Friday, January 30, 2015

* A BLOG STOP FOR MY FRIEND, KAREN LANGE *

Happy Friday, everyone! Please welcome another writer friend: Karen Lange. We became blog/writer pals about five years ago and although I haven't met Karen in person yet, I feel as if I know her really well.

Her blog: Write Now always has great articles, suggestions, reviews, and lots of writerly advice! You'll be glad you stopped by to check it out.

Okay, Karen...take it away!
 
Write for Life: Volume One: Writing the Research Paper
This book offers ready to use lessons for grades 7-12 that guide students through the process of writing the research paper. Suitable for homeschool families, co-ops, or other student groups, these eight lessons break down the process from start to finish with helpful instruction, encouragement, and practice.


Lesson topics include: 

  • MLA style research paper basics, topics, and sources
  • Thesis statements
  • Outlines
  • Developing content
  • Rough and final drafts
  • Citing sources
No matter what we do in life, good communication skills are an important ingredient for success.  Strengthening students’ writing enhances verbal and other interpersonal skills and helps prepare them for a lifetime of good communication.


About the Author
Since 2005, Karen Lange has used these lessons to teach homeschool teens at the Homeschool Online Creative Writing Co-op. She believes that everyone can improve their writing skills with a good balance of instruction, encouragement, and practice.   Note from Becky: I believe Karen's book could help all writers, of any age. I plan on getting a copy of it right away!

Karen Lange is a freelance writer, editor, and online writing instructor for teens and adults. Her articles appear in parenting, homeschool, and other publications. Homeschool Co-ops 101, her first book, was released in 2013. She and her husband homeschooled their three children for K-12 in southern New Jersey. They now live in north central Kentucky where Karen enjoys reading, walking, and playing with her grandson. She is a fan of dark chocolate, hockey, and historical fiction.

Karen Lange


Visit Karen: Blog - http://karenelange.blogspot.com/
Facebook Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenlange

Purchase Write for Life on Amazon


Interview Questions

What prompted you to write this book?
Thanks so much for inviting me to stop by! The lessons in Write for Life Volume One are ones I use with my teen homeschool students in an online writing co-op. I’ve long wanted to convert the lessons into book form for use at home or with student groups. These are lessons I wish I’d had when homeschooling my children. They break writing the research paper down into more manageable, less intimidating steps, offering tips, advice, and insight into the entire process.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
My hope is that readers, students in particular, will come away more confident in their research and writing skills. I believe that with practice and encouragement, every student can write. Certainly not everyone will become a bestselling author, but they can learn to express themselves better through writing. Improving communication skills helps students gain an edge for future pursuits. My philosophy is that everyone has something to share with others, and writing is one way to do that.

Who was Write for Life written for?
The book is designed for group, family, or individual student use.  This includes homeschoolers and public and private school students. It can be used anytime to help students brush up on their research paper writing skills.

Write for Life includes an instructor guide with information and advice on how to help students through the process. While best used with parent or other adult supervision, self-motivated students can work through the lessons themselves. I've had a writer tell me recently that the lessons would also be suitable for anyone wanting to brush up on research skills.
~~~
Thank you Karen for including me in your blog tour. I've thoroughly enjoyed it!

26 comments:

  1. Becky, you are a sweet friend! Thanks so much for hosting me today. I appreciate your kind words and support! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank YOU, Karen! I'm always happy to help my friends! I love your blog, but I haven't been a frequent visitor there or any other blog for way too long but I'm trying to get back into it.

      Delete
  2. Congratulations to Karen on this newest book. Great interview, Becky. I love reading Karen's and your blog, too! Great job. Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Susan! Thanks for commenting. I appreciate your visits, and as I said to Karen, I'm trying to stop by much more often at all the blogs I love, yours included!

      Delete
  3. Becky, Thanks for having Karen visit your blog and to Karen, thanks for sharing your answers to Becky's interview questions. I follow Karen's blog and always learn something new when I visit. Good luck with your book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Donna! Thank you so much, too, for stopping and commenting! It's great to see you here! :-)

      Delete
    2. P.S.......I forgot to say I love your blog, too!

      Delete
  4. Susan,
    Thanks so much! Always appreciate your support! Blog friends are the best, aren't they? :)

    Donna,
    Thank you! I always enjoy stopping at your blog as well. Thanks so much for your kind words. :)

    Happy writing,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like a good topic. I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!

    Pat
    Critter Alley

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pat! I definitely think I could learn a lot from Karen's book! Thanks for stopping and commenting!

      Delete
  6. Pat,
    Nice to meet you! Thanks so much for stopping by. There's always something fun happening at Becky's place isn't there? :)
    Have a good week,
    Karen

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats to Karen and so nice to see a book like this! I wish I had this when I was helping my daughter!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Terri! Karen's book is definitely needed for a large group of teachers/writers, etc. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
    2. Terri, Thank you for coming over to see us! Becky's such a gracious hostess. :)

      Delete
  8. Becky, thanks for hosting Karen. (It's been lovely to meet you.) I love your blog. Karen is a jewel (think diamond) with a heart of gold.

    Amigo, wonderful to see you. You KNOW what your books have meant to me. Even though this book was written for high schoolers and middle schoolers it's great for college students too. So many never got writing research papers training in school. Love you. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Robyn! Thank you for stopping and commenting. It's lovely to meet you, too! Any friend of Karen's is a friend of mine! I agree about various ages of writers needing Karen's book. I'm sure I will learn a lot when I read it!

      Delete
    2. Robyn,
      You are a peach. So glad you and your daughter got so much out of the book! Thanks also for your sweet and kind comments. You are a jewel as well, I hope you know that! xo

      Delete
  9. Wonderful to learn more about Karen's book here (and more about her too). I like that she wrote the book that she wished she had when she was homeschooling her kids. Awesome! Wishing her the best of luck and lots of dark chocolate. :)
    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello DMS! Great to meet you! Thanks for stopping by, commenting, and becoming my newest follower! I always appreciate my followers!

      Delete
    2. Jess,
      Good to see you! Thanks so much. Stop by soon and we can share some of that dark chocolate! :)

      Delete
  10. Hi Becky and Karen - I've read Karen's book, and I agree with you, Becky. It's a wonderful resource for adults as well as teens. God bless, Susan :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your support, Susan! It means a lot. I value your input on the book. :)

      Delete
    2. Hi Susan! Thank you for stopping and commenting! And thank you for letting us know you read Karen's book and how valuable it is for ANY age!

      Delete
  11. Thanks Becky for introducing me to Karen. I am looking forward to reading this book. I would love to start writing again so any help I can find is appreciated.
    Hope you are well.
    Looking forward to your next post
    Maggie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Grandma Yellow Hair! How fun to see you here! Thank you for stopping and commenting. I hope you do start writing again, and like you said, maybe Karen's book will help! I am well and I sincerely hope you are, too. Glad you're looking forward to my next post.....now I need to come up with the next topic! :)

      Delete
    2. Maggie, nice to meet you! Thanks so much for joining the conversation. :) Wishing you all the best with your writing!

      Delete

I'm still getting quite a few spam comments that are Anonymous, so I'm trying "User with Google Accounts." If anyone tries to comment that I know, and it won't let you, send me an email, okay? Thanks so much.