Sunday, March 31, 2013

Blog about Children's Fiction Book Reviews


I came across a fun blog that shares reviews on great children's fiction books. The creator of the blog, Kathy, is a mother and teacher that shares her love for children's fiction. Her creative concept introduces new books or reintroduces great classic books from 1950 to 2000. This is a great way to pick out books for your child to read they you may have forgotten about. Kathy personally reviews of the books and are based on diverse generes and topics.

Check out the blog for yourself:

http://www.bookskidslike.blogspot.com/

Saturday, March 23, 2013

I just Backed/Supported my 1st Kickstarter Project!

I am proud to say that I just backed my 1st Kickstarter Project: Howard and Chloe go to Bunnyland.

This project is a children's book about housepets taking an adventure through NYC. The author and illustrator's goal is to raise $2,500 by May 5, 2013. As of now, they are 62% funded. Here were my reasons why I was so appealed to this project and why I chose to back. I think its helpful for artist considering kickstarter to undertand their target market and the reasons they would (or wouldn't) back a project.
  • The first thing that helped was that the project's location was NYC. Having a location in the same vicinity appealed to me greatly. It was also the first projects that popped up during my search.
  • I loved the mockup illustrations. Seeing these sample images for the story helped be visualize the story. 
  • I liked some of the price options. For $20 backing, you get an autographed ebook and a personal thank you note. The ebook would be great to share with your family and children. I also liked the  ultimate reward, for $1,000, they will fly you out to NYC to get a tour and meet the author and illustrator.      
I wish Jason and Kobsupang Robertson Kickstarter success. Please help back this project for them to achieve their goal! I can't wait to start my Kickstarter soon. 

Here is a link to the Kickstarter Project: 


Thursday, March 21, 2013

Considering Kickstarter

This month I am going to talk about Kickstater, a crowdfunding platform that can help artists get their creative project funded through social media. Kickstarter is great for artists, particular children's authors, to get their story out there. Here are my reasons for considering Kickstarter for my up and coming book, Curious Conditions: Dentist:


  • The ability for Curious Conditions: Dentist to get exposure across the nation 
  • Being apart of the national phenomena of crowdfunding particularly, Kickstarter 
  • Raising funds for self-publishing; you also raise money without selling equity of your project
  • Being independent of the traditional publishing route from publishing companies 

I think Curious Conditions: Dentist will be a great candidate for crowdfunding such as Kickstarter. I will post updates soon. Please comment below regarding your thoughts on Kickstarter for children's books.     

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Top 4 fun places to write

Here are my top 4 favorite and fun places to write. These places are great to help clear your mind and help you concentrate:


  • The Park. This is great because it brings the nature without traveling too far. 
  • Living Room with Hot Chocolate. This is great for a cold winter. Sitting with your laptop or notebook along with something that makes you warm (hot chocolate or warm blanket) will help you be comfortable and cozy while letting the writing flow. 
  • Coffeeshop. With the smell of coffee beans and calm music playing in the background, this is a great place to whip out your laptop to write. 
  • Garden. The smell of fresh flowers and plants along with bright colors and a scenic display will bring out the creativity and imagination in anyone. I love being in a garden and authoring something magical. 

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Adventures in a Bookstore

Posman Bookstore at Grand Central Station
What do I do during a long lunch break? Wander around a bookstore. I recently spent some time walking around Posman bookstore in Grand Central Station, NY. I looked to see which books were out and I realized something that virtual bookstores can't provide, the ability to hold, feel, and touch books especially in the children's book section. I had a lot of fun looking at and picking up books along with being able to feel the texture of the pages. It was interesting to see what the other customers picked up and started reading. Walking around a bookstore is a great feeling, a feeling that virtual bookstores can't give us!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

More than just creativity...

Being creative, imaginative, and a great writer may not be enough to be a successful author. At the end of the day you have to force yourself to sit down and write something. Give yourself some deadlines. Give yourself an aim and focus. I think that authors and writers can't get by with just waiting for inspiration. Taking a proactive role in your writing is very important.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Fun Whimsical Images to help you Spark Writing!


Source: http://www.jellepelle.nl/

Check out these fun illustrations that will give inspiration while writing. I have fun looking at my favorites and then keeping the image next to me while writing. It is a great way to spark creativity and imagination while writing.  These wonderful whimsical images where created by Jelle Gijsberts.
Great work Jelle, a true inspiration to all children's book authors. Check out more of his images at http://www.jellepelle.nl/