10 Inspiring Kite Tales Quotes from 2020

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Christian McKay Heidicker, Claire Annette Noland, Creative Life, Emma Trithart, Grace Lin, Harold Underdown, inspiration, Mary Ann Fraser, Monica Sagaser, Nancy Whitesides, quotes, Sherry Shahan

Photo by Tairon Fernandez on Pexels.com

As the year draws to a close, it’s always a good time to go back and reflect on the things that have moved and inspired us along the way. Especially in trying times, going back to the moments that brought light into our world can help us continue to be inspired and come up with new ideas that might not have occurred to us before.

Creating may have been tough for most of us this year, but we had many encouraging authors, editors, agents, and illustrators sharing with us their insights on how to keep going when the times get tough. Sometimes the reassurance that giving ourselves a break was indeed what was needed. And sometimes we just needed to let our stories come out on the page.

Launching a Debut Book in the Middle of a Pandemic–Or, This Isn’t Really Happening, Is It?

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Book Launches, Claire Annette Noland, debut book, pandemic, published, publishing tips

by Claire Annette Noland

The announcement was posted in Publisher’s Weekly. The cover was revealed. The date was set and events were scheduled. My debut picture book was ready to launch.

Or was it?

Evie’s Field Day: More Than One Way to Win, published by Cardinal Rule Press and illustrated by Alicia Teba, features a competitive girl set on winning her school’s field day events. The book’s release was scheduled to coincide with end-of-the-school-year activities. In March, when the pandemic caused us to shelter at home, we thought it would soon be over. Then reality set in. Schools, bookstores, and parks closed. Suddenly, my calendar was empty. But the book was being released and I wasn’t going to give up on my dream of it reaching children. It was time to make a new plan: