New link that will allow you to buy more than one book at a time....

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=PNNZHFVRD8554

This is ME!

Well I am off to the West Coast Trail, and 80km hike on Vancouver Island! I am really looking forward to it! Pray for sunny weather for me will ya!

2 more days...

Two more days until my book is finished! Then I send it to the printers and they give me a proof...If I approve it all...I will have books by the first week in September ready for sale! I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT!

Since the age of 16, I have wanted to publish my own book. When I was 16, I certainly didn't think I would write a kid's book and a certainly didn't think it would be about trees! How did that happen? In high school I had plans of becomming a dental assistant or an airline stewardess and write a book full of poetry and songs...You see I also wanted to be a singer because I wanted to be rich and buy my dad a boat and my mom a new car. What a dreamer I was.....Well, I did become a dental assistant and worked as an assistant   for about 5 years. I DID NOT LIKE IT! I quit and started paddling instead. How I paid for that lifestyle...didn't eat very much and took up a job at a hotel, "Holiday Inn" in Chilliwack BC. Worked at the YMCA too and that is where I met my husband. In a power cycling class. I walked in, late as usual and saw him spinning on his little bike, thought he looked cute so I sat beside him. I proceeded to check if he was wearing a ring...nope he wasn't so.....whatever...totally off topic, sorry.

Anyway, here I am a couple decades later..weeks away from finally completing my dream! "Never give up!" I always say...and I never will.

These book are $15.00 each and you will have an opportunity to purchase one on my FB link, on Amazon, or at one of my book launches...will give you a list soon of when and where! So tired...must rebuild my energy!

What does the word "NO" mean?

This is what the Larch looks like just after the buds have fully come out to soak up the sun's rays.

As you can see, even the cones are feathery and usually run about 1-2 inches long and about an 1 inch wide.

I really don't know what the word "NO" means because if I did...I probably wouldn't be alive today! (Google search my Cycle Tour Across Canada to learn why I shouldn't be alive!) For some reason the word "NO" fuels a fire inside me that can't ever be extinguished. Throught the process of writing these books, I have been told no so many times that I have lost count. I've heard no from publishers, agents, distributers, banks, arts councils, numerous grants, illustrators, and the list goes on. But for some reason the only voice that I listen to..is the voice in my head and in my heart. It feels as though I am being guided and taught valuable life lessons and this voice that lives within  pushes me along, not smoothly, but along.  And I love it because I feel confident that I will succeed by living my life this way.

There are three main passions in my life.

1.) My family

2.) My garden

3.) My books

There are many other things I like to do like mountain biking, skiing, hiking, sewing, general creating, volunteering, and helping bears . But if don't complete my goals taken from my top 3 list, I will not enjoy the extra curricular activites noted above.  I find that so many people I know have exteme sports in their top 3 and I, at one time lived a life like that, but as I am getting older extreme sports don't seem as important. Staying healthy is, but not striving to chuck the hugest drop that can destroy one's family dynamic in less than a second by ending up in a hospital with a broken neck. It just doesn't seem to matter when you look at the big picture of life and what's important.

Every night before I go to bed, I visually run through the different activites that I have planned for the next day. So the following day when I wake up I hit the floor running and can get a lot done. I will usually not go to bed until every activity is completed as best as I can.  I am a very visual person and I think I even have a photographic memory as I can still picture rivers, waves and races that I competed in 15 years ago.  I apply this way of living to each day I live. I have had one too many near fatal accidents over my life time and I have come to realize that life is so precious and needs to be taken advantage of every minit of the day and every minit of the day I use, scheme, think of ways to improve myself and the projects I am working on. Every day I strive to be a better person. There are some days I am too tired and say to hell with it all and waste time  watching tv. But even as I watch tv, in the back of my mind I continue to scheme up more ideas.  Life is so awesome and to be enjoyed every chance you get.

So when I hear a no, I usually get angry, yell, and scream, but then come full circle, I use it to my advantage. "No", builds me up instead of tearing me down. Crazy as it sounds...sometimes I love hearing "No", just so I can say "Oh ya, Watch this!"

So, if you believe in yourself and your project but you can't seem to get a break, overcome it, go around it, and move on!

That's my thoughts for today!

What does Leonard Really Look Like?

Alexander is holding a sapling that has just burst. Isn't he handsome!

The second picture is just cute. I am pretending a logging truck has a full load ready to take to the mill. But if you look closely, you'll notice the faller forgot to cut off the root system...lol!

The third picture in this set is the profile of a Larch just before it bursts. I added a little spooky sepia effect and you'll understand why better when you read my story. These trees look dead because there are no needles present. Later I will post these same trees in full bloom. Larch are absolutely beautiful close up with their feathery soft needles. Go and take a look and let me know if you think you've found Leonard and while you are at it, tell me what your favorite tree is.

If you have seen this kind of coniferous tree stretching high into the sky with funky branching...you know that you are probably looking at Leonard.

Front Cover of my Book

My Illustrator Xim is in Quebec on a Student Exchange program yet she is still able to create amazing works of art. She has sent me a few illustrations now but I thought I would share the front cover you.  Everything is a go with these books. I can't see why they should not be ready for sale on September 1st. I have decided to print locally. Ingrid from Hall's Printing did such an amazing job on my bookmarks....there was no way I could not print the books with her too. She has offered me a fair price and she is also accomodating with the printing times. I will have a good portion of my books ready for my first book signing which will be Sept 11th at Golden City Days here in Rossland.

I have also composed a song and will be preforming it live on stage with my son's music teacher, Terry Marshall! I am very excited about that. I think it's a pretty catchy tune and once in a while I can hear my kids singing it to themselves unprompted. I am extremely nervous however because of my untrained voice...hopefully you will hear Terry more than me. But anyway, hope you all can come and buy a book from me then! I will let you know the time later on but the location is the Miner's Hall in Rossland.

My two kids collecting sap for the Science Project Section of the book...more to follow...

Self Publishing vs Standard Publishing

I am a firm believer that Self Publishing is the way to go this day and age. The reason, no one else feels the passion or the drive for your success more than you. Simple thought for the day!

Bookmarks are in!

Just got my bookmarks today! They are beautiful! I have 1000 of them and they cost $168.00 so that works out to be about 6 cents each.  I thought bookmarks instead of business cards would be more practical and appealing to the consumer. I wanted something that stood out and Hall's Printing in Trail BC did an excellent  job!

Also, I bought my barcode today and it was only $25.00! That was a nice surprise but seriously a bunch of lines with small numbers underneath costs $25.00? C'est La Vie!

I am ready. The only thing I have left to do is take a profile picture of a Larch. I had no idea how hard it would be to find one Larch tree standing completley on it's own with no other trees blocking it or telephone wires running straight across the picture, or even houses in the back ground. Then I have to contend with the sun. Of course the lighting has to be perfect to get a clear image.  I have about 200-300 pictures of Larch trees but not one of them are good enough for my book! And if this rain would stop...maybe I could actually get an opportunity to go outside and look for some more.  By the way, does anyone know when summer starts around here? This has been the longest Spring on record!

I am also waiting for my illustrator to send more drafts...getting a little nervous! But I trust her and I believe her when she said she would get it done in time to meet the deadline. Just wish I had more illustrations to look at.

Well I now own my own story!

So, I have my ISBN number but did you know that it doesn't come with the barcode?  You have to buy the barcode separately! Wierd! Barcodes range anywhere from $60.00 - $80.00.  If you do not have one, you can never sell your books in stores so I have gone ahead and ordered them and my profits will take another hit. Anyway, I also bought a copyright to my story. There goes another $60.00 dollars. But at least I am covered if anyone wants to steal my most excellent idea!

I posted a link to purchase my book on my facebook page and in about 15 minuits, I sold my first copy! Then a little later on, 3 more! So I've sold a whopping 4 books. I only have 996 more to go!  Anyone else want to buy one?  They will not be ready until September. But, my bookmarks are ready now! SO, if you would like one....you can get one free with a purchase of a book. There goes another $175.00 but wait till you see them! They are absolutely beautiful!

Well, I got word from all my potential sponsors and have recieved no financial support from anyone. Tomorrow, I will go to the bank and apply for a line of credit...WISH ME LUCK!

I am so HAPPY with my new illustrator!

Summer Vacation

I am off for a couple of weeks of camping and if I can't find WiFi...there will be a little gap before the next post. Be back the first week in July!

Food for thought...I have been recieving a lot of "No's" lately and I don't know if it is my grandios attitude or a defense mechanism but it is a struggle to keep my head up and maintain a positive attitude towards people. I feel like I want to hide away and not come out.

What I've learned to date is that not everyone thinks you are as good as you think you are, not everyone likes your books or feels the passion that you feel for your books, and the world around you that actually reallllly cares about you, willing to weed your garden with you or pull you out of the trenches during a battle through the trenches of grant writing is very small! So hang on tightly to those people that care, phone them up, or send them a card letting them know how much you care!

What do you think of Page 6 in "Leonard the Larch"

Well, here is page 6 in "Leonard the Larch"...

"Mother Earth didn't waste any time. The sky grew dark, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling across the skies. Leonard was scared and wondered what he had done. As Mother Earth swirled her wand high above her head, a lightning bolt struck the end of her wand with a huge explosion!"

Xim, my new artist is only 16 years old and she has an eye to detail that is unique and original...I love working with her and I hope you enjoy her illustrations!

Editors and Market Research

Writing a kids book is easy! You come up with a romantic idea and your gutt feeling tells you it's a number one book seller for sure! That's the easy part.  But, after you've written the book I suggest sending it to an editor, not a friend, but a professional.  After, what I thought was a finished book ready to print, I had a friend read it and let me tell ya...she wasn't shy in offering suggestions. Depending on the friend you have, he or she could be too helpful like some junior hairstylist hacking off all your hair because she thought it would look "cool" but not knowing what they were doing; or not helpful at all and offering that, "ohhhh it's so great" advice. My editor is Debbie Bazzet from Kelowna BC. She is absolutley WONDERFUL! She is my saving grace!

So get a proffesional EDITOR!

Next, do  your market research. For example, a couple of years back everyone was putting out an "ABC" book but putting their own twist like ABC Firemans, or ABC Logging, or Alphabad are some examples. If you are thinking of doing this type of book, I would really think twice. The market is flooded with these types of books. If you've bought a book and you really like the style, topic, or content, ask your bookstore or librarian for other books which are similar. Find out how many other books are like the one you like. If there is more than one, I would not suggest pursuing that type of book if you are thinking of writing one similar.

Publishers and agents are always looking for something different. Something they haven't seen before.

Start from square one!

On the hunt for another illustrator! The next day after Erin Griffin QUIT, I called all the highschools, Selkirk College, Art Galleries and sent out emails and messages to everyone I knew in the "Art World".  I got three leads the same day! Maybe everything was going to be ok? I met one illustrator at a time and unfortunately all three were very good. So I was going to have a tough time deciding again! I was able to narrow it down to 2 right off the bat because one of them, Catherine Nixon, (amazing artist!) could not get the paintings done in time. She reminded me of someone I knew too. She reminded me of ME! She and I both agreed that we were a lot alike in the way we think, act, and dream. It would have been nice to work with her on this project but she couldn't simply fit the time line. 
The next day I met with another artist, Shawna Erback. She gave me 4 hours of her time and 100% of her attention to detail. If I were to work with her, I know she would give me what I wanted, when I wanted it, and how I wanted it...I just had a really good feeling about her. I trusted her and trust is something I would be willing to pay extra for. Unfortunatley she was over my budget. But I liked her soo much I thought of doubling up on pages so it would even out the same price as having all the pages separate.  I thought about it all night and into the next day and I was pretty sure, somehow I would come up with the money...but how???

I interviewed a third illustrator, Zim, we'll call her, short for Ximena Abresch, and I met her the following day but I had already made up my mind before meeting her.  I was going to go with Shawna Erback! She was just so...GREAT! So  there she was at Clive's Coffee Bar with her coffee and her portfolio and ohhhhh I wasn't feeling good about what I was going to say to her....so I sat down akwardly and prepared to break her heart... I was feeling horrible! I watched her open up one side of the porfolio and the detail was astonishing! She opened up the other side and presented her drawings to me and an unbelievable rush of feelings engulfed my body. OMG was the first thing I said as tears welled in my eyes.  Wait till you see her illustrations is all I have to say. I looked up at this 16 year old girl before me and wondered how such beauty and talent could come from a girl at such a young age. Her hand was over her mouth as she was quite unsure how I felt about her drawings and she actually looked a little overwhelmed so I quickly said, "I LOVE THEM!" She was so happy! And so was I! Guess what I am doing RIGHT NOW????

Before you do anything get it in writing!

So I asked the clerk at the gallery who the artist was and if she was local. She said, her name is Erin Griffin and yes she is local! Really???? I left my name and number and hoped and prayed she'd call or email and then one day it came! Erin said she was interested in the project and I was abslutely thrilled. I was a little sad to tell all the other artists they didn't get the job but I had to follow what my heart was saying. 

My family and I headed down to Spokane to meet her.  We had about an hour interview discussing a VERBAL contract. Mistake number one! Because we were both new at writing and illustrating children's books we didn't have a written contract nor knew what one should look like. I did speak to the illlustrator in Kelowna and he said that they varied from project to project and I should look on line for a template.

As time wore on, I forgot about the contract because we had such a wonderful working relationship, who needed one? I told Erin that I would look for a template and when I found an appropriate one, I would email it to her. Well, I dropped the ball and I didn't find one. My BAD! Erin and I both agreed that 100.00/page was a fair price because of her inexperience. So time passed some more, she completed the title page and then somehow the topic came up about "Rights to the illustrations".  We agreed that $150.00/page was fair but this is where the 2nd problem began! We did not make it clear to each other. I meant $150.00/page-TOTAL! She meant $300.00/page! These were 9x6 illustrations...I never would have agreed to $300/page! We agreed at the beginning of each page I would give her 50% down and then the remainder after she was done. So I paid in full one illustration plus 50% down for the next illustration. But then, she submitted another bill for $150.00 and in addition added a $40.00/hour to make correctional changes.  So if she had to make changes, it would cost me $40.00/hour. This was never brought up. Really... illustrators charge to make changes to their drawings? Didn't have a clue about that one. So I contacted some illustrators that lived locally and the 3 that I talked to, never charged for correctional changes! WOW! Now it would cost me pretty much the same as the illustrator in Kelowna but I would not be getting full rights to the illustrations or the experience that Alex, the illustrator in Kelowna had.

Alarm bells went off and I emailed her straight away telling her why I couldn't afford such a rate and there was a big misunderstanding about the contract. I also told her that there was no way I could afford $40.00/hour to make minor changes to facial expressions etc... I asked her if we could discuss a rate that we could both agreed upon and I waited for her reply. Two days passed and nothing! So I tried to call her with no success and then the following day she emailed me asking me not to contact her again and she would return my money and I could not use her artwork in any way. So...SHE QUIT! After 5 months of working with her, SHE QUIT in a one liner, "This is way more of a production than I ever imagined and I withdraw my services!"

I gave her a timeline of August 14th to have all the illustrations completed, scanned, and didgitally formatted. At the end of May, she was only on her 1st page. She probably realized, she didn't have the time to complete the project nor the capacity. So now, I am scrambling to find an illustrator that can complete and format 12 pages and a title page in 2 months hmmm....I'll keep you posted.

I made the mistake of not getting a contract so I do not put all the blame on Erin but what I am still in shock over is her level of professionalism. Very surprising!

Lesson learned...never proceed on any project WITHOUT A CONTRACT! No matter how good of a relationship you have with someone, things can turn on a dime!

Which Artist do I Choose?

So I was on the hunt for an illustrator. I went to our local art gallery, looked at paintings all over town and tried to find out who they were. What kind of medium did they use, did they use computers to paint? Water colors? Acrylic? My favorite was water colors so I narrowed it down to at least a medium.

But, after talking to one artist who used a computer, she encouraged me and convinced me to try computer painting. So my dad got me the program, installed it on my computer, and I began to pluck away at it. Well that lasted for a whole hour! NOT! I am in awe of those who know how to add color using a computer...they say it's easy, certainly not for me! So back to water colors I go.

I was down in Spokane, Wa in one of the many malls they have and I was lassoed into an Art Gallery by a painting that absolutley took my breath away! WOW! After looking at paintings in Rossland, Kelowna, Trail, the net, the world, it all came down to this one painting.  I heard a church choir sing in my head "Hal- le- lu-a" and some jackpot change rolling out of a slot machine with siren's roaring! WOW! Finally, I found an illustrator who was able to capture what was in my mind and actually have it drawn out on canvas. I rang over to the clerk, "Who, Where, and How Much?"

Before I went down to Spokane I had already been conversing and meeting with different artists locally and in Kelowna. The problem with the artist in Kelowna, Alex Walton, although he was extremely talented and very accomplished, he was out of my financial pocket book. He said for what I was planning, it would cost approximatley $10 000.00. I really wanted to work with him but the kick in the stomache feeling wouldn't go away, there was no way I could afford it. There was a beautiful artist in Rossland, Sharon Lough. She is such a beautiful person inside and out. Her artwork is amazing and I would recommend her to anyone...she had a fair price and I was very close to working with her until I met, "Erin Griffin"....

Leave it up to the professionals!

As I sat in the coffee shop drawing to my hearts content..I realized that I wasn't that bad at all. Actually I was very content with my drawings and sketches.  The only thing I didn't like was that the drawings didn't have dimension or life. I imagined having my illustrations at the point where one could get themselves lost in looking at all the different critters and details that kids love. Maybe I just needed some color I thought...then the dimension would POP!

Well, I couldn't paint to save my own life...basically I sucked!  So I went to the local art gallery in Trail and sought out some lessons. I saw some amazing artists with beautiful work! I asked them how long they've been working on their artwork and funny, not any of them said just a couple of weeks. They all said they were drawing and painting their whole lives. They gave me tips, I tried them and failed time and time again.  If I ever wanted to finish this book in my lifetime...I would have to leave it up to the professionals. Now, what to do with all these arts supplies??? For now, they will reside in my basement along with all the other "things" I've attempted to take full on! I'll use them again one day, I am sure! My husband is a little less optimistic.

Children's Books and Illustrations

The first thing to consider when choosing an illustrator is to look at different contracts for them to sign!  I learned this the hard way.

When I first considered writing these books, I had every intention of illustrating them myself. I chose to work with water colors because of the soft and whimsical look water colors can bring.  So I made a special trip down to our local art store and bought special pencils, paint, and water color paper.  Who'd ever thought you could pay $8.oo for a single pencil! I was informed I had to have different HB's n' such as well.  Whew! Way over my head, I just wanted a pencil. So then I told the lady that I would be needing some paper. Well she came back with, "What weight?" "Paper weighs different weights?" I asked.  "No no!" she replied, "it's the different thicknesses of the paper."  "Well I don't know?" I said looking puzzled. I wondered what I got myself into asking for help and by the end, I had a rainbow of selection of weights, HB's and a large collection of paints.

Up to the till I went carrying my cute little basket of goodies. As each item was rung through, I saw the total climbing $$$$ extremely fast! A heavy feeling in my tummy hit me hard as I thought of the different ways I could possibly hide the receipt from my husband.  It was a whopping $150.00! All of it fit into one tiny bag too!  Most women hide shoes from their husband and then there is me, hiding paints, pencils and paper. Oh brother, didn't matter.  I was on a mission! I was an illustrator waiting to be discovered!

So I went down to my local coffee shop, looking cute as can be, so I thought, and I must have had a beaming smile on my face with thoughts of my new ambition and talent. I thought how wonderful it would be to have my book fully illustrated in about a month. I carefully unpacked my "artist's" bag and laid all my equipment out in front of me...I looked at my blank canvas for quite some time not knowing where to start?

Legends of the Forest-Children's Book Series

Holy Moly, this is a lot easier than I thought...I've been wanting to blog for a couple of years but haven't gone forward with it because I thought it would be hard...not so much!  ...hope this thing has spell check..lol

I have designed this blog to create interest about my children's book series call, "Legends of the Forest". This blog will either discourage or encourage others to write children's books themselves. How to write childrens books and publish them on a shoe string budget; that will definatley be the next book to follow. I will post the past experiences and a day to day diary on what its like to beat out all the other literary dreamers. How to find a publisher, how to find an agent, how to find a distributer, how to get into Chapters and Indigo, self publishing vs traditional publishing, finding an editor, finding the time... These are all the things you will learn by reading my blog.

At the same time, I am trying to create hype about the first book, "Leonard the Larch",  that will be printed and ready to sell September 1st! You can pre-order now! Why would you do that? Well, I don't have all of the money as of yet to pay for the production costs but I am moving forward like I do. Just like the time I cycled across Canada on my own...my husband said I wouldn't make it past my back yard let alone cycle across Canada, ALONE! Well I did accomplish the dream of cycling across Canada and I did it in 2 months and 16 days.  Each day I wanted to quit and head home...but I didn't. Kind of like writing these kids books...sometimes when I get some kind of rejection letter, I want to just quit and hide under the sheets. It's hard work and you have to be a very confident person to handle the rejection!

I have budgeted $4300.00 to have these books printed and ready to sell in my hot little hands. Unfortunately, I was hoping to recieve some grants to help pay for some of the costs but I just recieved the final rejection letter a couple of days ago. Will this stop me? NO WAY! I have to move on...I have $1600.00 to pay for the illustrations...how I will afford to print them? Not sure yet?  This where you can come in, pre order the book and I will sign a copy and send it to you in September! I am not set up to do this yet, but I will continue to work on the design of this Blog and hopefully figure out how to put pay pal on it. Suggestions? Anyone know how?

You  are probably want to know more about what these books are all about...but the kids are watching Sponge Bob and he's singing about "Ripping his Pants" and it's totally distracting...I will write more a little later on...Keep you posted!