The Funniest Reasons Customers Reject Books

This article from Publishers Weekly mostly concerns children's books, which makes it even more sad and funny. Workers in bookstores and librarians must really hear everything! The Funniest Reasons Customers Reject Books

Angeline is Excited for Halloween!

Guess what she wants?

An Interview with Deborah Weed

Could you tell us more about the interactive, original musical that you are putting together for children and their families?

Yes! Since my background includes creating and producing theatrical experiences for both
children and adults, I have learned something very important. If you want someone to really
remember something and make learning FUN, then put your words to music.

Have you ever created and produced a children’s musical before?

Yes! I created and produced The Sticky Bun Bandits. It was a riot. The music included everything from rock-n-roll, pop, and reggae, to hip hop.

What was The Sticky Bun Bandits about?

It helped children understand the what solutions are through my main characters: Wickelsnaker, a grandpa; his grandchildren, Sarah and Drew, and a multi-colored zebra called Jammin. I branded them “Solution’s Tour Guides.” Their first adventure was to help Big Ant find out where the greedy Sticky Bun Bandits were hiding all of the sugar, yeast and dough in Sweetland.

Where were the shows performed?

The cast performed at Malls; festivals; schools; parties, etc. I built it into a show that had a
tremendous demand.

Are you still doing the production?

No, right when I was at the top of the game, I experienced a health challenge that derailed my
career.

What have you learned from that experience?

Great question. I learned that success is not what I thought it was. Success to me, is being happy moment to moment. If I am having fun doing what I am doing, that is enough.

How will The Luckiest Penny be different?

Before, I wanted to prove what I was capable of. I did that. This time around, I want to share my wisdom and expertise with others so that they can shine!

Is there anything else that you would like to share with my readers?

Yes! Never, ever give up! We always hear these words and it can sound like platitudes. However,if you’ve lived a “Chutes and Ladders” type of life like I have, then you can say it from a different place--a place where it is not an exchange of words but an exchange of energy from the heart!

Meet Deborah Weed, Author of "The Luckiest Penny"

Deborah Weed has had an extensive thirty-year career in marketing/entertainment that has
included everything from being: Director of Marketing for Fame International responsible for a
26 million-dollar pavilion; Director of Development for Citibank; Creator/Producer of
“Sensations”; “The Disappearance of Dino Dinero”; “The Sticky Bun Bandits”; “Compassionate
Chip Cookies & Milk,” etc. . .

A life threatening health challenge redirected Weed’s life. She got stuck and realized that people
defined her by the circumstances, rather than by a lifetime of experiences. After regaining her
mojo, Weed decided to leap into the world of writing, inspirational speaking and coaching so that
she could provide a shortcut for others who are experiencing disappointment and feeling
misunderstood.

“The Luckiest Penny,” is Weed’s first book. “The Luckiest Penny” is the story of two rare 1943
pennies. One penny remains out of circulation, full of himself and selfish, caring only about how
much money he is worth. The other penny decides to experience living and along the way
discovers what really matters in life.

“This book was written to give children a healthy set of values that will assist them on their
journey in life. I want them to remember what is really important so that they don’t get
discouraged by life’s ups and downs,” said Weed. The book’s genre is a fable/allegory and the
illustrations by Ernest Socolov, transport the reader into the alternative world of a penny who is
tarnished and yet loved!

An all original, musical interactive production is being created and produced for “The Luckiest
Penny.” The show should be ready in November.

Weed is currently working on: a second children’s book with collaborator Ellen Brazer; a book
that shares her father’s wisdom (The working title is “Dancing on my Father’s Shoes) and a
social network to help people of all ages and background get unstuck.

Weed is also an award-winning artist. Water sculptures are the primary medium for her mixed media pieces. The result is a salubrious technique that takes color into a new arena of purity that is vivid, fluid and alive.

Born and raised in Miami, Weed is blessed with a loving family and friends that are her
champions.

More about Deborah:

Email: deborahweed@mac.com
Websites:
http://deborahweed.ning.com/
http://web.mac.com/deborahweed
http://www.theluckiestpenny.com
http://www.discoveredartists.com/gallery/ArtofBliss

Tomorrow: Meet Deborah Weed

Tomorrow and Thursday: Meet Deborah Weed, author of the children's book The Luckiest Penny. Learn all about the book and her other projects, including children's musicals!

Everyone Loves Mo Willems!

Everyone loves Mo Willems, author/illustrator of great picture books like the ever-popular Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. Now you can read his fantastic blog that takes readers behind the scenes of the life of an author/illustrator. You can even follow the rants of the Pigeon on Twitter!

Just another example of how truly everyone is jumping on the blogging/Twitter bandwagon.

Vote at First Book!

For many kids, books aren't widely available. That's where First Book can help. Right now, First Book is asking you to vote for the state you feel is most worthy of a donation of 50,000 new children's books! You can vote once a day up until September 30th at http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/. First Book also wants to know: What book got you hooked? Results of the national vote – as well as a Top 50 list of books that got readers hooked – will be published in October.

A New Tour of VBT: Writers on the Move Starts Sept. 1st!

VBT: Writers on the Move starts their next round of promotion on September 1st! Each month, a group of talented, award-winning writers set aside their blogs on the 1st and the 3rd to promote each other's latest books and projects. This month, we start the VBT: Writers on the Move Mystery Site Give-away. Each month, the winner will have the choice of receiving the Mystery Site Host's book or a guest spot on VBT Writers on the Move blog. So, go visit all our blogs and see what we've been up to, and you could also be a winner!

VBT Writers on the Move September Schedule

Dianne Sagan hosts Crystalee Calderwood- That's me!

Harry Gilleland hosts Steve Tremp (Author of Breakthrough)

'Karen Cioffi hosts Vivian Zabel (Author or Case of the Missing Coach, Midnight Hours, and many more, and publisher at 4rv Publishing)

Kathy Stemke hosts Heather Paye (15 year old author of A Gift from Above)

Lea Schizas hosts Nancy Famalari (author of Summer's Story)

Nancy Famalari hosts Carolyn Howard-Johnson (Author of The Frugal Editor and The Frugal Book Promoter)

Vivian Zabel hosts Kathy Stemke (Author of Moving Through all Seven Days)

Margaret Fieland hosts Dianne Sagan (Author of Rebekah Redeemed)

Crystalee Calderwood -that's me! hosts Deborah Weed (Author of The Luckiest Penny)

Katie Hines hosts Marvin Wilson (Author of I Romanced the Stone, Between the Storm and the Rainbow, and more.)

Helena Harper hosts Mayra Calvani (Author of Crash!)

Dorothy Massey hosts Harry Gilleland (Author of numerous books of poetry)

Liana Metal hosts Lea Schizas (Author of Bubba and Giganto- Odds Against Us and founder of the Muse Online Writer's Conference)

Carolyn Howard-Johnson hosts Gayle Trent (mystery author)

Gayle Trent hosts Karen Cioffi (Author of Day's End Lullaby)

Mayra Calvani hosts Katie Hines (Author of upcoming book Guardian)

Marvin Wilson hosts Liana Metal (Author of Storytime)

Anita Yasuda hosts Dorothy Massey (her work appears in the Mini Mysteries and Spooky Stories anthology for kids)

Linda Asato hosts Helena Harper (Author of It's a Teacher's Life!: A Collection of Poems Set in a Girl's Private School)


Heather Paye hosts Anita Yasuda (Author of numerous books for both adults and children)

Steve Tremp hosts Margaret Fieland (Author of Moving Through All Seven Days)

Deboran Weed hosts Linda Asato (Author of the 4RV book Spider in Our Mailbox)

Come Visit my Amazon.com Store!

This month on my Amazon.com store, I'm featuring Angeline Jellybean, as well as a number of back to school books for young readers. I hope you'll check it out and purchase books for your children as they head back to school!

What are your writing roots?

I had a really fascinating conversation yesterday with Mark about how long we've been writing. My writing roots sprouted in Mrs. Biseli's first grade class. Each week, we were given a small black and white picture at random, which we were to paste into our notebooks and then write a story based upon it. I absolutely loved it. I always had the longest stories out of everyone in my class, and my teacher would always compliment me on my name choices.


Although I started out writing short stories, pretty soon I had switched to poetry. Poetry got me through my difficult pre-teen and teen years. In my eighth grade reading class, we were encouraged to do creative projects like writing poems based on the books we were reading. I always went way over the top, using posterboard, colored paper and glitter as backgrounds for my work.


My love of poetry continued until I placed 2nd in a local poetry contest held in affiliation with the Blair County Arts Festival. That was the first time I ever had to read my poetry in front of people, and I was absolutely terrified. Around that time, I also had my first experience with Poetry.com. I didn't realize it then, but the poem I entered probably wasn't publication worthy, yet they "accepted" it and also nominated it for some prize. Once I realized that the company thrived on taking unsuspecting poets' money, I could never look at that poem the same way again. But the mere fact that I had won a poetry contest was enough to propel me into high school.

In college, I majored in English and took my very first poetry workshop. Despite some not-so-great teachers, I excelled in poetry. I felt as if I had found my niche. I had some awesome teachers there, too, who introduced me to poets like Nikki Giovanni and Ted Kooser. I also literally got to meet some well-known poets too. My poetry improved so much in those four years.

I applied to the MFA program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh toward the end of my senior year in college, and was blown away when I was accepted. I started there in August 2006. Chatham was my dream school. I enrolled in the poetry track. Although I have mixed feelings about the program now, I credit Chatham for helping me decide what I don't want to do with my life and what I do want to do with it. I took my very first class in writing for children during my first semester, and that's when my writing really started to come alive.

Almost three years later, I have my MFA in Creative Writing with a dual emphasis in Poetry and Writing for Children, have had my first picture book, and numerous poems, published. I can't believe how far I've come with my writing. I never considered writing for children before going to grad school. I also feel as if I have gone full circle- from a child writing short stories to an adult writing short stories for children. I am so passionate about writing for children and feel as if I can be myself through my stories and books for kids.

I have already written my first YA novel and I'm currently almost finished with my second. Writing for children has given me the opportunity to explore many diverse genres.

Now, my question to you: When did your writing roots begin?

Angeline Goes to the Zoo!

Today, July 25th, Angeline will be appearing at Oklahoma Zoo's 2nd Annual Author Expo! Vivian Zabel from 4RV Publishing will be there with a number of books, including my very own Angeline Jellybean! Angeline is very excited for the cotton candy Viv has promised her. ;-)

You can read all about 4RV's involvement in the festival of Viv's blog.

An Interview with Deb Hockenberry

Check out Deb Hockenberry's blog today for a brand new interview with me about Angeline Jellyean! It was great to be interviewed by a children's writer from my hometown, Altoona, PA. I wish the best of luck to Deb in her pusuit of getting published!

Contest: Help Angeline Taste the World!

Angeline came to me with a problem today. She is tired of living on the farm and wants to see the world! I’m afraid her sweet tooth is back. She told me she’s heard that Ocean City has some great salt water taffy, Hershey, Pennsylvania has the best chocolate, and she can’t wait to get her hands on some Turkish delight!

I promised Angeline I’d help her try as many sweet treats as possible. To achieve her goal, she must visit as many of you as possible! Here’s how you can help:

1) If you’ve already purchased a copy of Angeline Jellybean, let me know what city or state you live in, and what candies Angeline has tried there, in a comment below.
2) If you haven’t purchased Angeline Jellybean yet, what are you waiting for? Angeline is hungry for new types of candy. There are several ways you can buy the book:
*Order it on Amazon.com
*Order it from the publisher, 4RV Publishing
*Go to your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy for you

Once you order Angeline Jellybean, leave a comment below listing your city or state and what candy you’re going to give Angeline. Post your message by August 13th, 2009 and you could win a prize!

Now, here’s the fun part! On or after August 15th 2009, I will choose one person at random to receive a very special prize of jellybeans from JellyBelly.com, courtesy of me!

Good luck! (And let’s hope that Angeline doesn’t get sick from eating all this candy!)

What's Wrong with Mud Tour is here today!

Today, it is my pleasure to welcome illustrator Nikki Shoemaker to my blog. I "met" Nikki because she is currently working with my publisher, 4RV Publishing. Today, we will be discussing What's Wrong with Mud?, a picture book written by Gillian Colley and illustrated by Nikki.




Can you tell my readers a little about the premise behind What's Wrong with Mud?

A: The characters in What's Wrong with Mud? are pigs and ducks. The ducks like to play in their pond and stay clean while the pigs like to play in their sty and stay dirty. One day they decide to change places to see how the other spends their day. The pigs get to play in the pond and the ducks get to play in the mud. They learn that both lifestyles can be fun!

I know very little about the life of illustrators. How did you get involved in this particular project?

A: This particular project actually just popped up in my inbox one afternoon. The editor who runs the ABC Picture Book Competition had seen my work and contacted about participating in the competition. I felt it would be a neat adventure and decided to say yes and an adventure it has been! Though this may be a rare occurrence to some illustrators, I seem to gain a lot of projects just from all the networking I do over the internet. Marketing yourself in this industry is key.

What is your educational background and how did it prepare you for picture book illustrating?

A: I starting illustrating when I figured out what crayons could do. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by family and teachers who recognized my talents at an early age and made sure I stayed active in the arts. That then led me to Columbus College of Art and Design were after a year of fundamentals, was advised that my skills were best suited for the illustration industry. I have been working towards the children's industry ever since.

What mediums do you typically work in? Would you say that What's Wrong with Mud? was a challenge to complete?

A: I have worked in many mediums and have felt comfortable with just about anything I pick up, but have always loved playing with paper. So What's Wrong with Mud? was completed in cut paper. Today, I still do a little bit in cut paper, but work mostly in digital format, because it is quick and allows you to do some different things and provides a multitude of effects.

How long does it take you to finish a picture book?

A: It all depends on the picture book. It took me about 8 months to finish the artwork alone, on What's Wrong with Mud?. And then another two months to go through the layout and proofing. I am currently working on a book that has already taken me 8 months and I have another 2 months worth of work, but take into account that I also have a day job right now. So, I work on art in the evenings and on weekends.

Do you go through multiple drafts of your illustrations during the process?

A: YES!!! They start out as little-bitty thumbnails in a rough shape with the final in mind. I do lots of those for each illustration and then I choose what I feel is the best composition. Then I blow it up to half size of the final and do another sketch on top. From there the illustration gets sent to the editor for approval. It sometimes comes back with lots of edits, some edits or NO edits if you are really lucky! A piece can have anywhere from 5 to 10 (sometimes more, on rare occasions for me) changes before it is finalized. Some of those changes little some major compositional changes...

When working on What's Wrong with Mud? what was your average illustration day like?

A: Well, at that time, I was only working on that specific book, so let's say on a Saturday that I dedicated to the book. I would wake up, have some coffee and a snack, go to my art room and get to work. I usually like to divid an illustration up into segments, it helps in making an agenda for the day. So I would say, get all the tracing done by 10:00 a.m., then I would take a short break and play with the dogs, come back and expect to get all my pieces traced onto the right colors. Then lunch. Then I might decide to work on a particular character or the background. I space it out so I don't get overwhelmed or bored with anyone thing.I am working in digital now with the Critter Group book and I divide it up in layers and time.My days are using very different than what a normal illustrator does, only because of the day job. Crossing my fingers that I won't be doing that much longer!

Do you do multiple projects at one time?

A: During What's Wrong with Mud? I did not have multiple projects. But now I do. But I do realize the time constraints I am under and make sure not to take on more than I can handle. That is very important, because I pride myself on meeting deadlines ahead of time if possible, but NEVER late.

What is the best part if illustrating children's books?

A: I love reading a manuscript for the first time and as you read the images just flow, like a movie. Then I re-read it over and over again and take notes about those images I see in my head. The process changes the images here and there until you get to a finalized sketch that goes on to be the finished piece. The evolution of the entire creative process is what makes illustrating picture books so much fun!


Thanks for answering a curious author's questions, Nikki!

You can learn more about Nikki at http://www.nikkisartroom.com/ or http://www.pinkpencil.blogspot.com/




Read below about how you can enter to win a special prize from the illustrator, Nikki Shoemaker.

Thanks for stopping by the What’s Wrong with Mud Virtual Book Tour.

Nikki is giving away 3 themed tote bags and there are 3 ways to enter to win!

• Copy/paste the book tour schedule onto your blog and leave a comment on Nikki’s blog to let her know that you posted on or before Saturday, July 11.


• Create your own blog post promoting What’s Wrong with Mud?
  (You can contact Nikki for the Cover image and an interview to post if you want to)


• Stop by each blog on the Book Tour and leave a comment on each including Nikki’s blog (on or before Saturday, July 11), to let her know to enter you into the drawing.

If you enjoyed the book tour and would like a autographed copy of What’s Wrong with Mud? please email Nikki Shoemaker, nikki.shoemaker@yahoo.com for more details.

Nikki Shoemaker is My Guest Tomorrow!

Tomorrow, illustrator Nikki Shoemaker is my special blog guest. I recently interviewed her about the life of an illustrator and her new book What's Wrong with Mud?

Don't forget to stop by the other stops on her blog tour!

Sunday, July 5 -- Nikki Shoemaker announcing the book tour
Monday July 6 -- Rena Jones
Tuesday, July 7 -- Crystalee Calderwood and Mandy Hedrick
Wednesday, July 8 -- Wendy Martin and Roberta Baird
Thursday, July 9 -- Linda B. Rodgers and Carli Moua
Friday, July 10 -- Diana Jenkins
Saturday, July 11 -- Nikki Shoemaker wrapping up book tour and announcing winners.

Nikki is giving away 3 themed tote bags and there are 3 ways to enter to win!

1. Copy/paste the book tour schedule onto your blog and leave a comment on Nikki’s blog to let her know that you posted on or before Saturday, July 11.
2. Create your own blog post promoting What’s Wrong with Mud?
(You can contact Nikki for the Cover image and an interview to post if you want to)
3. Stop by each blog on the Book Tour and leave a comment on each including Nikki’s blog (on or before Saturday, July 11), to let her know to enter you into the drawing.

If you enjoyed the book tour and would like a autographed copy of What’s Wrong with Mud? please email Nikki Shoemaker, nikki.shoemaker@yahoo.com for more details.

Guest Blog Article by Mayra Calvani

On Inspiration, Allergies, and Dog Books
By Mayra Calvani

One of the questions I’m asked the most on school visits is “Where do you get your ideas?”
Ideas come from all around: TV, magazines, memories, grandmothers’tales, dreams, and even nightmares. In the case of my children’s picture book, Crash! about a little boy and his first golden retriever puppy, I was inspired by a sad personal experience. Years ago, we got a golden retriever puppy, which we named Crash. Crash was a sweet, smart, assertive dog, and he stole our hearts from day One. Unfortunately, he was with us only three weeks. Though we didn’t know it at the time, my daughter, who was only four back then, was allergic to dogs. She fell sick almost immediately with a bronchitis that wouldn’t go away and was quickly turning to pneumonia. The antibioticsweren’t working. Finally, the doctor’s words crushed us: “You have toget rid of your dog.” Believe me, those are horrible words to have to hear. It broke our hearts, but only three weeks after we had got him,we had to give Crash up.

It’s amazing what the loss of a pet can do to you. The one who was struck the hardest was my son, who was about eleven back then. He felt betrayed by all of us, but especially by his sister who in his eyes was the criminal. After all, it was because of her that Crash had to go away. Tears were abundant that first month after we gave him up. To top it all, it was December, Christmas time!

The good side of this story is, we found a wonderful home for Crash. The last I heard about them is that ‘They love him to death’.

Right away we knew we had to do something if we were going to have adog in the future, so we took my daughter to an allergy specialist who put her on a three-year treatment. Three years seemed daunting,especially at that time; but, as you know, time passes quickly and patience pays off. In the end, the treatment worked like a charm and we were able to get another golden retriever puppy. We named him Amigo. Three years old now, he’s our darling, the bell of our hearts. He keeps himself busy chasing the rabbits and interviewing authors for his blog, Pets and Their Authors. You can visit him at http://www.petsandauthors.blogspot.com/.

But to get back to inspiration… I wanted to immortalize Crash. Ineeded to ‘let him know’ that we would never forget him—and what better way than with a book? I dedicated the story to my son, the one who was struck the hardest by his departure.

Writing is a form of healing. A book is a very powerful thing. For me,it was the only way to put closure to a heartbreaking experience.

All about Mayra Calvani's Book Crash!

Crash! A new picture book by Mayra Calvani

As a lover of Golden Retrievers, it is my pleasure to share with you today Crash! a sweet and cute picture book by Mayra Calvani.

The story is about a young boy named Marcelo, who receives a golden retriever puppy for his fifth birthday. He takes excellent care of the puppy; feeding, bathing, brushing and walking him, but he can’t decide on a name for his furry four-legged friend. Mom and Dad offer a few suggestions, however, Marcelo doesn’t like any of them. So he waited and watched, enjoying time with his puppy and then it happened…he would call the puppy….

Crash!

Tomorrow, author Mayra Calvani will do a special guest blog article about the moving inspiration behind the book.

Pick up your copy at:

Amazon.com
Guardian Angel Publishing

Now available in Spanish, too!

Coming Tomorrow- Crash! by Mayra Calvani

Starting tomorrow, I will have three days of information about a great children's book Crash! by Mayra Calvani.

Crash! is the story of an adorable Golden Retriever puppy and his boy, who struggles to give him a name. Until, suddenly, it all becomes obvious. . .

Crash! is a great picture book for dog lovers of all ages. Please stop by to say hi and leave your comments and questions for Mayra!

**VBT - Writers on the Move now has a monthly mystery site give-away feature. During the tours, a lucky commenter on the mystery site will win a book, ebook or other prize from that author. See schedule in previous post. Comment on the right post and you can win!**

More About Mini Mysteries & Kooky Spookies

Title: Mini Mysteries & Kooky Spookies
Authors: Stephanie Campisi, Calvin Innes, Dorothy Massey, Marcia Nass
Summary: Mini Mysteries & Kooky Spookies is a collection of one dozen mysteries and spooky stories for early readers. The book features six simple everyday mysteries that readers can solve along with six not-so-scary tales of some hauntingly memorable spooks. The three stories written by Dorothy Massey feature the ghost twins Wiggle and Woo.

Available from http://www.pinestein.com/ and Amazon.com (You can also purchase it by clicking on the cover to the right, nestled betweeen Angeline Jellybean and The Art of Science ;-) )

Meet Dorthy Massey

Dorothy Massey is the author of a set of three stories about ghost twins, Wiggle and Woo, published in an anthology by Pinestein Press in Dec 2007 entitled ‘Mini Mysteries and Kooky Spookies’. http://www.pinestein.com/ Dorothy was delighted to be commissioned to write these stories after winning first prize in Pinestein’s ‘Things that go Bump …’ competition with a story comprising a spooky twist on the fairytale, Little Red Riding Hood. Since then she has won further competitions, with one of her stories being recorded as a podcast by TV presenter Gail Porter to launch a new storytelling character for Munch Bunch products.

Dorothy specialised in teaching literacy and has taught ESL, Adult Basic Skills, Family Learning and Creative Writing. The third edition of her publication for ESL students, ‘Better English’, published by Studymates, http://www.studymates.co.uk/ has recently been published in India.

She now writes fiction for children from pre-school to Key Stage 2 as well as teaching Creative Writing for Durham County Council’s Education in the Community. Two packs of poetry resources for Key Stage 3 written by Dorothy are awaiting publication with Zig Zag and she has a fantasy novel in progress.

Dorothy lives in Crook, a small ex-mining town in the North East of England and is a member of SSWAG (Seven Stories Writers and Artists Group). For more information about Dorothy and writing for children, visit her blog: http://www.kidsbooksuk.blogspot.com/