Not Another New Year-Already?

Wow!  Can you believe it?  Not another new year already.  Didn't 2011 just get here?

Alas, the passing of time trumps all our wishes of holding onto cherished memories and people, too.  That trite but  true axiom is particularly poignant to me this year, as we will be spending more of our time in Florida and less in St. Louis, which is home.

While this decision was about ten years in the making, I find myself approaching it with two minds, as the ancient Greeks were fond of saying. 

 The anticipation of spending more time in the Tampa Bay area is, for us, undeniably appealing.  And being right in the heart of a city again suits us after years living in the heart of London.  Our beach condo also is and will continue to be a respite from that very city as well.

Tampa Skyline at Night

Sounds like a fantastic plan, right?  It would be except for that pesky "other mind" insinuating itself into the place where true and highly valued friends are. 

Good friends and cherished relatives.  That is decidedly the downside of such a decision.  Yes, of course, we will be back frequently, but it cannot be exactly the same ever again.  There is an invisible chasm, a pulling ever so slightly away, and that's the truth of it. 

What is one to do?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I only know what probably will happen from our experiences in other times and other places.  Those friends who have been so cherished will remain so no matter how far away we are in distance.  We will continue exactly where we left off in a previous time.  And with some others, not so much.  The human experience, after all...

So, off we go to Tampa.  New experiences.  New friends.  New milieu.  And old and dear friends and family never forgotten, never not concerned about and never devalued.  It is the fabric of life in this modern world.

Happy New Year, Dear Readers.  I wish you all the very best of everything in this coming year. 

  

One Pelican at a Time earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

I am honored to accept the Literary Classics Seal of Approval for One Pelican at a Time:  A Story of the Gulf Oil Spill.  The book was on Amazon's Bestsellers for Children List for 18 weeks. It was also on Amazon's Hot New Releases and Most Wished For in Children's Books.  Pelican was featured on the PBS Tampa (WEDU) GulfWatch Series and was a Global eBook Nominee.

"One Pelican at a Time, written by Nancy Stewart and illustrated by Samantha Bell, is the story of two young girls who frequent a beach near their home. When a gulf oil spill threatens their beach and the animals which inhabit it, they are saddened by the knowledge that there is little they can do to help. 

 But when their old friend, the pelican is put in harm's way after diving into the oil coated water, the girls act quickly to save the pelican's life.

Dedicated to Promoting Excellence in Literature



One Pelican at a Time is a timely book which touches on important issues regarding environmental stewardship and responsibility. Lovely illustrations help enhance this book which would be an exceptional classroom aid for prompting discussion about caring for our planet.  One Pelican at a Time earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval."

Thank you, Literary Classics. 

Internet Bookfair Blogfest Featuring the Bella and Britt Series

One Pelican at a Time:  A Story of the Gulf Oil Spill, the first US children's picture book about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, was on Amazon's Bestselling Book List for Children for 18 weeks.  It is published by Guardian Angel Publishing, and the illustrator is Samantha Bell.


(Please see the PBS Tampa (WEDU) feature of my writing One Pelican at a Time at bottom of post and the Pelican trailer.)

Pelican is the first of the Bella and Britt Series.  Bella and Britt love living by the beach.  When they find oil washing to shore from a gulf spill, they want to help but are told there is nothing for kids to do.  But when their friend, the old crooked beak pelican becomes covered with oil, they help save his life by their quick thinking and action.  This is a kid empowering book that has the message, "little hands can help, too."

Sea Turtle Summer, the second book in the series, finds the girls discovering a sea turtle's nest in immediate danger from beach goers, volleyball nets and dune buggy traffic.  They go into action, but can their bravery and quick thinking save the baby sea turtles?  The book also contains some great sea turtle facts kids should love.  Sea Turtle Summer will be published in time for Christmas, 2011!

The third book in the series is Bella Saves the Beach and will be released in early 2012.  In this book, the girls tackle trash left by beach goers. 

They realize they can't do it alone, so how do they get the beach cleaned and how do they educate people about not leaving trash behind?

Mystery at Manatee Key will be released in 2012.  The girls find themselves in real danger when they discover a manatee poaching ring.  Britt finds it's up to her to rescue Bella and the ranger.  But can she do it?  (No cover is available as yet.)

Read what reviewers say about of One Pelican at a Time:

“If you are a concerned parent or teacher in search of a good book that will help children learn about caring for the planet, I highly recommend One Pelican at a Time.”            
                                                            Turning the Clock Back Blog

One Pelican at a Time can be bought in hard cover, paperback and Kindle at:
Guardian Angel Publishing
http://www.amazon.com/
Barnes & Noble.com

Trailer of One Pelican at a Time

PBS video of the writing of One Pelican at a Time

View PBS Video on My Writing of One Pelican at a Time

A big thank-you goes to WEDU-Tampa Bay PBS!  I appreciate having had the opportunity to be featured on this terrific station for such a worthwhile cause as GulfWatch.   Special thanks to Tara Slusher, Producer. Please take a look at the video at the bottom of this post.

PBS began the shoot on June 4 at Book Nook by the Bay, St. Petersburg, Florida, where I read and signed copies of, One Pelican at a Time.  Very early the next morning, we continued the shoot both at the beach and at our condo on Clearwater Beach, as shown below in the video.

GulfWatch is a consortium of public media companies that create broadcast and digital content for various platforms.   This one was done to engage and educate audiences about the 2010 Gulf Oil Spill and environmental issues because of it.

The public media stations include: WEDU-TV, and WUSF-TV/FM in Tampa; Louisiana Public Broadcasting; Alabama Public Television; Mississippi Public Broadcasting; WWNO-FM, New Orleans; WBHM-FM, Birmingham, AL; WSRE-TV/FM, Pensacola, Fla.; WVAS-FM, Montgomery, Ala.; and KRVS-FM in Lafayette, La. The Gulf Watch project was funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

WEDU (PBS) Tampa Bay, One Pelican at a Time and Me

I had quite an interesting day on Friday.  WEDU Tampa the PBS station came to Clearwater Beach to do an interview of me about One Pelican at a Time.  I was questioned about what it's like to write books and, I can still surprisingly say, be a best selling author.

The producer, cameraman, my husband and I walked the few minutes to the beach and began.  We recreated the sand heart containing the single word, Bella, in the center. 

We put it near the surf, as the tide was ready to take it away the day I saw one similar in the sand and was inspired to begin the Bella and Britt Series. 

After the beach filming, I was interviewed at our condo about the life of an author.  What is my work day like?  Do I do much marketing?  How often do I speak with my editor?  How has being an author changed my life?

This feature was provided by a grant administered by Louisiana Public Television.  It will be available to public television stations and will begin to be aired in the Tampa Bay area next week and continuing through the month of June.

Thank you WEDU-Tampa, the Public Broadcasting Stations, Bella, Britt and Mr. Pelican.

Manatee Alert!

Manatees are gentle and slow moving mammals.  They are wonderful, caring parents to their young.  And they are in danger.

Twenty five percent of all manatee fatalities are related to boat encounters.  Since manatees stay close to the surface where they must breathe, boat propellers harm them regularly.

Save the Manatee Club does amazing work in aid of these animals. Take a look at their homepage, and support this worthwhile cause.


The closest relatives of the manatee are the elephant and hyrax. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas — particularly where sea grass beds or freshwater vegetation flourish.

Manatees are a migratory species. Within the United States, they are concentrated in Florida in the winter.

Many of the Florida manatees make their home in the waters around Homosassa, which is about forty five minutes north of Tampa.

Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and One Pelican at a Time: A Story of the Gulf Oil Spill

 


Rescued Pelicans

  Located on the beautiful Gulf Coast of Florida, the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary is a truly unique place.    Founded in 1971 by zoologist Ralph Heath, the Sanctuary is the largest non-profit wild bird hospital in the United States. It is staffed by experienced professionals assisted by over a hundred dedicated volunteers. Similar to a human hospital, it is equipped with emergency facilities, a surgical center, and indoor and outdoor rehabilitation areas. An average of 23-30 wild birds are admitted every day for a variety of reasons.

Unfortunately, approximately 90% of these injuries are directly or indirectly attributable to humans. 

During the gulf spill, many oiled and injured pelicans were taken to the bird sanctuary.  Most have been released.  Some have not.  The birds (some were not pelicans) from the spill are kept from human view, so they can be released back into the wild when they are able to live on their own. 



Feeding Brown Pelicans



 One of the Sanctuary's biggest success stories is the captive breeding of the Eastern brown pelican. This groundbreaking program has aided in educating zoological facilities and wildlife refuges all over the world in addition to reestablishing this species in the wild.

It is to this very sanctuary the old crooked beak pelican was taken, and it where Bella and Britt helped clean oil from his feathers.

Yes, I know.  Tampa Bay was not impacted by the spill.  Nevertheless, this is the prototype I used in the book.  In One Pelican at a Time, Mr. Hughes is the director.  A connection?  You be the judge of that.

Britt, Bella and the old crooked beak Pelican