It Really Does Take a Village - By Deborah Cuneo

Little Dragon and the New Baby/Back Cover - Sky Pony Press March 20th 2018

To say that the journey to publication has been somewhat of a roller-coaster ride, would be a complete understatement!  Being totally honest, at times, it took every ounce of my being to be able to continue forward. 

Fortunately, I have had the best support system in my family and friends, my faith, my crit group and special people, who have known me since I started the journey into Kid Lit, who virtually held my hand while listening to me sobbing endlessly, as my deadline approached and my computer completely choked, destroying more than half of my final art files. There is a piece of each one of them in this book. 

Little Dragon and the New Baby/Interior - Sky Pony Press March 20th 2018

And on the other side of the desk, there was the amazing editor, who saw something in my scribbly little storyboard I presented at one of the always awesome NJ-SCBWI conferences. She believed in me and my vision enough to take this on, even though it was a risk.  And as she passed the baton, each one of the editors and support staff that I've had the pleasure of working with, also had a supportive hand during the course of this project, sometimes during some of the toughest hurdles in the production. 

I always thought that I would just sit down and draw and presto...a book, but it's really not like that at all. Each and every one of the people I mentioned, all played an important role in how this came to be. There is no way it could have happened without their involvement, and I'm truly grateful for them all!

So ... on behalf of myself and my "village", I'd like to present OUR debut book...

  Now Available for Pre-order!

(Click on the link below to Sky Pony's page for more information) 

http://skyponypress.com/titles/13655-9781510712683-little-dragon-and-the-new-baby

Website: www.deborahcuneoillustration.com

Blog: Creating Out Loud  deborahcuneo.blogspot.com

Facebook: Deborah Cuneo Illustration

Twitter: @debcuneoart 

 Instagram: @ataleof2studios

Preorder SCOOP & Choose A Free Gift! by Patricia Keeler

It's annoying to Preorder SCOOP THE ICE CREAM TRUCK and then to wait a month or more to receive it. Therefore, preorder giveaways! A treat to get in the mail while you wait for SCOOP!

BE OPINIONATED BUTTON

Square buttons with attitude that read Be Opinionated! Comes on a ribbon with a postcard too! I kind of love them. I have a lot of these!

GREETING CARDS - limited addition

Here is a collection of greeting cards with envelopes. They have art front and back, and quotes inside from some of my favorite children's book authors from the past. Six cards in the package measure 7" x 5".

©patriciakeeler

©patriciakeeler

ORIGINAL SKETCHES CREATED FOR SCOOP

Giving away original art may seem like a big deal, but most of my early drawings are on tracing paper and full of smudges. It feels kind of cool to sign the sketches and send them to a new home. I'd have to pick the sketch as each is unique, but you could choose either Spunky or Scoop.  

©patriciakeeler

Image measures 5" x 6"        ©patriciakeeler

To Preorder on Amazon type in SCOOP THE ICE CREAM TRUCK in the top bar. When SCOOP comes up, tap the Preorder button on the right and checkout! You won't get SCOOP for a month yet, but your publisher's giveaway will arrive soon!

After choosing a gift from above 

message me from Facebook 

or email me at patriciaannkeeler@gmail.com 

with your snail mail address.

*****  IT'S A DRAWN TO PICTURE BOOKS CELEBRATION  *****

SAVE THE DATE!

Three of us in Drawn To Picture Books have books being released this Spring. Whoo hoo! Barbara DiLorenzo, Quincy: The Chameleon Who Couldn't Blend In (Little Bee Books), Deborah Cuneo, Little Dragon and the New Baby (Sky Pony Press) and Scoop The Ice Cream Truck (Sky Pony Press)!

We're having our launch party together at Little City Books in Hoboken— my New Jersey hometown—at 11 am, April 15! You are all invited! More info coming soon.

Facebook:  PatriciaKeelerBooks

Twitter: @patriciakeeler

Instagram: @patriciakeelerbooks
Website: patriciakeeler-author-illustrator.com

represented by Liza Royce Agency www.lizaroyce.com

Halloween Haunting by Patricia Keeler

I'm not haunted by ghosts, or scared of spiders or the dark. 

But one thing keeps me up at night in fear . . .

                                                                                                                                            © Patricia Keeler

 no, not rabbits!  it's beginning the illustrations for a new picture book. 

All that white. 

All those empty pages. 

All the UNdrawn.

© J Byron Schachner

At Eastern PA SCBWI, I heard a great presentation by J Byron Schachner—Judy to her friends. (She's one of those people who is so friendly that you think you are 'instantly' her friend.) So going on that assumption, Judy has a method for climbing into those scary white pages. It's a Character Bible.

In one of Judy's Character Bibles the pants came first. Judy found a picture of pants drying on a clothes line. She thought it was a great shot of pants. Maybe put a raccoon in them? Hello, Dewey Bob! Later, she found a photograph of a raccoon in a pair of pants.

Permission given by J Byron Schachner to publish images from her Character Bible on Drawn To Picture Books.
© J Byron Schachner

 Judy can spend a year or more creating a Character Bible before beginning to write and illustrate.  

I'm developing a story about a Halloween witch, and am creating my own Halloween Character Bible. I'm learning;

1. By collecting images of witches and cats, I'm finding what feet, noses, hats, etc., I like, and those that don't work for me.

2. I can sketch my characters in various guises, not worrying about the final look of the characters yet. Here they can grow and develop.

Building my Halloween Witch Character Bible         © Patricia Keeler

3. There are the common Halloween images like bats and spiders, but I'm finding pictures of objects I hadn't thought of, like brown moths and pumpkins wrapped in black lace.

4. While looking for witches and cats in shops, magazines, and online, I'm discovering new Halloween fonts and graphics.

5. I'm discovering new Halloween colors. Who knew pea green would be a scary color?

6. And surprising locations. The circus definitely works for Halloween images! Eeek!

© Patricia Keeler

Making a Halloween Character Bible feels like preparing the earth for planting. No wonder it is so hard for me to get anything growing. I've had little to grow new images from.

 

Here's my first sketch of a Halloween witch

 and I don't even have a headache!

Thank-you Judy for your enchanting stories, shiny characters, and kaleidoscopic art.

And for showing me a way in!

Judy Schacher signing DEWEY BOB, Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015

Website: www.patriciakeeler-author-illustrator.com

Facebook:  PatriciaKeelerBooks

Twitter: @patriciakeeler
Instagram: @patriciakeeler

represented by Liza Royce Agency www.lizaroyce.com