Come to the Tucson Festival of Books on Saturday, March 14, 2020 to see me. I’ll be in the children’s section during the morning hours.
I would love to meet you, sign your book, etc.
I expect to have all the above titles available for purchase, along with some special treats!
Come by and see me! Sonja
I am asked frequently how I became a writer. I’m asked also how I come up with my story ideas.
My response is: how do you not have stories constantly running through your head?
I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember. A wonderful lady used to tell how I would be going to sleep when we were all camping and they would hear my voice acting out some scene or other. That’s when I was maybe three or four years old.
Everything I see is filed away and it’s fun to take things out and examine them to see if they will fit into my current WIP (work in progress). Sometimes I’ll write a scene and a memory will pop up that I can integrate into the description.
The fun of writing the Guinness the Therapy Dog series is that I have the famous dog right here at my feet. If I want to see how he plays with a ball, I can throw it for him. It’s fun to have my subject ready to watch!
I hope you are living your own story! Sonja
When I write longer chapter books, as opposed to the illustrated easy-to-read books, I need to keep track of characters, settings, and scenes. The ‘Fairies of Carlow’ series v. ‘The Voyage’ or the ‘Guinness the Therapy Dog’ series is a good example.
I keep a journal for each book with sections for characters, settings, chapter summaries, and events. This way I can map out rooms, homes, gardens, etc. to make sure my writing is consistent.
Since I like to write series’, I keep notes on the characters so when I revisit them in another title I can stay consistent with who they are and what they look like.
Consistency is the key when creating a world, which is what each book does.
I don’t have journals for the Guinness the Therapy Dog series since they are shorter and less complex. Also, I have the real thing laying at my feet so I don’t need to go far for inspiration or to see exactly how the white blaze goes from nose to the top of his head.
Let me know your tips and tricks for keeping track of details! Sonja
I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be appearing at the Tucson Festival of Books this year on Saturday, March 14!
I’m so excited to have this opportunity to meet you, dear reader. I’ll be in the children’s section for the first few hours of the festival.
I plan to have copies of my Fairies of Carlow series, including The Gilding, The Outsider, and The Commoner. I’ll also have The Voyage available, with all the pretty pictures.
I’m planning to debut my new series about Guinness the Therapy Dog, including Guinness Becomes a Therapy Dog and Guinness Goes to the Library.
I hope to see you there! Sonja
Are you a plotter or a pantser? I’ve asked this question before, but it bears repeating.
A plotter (of which I am) know the direction of the story. A pantser writes and allows the story to unfold before them. I tried to be a pantser, but it’s not me. I like to know my mile markers when I write, otherwise, the story meanders and gets boring.
That doesn’t mean that I plot out every single moment. I do like my characters and the story to surprise me, but the plot has a goal. Take, for example, The Fairies of Carlow: The Gilding. I knew that Fern would become a Gilded, but I didn’t know about the Gilding event itself. The character and the plot told me she would be engulfed in a cloud of gold glitter and would transform.
That it was before all the students of her school just added to her angst.
Decide how you want to write your story and then follow through. You can’t publish what you haven’t written.
Go for it! Sonja
For the winter holidays, I arranged for special pricing for the three above books. Available exclusively on Amazon.com, the ebooks for The Gilding and The Voyage were free worldwide–The Commoner ebook was available for free to my friends in the UK.
I hope you were able to take advantage of this special pricing!
Keep an eye on this website or my Instagram page @author_Sonja_Danielson for special pricing alerts!
Enjoy the second day of the new year! Sonja
Tonight is the night when Christians observe the birth of Jesus Christ.
It’s also the night that Santa Claus comes down the chimney. He fills stockings and leaves gifts under the Christmas tree.
Santa’s ride is immortalized in the poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’. It’s one of my favorite things to read. I’m a sucker for a good story written poetically, which is why I love Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets.
As a gift to you, dear reader, I have put together some deals for the next two days. Effective immediately, The Fairies of Carlow: The Gilding ebook and The Voyage ebook are available for no charge. That’s right. They’re free only until the night of Christmas.
I also scheduled special pricing on The Fairies of Carlow: The Commoner for today and tomorrow only.
Click the links on the left-hand margin of this website, or search for my name, Sonja Danielson, on Amazon.com and you will automatically get the free ebooks or the specially-priced ebook for The Commoner.
I wish you a peaceful and happy Christmas with all the glad tidings of the season.
I wish you a peaceful and happy Hannukah, also, with all the amazing things the holiday brings.
Have a wonderful fun-filled day. Sonja
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
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
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