Category: booktalk

Posted on

Dolly Parton: Glitter, Grit, and Generosity

Dolly Parton: Glitter, Grit, and Generosity (Icons)
by Carla Mooney (Author)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: Stardom might have seemed like an impossible dream for most people born in rural Tennessee in the 1940s-but Dolly Parton wasn’t most people. From an early age, Parton knew she wanted to be on stage, and as she helped take care of her younger siblings, worked around her family’s home, and attended school in hand-me-down clothes, she set her mind on becoming a star. Parton started writing songs, playing music, and performing in front of an audience when she was still in elementary school, determined to make a living from her music. After she graduated from high school, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, the country music capital, and began paving the way to what would become one of the most successful entertainment careers in music history.

Snippet:

The author, Carla Mooney, is one of my former students.
Copyright © 2026 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved. (*bookstore affiliate)

Posted on

Children’s Novel First Draft Workshop Choices

GOAL: If you write 2 pages a day, you can complete the ENTIRE first draft of your chapter book, middle grade or young adult novel by the end of the semester.

The August 8 to December 18, 2026 semester is 19 weeks long, so you can schedule a mentor meeting every other week (8 x 2 = 16 weeks) and still take time off for family and holidays.

Which route will you take this semester?

  • Route 30: EIGHT 30-minute mentor meeting calls: $399 (USD)
  • Route 60: EIGHT 60-minute mentor meeting calls: $791 (USD)

See more here.

Copyright © 2026 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.