Events occuring in July seem to have evaporated in a writing nano-second. I am behind in announcing the July 31 release nationally of "Muscles Make Us Move", the third children's picture book in THE SUM OF OUR PARTS series. Published by Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. in St. Louis, MO, the series will eventually include nine books under the Academic Wings imprint on various anatomical systems in the human body. Released so far are books on the skeleton, the circulatory system and now the muscles.
"Muscles Make Us Move" will be released simultaneously in e-book and print formats. The e-book version is available through Fictionwise as well as through the Guardian Angel Publishing web site. The print version will be available for sale at http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/muscles-tsoop.htm and online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Print copies can also be ordered by request through your local brick and mortar bookstores.
"Muscles Make Us Move" is all about the muscles in the human body, from the very smallest (the stapedius) to the largest (the gluteus maximus). If you have ever had difficulty learning all the Greek and Latin terms for the muscles, this book is a great place to get you started. Between the comprehensive information in the rhyming text, the factoids and the fun and technically accurate illustrations by Eugene Ruble, you'll be learning the muscles in no time.
Author's Bio: Kirk's writing has been influenced by his travels on five continents and the every day inspiration from his grandchildren. In addition to stories written in rhyme, Kirk writes fiction and satire for local and national publications. He also wrote news and features for two Sacramento newspapers in the mid-1990s, The Suttertown News and The Old City Guardian.
Kirk's children's stories have appeared in Boys' Quest, Fun For Kidz, Grandparents, Wee Ones and Saplings magazines. His poems have also been published by North Dakota Horizons, Absolute Write, The Baseball Almanac and the University of South Carolina Gamecock Health newsletter. Kirk says his goal for his children's stories is to challenge the imagination of his readers, young and old, by exploring everyday life, simply and profoundly, and having fun in the process. Kirk and his wife, Rita (a clinical psychologist), have been married for 41 years and have made Sacramento their home since 1985.
To request review copies of "Muscles Make Us Move" or to request an interview with the author, please contact the publisher, Lynda Burch at (314) 276-8482.
Title: "Muscles Make Us Move" (in THE SUM OF OUR PARTS series)
Author: Bill Kirk
Illustrator: Eugene Ruble
ISBN (e-Book) 13: 978-1-61633-135-1
ISBN (print) 13: 978-1-61633-134-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2011932757
Publication Date: July 31, 2011
Number of Pages: 32
Price: Ebook $5.00, CD-Rom $11.95 (+$5.95 s&h), Print: $10.95 (+$6.95 s&h)
Available at most online booksellers or from: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
It's Father's Day, What Can I Say?
“Dad, Can I Help?”
By Bill Kirk
The long weekend beckoned--
I’d written my list.
And I was quite sure
There was nothing I’d missed.
No yard work distractions,
No carpools to do.
The weekend was mine
Until I was through.
I had all my hardware
And lumber galore.
I’d work on the deck;
Replace an old door.
I set up my saw
And tested my drill.
With anticipation
I felt quite a thrill.
“No holding me back,”
I thought, a bit smug.
Then all of a sudden,
I felt a slight tug.
Stopping my work,
I turned with a glance
To see my small son
Grab the leg of my pants.
What could I do?
Did I have any choice,
When my little son asked
In his little boy voice?
“Dad, can I help?
I just need some glue
And maybe a nail,
Some wood and a screw.”
“I’ll be very careful
And do what you say.
I promise, I’ll try
To stay out of your way.”
I felt the deck slipping
Right out of my grasp.
The door would remain
On its very last gasp.
We built a small boat
With a deck and a sail
Out of two bits of wood,
Some string and a nail;
Then battled some pirates
And found chests of gold.
With each new adventure
A story was told.
We sawed and we hammered
Until we were done
With all of our work—
Like father, like son.
I never did finish
My list on that day,
Instead I spent time
With my son, just to play.
And those weekend projects?
They just had to wait.
For some life appointments,
A Dad can’t be late.
By Bill Kirk
The long weekend beckoned--
I’d written my list.
And I was quite sure
There was nothing I’d missed.
No yard work distractions,
No carpools to do.
The weekend was mine
Until I was through.
I had all my hardware
And lumber galore.
I’d work on the deck;
Replace an old door.
I set up my saw
And tested my drill.
With anticipation
I felt quite a thrill.
“No holding me back,”
I thought, a bit smug.
Then all of a sudden,
I felt a slight tug.
Stopping my work,
I turned with a glance
To see my small son
Grab the leg of my pants.
What could I do?
Did I have any choice,
When my little son asked
In his little boy voice?
“Dad, can I help?
I just need some glue
And maybe a nail,
Some wood and a screw.”
“I’ll be very careful
And do what you say.
I promise, I’ll try
To stay out of your way.”
I felt the deck slipping
Right out of my grasp.
The door would remain
On its very last gasp.
We built a small boat
With a deck and a sail
Out of two bits of wood,
Some string and a nail;
Then battled some pirates
And found chests of gold.
With each new adventure
A story was told.
We sawed and we hammered
Until we were done
With all of our work—
Like father, like son.
I never did finish
My list on that day,
Instead I spent time
With my son, just to play.
And those weekend projects?
They just had to wait.
For some life appointments,
A Dad can’t be late.
Friday, June 17, 2011
What The...? Did You Just Spill Your Milk?
At the risk of giving someone an audience they don't deserve, I feel compelled to comment about the latest wolf in sheep's clothing: A clever money-maker (if only because some will actually think it's funny enough to buy) which may end up creating a whole new genre of adult bedtime picture books.
Now before you get your panties in a wad, arguing that adult bedtime picture books have already been done, I'm not talking about the kind of books with pictures that adults may use at bedtime from time to time. Yes, you are right. Those "self-help" books have been out since shortly after Guttenburg figured out how to mass produce the printed page.
But no. This latest creation is what otherwise would appear to be a children's picture book both on its cover and inside. But that's where the resemblance ends. Instead the book purports to be written for new parents to somehow help them deal with the frustrations of being a parent trying to get their new baby or toddler to sleep. What new parent couldn't identify with that?
No doubt the book will get a few chuckles. Likewise, I have little doubt it will sell, although probably not nearly so well were it not formatted as a children's picture book---kind of a formatting double entendre, if you will. And apparently many of you out there indeed will.
After all, the colorful children's illustrations are simple yet engaging. And what new parent could resist a bedtime story to help lull their little kiddo to sleep? But forgive my lack of excitement. To the author---and to Nightline for running the feature---I say GMAB! (which is now far and away my new favorite texting abbreviation).
For those of you scratching your heads wondering "What the... is he talking about?" I can say that sadly you won't have any trouble searching for or finding the hot new release online. This book has done what most authors can only dream about. It has "gone viral" with so much free promotion (including, I suppose, this blog post) that the author may be able to retire in before Labor Day. After all, it's a #1 best seller on Amazon---maybe even in a couple different categories.
And who knows? It may spawn any number of other books covering such parental challenges as long road trips ("Shut The F--- Up, We're Not There Yet!"), potty training ("Sit The F--- Down And Poop!"), arguing in the car with sibblings ("Don't Make Me Pull The F--- Over!"), food consumption ("Eat Your F---ing Vegetables!") and dinner time accidents ("What The F---? Did You Just Spill Your Milk?").
OK. So, perhaps I'm being unfair. After all, I'm still quivering after last month's sale of four copies of my books online. I suddenly found myself propelled up to a sub-500,000 sales ranking in children's books on Amazon. I gotta admit, having only half a million books ahead of mine in the rankings is pretty heady stuff.
Just think what might have happened if I had added an "F-bomb" (or its abbreviation) to a few of my published titles. The Nightline producers would probably have me on speed dial!
Now before you get your panties in a wad, arguing that adult bedtime picture books have already been done, I'm not talking about the kind of books with pictures that adults may use at bedtime from time to time. Yes, you are right. Those "self-help" books have been out since shortly after Guttenburg figured out how to mass produce the printed page.
But no. This latest creation is what otherwise would appear to be a children's picture book both on its cover and inside. But that's where the resemblance ends. Instead the book purports to be written for new parents to somehow help them deal with the frustrations of being a parent trying to get their new baby or toddler to sleep. What new parent couldn't identify with that?
No doubt the book will get a few chuckles. Likewise, I have little doubt it will sell, although probably not nearly so well were it not formatted as a children's picture book---kind of a formatting double entendre, if you will. And apparently many of you out there indeed will.
After all, the colorful children's illustrations are simple yet engaging. And what new parent could resist a bedtime story to help lull their little kiddo to sleep? But forgive my lack of excitement. To the author---and to Nightline for running the feature---I say GMAB! (which is now far and away my new favorite texting abbreviation).
For those of you scratching your heads wondering "What the... is he talking about?" I can say that sadly you won't have any trouble searching for or finding the hot new release online. This book has done what most authors can only dream about. It has "gone viral" with so much free promotion (including, I suppose, this blog post) that the author may be able to retire in before Labor Day. After all, it's a #1 best seller on Amazon---maybe even in a couple different categories.
And who knows? It may spawn any number of other books covering such parental challenges as long road trips ("Shut The F--- Up, We're Not There Yet!"), potty training ("Sit The F--- Down And Poop!"), arguing in the car with sibblings ("Don't Make Me Pull The F--- Over!"), food consumption ("Eat Your F---ing Vegetables!") and dinner time accidents ("What The F---? Did You Just Spill Your Milk?").
OK. So, perhaps I'm being unfair. After all, I'm still quivering after last month's sale of four copies of my books online. I suddenly found myself propelled up to a sub-500,000 sales ranking in children's books on Amazon. I gotta admit, having only half a million books ahead of mine in the rankings is pretty heady stuff.
Just think what might have happened if I had added an "F-bomb" (or its abbreviation) to a few of my published titles. The Nightline producers would probably have me on speed dial!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
New Rhyme Of The Month on billkirkwrites.com
Here's a short rhyme, slightly revised since its original appearance during the Poem A Day Challenge in April. It seemed like a good message going into summer.
After spending the winter and what seems to have been a non-existent spring puting things off until we have more time, more energy, more money or more motivation, now is the time to simply take that first action step, then another and another and....
Don’t Say Don’t. Say Do!
By Bill Kirk
Just thinking DON'T is such a drag-
It's nothing but a frowner.
For DON'Ts won't end up in a smile
Because a DON'T's a downer.
It doesn't matter if a DON'T
Is practiced past or present,
For whether spoken then or now,
A DON'T is never pleasant.
Besides a DON'T from yesterday
Won't generate much action.
An old DON'T's just a DIDN'T that
AIN'T got no satisfaction.
If saying DON'T on down the road
Is what you are intending,
That future DON'T becomes a WON'T-
A DON'T that's merely trending.
And if you might not do a thing,
A "might" makes WON'T a "WOULDN'T."
To be polite about your WON'T,
You must say, "I just COULDN'T!"
Yes, DON'Ts abound in all their forms,
From SHOULDN'T, MUSTN'T, SHAN'T.
And if we listened to them all,
We might just think, "I CAN'T!"
So, when you're asked to give advice,
Think what you'd like to hear.
If you were in another's shoes.
What word would you hold dear?
Just one small word will say it all.
Two letters and you're through!
You WON'T get far with Mister DON'T.
So, DON'T say "DON'T." Say "DO".
After spending the winter and what seems to have been a non-existent spring puting things off until we have more time, more energy, more money or more motivation, now is the time to simply take that first action step, then another and another and....
Don’t Say Don’t. Say Do!
By Bill Kirk
Just thinking DON'T is such a drag-
It's nothing but a frowner.
For DON'Ts won't end up in a smile
Because a DON'T's a downer.
It doesn't matter if a DON'T
Is practiced past or present,
For whether spoken then or now,
A DON'T is never pleasant.
Besides a DON'T from yesterday
Won't generate much action.
An old DON'T's just a DIDN'T that
AIN'T got no satisfaction.
If saying DON'T on down the road
Is what you are intending,
That future DON'T becomes a WON'T-
A DON'T that's merely trending.
And if you might not do a thing,
A "might" makes WON'T a "WOULDN'T."
To be polite about your WON'T,
You must say, "I just COULDN'T!"
Yes, DON'Ts abound in all their forms,
From SHOULDN'T, MUSTN'T, SHAN'T.
And if we listened to them all,
We might just think, "I CAN'T!"
So, when you're asked to give advice,
Think what you'd like to hear.
If you were in another's shoes.
What word would you hold dear?
Just one small word will say it all.
Two letters and you're through!
You WON'T get far with Mister DON'T.
So, DON'T say "DON'T." Say "DO".
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Got Stories? Tell 'Em.
It's been said by some that a writer should write about what he or she is familiar with. For I suppose there's nothing quite like life experience as a rich resource for the tales we tell. The life experiences each of us has, add depth to a story. And it is the unique interpretation of those experiences that make those stories our own, told like no one else would or even could.
Each of us captures the world around us through our own particular set of sensory stimuli. And even when faced with the same view of the world before us, we may process the information differently and act on it differently still. Will the fact that I am color blind mean I will miss some things or see them in a different way than others? Do I have a high pain threshold, making me indifferent to those more sensitive? Was I an only child? The oldest, youngest or somewhere in the middle?
Have I broken an arm or leg, had surgery, been lost? And what if I haven't yet or maybe never will? Have I ever been truly hungry or felt fatigue or cold down to the bone? Have I ever wanted to kill---or had to? Have I had a story to share and should have but didn't?
"Who knows?" you ask. "Perhaps there won't be anyone interested." But if the stories aren't told, we'll never know who might have learned from them or simply loved the listening. So, tell your stories. Write them down or simply pass them on as folk tales or oral history to be recounted again and again. For one day, without our knowing when, the time will pass and the untold stories will fade from memory.
It is the charge of writers and tellers of tales to not let that happen.
Each of us captures the world around us through our own particular set of sensory stimuli. And even when faced with the same view of the world before us, we may process the information differently and act on it differently still. Will the fact that I am color blind mean I will miss some things or see them in a different way than others? Do I have a high pain threshold, making me indifferent to those more sensitive? Was I an only child? The oldest, youngest or somewhere in the middle?
Have I broken an arm or leg, had surgery, been lost? And what if I haven't yet or maybe never will? Have I ever been truly hungry or felt fatigue or cold down to the bone? Have I ever wanted to kill---or had to? Have I had a story to share and should have but didn't?
"Who knows?" you ask. "Perhaps there won't be anyone interested." But if the stories aren't told, we'll never know who might have learned from them or simply loved the listening. So, tell your stories. Write them down or simply pass them on as folk tales or oral history to be recounted again and again. For one day, without our knowing when, the time will pass and the untold stories will fade from memory.
It is the charge of writers and tellers of tales to not let that happen.
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