Earth Day Celebration and Kindle Fire Giveaway with Author Stephanie Lisa Tara

I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON:

One night in 2001, about a month after I brought baby Madeline home from the hospital, I noticed something quite strange on the beach in front of our south Florida home. It was late and Mom was tired, doing a last-one-of-the-day bottle feeding on the deck after a long day of new mom activities. As Maddie slurped down the final ounce of her formula with that familiar glup, glup, glup sound, I noticed dark, tiny shapes scurrying across the sand. What was this? I wondered and went down for a closer look. There they were! Baby turtles streaming out of hundreds of small nests, gentle rises in the sand were their markers. The babies made fanciful patterns in the sand as they dashed on little green legs in a remarkable race to the sea. I watched them hop, one by one, into welcoming waves that sparkled under the beautiful moonlight. "I'm coming Mama..." they seemed to be saying, and I realized that I was witnessing one of nature's sacred events, the love bond between mother and child. It is this precious feeling that inspired me to write I'll Follow the Moon, that came into being a few years later. 

With love, 

Stephanie Lisa Tara

GWYNNE, FAIR & SHINING:

A traditional Connecticut childhood might have had something to do with my love of fairytales, Hans Christian Anderson, Grimm, Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Mother Goose and Aesop lined the shelves of my bright pink bedroom to be sure. Stories told aloud for thousands of years…goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants, gnomes, fairies, pixies, brownies, wizards, witches and mermaids teaching children with their clever moral-of-the-story endings. Why, they were a parent’s best friend. Passed down from one generation to the next, and shared in front of the hearth at the end of a long day sounded like bliss to me. And so my own daughter and I carried on the tradition, sharing tales aloud, and even creating some new ones of our own. Of princesses, castles, forests, and magic flutes. So I really must credit a preschooler with the story of Gwynne, a brave girl who believes she can do anything she sets her heart to doing. In today's neon digital world, it seems nice to reflect back to a simpler time, when imagination was all a child needed. Just one mom's opinion, anyway.

With love,

Stephanie Lisa Tara

SNOWY WHITE WORLD TO SAVE:

"What is global warming, Mama?" asked my five year old one day in 2006, "the polar bears, are they in trouble?" I was stunned. How does a parent answer such a question? I did the best I could. Al Gore's wonderful film and book, 'An Inconvenient Truth' had come out, and all the world was talking about this topic. "Yes, humans need to be more responsible," I said to my child, “we need to care about all creatures on the planet; humans and animals." One amazing thing about children is their ability to understand new concepts instantly. Maddie jumped up—eyes wide and heart open, declaring, "Yes, Mama! What can I do to help!" As do all the children I read this story to, at schools, museums and aquariums across the nation. The causes of global warming can be debated by the powers that be, but I do believe as parents and educators, we can make our kids gently aware of what is happening in their world, about issues that they themselves hear about every day. Further, we can empower them with hope as the next generation that can make a difference. Snowy White World to Save, is just such an attempt. Mother bear and her cubs in the Arctic tell the global warming story sensitively, across an array of panorama watercolor paintings. A “Help the Bears” page at the ends lists all we can do to help. Endorsed with a message from actress/activist Sharon Stone.

With love,
Stephanie Lisa Tara

LITTLE LIBRARY MOUSE:

A Saturday afternoon at the San Francisco library's story hour is always wonderful, whether six or or thirty six, and my daughter Madeline and I go often.  One day, the librarian read a few pages from several different books, explaining that many different sorts of books live in the world—folktales, fairytales, fables, legends, myths, fantasy, biography, poetry, history, for instance. Afterward, every child in her circle bounded up and raced for the shelves. Mine filled her arms with books we got into line to check them all out. "Mama, what if all these books could be inside one book? Easier to carry!" she said to me. Of course it was a simple child's request, similar to, “what if all the food groups could be inside one food Mama? Easier to eat!” but it did get Mom thinking.  What if children’s storybook genres could be represented in one book? What of a mouse could lead the way? Little Library Mouse was born that very day, a six year old’s whim. "On a sentence we sail!" said little Maddie. And it’s true, we do.

With Love,

Stephanie Lisa Tara

ELIZA'S FOREVER TREES:

My eleven-year-old daughter and I often hike through the redwood forest located just outside our home here in Northern California. One of our favorite spots in the forest is within a magical natural phenomenon called a redwood fairy ring. A mother redwood reproduces by throwing off roots, sprouts, and burls from her body. Therefore, her children grow in a circle around her, and they are one with their mother, created from her very body. This ring of trees, called a fairy ring, is said to contain a very powerful energy and magic. I can certainly say that when my daughter Maddie and I sit inside a fairy ring, we can feel the magic. And, to be honest, it was not long before I started seeing Eliza peeking at me from behind the redwoods. I saw she was looking for something. Something very dear to her, I realized she was seeking her own mother. Then I immediately realized—Great Mother Redwood would be able to help. Of course. Yes, Great Mother Redwood—she, who started the redwood forest a million years ago. Her fairy ring of children-trees around her. Yes, help was close by. Indeed!

With Love, 
Stephanie Lisa Tara 
San Francisco

About Stephanie Lisa Tara:

I've always believed that magic hides in special places. As a child, people would often stare at my bright red hair, which was very, very bright indeed.
Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn't have much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in my head, and no one was safe!
Since then, I've come to believe that storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to your thoughts like taffy-- those are the things that stay forever in the mind.
I've lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France. Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the sea. Even though I'm an adult, I'm still as silly as ever.
Many nice words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging, delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this makes me very happy. I hope that you'll enjoy my stories, too. Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I strive to live my life with this always.
--Stephanie Lisa Tara

www.StephanieLisaTara.com

Cause pages (each supports a book's vision):

Facebook page for Save the Polar Bears | Facebook Page for Save the Green Turtles | Facebook Page for Save the Redwood Forests

Stephanie Lisa Tara's Personal Sites:

Facebook | Amazon | Website

Link to the tour page: http://www.candacesbookblog.com/2013/02/earth-day-blog-tour-announcement-and.html

Giveaways:

Giveaway #1:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Giveaway #2:

a Rafflecopter giveaway