Tuesday, July 2, 2024

"Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts" by Donna Wyland -- Author Interview

 

About the Book

Book: Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts

Author: Donna Wyland

Genre: : Picture Book

Release date: 2023

The sky is like a large blue tent

stretched high above the sun,

that floats and falls from end to end

and warms till day is done.

~ Psalm 19:5-6

Young hearts will cherish the sweet rhyme contained in Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts as they are gently guided to a closer relationship with God. From beginning to end, the colorful childlike illustrations bring the psalms to life and inspire children to hide God’s Word in their hearts.

Uniquely created for children ages 4 – 8, this book of scriptural poetry will inspire children to sing praises to God and help them understand and remember God’s constant presence and powerful promises. And, for parents who want to lead their growing children to the original Bible psalms, they are included at the end.

Whether for morning devotions or nighttime prayers,

Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts will bless children seeking to know the Lord

and provide a foundation for intimate spiritual time

with parents, grandparents, and others.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

1. Do you have a special writing area? I am blessed with an office of
my own that is set up in a way that inspires me. I am surrounded by
personal items that are meaningful to me, framed quotes that inspire
and encourage me, and shelves of books (including my own) that
remind me of this incredible journey I am on and the blessing it is to
me and to those who read my books.

2. How do you balance writing time with the demands of
life/family? That is the $20 million question. Today is the last day of
my daughter’s and grandson’s most recent two-week visit, so not
much work was done. As I’ve prayed about this in the past, I’ve
always felt God calling me to put people/relationships first – not to
ignore the work, but to prioritize appropriately. God, Family, Write. I
trust Him to work out the details. There are times I need to tell my
grandson I can’t play a game for an hour or two, but for the most part,
I am available and present and grateful for my family and my writing
work.

3. What kind of research do you do? I spend a lot of time in the Bible
and online researching ideas for the end of the book where we often
provide learning opportunities for children related to the story they
just read. The newest book I’m working on correlates the light inside
of us with starlight. Surprisingly, stars and humans have many of the
same properties, though in varying degrees! There is so much wonder
in the world that I believe God is just waiting for us to discover.

4. Do you have any writing quirks? Hmm… writing quirks. I suppose
the fact that I seem to need my pink thermos of iced coffee next to me
when I write could be considered a quirk. I also have specific pens that
I prefer to write with if I’m at a café or bookstore. I can be a bit old-
school when it comes to office supplies. Don’t even get me near a
Staples. My budget will go out the window, and my office will be
overrun with legal pads, pens, highlighters, gold paperclips, and pretty
shiny things like neon post-its. When beginning a new story, I prefer
to use a fresh legal pad of paper which means I have oodles of used
legal pads that I am not inclined to write on. They become our
household note pads and get filled with grocery lists and the like. 

5. What is different about writing non-fiction vs fiction? Would
you say one is easier than the other? This is a great question.
When I’m writing nonfiction, it is critical to get the facts right. A bit of
“creative license” can be incorporated, but only a very little bit.
Nonfiction means fact, and that means a lot of research. With fiction, I
get to create the story. The “research” takes place in my own mind. I
can get as imaginative as I desire, and as a result, the story can easily
inspire imagination in children. My “Tag Line” describing me as an
author when visiting schools or autographing books is “Entertain.
Encourage. Inspire.” That is my goal with all my writing whether I’m
writing fiction or nonfiction.

About the Author

DONNA WYLAND is an award-winning author, busy mother, grandmother and friend. She is the author of ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus, a best-selling children’s picture book and is a contributor to many inspirational essay collections. Donna lives and writes at her home in Southwest Florida and her condo overlooking the ski slopes in Steamboat, Colorado.

 

 

 

 

More from Donna

“More than 30 years ago I discovered the meaning of the Book of Psalms. Whether I was struggling or celebrating, God led me to individual psalms that encouraged and comforted me and gave me the strength to persevere. It is my heart’s desire to see children learn the power and peace of the psalms early in life so they, too, will turn to God’s Word when they need hope and comfort, or they are searching for the right words to praise Him for His blessings and favor. This book of rhyming psalms protects the biblical meaning of each psalm while putting the message in a child’s vocabulary with rhyme to help them remember.”

Blog Stops

Divine Perspective, July 1

Blossoms and Blessings, July 2 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, July 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 3

Life on Chickadee Lane, July 4

Labor Not in Vain, July 5

Texas Book-aholic, July 6

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, July 7

Vicky Sluiter, July 8 (Author Interview)

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 9

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 10

For Him and My Family, July 11

Cover Lover Book Review, July 12

Guild Master, July 13 (Author Interview)

A Reader’s Brain, July 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, July 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Donna is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Magnolia Market gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2c80a/psalms-in-rhyme-for-little-hearts-celebration-tour-giveaway

5 comments:

Dee said...

Great interview questions!

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great book for the little ones!

Michael Law said...

I'm looking forward to reading this devotional book. Thanks for hosting.

Rita Wray said...

Sounds like a nice book.

Donna Wyland said...

Hello and thank you for highlighting my picture book, Psalms in Rhyme for Little Hearts, and for spotlighting me in your Author Interview! It is always nice to share a bit of my heart with parents, teachers, caregivers, and other readers of children's books. I am grateful for you.