When her student, six-year-old
Mary Noel, survives a car accident over Thanksgiving break, Amber and her new
friend, Paul, are determined to cheer her up during the holidays. But Mary
Noel’s most painful injury is the loss of her dog. The more withdrawn Mary Noel
becomes, the more Amber and Paul need a miracle—a miracle that requires the
entire community’s help.
"I wanted to
portray a wholesome relationship between a man and woman with similar values
where their friendship and common goals were the basis for developing a love
relationship,” said McCrary Jacobs. “The community of Apple Blossom pulls
together to help a family in need and is very successful in their efforts.”
“A Holiday Miracle in
Apple Blossom” is available in bookstores and on Amazon.com, BooksAndThings.com,
and BarnesAndNoble.com.
My Creative Journey by
Author June McCrary Jacobs
Hello, MK. Thank you for
the opportunity to share with your readers!
My creative journey began when I was about four
years old. I enjoyed drawing, coloring, painting, cutting, etc., from a very
young age, so people told me I was creative. I was praised for having a good
imagination. Being creative and having a good imagination are the first two traits
I possessed which contributed to my becoming an author.
A new
world was introduced to me when I received my own copy of Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Cat in the Hat Comes Back’ as a
gift from my Grandma McCrary sometime before I entered Kindergarten. I loved
the rhythm and language in the story. Soon I learned to read by myself.
I’ve been a voracious reader since first grade. In
grade school I enjoyed the Little House on the Prairie Books, The Boxcar
Children series, the Hollisters and the Bobbsey Twins, and Trixie Belden
mysteries. Now I enjoy many genres. (Please check out my Goodreads Author Page
for more details on this subject.) Reading frequently is the third effective habit
a writer needs to practice.
I learned to sew by hand when I was around eight
years old. I made doll clothes and blankets for my dolls and gifts for friends
and family. When I was twelve, I learned how to sew on a sewing machine.
Through my grandma’s and aunt’s mentoring and many sewing classes in junior
high and high school I became a skilled seamstress. I learned to be meticulous in
my methods as I made progressively more difficult projects. Attention to detail
is the fourth effective habit of authors.
In sixth grade I announced to my teacher I was
going to write a book when I grew up. She responded with an unkind remark. Fortunately,
telling me I can’t do something has a
positive effect on me. It makes me more determined to reach my goal.
Determination is the fifth good habit of a successful writer.
A few years ago I began submitting my original
sewing designs to magazines and books for publication. Rejection messages
flowed into my email inbox at a much higher rate than the acceptance messages!
In spite of the negativity and criticism, I toiled on in my quest to be
published. Persistence is the sixth habit an author must possess.
I have been fortunate to have had my designs
published in magazines, books, and on blogs both nationally and
internationally. I learned about being a concise technical writer from world
renowned sewing expert, author, and editor, Wendy Gardiner, while I worked with
her at Sewing World and Sew Hip Magazines. I was chosen to write a quarterly column for Sewing World for two years. This is where I first honed my skills
as a nonfiction author. With Wendy’s guidance, I learned to say what I needed
(or wanted) to say with a minimum of verbiage because print space in the magazine
was at a premium. Being concise is the seventh good habit an author needs to
possess.
A few years ago I began dabbling in fiction
writing. I submitted to various small and large presses. Looking back at my list
of early submissions, I realize now I was fearless when it came to sending out
my work for consideration for publication. Whenever I thought about abandoning
my writing, my mind flew back to my young, innocent, twelve-year-old self telling
my teacher and anyone else who would listen that I was going to write a book when I grew up. Those memories inspired
me to find my way while traversing through some difficult times in the publishing
business.
I had the good fortune to correspond with two
acquisitions editors who shared their expertise with me. I implemented the tips
they shared for polishing dialogue and POV (point of view) transitions for
characters. The eighth good habit for writers is learning from experienced
editors and authors who generously share their knowledge with you.
I stayed true to my message, beliefs, and
ethics, and somehow found my way to Cedar Fort Inc.’s 2013 Holiday Tale
Contest. The prize included the publication of my first book, ‘A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom’. It
took over forty years, but my childhood dream had become a reality! This is the
ninth good habit of a successful author. Stay true to yourself even when you
feel things around you are not going well.
Unfortunately, once you are a published author
not everyone thinks you are something special. There are plenty of reviewers,
critics, and rejections for new work waiting to drain your positivity and
hinder your creativity. This is the tenth good habit of an effective
writer: Have steadfast confidence in
yourself and in the message you want to share with readers.
MK, my best wishes to you and your readers for a
beautiful holiday season filled with joy, new memories, and love. All my
holiday best, June
June McCrary Jacobs
spent twenty years as a primary grade educator after graduating from California
State University, Hayward, with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
and a multiple-subject teaching credential. Along with writing fiction, June is
a freelance designer of sewing, quilting and crafting projects. “A Holiday
Miracle in Apple Blossom” is June's debut novel, though not her first
published work. Since 2007 June's original sewing, quilting and stitchery
projects and articles have been published in national and international
magazines including Stitch, Sew News, Sewing World, Simply Handmade, Sew Hip,
Sewing Savvy, Crafts 'n Things and Create & Decorate. Two of her
sewing designs for children will appear in the upcoming “101 One-Yard Little
Wonders” book published by Storey Publishing. A Californian since age
six, June currently resides in the San Joaquin Valley.
Learn more about June's
writing endeavors and view some of her original sewing projects by visiting her
website at www.junemccraryjacobs.com.
Connect with June
-My
website and ‘Writing and Sewing’ blog can be found at: http://www.junemccraryjacobs.com. I write about books, book reviews, textile
shows, museum exhibits, and sewing tips there with a new post each Wednesday.
The first Wednesday of each month (and sometimes additional times throughout
the month) I post free patterns and instructions for one of my original-design
sewing or crafting projects for readers’ use and enjoyment.
-My
Author’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/June-McCrary-Jacobs/153549754836128. If you Like my Facebook page you’ll receive
automatic notifications of new postings and the free projects, etc.
-My
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/June-McCrary-Jacobs/e/B00E7YV522
-My
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/June-McCrary-Jacobs
