I’m working on a wonderful holiday gift for you, my dear reader. Keep an eye on this page for the grand reveal!
I will give you one hint: it involves books!!!
Meanwhile, enjoy reading while cuddled in a blanket with your slippers and a steaming cup of tea!
I can’t wait to share my surprise with you! Sonja
It’s ‘Bake Cookies Day’, so get out your butter, sugar, and flour and get in there! This is the best time of year to bake, and it doesn’t matter if you want to bake chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar, or Snickerdoodles. I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like at least one type of cookie.
Have a great holiday season and enjoy your baking, Sonja
It was December 17, 1903, that Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight with a powered aircraft. The first flight lasted 59 seconds and went 852 feet at an elevation of 20 feet. Orville had just flown into history.
The brothers owned a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A. and experimented with flight there for almost ten years before finding success. Orville and Wilbur chose the beach at Kitty Hawk because a constant wind blew off the ocean and would help their aircraft fly.
In the above photo, Orville is seen lying inside the aircraft and Wilbur is the man standing at its right.
It’s hard to believe that today, just 116 years later, it is almost routine to fly across the ocean or around the world.
If you plan on traveling for the holidays, don’t forget to pack your sense of humor–and a good book (I suggest one of mine!).
Enjoy your holiday! Sonja
Take a look at all those titles! Every one of them is available exclusively on Amazon.com. You can either use the links in the left-hand column of this web site, or you can search for my name, ‘Sonja Danielson’, to bring up all of my titles that are available.
Each book in the Fairies of Carlow series stands alone with a glimpse at the continuing stories of previous characters. It’s almost like getting an epilogue while being immersed in the story of new characters.
The Voyage is based on actual history and tells the story of one of the notable and founding families of the East Coast of America. The Wing Family traveled around Europe before the matriarch and her sons crossed the Atlantic to settle in Plymouth Colony and eventually Sandwich, Massachusetts.
The Voyage is based on actual events and locations, and the book includes information on locations mentioned in the book and has a timeline of the events. I wanted the political climate of England and Europe easy to understand, which was difficult based on the rule of King Henry VIII, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I.
The Voyage is easy to read and boasts several full-color illustrations made specifically for the book. The talents of the artist (not me!) show the dress and environment of the story. You have to see them!
I hope you are able to enjoy my titles, Sonja
Whichever form of faith you follow, this is the season of giving–the season of charity. My hope is that you give and offer throughout the year.
There are those who have little need of actually ‘stuff’. Give of your time.
There are those who are in need of love. Give your love.
There are those who are in need of food. Consider giving to your local food bank.
There are those who are in need of transportation. Consider giving your time and drive them where they need to go–if you are able.
Anywhere you look, you will find someone in need. Try to determine what it is they need without asking. Most people will deny having any need, but a few minutes of your time or a plate of cookies or small token will do wonders to bring them joy.
Give of yourself. Sonja
Just one question for you this holiday season: what have you done to share joy and happiness?
It doesn’t have to be a monetary gift. It only needs to be time spent with you or a homemade gift made with love.
This is the time for you to spread your own brand of happiness.
Take the time to recognize someone you love. Sonja
Look at those eyes! They express the love Guinness the Therapy Dog has for every person he meets. As a therapy dog, Guinness meets a lot of people and he is happy to say hello to everyone.
The people he meets like to dig their fingers into his thick fur, stroke the soft fur on his chest and back, and fall into his expressive brown eyes.
Happiness is the biggest part of his personality and everyone who meets him finds an inner well of happiness.
I hope you get to meet Guinness the Therapy Dog either in person or in the books that will be published soon! Sonja
“We make a living by what we get,
But we make a life by what we give.”
Winston Churchill
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Mahatma Gandhi
“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Every good act is charity. A man’s true wealth hereafter is the good that he does in this world to his fellows.”
Moliere
I hope you find inspiration in at least one of these quotes. ‘Tis the season of charity and giving.
Be the person who helps people smile. Sonja
It’s different when you write the text for a chapter book that doesn’t include pictures and writing for an illustrated book. The illustrations help the reader visualize what you’re writing about.
I didn’t have to describe the clothing in ‘The Voyage’ because the artist did such a phenomenal job with her research to show the clothing and the colors that were true to the period.
For ‘The Fairies of Carlow’ series, I took literary license to use clothing that was suggested by the Victorian period and was able to modify it as necessary for the stories.
The ‘Guinness the Therapy Dogs’ stories will be modern-day and the dress of the people he interacts with will be easily drawn. I probably won’t mention the clothing unless it directly affects the plot of the book.
And dogs don’t wear pants! Hey, that’s a good idea for a story!
The illustrations in ‘The Voyage’ also show the world occupied by John Wing as he traveled through Europe as a preacher. It helps the reader see where he stood in The Hague, Oxfordshire, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts (for his family).
Take a look at the beautiful illustrations of ‘The Voyage’. The illustrations for the first two books of the ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ series are being drawn by the artist right now!
I can’t wait to show you. Keep a lookout for the logo that will appear on the front cover of every ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ book. It’s spectacular and I will unveil it here on this website soon!
Keep writing! Keep reading! Sonja
Giving doesn’t have to mean spending money. The best gifts come from you or ARE you. The people who are happy to see you, who are happy to accept a gift from you, are the people who merely want to spend time with you.
The time this season to give yourself as a gift to someone special. Visit a friend or relative at their home, wherever they may live. Guinness the Therapy Dog and I like to visit people at the library, the hospital, and a transition home.
Wherever they are, that is home–at least, for them. Help them feel special and visit them where they are. Do they need a candle or a wreath? Bring them one. Every time they look at it, they will think of you and it will be another warm and happy memory.
Celebrate your ability to give. Sonja