I was able to finally finish this book this year finishing all the illustrations and making the poems suit the theme.. here is a look at the kids getting a look at the book that was written for them.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
The book was written the night Surai was born
I finally got my books to Rochelle, Kelly,Haylee and TaraLynn . I was able to show the book to Surai (My great niece, whom was the inspiration for the book)... Surai just turned 6 this year and she has twin brothers Beckett and Griffin who are 4.5 years old. The night Surai was born I thought of all the things my Brother Jeff would be missing as he passed away two years before, I thought of many things about Surai and what he may have done if he could have been here...
I was able to finally finish this book this year finishing all the illustrations and making the poems suit the theme.. here is a look at the kids getting a look at the book that was written for them.
Beckett
Surai
Griffin
I was able to finally finish this book this year finishing all the illustrations and making the poems suit the theme.. here is a look at the kids getting a look at the book that was written for them.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
I got my first books by AIRMAIL
Well the first 25 preview books for Family arrived by express airmail this week and I was so excited I did a happy dance.. Everyone is asking when they can get a book , the Boat left China and will be 27 days at sea I was told. Then from there they have to Port in Vancouver and be inspected ,go through customs and get declared. they will be sorted in a warehouse from all the other items in the same container. then My freight shipping company will load then onto a truck and they will make their long journey trough the Rockey mountains to Camrose where they will then be unloaded and brought home to My house.. so I am hoping the first part of May I will keep you all posted on here and facebook when they will be here.
I took Heather a couple books for her and the kids, when they all got home from school she read it to them . They seamed to enjoy the story and picked out little things in the book. they liked the haircut page..and were excited when I showed them their names in the book...Kale was also excited that so many kids would get to see this book ... Cruz jumped around he was excited for this special book.. Kyra was happy that I was going to be going into her class the next day to read the book to her classmates
Kyra's grade one class is learning all about Authors and illustrators, they are writing their own books and I was the first live Author in their classroom, they listened to the story and laughed at the funny parts. they then asked me some real good questions about the book.. it was a good experiance and I was able to fall upon my days working as a Teachers Aide in class and having to read stories in front of kids. I am usually very nervous speaking in front of lots of people but My hand only shook a little when turning the pages...Kyra was pointing out to all the kids in her class where her name is at the back of the book
I took Heather a couple books for her and the kids, when they all got home from school she read it to them . They seamed to enjoy the story and picked out little things in the book. they liked the haircut page..and were excited when I showed them their names in the book...Kale was also excited that so many kids would get to see this book ... Cruz jumped around he was excited for this special book.. Kyra was happy that I was going to be going into her class the next day to read the book to her classmates Kyra's grade one class is learning all about Authors and illustrators, they are writing their own books and I was the first live Author in their classroom, they listened to the story and laughed at the funny parts. they then asked me some real good questions about the book.. it was a good experiance and I was able to fall upon my days working as a Teachers Aide in class and having to read stories in front of kids. I am usually very nervous speaking in front of lots of people but My hand only shook a little when turning the pages...Kyra was pointing out to all the kids in her class where her name is at the back of the bookTuesday, April 1, 2014
So I got a email this morning with photos of my completed books, they are still not quite ready to ship, I was wondering what all the colorful paper is sticking out of them for? I then assumed it is something they do when binding them... who am I to question there technique as to how they do things.
So now they have requested the final amount owing ..... I sure hope our dollar did not go down ... down .... down ... over night against the US dollar as that is what they like to get paid in over in China..
The next step is to pay my final bill and they will take all those colorful papers out .. I hope and then pack up my books and ship them to me ... sailing sailing over the ocean blue... I have them shipping me a few books by air to get out to my family before the rest arrive... hope they arrive next week...
they send you pictures of your books so that you know that you really have a order before you make your final payment..I am soooo excited with how they look so far... it looks like a real book PINOCCHIO comes to mind here.. as I feel a bit like Geppetto when he made his puppet, when I got the sample in the mail to check over .... now it has become a real book....
So now they have requested the final amount owing ..... I sure hope our dollar did not go down ... down .... down ... over night against the US dollar as that is what they like to get paid in over in China..
The next step is to pay my final bill and they will take all those colorful papers out .. I hope and then pack up my books and ship them to me ... sailing sailing over the ocean blue... I have them shipping me a few books by air to get out to my family before the rest arrive... hope they arrive next week...
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Video Preview of book
Video preview of If I could have been there
Here is a sneek peek for you all now that book is in the printing
stage and actually going to be sent to me in a couple months I figure I
can share what all my excitement is about , you will not be able to read
the pages but it shows the art work and how they will look... please
take a look and if you would like to comment below I sure could use some
input as to how everyone feels about it..it is easy to comment just
sign up.. If I could have been there video preview
click on link to preview book
Friday, March 7, 2014
My Sample is done and ready to ship
Well jack of all trades master of none
I often take on things that I do not wish to dole out money for... if I can make it myself I will try, if I think I can do it, I will try... even if I think I can't do it but want to try anyway... I have worn many hats in my lifetime for all the different trades or jobs that I have done...
Some of the easier than others... there are many steps to becoming a self publisher and now I have completed most of them...
I became a author , a illustrator , a importer and owner of a book selling business..
ahh the internet , the marvels that you bestow upon me each day, the opportunity that you have given me.
I often get asked why I am not taking my book to a publisher?
they will be able to sell more books for you...
Well as a artist , you do not like to be told your work stinks.. so if I even got a bad review from any of them I would have been devastated to say the least. For this book was more thatn just pictures and words.. it is part of my heart, how could I make myself vulnerable to them... so best next step AVOID them.. yes and that I did.
I am not afraid to take on new challenges.. after all I lived in Fiji for 4.5 months with the locals , sleeping on mats on the floor , fishing in the ocean with a coke bottle with fishing line wrapped around it and snails for bait inside it. I lived in a hut on the beach sleeping on a coconut husk bed and ate fresh crab caught on the beach..
I worked pipline construction for 15 years doing the same work as my male counterparts..
so having a Graphic art training I should be able to make a book.. well I went through a company in the US to start with as you have read in a previous post.. I learned how I did not want to do business,
I had to trust someone... someone across the ocean that I had never met before, would I get ripped off and loose my money.. well I still may I am not sure.
But one thing I do is go in with both feet when I start something .. so it is all or nothing...
I did my research, everyone liked my concept.. did my art, everyone liked my characters..
so now what is the problem.. getting my book out there with out a big publisher. How am I going to get my book known, will anybody besides my friends and family actually want to buy one ..My husband said ORDER them , well I can line the upstairs wall if they don't sell right..
My friends have great confidence in the book and say it is touching and brings tears to their eyes
( this is a good thing right) as it evokes emotion within us that tugs at our hearts..
So after all the learning of how to be a self publisher, now comes the hard part getting my book known with out the big book stores selling it.. I am counting on you my viewing audience to help spread the word
Thank you in advance
Jamie
Some of the easier than others... there are many steps to becoming a self publisher and now I have completed most of them...
I became a author , a illustrator , a importer and owner of a book selling business..
ahh the internet , the marvels that you bestow upon me each day, the opportunity that you have given me.
I often get asked why I am not taking my book to a publisher?
they will be able to sell more books for you...
Well as a artist , you do not like to be told your work stinks.. so if I even got a bad review from any of them I would have been devastated to say the least. For this book was more thatn just pictures and words.. it is part of my heart, how could I make myself vulnerable to them... so best next step AVOID them.. yes and that I did.
I am not afraid to take on new challenges.. after all I lived in Fiji for 4.5 months with the locals , sleeping on mats on the floor , fishing in the ocean with a coke bottle with fishing line wrapped around it and snails for bait inside it. I lived in a hut on the beach sleeping on a coconut husk bed and ate fresh crab caught on the beach..
I worked pipline construction for 15 years doing the same work as my male counterparts..
so having a Graphic art training I should be able to make a book.. well I went through a company in the US to start with as you have read in a previous post.. I learned how I did not want to do business,
I had to trust someone... someone across the ocean that I had never met before, would I get ripped off and loose my money.. well I still may I am not sure.
But one thing I do is go in with both feet when I start something .. so it is all or nothing...
I did my research, everyone liked my concept.. did my art, everyone liked my characters..
so now what is the problem.. getting my book out there with out a big publisher. How am I going to get my book known, will anybody besides my friends and family actually want to buy one ..My husband said ORDER them , well I can line the upstairs wall if they don't sell right..
My friends have great confidence in the book and say it is touching and brings tears to their eyes
( this is a good thing right) as it evokes emotion within us that tugs at our hearts..
So after all the learning of how to be a self publisher, now comes the hard part getting my book known with out the big book stores selling it.. I am counting on you my viewing audience to help spread the word
Thank you in advance
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Found a new printer as we speak they are already working on my Book
Well it has been quite the last few days around here, not only did my first printer misquote me... after working with them on all the design aspects of my book for a month and a half , but then when they transferred my deposit back to my visa I lost more money with the American dollar exchange rate....
So I was on the hunt for a new printer and I wrote to many of them getting numbers all over the place but in the end I felt really good about the guy whom I decided to go with... maybe it was a sign, maybe not but his name is Jeff and he had been the best at answering all my questions, and emailing back promptly..their shipping is higher than some of the other companies but in the long run they have a lot more years experience than some of the others... so I sent him my 40% down payment... goodbye money ..I may never see you again..ha ha sent him my files. Did not realize that waiting on someone 15 hours away would be so stress full , I am up all day and then I get my reply's at bedtime..
So now today I wait, and wait .... and oh yeah wait some more..................................
I have had the stomach flu since Sunday so I guess waiting is what I can do as I can not really go anywhere.. had a cold for two weeks prior to that and did not go anywhere but one day out, anyway I will be going down to Hardisty next Friday to Toddler's Inn Hillbilly Hootenanny - March 14th at the Hardisty Community Hall hope to have a sample book, fingers crossed if it gets here by then and a electronic book for people to see ... I will be doing pre orders.. so I can let them know numbers for final production of book .. so if you are in the neighborhood come out and take a peak ..Tickets are still available
So I was on the hunt for a new printer and I wrote to many of them getting numbers all over the place but in the end I felt really good about the guy whom I decided to go with... maybe it was a sign, maybe not but his name is Jeff and he had been the best at answering all my questions, and emailing back promptly..their shipping is higher than some of the other companies but in the long run they have a lot more years experience than some of the others... so I sent him my 40% down payment... goodbye money ..I may never see you again..ha ha sent him my files. Did not realize that waiting on someone 15 hours away would be so stress full , I am up all day and then I get my reply's at bedtime..
So now today I wait, and wait .... and oh yeah wait some more..................................
I have had the stomach flu since Sunday so I guess waiting is what I can do as I can not really go anywhere.. had a cold for two weeks prior to that and did not go anywhere but one day out, anyway I will be going down to Hardisty next Friday to Toddler's Inn Hillbilly Hootenanny - March 14th at the Hardisty Community Hall hope to have a sample book, fingers crossed if it gets here by then and a electronic book for people to see ... I will be doing pre orders.. so I can let them know numbers for final production of book .. so if you are in the neighborhood come out and take a peak ..Tickets are still available
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