Tag: Children's book author

International Award Winning Author Dr. Dawn Menge

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Dr. Dawn Menge has won seventy International awards as the published author of the Queen Vernita’s Educational Series and Dragon’s Breath, including the Special Recognition Champion Award from Conquering Disabilities with Film, Best Written Word from Miracle Makers Film, Hollywood Dreams Film, and International Author Boss Award from Power Conversations Magazine. Her published works also include THE SIX FEDERAL INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN GOALS AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN PREPARING FOR TRANSITION.
Dr. Dawn Menge has a Ph.D. in Education. She specializes in Curriculum and Instruction. She also holds a Master’s and a Clear Credential in Moderate/Severe Disabilities and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development. Dr. Dawn Menge has been teaching students with severe cognitive delays for over twenty years, and mentors/lectures graduate students.
Dr. Dawn Menge is the mother of three, and the grandmother of six beautiful grandchildren.

When did you realize you had a passion for writing and sharing stories?

My writing journey began when I was earning my teaching credential. I had an assignment in my math class to create a book and board game. The first book was written around my students, and we used it to perform skits throughout our area to the lower elementary classes to educate the general education population about our students with disabilities.
I decided to publish Queen Vernita’s Visitors and named it after my grandmother who was an astute businesswoman and the matriarch of our family. She and her father went door to door to gain memberships to open the United Ministers Federal Credit Union. I included all the children in our family as I thought they wouldn’t mind. I immediately won first place in the EVVY awards out of Colorado and began doing interviews. I was asked what I would be doing next. As I love to travel, we decided that the Queen would travel around her Kingdom and learn about her subjects and the areas in which they live.

 Dragon’s Breath is a story of King Teddy Bear and Queen Giggles who live in the neighboring kingdom.  The king introduces his Queen to a dragon who becomes very jealous and causes great harm to his kingdom while telling everyone she is helping them.  It is a lesson on not hurting others when you are feeling angry or jealous and when to create boundaries if the person is not remorseful.

What inspired your journey into writing and publishing books?
My life experiences are the inspiration for my writing and publishing of my children’s literature. I have also expanded into judging children’s literature for Story Monster Magazine and Hindi Libraries, judging romance books for IndTale Magazine, writing book reviews for Story Monster Magazine, and being on the board of Hindi Libraries.

You are now an award-winning author of several books, can you tell us about Queen Vernita’s Educational Book series?
The Queen now has fourteen adventures including two to Hawaii, Alaska, New Orleans, Baja Mexico, a Paddleboat trip, Hacienda Linda, Wyoming, Oceaneers Coastline, camping at the beach, a Magical Christmas Train ride, Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer, and Queen Vernita’s castle. Each adventure is based on a real trip that I have taken, as I have a rule that I have to do the research myself. I can’t ask others to swim with sharks, manta rays, turtles, or dolphins. Go into the bayou and hold a baby alligator, octopus, or sea horse. Hike to the bottom of a lava tube and swim or learn to dance a Mexican dance or learn Spanish if I haven’t done these things myself. The Queen has twelve friends, one for each month of the year, each month is a new subject and she learns seven facts per subject. The series is PreK-6th grade and the higher grade levels become chapters rather than months.
The Queen will soon be traveling to Death Valley, the East Coast, and Italy.

You have branched out into the film industry with several projects, can you share a little about that experience?
I began entering Film awards when I saw an ad for Conquering Disabilities with Film on Facebook. I enquired if I could enter my Queen Vernita Meets Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer book as it has Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy in it. My series won the Special Recognition Champion Award from Conquering Disabilities through film. Dragon’s Breath won the Best Book award at Miracle Makers Film Festival and my book trailers were played on the big screen at the film festival in Las Vegas last summer. We had a wonderful week watching amazing films, going to two awards ceremonies, and watching the stunt people being honored for their accomplishments in major films.
I have had Queen Vernita Meets Sir Heathybean the Astronomer, Queen Vernita Sleeps by the Sandy Fireside, and currently working on Queen Vernita Conquers the volcanic Islands. The Screenplays have now won awards in New York, Florida, and California.
Once you win in a film festival others will contact you and offer discounts to enter theirs. One morning I heard my Queen Vernita Conquers the Volcanic Islands video trailer being named a winner in the Vesuvius film awards all in Italian.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
The highlight for me is the children around the world that are enjoying my friends and family’s adventures. When I first began writing I attended the Tucson book festival and a woman was going to Ghana, Africa to help build a library. She bought a few books, and I donated some and asked her to send me pictures not expecting them. She sent them and it was such an amazing feeling having a child on the other side of the world reading about Sir HeathyBean the Astronomer. Sir HeathyBean is my little brother and an Astronomer at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Later, my classroom speech therapist whose family members teach in Africa took my books to share. They were kind enough to send me pictures and videos of schoolchildren reading my books in their classrooms. One little girl was reading Queen Vernita Visits the Blue Ice Mountains (Alaska) on her birthday to her classmates.

During the Pandemic, I did a virtual book reading for a second-grade class in Paraguay.
They were so cute and excited and one little boy told me he was going to come to America so I could read him a book in person. I would love to do that.
Because of their repetitive format, they are great resources for ESL learners. I have a teacher friend who teaches refugees from Somolia and Africa work skills and Academic skills in Washington. He uses my books extensively in his lessons.

“My pleasure, Dawn. Your books are perfect for what I do with my learners. As of today, another adult ESL person will be reading your Visitor’s book to her grandchildren for the first time. Grandmother needs to learn how to read in English. She has been here for about 10 years. My friend (her daughter) gave your book to her mother and told her to look at the pictures in the book and read the words that are associated with the picture. We hope that this approach to reading is successful. That is the method that I have been using when I teach learners to read via your books. “

“Hello, Dawn. The student that I started teaching English to about 7 years ago spoke with me today. He now has a daughter who is turning 5 years young and he is reading everything that he can get his hands on now. He just loves to read!! Your books started a love of reading for this young man. This is the immigrant African native man who was born under a tree on the savannah in central Africa. He had never written anything in his life before I met him. No letters or numbers. He did not know the alphabet or how to count anything. Now he is able to read the newspaper with ease and he is able to manage his numbers well enough to budget his finances in his home. For mathematics, we started by counting the guests eating at the Holiday dinner in your Visitor’s book. My student found that particular illustration was one that he could relate to. Having a meal with a large family. I gave him a copy of Queen Vernita’s Volcanic Islands to give to his daughter for her birthday and he really lit up! He was so happy to receive your fine book. You have had an amazing impact on this young man’s life, and now the life of his child. His little girl will be entering school next year being able to read fairly well thanks to you. She loves to read and teach he father new words! They learn to read together. Thank you for all that you continue to do with your books, Dawn. You rock!!
To know that my books are making a generational impact on families will always be the highlight of being an author and educator.

What message do you hope people take away from your work?

I hope that the legacy of my family, friends, students, and life experiences as written in the Queen Vernita educational series and Dragon Breath brings a fascinating literary experience to children and adults. Because of the variety of the reading levels from PreK-6th grade, children can grow up reading the series and develop a lifelong love for reading and adventure.

What does pretty woman hustle mean to you?

Pretty woman hustle means that our inner beauty shines a bright light into the world to help guide others to live their own beautiful lives.

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Dawn Menge | Rushmore Press Club

Award-Winning International Children’s Author, Diann Floyd Boehm Inspires Readers to be Kind, Love Themselves, and Embrace Imagination 

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Diann Floyd Boehm is a former classroom teacher and an award-winning international author. Diann writes children’s books and young adult historical fiction books., Diann’s books are designed to inspire her readers to be kind, love themselves, and “Embrace Imagination.” You can find all her books on Amazon. 

Diann’s Story Garden YouTube Channel allows children to hear different children’s authors read their stories and Diann’s own stories. 

Diann does speaking engagements, book signings as well as author visitations. Her creative flair encompasses the performing arts and performing in musical theatre productions in Dubai produced by Popular Productions out of the UK. In addition, 

Diann enjoys making guest appearances on various live streaming shows. Diann is the cohost with Dr. Jacalyn on her  USA Global TV and Radio™®. Additionally, Diann continues to be involved in various humanitarian projects with multiple organizations. 

You are a well-known children’s author that inspires readers to be kind, love themselves, and embrace imagination. Tell us about your book, Song of peace.

Song of Peace

I came up with the idea of this book – I thought wouldn’t it be wonderful if people around the world would say or sing peace over and over and put it out in the universe that maybe just maybe, for a moment, we could have everyone stop fighting and enjoy the blessings around them. 

How did you come up with the ideas and magic for the Little Girl in the Moon series? 

I have always loved the moon, and the moon would shine through my bedroom window when I was growing up. So, I would move my little twin bed by the window and stare at the moon and dream of traveling around the world spreading happiness. My husband and I lived in Dubai, and we had an apartment with a fantastic Gulf view. So one evening, I was sitting on the balcony looking at the moon, and my imagination began going into overtime, and before I knew it “The Little Girl In The Moon” was born. 

And I thought how wonderful it was to have a little girl on the moon wishing she could know the earthling children.  The book was born. 

How much fun was it working with your daughter Katherine on this series? 

It is an incredible feeling when you look at your daughter all grown up and remember when we used to color, paint, or sing together.  I never imagined we would be doing a book together one day. She is a professor at SCAD University in Atlanta, Georgia, and is very multi-talented. To work with her is a blessing. I am bursting with pride when I get to say, “My daughter is the illustrator of the book.”

Tell us about your book, Harry the Camel, inspired by your time in Dubai. 

Dubai is a beautiful place to live. Camels play an essential role in the Emirati heritage, and I was fortunate to ride camels there. I wanted to give back to Dubai for my incredible experience, and it took a while to have the inspiration for the book to come to me. I wanted to be different than other camel books in the UAE. Finally, during my last year there, the inspiration came, and Harry the Camel was born.  I co-illustrated the book with my artist friend Yoshita M. Ahmed.

What do you want the world to know about the people of Dubai and the culture?

The Emiratis are beautiful people who have a love for their family and culture. 

Tell us about your “Meet the Author” Appearances and Workshops.

I enjoy making in-person appearances and workshops.

I design each of my presentations and workshops based on the purpose of the event or workshop purpose. I want everyone to go home inspired, knowing it was time well spent. 

Make a Picture Book

It is designed for young children first through 4th grade. The children discover the power of storytelling and how it gives them the words for a written story. The children first draw a picture, then share their picture with the class and tell the story behind the drawing. 

With the parent’s permission, the teacher or I record the child telling the story.

The child listens to what he or she said, and they become excited that they are storytellers and now have a story in words not just pictures. It is a powerful experience for them.

You are also a young adult historical fiction author. What are you working on?

My first young adult historical fiction is Rise a Girl’s Struggle for More. It is based on my grandmother’s young life, and the purpose is to inspire others to pursue their dreams. I am now working on the follow-up to the book with the title to be determined. I am excited about the next book and bringing to life the history of Chicago in the mid- to late 1920s. 

www,diannfloydboehm.com