Featured Author Jean E. Lane

Today we're featuring author Jean E. Lane. 

Jean E. is the creator of the Lill and Mewe Series for children ages 8-12. Her amazing ability to educate while entertain is what makes her a top author! 

Jean E. possesses a love of science and space, and enjoys sharing her knowledge with the world. She is a member of the Planetary Society along with Bill Nye the Science Guy, and is the author of the Jean E. Lane Imagine This blog.

She has spoken at the Orlando Science Center regarding her favorite planet, Mars, and has attended both the London and Prague book fairs. 

Volume 3 in the Lill and Mewe Series has officially released and will soon be available in both print and ebook from JLBCreatives.com

For more information and/or to follow Jean E. on social media by visiting her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeanELane Be sure to also visit her author page at JLB Creatives Publishing.

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

I See Something Green...

Happy Creating!

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

There's Always Tomorrow for Dreams to Come True

Happy Creating!

Featured Author J.D. Karns

Time and distance were no threat to tearing this family apart...in fact it brought them closer than they'd ever been. 

Life can have a way of separating families at times to the point of losing contact with one another. Charles Young and his oldest brother, Carl, had parted ways many years ago and had lost contact. Not because of feud or by choice, but simply because of life taking these brothers in different directions. 

In that time span of separation many things can occur. Marriages, divorces, deaths, jobs, births, grand kids, great grand kids...even great great grand kids can come on the scene unknowingly to the family members who are scattered abroad.

It is a treasured opportunity in life when a family has the chance to reconnect...and every family's story of reconnecting is different in some way. The Young family owes its story of reconnecting to the gumption of a WWII navy veteran. At age 88, this veteran connected and reconnected his entire family in a unique way he had never expected.

When it comes to historical events, WWII is one of the most recognized with its soldiers highly respected. If it weren't for authors like J. D. Karns who help keep history alive through their unique stories, many of us today would not have the rare opportunity to discover the realness of such an event. 

J. D. Karns (aka Charles Young) 83 year old author of "28 Months of Heaven and Hell," believes it's never too late to start something new in life. His first novel was published by JLB Creatives Publishing when he was 82 years old. We found his manuscript to be far more than a documentary of WWII. The passion, emotion, and real life happenings he portrayed in words left us no choice but to publish his story. As a surprise for the brothers, we decided to release the novel on September 14, 2014, Carl's 89th birthday.

When the oldest brother, WWII navy veteran Carl Lee Young, came home from the war his younger brother, navy veteran Charles, asked him to tell him all about it. Carl said, "Someday little brother, someday." Someday came 68 years later when Charles began receiving emails from his older brother. The emails were journal entries that Carl had kept while sailing on the DE-416 Melvin R. Nawman. 

Carl Young's actual journal from the war, and novel side by side

Charles had not seen any drawings until he held the actual journal

Since publication of "28 Months of Heaven and Hell," thanks to his nephew, Carl's oldest boy, Charles has had the rare opportunity to actually hold his older brother's actual journal in his hands. Carl's son made a special trip to Florida to visit his uncle Charles and allow him the humbling opportunity to hold and read the actual journal.

In the novel you'll find Carl is "Chester" and Charles is "Jeb." Charles was able to recall some of the happenings that took place back home while Carl was away which added even more realism to the story.

In May of 2105 Charles had the opportunity to display the novel during the Veteran's Appreciate Day at Long & Scott's Farm in Mount Dora, Florida. During the event Charles received a private ceremony of appreciation...there wasn't a dry eye in sight.   

You'll want to be sure and grab a copy of this amazing story told from not only the perspective from the war, but also how the family dealt with the situation back home. Visit JLBCreatives.com and look for author J.D. Karns or visit the JLBCreatives.com book shoppe. 

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Don't Be Such a Crab

Happy creating!

Featured Author Janet Beasley

Author Janet Beasley

Welcome fans and followers.  Today we are having a Book Trailer Palooza! We have all of the book trailers for the YA enchanted epic fantasy series of our CEO, author Janet Beasley, featured in this blog post. 

Her Hidden Earth Series is nothing shy of amazing, brought to fruition from her fantastical imagination. If you are looking for a story to get involved in, become attached to highly creative characters, and chomp at the bit for the next volume to be released... this is the series for you! 

So, instead of just reading the blog today...you can have the fun of just sitting back, clicking play, and enjoying the shows.

For more information on Janet's Hidden Earth Series we invite you to visit her author page on our website at www.JLBCreatives.com

----------------------------------------------------------------

Hidden Earth Series Volume 1: Maycly the Trilogy

More Than Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

(companion cookbook to Maycly the Trilogy)

Hidden Earth Series: Volume 2 Planet Land

Hidden Earth Series: Volume 3 Planet Water (releasing 2016)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Hidden Earth Series: Volume 4 Planet Sky is currently in editing and is slated for a 2016 release. In this fast-paced fantasy adventure Kiwi lands in the wrong place at the wrong time...or does she? Chock full of dragons and birds this new twist on aerial style fantasy is sure to capture a new audience while maintaining the epic, fantastical imagination that her readers have come to expect from this author.

Hidden Earth Series: Volume 5 Planet Fire is currently in creation. Janet is working hard at putting together this next volume in her series. Planet Fire will take readers on a safari-style adventure where readers will be thrown into the midst of dinosaurs in a tropical setting...steampunk style! 

Hidden Earth Series: Volume 6 SUL's New Earth will bring this series to a close (for the time being). All of the questions you have had throughout the series will be answered. Janet will maintain her amazing creativity flowing in her words, and will leave readers hanging wanting more with every chapter. The grand finale lends itself to epic battles fought in ways you've never imagined, edge-of-your-seat action, and the quest of returning to Maycly where love is the greatest magic of all. 

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: The General Rule Is, Stay Away from Cliches

   Cliches, those "old saws" that are used to make a point by applying them as similes and metaphors to people and situations in your writing, need to be avoided. Why? First of all, they make you appear less creative than you actually are. Let's face it: if you are a writer you are certainly creative enough to invent your own similes and metaphors and not rely on using the old worn-out ones. 

   Take a look at the examples below: 

        The two lovers did not see or hear one another on opposite sides of the sidewalk. They were 

            like two ships passing in the night. 

        Grace and Emily stuck together like two birds of a feather; neither was ever seen in circles 

            other than the ones they both shared. 

   Each of the above examples contains a cliche highlighted in boldface. Though they may not be familiar to you, they are old and have been worn out by the general public over the years. Beware: when you think you have created an original, it may well be one that has come and gone but is still familiar to enough readers to make you, as an author, appear non-creative. That makes it important to have several people of different ages read your work before you submit it for publication. 

   There are times, however, when using cliches may be permissible. For instance, look at the example below. It is dialogue, and it sounds as if it is coming from a character who is more than likely quite adept at using cliches. 

        "Why, I love eatin' jack rabbit. By damn, I'll gobble up a bowl uh jack rabbit stew, er                               even Welsh rabbit, in a New York minute if'n you'll cook it fer me!"

If cliches are appropriate for a character, you can get by with using them, even to the point of ridiculousness.

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Storms Always Pass

Happy creating!

Featured Children's Author Amy Sellers

Children's authors are some of the most creative people on the planet! JLB Creatives Publishing is honored to be a publishing company who specializes in children's books. In steering the company to cater to such authors, we are honored to have had Amy Sellers make a submission for her Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Collection. 

What makes Amy different from other children's authors? She is not only the author, but also the artist. Her imagination was "handed" down to her son, Asa, who took the liberty to put all of her rhymes to music.

Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Collection is a sing-along experience. With 4 titles: "Snorts, Paws, Tails, and Claws," "Cats and Mice Twice as Nice," "Whooo's Coming to Dinner," and "Angels Can Do Loop-Dee-Loops" there is something for kids of all kinds! From peas to pizza, and spiders to celestial beings and beyond, Amy has captured her audience's eye with her brightly colored paintings that boast lyrics that are just as colorful and whimsical.

To discover more about children's author Amy Sellers and her Rhyme Time Collection we invite you to visit www.JLBCreatives.com and look for Amy Sellers's author page.

If you're a children's author looking to make a submission to a publishing company who specializes in children's books, we invite you to take a look at our submission guidelines on our website www.JLBCreatives.com  

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: Using Polysyllabic Words in Your Writing

   Poly (many) syllabic (syllables) words have their place in literature, but as a writer it's best if you don't create stories that are difficult for a reader to figure out what you are trying to say. Words don't have to be made up of a bunch of syllables in order to put a point across. For the most part, we have a tendency to speak in mono (single) syllabic words because they're easier to understand and, for those of us who are a bit lazy in the way we offer explanations, they are also easier to speak and write. After all, why do you suppose we invented and continuously use contractions?

   Granted, you may have a character in your story whose personality is befitting of polysyllabic words, and that's perfectly fine. When writing nonfiction, there are often descriptions that require polysyllabic words. So we can, without a doubt, say they are more than acceptable in certain scenarios. But if you want to sell lots of books, you need to make them enjoyable for as many readers as possible, not just for the top 2% of an extremely educated group of scholars who, more than likely, share specific interests. I sincerely doubt that most of us would snuggle up in a soft, warm blanket next to the fire with a cup of mocha latte and earnestly get our heads wrapped around a book called "An Overview of the Formula Used to Explain Boeing's Configurations of Left Wing Flap Movement in the Landing Procedure of a 727 Passenger Plane." And you can bet that book would contain a plethora of polysyllabic words. 

   But for the most part, polysyllabic words can be detrimental to your story by making the reader work extra hard at understanding what a character is talking about. Big, long words tend to muddy-up dialogue. Readers expect some characters to use big words, but only if the character would actually talk that way (Sherlock Holmes, for example). The KIS (Keep It Simple) method should take precedence in most cases. Here is one of my favorite--and anonymous--polysyllabic takes on an otherwise simple, familiar rhyme: 

        Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific,
        Fain would I fathom thy nature specific.
        Loftily poised in the ether capacious,
        Strongly resembling a gem carbonaceous.

-TRANSLATED-

        Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
        How I wonder what you are,
        Up above the world so high,
        Like a diamond in the sky.

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Ghost of Sails Past

Happy creating!

Featured Author Rhonda Walker

When it comes to children's authors, JLB Creatives Publishing is honored to have published some of the best. 

Today we are featuring children's author Rhonda Walker. Rhonda came to us with a fantastic idea of a children's story, but did not know where to start. We took her under our wings and she became the thriving children's author of "Wesley Out West." 


Rhonda opted for a book trailer to be created, edited, and produced by JLB Creatives video department. After working one on one with her video specialist she was elated to see her vision come to reality. Thanks to Rhonda and her input during production, this book trailer keeps your toes tapping, and better yet...makes you want to buy a copy of this whale of a tale! Check out her whimsical book trailer (to your left).

...and visit her website at www.AuthorRhondaWalker.com  There you can read about Rhonda, and purchase her book.

Rhonda joined the ranks with our other 5-star-review-achieving children's book authors, giving JLB Creatives Publishing a 100% rating of 5 star children's books from Reader's Favorite. 

If you're a children's author and are looking for a quality children's book publisher we'd invite you to read our submission guidelines. Submissions are open at www.JLBCreatives.com

Here's wishing all of you a wonderful week ahead!

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: Avoid Overuse of Certain Words

   When writing you should avoid the overuse of certain words. This doesn't mean you should NEVER use them, it means use them sparingly. Using them over and over becomes boring--and even humorous--to a reader. And if you have your protagonist in the midst of a serious romantic moment or at the height of a battle or in a life-threatening situation, the last thing you need to do is make the reader laugh because of your overuse of some word or words. Take the following, for example:

        Sheawanda gazed into the man's beautiful eyes, and he gazed back into hers. They gazed at the 

        silhouettes of each others' bodies in the dim light, gazing across the sensuous curves of their

        necks, waists, hips, and legs.

I'm going to assume that you have gazed long enough at the paragraph to pick out the overused word. Did it make you giggle? Or at least smile in amusement? I'm willing to bet that outcome is not what the author had in mind. 

   In addition to the above scenario, there are some common words that simply need to be avoided in general--not totally avoided, merely used in moderation. Here's a list: was/were, had, that, still, felt, noticed, saw, just, nice, thought, up/down, suddenly, really, dark, beautiful, almost, very, many, so. Keep them to a minimum. 

        Just because you want to just really say someone's beautiful, you can't just say nice things over 

        and over very many times, or suddenly you'll realize that you just noticed that almost all of the 

        really nice words were just suddenly sounding very funny. 

YIKES! Does it make sense? Well, maybe. Does it make you feel like you want to read more of this person's work? Probably not. Are you getting the idea about overusing certain words? I sure hope so.

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Lunch at High Noon!
Happy creating!

Featured Author Thom Battisto

Hello fans! 

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Blog. Here is where you'll find a wide variety of artful news including books, authors, publishing, unique creations, and educational information regarding the writing world.

Today we'd like to introduce you to our children's author, Thom Battisto. Thom and his therapy dog Sydney are making quite a splash in the literary world. Thom recently sent us this awesome, audible public service announcement. We took the liberty to add some cool photos of Sydney, Thom, and friends in action so that you can get acquainted with this talented writer and his worthwhile organization, Read to Sydney. Just click play...

This is a prime example of the kind of children's authors JLB Creatives Publishing is proud to publish and represent. If you are a children's author and are interested in working with a publisher who's team of professionals holds over 100 years combined experience in the industry, and specializes in children's books, be sure to visit www.JLBCreatives.com and take a look at our submission guidelines. Submissions are open!

Here's wishing you a stellar day! 

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: Maintaining the Correct Tense

   Past, Present, and Future walked into a bar...it was tense!
   OK, enough foolishness. Tense is serious business when writing a story. Look at the following example:
        Jack approaches the small rowboat tied to the dock. He looked out over the lake and sees the      
        whitecaps. The boat was pitching and rocking, so he steps directly into the center of it to keep it 
        from capsizing. 
Confusing? Most definitely! First Jack approaches (present tense). Then he looked (past tense).
Then he sees (present tense). The boat was pitching (past tense). Finally he steps (present tense). We don't know whether this has all happened in the past or if it's happening right now. It certainly can't be happening at both times simultaneously. Yet this confusion of tense is quite common among novice writers. The solution to this problem is to choose one tense and stick with it throughout.
   It is true that the best writing process is to get your thoughts on paper ASAP so you don't forget an idea. HOWEVER, it is imperative that you go back and correct such blatant errors before submitting your story for publication. This is part of your self-editing process. Remember that no reader wants to spend time trying to figure out "what's going on when" in the middle of an action scene.
   Using the example above, make the corrections necessary to create an entire story in present tense. Then go back and make it all in past tense. It's not so difficult once you realize that you need to pick one or the other--the choice is yours--and keep the action happening at the same time.
   Here's another example that mixes the tenses, but in this case, it makes sense:
        Jill says to Lily, "I went shopping and found some great bargains." 
        Lily says, "You're always lucky when it comes to saving money. I have never had that kind of 
        luck. I wish I could find the same kinds of buys you always seem to come across." 
Believe it or not, all of the mixed-up tenses are perfectly acceptable. In this case, the actual conversation is taking place in the present, but Jill and Lily are discussing things that happened in the past, and Lily is wishing for things in the future. WHAAAAT? It is because all of the action is in the present (Jill says and Lily says), and the things they are talking about are not happening at the very same moment.
   These are points you'll need to become familiar with when writing for publication. And yes, it's tense!

BeaslePunk and Amy Sellers Art Gallery Combine Talents...

Welcome! So glad you stopped by the blog today. We've got some awesome news for you. 

Artist/Children's Author Amy Sellers

JLB Creatives' BeaslePunk Art Division is joining forces for the upcoming weekend with Artist Amy Sellers (Author of Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Children's Books/published by JLB Creatives Publishing). 

The Mount Dora, Florida Arts and Craft Fair is happening this coming weekend, and Amy has invited BeaslePunk artists, Don and Janet Beasley, to combine their artful talent with her and her gallery for the event! 

If you come to Mount Dora, Florida for the event on February 6-7, 2016 be sure to stop by Amy Sellers Art Gallery on Donnelly Street (located in the Renaissance Building) to feast your eyes upon some of the most imaginative and talented art pieces the creative world has to offer. With Amy's diversified talent in the painting realm you'll want to be sure and browse through Amy Sellers Art Gallery where we're certain you'll find a piece of art that suits your taste. Both originals and canvas reproductions are available. Say "hi" to Amy herself as she will be on hand to sign autographs on every piece of art sold. Amy's credentials are impressive, including presenting Charlie Daniels with an original painting she did specifically for him for a previous Mount Dora event. 

Artist/YA Fantasy Author Janet Beasley

In addition to browsing inside Amy's gallery you'll want to make a stop just outside the doors and say hello to BeaslePunk artist, Janet Beasley. Janet will be dressed in costume (steampunk) as her newest character Lady Vixen Beasle, meeting and greeting BeaslePunk fans, and selling her's and her husband's (Sir Bwana Beasle) unique steampunk artistry of cosplay props. BeaslePunk recently received the "People's Choice Award" from the Orlando Museum of Art's 1st Thursday event "Dreams of Steam" on January 7, 2016. In addition to their award BeaslePunk's artwork is going to be featured in the Full Sail student film production of "Sun Blade," releasing 2016, and a large selection of art is under creation in preparation for MegaCon 2016 taking place at the Orlando Convention Center May 26-29, 2016. 

For more information on these artists we invite you to visit www.JLBCreatives.com where you'll find Amy Sellers listed in the Authors tab, and you'll find a BeaslePunk tab that will take you directly to their site. 

Hope to see you in Mount Dora! When you stop by Amy's Art Gallery tell them JLB Creatives sent you. Here's wishing you a stellar day!    

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Don't Let Your Feathers Get Ruffled

Happy creating!

Happy Ground Hog Day!...and Another Thing...

Hello fans and followers - so glad you stopped by the blog today. We are hoping that your tomorrow's "shadow" event will prove to be a great sign of an early Spring. Here's wishing you and yours a very Happy Ground Day! 

---------------------

Thom Battisto

In other JLBCP news...we are excited about how this year is shaping up. During late December 2015 the JLBCP top team members met and reviewed all of the goodness that has happened thus far in the publishing company. After much consideration, dedication, and passion to the craft, we are going to be focusing on the little readers of the planet, and couldn't be happier!

This year we will be putting a lot of focus on children's books. (Not to worry, though, if you're getting ready to submit the next Great American Novel to JLB Creatives Publishing that's fine too, however our submissions will be continually open for children's authors. 

Yes, we're sailing the literary seas in search of the best children's books on the planet in 2016. 

Amy Sellers

Rhonda Walker

After two years of publishing, we've found that with our fantastic design department and other top team members' skills we've offered up some of the best children's books to be had! To this date JLB Creatives Publishing and our wonderful children's authors have received nothing but coveted 5 star reviews from Readers Favorite (a well known and respected review entity in the business). 

Since JLBCP opened their doors in 2014 we have published seven outstanding children's books, complete with illustrations, from three outstanding children's authors. 

With the rave reviews and the amazing response received for these authors' talented works, we're certain we've found a meaningful niche` when it comes to publishing books to keep the little ones happy and entertained.

We invite you to discover our children's authors at www.JLBCreatives.com Look for Thom Battisto's, Amy Sellers's, and Rhonda Walker's specific Author Pages. Three authors from three different walks of life, all with common goals of writing creative, educational, and fun children's books. 

Tidbits from JOURNEY TO PUBLICATION: Syntax

   A sentence is a group of words arranged in a certain order which, when tied together, conveys an idea, a description, or an event. Syntax is the structure of a sentence. Easy, right? Maybe not.

   Every sentence has to have a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb)--we all know that. But do you know the differences between simple, complete, compound, and complete-compound subjects and predicates? How about dependent and independent clauses? Or direct and indirect objects? Modifiers and appositives? Are you familiar with the typical word order in a sentence? Can you differentiate between the basic sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences? Can you identify the four types of sentences--declarative, imperative, interrogatory, and exclamatory? Do you know what sentence fragments are? And how about those pesky run-on sentences?

   Did you ever consider how much there is to know about writing just one sentence? Probably not. HOWEVER, if you want to impress your readers, you should be aware of the multitude of opportunities presented to you through the use of syntax. As ridiculous as it sounds, syntax is something you should consider practicing. Take the following example: The boy rode his bike. The boy rode fast. The boy hit a bump. The boy fell off his bike. The boy scraped his elbow. The boy also scraped his knee. The boy's knee and elbow hurt. The boy cried. These sentences serve the purpose of expressing an event. So what's wrong with them? They are really b-o-r-i-n-g. Syntax is what allows us, as authors, to make something as simple as getting scraped up in a bike accident more than merely a recitation of facts. 

   If it has been a while since you thought about syntax (sentence structure), it might be a good exercise for you to rewrite the sentences in the example in several ways so you can practice using different methods of saying the same thing in several ways. We all fall into the trap of not using syntax as well as we could; we end up writing things the same way time after time. "But that's my style," you say. Guess what......your style is not dictated by your lack of originality in writing things more interestingly for your readers. You know the old saw: If you don't use it you lose it. The only way to keep that from happening is to practice what you think you already know. You might be surprised at how much your writing will improve if you change things up a bit. 

Visit www.JourneyToPublication.com to learn about becoming a published author.