Remember when I turned you all onto building a website using a blog? Well, this may be the next wave: Wix.com. I have no idea how well it works - but it looks promising. I will say, even the demo video ran very slowly on my ancient computer, which may be a bad sign - but if most of your users will be on newer machines, this might be an option. And I love the gallery set-up. That could be especially useful for illustrators. So, if you try it, will you report back and share your link? I'd love to see one of these applied to our world of children's books!
Every now and then I mention that my husband is a long-distance motorcyclist, but I don't really share details. Today, I remedy that. When I met Stan, the only room in his house that was completely furnished was his garage. He had three motorcycles back then - all BMW's. As long as I've known him, he's had at least one motorcycle and gone riding pretty much one day per weekend. And I don't mean little bimbles - the man doesn't see the point in getting the bike out unless he starts with a 300 mile jaunt. He even did an east coast to west coast ride in 42 hours which earned him the title of Iron Butt - no joke. (He corrected me - he's actually earned the title three times now.) So every weekend he travels to the distant corners of our state, or other states, looking for those sweepers and well-engineered curves. And he often organizes rides for other long-distance riders to join him. The other weekend, he did the Dragon - or the Tail of the Dragon (as it is often called) at Deal's Gap. It's an 11-mile stretch of road in the Tennessee/North Carolina Mountains with no less than 318 turns in that small space. People fly from all over the world to ride the tail of the dragon. So, three photography studios have claimed corners to grab shots of you as you ride it. We don't have many pics of Stan actually ON his bike, so were thrilled when these came out so well. Yup, that's my hubbie - ain't he hot?
More research for the picture book I'm illustrating, "The 12 Days of Christmas in Georgia." Did you know that Springer Mountain is the beginning of the Appalachian Trail? Well, it's in Georgia and makes for a lovely bimble. This past weekend, we headed up to North Georgia and stopped at R&A Orchards for lunch and peaches! And then we headed for the mountain. About 20 minutes in on a National Forest road and we were there! Well, sort of. We parked the car and then hiked a mile uphill. THEN we were there! And boy was it worth the trip - it was gorgeous. There are two plaques when you get to the official start of the AT - you can see one of them in front of Stan (the hubsmeister) embedded in the rock and the other in this second shot. There's also a mailbox of sorts built into the back of the rock to hold notebooks for geocachers and notes/postcards people want to leave for whoever is there next. Pretty cool. We also checked out the camping set-ups nearby, and dang. It's like five-star camping up there! And if it wasn't for the bears (which have been problematic of late according to a posted sign) I'd be all over it. It's going to be tricky to illustrate this one. If any of you are hikers, you know that the view surrounding you most of the time is pretty limited in scope (rocks, trees, the uphill climb). Every now and then you come to an open vista like the pic above, however, it can be hard to relate that information to surrounding context. So, it will be challenging to draw. But now that I've been there, I have a much better idea of how to tackle it!
He's done it again. Harold Underdown has once again proven why so many people turn to him for sound advice and a true gauge on the state of the industry. He's written a thorough article he's sharing for free on his website, which I highly recommend you read: "Working in Children's Books and the Recession of 2008-09".
OMG is this going to be trippy! Tim Burton is doing a new Alice in Wonderland movie starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as Alice, and Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen. You gotta see some of these sneak release photos and read more - click here. (Thanks to Tracy Barrett from the MidSouth SCBWI board for the heads up!)
I'm starting something new on dulemba.com. I finally found a program that allows me to record an mp3 which I can then embed on my blog. It's called Audioboo and it's a cool new app for your iPhone.
So here's the reason why I wanted it - to share the wacky ideas I get sometimes that just don't fit into anything else and may have no purpose at all other than being wacky ideas.
It's techno-geek-out Sunday at dulemba.com. I'm messin' around, trying new things. Here's a new app for iphone that should let me upload audio to my blog. Let's see if this works:
This is awesome. I'll admit I got caught up in the Twilight phenomenon just like everybody else. I listened to the books on audio and it was fun - a lark. But the relationship between Bella and Edward was always disturbing. And I don't mean because he was a vampire. It was because their relationship was co-dependent, and identity-stripping to the max. Bella wasn't even interested in Edward until he displayed utter revulsion for her - or that's what she thought. Turns out he actually wanted to suck her blood, like really bad. So here were all these teenage girls gushing over Edward, learning all kinds of really terrible ideas about how a good, healthy relationship should function. (Stalking is not in the top ten of desirable elements.) So, what to do? Turn Edward over to Buffy! She kicks... bum!!! She doesn't put up with his games, his need to consume and control - oh no. In fact, she puts it all in perspective - fantastic!! Go Buffy!! To read more about the creation of the video and its creators, visit rebellious pixels.
Have I mentioned how much I adore audiobooks? I listen to them while I draw or color. It frees my hand to do what it needs to do without my silly brain getting in the way. Hubbie and I also enjoy them on road trips. During our recent trip to Tybee we enjoyed NATION by Terry Pratchett read by my favorite reader, Stephen Briggs. (We're not finished with the story yet, so need to hit the road this weekend too!) Well, Random House is embracing audiobooks too with a new campaign called Listen Up Florida! They're working with the state to advertise audiobooks on billboards, radio, etc. They're also working with bookstores across the state to promote audiobooks and make them available. All I can say is, How GREAT is that!? And how wonderful would it be to see a billboard advertising your favorite YA novel vs. a fast-food chain? Wowsa. They're also running a video contest for teens which you can learn about at Fantasy Road Trip Contest. Thanks to Publishers Weekly for the heads up!
Cynthea Liu has a new book coming out! It's called Paris Pan takes the Dare. To help celebrate - she's giving back. She's gathered some top people and creators in the children's book biz to donate books, services and art to an online auction. It's going on right now and continues through July 8th. Here's the official blurb:
OVER SIXTY CHILDREN’S AND TEEN BOOK INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS RAISE MONEY FOR TULAKES ELEMENTARY, A TITLE I SCHOOL IN OKLAHOMA
(Chicago, IL – June 24, 2009) In less than two weeks, the online event “Take the Dare: Show You Care” has far exceeded its original goal to support one classroom at Tulakes Elementary. As word spread among the children’s and teen book publishing industry, more professionals have joined, including literary agents from the nation’s top agencies as well as prominent editors from major publishing houses like HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Penguin, to name a few. The entire 3rd grade-five classrooms-at this Title I school will have new leveled readers for their classrooms and countless book boxes to store their new books. But according to author Cynthea Liu, the event’s organizer, “There is still work to be done. The 2nd grade isn’t any better off than the 3rd grade, and I’m determined to see them covered, too.” In addition to Tulakes Elementary, Ms. Liu has also chosen other Title I schools in her home state of Oklahoma to receive support through DonorsChoose.org. To learn more about “Take the Dare: Show You Care,” please visit www.cynthealiu.com/showyoucare or contact cynthea@cynthealiu.com.
Did you even know about this? In honor of all the fabulous music and musicians that have come out of Georgia (it's an impressive list), the Georgia Music Hall of Fame was created in Macon, Georgia. And while it may seem like an odd idea going in, I challenge you to leave without a tear in your eye or a new sense of pride in the state of Georgia. We dropped by on our way back from Tybee Island - again for research. My main characters in "The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia" visit the kids section of the museum and I could find nothing online to help me figure out what it really looked like. It was a quiet Sunady and Hubbie and I walk in a little wary of what to expect. The main display is filled with era-replicas of cafes, diners, churches and other typical music hang-outs. In each are displays of guitars donated by their famous owners: Actual outfits they wore onstage... (my fave was the B-52s - dang she pulled off something I never could!) And old band posters. Stan even found one from his fave band in college - Dreams So Real! But what we really went to see was the Music Factory! This is where the kids can go wild and really experience music. There are booths where you can make and record your own music, become your own percussion/rhythm section, and play piano with your feet. There's a stage where kids can grab all kinds of instruments and become rock-stars (apparently adults like this too...) Stan really enjoyed the "Slap Organ" - an instrument made from PVC pipes and operated with flip-flops! It was AWESOME!! Best of all was the video the museum put together on the incredible music scene in Georgia over the last hundred years. I was blown away by its scope, and the pride of the musicians over being Georgians and Southern and being connected to all those ghosts and spirits that seem to weep their way into the music. But what really got me was listening to people passionate about what they do. It doesn't matter if it's hang-gliding, motorcycle riding, or creating picture books. A life given over to a passion is an awe-inspiring and incredible thing to see and/or experience. I think the hardest part for most people is figuring out what their passion is. But once that's down - the adventure is ON. They say success comes from one part talent plus ten thousand hours of practice (Stan worked that out to be about ten years) and the passion to stick with it for that long (I'm at year 8 with kids books). And there we were surrounded by the sights and sounds of people who were living proof of that theory being true. The chill bumps stuck with me throughout the museum - we were completely sucked in by its energy and ended up staying MUCH longer than we intended. If you can make the trip - even if you're not a crazy music junkie - I highly recommend it!
No really. We went for research. It had nothing to do with the view (click to see it bigger): Or the sunset: Or having dinner with fellow illustrator/SCBWIer Daniel Powers and his wife Silke at A.J.s where Stan and I saw an enormous Manta Ray jump out of the water several times. (All you have to do at the coast is say, "Look!" and point and everybody within a 100 yard radius will stop and watch with you.) And it had nothing to do with the pretty little light house at the north end of the island, or the shrimp salad and raw oysters at The Crab Shack:
No. I was there for research... for that new picture book I'm illustrating for Sterling Children's Books - "The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia" (Christmas 2010) written by my friend, Susan Rosson Spain. (Sterling is doing one of these for each state and I'm honored to be the illustrator for Georgia!) I'm supposed to draw my main characters standing on the pier looking at ... something in the water and I really needed to get a feel for the place, y'know? It was a bit hard to do at first because they're filming a new Miley Cirus (Hannah Montana fame) movie right now. Can you believe they set up an entire carnival on the beach just for the movie? It was cool to see, but a little sad that they wouldn't let anybody in to enjoy the rides (and boy was there a crowd!) Miley is back there somewhere:
Yeah, this is what we drove all that way to see - the pier which was a really stunning architectural feat, must say. The pavilion had these gorgeous arched supports - how did they do that!? Y'know, all jokes aside, there is something about experiencing a place, the temperature, the light, the reflections and shadows, that you just can't get from simply viewing photos online. Did I have to do this to create this illustration? Maybe not, but boy am I glad I did. I now have a context against which to place my mind's eye as I draw and I'm certain my illustration will be stronger because of it. On the way back from Tybee we hit yet another destination for the book which I will write about tomorrow! (No hints...)
Okay, Penguin is brilliant. Have you seen their new From the Publisher's Office? They have a "Screening Room," a "Radio Room," and a "Reading Room." You know we're all talking about technology and reading and where it's all going. I can't quite put it into words, but there is something about this site that feels so... RIGHT. Like this is where publishing is going - or this is what our stories could be. I keep looking at it and chewing on it and trying to come up with what a site like this can mean for me as an author/illustrator. How else could I be branching out and still be a story creator? Go visit and tell me this doesn't just get your wheels turning like all get-out. What do YOU think??? (Thanks to Publishers Weekly for the link.)
Today I'm interviewing fellow PBAA (Picture Book Artists Association) member, Peggy Collins, about her first picture book as both author and illustrator, IN THE GARDEN!
Q: Tell me a bit about your publishing history...
A: Well, I graduated from Sheridan College in 97. I travelled and planted trees for awhile. In-between contracts I got a job as an in-house illustrator and designer for an upstart workplace magazine. It was great experience for me, a lot of on-the job learning and lots of published pieces and room to play. My big break came when we moved back to Ontario. I got a great job as a designer at a college, and there I got to meet the paper rep that changed my life. I had some illustration work on the wall and he was quite taken with it, and a few weeks later I was offered a contract with Fraser Papers to illustrate a promotion for the Pegasus Black and white line. It was a wicked job, won lots of awards and was so much fun. From there it snowballed, I got regular magazine work and then Scholastic hired me for 6 books in a row and my 3 for my UK publisher. It was wonderful, I took two years off from work when my son was born and this was the bread and butter I needed. In 2007 I met John Whalen, the Publisher of Applesauce Press. I was working on a project with them where my work was just a bit too young for what they wanted, but he wanted to work with me - and asked if I had any other projects I wanted to share... and you know what? I did. So I sent him the sketches and captions I had been doing of my little guy playing in the garden, and out of that grew this book. It was a lucky break for sure, and I am glad I was ready for it.
Q: Since you're in Canada, what is your window for growing a garden and what are your favorite things to plant?
A: I am in eastern Ontario, where it gets pretty balmy fairly early on. We usually plant on the long weekend in May, sometimes we do have to madly run out to cover things if there is a frost warning, but generally it is ok. I love the things that grow underground.. it is like a treasure hunt - finding carrots that come from a tiny little seed or potatoes from table scraps... It is oddly thrilling. We are also very into berries, the strawberries are out now, and every night our son picks the 5 that have gotten ripe with the sunshine that day (I don't think I've eaten ONE in two years) but that is ok. And PEAS. We love peas. We sit in the garden and eat peas off the vine till our tummies hurt.
Q: I love that the main character is modeled after your son - how old is he now? Did he really plant trucks and buses and bulldozers in your garden? (I love that they grow too.)
A: YES! He did (does), and we keep finding them all over the place. He is almost 4 now, eats all his veggies, no questions asked and is an amazing little helper in the garden. He rescues the earthworms and knows the difference between the weeds and our plants... getting your child into gardening has so many positives!
Q: Your images are so big and vibrant and colorful. I love all the details as the garden fills in - lots for kids to look at and explore. What is your medium? How long did it take you to illustrate?
A: Thank you. I used gouache and ink to begin with. After I sent in the scans of the final art they came back saying the dirt was TOO brown. Initially I was devastated, but I managed to hold it together, and in the end they were totally right, so I ended up using pencil crayon on top of everything. It took about 6 months from start to finish. The publisher (and me) really wanted to get it out as soon as possible. I work as a designer in my day job, so I got to design it myself as well, which is so much fun. It is nice to be able to see a project through like that.
Q: Since this was your first book as both author and illustrator, can you tell us a bit about your process as both?
A: More pressure, more work, but much less guesswork. I knew exactly what my character looked like, and so it was more liberating. I find when illustrating other peoples writing, I spend a lot of time worrying about what they want, and in the end not liking it as much. But I am learning, every project is a new adventure, and a chance to get to another level.
Q: I know you're in Canada, but where can people find IN THE GARDEN in the US?
A: As far as I know it is in all the major bookstores, on amazon, B&N etc... heck I even saw it on ebay!
Q: What's next for you?
A: Well, IN THE SNOW comes out in November, I am working on a book set in the Gambia for my UK publisher that is super challenging - real people, real places. I am out of my comfort zone, but it is making me better because of it. Also trying out some new media - funky papers for the beautiful clothing all through the book.
I told you I am now available for Virtual School Visits, right? (Read about my first one here.) All you need is two laptops with internet access (one with a video camera), projectors, screens, and a Skype account. Sounds easy enough, right? But what if you don't have the tech gear? Per School Library Journal, there's a new non-profit group trying to help. They're giving grants to get the technology into your schools. So visit Digital Wish to learn more. To read more about my Virtual Visits, click here.
YEAH!!! Criticas is back!! According to School Library Journal, popular demand was just too strong to let it go! They are now sponsored by Baker & Taylor, one of the top book distributors in the country. They'll be reviewing children's titles every other month. Things are lookin' up - Yeah!
And then we headed for the mountain. About 20 minutes in on a National Forest road and we were there! Well, sort of. We parked the car and then hiked a mile uphill. THEN we were there! 
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