Hi, friends! How are you all doing? I have a little gift for you to hopefully bring some joy and creativity to your day. It’s a story time with a fun new book I discovered at last year’s Association of Writers and Publishers conference. And, you know what? You (and your parents) will probably learn … More Bridging Learning & Creativity
I had so much fun hosting a special story time at my hometown library in Ohio last week. We created imagination telescopes, just like Leo’s in The Denim Jungle. And you can, too—it’s so easy! If you’re looking for a fun (practically free) craft for your kids, school, or library, this one is great for … More Make Your Own Denim Jungle Telescopes
For those of you who weren’t able to make it to The Denim Jungle book launch party in Seattle, I wanted to bring the party to you. So… welcome, friends, to my virtual book party! Come on in. I have all kinds of fun in store for you today. Enjoy your own personal author reading. Exercise your imaginations … More Virtual Book Launch Party
My birthday (the big 4-0!) has added an extra patina of sentimentality and reflection to this holiday. In honor of this milestone—punctuated by finally unlocking the “author” achievement—I’ve assembled my own 12 days of Christmas* Thankfulness. Day 1: Cathy Taylor Day 2: Sue LaGow Day 3: Ryan Hylland Day 4: Jackie Phillips Day 5: Szaba … More 12 Days of Christmas Thankfulness: Day 4
Alright, people. Today marks the day that The Denim Jungle is officially available to 39,000 retailers and libraries over 87% of the world! You can order yours right now on Amazon. CRAZY. To celebrate, here are some illustration sneak peeks. Enjoy, and happy holidays to you and your little explorers!
They say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but in fact we all do. Take for example the books above, all of which come up when you search Amazon for “cover design.” One topic. Five very different covers. And five rather different judgements we automatically assign to each. Self-publishing friends, those judgements transform into sales. … More Cover Design
It’s Tuesday morning. You’re knee deep into a busy week, and the weekend lies far in the distance… You need a break. You need some eye candy. The Denim Jungle on Instagram Are you on Instagram? I’ve started an account for @thedenimjungle with pictures about seeing the world from a kids’ perspective. Come on, aren’t you … More Eye Candy
Someone once told me that writers have especially intuitive dreams. I’ve had some soul-shaking ones, and last week’s was a doozy. But more on that later. So I consulted the Internet. Turns out there are whole books on the subject of writers and dreams. Did you know that without dreams we wouldn’t have Frankenstein, The Strange Case … More What Are Your Dreams Telling You?
How do you find an illustrator for your children’s book? Or perhaps more adequately… How do you find, choose, and trust a person to take what’s been in your head and turn it into the tangible something special you know it can be? There are many ways to go about finding an illustrator: You can already know of an … More Finding an Illustrator—and Introducing Mine!
Thanks for all the great feedback on my publishing logo, friends! It was a tough decision, but your choice ended up matching my gut reaction. Drum roll, please. … … …
My Castle Heart Publications 