|
|
 Greetings!
Since I last wrote, I've experienced two incredible events. The first was the releases of my new book, Wave Me Good-bye. It never ceases to thrill authors when we get to hold our new books in our hands. This book, especially, felt nice, after more than two years of work on the story. Early reports are good, and people are really responding to the cover, as well as the subject matter. I couldn't be more pleased.
The second event was something more personal. In January, I had surgery to correct failing hearing in my right ear due to otosclerosis. My hearing had become so bad that it was affecting my work, as well as my personal life. I went in to get a hearing aid, but my amazing doctor talked me into surgery instead. Now, I'm not the type to opt for medical interventions, but this time I'm glad I did. I can hear again! But here's what really surprised me about this whole experience. I've been so crazy busy these past few months that I didn't have time prior to the surgery to worry about how it would go or to look up numerous articles on the Internet or to ask a lot of questions of the doctor. In that sense, being busy was a blessing. It kept me from worrying. But after the surgery, I didn't have time to process my recovery either. I was back at work the next day. It was only after a week that it sunk in that being able to hear again was a bona fide miracle and something I should pause and be thankful for. I've been thankful every day since.
We are all too busy these days. That's a fact. But I hope I never get too busy to mark the important moments in life. Thank you for sharing so many of them with me!
Did You Know: The Adventures of Tintin, the movie, is now in theaters. Many children of the World War II generation collected these comic books. To learn some interesting facts about Tintin, read the Students Section below!
Did You Know: School children today want to be of service. I sometimes hear that "kids today don't do as much as they did in the old days." But that hasn't been my experience. I think part of the problem is that we don't ask children to get involved. When I speak at schools or to youth organizations, I talk about how much kids contributed to helping us win World War II. But everyone, even President Roosevelt, asked kids to help. When was the last time you asked a younger person to get involved in your project? My daughter's Key Club group recently participated in Soles 4 Souls. They collected over 8,000 pairs of shoes for children in Africa. 8,000! That's what kids can do.
Did You Know: I'm a member of Dining for Women, a unique organization that is experiencing new interest and growth. Once a quarter, I gather with some really cool friends, and we each bring a dish to share. We then donate the money we would have spent going out to dinner to the Dining for Women's chosen group that month. Each group they sponsor is focused on improving the lives of women and girls in some of the most desperate areas of our world. If you'd like to start a new chapter (it's super easy) in your area, please visit www.diningforwomen.org and help "change the world one dinner at a time."
.......................................................................................................................................................................
|
|
|
Readers
and Writers
................................................ |
|
Readers
It's Here! Announcing my newest book in the Home-Front Heroes series, Wave Me Good-bye. 
It's now available for order at all outlets and as an e-book on Kindle! Remember, you can also order any of my books and merchandise straight from my website as well.
Here are some of the school kids at McGraw Elementary helping me celebrate the new book. I spoke at their school on Dr. Seuss's birthday, and many of the kids were in costume to celebrate one of my favorite authors!
My Books are Available as E-Books!  All five of my other books are now available on Kindle and Nook and for download on computers and other types of readers. I'm super excited to be part of the fastest growing book market in the country! Watch for some of my individual short stories soon.
Play My New Game on Facebook and Twitter
I have a new game going on Facebook and Twitter that I'm calling Any Book in 7 Words. I'm summarizing books in only seven words, and you have to guess the name of the book. Or you can stump me with a seven-word description of your own. Simply "Like" my page on Facebook in order to play or follow me on Twitter. You'll find the connection buttons to each of those pages below in my contact section too. Please tell your friends to join us in the game. I'm trying to grow interest in it for fun and as part of a writing experiment. Here's an example of an easy one: Southern belle saves plantation; misinterprets true love. |
|
Writers
That Book Inside You Writer's Workshop
Saturday, April 21, in Fort Collins
Denver dates will be announced soon!
It all starts with an idea--a middle-of-the-night brainstorm or a concept that's been building--and you know you've got a book inside you. But how do you begin? Click here to visit my website for more information. I'm also working on making this workshop available through webinars this spring.
Teresa's Quote of the Month
"You are in charge of your goals; they are not in charge of you." Click here to read more.
New Expert Guide Videos
Follow me as an Expert Guide At-Large on the Children's Book Insider Clubhouse, a premier source for anyone interested in a career as children's book author. While some of the other expert guides will be focusing on specific areas to help you move forward with writing, publishing, and promoting your work, I'll be acting as your "career coach" producing videos that will help you take all of the amazing information you get from CBI and other industry sources and figure out how to apply it to you and your career. The videos will go up once a month. The first one was on goal-setting for writers. The second will be on how to nail those agent/editor meetings at conferences. Right now, the videos are available to CBI members, but within a few months, I'm hoping to make them available on my site as well. Membership to CBI is extremely inexpensive and gives you access to their extensive learning site, their newsletter, their critique groups, and their upcoming webinars. To learn, more click here. |
Send Me Your Writing Questions
And I'll do my best to answer them in this column. Your questions can be on the craft of writing or the business of publishing or the challenges of marketing or anything in between. I'm eager to hear your questions!
|
|
|
Educators
and Students
................................................ |
Educators
Author Visits for the Spring
Contact me to book an author visit for your school this spring. I offer assemblies and writing workshops for all grades and have worked with dozens of schools. We have matching funds for some of my visits and great suggestions for other ways to fund my appearance.
My workshops incorporate various curriculum points and can be taught in a variety of classes. I have a brand new school visit flyer and price sheet that I would be happy to send you, or you can visit my website for details. You'll also see plenty of endorsements from educators and students! New Classroom Activities We have new classroom activities posted on the website and will continue to add to those . There is nothing like cooking with kids, and it's a great learning opportunity too. Cooking involves reading, science, math, and sometimes teamwork. Cooking can be done at home and shared with the class or at school by giving each child a job.
Try one of these recipes!
- Jewish Apple Cake
- Easy English Toffee
- WWII Pancakes
- WWII Molasses Cookies
- Jello
- 1940s Egg-free Vinegar Cake
- Friendship Bread
Visit the website here to get the full recipes!
It's a Puzzle!
Word puzzles are a great way to become familiar with new words and their spellings. Please visit my website at www.teresafunke.com and find lots of fun word puzzles that tie directly to my books or feature themes in my books like "friendship" and "community."
Go Fly A Kite! March is a great time to fly a kite! Did you know that kites were very important in World War II? The US Navy used kites for many purposes. The barrage kite helped to keep airplanes from flying too low over targets. Pilots lost at sea raised The box kite so they could be found. And target kites, a large steerable diamond kite, were used for target practice and aircraft recognition at sea. Even though kites were used less by the military toward the end of the war, they were still popular for recreational use. In the last 40-50 years, there has been a renewed interest in "kiting." And new materials like fiberglass, nylon, and carbon graphite, have made it possible for kites to be stronger, lighter, more decorative, and much more durable.
Kites can be bought ready-made or purchased in kits. Or you can get creative and have your students make their own! The simplest kites can be made out of plastic bags, light sheets, newspaper, craft paper, or nylon material. For kite-making ideas and instructions, visit www.scratch-pad.com. |
Students
Comic Book Mania In Wave Me Good-bye, Miriam and Chris share a love for comic books! Why do you think comic books are so fun? What is your favorite comic book series or character? Write to me and tell me! One of the most popular comic series of the twentieth century is The Adventures of Tintin. It was created by artist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name of Herg�. It was first published in 1929. During WWII, comic books were widely collected, and many kids had several collections. The Adventures of Tintin was a favorite among kids during that time! In 1950, this series became a canon series of twenty-four albums and was adapted for radio, television, theater, and film. Did you know that The Adventures of Tintin recently came out in movie theaters? It was produced by Stephen Spielberg. Come up with your own comic book strip! Below are some ideas to get you started: - Use one or more of the characters in Wave Me Good-bye
- Tell a story from the 1940s era
- Write about friendship
|
|
|
News
and Events
................................................ |
|
News
Book Release Party
Here are a couple of photos from my book release party for Wave Me Good-bye.
A special thanks to Kylee Conradson and Rachel Morley for performing a skit as my characters Miriam and Chris. They did an amazing job!
Thanks also to my assistants, Marilee Morley and Saundie Weiss, for their help with the trivia contest and the food (including the Jewish Apple Cake and the Spam delicacies) and to my kids, of course, who each had a job to do that night, as always!
And an extra special thanks to the friends and fans who came to help us celebrate!
In Memoriam
Shirley Brand, the inspiration for Helen Marshall in my book Doing My Part passed away in late January. In a sense, Shirley was the mother of the series. From the first time I met her at the museum in Greeley and heard her stories, I knew I would one day include her in one of my books. Shirley's story was originally slated for Dancing in Combat Boots, but when that book was done, a child's perspective of wartime didn't fit in. So when I got the idea for the Home-Front Heroes series for children, I knew I wanted to start with Shirley's story. Shirley was extremely proud of the book, which has always meant so much to me. She was a truly wonderful woman with a kind heart and a generous soul, and I'll miss her. Click here to read more about Shirley's life.
|
|
Sponsor Opportunities
Contact me to find out how you can team with Teresa Funke & Company and our partner organizations to help improve literacy, education, and the arts in 2012. Our programs bring new solutions to old problems.
Programs like:
The Read A Hero Literacy Program
The Do Your Part School Kit Program
The Teresa Funke Author Visit Program
The Great Book Giveaway
The Teresa Funke & Company Arts Appreciation Program
And more . . .
If you are looking for ways to benefit your community and get good exposure for your group or business, I'd be happy to send you our Partnership Opportunities packet. Join us in making the things that matter, matter.
Catch Me Here!
I will be at Reader's Cove this Thursday, March 8, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for a book signing of Wave Me Good-bye. Please come for book discussion and to learn more about my educational programs, like the Teacher Kits and my free books programs!
Follow my speaking engagements, school visits, readings, and more on my events page. |
|
Contact Us
Teresa Funke & Company
3836 Tradition Dr.
Fort Collins, Colorado 80526
970-215-4155
tfcinfo@teresafunke.com
|
|
|
|
| | |
Teresa Funke & Company provides books, programs, and resources to Readers, Writers, Teachers, and Students. Teresa is a Speaker, Presenter, Writer's Coach and author of six books based on true stories from World War II. For more information please visit www.teresafunke.com.
|
|
|
