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March 2 is Read Across America Day

As part of its Read Across America reading program, the National Education Association (NEA) is celebrating Read Across America Day. This celebration coincides with the birthday of Dr. Seuss. More than 45 million teachers, parents and students are expected to participate in events geared toward “getting young people excited about reading.”

Parents, especially mothers, are influential in helping children develop reading skills and in becoming lifelong readers. Consider these facts about children’s literacy from the NEA:

• According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a divison of the U.S. Department of Education1, children who are read to at home enjoy a substantial advantage over children who are not.
• According to NCES, only 53 percent of children ages three to five were read to daily by a family member (1999). Children in families with incomes below the poverty line are less likely to be read to aloud everyday than are children in families with incomes at or above poverty.
• The U.S. Department of Education found that, generally, the more students read for fun on their own time, the higher their reading scores. Between 1984 and 1996, however, the percentage of 12th grade students reporting that they “never” or “hardly ever” read for fun increased from 9 percent to 16 percent.

Were you an avid reader as a child? Who inspired you to start reading? Share one of your favorite books from when you were a young reader. And take time to read today – with a child, with a friend or all by yourself!

Costumes: Key to the time travel portal

I have been involved in theater, music and dance from a very young age, and it’s a passion that remains strong to this day. There is something magical about participating in a stage production – the sense of community, the escapism, the imagination and the pageantry.

Remember how much fun it was to dress up for Halloween? Venturing into the neighborhood as a harem girl, princess or flapper to hang out with astronauts, cowboys and firemen.

Shakespeare said, “Clothes make the man,” and this is especially true in the theater. The right costume can help an actor immerse himself into the role he’s playing, as well as strengthen the illusion experienced by the audience. Even Hollywood understands the importance of costuming. In this article about the 2016 Oscar-nominated costumes, it opens with the statement, “They’re more than just pretty dresses.”

Here are some of my favorite costumes from various theater productions I had roles in. What is one of your favorite films or stage productions based on costumes?

Getting ready for springtime in Seattle

Yesterday I attended the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, and now I have spring fever. This brilliant burst of color and inspiration has been held at the start of spring every year since 1989. The exhibits and displays are incredibly imaginative and inspiring enough to motivate even “armchair gardeners.” Although springtime is still a few weeks away, I’m ready for sunshine, warm breezes and afternoons spent in a garden sanctuary.

If you’re in the Seattle area, the Northwest Flower & Garden Show runs through Feb. 21 and is held at the Washington State Convention Center. It’s a wonderful way to get ready for springtime!

Valentine's Day Giveaway & Daily Winners

In honor of Valentine’s Day and to show how much I love my readers, I’m giving away 14 fabulous prizes every day through February 14! To keep it fun–and not too complicated–here’s how the giveaway is going to work:

#1  Visit my Facebook page every day to find the “giveaway graphic.” The graphic will be posted every day at 9 a.m. EST and you have 24 hours (until the next day’s graphic is posted) to enter. Here’s an example (and it also happens to be today’s graphic):

#2   Browse my website to find the giveaway graphic. Here’s the link to my site: www.jackidelecki.com 

#3  Once you’ve found the graphic, send your name and what page you found the graphic on to mariaconnor @ msn.com.

#4 One winner will randomly be selected from those who qualify and announced the following morning when the next “giveaway graphic” is posted on Facebook.

Oh! You want to know what you could win during this hearts-and-roses giveaway? Well, everyday will be a surprise, but each winner will receive a Valentine-themed gift. I hope you’ll play along every day and invite your friends to join in the fun!

Good luck!

'Love Between the Covers' starring romance readers

On Saturday, January 23, the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America hosted a screening of Love Between the Covers, a “feature-length documentary film about the little-known, surprisingly powerful community of women who read and write romance novels.” A panel including Cherry Adair, Christina Dodd, Julia Quinn and Jayne Anne Krentz led a discussion following the viewing.

Produced by Laurie Kahn, screenings of Love Between the Covers have become an effective means of educating those not familiar with romantic fiction about the genre, authors and publishers, and readers. The film is also a celebration and validation of what romance authors and readers already know: There is nothing trivial, trite or shameful about this multi-billion dollar industry–which is actually more of a community.

Thanks to social media, as well as the variety of reader/author events such as RomCon, The Novel Experience Event, RT Booklovers Convention & Bookfair and Barbara Vey’s Reader Appreciation Weekend, opportunity abounds for readers and writers to connect. It is not uncommon for these casual encounters to evolve into mentorships for readers who want to write, close personal friendships and/or strong professional collaborations.

While I savor every sale, every review, and every award, it is the personal connection with readers that affirms my decision to write romantic suspense. I love hearing that some readers look forward to each new release because it’s a favorite indulgence or that escaping into my stories helped someone cope during a personal crisis. Or that reading Grayce Walters was like returning to their favorite city, Seattle. Or that they learned something new about political intrigue during the Napoleonic war in my Code Breakers series. It’s so much fun to start recognizing names on Facebook and discover a shared passion like high heels, theater or dogs.

Love Between the Covers showcases the unique relationships (readers and readers, authors and authors, authors and readers) that do not exist in other fiction genres. This film reminded me how lucky I am, and how much I value, the friends I’ve made in this community!

I’d love to hear about your special connections with other authors and readers. Feel free to comment on this post or send me a message on Facebook.