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Boys Life Magazine

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Boys Life DelaBarreBOYS LIFE MAGAZINE

Writing a feature for Boys Life Magazine, a publication that reaches 1.4 million boys across the country, was truly an honor. The December issue hit newsstands on November 17, 2014 and the story I wrote is entitled 700 Feet of Terror.

I think the reason I enjoyed this assignment so much is that it enabled me to continue writing stories that not only entertain young readers, but teach them about life as well.

I believe this is where I am doing by best work, which started when I wrote Saltwater Taffy. Authors who are looking to write for children and ultimately teach them how to leave behind fear, doubt and all the worry of growing up, my advice is to make sure you take them on an adventure where you can weave in your message organically.  If you don’t, they see you coming and immediately tune out.

While I am thankful for beginning my career with Dick Wolf on NBC’s Law & Order, I now know that I am at my best when I am writing for children.  Imagine the possibilities of being able to enhance the life of a child through writing narrative fiction….it’s awesome.  Or, as we like to say here at Saltwater Taffy….it’s SAWEET!

If you love adventure and have a tweenage son, pick up the December 2014 issue of Boys’ Life Magazine and take a read on 700 Feet of Terror.  I think you’re going to love it.  If you would like the chance to win an autographed copy of my award-winning adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy head over to the Bookzone page on Boys Life’s website.  Oh…and always remember, every moment is a new adventure waiting to happen.

 

CAN FAMILY FILMS CHANGE THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN?

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Saltwater TaffyThe question remains: can family films change the lives of our children?  We believe the answer is YES.

As young children, our lives are filled with many amazing dreams of tomorrow.  We believe we can accomplish anything and that nothing is out of reach.  Because of our age, we aren’t yet worried about what other people think of us and we have the organic ability to listen to our heart’s desire.  Then something happens…we begin to grow up.

Faced with the peer pressure and the overwhelming drive of fitting in, we withdraw from our dreams and develop the dysfunctional habit of playing small.  As a result, we shy away from anything that might make us appear vulnerable to our peers.

Over time, our self-worth is suddenly based on how many friends we have on Facebook, what label of clothing we wear, or how popular we are at school.  Saddled with this dysfunctional habit of playing small, we begin to change our character and in the blink of an eye, we lose sight of our dreams.

If a dysfunctional mental habit like this has the ability to derail a child’s future potential, is it possible for us to alter their direction by enhancing their entertainment experience with positive family films?

In 2013, only 23 family films entered the marketplace against 320 Contemporary Fiction titles.  Capturing an impressive 16% market share and $1.7B in revenues, family films continue to be the most profitable film ventures in Hollywood…year after year.  Based on these overwhelming numbers, we are currently in a fund raise to make Saltwater Taffy into a feature film for the entire family.

We have raised $1.5M against our budget of $5M, but we need your help.  We need to get in front of individuals who not only have the money to invest in family films, but in front of individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of our children.

BOOKMARKS FOR KIDS

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Saltwater TaffySaltwater Taffy

BOOKMARKS FOR KIDS

Our Bookmarks For Kids program continues to expand the reach of the award-winning children’s book, Saltwater Taffy.  This Accelerated Reader title is a race-to-the-finish adventure story for TWEENS, but then again, it’s an adventure story for the entire family! The story begins when five “tween-age” kids discover a map belonging to the great New Orleans pirate, Jean Lafitte. The discovery thrusts them from one treasure-hunting adventure to the next.  Endorsed by 12 Teachers of the Year, an Accelerated Reader title as well as a children’s book club favorite, Saltwater Taffy is unlike any other children’s book on the market. If you would like to receive a complementary package filled with the latest Saltwater Taffy bookmark seen here, please leave your comment below and be sure to leave us your mailing address so we know where to send the SAWEET package or marks.  Because of the popularity of the program, we need to ask that you handle postage fee.  $5 for 500 bookmarks is a SAWEETheart of a deal!!!!

 

FREE BOOKMARKS FOR KIDS

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saltwater taffyFree bookmarks for children 2FREE BOOKMARKS FOR KIDS

The Saltwater Taffy Free Bookmarks for Kids program was created because we are tried of the budget cuts to school libraries.  Not sure why people think cutting funding to a school library is going to help things, because, in my opinion, it’s going to hurt more than it’s going to help. With that said, we are offering free bookmarks for kids.  While we would love to give 1000’s of bookmarks at a time, we are limited to a 200 bookmark gift for each elementary school.   Please leave your comment below and don’t forget to provide us with an address of your school!  Parents, if you would like some free bookmarks for your homeschooling kids, we can do that too!  Thank you for your interest in Saltwater Taffy and our Free Bookmarks for Kids program! Saltwater Taffy is a best selling adventure book for children and is available wherever books and eBooks are sold!  Get your copy today and watch your child fall in love with reading all over again!

All we ask is that you handle the postage fee.  Click the Paypal BUY NOW button and we’ll hook you up!

 

Jim Carrey’s New Book ‘How Roland Rolls’

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rob nasonJim Carrey’s New Book ‘How Roland Rolls’

Actor Jim Carrey is one smart funny man, if you ask me.  After he was given a copy of Saltwater Taffy by John Raatz, What The Bleep Producer and founding partner of GATE (Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment), he quickly fell in love with the amazing talents of our illustrator, Rob Nason.

After an introduction conference call with John and Rob, Rob met Jim Carrey via Skype and the two were off to the races with Jim’s new book, How Roland Rolls.  How Roland Rolls is a story about a wave named Roland who’s afraid that, one day, when he hits the beach, his life will be over.  But when he gets deep, he’s struck by the notion that he’s not just a wave — he’s the whole big, wide open ocean!  This amazing story of oneness simply illustrates the notion that we are all in this thing called life…together.