Blog Tour #4 - Read. Discuss. Do! with Rebecca J. Gomez

A big thanks to Rebecca J. Gomez for reading Mouse's Christmas Gift and creating a Read, Discuss, Do! activity to go along with the story. Click below to access her blog and learn more about the idea.

Read. Discuss. Do! with Rebecca J. Gomez on her blog

If you haven't seen her Read, Discuss, Do! activities, you will want to look into more of them. She has fabulous ideas for how to spend quality time with your kids connecting over children's books.

Story Time and Crafts at Barnes & Noble with opportunity to donate to the Indiana Chapter of The Pajama Program

Countdown to Story Time at Barnes and Noble in Noblesville. I'll be there all day, so come out and say hi! I'm very excited about helping The Pajama Program, which benefits foster children across this country by providing them new pajamas and new books. It would make my heart so happy to know that children in this situation were receiving Mouse's Christmas Gift. You can purchase a book that day to give to the cause, or you can bring a pair of new pajamas to donate. All donations will go to the Indiana Chapter of The Pajama Program to benefit children in our state. (I live in Indiana)

Check out the organization The Pajama Program at the link below:
Link to The Pajama Program website 

Blog Tour #3 Laura Sassi and I chat about writing and my new picture book, MOUSE'S CHRISTMAS GIFT

A big thanks to Laura Sassi for her friendship and willingness to host me on her blog. She had several questions for me about the inspiration for Mouse's Christmas Gift and more. Check out my answers on her blog at this link:

Laura Sassi website

Blog Tour #2 Denette Fretz--Little Acts of Service Can Grow

The creativity of others is truly inspiring and this week's blog tour host, Denette Fretz, has come up with some amazing content.

Please visit her blog to learn about a wonderful object lesson "Little Acts of Service Can Grow."

She has all kinds of goodies--

• an object lesson using either acorns or sponge animals that grow when you add water 

• downloadable service coupons for kids to make and give to someone they would like to serve

• and a craft idea making acorn bells. 

Check it out using the link listed here:



Denette Fretz blog post

Teaching Children Spiritual Truth Utilizing Mouse's Christmas Gift FREE DOWNLOAD

Zonderkidz helped me produce this wonderful teaching guide.

It is available FREE here and also in the column to the right on my blog. They will be offering it on their website soon. 

Here is the link to the guide:

Teaching Children Spiritual Truth Utilizing Mouse's Christmas Gift

The packet is intended for ministry to children ages Pre-K to 3rd grade. It is adaptable for Sunday School lessons, Children's Church lessons, Christian School lessons, Home School lessons, family devotions, or one-on-one time with a child. 

It includes both a lesson to tell the Christmas story from the Bible and a lesson to utilize the book Mouse's Christmas Gift. The lessons can be combined into on longer session or may be used in separate sessions. 

The lesson utilizing Mouse's Christmas Gift has three distinct pathways of application. Select the one that best fits your needs.

For older children, there are application worksheets.

The packet also includes four craft ideas. 

If you utilize centers, each application could become its own center for three rotations of approximately 10-15 minutes each. Add one of the crafts, and you have material for four separate centers.

Blog Tour #1 Mouse travels to Australia! Click link to my interview with Kellie Byrnes!

So thrilled to be invited to join Kellie Byrnes on her blog for the first stop of the blog tour. It is amazing to me that through the Internet we can become friends with people all over the world. Kellie lives in Australia, so this week's give-away is specifically for people living in Australia. I hope the Aussie's love Mouse's Christmas Gift, too!

Here is the link to Kellie's blog post: Kellie Byrne's Blog Post with Mindy Baker

Thanks so much for hosting me, Kellie!

MOUSE'S CHRISTMAS GIFT BLOG TOUR

So excited to kick-off this epic blog tour for Mouse's Christmas Gift, made possible by all of these wonderful author friends that I have gotten to know along my journey to publication.  I would like to give them a big thank you and also a shout out for all of their wonderful books. If you have not read their books, give them a try!

10-9-18 Week 1 Host: Kellie Byrnes  Guest post by me, "How to Make Widow Bartholomew's Strawberry Jam"

10-15-18 Week 2 Host: Denette Fretz Denette has created an object lesson for use in a ministry setting.

10-22-18 Week 3 Host: Laura Sassi Laura interviewed me. Check out my answers to her questions.

10-29-18 Week 4 Host: Rebecca Gomez Rebecca has a Read, Discuss, Do activity. 

11-5-18 Week 5 Host: Penelope Powell Surprise Post

11-12-18 Week 6 Host: Glenys Nellist Guest post by me!,"5 Fun Facts About Mouse's Christmas Gift"

11-19-18 Week 7 Host: Rebecca Waddell Surprise Post

11-26-18 Week 8 Host: Laurie Winter Book Review

12-3-18 Week 9 Host: Rebecca Angus Christmas Basket Give-away

There will be a book give-away at each stop.

Hope you will join us each week on the blog tour!

Special Gift

Look at the adorable mouse ornament some new friends at school gave me today in honor of Mouse's Christmas Gift launch day. I absolutely love it. Their thoughtfulness means the world to me.  Thank you so much!

Guest Post: Half Marathon or Picture Book Publication

Check out my guest post on the Fireworks and Foliage website.  This is a group of authors who all have picture book debuts in 2018 summer and fall.  I compare my experience running a half marathon to publishing a picture book.  Check it out by clicking the GUEST POST link!
Guest Post: