Nice Way to Wrap Up the Year

It’s official folks, my second picture book has been released. It’s a prose story called The Sister Exchange. It’s about a girl who wants to trade in her sister for another one. But these new sisters are not all they’re cracked up to be.

This was a fun book to write and is actually based on my nieces. One day my niece Brianna, asked my daughter if she would like a sister. Then she added, “Well you can have mine.” That line stuck in my head and I eventually thought about a scenario where you could trade siblings the way you traded stocks (a nod to my days in the financial services industry). My first drafts of the story included a mix of both brothers and sisters as replacements. But in the interests of brevity and simplicity, I made it just about sisters.

Kit Grady did a great job with the illustrations and I am very happy with the way this book came together. If you would like a peek inside at the story and illustrations, please go to http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/sister-exchange.htm and check it out. This book is also available at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ ,or you can ask your local book store. If you want to go green, it’s available as an E-book as well.

Not a bad way to wrap up the year. May all of you have a very happy and healthy new year. See you all in 2010.

Kevin

Cover for The Sister Exchange

Just a quick update, I received an email from my publisher the other day with the cover art for The Sister Exchange. So without further adieu, here it is. I haven't seen the rest of the illustrations, but I really like what I've seen so far. I think Kit Grady did a great job.

The book is finished but won’t be released for another five or six months. But another book of mine, If I Could Be Anything, should be coming out before that. So it looks like two of my books will be out before the end of the year. (Insert a “yippee” and the sound of clicking heels here) To check out my publisher’s upcoming releases, go to

http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com/comingsoon.htm

A few things taking shape

I mentioned awhile back that I was included in a poetry anthology due out in 2010. I found out that another poem I submitted was accepted, so I'm pretty excited about that. Although I have a few rhyming picture books under contract, this will be my first poetry anthology. So, I really feel validated as a poet. I'll post more info about this once the revisions are finalized

Also, I heard from Kit Grady about my book, The Sister Exchange. She posted a sketch of one of the illustrations. It's a cute character and I'm psyched to see the rest of the illustrations. To take a sneek peek of The Sister Exchange, go to Kit's blog at

http://www.kit-grady.blogspot.com/

I've already seen sketches for If I Could Be Anything which is being illustrated by Marina Movshina, so I already have a decent idea of what the final copy of the book will look like. The only books that are still a mystery to me are Lightning Strikes and The Soggy Town of Hilltop. These are being illustrated by Eugene Ruble and I haven't heard anything about them yet. But I've seen Eugene's work and he's a talented guy. I'm sure he'll do my books justice.

2008, a Year in Review

I have to say that 2008 was a very good year for me writing-wise.

One year ago, I had just received my first book contract. Before that, all I had was a flash fiction piece published in Beyond Centauri to my credit and that came after four years of actively pursuing publication.

Now, I have five picture books under contract and I might be included in a poetry anthology that will come out in 2010. I don’t know the details yet. I could wind up being edited out of the anthology. So, I’ll have to see how that plays out.

All I can say is, “What a difference a year makes.”

I’m hoping for more good things to happen in 2009. I several stories under consideration at various publishing houses, and I’m hoping for some good news about them. I’m also waiting for my first book to be released. Kit Grady, one of the talented illustrators associated with Guardian Angel Publishing, is currently illustrating “The Sister Exchange.” I’m excited to see what the finished book will look like.

I’m really looking forward to the New Year. I don’t know if I’ll be able to top the success I had in 2008, but I’m certainly going to try. :-)

May you and yours have a happy and healthy new year.

Peace,

Kevin