Anne L Watson

There's an old saying: "If wishes were horses, we'd all get a ride." But what if wishes were schools of fish? What if they were prides of lions, or pods of dolphins? What kinds of wish could you get from those? This illustrated fantasy poem is a lighthearted romp through the animal kingdom and the names of their groups. For ages 3 to 9. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author and/or illustrator of a number of children's books, including the Katie Mouse and Coco Mouse books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. Her illustrations for this book are imaginative collages of art by herself and by artists on Etsy, assembled and manipulated in Photoshop. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE "If wishes were horses, we'd all get a ride "That's what you'd hear if your wish was denied. But when I consider, it leaves me perplexed -- If wishes were animals, what could come next? If wishes were fishes, whose groups are called schools, I'd wish that the teacher would sink all the rules. Or a passel of possums, the jills and the jacks, I'd wish I could hang out with them to relax. If they were flamingos, whose group is a stand, I'd wish for good balance, and strength in my hand. If wishes were elephants -- called a parade -- I'd wish for a clown and some pink lemonade.

What is a "coloring storybook"? It's a coloring book, a storybook, and more You can color just the pages you want, and enjoy it like any fine coloring book. Or finish them all and create a wonderful storybook, a keepsake all your own, or one to lovingly share with children and grandchildren. Imagine their excitement and delight -- and yours too -- when you read to them from a book you helped illustrate yourself It's a gift your loved ones can treasure forever, a true family heirloom. This coloring storybook from Skyhook Press reveals what ELSE happened on that famous "night before Christmas."*************Please note: This "grayscale coloring book" (or "greyscale colouring book") has pictures already shaded in gray, calling for a different kind of coloring. But that doesn't make it harder -- in fact, it makes it easier to get stunning results For tips, search online for "grayscale coloring."/////////////////////////////////////////////////ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BOOKThis coloring book is adapted from the children's picture book "The Mice Before Christmas," by Anne L. Watson, illustrated by Wendy Edelson, published in 2021 by Skyhook Press. It was conceived as an imaginative prequel to Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem "The Night Before Christmas." ABOUT THE ARTISTWendy Edelson has applied her award-winning skills to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U. S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. Her more recent projects have included several picture books and coloring books for Skyhook Press. The pictures in this coloring book were converted to grayscale by Skyhook Press from Wendy's original watercolor illustrations. ABOUT THE AUTHORAnne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of "Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding," "Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door," "The Secret of Gingerbread Village," and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard.

What is a "coloring storybook"? It's a coloring book, a storybook, and more You can color just the pages you want, and enjoy it like any fine coloring book. Or finish them all and create a wonderful storybook, a keepsake all your own, or one to lovingly share with children and grandchildren. Imagine their excitement and delight -- and yours too -- when you read to them from a book you helped illustrate yourself It's a gift your loved ones can treasure forever, a true family heirloom. This coloring storybook from Skyhook Press reveals what ELSE happened on that famous "night before Christmas."*************Please note: This "grayscale coloring book" (or "greyscale colouring book") has pictures already shaded in gray, calling for a different kind of coloring. But that doesn't make it harder -- in fact, it makes it easier to get stunning results For tips, search online for "grayscale coloring."////////////////////////////////////////////////ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S BOOKThis coloring book is adapted from the children's picture book "The Mice Before Christmas," by Anne L. Watson, illustrated by Wendy Edelson, published in 2021 by Skyhook Press. It was conceived as an imaginative prequel to Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem "The Night Before Christmas." ABOUT THE ARTISTWendy Edelson has applied her award-winning skills to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U. S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. Her more recent projects have included several picture books and coloring books for Skyhook Press. The pictures in this coloring book were converted to grayscale by Skyhook Press from Wendy's original watercolor illustrations. ABOUT THE AUTHORAnne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of "Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding," "Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door," "The Secret of Gingerbread Village," and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard.

"'Twas the night before Christmas, When all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse." Everyone knows these lines from Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or "The Night Before Christmas." But how many know why all those mice were already in bed, or what they were up to before that? Here at last is a companion poem to reveal all: The holiday hustle and bustle in the mouse house since early that morning. The evening party for all the mouse friends and relations, with presents, feasting, and dancing. And to top it all off, a visit from Santa Mouse himself Never before told, this mice-eye story is sure to find a place in your heart beside the original classic. ///////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of "Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding," "Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door," "The Secret of Gingerbread Village," and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard. Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of "The Baker's Dozen," "Quackling," "Christmas Truce," "Which Shoes Do You Choose?", and many more children's books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U. S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. ///////////////////////////////////////////// 'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through their house, The mice were preparing. There wasn't a mouseWho didn't join in for the holiday flurry. From top floor to bottom, they'd bustle and scurry. Their party was planned for that evening at eight, With so much to finish before it got late So, they scrambled and scampered -- no task was neglected -- To deck out the halls for the guests they expected. * * * Excitement kept building -- while patience did not -- Till the clock in the hallway reached eight on the dot. As the chimes started sounding, the door was thrown wide, And the guests in their finery crowded inside. Good wishes and greetings turned into a dinOf merriments traded again and again." Merry Christmas to you " "And to all in your nest ""I hope that the New Year will bring you the best "They chatted and drank steaming cider from mugsThat often got spilled in affectionate hugs. * * * They were dancing in lines, they were dancing in pairs. They waltzed down the hallways, they polkaed up stairs. They spilled out the doorway in time with the tuneAnd danced with the snow mice beneath the full moon. And as they were dancing, what sight caught their eyes? A colorful, fast-moving blur in the skies Then clearly they saw it: a brilliant red sleigh. And lo and behold, it was headed their way

"'Twas the night before Christmas, When all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse." Everyone knows these lines from Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or "The Night Before Christmas." But how many know why all those mice were already in bed, or what they were up to before that? Here at last is a companion poem to reveal all: The holiday hustle and bustle in the mouse house since early that morning. The evening party for all the mouse friends and relations, with presents, feasting, and dancing. And to top it all off, a visit from Santa Mouse himself Never before told, this mice-eye story is sure to find a place in your heart beside the original classic. ///////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of "Katie Mouse and the Perfect Wedding," "Katie Mouse and the Christmas Door," "The Secret of Gingerbread Village," and other children's books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. She lives in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard. Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of "The Baker's Dozen," "Quackling," "Christmas Truce," "Which Shoes Do You Choose?", and many more children's books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U. S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. ///////////////////////////////////////////// 'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through their house, The mice were preparing. There wasn't a mouseWho didn't join in for the holiday flurry. From top floor to bottom, they'd bustle and scurry. Their party was planned for that evening at eight, With so much to finish before it got late So, they scrambled and scampered -- no task was neglected -- To deck out the halls for the guests they expected. * * * Excitement kept building -- while patience did not -- Till the clock in the hallway reached eight on the dot. As the chimes started sounding, the door was thrown wide, And the guests in their finery crowded inside. Good wishes and greetings turned into a dinOf merriments traded again and again." Merry Christmas to you " "And to all in your nest ""I hope that the New Year will bring you the best "They chatted and drank steaming cider from mugsThat often got spilled in affectionate hugs. * * * They were dancing in lines, they were dancing in pairs. They waltzed down the hallways, they polkaed up stairs. They spilled out the doorway in time with the tuneAnd danced with the snow mice beneath the full moon. And as they were dancing, what sight caught their eyes? A colorful, fast-moving blur in the skies Then clearly they saw it: a brilliant red sleigh. And lo and behold, it was headed their way

NO STARTER -- NO WASTE -- NO CHEAT -- NO FAIL100% NATURALLY FERMENTED BREAD IN JUST 24 HOURSThere's sourdough, and then there's SMART sourdough -- a whole new approach to an ancient bread Most sourdough recipes lead you through days or even weeks of developing a starter before you can make your bread -- and then into a lifetime of maintaining that starter. But this book is based on the belief that all that rigmarole is no longer needed. With modern methods of regulating temperature, and with the easy availability of baker's yeast, honest-to-goodness naturally fermented sourdough bread can be made from start to finish in less than a day. With all the benefits of naturally fermented sourdough, it's only the hassle of making it that has discouraged home bakers. Well, hassle no more. The age of smart sourdough has arrived./////////////////////////////////////////////////Mark Shepard began baking his own sourdough bread in 1979 and went on to publish the bestselling booklet "Simple Sourdough." In 2012, he began developing a sourdough method that's even simpler and more reliable -- one that could be used by anyone, with no fear of failure. Mark now lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and fellow author, Anne L. Watson.

Nita walked away from her family when she was seventeen years old, determined to never look back. But forty years later, when her mother died and her father descended into Alzheimer's, Nita returned to New Orleans to care for him in his final months. Now her father has passed on, leaving to Nita her childhood home as an inheritance. But she soon finds she isn't the only resident. The house is occupied by ghosts of her past, playing out scenes of the life she fled. What are they trying to tell her? Will they ever leave her in peace? And are they really spirits, or only visions, emerging from sealed-off depths of memory as from the shell of a chambered nautilus? ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson, a retired historic preservation architecture consultant, is the author of several novels, plus books on such diverse subjects as soapmaking and baking with cookie molds. A former resident of New Orleans -- the setting of "A Chambered Nautilus" -- she currently lives in Bellingham, Washington. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE At the restaurant, we found a corner table a little away from other patrons. When we'd ordered, Enid sipped her ice water. "Tell me more," she said. "I've been seeing ghosts in the house," I said. "Or maybe they're not ghosts. A friend of mine calls them visions." A bad start. I tried again. "I think I told you I'd been a caregiver for my father? Well, he was living in the house I grew up in, and now it's mine. But I keep seeing him -- and my mom, and my sister and brother, and me -- all over the house." "Really? What are these visions about?" "Scenes from the past. I suppose it sounds crazy." "Not at all. You said your dad passed away recently? What about your mom?" "She died a few years ago. Suddenly. That's when we found out Dad had Alzheimer's." "So you were his caregiver after that. Are your brother and sister still living?" "Yes. I'm closer to my sis than to my brother." "My guess is the 'ghosts' are leftover emotional energy from intense experiences in the house. I gather they're not doing everyday tasks like peeling apples and mopping floors." "Mostly not. But even the everyday, normal things they do feel intense." She nodded. "I can see why. What else did your friend say? The one who called them visions." "That it was a form of teaching. That they'd go away once I learned what I needed to."

When Coco the mouse slips under a young spruce tree on his morning walk through the forest, he discovers a village of gingerbread houses and "Gingers" -- gingerbread men and women brought to life by magic. But all is not well in Gingerbread Village. The Magic that built the village and protects it from outsiders seems to be fading, and the Gingers don't know how to revive it. Can Coco find a way to help the Gingers? And even if he does, can they trust him enough to let him? Anne L. Watson creates a magical tale of friendship offered, rebuffed, but finally rewarded. For ages 4 to 9. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of the Katie Mouse books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. Her illustrations are imaginative collages made from photos of felted animals, miniatures, and real-life objects, along with graphic arts creations and textures from Etsy and elsewhere, all assembled and manipulated in Photoshop. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE "But how did you come alive?" asked Coco in wonder. "We don't really know," said Leo. "When Cassia and I woke up, we were in a batch of cookies cooling on a kitchen counter. But none of the others came alive." "Somehow, we knew we were going to be eaten," said Cassia, "so we climbed down and ran away." "We didn't know where to go," Leo went on, "but the Magic led us to this forest. Then just like you, we came in under the Tree--the door to Gingerbread Village."

When Coco the mouse slips under a young spruce tree on his morning walk through the forest, he discovers a village of gingerbread houses and "Gingers" -- gingerbread men and women brought to life by magic. But all is not well in Gingerbread Village. The Magic that built the village and protects it from outsiders seems to be fading, and the Gingers don't know how to revive it. Can Coco find a way to help the Gingers? And even if he does, can they trust him enough to let him? Anne L. Watson creates a magical tale of friendship offered, rebuffed, but finally rewarded. For ages 4 to 9. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author/illustrator of the Katie Mouse books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. Her illustrations are imaginative collages made from photos of felted animals, miniatures, and real-life objects, along with graphic arts creations and textures from Etsy and elsewhere, all assembled and manipulated in Photoshop. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE "But how did you come alive?" asked Coco in wonder. "We don't really know," said Leo. "When Cassia and I woke up, we were in a batch of cookies cooling on a kitchen counter. But none of the others came alive." "Somehow, we knew we were going to be eaten," said Cassia, "so we climbed down and ran away." "We didn't know where to go," Leo went on, "but the Magic led us to this forest. Then just like you, we came in under the Tree -- the door to Gingerbread Village."

In this companion to "Baking with Cookie Molds," Anne L. Watson presents cookies and molds for many holidays and all seasons, as well as for special interests and occasions -- weddings, kids, storytelling around the fireplace, and much more. With nearly 150 photos of molds, cookies, and processes, "Cookie Molds Around the Year" features new techniques and new recipes, along with a month-by-month diary of the seasons on San Juan Island, Watson's home. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the author of "Baking with Cookie Molds," as well as a number of other popular books on home crafts and lifestyle, plus many novels. In a previous career, she was a historic preservation architecture consultant. Anne now lives in Bellingham, Washington. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE DECEMBER HOLIDAYS It's cold now, here on San Juan Island. Snow is a possibility every morning, and frost is a certainty. The trees are bare, but we bundle up in layer upon layer of coats and sweaters. And the days are so short. The sun comes up, far in the south, long after breakfast, and it sets long before dinner. This is the time of year when many cultures have celebrations to drive away the dark -- Christmas, with all its lights and its star; Hanukkah, the festival of lights; Kwanzaa; Santa Lucia; midwinter festivals in several cultures; and many others throughout history. Many homeowners on the island put up Christmas lights, of course, doubly welcome outside the town limits, where there are no streetlights. There are decorations, too. I have a tiny model village I put on the mantel for Christmas, and it usually stays for most of the winter. The merchants of Friday Harbor help drive away the dark with a competition to decorate their shop fronts. On December 5, we celebrate St. Nicholas Eve with molded cookies in the shape of the saint with his horse or donkey -- some cookie molds show one, some the other. The story of St. Nicholas is not well-known, but he was a real person who performed great acts of generosity and kindness. It was St. Nicholas cookies that originally sparked my own interest in molded cookies. My husband, Aaron Shepard, is a children's author, and his children's storybook "The Baker's Dozen" is about a baker who learns a lesson of generosity from St. Nicholas himself. Near the end of December is the winter solstice, that turning point that tells us that the sun is coming back, even as we see only cold and darkness. The month ends, of course, with its cornucopia of Christmas cookies These include almost every secular and religious motif you could think of, from jolly snowmen to medieval manger scenes. Baking cookies for family and friends is a special holiday joy, and in the spirit of St. Nicholas, let's bake some to give away as well. For this month, I feature both traditional and new recipes to bake and share.