Awards and A Lit Fest

This past week was Emily's final day and there was an award ceremony at the school that we do our independent studies through. As is customary, each year as the sixth graders leave elementary behind for jr. high, the teachers choose a student of the year for each category they attend on their bi/monthly Fridays. This year, Emily won Art Student of the Year. She also won a superior ribbon for her poetry entry in the ACSI Writing Contest. Needless to say, that girl makes me smile.

I wasn't able to stay for the Field Day after, as I normally do, because I had to leave for New York and the Millbrook Literary Festival. The event was a bit on the slow side, and I didn't sell much; but I had a fabulous time catching up with my good friends the Mojicas. Victor writes and illustrates his own works as well as illustrating for Barbara who writes a history series. Together they make a formidable team. There latest collaboration is their book about Ford's Theater.

I also met and chatted with some Face Book friends I hadn't personally met yet. There was the oh so kind and charming Susanna Leonard Hill, author and host of writing contests, and her table mate the fantastic Nancy Furstinger. I also made some new friends like the talented Karen Kaufman Orloff and the talented illustrator/author Isabelle Garbani whose book, The Secret Elephant, is too, too funny. And I was delighted to be sandwiched between the eloquent David Cundy and the charismatic David Neilsen. David Neilsen charmingly shared with me the back story of how Chris Grabenstein helped him get published. So if his work is good enough to be promoted by Chris, I'm pretty sure you want to check it out. Just listening to the spiel, for his soon to be released book, made me wish I had more time to read chapter books.

Nancy, Me, and Susanna

Me and Karen

Isabelle Garbani

David Neilsen

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Road Trippin'

I know this week's post usually comes out first thing Monday morning, but Emily and I didn't get back from our recent road trip until late Sunday evening. So here I sit scrambling to compose all of my thoughts about our visit to Hershey, Pennsylvania and the Central Massachusetts Children's Book Festival.

This year I decided instead of just going straight to the book festival, we would take two extra days and visit the delicious town of Hershey. We stayed at the Hershey Lodge which was quite nice and boasted an indoor mini water park. The water area is really geared more toward children six and under, but Emily found just enough fun stuff to entertain herself. The beds in the room, however, were a bit on the hard side. Emily flopped down on one and it did not bounce at all. Speaking of bouncing on the bed, one of the books in my review pile was called There's a Bison Bouncing on the Bed! This book was a bundle of rhyming fun which started with Bison bouncing on the bed. Friends started joining Bison on the bed and the inevitable happened__ the bed broke. The surprising part was that it wasn't Bison's bed and someone was in the bed while Bison and his friends bounced. I don't want to spoil the fun, so you will have to read this book yourself to see who became a bouncing board.

And of course it goes without saying that we went to Chocolate World. We took the mini tour and heard singing cows. We saw a four D interactive movie (which we both  highly recommend). We made our own candy bars. We took part in a research taste test/survey and earned free Hershey bars. Emily found pressed pennies for her collection. And, we shopped.

When our chocolate tanks were on full, we headed to Massachusetts for the book fest. On all of our long rides, Emily worked on a scavenger hunt and by the time we returned home, she had found twenty four out of the twenty five items. Sadly, we never saw the final item which was a moose.

The book fest was great too. I was able to spend time with one of my besties Laura Eckroat, whom I only get to see every few years. I got to chill with two of my favorite guys, David Kelly and Paul Czajak. Hanging with awesome illustrators Priscilla Alpaugh and Diane deGroat happened as well. Emily decided she needed to purchase two of David's ballpark mysteries because who doesn't love a good mystery! I purchased Paul's book, Seaver the Weaver, for my nephew; and I purchased A Simpler Time, my favorite of all Laura's books, to add to my collection of autographed kidlit!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musing Monday Link Up where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

2013 A Year In Review

2013 was an eventful year for me as an author. I taught a children's writing workshop for kids in grades k-6. I even had one eight grader show up because he was so interested in writing.

I participated in the Southern Kentucky Book Festival where I once again met and hung out with author Mary McDonough, illustrator Mark Wayne Anderson, and author Debbie Dadey. I also got to meet and go out to lunch my good friend and author Amanda Stephan who came up for the writer's conference.

Mary and Me

Amanda and Me

I participated in the very first North Branch Children's Festival in Michigan where I met some lovely new friends like the talented sponsor Kevin White. It also turned out to be a great mini family vacation. My husband, daughter, and I visited the Dow Gardens on the way up and once there, we asked some locals where the best swimming area was and we were turned onto a lovely and secluded watering hole with amazing views.

I sold books every Saturday at the local farmer's market in my home town. The fellow vendors are all friendly and we became like an extended family. My daughter even tried her hand at commerce by making and selling magnets she made.

I was one of three YA judge in for the Grace Awards. And towards the end of the year, I was also able to meet fellow Ohio author, Deb Boerema, who lives just an hour and a half away from me. She graciously shared a table with me at a local event and then she took me out to lunch. I tried to split the check with her, but she insisted that I had given her lots of instruction since she was a new author and it was her way of saying thank you.

Deb and Me

I wrapped the year up by making it to the semi final round of the Author SdB Cover Contest and I started production on my second book, Return To Fern Valley. Not a shabby way to end up a perfectly respectable year.

And in-between, I read and reviewed many books; but my five favorites for the entire year were Mark The Missing Moose by Lisa Tortorello, When Grandma's False Teeth Fly by Mary Lee, Mortimer's First Garden by Karma Wilson, The Innkeepers Dog by Deb Boerma, and And Then The Rain by Karina Harris.

 

Yes, 2013 was a wonderful year and 2014 looks like it will be just as interesting.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpses into my days.


Reaching Out For Help

The thing about being an author is that you can't manage alone. You have to have someone willing to publish your book, you have to have fans who want to read your book, you have to have reviewers who are willing you share your book, You have to have family and friends to support you and cheer you on, etc...

That is why I'm reaching out to everyone today. My book, Fern Valley, is a finalist in the Author SdB book cover contest. I would love to win the best cover in the children's category, but I need your votes. So if you think my cover is nice and worthy of a vote, please stop by the SdB site and click on the stars under my book cover. Clicking on the stars under my cover will activate your vote.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!

One Author's Journey To SOKY And Back: Part 2

I woke bright and early Friday morning ready to start Children's Day, and by early I mean about 4:00 am. I must have been super excited because I couldn't go back to sleep no matter how hard I tried. So I watched television until it was time to go down to breakfast, and then I headed over to the conference center. Amy Ignatow and I were walking  briskly towards our destination when Mark Wayne Adams stopped and asked us if we wanted a ride. The conference center was only a five minute walk, but the temperature which had been around 85 degrees the day before had plummeted to 45 degrees that morning. We gladly jumped into the back of his vehicle!

Once inside, I got my pen, sharpies, and card stock ready. I knew from experience that I wouldn't sell many books because my book, which retails for $11.99, is priced just above the ten dollars that most parents send with their children. But I didn't let that dampen my spirits, and I got busy drawing farm characters for the children. Now in case you aren't already aware of the fact, I did not illustrate Fern Valley. But since so many people always ask me that, I thought it prudent to learn some basics. I practiced for months on a dry erase board with my eight year old  as my toughest critic. Once I got my six characters down, I could whip one up with the ease of a master chef torching a Cherries Jubilee. The only problem is that six farm characters are all I know how to draw with the exception of a few boy and girl faces. But all was well and fine until someone asked for a duck. A duck, you see, is not one of the six things I know how to draw; thankfully the young man settled for a turkey.

The fun was only beginning because  my friend and fellow author,  Amanda Stephan, came up from Tennessee to attend the Writers Conference that was going on simultaneously with Children's Day. After we were both done for the afternoon, we headed to Cheddar's to hang out. This was a special treat as we had never met in person before. We hit it off splendidly and managed not to embarrass her daughter Brenna very much. The waiter was kind enough to snap a picture of us which I will cherish always.

Amanda Stephan and I

We were only able to spend about two hours together because I had to get ready to attend the Author Meet and Greet Fund Raising Reception. It was a glorious night of smoozing with celebs, other authors, and locals from Bowling Green. I really do love a good party.

Mr. Winkler and I

 

Mary McDonough and I

Mark and I

Virginia Smith and I

 

Stacy Curtis, Bruce Kessler, and I

As much as I love to mingle though, having been up since four made for a long day; so around about seven, I headed for my hotel room to ponder the amazing happenings of the day.

Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day and encouraging you to tune in tomorrow for part three!