Children’s Picture Book Day and KidLit Creators 3.0

March 27, 2023March 16, 2023 | C.E. Flores

To all the talented authors out there who have a passion for writing children’s picture books, happy Children’s Picture Book Day! Today is the perfect opportunity to take the first step toward making your dream a reality.

Writing a children’s picture book is a unique and rewarding opportunity to ignite a love for reading in young audiences and captivate their imaginations. By crafting stories that inspire, entertain, and educate, you have the power to make a lasting impact on a child’s life and help them develop a lifelong love for literature.

Here are five reasons you need to write a children’s book:

Your individual experiences, perspectives, and ideas hold tremendous power to inspire and empower children across the globe. By crafting a book for young readers, you have the ability to not only share your story but also ignite their imaginations and make a positive impact on their lives. Your words have the potential to touch young hearts in ways you may have needed when you were growing up.
Writing a children’s book demands a boundless imagination, exceptional creativity, and the courage to take risks. Don’t be afraid to push the limits of your imagination and challenge yourself creatively – the end result may surprise and delight you.
Writing a book is a dynamic and fulfilling mode of self-expression. It empowers you to communicate your thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a way that is both personal and universal. In fact, many writers consider the process of creating a book to be therapeutic, providing an outlet for their feelings and a means of exploring their innermost thoughts.
If writing a children’s book has been a lifelong dream of yours, then pushing through the obstacles and completing your book can be an incredibly fulfilling experience. It’s an achievement that you can be proud of forever, not to mention the possibility of new doors opening for your career.
Writing a children’s book can have a profound and enduring impact on the lives of young readers. Your words and stories have the potential to inspire, educate, and entertain children and even alter the way they perceive the world around them. By persevering through obstacles and completing your book, you hold the power to make a lasting difference in the lives of others. You may ignite a love for reading, spark a child’s imagination, or offer a message of hope and empowerment that resonates for years to come.

So, whether you’re an experienced writer or just starting out, today is the perfect day to channel your inner child and let your imagination run wild because I have the BEST deal for you!

KidLit Creators 3.0 from Infostack is the ultimate resource for bringing your dream of writing a children’s book to life. This comprehensive bundle offers everything you need to create captivating chapter books and picture books that both kids and adults will love to read.

You’ll receive valuable tips and strategies on crafting engaging stories that resonate with young readers, along with expert guidance on illustrating your book using watercolors. With step-by-step instruction and live “paint alongs,” you’ll be able to bring your characters and stories to life in stunning detail. Additionally, KidLit Creators 3.0 provides you with expert advice on optimizing your website to drive action and engage readers.

Let’s celebrate Children’s Picture Book Day by unleashing our creativity and crafting stories that will inspire and captivate a new generation of readers! Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, now is the perfect time to pick up your pen and get writing. And if you’re looking for expert guidance and valuable resources to help bring your ideas to life, don’t forget to check out KidLit Creators 3.0 from Infostack.

Author Feature–Vallean Jackson

January 31, 2023 | C.E. Flores

If you’re looking for something new to read, check out today’s author feature, the lovely Vallean Jackson from Birmingham, AL.

I am a children’s book and urban fiction Author. If I had to choose, I couldn’t. I am equally passionate about both genres. I also have a little romance and borderline education (my children’s workbook) under my belt. I am working on introducing other genres that I am more than excited about.

I would say that my biggest challenge to overcome as an Author was getting back into writing. For a minute, I gave up because of a past experience, but a great part of me just felt like something was missing. I had this build-up and stories continuously dancing in my head that, in a sense, frustrated me just as before when I first started. So once I started back writing, I got the relief I was looking for and have been back at it in every sense, and I couldn’t be more content.

My writing goal(s)…..are plenty, honestly. It’s almost like every day I add on something else. I literally have a folder on my phone entitled “book ideas” because something is always hitting me. I just wish sometimes I could write as fast as I thought of these stories. But on a more intentional level of goals, there’s me releasing another children’s book this year, releasing a new genre from me, and maybe some other projects I have in mind. To achieve these goals, the idea is to not give up. Be persistent! As well as keep in mind what I want to see come to fruition.

The best writing advice I’ve ever been given was to not give up honestly because I truly was a good writer and had so much to offer. I didn’t feel like that at the time and was just going to focus on journalism. But hearing those words came as a shock yet as a wake up call. That I was being hard on myself as well as letting a situation have control over my purpose, and that wasn’t right.

As for a book that I would like to focus on at the moment is my latest release Love On Thin Ice 3- Healing. It was released at the end of 2022 and is the last book of the “Love On Thin Ice” trilogy. The last book in the trilogy was bananas, if you ask me! The twist and turns that developed even shocked me. That might sound crazy, but for a minute, it took me a while to see what direction I really wanted to go. I was honestly struggling a bit, then one day it just hit me and everything started to unravel. It was like my characters took me over. I think the best part of the trilogy for me is how my characters each realized healing isn’t the same for everybody. It might carry one definition, but how it’s interpreted is to each’s own.

Love On Thin Ice 3- Healing can be purchased on Amazon, Kindle, Google Books, and www.valleanj.com

They say that time heals all wounds, but for the dynamic couple Keiontay and Nova, the flames of the love between them have fanned out.

Nova’s battle of standing her ground has her embracing the role of a single mother while trying to heal from a failed relationship and conflicted with still believing that love for her is not dead.

With the feeling of rejection that cuts as deep as a sword, the question for Keiontay becomes if he can maneuver out of his own way to get back the love he holds dear.

But the wrath of rejection doesn’t stop there as Tarven thinks he finally has the woman he has always fought for, and Ginger refuses to let go of her heart’s desire. Her take no attitude in this trilogy reveals many anticipated consequences.

And Omar works through some childhood trauma that leads to experiencing the love that he has always craved.
In the fight for love, healing, and a healthy relationship…..who will finally get their happy ending?

April 2021 Virtual Book Tour — Leigh Ann Thelmadatter

April 14, 2021March 28, 2021 | C.E. Flores

Like so many foreigners, Leigh Ann Thelmadatter came to Mexico to spend a couple of years and never left. Teaching English paid the bills and supported an obsession with traveling throughout Mexico to learn about its culture, particularly its folk art. Her “apprenticeship” came in the form of writing Wikipedia articles, then a blog called Creative Hands of Mexico, which lasted for 5 years (until the pandemic).

Both projects have brought home the severe lack of documentation of Mexico’s handcrafts, especially the more regional and innovative ones. Fortunately, the blog led to a column of the same name in the Vallarta Tribune. Since 2019, she has been writing regularly about cultural topics in Mexico News Daily, which is now working on a series of Mexican artisan profiles. She published Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste, and Fiesta with Schiffer in 2019 and currently works on two more books. One on cloth dolls in Mexico and one about foreign artists who live in the country. The first is to give credit to the housewives whose creative talents and economic contributions are often overlooked. The second is an outgrowth of many years of contact with Mexico’s fine arts community.

The work on Creative Hands led her to learn about Mexico’s highly developed but almost completely unknown paper mache crafts, collectively called cartonería. They are figures made almost exclusively for the many festivals on Mexico’s calendar. The best known of these is the piñata, but also include effigies of Judas Iscariot for Holy Saturday, skeletal figures for Day of the Dead, and more.

In the past 20 years or so, modern cartonería artists have been looking to push the craft as a true “folk art,” not only creating pieces that will be used for the festival, then destroyed/thrown away but as collectors’ items.

The book begins with a definition of cartonería and its history in Mexico, themselves somewhat controversial as cartonería fulfills many, but not all, of the country’s definitions of “traditional handcraft.” The following chapters profile important figures such as Pedro Linares and the Lemus family, traditional items made with the technique (and how they are used), modern masters, and what the present and future hold for the craft.

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Leigh Thelmadatter

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Mima

March 6, 2019February 1, 2019 | C.E. Flores

My pen name is Mima but my real name is Michelle M. Arsenault.
I’m originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada and although I’ve lived coast to coast, I’m currently back on PEI. Although my feet aren’t nailed to the ground.

Since publishing my first book, I’ve had to find a balance between writing, my day job and social life etc. I haven’t always been very good at this but over time, managed to adapt my schedule accordingly. I also get up much earlier than I used to (usually 6 a.m) in order to get something accomplished every day. For this reason, I don’t have many late nights and definitely no late night parties, since I want to wake up fresh and clear each morning. My days are very full but I’ve learned you can always find a way if you’re passionate about what you do.

My belief system has changed vastly over the years. I now think it’s more important to focus on my art and be creative rather than worrying about being ‘discovered’ and becoming a best-seller. You can’t allow your ego to get involved or you will be doomed because some people will love your books, some people will hate them and if you allow their feelings to dominate your worth as an artist, you will find yourself on a very rocky path.

I have grown much more confident in myself. I used to be a perfectionist and that almost made me quit writing. Now, I don’t allow myself to get upset if I find mistakes in my books, if I misspeak in a radio interview or if I have a bad hair day in one of my YouTube videos. Who cares? If anything, that’s what makes me relatable and real.

I used to worry about editing my books. It was to the point that I almost drove myself crazy rereading one sentence, repeatedly until I almost drove myself mad. Now, I have people helping me out and if a mistake goes through to the published book, so be it.

I sometimes feel like I’m not being taken seriously as a writer. I feel like most people would rather grab a book from a best-sellers list or whatever Oprah has suggested than take a chance on a less known author and that’s pretty frustrating.

My characters keep me going. They want their story to be told and who am I to say no?

The fact that I’ve published ten books makes me pretty proud. I feel like I’ve faced a lot of my fears along the way and continue to do so. I’m proud of the fact that I am persistent and aggressive when it comes to marketing my writing and dealing with issues, such as with publishers, booksellers etc.

I miss taking a day off. I’ve heard it’s lovely.

Overnight success is no longer important to me. I know hard work is the key.

The defining moment for me was when I realized that the story writes itself, that the characters create themselves and all you have to do is make your mind be quiet….and listen.

If I have any free time, I enjoy watching Netflix programs, documentaries and reading. I work a couple of jobs on the side and usually exploring new options.

Currently, I’m finishing my 11th book and I’m attempting to write a pilot episode for my current book series.

You can find me at:

Also, I have bookmarks (see below) and would be happy to send some to anyone interested (while supplies last). I just need your mailing address.