Muse Hunting Plus a Giveaway

Nancy Stewart

by Susan Berger

Pen and Ink welcomes Guest Blogger, Nancy Stewart.

Enter to win a copy of Bella Saves The Beach by leaving a comment at the end of the post.

What is it about muses? I know they take their work seriously, and yet conjuring up mine can be quite a chore at times.

I almost always search for her at the computer. She’s usually there, but not today.  Sometimes she hides in my Favorites List.  But not today.  How about the Homepage?  Nope.  One more try my lists of guest posts.  Occasionally she will transform herself into a bright new post from an old one.  Today, no such luck.

Not one to give up, I go to the gym.  Strangely enough, she hangs out there.  And usually her gym ideas are good ones, full of life and vigor.  She particularly likes the elliptical.  Actually, so do I.  But after 20 minutes of trying to coax her to visit, I give up and move to other machines where I’ve never seen her ply her magic.

On the way home, I stop by the bookstore.  I congratulate myself on a stroke of genius.  She can’t not be there, I tell myself.  It’s a muse kind of place, after all.  She’s not there.  Not even in the kids’ books section.  She’s always in the kids’ books section.  Copying ideas, I tell her, but she rejects that notion.

Ah, well.  I give up.  I’ve learned there’s no future in sleuthing after a muse that does not want to be detected.  So home I go.

I consider the computer a lost cause, so I opt for a glass of iced tea and a comfy chair.  And then, like a tiny bee buzzing in my brain, she’s here.  She speaks of Bella and Britt and empowering kids, of a middle grade novel set in Africa, of a chapter book series.

My muse is such a tease.  But when she gets down to business, there’s no stopping her!  Today, I’m just happy she visited, threw out a couple of notions then left me to ruminate. 

What is it about muses?  I still haven’t figured out that answer.  But I’m happy I have one! 

Thank you, Nancy for stopping by as part of your blog tour for Bella Saves the Beach written by Nancy and Illustrated by Samantha Bell.

Bella and Britt are worried about all the trash appearing on their beautiful beach.  But what can they do?  Britt is leaving on vacation, and Bella can’t solve the problem alone.  Without adults to lend a hand, can they possibly save their beach?

Excerpt from Bella Saves the Beach:

Bella, Britt and all their friends built sand castles and filled moats with salty sea. But this summer, the girls were worried.

         “Look at all this trash, Britt,” said Bella.

          She nodded. “Yeah, and I leave on vacation tomorrow. I can’t help pick it up!”

Next morning, Bella walked along the beach alone. “Hello.” Bella said to the old crooked beak pelican, perched on his piling. “Somebody has to help, and I guess it’s me.”

 Bella is the newest book in the Bella and Britt series. The opening book of the series, One Pelican at a Time, was the first book published on the Gulf Oil Spill.

You can purchase the PDF download (huge bargain) at GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING 
Or you can buy the paperback or hardcover at AMAZON or  BARNES AND NOBLE

 OR 
Our lucky winner will receive an eBook copy of Bella Saves The Beach.  Leave a comment below to enter. We've turned on anonymous commenting this week to make it easy for you to enter. Please leave a contact email address (i.e. sueberger3 at aol dot com)in the comment so we can reach you.

Visit Nancy at NancyStewartBook.com or at her blog.

Pen and Ink is delighted to be a stop on Nancy’s Blog Tour. You can catch up with her tomorrow at  Write What Inspires You.