June Book Selling Events!

 I have June events scheduled to sell books! It's been one year and seven months since I've been to such an event. For some reason, I'm terribly nervous! And really excited, too. I have eight new books to debut that include several children's books (and corresponding coloring books).

Now that I'm fully vaccinated, I feel a little more comfortable going out in public. Unfortunately my daughter's age hasn't been called for the vaccine yet, but we're still wearing masks when we go to stores. Outdoor events we feel more comfortable now.

My first two events in June are all outdoors. I have masks ready and hand sanitizer on the ready to place on my selling tables. July is my one and only event that is indoors, but it's usually pretty small and I'll be fully masked.

Now is the time where I need to remember what my pitch is for each book I have. It's been so long, I've forgotten how to quickly tell someone interested a little bit about my book without stumbling over words.

Everyone stay healthy and write on!

Angie

Designing covers is hard! COVER reveal

 I usually delegate the job of cover designer to my husband - the computer guru. I took for granted how hard it was. I decided with the next two books in my young readers series, Hay Days, that I would do all the work. I used Krita to produce my cover. There are so many buttons to click and so many things to learn with this program. After a brief tutorial (and several re-visits to my husband to explain again) I managed to complete 2 covers. 

When I did my first cover - a coloring book named Amazing Horses, I used Publisher. And it was easy and simple. But I learned it was very limited or impossible, if I wanted to make any changes. Soon, it became evident that I needed a more advanced program for future book covers. A program that used layers to make a more well-rounded design. 

 

So this was the photo that would be the main subject for my cover. Meet Mindy, my 27 year old Quarter Horse. She's turned out to be an excellent cover model. (She'll work for carrots.)

Thirteen layers four days later, this is the cover design courtesy of Krita:

Designing covers will get easier with every cover I do. It only takes time and patience (lots of patience). I'm looking forward to finishing more books so I can jump back onto Krita and get my creative juices flowing.

I'm so looking forward to bringing my two new books to summer book events! I'm hoping the kids like my cover and book idea as much as I do!

Dream big and write on!

Angie McPherson

New barn kittens become newest book muse! Misty's Wish

 2020 was such a rough year, but one of the bright spots was in late summer we adopted 2 barn kittens to bring to our horse barn. We had 2 aging barn cats (more than 12 years with us) but the brother cat, Nooshy, went away to pass on. That left Lucy and we thought it a good time to bring in a couple of new kittens. The plan wasn't to give Lucy a replacement, but we thought Lucy might be a good teacher to the new kittens. At first, she didn't like them at all. Months later, she still barely tolerates them, but the kittens don't seem to mind.

The kittens came from a Barn Cat Program from our local Southern Indiana animal shelter. They were both tortoiseshell females. Very shy at first, but now they won't let you leave the barn without some quality petting time.

Misty

Pumpkin

 

So, with the new additions came a new book and a matching coloring book! Misty's Wish is a story about a barn kitten that feels out of place in the barn and wishes for something more. The story emulates the new kittens life - including interaction with a skunk and Misty's excessively vocalizations. In other words, she's got something to say and she's letting everyone know!

Misty's Wish: Picture Book

 

 

Misty's Wish: Coloring Book

 

 

I had a lot of fun writing this story and was excited to work with Asiri Kulathunga,  I worked with for My Mom Is Sick and It's Okay again for all the illustrations.

So, if you're looking for a cute book about a kitten that wished for more, please check out my books on Amazon! And if the stars line up later this year, I'll have them on hand at some book events. (I'm going to keep thinking positive about this!)

Happy reading to all!

Angie

Making my first EVER book trailer!

 So, I attempted my very first book trailer... ever... this week. The idea came up while I was in my online book group meeting. No one had made a book trailer before. Me, being a glutton for punishment, volunteered myself to do what had never been done before!

My only criteria: spend no money. I know paying someone to do this would be better. I'm not THAT computer literate. But I also realize I don't have much of a platform to make paying someone worthwhile. I've heard book trailers don't help with sales. My thought on this, is it might help. Even if I get one sale from this, I'll be in the black. So, other than the time it takes me to make this book trailer, I'm not really out anything.

The first thing I did was do some research on the internet. I found that I can make my trailer on PowerPoint. That's great because I'm sort of familiar with that program (had to do some of my Masters as a PowerPoint presentation, as well as this summer I completed 2 presentations on PP for Imaginarium Convention on coloring and children's books).

To PowerPoint I went. This will be quick and in a nutshell, mainly because I'm not an expert and don't want to be responsible for telling people how to do things wrong! 

I came up with:

-Background (courtesy of Pixabay)

- Sample illustrations from book (4 or 5)

- Simple points of text

- Music (courtesy of Pixabay)

 

Some trailers are several minutes long. I chose something less than a minute. I wanted it short and sweet and to the point. With the help of my very tech-savvy husband, I was able to complete the book trailer and post it in a couple of hours. I know each time I do this, I'll be able to cut the time down, as well, if I decide to do more book trailers.

So, without further adieu, here's my book trailer below. I also have it on YouTube (first time I've ever posted anything on that site, too). 

 YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gbGZoTdfHM

 Now I'll wait to see if I have more book sales due to this posting! Here's to hoping it does!

Until next time!

Write on!

Angie

 

Back to the Norm... soon... hopefully!

 Sorry, it's been so long since I've last written. This pandemic is wearing me out, between working from home and taking care of kiddo. We've had some changes over the summer and even had to live in a camper for a few months while our house was being fixed. We're back inside and it looks great.

Some great news, My Mom Is Sick and It's Okay won first place for Children's Book in the Imadjinn Awards from Imaginarium. This year, the convention went online, but it was a great time and I had a lot of fun being on various writing panels.

I'm currently working on 3 new releases for the kids:

* Book 2 for Hay Days - Emma Gets Schooled (Chapter Book for Young Readers)

* Misty's Wish - Children's Picture book about an adopted kitten that wishes for more

* Snipping Loses a Shoe - Children's Picture book about a horse that loses his shoes and all the barn animals chip in to find it

Stay tuned and let's hope for a safe, effective vaccine so we can get back out there for book events (and other great things)!

Write on!

Angie

 

Semi Finalist for Little Peeps Chanticleer book awards! My Mom is Sick made it!

I was so excited to see My Mom is Sick and It's Okay has made Chanticleer's Little Peeps Semi Finalist list! This book is special to my heart, and it's great to see others find it special, too. I wish I could go to the awards banquet in April, but it's so far away. The cost is quite steep. So, I'll stay in Indiana and cross my fingers for good news. Even if I don't progress past this point, it's been a honor to get this far.

My Mom is Sick and It's Okay - Amazon

The Little Peeps Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Early Readers and Children’s Picture Books. The Little Peeps Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).

Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring stories of all shapes and sizes written to an audience for Early Readers. Storybooks, Beginning Chapter Books, Picture Books, Activity Books & Educational Books that appeal to children to compete in the Little Peeps Awards that discover today’s best children’s books.

These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2019 LONG LIST to the Little Peeps Shortlist and have now advanced to the Little Peeps Semi-Finalists positions.

Congratulations to all of these 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books Semi-Finalists

• Sylva Fae and Katie Weaver – Elfabet
• Lauren Mosback – In Grandpaw’s Pawprints
• Lauren Mosback – My Sister’s Super Skills
• Dawn Marie Thompson – Double Trouble
• Trevor Young & Eleanor Long – Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie
• Norma Lewis – Let All Things Now Living
• Norma Lewis – Totem Pole
• Kizzie Jones – A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be
• Robert Wright Jr – Mummy in the Museum
• Marianne Andresen Magin – The Legend of Santa’s Sleighbells
• Angie McPherson – My Mom Is Sick and It’s Okay
• Justine Avery – What Wonders Do You See… When You Dream?
• Lucy Patterson Murray – Dream Island
• Shana Hollowell – When the Squirrel Sings 
• Oleg Kush – 1 & 0, Lion & Mouse, Aries the Sheep and Other Fairy-Tales
• Kasey J. Claytor – Pinky and The Magical Secret He Kept Inside
• Juliette Douglas – We Are Awesome Possums
• Johnny Ray Moore – Anthill for Sale
• Melodie Tegay – Hannah’s Two Homes: life in a “blended” family; a 5-year-old’s perspective

These titles are now in the running for the First Place positions of the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards for Early Readers and Picture Books.

Semi-Finalists will be recognized at the 2020 Chanticleer Authors Conference and the 2019 CIBA banquet and ceremony. The First Place Category Winners, along with the CIBA Division Grand Prize winners, will be selected from the 16 CIBA divisions Semi-Finalists. We will announce the 1st Place Category winners and Grand Prize Division Winners at the CIBAs Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 at the luxurious Hotel Bellwether in Bellingham, Wash.

My Mom is Sick has made the Chanticleer Little Peeps Shortlist!

I'm excited to report that My Mom Is Sick and It's Okay has made the Chanticleer Little Peeps Shortlist! This book means a lot to me, and I'm really happy that it has made it from the slush pile, to the Longlist, and now to the Shortlist!



Now it's in the running for the semi-finalist awards in April 2020. It's just an honor to have made it this far.

Below is the official notice!

Happy writing and Happy New Year!
Angie

These works have advanced to the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards Shortlist!

• Sylva Fae and Katie Weaver – Elfabet
• Lauren Mosback – In Grandpaw’s Pawprints
• Lauren Mosback – My Sister’s Super Skills
• Cheree Finley – W-B-C Team
• Dawn Marie Thompson – Double Trouble
• Dawn Marie Thompson – Barnyard Bully
• M. Lisa Rinaca – Nate and The Nanticoke Clipper
• Trevor Young & Eleanor Long – Galdo’s Gift: The Boovie
• Norma Lewis – Let All Things Now Living
• Norma Lewis – Totem Pole
• Norma Lewis – The Canter Beary Tales
• Kizzie Jones – A Tall Tale About Dachshunds in Costumes: How MORE Dogs Came to Be
• Robert Wright Jr – Mummy in the Museum
• Marianne Andresen Magin – The Legend of Santa’s Sleighbells
• George Yuhasz – Imagine That: The Magic of the Mysterious Lights
• Angie McPherson – My Mom Is Sick and It’s Okay
• Stephanie Dreyer – Not A Purse
• Justine Avery – What Wonders Do You See… When You Dream?
• Lucy Patterson Murray – Dream Island
• Ellie Smith – Tex the Explorer: Journey Around the Earth
• Shana Hollowell – When the Squirrel Sings
• Mary Troxclair Adamson – Yo, Ho! Armadilleaux!
• Gregory Pohl – The Impossible
• Linda Bledsoe – Pigs Can’t Skate
• Oleg Kush – 1 & 0, Lion & Mouse, Aries the Sheep and Other Fairy-Tales
• Kasey J. Claytor – Pinky, And The Magical Secret He Kept Inside
• Edyta McQueen – Girly Girl Adventure: Rescue on the Ski Hill
• Ann Riley Cooper – Catch and Release
• Juliette Douglas – We are Awesome Possums
• M.J. Evans – Percy-The Racehorse Who Didn’t Like to Run
• J. Steven Young – Gus and the Winter Sprite
• Johnny Ray Moore – Anthill for Sale
• Melodie Tegay – Hannah’s Two Homes: life in a “blended” family; a 5-year-old’s perspective
• Keri T Collins – You Can Call Me Katelyn

These entries have now advanced to the  2019 Little Peeps Shortlist from the Long List. 

The ShortListers’ works will compete for the Semi-Finalists positions for the 2019 Little Peeps Book Awards.