I am currently retired from the public education system in North Carolina. My career spans nearly thirty years of teaching early childhood classes, working as a Home/School Coordinator, Arts Coordinator and elementary principal. My wife and I team-taught many of those years in early childhood classrooms while writing and developing curriculum utilizing original children’s music as a resource for enhancing literacy in young children. During those years, I developed some solid “creds” as an educator. I was a Finalist for Principal of the Year in North Carolina (1990); recognized for creating and establishing a model SERVing Young Children School for its innovative, non-graded, multi-age program in 1992; and creator/performer/presenter of a unique literacy resource for young children called: “Singing to Read.” My writing is reflective of the driving force behind these experiences and accomplishments, the privilege of being father to two wonderful daughters and the pure joy of watching my four young grandchildren delight in life.
Born in Winston-Salem, NC, I have lived in North Carolina all my life, except for a brief stint in the Navy. Stationed in San Diego, I had the opportunity to travel overseas to such exotic places as Japan, Hong Kong, and Hawaii. My families, on both sides, were all North Carolinians, several of whom were noted educators in the Tar Heel state.
My wife and I have two wonderful daughters and four grandchildren. Our “home away from home” and retreat from the world is a renovated beach house at Atlantic Beach, NC. There is nothing like watching and listening to the ocean or just sitting up late at night on the screened-in porch and feeling the ocean breezes blow in from off-shore.
I have created and developed a Podcast for parents and teachers entitled: Touch A Rainbow. Utilizing my original songs and stories for children, I share thoughts, experiences and dreams about and for our children and about how learning to “touch rainbows” will help us rediscover our “better angels” in this topsy-turvy world in which we live. https://www.anichentime.com/tarpodcast-1
Writing Honors/Completed Works
Adult novel SHOES (under original title, GIFT) was a Quarter-finalist in a past Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest and a Semi-Finalist in 2019 for an Elixer Press Award.
Featured Presenters of “Singing To Read,” our Literacy through Music program at various NCaeyc/Naeyc regional and national Conferences.
Sandcastle Magic(original working title: The Sandcastle Queen) Honorable Mention in 76th Annual Writer’s digest Writing Competition in the Children’s Fiction category.
Picture book manuscripts Santa Clothes and Granny Tickle’s Teeth received Honorable Mentions in the 85th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in the Children’s/Young Adult Fiction Category.
I have completed twelve picture book manuscripts, a completed middle grade fantasy trilogy (RimBomBo), a middle grade contemporary (The Truth About Starfish), and an upper middle grade fantasy (Hope of Glimmer).
I am a member of SCBWI and have been a participant in Julie Hedlund’s 12 X 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge.
