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MYSTIC Cover Sketch
Illustration by Timothy Banks When I first saw the message that the cover of MYSTIC was available for me to review I was very nervous. I had no idea who the illustrator was. All I had done was fill out a questionnaire about MYSTIC and speak to a project team member about my vision for the cover. I told her what I thought I wanted but also that I was open to ideas. A week later I received an email. The first sketch was ready to be viewed. The characters of MYSTIC had been in my head for six years and now I was going to see them in…
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Map of MYSTIC
One of the many wonderful things about being an Indie Author is that I get to work directly with illustrators. Currently, I’m collaborating with three illustrators. Mina Sanwald has designed my map of MYSTIC. CreateSpace has one of their illustrators designing MYSTIC’s cover. And Muza and I are working together on a picture book. My life has been a bit crazy this past month. I’ve spent my weekdays helping to teach second and third graders. Their energy and enthusiasm for learning brings me joy. They also spit out phrases like one spunky second grader… “I don’t want to be a nerdgrader!” To which I replied “Thank you for the title of my next picture book.” Every day…
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How Does She Do That? Interview With An Illustrator
I Can’t Hear You! I Can’t See You. By Sandra Horn and Illustrations by Muza Ulasowski I first saw Muza’s illustrations on uTales. I was blown away! Look at those penguins and the beautiful colors in the water. Then I found The Sea Cat Dreams. Wow! I had to reach out and meet the woman behind these amazing illustrations. Bonus, she lives in Australia! How cool is that? I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. I discovered not only is Muza a talented illustrator but she’s also a mom with a big heart. She belongs to The Wantz Committee, an organization that fundraises to help charities. I decided to get my Oprah on and do my…
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Introducing uTales and SNOW GAMES
I am very excited to introduce to you, uTales and Joanna Marple, the author of SNOW GAMES. Meeting authors and illustrators online or in person is a thrill for me. Having them guest blog and share their art makes me feel as though I’m helping to spread joy around the world. In this post Joanna Marple writes about the creative process in developing her characters for SNOW GAMES. I found it fascinating. It’s an excellent resource for teachers of young writers. While this is Mouse’s story, SNOW GAMES really does in many ways have four protagonists. This was an issue I grappled with in writing this story. I knew that I needed a…
