Teaching in the NYC Public Schools was not only gratifying but also meaningful. Working with students in grades one through six for the first part of my career.
My Principal felt that I had a special talent and expertise when working with students in learning difficulties and encouraged me to get my second Master’s in Reading and Learning Disabilities. I am glad that I did. The next 19 years I worked as the Reading Specialist and then Staff Developer in both reading and writing.
The best part is I worked in the same school all of those years and the children and parents became part of my extended family.
I taught children from other countries and helped them learn to read, understand our language and excel in school. Before leaving, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was the Dean of Discipline and helped create a Peer Mediation Program in my school.
Freedom of expression is important, and after retiring from teaching, I realized that there were many new things I could learn to do. I love writing because it allows me to express my true feelings about any subject I choose.
Writing is an art. I have always loved writing poems, short stories, and reviewing books or short stories (that my friends would write, that they wanted an honest opinion about). Writing children’s stories is something that I am new at and hope to continue doing.
The Bertha series has become a trilogy, possibly a series. The main character, Bertha, is really me. Bertha is smart, and she has her own unique voice and personality.
She is overweight, as I was as a child, and is often the brunt of jokes, ridicule, and more.
Her sister is always prettier, more agile, and able to do sporting activities like dancing and ice-skating. Bertha is still a total klutz, but she’s a klutz with a great sense of humor.
Bertha’s father won’t let her play any sports that requires running. She’s allowed to play punch ball, but only on the condition that someone run for her.
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The best method of selling my book is a hard question. Wherever I go, I manage to tell people about my books.
I am on so many sites and have been the featured author on many.
I’ve even had an interview on live radio, but no matter now many sites a writer is on, if someone is not looking for that genre, it will not be sold.
I could use some help with that.
I have blogs, websites, and e-mail addresses. I have five star reviews on many sites, and my books were just reviewed by Online Stories Magazine by Wayne Walker for the July issue. I will take suggestions for this question.
I wrote a book about how she dealt with the illness when she first learned she had it, and how she is now.
The book will include research and information about the disease, websites to find more support, as well as original poems and stories that other and I members of my family wrote. There will be a dedication section and a good memories section.
The dedication page will be for short sentences or paragraphs dedicated to anyone who wants to wish my mom well, and the good memories section will have post by relatives whose family members have, or had, the illness.
As well as being a writer and reviewer I host two radio shows in Red River Radio. The first is Book Discussion with Fran Lewis and it airs the third Wednesday of every month at one Eastern. Authors all over the world are featured on my show. My panel of club members, including myself, read the book/books if more than one author is featured, and pertinent questions are asked in order to stimulate discussions.
My second show will start airing on August 31, 2010 at Four Eastern. It will feature children’s authors with books that teach a positive lesson to children to foster and enhance lessons in Character Education.
The first show will have six great authors. The show will air four times a year.
The second will air November 30th at four and will focus on books for young adults and teens.
My Bertha Series can be purchased on Barnes and Noble and Amazon as well as other online resellers. Memories are Precious and Sharp As A Tack or Scrambled Eggs are my books dedicated to help fund research for Brain Traumatic Injuries and Alzheimer’s. Some of the proceeds will go to both Alzheimer’s and the Kessler Institute for Research.
I have many sites where you can read my reviews, blogs and get to know me better. I have a great sense of humor. I love to smile and make people laugh. I love playing basketball with my nephews and other outdoor games.
Writing requires time and much thought. Children’s books are more difficult to write because of the widespread audience.
I have a target group of children that read my galleys before getting the book published. In order to know what kids want to read you have to listen to what they have to say.
What makes me TICK? Helping other people get their work out by reviewing their books. Just having someone say they loved what I wrote makes my day. Writing for fun, writing silly poems and just writing a new story or a book keeps my mind from going to mush and really active.
I love reading bestsellers. I really enjoy reading and reviewing books by new authors such as myself. I am not an expert but I am learning and starting to understand the craft little by little.
I am really honored when an author asks me to read a galley, short story or a poem and respects my opinion and wants to know how to improve their work.
That is truly and honor. I know and so will you that you have arrived when someone recognizes you on the street and says: Look there is Fran Lewis the author and reviewer. One can only hope. The most important lesson that I have learned is that to be rich you need only two things: Your health first and a great family and at least one loyal friend.
My sites are:
www.gabina49.webs.com
www.franlewis.webs.com
www.gabina49@wordpress.com
I review for Ijustfinished.com, bookpleasures.com and Manic Readers.
You can find my reviews on every ning site, Writer Face, Publisher authors, Mythica Social Network, CBB Cold Coffee, Reviewers Roundup on Face Book, Literary Lounge, Minds Eye, Write 4 All , Authors Society and many more sites.
Look for Bertha’s Revenge Soon and Real Life Real Issues: Face It