Do you plan to do any public book readings this year?
Yes, it has been quite fun scheduling the 2014 readings. The first was at the DC Shambhala Meditation Center on January 5th as part of their Children's Program. For more information about the center, please click here.
I also did a reading at Reston's Used Book Shop on March 22nd that was just wonderful. A few (adorable!) pictures of the event can be found here.
~~~ On Sunday, May 18th, I'll be doing a reading of Flower Friend at the Kailua Shambhala Meditation Center in beautiful Kailua, Hawaii. The reading will be followed by a fun art activity, a sneak peek of Two Trees (my upcoming story about two amazing Chinese Banyan trees in Kailua Beach Park), and a quick reading of another upcoming story, The (Not) Bad Monster. The event will begin at 9:00 and wrap up around 10:30. More information about the event can be found here. ~~~
As more readings are scheduled, I will post information about them on starkeySTARS as well as on facebook.
How long are the book readings and what sort of activities do you do at them?
The events are usually about 45 minutes with a quick introduction, book reading, brief Q&A, simple (and fun!) art activity, sneak peek of a new story, and book signing at the end.
The book readings are really fun and I encourage you to invite any of your friends to join you at the events... and they are more than welcome to invite others as well... the more the merrier! :)
Do you do private book readings?
Yes, I am happy to do any readings for private parties, including elementary school classrooms and libraries. I used to be an elementary school teacher, so reading to children at their schools is one of my favorite things to do. To inquire about a book reading, please click here.
Do you plan to write and publish more books?
Absolutely! I've already written and illustrated my next story, The Very Hot Day, and the Kindle eBook is NOW available. :) I've also finished the text for Two Trees and The (Not) Bad Monster, but still need to complete the illustrations for both stories. I'm a bit stumped about the illustrations for the book Yog, Nog, & Baby Tog, but love the story... so it's only available as a recording... for now. ;) Click here if you'd like to be put on an email list that will notify you when future books are released.
How did you learn to write, illustrate, and design children's books? Was it challenging?
It was certainly challenging! :)
The writing is the only part that comes naturally to me so far. And even that can be tough at times. For example, I often choose to write in poetic verse since I have a tendency to be too wordy when I write in prose. Plus, grammar and punctuation (and editing!) are quite challenging for me, but I just try to do my best and research what I don't already know.
Illustrating was rather intimidating at first and can still be. I figured that I'd get better with each new illustration and eventually I would become more comfortable with it (I'm getting there!). :)
Designing the books was, by far, the most difficult stage. I am VERY lucky to have found a wonderful tutor who taught me how to use my design software. Her name is Carol Colbath and she is an angel who answered about 34,622,117 of my questions (or more!). :)
I love trees and the environment and am wondering if it is environmentally friendly to purchase your books.
I selected a printer in Canada (Friesens) that is known for the steps it takes to use recycled materials and reduce its overall environmental impact. The Environmental Benefits Statement on the copyright page of each book also provides helpful information. Plus, for each hard copy sold, a donation will be made to Plant-It 2020. In other words, a new tree will be planted for each book sold! Fantastic!!! :)
You may also choose the Kindle version of the books. If you are using an iPad, simply download the free Kindle app and then you can purchase the eBook of Flower Friend through Amazon.
