Lori Helke's Blog

Reading “The Nightingale” Through Today’s Eyes Lori Helke Mar 25, 2026 I first read Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale not long after it was published in 2015. The story, mostly taking place over war torn occupied France during WWII, was captivating then and turned out to be one of my all-time favorite books. […]

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I wanted to create a story time series of short stories for children to read on their own, or to be read to. These stories will be funny, educational, and whimsical. I hope you and your children and grandchildren enjoy them as much as I did creating them. This is the first story. Let me...

Publishing a book is an exciting endeavor that opens up doors to new readers, recognition, and personal fulfillment. However, authors often face the dilemma of choosing between self-publishing and traditional publishing. Both options have their merits and drawbacks, so let’s explore self-publishing vs traditional publishing and the pros and cons of each to help you...

Hiring an illustrator to take on your children’s book project is probably the hardest and most personal step to getting your children’s book published. That being said, it’s also the most fun. Selecting the perfect illustrator and seeing your words come alive is, in my opinion, the coolest part of the experience. There are some...

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Finding a children’s book editor is an important piece of the publishing a children’s book puzzle. Step three in my children’s book self publishing process is finding a children’s book editor. Once you know where to look, the process is relatively easy, but you do have to take the time to read your potential editors...

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Last week I introduced you to my new series on how to publish a children’s book and took you through step one. If you’re new to me and my children’s books about my little vintage camper, Beatrice, take a few minutes and check out my About Me page and scroll through my Home Page. I...

The post How To Publish A Children’s Book: Step 2 appeared first on Lori Helke .

I had no idea what I was taking on when I began the process of publishing a children’s book in 2019. The only thing I knew for sure was I had an idea and what I thought was a pretty good concept. A little vintage camper, it’s renovation, and the story in my head. I...

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Camping has exploded in popularity and so has camping books for kids.  There are the favorite books about camping for preschoolers like Mr. Magee And The Camping Spree or Llama Llama Goes Camping, but did you know there are a whole kids bookshelf filled with kids books about camping that are little known or buried...

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As we come to the end of the wild ride that was this first month in 2021, I’m sure we all realized that just because the year number changed on January 1st, didn’t mean that the 2020 Odyssey wasn’t over. I decided to step away from much of the ugliness, with the exception of a...

The post A Writers Life – January 2021 appeared first on Lori Helke Author.

You can publish your first book I wish I had a dollar every time someone came up to me at an event or just in passing and say “I would love to write a book”, or “I have a children’s book written about… and I have no idea how to go about publishing it.” I’ll...

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