Special Kids-Special Needs

Hi All,

I just wanted to let you know that the latest edition of Guardian Angel Kids E-zine is now available.  This is the E-zine that my publisher puts out monthly.  Every month is a different topic.  This month features special kids with special needs.  It contains stories, poems, and articles for kids as well as articles for teachers and parents.  If you get a chance, stop by and check it out.  It’s well worth the visit.    The link for it is http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com/

While you’re there, you can see some of the games and activities that I designed for this E-zine as part of the creative crew there.

Why Children’s Books Matter



New York Public Library on 42nd & 5th Ave

I recently went to an exhibit at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue in New York City.  It is titled “Why Children’s Books Matter”. This exhibit walks you through the history of children’s books from early colonial times through Manga and the graphic novels of today. I really enjoyed the displays that included some of my favorites. From Alice in Wonderland to Winnie the Pooh, to Where the Wild Things Are, all the classics were represented. There were examples of children’s books from Russia and India, a history of the origin of children’s books, and a reading section where kids(or adults for that matter) could sit and read from the shelves of children’s books available. Some of the displays included props that I have never seen anywhere else.

The Original Winnie the Pooh & Friends

I think that kids will really love some of the interactive displays there.  There is a replica of the car from The Phantom Tollbooth, a life sized fireplace from Goodnight Moon, and a rabbit hole from Alice in Wonderland for kids to crawl through.  Even if you don't bring any children, there is still enough on display to invoke memories from your own childhood.  The original Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal was on display along with Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger. Mary Poppin’s umbrella was alongside the original book and clips from the movie were playing on the adjacent wall.  Across from this exhibit, original drawings from the Wizard of Oz hung on the wall.

My First Introduction to Poetry

What really made me feel like a kid again was seeing a vintage copy of Mad Magazine on display. This magazine helped fuel an irreverent sense of humor which I still have to this day. It also introduced me to poetry and taught me the concept of rhyme and meter before anyone else. Before I had ever read Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge in school, I read Rhyme of the Modern Skateboarder in Mad Magazine. Like any good children’s book, this exhibit doesn't preach to you. It doesn’t tell you why children’s books matter. It simply shows you the work and lets you draw your own conclusions. But I do know why children’s books matter to me. They introduced me to a vast array of ideas and different ways of thinking. They taught me about the world and about myself in ways that I could relate to.  They also influenced me in ways I would not fully understand until much later on in life. After all, who knew back then that I would wind up recommending that budding poets read vintage copies of Mad Magazine to sharpen their poetry skills?  If you get a chance, I highly recommend seeing this exhibit.









Website Woes

I recently redesigned my website from scratch.  I used a content management system (CMS) to build it.  For the uninitiated, this type of system allows you to change the data on pages fairly quickly while keeping the style of the website intact.  It’s a far cry from the first website I built using Microsoft Publisher.  The problem with that program is that it would never look the same depending on what computer and browser I was using.  Anything that looked terrific on Internet Explorer, would look terrible on Firefox and vice versa.  So I found myself forever tinkering with my website.  It was a great when my writer’s block would kick in.  I would have a legitimate excuse for not writing because I had to fix my #$@^&* website.

I used to work in a technology unit at my old day job.  I am far from being a technology expert.  But I have a basic understanding of how technology works and I’m willing to teach myself just about anything.  So with enough time and patience, I rebuilt my website.  I used a CMS called Joomla.  It’s a pretty popular system.  But Joomla was entirely different from anything I used before.   I would have to start at the beginning to learn it.  So with the help of the internet and armed with a “Dummies” book, I went to work. 

First problem I ran into:  Joomla was upgrading versions and the new version wouldn’t work with my current internet hosting.  I contacted customer service and they sold me on trying a new hosting platform they were rolling out which would support the new version of Joomla.  So I backed up my website, or so I thought, and had them convert me to this new hosting platform. 

So I find out that I didn’t quite back up my website correctly (“D’oh”-with apologies to Homer Simpson).  Also, when I switched platforms it deleted my old account.  My website and everything else stored there was gone (“Double D’oh”). 

If I had backed up my website correctly, I could have just imported it into Joomla and it would have converted it automatically (“Triple D’oh).  But anyhow, now I finally have a nice, shiny new website, with plenty of bells and whistles.  If you would like to see the results, please visit www.kevinmcnamee.com and let me know how it looks to you.

Unfortunately, now I don’t have any more excuses for not writing.  Back to work.

Going Global

I received some great news from my publisher that all of my books are going to be available for sale in China and other Asian markets.  Guardian Angel Publishing has finished negotiating with an agent to distribute English language books.  This is coupled with a mandate in China that all school children should learn English.  So I’m really excited that my books will be open to such a huge market.  Also in the works is distribution to India and other emerging markets where my books are not available.  I’ll keep you posted on any further developments.  But I couldn’t wait to spread the word.  How cool is that?

I Didn’t Win, But I’m Glad to Be Playing

Hi All

While looking at my publisher’s website, I was surprised to see that my app for the iPad, The Sister Exchange, was nominated for the 2012 Cybil Awards.  For the uninitiated, the Cybil Awards are literary awards put out by Children and Young Adult Book Bloggers. You can find out more about the award and the finalists at http://www.cybils.com/2013/01/the-2012-cybils-finalists.html#more

While I didn’t win any awards, it was nice just to be in the game.  I was happy to see my app next to so many other talented authors, illustrators, developers and publishers who had the vision and drive to take an enjoyable story for children and take it to the next level. 

To see The Sister Exchange for the iPad, (an enjoyable little app if I do say so myself) please check out the link below.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-sister-exchange/id491267295?mt=8

Just for Today Has Been Published.

Hi All

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have new book to talk about. I’m thrilled to announce that my latest picture book has been released by Guardian Angel Publishing. It’s titled, Just for Today.

This book is based on the time I have spent playing with my daughter, but it is written for a boy and his Dad. IMHO, there aren’t enough books geared for boys. Boys tend to be more reluctant to read, so I’ll do anything I can to encourage a love of reading. It starts with a simple question, “Where are you going?”

Marina Movshina did a terrific job with the illustrations for this book. She also illustrated my first book, If I Could Be Anything. Her use of watercolors really helped bring out the soft, gentle tone for this book. I’m excited to see what kind of reception this book gets. The book blurb and links are below.

If finding buried treasure, exploring outer space, and winning the World Series sounds like good way to spend the day, then you’ll love this gentle rhyming picture book about spending quality time with kids. All that’s needed is a little time, a lot of imagination and plenty of love.

This book is available as a print book, an E-book, or a book on CD from Guardian Angel Publishing.


Books are also available from amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, or ask your local bookstore.
Autographed copies are also available. Please go to http://www.kevinmcnamee.com/pages/home/my-books/just-for-today.php for more information.

Being Featured at Writers on the Move

Hi All

It's been a while since my last post.  There's been plenty of things going on that I haven't had time to blog about yet.  But I hope to get to it shortly.  I've been involved in putting together interactive ebooks and I have a new picture book that just came out...more on that later.  Right now, I just want to drop a quick note to tell you that I'm being featured on Writer's on the Move, where I talk about work/life balance as a writer.  If you get a chance, please stop by www.writersonthemove.com and say hello.

Happy Writing,

Kevin