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I blog with stories from life and my journey to get published in the children's literature arena. I will occasionally interview recently published children's authors or a writer working on getting a contract for their first book.
Statistics for Paws and Ponder--Stories from Life and My Publishing Journey
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 2
Yikes, we have been busy! It may have been quiet on the blog, but it's far from quiet on the actual iPad app development front. Kate has been cranking out the final scenes and animation pieces. Nur has been coding like a mad man. I've been tweeting, facebooking, Google+ing, writing press releases, working to set up the website for Purple Carrot Books...blah, blah, blah. Are we there yet?
Step Eight: A. Run to the Finish We are technically in alpha test phase. Nur has been sending regular app builds and we have been putting it to the test trying to break it or find issues that need tweaking. Of course passing it off to our 3-year-old mini-testers is part of that too.
Not much else to say here except this is when it gets pretty exciting. We begin to see all our hard work coming to fruition as the app comes alive with all its fun animations and interactions. It puts a smile on our faces.
B. Get the Word Out As with all products, it may be the greatest, but if no one knows about it, how can they buy it?
The Purple Carrot Books website is under development with hopes of going live shortly.
Meanwhile, please go to the Purple Carrot Books Facebook fan page and LIKE it to get regular updates. And please tell your friends and family about The Prisoner of Carrot Castle iPad app coming soon. Published by Purple Carrot Books.
Follow @prplcarrotbooks on Twitter to get news about the launch and watch for and tweet #CarrotCastle.
0 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Eight as of 1/1/1900
Many of us will never forget that Tuesday when an ordinary morning was attacked by evil and changed America forever. It punched a hole in the fabric of our security. Up to then, most felt America was invincible.
Many families have a story to tell about that day. For those who lost loved ones, the story may still hold a painful grip on hearts—even ten years later. We have vivid memories of exactly what we were doing when we heard the fateful news. What were you doing?
Bob and I were up early that morning preparing to go to the airport in San Francisco to pick up our son, Nur, and his half-brother, Daak, returning from three weeks in Japan.
Showering and getting ready to leave, we listened to the news and made passing glances at the TV that sat in the corner between the bedroom and bathroom. We began to linger in front of the screen when the news broke that a small plane apparently hit one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Once cameras televised the scene, we were hooked—seeing thick, black smoke spew from the tower. Then watched in horror as a second plane, clearly a large plane, hit the South Tower.
I became numb, my mouth gaping as I held my hand over it. Then began to sob, realizing that we had been attacked by some horrible enemy of America. Even the news anchors claimed, "We are at war!"
Nur and Daak were in the air over the Pacific on Japan Airlines (JAL) headed for San Francisco. We learned that all air traffic was grounded and in-bound flights would be diverted. But where would his plane go? My heart pounded. God, please keep them safe.
Yes, it occurred to us that his plane could have been highjacked and now flew with a destructive intent toward the US. "I can't allow my mind to go there." I told Bob.
Our home became like a search and rescue hub. Radios and televisions were on throughout the house. We searched news sites on the Internet to gather every tidbit of information we could. Being ever mindful of the possibility of more attacks, we busied ourselves with finding our son to keep us from despairing over the state of the country.
Accurate information was very difficult to get on that day. Piecing together information from the radio and the Internet, we learned their plane should have diverted to Vancouver, Canada along with stranded passengers from thirty-three other international flights intended for the US when the terrorists struck.
We operated in a surreal world that day as did every other American. The day seemed to last forever as details of the tragedy came together. Two jumbo jets struck the World Trade Center Twin Towers causing them to collapse. Another plowed into the Pentagon. And another crashed in a field in Pennsylvania thought to have been bound for Washington DC.
No word about our son.
Finally, at 7:30 PM we heard from Nur. I heaved a sigh of relief. He called us from a pay phone at the Vancouver airport after he and Daak were allowed off the plane. Their plane had been sitting on the airport tarmac for seven hours!
"We didn't know what had happened until we got off the plane."
"What did the pilot tell you?" I wondered what kind of nightmare he might have endured all those hours.
0 Comments on Where Were You On 9/11? as of 1/1/1900
Recently I ran across a great blog post at the Blogging Bistro on publishing an ebook. Much easier to achieve than developing an interactive iPad app, an ebook can none the less be overwhelming and elusive.
Mary DeMuth, novelist and non-fiction author, has documented the steps to getting your manuscript e-published. She provides all the details (including helpful websites) to get the job done.
Things are going warp speed now. I worked on a detailed schedule for development, illustration and project management/marketing—there is a lot to accomplish to get the app out by mid fall. What do you think of our final title page? It still needs the buttons for music, read to me, etc., but here it is.
Step Seven: A. Illustration Tasks to Complete Settling into her new home outside Vancouver (BC, Canada), Kate is working on completing the scenes with animation elements that go with each scene—there are three types of animation in the app:
Happening with the narration
Activated by touching the screen
Triggered by some aspect of a game
Four scenes have now been completed with their animation elements. Way to go, Kate! Right on schedule.
B. App Development Nur completed a draft build of the app using the rough colored scenes, built the games readers can enjoy at the end of the book, and developed a unique page turning style (passed by our 3-year-old app testers). He is putting the final touches on the accelerometer game for the tunnel scene and building the final scenes with their animations, sound, text and narration as Kate completes the scenes.
C. Project Management/Marketing Our small yet determined and dedicated team is working hard, making my job as manager easy.
My most challenging job has been doing the sound effects. Besides knowing there are lots of websites offering sound effects, I knew very little. Finding an open-source editing program called Audacity, I was able to poke around and learn to use it effectively. I purchased sound files (.wav) from:
About half the files were perfect as purchased. Others I edited to get the right length or combined to achieve the perfect sound effect.
I even recorded my own files with my iPod—a fountain and a branch dropping. Finding just the right owl "hoot" became a difficult search until my husband, Bob, came home and performed an awesome impression of an owl. I got my owl. Thanks, Honey!
I would love to insert the owl for you to hear, but no easy way to do it. You'll just have to wait until the app comes out.
This week I'm creating the narration files. Yes, yours truly will be narrating the story.
I also put up a fan page for Purple Carrot Books on Facebook. Please go to the page and Like it. I'm connecting with people on Google+—writers, reviewers, app developers, teachers, and other interesting people.
If you haven't been following the series, you might want to check out the pr
2 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Seven, last added: 8/21/2011
Chris, this is so amazing. I can hardly wait to see how the interactions work. Love the story and the artwork. Might have to buy an iPad so I can share with my grandkids.
Guest speaker at the Write To Inspire Conference will be author, Ginny Yttrup. She will focus on two subjects: Finding Your Voice and Marketing For Writers. Visit the Inspire Christian Writers conference page to sign-up.
Here's a little background on Ginny to get to know her:
When did you first want to write a book?
I co-authored my first book when I was in the fourth grade. The title was GINNIE AND THE JUNKYARD. I co-authored it with my best friend at the time, Ginny Bridges. We were allowed time in the teachers lounge to write and illustrate the book. My memory of that experience was more time spent bouncing erasers on the floor and convulsing in fits of laughter than actual time spent writing. The second book I attempted to write was WORDS.
What are two of your favorite writing/craft books?
I love James Scott Bell's PLOT AND STRUCTURE. It's a fiction writing book and I learned all I know about the structure of a novel by reading that book as I was writing WORDS. I refer to it regularly. I also love BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott. Her language isn't always appropriate but her insights are wise and I love her humor. When I'm feeling discouraged with my writing, I pick up BIRD BY BIRD.
How important is goal-setting to you? Do you set daily/weekly word counts? How do you stay on track?
I set word-count goals, but I rarely keep them. By nature, I'm not a goal-setter or keeper. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants until I'm close to a deadline! Then I figure out what I need to do, how many words I need to write each day, and I keep the goal. In other words, I work best under pressure-unfortunately. I don't recommend this method.
How and when did you first grab the attention of an agent/editor? What was that experience like for you?
I began attending writers conferences when my sons were toddlers-about 18 years ago. I learned everything I know about writing from those conferences and from reading voraciously. At year 15 (!), I submitted, through the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, a proposal for WORDS to agent Steve Laube. The evening before the conference began, I received an email from Steve asking me to find him the minute I stepped foot on the Mount Hermon property. I found him within the first five minutes of the conference and listened in awe as he talked on and on about my proposal. When he likened my protagonist, Kaylee, to Scout in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, I knew I'd arrived. :-) It was a surreal experience and is still one of my favorite memories. My writing journey was one of faith and of perseverance.
What advice do you offer to new writers who are just getting started? What about for writers that are seeking representation/publication?
First and foremost: read, read, read. Read in the genre you want to write. Read books that make your heart beat fast—books that stir your passion. And read with a critical eye—learn from the books you read. Also read books on the craft of writing and, if possible, attend writers conferences. When seeking representation or publication, do your research. Before approaching an agent or editor, make sure you know they're interested in the genre you
0 Comments on Interview with Ginny Yttrup as of 1/1/1900
In preparation for marketing The Prisoner of Carrot Castle, I did some research to find app reviewers and discovered some great sites I want to pass on to busy mom's. If you're an iPad, iPhone or iPad Touch user looking for great apps to make your busy mom's life a bit easier, read on.
a4cwsn is committed to helping the families of children with special needs and the community of educators and therapists who support them. By producing videos that demonstrate how products educate children, a4cwsn provides a way for users to see how an app works before they buy—great concept. Choose apps to review by various categories (e.g., colors, creative play, etc.), iTunes category or developer. There are apps for motor skill development, autistic kids and if you're a special needs family, they currently have a campaign to give away iPads. Check it out.
Digital Story Time creates Top 10 reviews of kid's apps in various categories (e.g., most educational, most original, best extras, etc.). You can also find ideas, such as how to have a successful digital bedtime experience with your kids.
Digital Story Time (blog titled The Digital Media Diet) is one mom's take on kids, technology and the world of apps. This site also provides a rich resource of links to other sites for parents.
Appcheese is a straight forward review site for kids' apps. Each app reviewed receives a cheese wedge rating and lists Platform, Price, Age Group and Publisher.
Pictured with each review is the app's icon for the iTunes store along with screen shots and the book trailer (if available). An iTunes button below the icon allows you to order the app. Scan the sidebar to see a list of recently reviewed apps. Lots to love about this clean review site.
Apps for Kids~kids learning (disguised as fun) is a review site by a mom in Silicon Valley. Primarily doing reviews, she dispenses some wisdom on how to balance your kid's time on technology. Providing parents a short cut to finding some real gems, is her intent, plus giving an honest opinion on a few of the popular apps that may be stinkers. Apps for Kids is focussed on making it easy for parents to find an app for a particular purpose. By the way, contributors to the site include Dad and 5-year-old son Sal.
The Greasy Screen (don't you love the title?) discusses ebooks for kids, reading habits and stuff. Crystal, from the Chicago suburbs, blogs here and covers all things picture books—right up my alley.<
2 Comments on How To Find The Best Rated Apps For Kids, last added: 7/15/2011
Drum roll, please! Ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta taaaaaaa! Congratulations to Kathy Miles who won the drawing for an autographed copy of Just Too Busy by Joanne Kraft. Enjoy reading and check in to let us know what you learned and your favorite funny story or "Joanneism" from the book.
Haven't heard from me in a while about the app progress, but rest assured things are moving ahead like gang busters. The work has been heavily concentrated on the illustrations, Kate working hard at painting each scene. And next month my uber illustrator is moving to Vancouver where her husband works. Kate and the boys are very excited to be together as a family again.
Step Six: A. Illustrate Each Scene All the scenes for the book and the title page have been colored. What do you think of the title page? Some of the scenes were adjusted as Kate moved through the story scenes. You saw some of the gorgeous scenes in Developing an iPad App: Step Five.
B. Build the App Pages and Functions Plugging all the colored scenes from Kate's work into a build of the app, Nur has provided a web location for us to download the progressive builds onto our iPads. That allows us to test things and give him feedback. He's experimenting with page turning styles, built and debugged one of the games and laid-out the extended scene where the accelerometer will be used. Are those teasers enough for you?
C. Begin Foley Work & Plan for Marketing I have my hands full as I figure out how to put the sound together. There's narration for each scene, music that plays throughout the story (with an off/on button) and sound affects that happen either as a one-off (happening once during narration) event, or when a spot on the screen is touched usually involving animation.
Nur's job is to make it all work, but I need to get all the sound files for him to insert. A good friend has offered his professional sound studio to do the sound work. Sound a bit overwhelming?
Then there's marketing. I need to create a marketing program to introduce and get the market buzz going about the app. I'm convinced the app will sell itself, but the rub is people need to know its out there in the sea of millions of iPad apps.
Just a few things I'll be doing:
Set-up Fan Page on Facebook
Look into targeted Facebook ads
Send out app to reviewers
Send out press kits to media
Marketing gurus out there, what else do I need to do?
0 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Six as of 1/1/1900
I met Joanne Kraft about two years ago in a critique group I joined to polish my writing skills. She gave us many laughs with her witty, oftentimes, tongue in cheek comments. "Joanneisms" was a term I used for the many funny descriptions she would come up with and add to her writing. I loved reading her work for the humor, but went away with many a gem for life.
The same is true for her first book. You'll find Joanne Kraft's book very relevant to the fast-paced life we seem to find ourselves racing through. Just Too Busy: Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical provides a private look at Joanne's own family as they un-plugged from things (TV, sports, computer, music, etc.) that tear us away from a rich and close family experience. Her humorous look at each situation will have you laughing as she pokes fun at herself with wit and sarcasm. Yes, there is someone to fill the shoes of Patsy Clairmont. Sorry, Patsy, I know you're still here.
Read Joanne's book and you will take away ideas to bring closeness and a new approach to doing family in your home.
Every parent in the world needs Just Too Busy. If you're a mom (or dad) trying to raise kids and make it in our crazy world, you must get this book. If you are a grandparent and have a relationship with your son/daughter where they will not be offended (happens—don't want to step on toes here), get them this book.
Take a trip to Joanne's author website and subscribe to her blog for regular dispensing of mom wisdom. Plus, be sure to download her free leader's guide to get a blueprint for a women's study using the book.
Just a parting word. In case you think that Joanne's husband, Paul, is a follower in this relationship and Joanne wears the pants. Think again! Paul is the rock-steady rudder and reality dispenser in their marriage. He supports Joanne 100% in the call God has on her life to encourage families to take the right path (as opposed to the world's) in raising kids.
Want to get an autographed copy of Just Too Busy? Leave a comment to be entered in a Book Giveaway for Just Too Busy. I'll announce a winner on July 1st.
6 Comments on Book Review and Giveaway~Just Too Busy: Taking Your Family on a Radical Sabbatical, last added: 6/27/2011
I know...life is Just Too Busy :-) I have friends like me who don't have kids at home who want to read the book to see if they can get help.
Anonymous said, on 6/27/2011 8:21:00 AM
Sounds like a great book that I would like to read and share it with others. Adult children, friends who still have children at home, and parents of the children I teach would benefit from this book also. Marion
Anonymous said, on 6/27/2011 1:22:00 PM
I have heard such good things about this book that I will definitely have to get my hands on a copy, when I’m not too busy, haha! I think that these days, about 99.99/100% of us need to read and apply this book! ~Kathy M.
Friend and fellow writer/author, Joanne Kraft, launched her book Just Too Busy with fanfare and flourish. Her book became available on June 1st (same date as The Dog Next Door). It was only appropriate that the the launch party took place at Caffe Santoro, a local coffee shop where Joanne could be found hunkered in the corner with her laptop working on a chapter.
The popular event featured 400 mini-cupcakes made by Beth Thompson, President of Inspire Christian Writers, who slaved the day making the delicate morsels frosted with colors from the book cover. The cupcakes, alluring as they seemed, were not the crowd attraction. Crowds did come, but most slipped past the pretty display in their march to see the author.
Joanne's book about her family's experience at breaking the "busy" cycle contains advice on how to have quality family time. A little peace in a chaotic world—a message resonating with moms and dads today.
While husband, Paul, sold books at the coffee shop entrance, a line formed inside with folks eager to get their books signed. An hour into the event, each of Joanne's children read the chapter written about them. Meghan, their eldest now in college, wrote the chapter about herself, describing her experience and lessons from the radical sabbatical her family took when they unplugged from all things electronic and stopped all sports and after-school lessons.
Bright pink, green and purple balloons, flowers and even tissue paper added flare and festiveness to the location. For a time when the crowds were thickest, buzz and banter filled the shop, that place became Joanne's stage—her domain. She glowed as her smile beamed at each visitor approaching the pink-draped table set for book signing. The event marked a high watermark for other authors. Congratulations, Joanne!
2 Comments on Anatomy of a Book Launch Party, last added: 6/22/2011
A case of books arrived on my doorstep this morning. It's The Dog Next Door. The excitement overwhelmed me as a grabbed a few books and searched the contents to find my story. There it was—A Saving Transformation. Wow!
I am arranging to have book signings in the coming weeks with two other authors from the Sacramento area. Look for us at dog events this summer.
Contact me if you'd like your own copy of The Dog Next Door signed by yours truly.
4 Comments on The Dog Next Door Has Arrived, last added: 5/26/2011
Wow! It's been a month since I posted Developing an iPad App: Step Four. Plenty has been happening. Kate has been doing color studies to determine the coloring for scenes and characters. Nur has been using the roughs and color studies to start to build the app.
Step Five: Aiden In Color Here is our little hero straight from medieval knight play-acting. What do you think?
After a few color studies for scene one, here's how it turns out. The squiggly lines represent the narration. Notice the knight's helmet, sword and shield.
Deep into the story, scene 13 finds our hero trying to escape capture in a narrow courtyard of the castle.
I love the colors, don't you?
One more sneak peek. The Carrot Castle royal family (since this is a week with eyes on royals).
You can see why we're so excited about this project. We have lots of fun things in store for the app, such as reader participation to help Aiden in his quest.
Look for a Facebook Fan page coming
3 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Five, last added: 4/28/2011
Chris, the colors and characters are absolutely great!! I am so excited for you. I loved meeting Nur on Saturday. You must be very proud of him and his accomplishments. He's doing a fantastic job and so is the artist. WooHoo!
I attended the SCBWI Spring Spirit Conference in Rocklin last Saturday, bringing my neighbor Judy who also writes for children. We enjoyed a day of great speakers who enlightened our writing, made us exercise our skills and added knowledge to our writing journey.
Bruce Coville, Author The keynote speaker was the energetic and prolific Bruce Coville, author of 95+ fantasy books for children. In his fast-talking style, he entertained as he leapt on the stage, sat on the back of a chair or stood on the seat while he passed on the following wisdom:
Read 100 picture books and pick the ten best. From those ten, write each story out by hand to learn structure and rhythm.
Writing is the art of choosing details.
Force your character to make a serious moral choice.
We write because our hearts are filled with thoughts and fears.
Glue yourself to the chair.
Eve Adler on Voice
Editor at Grosset & Dunlap in the Penguin Young Readers Group, Eve Adler, outlined what is voice using Nancy Deans' five elements of voice:
Diction—Choose words with meaning and connotation consistent with characters and story.
Imagery—Show, don't tell; revealing aspects of character and story not available otherwise.
Syntax—Technical aspect revealing feeling/personality: grammatical structure, sentence length, repetition, etc.
Tone—Sets relationship between writer and reader (chatty, distant, funny, dramatic, etc).
We read several opening paragraphs from books with strong voice and were asked to speak out what we got from the passage about the voice. Voice provides the emotional pull that draws the reader into a story. It's like the personality or heart and soul of the writing.
At the end of her session, Eve had us do three writing exercises about a character on a school bus: a kindergartner, a middle grade kid and the school bus driver. Several attendees read their exercises and received feedback.
Quinlan Lee, Adams Literary Mid-day we heard Quinlan Lee of Adams Literary address issues of agenting—how to attract one, why we need one, and what to look for. Out of 300 agents, Adams exclusively represents children's authors and artists. In addition to knowledge of the industry, the agency prides itself on passion and commitment to their clients' work.
Greg Pincus on Marketing Yourself The day wrapped with a session on social marketing with Greg Pincus, social marketing guru. Greg's message was lightening fast (I couldn't write notes fast enough). He based his social marketing success on the PFFT system: Prepare (have a plan), Find your home, Filter vs. search (use google alerts), and Talk (blog, give-aways, create events and establish expertise). Bottom line: pick a few favorite social networks (Facebook, a blog, Twitter) and work them to connect to people who connect you to more people.
As always, attending a conference gives you more tools and ideas to make your writing (and all that is connected with writing) a success and this years Spring Spirit Conference didn't disappoint.
3 Comments on SCBWI Spring Spirit 2011 Wrap-up, last added: 4/6/2011
Great post, Chris. My head is still spinning from all that I learned. Like you, I couldn't take notes fast enough. I could've spent all day listening to Bruce Coville.
Thanks, Jenny! Patty and Erin do a spectacular job bringing us top authors, illustrators, agents and publishers. Worth it! Now go glue your self to the chair. :^)
The storyboard is now well defined, coming alive with sketches and interactive features. In Step Two I laid out each scene and identified interaction, animation and sound. As we got more into the process, seeing scene sketches from Kate, we added new interactions to many scenes.
Step Four: Merge Sketches with Storyboard
There are two types of animation that may occur in a scene:
One time animation that coincides with the narration
Interactive animation that happens when the reader interacts by touching or moving the iPad.
In the example scene (Scene 4) shown above, our main character, Aiden, developed during Step Three, feels hopeless finding himself in a prison cell. He just met the ugly prison guard who informed him he would face the King of Carrot Castle before the sun goes down.
(Narrator) “What am I going to do? I have to get out of here!” he whispered, burying his head in his hands. A shuffling sound startled him. (1) He looked up to see a mouse scurry into a small hole in the carrot cell wall. “Hmmmm.” Aiden studied the hole in the wall. “The mouse eats carrots, but I don’t like carrots,” he said, wrinkling his face.
(Art Notes) Aiden sitting in the middle of the prison cell with his head buried in his hands, his dinner fork in his pocket. (spot illus.) Aiden's head up to see mouse. (spot illus.) Mouse running (two views--legs stretched out, legs in).
(One time animation) (1) Aiden looks up, mouse runs into hole
(Continuous animation) sparkling dust flying around in light from window. Shake iPad to make it move.
(Interactive animation) Touch hole to see mouse pop out.
(Sound notes) shuffling sound, mouse squeaks
At narration point (1), Aiden changes pose to see the mouse scurry across the floor and disappear in a hole. Those a
2 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Four, last added: 3/27/2011
A door bell ring and Brandy barking announced the arrival of marketing materials for The Dog Next Door left on my door mat by FedEx. Time is getting near to the June 1st release of this delightful collection of true stories that celebrate dogs in our lives. The heartwarming tales about the beautiful relationships between people and their dogs will touch your heart and renew your spirit.
I'm excited about this book because it includes a story I wrote titled A Saving Transformation (although the title could be different). My story chronicles the events of a tragic accident that happened to our beloved dog Chessie and the transforming changes that occur for me as a result of saving her.
Read the book to learn what happens. You'll come away agreeing that dogs are truly one of God's finest creatures, a marvelous gift for us humans. You can order your book from Amazon now.
3 Comments on The Dog Next Door Gets Closer, last added: 3/15/2011
Thanks for your well wishes! Let me know when you hear of any dog events coming up in the area. Several authors in the book (me too) want to do book signings.
Step Three: Meet the Characters While I worked on the storyboard, Kate Jeong, armed with a copy of the manuscript, roughed out the characters so she could begin the scene sketches once the storyboard was complete. You might say this is actually Step Two B.
Our lively and exuberant protagonist, Aiden, appears alone at the dinner table. With disheveled hair and disinterest in finishing his veggies, his imagination launches him to a far away place. To his amazement, he finds himself alone in a prison cell. Aiden's exciting adventure begins!
Kate worked on several versions of the King of Carrot Castle to arrive at this larger-than-life, arrogant King... and his aloof Queen.
The ugly guard who frightens Aiden when he suddenly appears through the cell door hatch would scare anyone confronted with such an oaf.
Numerous guards and people of the court will be seen in various scenes as Aiden attempts to escape from Carrot Castle. Kate developed several versions of Castle people, who might be spotted in the throne room or passing through the courtyard as they search for the escaped prisoner. These are just two people that migh
5 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Three, last added: 2/18/2011
This Valentine's Day give something unique—a romantic story: Continents Apart by Dana Sudboro. I met Dana two years ago when I began my writing journey. He is not only a gifted romance writer, but a guy too! Oh and he's a professor at Epic Bible College in Sacramento.
Odette Peterson has a clear understanding of where the Lord wants her, and that's in the African mission field. When she meets veteran missionary, Xavier Sand, she embraces their budding relationship. He's everything she's wanted in a man: Christian, kind, and a man who's dedicated his life to ministry. But when he insists she put aside her call to minister to Muslim women in Africa and join him in Japan, she finds she must let Xavier go.
Across three continets, and with others vying for their hearts, Odette and Xavier must learn to trust that God knows what's best for their futures...even if that means they will never be together.
Have a romantic Valentine's Day and eat some chocolate for me (it's not on my approved list of food) : (
1 Comments on The Perfect Valentine's Gift, last added: 2/12/2011
Having an issue with achieving your goals? Take a tip from Sophia. Try... try and try again until you succeed. Oh... and notice, no complaining along the way.
3 Comments on Be Persistent to Achieve Your Goal, last added: 1/24/2011
I completed the draft of the storyboard for The Prisoner of Carrot Castle and sent it to Nur (developer) for comment. Once we are settled on the storyboard, I'll send it on to Kate (illustrator) so she can get started on the scene art and come up with an estimate of her time involved.
My first video conference with Kate took place on January 11th via Skype. It was great to meet her and even see sketches she made of Aiden and the castle people. We both got very excited as we anticipate our creations coming to life on the iPad.
Step Two: Complete Storyboard The storyboard for the app comprises dividing the picture book manuscript into scene/pages similar to a spread in a picture book. Each scene consists of narration of the story, art notes for illustrating the scene and any spot illustrations used in animation, animation notes and sound. Below is an example of one of the scenes from the storyboard:
(Narrator) A loud, scruffy voice came from outside the cell, “Hey! What’s going on in there?” Aiden froze. What am I going to do?I’ve got to get out of here!
(Art Notes) Aiden with a frightened look staring at the cell door with hatch, chains to restrain prisoner hanging from cell wall
(Animation Notes) Touch hatch to hear “Hey! What’s going on in there?” Touch Aiden to see different pose, touch chains to make them shake and rattle
(Sound) “Hey! What’s going on in there?” Chains rattling
Eventually our storyboard will include the art/illustration for each scene.
We are forging ahead on our project. I hope you are enjoying following along. Keep tuning in to see The Prisoner of Carrot Castle coming to life.
Leave a comment to tell me what kind of things you like in an iPad children's app.
0 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step Two as of 1/1/1900
I am marching forward with my plans to make my picture book, The Prisoner of Carrot Castle, into an iPad app. The team consists of developer, Nur Monson, and illustrator, Kate Jeong, writer and project coordinator, moi. We are just getting started.
Tomorrow is my first Skype video chat with Kate to get the project started. Kate lives in Toronto, Canada and Nur lives in the Bay Area 100 miles west so we will be using technology to coordinate the project. I have done a lot of research on how to put this all together so I thought there might be some readers of this blog that find following the project helpful. In this era of changing modes of publishing, an author has many options for being published.
Step One: Assemble the Team Identify a developer for the iPad programming. You can do a Google search for iPad developers. There are many to choose from. I chose my uber talented programmer son, Nur.
Next, I needed an illustrator. At the last regional SCBWI conference I attended, I picked up a couple of business cards for illustrators I liked. After perusing each of their websites, I contacted Kate and asked if she would like to be a part of our team. Happily she agreed. We still have details to work out on the payment, which will be nailed down once we have the storyboard finalized.
Last, I completed the manuscript for The Prisoner of Carrot Castle and have begun the storyboard process. I will organize and manage the project.
I'm looking forward to moving ahead on this project and seeing our first page come to life! We have a great team for the project. Is there an iPad app you thought would be interesting to develop?
3 Comments on Developing an iPad App: Step One, last added: 1/11/2011
How exciting it must be to develop an app based on your story. I hope things come together well and that you and your team have fun working on the project.
The tenacity of these animals is amazing! Hope it gives you a little motivation in the New Year! ...and of course, some good laughs. The weightless dog is hilarious! Enjoy!
0 Comments on Dog's Are Awesome as of 1/5/2011 5:34:00 PM
I use a similar recipe (that I got out of the Sac Bee), but it uses just bananas or applesauce, almond meal, oil, and raisins or chocolate chips. No added sweetener at all, just the fruit sweetening it.
Is this the picture of Christmas that you embrace?
Yes, it's Christmastime! Year after year I hear people lament about wanting to slow down and enjoy what Christmas is all about. However, despite the slow economy, I see people packed into the malls and big box centers looking for gifts... and maybe that little gift for yourself (it's on sale after all). The closer it gets to Christmas, the more crowded and hectic it gets. How can we enjoy Christmas when we feel obligated to buy someone a gift, even though we have no idea what they would want.
This is when I am thankful for my upbringing. We never had much in the way of gifts growing up. Being a family of six kids, it was enough to keep us fed and in clothes. Christmas developed into a time with family. As adults, we have never exchanged gifts. Instead we get together to eat, play games and visit.
Now that mom is no longer with us, there are only three generations that gather. This year we plan to check our smart phones and iPads at the door. That will avoid the familiar scene of a room full of people all looking down at their personal devices, fingers flying. We saw that dastardly picture at Thanksgiving. Even seventeen-month-old Cyrus locked his attention onto an iPhone.
Do you feel the essence of Christmas? Revisiting the nativity story when the God of the universe became a helpless baby in a humble manger. Putting into motion His plan to bring redemption to a lost and waiting world. Have you taken the time to stop and embrace the peace and calm of resting in the Christ child? It's your choice.
Merry Christmas!
4 Comments on The Essence of Christmas, last added: 12/19/2010
Our daughter likes the preparations completed the day after Thanksgiving. We've done things her way the past several years. Having the tree up and decorated with the wrapped gifts beneath it so early enables us to focus on friends and family rather than experience the frenzy. She gets home from college Christmas Eve, and we'll attend our candlelight service that night. I'm looking forward to that time of quiet reflection.
I wish you a blessed celebration of CHRISTmas, Chris and all the best in the new year.
Hi Keli, One of our family traditions was to pack up the Thanksgiving leftovers and a box of Christmas cookies that my sister made every year and go cut down a tree in Camino the day after Thanksgiving. Now that the kids are grown, most of us have artificial trees we put up the weekend after Thanksgiving. Plus we have our custom-made Nativity to delight those who drive by our home.
Nur will be here on Christmas Eve too. Have a wonderful family time for Christmas and the New Year, Keli.
Enjoying lunch next door at Ironside Restaurant (Denise Aspinall with me).
The windshield wipers swished and clunked all the way there... and all the way home. But despite weather, the long drive and stand-still traffic, our time at Chronicle Books proved a well spent day. We milled around in the reception area, which serves as a bookstore, chatting and meeting others arriving to make their project pitch. I met photographer, Jane Paradise, who hoped to get her photo essay noticed, and a few others. It was a wonderful mix of anxious, creative people eager to pitch their project.
Once we received our time slot, we settled in to practice our pitches. They arranged the room with tables and chairs assigned to areas of publishing at Chronicle books, such as Lifestyle, Art & Design, Stationary and Children. There were one or two editors at each area with a large clock displaying the time. We had ten minutes to pitch and get feedback.
Denise had the first slot and received an "interested" response for her book Dogspirations—a book of inspirational short stories about her two dogs, Sammy and Benji. They asked her for a book proposal—Yay!
Trying to keep the manuscript dry
I went next and got a lukewarm response to The Prisoner of Carrot Castle primarily due to the length of my manuscript (900 words). After licking my wounds, I have regrouped and started working on revising/cutting my manuscript. I'll submit again once I've re-polished it.
E. Marie, me and Stephanie
Stephanie Huang Porter had a good reception of her delightful picture book Dinnertime at My House. The editor reviewing her story suggested some tightening and the addition of page layout marks before sending in for another review. Inspire writer, E. Marie Brierley, showed up to present her picture book, Stinger.
It was a fun day, but also a time that stee
1 Comments on Post Pitch Ponder, last added: 12/10/2010
Wednesday, December 8th, we embark on a road trip to San Francisco to pitch our book projects to Chronicle Books. "We" includes Beth Thompson, our fearless leader and all-around encourager for Inspire Christian Writers; Dee Aspinall, fellow dog lover and contributing author in The Dog Next Door; and Stephanie Porter, picture book writer and new to Inspire.
For the first time ever Chronicle is holding a Pitch for Charity. We pitch our books and toss a donation to Habitat for Humanity. Good deal for everyone. The children's publishing group will be reviewing picture books only. Good for me and Stephanie who have PB's to pitch.
I will be pitching The Veggie Chronicles: The Prisoner of Carrot Castle. Like a typical kid, Aiden didn't like veggies and his overactive imagination often transported him from dinner table to far away places. On one occasion he found himself a prisoner in Carrot Castle. Dazed and confused, he made a startling discovery. This fun story follows Aiden as he attempts to escape before he has to face the angry king of Carrot of Castle. Will the ugly, scary guard chain Aiden to the prison cell wall? Does he get found out as he hides from guards searching for him in the castle? Will Aiden have to face the angry King? Does Aiden eat his vegetables?
Those of us who labor at writing know it's not often we get an opportunity to submit our work to publishers much less get a one-on-one chance to pitch a book project to an editor. I'm practicing my pitch and hoping for success for our intrepid band of writers. Stay tuned...
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The Purple Carrot Books website is under development with hopes of going live shortly.
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Chris, this is so amazing. I can hardly wait to see how the interactions work. Love the story and the artwork. Might have to buy an iPad so I can share with my grandkids.
Thanks for your interest and encouragement, Sue.