be writing something important or creative my brain just shuts down and then I sit and wait. And wait. And wait. Every author has a different routine to overcome writers block. Some just give up for the day because it can be a challenge. Some writers go for a walk or listen to music. Caffeine can change the game for others. There are a million ways to cope with this syndrome, in fact there are more articles on how to overcome writers block than how to be a great writer! For me, I love to do short poems. I find something unique or delicious, beautiful or funny, even scorpions have made the poem list. I do...