Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

FIRST GRADE AGAIN? Third Time’s A Charm

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

A white banner boasting black letters in varied sizes stretched from one end of the chalk board to the other.
Mrs. Old’meany, or Pinchedpuckeredface, or
I. Don’trememberhername smoothed her pleated skirt, pointed a long, rubber-tipped stick at one of those dark figures, and called my name. My six-year-old heart pounded in my throat. Was I supposed to slide from my seat, stand up, and answer a question I knew would be wrong? Then what? Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, BOOK LAUNCH, CHILDHOOD, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, EVENTS | Tagged adventure in writing, author school visits, Carla Haslbauer illustrations, Donna Lambo-Weidner, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, Napa Bookmine, NorthSouth Books, St. John Villa Academy, There Are No Dragons In This Book | 10 Comments

KidLit.TV SHARES There Are No Dragons In This Book Trailer

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

A gargantuan THANK YOU to KidLit.tv for including There Are No Dragons In This Book book trailer on their award winning website dedicated to creating fun ways to inspire a love for reading.

I heartily agree with the Children’s Book Council when they say KidLit.tv is an exciting and informative destination for authors, illustrators, teachers, publishers, and anyone with a passion for children’s literature. It is indeed a treasure trove of crafts and activities, read-out-louds, interviews, tutorials, and…book trailers!

Book Trailer Premiere! THERE ARE NO DRAGONS IN THIS BOOK

I first met KidLit.tv’s founder and author Julie Gribble at the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators Winter Conference in 2012. Julie was much further along on her picture book project than I was on my novel. Her Bubblegum Princess, illustrated by Lori Hanson, released the following year. If you love princesses I, and even if you don’t, press HERE. Eighteen months later we attended the Stony Brook University’s South Hampton Writer’s Conference. Julie was nearing the end of a fellowship and I attended to learn more on the craft of writing a picture book. Five days later, I packed my toolkit with meaningful lessons from renowned picture book author and illustrator Dan Yaccarino and Julie went on to manifest her vision – KidLIT.tv – I suggest you immediately check it and the podcasts on KidLit Radio out. Wow…just WOW!

Thank you dear Reader (writer, illustrator, and lover of children’s books)
for stopping by today
❤ Be Well ❤

Posted in ADVENTURES, AWESOME PEOPLE, BOOK LAUNCH, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, EVENTS | Tagged book trailers, Carla Haslbauer, Carla Haslbauer illustrations, children's picture books about dragons, Donna Lambo-Weidner, dragons, Julie Gribble, KidLitTV, KidLitTV book trailers, Nick K Weidner, NordSüd Verlag, NorthSouth Books, scbwi, The Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators, There Are No Dragons In This Book | 2 Comments

MY DEBUT BOOK BLOG TOUR FAUX PAS…

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Apologies to Kathleen Temean for not reposting her interview with me to my blog. She did me a solid to help get the word out about my debut picture book There Are No Dragons In This Book a few weeks ago and I somehow failed to reach out to you to show what a phenomenal job she does for the KidLit community.

Besides sharing authors’ and illustrators’ good news, she introduces agents willing to critique four work-in-progress first pages each month, as well as informing her readers of industry changes, contests, writing and illustration tips, and retreats. In fact, there are still a few spots open HERE for her virtual full manuscript 2024 retreat, one she holds each year. Kathleen’s site is a font of information you will not want to miss…and it’s FREE!

You, Kathy
have my ❤ felt apologies for my oversight
To everyone else…check out her site
and thank you for stopping by ❤

Posted in ADVENTURES, AWESOME PEOPLE, BOOK LAUNCH, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, INTERVIEWS | Tagged author interview, children's picture books about dragons, Donna Lambo-Weidner, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, Kathleen Temean, Kathleen Temean Writing and Illustrating, Kathy Temean, There Are No Dragons In This Book | 2 Comments

DRAGON IS COMING: My Debut Picture Book Blog Tour Continues…

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Posted in ADVENTURES, BOOK LAUNCH, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, EVENTS, HUMOR, INTERVIEWS | Tagged Beth Terrill at NorthSouth Books, Carla Haslbauer, Carla Haslbauer illustrations, children's picture books about dragons, Donna Lambo-Weidner, dragons, NordSüd Verlag, NorthSouth Books, There Are No Dragons In This Book | 8 Comments

And So Begins My Debut Picture Book Blog Tour…

Posted on February 3, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

In the countdown to the release of my debut picture book There Are No Dragons In This Book on March 5, 2024, children’s book author Sandra Nickel invited me to tell the story behind the story that won the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair’s prestigious Serafina Award…

Are you a wee bit curious? Come…follow me and
press HERE ❤️

Posted in ADVENTURES, BOOK LAUNCH, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, EVENTS, INTERVIEWS | Tagged children's picture books about dragons, Donna Lambo-Weidner, dragons, NordSüd Verlag, NorthSouth Books, Sandra Nickeel Books, Sandra Nickel, There Are No Dragons In This Book, What Was On... | 4 Comments

3-2-1 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

The 31 day countdown began on December 1, 2023. I thought I could do it…write my next blog post before the holidays. After all, twelve years ago I began blogging once a week. A few years later it reduced to bi-weekly and finally a couple of years ago it dwindled down to once a month. Sounds easy enough. Right? Except the clock’s ticking again…

this time it’s been nearly two months since my last post even though there were sixty-two days between December 1st and January 31st – plenty of time for an idea to funnel from the heavens into my brain thru my fingers and onto the keyboard. That’s 1,488 hours! Minus an average of 434 hours spent sleeping, that would leave me with 1,054 to bang out a post or two to fulfil my commitment to you, my intrepid follower, and myself.

Yet, with 8.5 hours to go until the calendar page turns to February, here I sit…not reading a book, as I am in my cameo appearance in my daughter-in-law’s debut early reader “My Day With Dad”, but checking out a few bloggers that I follow to distract me from my conundrum.

I’ve barely begun reading when Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, BOOK LAUNCH, Donna Lambo-Weidner Books, EVENTS, FAMILY, HUMOR, PONDERINGS, WRITING CHALLENGES | Tagged adventures in writing, Bologna Children's Book Fair 2024, caret, Carla Haslbauer, Donna Lambo-Weidner, Es Gibt Keine Drachen In Diesem Buch, Frankfurt Book Fair 2023, Michael Fedison, My Day With Dad by Rae Crawford, NordSüd Verlag, NorthSouth Books, schluter, The Eye-Dancers, There Are No Dragons In This Book | 11 Comments

MOMENTS OF SANITY – A Thanksgiving Day Thought

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Chile-red neon streaks the ridge line separating the sleepy mountain
from the grey-washed sky

With one swift brush stroke, the sun announces the start of a new day

Will it be turbulent?
Will it be peaceful?

The curtain of night continues to lift
tomato
pumpkin
saffron
lemon chiffon Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, AWESOME PEOPLE, FAMILY, HOLIDAYS, POEMS | Tagged adoreable baby photos, adventure in mindfulness, Donna Lambo-Weidner, thanksgiving day poem, Thanksgiving Day tribute | 14 Comments

PICK YOUR POISON – A Halloween Compilation part deux

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Halloween Donna

My broom has stalled
I’m in a tizzy
images-3
Halloween’s here
and I’m still busy Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, HOLIDAYS, HUMOR | Tagged adventures in writing, Donna Lambo-Weidner, Halloween | 6 Comments

WE ARE THE SAME ~ WE ARE DIFFERENT: A Single Sock Tale

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

Ten years ago, on this site, this phenomenon had been rated OSFA, One-size-fits-all, by the International Knee-Sport-and-Leisure-Sock Association of Planetearth. Otherwise known as IKSLAP. In the public’s interest, I’ve decided to repost and promise to follow thru with the initiative I’ve set forth a decade ago.

Have you seen this sock today?

MISSING-Last Seen Entering Dryer 12/12/12

After half a century of sitting on their hands, many members of CADS, the Center for the Abnormal Dematerialization of Socks, still refuse to accept that the daily disappearance of an inordinate number of the world’s socks is a problem of epic proportion. Continue reading →

Posted in ADVENTURES, ANCIENT WISDOM and TEACHINGS, HUMOR, PONDERINGS, SINGLE SOCK SUNDAY, VIEW FROM MY SOAP BOX | Tagged adventure, Donna Lambo-Weidner, Single Sock Day, Single Sock Sunday, single socks, we are the same-we are different | 16 Comments

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DAYDREAM

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Donna Gwinnell Lambo-Weidner

While temperatures continue to climb in the northern hemisphere, one way I try to keep cool is by imagining I am in Greenland again. I swipe my brow, close my eyes, and pretend the fan oscillating at my feet is an Arctic wind sweeping off an iceberg. It might not be as cold, but it is somewhat soothing as it dries the hairs sticking to my forehead.