Legacy of an Adopted Child

Once there were two women
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember
The other you call mother.
Two different lives shaped to make yours one.
One became your guiding star
The other became your sun.
The first gave you life
And the second taught you to live in it.
The first gave you a need for love
And the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality
The other gave you a name.
One gave you the seed of talent
The other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions
The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile
The other dried your tears.
One gave you up - it was all that she could do.
The other prayed for a child
And God let her straight to you.
And now you ask me to make it clear,
The age-old questions through the years;
Heredity or environment - which are you the product of?
Neither, my darling - neither
Just two different kinds of love.

--by Patsy Moore

Happy Mother's Day!

It Makes A Great Christmas Gift!

http://debrahaagen.tateauthor.com/

I am getting ready to do some writing of a more personal nature, my annual Christmas letter.  As I reflect on the year 2012, it has, as for most people, been full of ups and downs. I will, however, remember 2012 as the year I got my first book published!  I hope 2013 will bring more exciting developments. 

If you are looking for a last-minute gift for a child on your Christmas list, Amazing Animals by Design is currently being offered in several stores and retail outlets.  In addition to Tate Publishing, Christian Book Distributors (CBD) now offers both the paperback and PDF versions.  Amazon carries the paperback and the Kindle edition, and Barnes and Noble carries the paperback and the Nook edition.  As of this posting, they all appear to be in stock and available.

The audio version of Amazing Animals by Design is also now available.  It can be purchased by itself from Tate Publishing, but if you purchase a book, there will be a code in the back for a free download of the audio version.

Follow me at http://amazingbydesign.blogspot.com/ to find out some things I've learned about writing and publishing in the past year!

Merry Christmas!

Exciting Adventures in 2013!

http://debrahaagen.tateauthor.com/

A while back, I indicated that I had some exciting things coming up for the new year.  I am putting a few of my involvements on hold for about 6 months to a year - such as directing children's musicals at church and writing reviews for The Schoolhouse Review Crew - although I loved both of those activities very much.  Right now, though, I would like to concentrate on writing and homeschooling.  Some wonderful new opportunities have opened up to me, which I would like to pursue.

First of all, I am working on a follow up to my first book:  Amazing Plants by Design.  If you are a budding author, a wanna-be author, or have just always wondered what the writing/publishing process entails, please follow me at http://amazingbydesign.blogspot.com.  Over there, I give you a glimpse into the step-by-step process.  Join me in the journey, whether I succeed or fail!

Secondly - and I am very excited about this one - I have been working on my first lapbook unit study for Knowledge Box Central.  It is also on Intelligent Design, and I hope to have it released very soon.  When I do, all of my loyal followers on either blog or Facebook will be the first to know!

Have I mentioned that you'll want to be around for DAY ELEVEN of The Schoolhouse Review Crew 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways??

Merry Christmas!

My First Book!

And now, Ladies & Gentlemen, is the moment we have all been waiting for!  Well, you may not have been waiting as anxiously as I have, but I have been waiting, anxiously, on the edge of my seat, with great anticipation.  My first children's book, Amazing Animals by Design, is published and available for purchase!

The road to this moment has been fun, and I hope to repeat it with other books in the future.  If you have thought about writing a book or getting one published and are curious about the process, check out my other blog at http://www.amazingbydesign.blogspot.com.  I've taken my readers through the whole process, from choosing a publisher until today, the day my book is available for sale!


Amazing Animals by Design is a storybook written to introduce the concept of Intelligent Design to young children.  Illustrated by Jesse Blythe DeFriese, it shows children some familiar and some not-so-familiar animals while explaining that different animals were designed with different characteristics to help them to live in their environment.
Amazing Animals by Design is available now in paperback at Tate Publishing for $8.99.  The official release date for national retailers is April 3.  After the official release, it will be available from Amazon and national retailers like Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble.  I will be doing book signings at those places then.  Until then, I will be doing local book-signings and pre-release events, getting the word out!  The audio book and official website will be ready closer to the release date.  I will be posting a schedule of book signings on the Amazing By Design blog!

I will give away one free PDF version of the book from each blog.  If you are interested, please leave a comment below to enter the drawing!  I will draw one name on Friday, February 3.


Have a great day!

To Publish A Book

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get a book published? Have you thought of trying to get one published yourself?  Do you know the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and have you wondered if there are any other options?  If you'd like to follow along on a real journey to first-time publication, check out Amazing By Design.  You can follow the process step-by-step from choosing a publisher (um, yeah, that's whoever is willing to publish the book!!), to Illustrations (that's where this book is now), and on to full publication and printing (sometime after Christmas).