Benjy and the County Fair II

I am so happy and proud to announce that I have been offered a contract for my second Benjy book, Benjy and the County Fair. While it is a sequel to the first book with the same loveable characters, the story has a completely different plot line. I hope everyone will enjoy my second book as much as the first book, Benjy and the Belsnickel. There is no release date as of yet but I will definitely keep my readers informed.
In addition, the study guide that will accompany the first Benjy book will be available soon. This is an excellent teaching tool for homeschoolers or for anyone who would like to use the book as a teaching tool.

BENJY AND THE COUNTY FAIR

Hi Everyone. I just wanted to share with my friends and family that I have finished the first draft of my second Benjy book, “Benjy and the County Fair.” Like my first book, it is a fun book that shares more adventures of Benjy and Sarah. The book will now go through the editing process. It will then be sent to my editor for review. I am nervous about going through the waiting process to see if it will be accepted by Whitespark for publication. Your prayers during this process would be greatly appreciated.

EMAIL FROM A FAN - THANK YOU, SHAY

Hi Bonnie!
I gave your book to my oldest, my son Shay (almost 13, 6th grade), in his Easter basket. He is on page 93 and he loves it. He never heard of the Belsnickel until now and he loves how Benjy pulls pranks.
And, Shay noticed on his own that you signed the book and he really enjoys that. He wondered if there are other Benjy books and I told him you are working on the next one! I couldn't wait to pass on his remarks to you because Shay is a hard one to sell on any particular book. He will listen to anything you read aloud to him, but he is always skeptical of any novel type book he starts on his own.
So Benjy is a big win at our house. I can't wait to read the whole thing once Shay finishes reading it. Congratulations! Seems like you know how to write a book that appeals to your target audience. (My boy is sitting at the kitchen table right now, after just getting off the bus, with his nose still buried in your book.)
Everyone is also a little enthralled that I know you and we're in the same critique group! So much fun to share in the product of your good, hard work. You've got a little fan club here.
Shay said that whoever/whatever the Belsnickel turned out to be was "smart" "really smart!" "oh my." he said (he was laughing when he said that). And that's all we talked about the Belsnickel because I asked him not to spoil it because I want to read it too, lol.:))
Sincerely, Laurie

ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES TODAY

One-room schoolhouses depict a way of life our children experienced many years ago. The schoolhouses weren’t fancy. They were built for the purpose of educating our children. My parents both attended one-room schoolhouses growing up in the 1930s. Some of their experiences made into my book, Benjy and the Belsnickel. Much of the book takes place in Benjy’s one-room schoolhouse. I love that I live across the road from a one-room schoolhouse that serves the Mennonite children in my community. There is no bus transportation. The kids either walk to school or ride their bicycles. The students wear fluorescent vests to help protect them from the traffic on today’s roadways. But many of the one-room school houses of an earlier time in history no longer serve as schools but often are now historic museums, private homes, bed and breakfast sites, and even restaurants and shops.

MEADOW SONG

Meadow Song
Interview by Bonnie Swinehart, February 25, 2019

I invited fellow-author Beth E. Westcott to be a guest on my blog.  I met Beth at a writers conference and learned about her book Meadow Song.

Here’s what Beth had to say.

                              
1. When did you discover you wanted to be a writer?

    I’ve loved writing since elementary school, but I didn’t consider becoming a writer until adulthood. When my older daughter became a high school senior, I decided I had to prepare for the “empty nest,” so I took a correspondence writing course.


2. Has the road to publication been different than you expected? How?

   The road to publication has changed a lot since I began. The Christian market is more competitive now, and the Christian fiction market demands a higher quality of writing. I didn’t think much about promotion and marketing.  I just wanted to write and write well. Now I am responsible to promote and market my book.


3. How did you come up with the idea for your book?
     
   Meadow Song began as a short story for a writing contest. The first two characters were the artist Kate and the little girl Blythe. The story didn’t feel complete, and it became a romance novel.   
        
        
4. Tell us about your book.

   Artist Kate Greenway leaves Mountain View after the death of her fiancé, hoping to escape the memories and the pain of her loss. A year after she moves to Millvale she meets Blythe, a little girl who is interested in Kate’s art, and Blythe’s uncle Jack. Kate falls in love with Jack, but he has put up a barrier to more than friendship with her because of his own losses. Kate returns to Mountain View to help care for her ill mother. Will Jack learn that God, the Master Potter, can take the broken pieces of their lives and make them into something new and beautiful?


5. How can readers purchase your book?

           Meadow Song is available on Amazon. I will be having a book signing at the Arrowhead Christian Store in Johnson City, NY sometime in March or April, 2019.

  
6.  Are you going to write more books? Are you working on another now?

          I am still writing, and I hope to have more books  published, including  a  sequel  to  Meadow Song.

7.  What would you like readers to know about you?

          My short story, “Sadie and the Princess” was published in Heartwarming Horse Stories on Amazon and is still available. I live in upstate New York with my husband. We were in vocational ministry for over thirty years. We have three adult children and five granddaughters.

Thank you, Beth

2019 GOALS

I have been mulling over the idea of New Year’s resolution and decided my resolution falls under the same line as my goals. So, for the New Year I hope to continue to market my book, Benjy and the Belsnickel and finish writing the second book on Benjy. The past year has been a great one. I got to experience the whole process of publishing a book from the very first email I received in which I was offered a contract to the day I actually signed it and made it a reality. I have a wonderful editor who allowed me to have input on everything along the way, most especially the cover and drawings. I seen my dream turn into a wonderful reality when the first shipment of books arrived on my doorstep. Can 2019 be any better than that. I don’t know but I sure am looking forward to seeing what the year has in store for me.

BOOK LAUNCH BLAST

Sunday , December 9, at 2 p.m. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Liverpool is blast off day for my celebration Book Launch Party. It will be great fun with door prizes, a kid’s craft table, food, a dedication of the book, and a short introduction of the book which will be available to be signed and purchased that day. I am looking forward to seeing family and friends coming to share this special day with me. It’s not every day a dream comes true, but Benjy and the Belsnickel is a dream come true for me. I am filled with joy at the thought of sharing this time with each of you.

"Here are some lovely reviews of Benjy and the Belsnickel so far!"

n    Benjy and the Belsnickel by Bonnie Swinehart is a cute middle grade book about a boy who loves to get into mischief.
Benjy is an eleven year old boy who goes to school in a one-room schoolhouse in the 1930’s. He can’t seem to help himself from playing pranks, especially on the teacher, Miss Nettie. That gets him into loads of trouble until he hears about the Pennsylvania Dutch legend of the Belsnickel. He is afraid the Belsnickel will get him if he doesn’t change his ways. Is this creature dressed in black, with a buggy whip and bells on his hat filled with porcupine quills real or it something made up to scare him into good behavior? He knows right from wrong and prays for help to do the right thing.

This is a great chapter book for grade schoolers. Written in an easy manner, it is interesting and had me reminiscing about my childhood. I could almost feel the chill of winter and smell the wet wool hats and mittens. It took me back to sledding downhill, ice skating and taffy pulls of my younger days. The school reminded me of my three room schoolhouse when I was nine. I especially liked the way they started the school day with the Pledge of Allegiance and prayers. It seemed the whole community focused on the Church and each other.

--

n   Didn't someone once say that, "your sins will find you out"?

Well, that's exactly what Benjy Clemmons is afraid of, he just can't help himself as he pulls trick after trick and prank after prank among his unsuspecting classmates and always suspecting teacher. Until . . . everyone from his old fishing partner to his father begins to warn him about the Belsnickel; a menacing little creature with a soot covered face, wearing a hat covered with bells and quills, who visits naughty children during the month of December. (carrying an old horse whip, ouch!)

Enjoy this delightful tale of boy vs. naughty behavior and what it might take for Benjy to change his ways.

n  What a great middle school read, one that will bring the reader back to a simpler time, and a look at a sweet Christmas time.
Back to the one room school house, all six grades together, an unknown concept to today’s students.

      My 11-year-old is now looking forward to reading this as I have been sharing what is going on with him. He was surprised at the antics of Benjy, and I could sense the wheels turning as I told him what this boy was doing and the ramifications.

      Great ending to this story, and good lessons learned here!

IT'S A LOG CABIN CHRISTMAS

I’m waiting for the UPS man to pull into my driveway and deliver my shipment of Benjy and the Belsnickel books on my doorstep. My first book signing is only 10 days away on Friday, November 30 at Middleburg’s Log Cabin Christmas. I am beyond excited to see some of my old friends I came to know from the years my family lived in Middleburg. I am so pleased to be a part of this holiday event. See you at the Christmas celebration!

THE COUNTDOWN

5-4-3-2-1-The countdown has begun! Benjy and the Belsnickel, a chapter book for kids 7 to 12, is being released by Whitefire-Whitespark Publishing on November 15. Many hours of research and work will come alive on the pages of Benjy’s story from the 1930s. You may laugh out loud or sometimes feel his emotional turmoil as he journeys through his struggle with the dreaded visit from the Belsnickel. If you can’t make it to one of my book signings or my book launch party, the book will be readily available online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Thank you so much for sharing this exciting time with me! Book signings include Middleburg’s Log Cabin Christmas on November 30, Halifax’s Belsnickel event on Dec. 1, Sunbury’s Bible Depot on Dec. 6, Liverpool’s Book Launch Party on Dec. 9, and Mifflinburg’s Christkindl Market on Dec. 13 and 14 in the Mifflinburg Library. For more information, please email me at bonnieats@yahoo.com or call 717-309-8123. Also check out my Facebook page at http://facebook.com/bonnieswinehartauthor.

A LITTLE CRUSH

Just as Benjy vowed to make his getaway, the Perkins family joined his family at the barn dance with Sarah in tow. Benjy tried to move sideways,but Pop's hand on his shoulder planted him firmly on the spot. Much to his dismay, Ma greeted Mrs. Perkins chatting as though they were life-long friends. Meanwhile, Benjy fidgeted with his string tie. He watched as Frankie and Joshua tried to follow a square dance called by Old Albert then stared at his feet. He studied the cobwebs in the rafters. He scanned the food table. Mostly, he avoided eye-contact with Sarah, but he couldn’t help but sneak little peeks at her. She looked beautiful tonight with a shiny red ribbon in her hair and eyes as blue as a pirate's sea.

GROWING PAINS

I just can’t figure it out, Old Albert,” Benjy said at the fishing hole. “Something must have kidnapped my voice during the night.
One minute I sounded like an old screech owl perched in Sherwood Forest. The next minute I croaked like one of these bullfrogs here at the fishing hole.”

“What you got is a case of growing pains,” Old Albert said. “It happens to everyone about your age.”

“Is that anything like growing out of your shoes?”

“Not exactly.” Old Albert said.

Coming November 15!

A FRIGHTENING CREATURE

In just four weeks my book, Benjy and the Belsnickel, will be released to the world. It’s exciting and scary but I can’t wait to hold the book in my hands. Until now it has seemed like a dream, but reality is upon me as the weeks slip away.
I am delighted to be able to share the story of Benjy with my readers. The book is a historical fiction which means I had to do careful research of the 1930s time period to accurately portray the characters and the setting. Adults will enjoy and relate to the history surrounding the book.
Benjy is a prankster who comes to fear a visit from the Belsnickel. While he knows right from wrong, the prankster in him has a hard time saying “no” when an idea bubbles up inside him. The book, written for kids 7 to 12, will grab the attention of the young reader with giggles and laughter.
However, Benjy comes to learn that the Belsnickel is not a fable but a frightening creature that leaves this talkative boy somewhat speechless.

A HEAP OF TROUBLE NOW

Benjy is an eleven-year old prankster and daydreamer. He knows the difference between right and wrong, but his enthusiasm for creating pranks always seems to land him in trouble. Following the first prank of the school year, Miss Nettie warns Benjy about receiving a visit from the Belsnickel. Miss Nettie sends home a note with Benjy to give to his parents. Of course. Benjy gets distracted. When he finally makes his way home he gazes down at his family farm. He can’t believe what he is seeing. One thing for sure, he knows it isn’t good. “Oh no!” Benjy says. “Looks like I’m in a big heap of trouble now!

IT'S A BOOK LAUNCH CELEBRATION

When I received word that my book would be released on Nov. 15, my mind started to kick into overdrive. I have just completed the final edits for my editor and now am looking forward to getting the book to my readers.

To start, my first book signing will be on Nov. 30 in Middleburg at their Log Cabin Christmas celebration. The the real celebration takes place on Dec. 9 when my Book Launch Party will be held at 2 p.m. at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Liverpool.

There will be a short program, drawings, a kid's craft table, a dedication of the book, and a book signing. Family, friends and neighbors are invited to the Book Launch. All I ask is that you respond to me at bonnieats@yahoo.com or call me at 717-309-8123. The decor will reflect Christmas and life in the 1930s, the time period the book takes place. I hope to see you there!

A WRITER WITH A DREAM!

I am a writer with a dream. During my semi-retirement I have been busy with my first love, writing books and stories for children. On Sunday, April 15th I received an email from WhiteFire Publishing Company offering me a contract for my first children’s chapter book, Benjy and the Belsnickel. To say I was excited is an understatement. I was doing my happy dance as best I could with a sore, stiff back.

Seriously, this is a lifelong dream come true for me. There was one accomplishment in my life that I yearned to fulfill and that dream is going to come to fruition sometime in the next year when I will be able to hold the book, see the cover and smell the pages.

Although the book is geared toward children, it’s a historical novel which takes place in the 1930s so anyone, child or adult, can learn or remember what life was like during that time period.

Benjy, a prankster, is also a loveable child and you can’t help but admire his imagination and his struggle to be a better boy. Does he succeed? Read about Benjy’s journey and how it all unfolds.

OUCH! DISCIPLINE IN A ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE

If you were a student in the 1930s attending a one-room schoolhouse, you’d want to behave well. Teachers had freer rein when it came to discipline, unlike teachers today. Various forms of discipline ranged from minor to major actions. For example, a teacher might pull or twist an ear, give you a pinch, slap your open palms with a ruler or give you a “whooping” with a wooden paddle or razor strap on your backside.

Teachers also made home visits. If a parent heard a bad report directly from the teacher, the parent more than likely would take his own disciplinary action on their child, which could also mean a whooping or added chores.

Another common disciplinary action in the classroom was the “dreaded dunce hat.” Made with heavy paper or cardboard, the dunce hat looked like a long cone with the widest part fitting over the student’s head. A capital “D” was often placed on the front of the hat. If the teacher told a student to come to the front of the class and take a seat on the stool there was a good chance the dunce hat would be planted on the student’s head while the rest of the students had a good chuckle.

So, if you had lived in that time period and had set your mind on creating a ruckus, you would have needed to be prepared for some type of punishment.

Would you rather get a whooping or wear the dunce hat if you were a student stirring up trouble?

TEACHING IN A ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE

Teachers reached their one-room schoolhouses by foot, on horseback, by horse and carriage or bicycle and later by car. The schoolhouse typically held anywhere from 10 to 20 kids in grades one through eight. The students seldom went to school beyond eighth grade. Instead, they worked on their parents’ farm where in central Pennsylvania agriculture was prominent. The school building was heated with a coal or wood stove and outhouses meant students had to trek out in the cold in the winter.

Students sat in desks according to their grade. While the teacher was responsible for teaching all levels often times the other grades were given work to do or were asked to sit and listen to whatever lesson was being taught. This was a good way for the younger children to learn lessons they would be taught later as they moved up to the next grade.

By the 1930s women made up the majority if school teachers, often younger woman who lived with a family where room and board became part of their salaries. Monthly stipends for teachers were relatively small. Aside from teaching, the teacher often tended to the stove and asked students to help carry firewood and a bucket of drinking water. Older students may have also helped to empty ashes from the wood stove, sweep the floors or help a younger child struggling with a lesson.

How do you think you would have liked being a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse?

Why the 1930s and 40s. And, what is a Belsnickel?

My fascination with sharing information about the 1930s and 1940s is rooted in the fact that my parents were born and grew up in that time period. Together, they used to share stories with me about their youth. Some very funny ones, especially about attending a one-room schoolhouse. The stories from my dad initiated the writing of a middle-grade fiction chapter book called, Benjy and the Belsnickel. The book is yet to be published but I keep trying.

What is a Belsnickel? Almost everyone asks me that question. It is a folktale that came from our German ancestors who immigrated to America and settled in Central Pennsylvania. Basically, the Belsnickel is the opposite of Santa Claus who rewards children with gifts at Christmas time. Unlike the jolly appearance of Santa Claus, the Belsnickel is a scary looking creature covered with soot and a special hat that is adorned with porcupine quills and jingle bells. The Belsnickel has been known to visit naughty children at Christmas time. Oh, and he carries a whip! What happens when he arrives at the young boy or girl’s home? Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see when the book is published and ready for distribution.

Sled Riding

Sled Riding in the 1930s Dunncanon Sled Works was once the biggest producer of sleds.