Nata Romeo Author and Illustrator

SOULLESS Blog Tour by Crystal Collier

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 00:00:00 -0700

Hello everyone! I'm doing the happy dance to celebrate that you're all here, because

I'm thrilled to be part of this AWESOME Soulless Book Tour, and so here it is......

The Soulless are coming.

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

The First Chapter of SOULLESS
(Read by Crystal Collier)

YOUTUBE

Get your copy now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get your free copy of MOONLESS (book 1) today, October 31 and Nov 7.

Author Bio:

Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

You can find her on her Blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter.

Title: SOULLESS

Author: Crystal Collier
Publisher: Raybourne Publishing

Series: Maiden of Time, #2

Publication: October 13th, 2014

Category: Young Adult (YA)
Genre: Paranormal Historical

Tag Line: The Soulless are coming

Log Line: When Alexia's wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she's forced to unleash her true power and risk losing everything.

Short description:

Alexia manipulated time to save the man of her dreams, and lost her best friend to red-eyed wraiths. Still grieving, she struggles to reconcile her loss with what was gained: her impending marriage. But when her wedding is destroyed by the Soulless—who then steal the only protection her people have—she’s forced to unleash her true power.

And risk losing everything.

PREORDER LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Soulless-Maiden-Time-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00N636ITK/

Or PREORDER

Praise for SOULLESS:

What people are saying about this series:

"With a completely unique plot that keeps you guessing and interested, it brings you close to the characters, sympathizing with them and understanding their trials and tribulations." --SC, Amazon reviewer

"It's clean, classy and supernaturally packed with suspense, longing, intrigue and magic." --Jill Jennings, TX

"SWOON." --Sherlyn, Mermaid with a Book Reviewer

Author Bio: Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Author Tag Line: ❀ Unleashing the dream world, one book at a time ❀

Website: www.crystal-collier.com

Blog: http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/crystalcollier1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2598146-crystal

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/crystalcollierauthor

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website

Blog

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

Website

Tour Schedule: http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/p/events.html

Author Bio Pic URL: http://www.crystal-collier.com/images/crystal.jpg

Cover URL: http://crystal-collier.com/soulless

My Sketchbook in Franklin Square Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 7 Oct 2014 19:20:00 -0700

Me and Bella on It's Story Time on Red River Radio with JD Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 10:39:00 -0700

It's Story Time on Red River Radio

with JD Holiday

Alphabet Wildlife A To Z, Review + Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:47:00 -0700

http://earthlyperfect.com/2014/08/alphabet-wildlife-z-review-giveaway/

GIVEAWAY and Review: Alphabet Wildlife A to Z Book by Nata Romeo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 20:44:00 -0700

http://savegreenbeinggreen.blogspot.com/2014/08/giveaway-and-review-alphabet-wildlife.html

Nata Romeo Author and Illustrator: Not-So-Accidental Blog Tourist Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Aug 2014 19:00:00 -0700

Nata Romeo Author and Illustrator: Not-So-Accidental Blog Tourist Hop: W elcome everyone to this fantastic tour of blogs by amazingly talented authors, artists, musicians, and more. I was invited by Crystal ...

Not-So-Accidental Blog Tourist Hop

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 4 Aug 2014 00:00:00 -0700

Welcome everyone to this fantastic tour of blogs by amazingly talented authors, artists, musicians, and more.
I was invited by Crystal Collier:

Crystal Collier is a young adult author who pens dark fantasy, historical, and romance hybrids. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.

You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

❀Unleashing the dream world, one book at a time ❀

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website

And now for my part of this wonderful tour:

1.What am I currently working on?

I am currently working on several projects simultaneously. I get bored rather quickly! These projects include: revising a children's book (titled Moon Trees), writing my first draft for a YA Paranormal (no title as of yet), and illustrating two final spreads to submit to an agent at the end of the SCBWI-Carolinas Picture Book Dummy Challenge hosted annually by SCBWI.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I believe my artwork style is different and unique than other artists. I enjoy experimenting with different mediums, but my passion is the intricate style of pen and ink. I just released my first children's book titled Alphabet Wildlife A to Z using this style of art. I've been told that my style of illustrations are unique (that's what I'm aiming for!).

Hopefully, one day (if I ever finish my first draft!) my writing will be unique and go hand in hand with my art.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

As an obsessively creative person, I feel writing and illustrating is as important as the air I breathe. I constantly read and listen to audio books of genres that I would like to write, and this inspires me to conjure a world that exists within the walls of my head. My personality is more laid back, I listen and soak in everything around me. For me silence translates into written words and art. Oh, and I must not forget the music! I paint to whatever pops up on my Pandora...if the song is bad and I've used up my skips for the hour then the illustration will be just as bad! So, yes, good music equals to good art.

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

First, comes the idea/inspiration, then lots and lots of paper! sorry trees! In my backpack I carry a composition book, pen, pencil, eraser and a sketchbook. Inspiration can pop up at anytime! driving, sipping coffee (tons of coffee), or sleeping-dreaming (I really should keep a notepad near my bed, but always forget. For my watercolor illustration process, I secure the paper (I use cold-pressed watercolor paper because it has a slightly textured surface, somewhere in between rough and hot-pressed paper) onto a hard surface so that it won't buckle when soaking with water. My watercolor process is fairly loose, colors are allowed to bleed into one another (mingle...lol). Once dry, I add pen and ink to add depth, and most of time crazy amounts of cross hatching and lots and lots of doodling. The loose style rendered for the book cover of Alphabet Wildlife A to Z (was illustrated with my non-dominant hand...because earlier this year I fractured my dominant wrist, then to make matters worse a month later ruptured thumb tendon (not fun!) and while in a splint (lot's of pain!) I discovered that I'm ambidextrous!). The animal drawings for each letter were illustrated before the nightmare and rendered solely with pens. (lefty and righty have their own distinct styles! eh?).

Now I’m going to pass the blog hop torch to two more artists – who will participate next Monday, August 11th.

Catherine Johnson

Catherine Johnson is a British Ex-pat living in Canada with her family. She writes poetry for kids and is enjoying dabbling in drawing and painting. She has two poetry books for children Weirdo Zoo and The Everglades available on Amazon and Catherine enjoys blogging about poetry at http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com

Bobbie Dacus

Bobbie Dacus is the illustrator of Saving Emma which is the charming historical fictional tale set in Alexandria, VA in the 1700’s. Designing and illustrating fashion comic books for teenage girls was Bobbie's favorite pastime at age 12. Her love of drawing led her to study graphic design at University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi University for Women and she received her BFA at Arizona State University. Bobbie has worked in the field of Visual Merchandising utilizing her creativity in window display and winning numerous awards. She also worked in advertising corporate graphic design, freelance design, medical graphics and art instruction. It was after Bobbie's children, were born that she was drawn to children's book illustration. With bright colors dominating her palette, she creates her illustrations in acrylics, oil pastels, oil alkyds and frequently combines digital painting with traditional.
Blog:http://artsyteapot.blogspot.com/

Theresa Milstein

Theresa Milstein writes MG and YA, and is a member of SCBWI and a volunteer for the New England chapter. Her short pieces are included in small journals and anthologies. She works part time as a Publishing Editor’s Assistant at Vine Leaves Literary Journal. Her day job is spent as an aide in the Belmont Public School system, which gives her ample opportunity to observe tweens and teens in their natural habitat.

Blog: http://theresamilstein.blogspot.com/

Alphabet Wildlife A to Z book is stepping up!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 03:52:00 -0700

Alphabet Wildlife A to Z book is stepping up!!

Alphabet Wildlife A to Z made the #1 on Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 18:32:00 -0700

My book made #1 on Amazon in the Individual Artist category!

JD Holiday from The Book Garden hosting my debut of Alphabet Wildlife A to Z

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Jul 2014 05:45:00 -0700

http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/review-of-alphabet-wildlife-to-z-by.html

annsawriter: Welcome Nata Romeo and her début picture book, Alp...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 22 Jul 2014 07:41:00 -0700

annsawriter: Welcome Nata Romeo and her début picture book, Alp...: Today I'm welcoming author, illustrator, blogger, and freelance writer, Nata Romeo. Nata is talking about her début picture book...

Thank you Catherine Johnson for hosting my Alphabet Wildlife A to Z on your blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 06:46:00 -0700

http://catherinemjohnson.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/nata-romeo-alphabet-wildlife-a-z/#comment-20558

http://www.amazon.com/Alphabet-Wildlife-Z-Nata-Romeo-ebook/dp/B00LLB9KEY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405948269&sr=8-1&keywords=alphabet+wildlife

Alphabet Wildlife A to Z (WIP)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 06:14:00 -0700

My 1st book is in the BEST SELLING BOOKS category in AMAZON!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 05:15:00 -0700

$50.00 AMAZON gift card Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 19:01:00 -0700

Giveaway

Nata Romeo Author and Illustrator: Sign up to be part of the "Alphabet Wildlife A to ...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 8 Jul 2014 09:47:00 -0700

Nata Romeo Author and Illustrator: Sign up to be part of the "Alphabet Wildlife A to ...: Sign up to be part of the " Alphabet Wildlife A to Z " Virtual Book Tour To pay tribute to my first release, I'm c...

Sign up to be part of the "Alphabet Wildlife A to Z" Virtual Book Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 8 Jul 2014 09:39:00 -0700

Sign up to be part of the "Alphabet Wildlife A to Z"

Virtual Book Tour

To pay tribute to my first release, I'm creating a Virtual Book Blog Tour to spread the news!

I'll be touring the virtual world from July 11th to August 31, 2014, to promote the release of my new book "Alphabet Wildlife A to Z" where I'll be hosted for author interviews, author guest posts, reviews, and a rafflecopter giveaway.

Please let me know if you're interested in hosting me.

Thank you!

Want to join in the fun and help me spread the word about my book? " target="_blank">email

My new book "Alphabet Wildlife A to Z" will be released this July and to celebrate I'll be doing a virtual book tour for the whole month. I'm available for book spotlights, reviews, interviews, and guest posts.... and pretty much anything else you can think of - See more at: http://www.nataromeo.com/virtual-book-blog-tour.html

Want to host me on your blog? Let me know in the comment section below, and I'll email you an easy ready to copy and paste media kit that you can put directly into your blog post.

I thank you in advance and hope you will help me with my first book release!

I'll also be including live social media chats via Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ hangouts. I'm also available for radio interviews and podcasts.

To make things even more fun I'll be including some rafflecopter giveaways too.

- Giveawayt: https://www.facebook.com/NataRomeoAuthor/app_228910107186452

How to be Twittertastic (Writers & Authors Guide to Social Media BOOK 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 8 Jul 2014 06:01:00 -0700

How to be Twittertastic

(Writers & Authors Guide to Social Media BOOK 1)

By Jo Linsdell

About the book:

Are you ready to be Twittertastic?

Twitter is the most immediate of all social media and allows you to connect with readers and others from the literary industry from all over the world. The fastest growing network with a 44% growth from 2012-2013 Twitter now boosts 255 million monthly active users.

How to be Twittertastic teaches you what Twitter is and how to use it to build your author brand, connect with readers, and sell more books.

Learn strategies and tips that will help you leverage your Twitter presence and get the most out of your tweets.

What's covered:

How to set up your profile and personalise it
Creating your network
Ideas for making the most out of the new features
Tweets- Types of content you can share
Retweets, hashtags, and other Twitter terminology made simple
Twitter etiquette- Dos and Don'ts of the Twitterverse
Time savers

and more...

How to be Twittertastic is the first book in the Writers and Authors Guide to Social Media series.

Release date: 1st July 2014

Product Details: Kindle

File Size: 2191 KB

Print Length: 94 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B00LFFRYEE

Purchasing links:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFFRYEE

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LFFRYEE

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LFFRYEE

http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00LFFRYEE

Author bio:

Jo Linsdell is a best selling author and illustrator and internationally recognized marketing expert. She is also the founder and organizer of the annual online event "Promo Day" (www.PromoDay.info) and the Writers and Authors blog (http://WritersAndAuthors.blogspot.com). To find out more about Jo and her projects visit her website www.JoLinsdell.com.

Author website:

www.JoLinsdell.com

Goodreads book page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22636896-how-to-be-twittertastic

Facebook event page:

https://www.facebook.com/events/657184934375734/

Social Media Links:

Images

Author pic:

Image url: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipqtY5Dqdw724SGehfyobUjegM5K3pRHJpKrTPfGNNvL_ApcE9s0Fq-iOTC_kYOUlleQPC_d4sKMmUomC-Qy81dBdCH3GgryJ-7ZlTaiNpFSW4lYH5r3dOdZvHusqTuQCoBbk086uF4pz/s1600/Author+pic+Jo+Linsdell.png

Virtual Book Tour banner:

Image url: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgrstKKkwvLIJwC1Fgn5V0W-TU2KpBhCkv7xAAuZi-HCdQYzbN2msRwxBYH0R2KUInQFzFrr2naMAyYEoIuRE7mngJ7xj_NxRMEculFljgxL2XEsIu-F5fJQFWv00wqXuhjHG9bWBZ3Sp/s1600/VBTbannerHowtobeTwittertastic.png

Book cover:

Image url: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmiDoXJCtVf1I9zHCtaQB6KdwcR0wVQLc5whCx9H-2JoHgYErQwKhCfe7PEoe7JJ5U8WPdT3pQg7PXwsirF4YjDTxnjF1BzxFdsMLhJ-yc8xetZumN9CzFLqd6sj46U2JkzAR7N6Ei5naQ/s1600/Front+cover+final.png

Click to tweets:

#amreading How to be Twittertastic by @JoLinsdell Loads of great #TwitterTips

Learn how to build your author brand and market your books on Twitter http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LFFRYEE #Writers #Authors

Author Interview

Questions about the book

What is your book about?

How to be Twittertastic is a writers and authors guide to the social media site Twitter. It covers a bit of everything from how to set up your account and personalise your profile to third party apps and getting the most leverage out of your tweets. It's also packed full of useful resources to help you make the most out of time and marketing efforts.

How long had the idea of your book been developing before you began to write the book?

I got the idea for the Writers & Authors Guide to Social Media series a while ago but as I was working on illustrating some children's picture books for clients and was also busy publishing a children's picture story book of my own (The Box) and so I didn't have time to develop the idea right away.

A couple of months ago I decided that Twitter would be the topic of the first book in the series as it's the site I use that gains the best results. As soon as I had some free time I started brainstorming and plotting out a rough table of contents. It didn't take me long to know what I wanted to write.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

I'm a real social media junky and often get asked by other authors for tips on how to market their books online and build their author brand. When you have a passion that also happens to be in high demand it makes it easy to get inspired.

This whole series is designed around the idea of making social media easy for authors to understand and to supply them with information and tips to help them get the most out of their time and efforts.

Social media is used by billions of people worldwide on a daily basis. Our audience is online and can be reached free of charge without us even having to leave our homes. Authors need to be taking advantage of this opportunity to connect with their readers and build their fan base. A lot of authors aren't using it because they don't know where to start. Others are using it but not making the most of it. I hope this series will help them build their online presence and give them some ideas for what and how to post.

How long did it take you to write your book?

A couple of weeks. The book is a quick read. I didn't want to keep repeating the same things over and over (I've seen others do that to bulk out a book and found it very annoying) and to be honest, there is only so much you can write about Twitter. The site is designed around the idea of clutter free, to the point, content. I wanted the book to be the same.

Did you do any research for the book? If so, how did you do it? (searching Internet, magazines, other books, etc.)

I researched online using Twitter search to find examples to use in the book, and Google to find statistics, etc... As social media is one of my hobbies as well as a tool I use daily for marketing, I was already quite up to date on most of the details. I've also done several webinars on the topic and so already had a lot of notes to work from.

Who designed the cover?

I designed and made it myself using Adobe Illustrator.

Where is the book available to purchase?

How to be Twittertastic is currently available in kindle format on all Amazon sites and will be out in print later this month.

General writing related questions

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day?

I'm a mum of two and so I have to grab time to write when I can. I don't have a fixed schedule as such. I normally try to get some writing done in the morning and then again in the evening once the kids are in bed asleep. As for word count, I tend to ignore the actual number of words written and concentrate more on finishing a segment of the book instead.

Sum up in one word how you feel when you write.

Happy.

What genres do you write?

My main genres are children's picture books and non-fiction marketing guides for authors. I've also written poetry and have several novels of various types that I'm working on. I don't like to limit myself and love experimenting with new projects to see where they take me.

Do you have a saying or motto for your life/or as a writer?

Yes. "Don't just dream it, do it." I apply it to every aspect of my life and my writing.

Where can people find out more about you and your work?

At my website www.JoLinsdell.com

If you weren't a writer, what would you be?

Definitely something creative. As I'm also an illustrator I'd have to say I'd probably dedicate even more time to doing that.

Questions about reading

What do you like to read?

I have quite varied tastes and will read most genres. My favourites are crime and mysteries, easy read chick-lit, and non-fiction books about marketing (I'm always on the look out for new inspiration ;)).

What was the first book to have a big impact on you?

The Diary of Anne Frank. I read it in school, and several times since. She was such an inspiring person and the book is so powerful. It really gets under your skin.

Name a few of your favourite books

This is a tough question to answer as there are so many. Some that spring to mind are Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, the shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella, and pretty much anything by Dean Koontz.

Random get to know the author questions

What was your first job?

My first job was working as a Saturday girl in a small hairdressers when I was about 13. I had to wash clients hair, sweep the floors, tidy the stock room, and get everyone coffee. I didn't stay there very long but I learnt a lot whilst I was there and will always remember it as my first job.

What's your favourite colour?

My favourite colour has always been blue. I love every shade of blue, from the pale pastels to deep navy. It's calm and peaceful but can also be full of energy.

What's the scariest thing you've ever done?

Probably when I left England to go to Rome back in 2001. Two weeks prior I'd opened an atlas, closed my eyes, and pointed at the map. It was on Italy. The next day I quit my job and booked my one way flight ticket to Rome. I'd only planned on staying for 3 days initially but I'm still here and with no plans on leaving anytime soon (that however is another story). I remember when I was on the plan having an overwhelming feeling of "am I brave or just plain stupid". I was completely on my own, didn't know of word of Italian, and had no real plan of action for when I arrived. All I had was my backpack. It was both the best and scariest thing I think I've ever done.

Questions submitted by fans

Asked by Skye Hedges

You're always coming up with new ideas. In November last year, you even did a challenge where you came up with 30 storybook ideas in 30 days. (I can't remember the name of the challenge itself.) How do you decide which ideas make it past idea form and into reality?

The challenge you're referring to was PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) which is one of my favourite creative challenges. I've done it for two years now and each time have listed more than 30 ideas during the challenge.

I never seem to have trouble coming up with new ideas. My main problem is finding the time to develop them all. There just isn't enough hours in the day. A lot of the things that I add to my ideas list never become more than that though. Some because they're not good enough, others because I simply don't have enough time to do them all.

I tend to know when I've got a "special" idea the moment it hits me. I just know I have to write the book. From the second inspiration hits my brain goes into overdrive. Ten minutes later I can already see a rough cover design in my mind and I start jotting down notes on what I want to include. If an idea doesn't give me that bubbly excited feeling it stays on the list. If it does, I know I'm on to a winner.

Asked by Susie Caron

Have you ever ridden a horse or another large animal? If so what was your experience?

Yes I have. I've been horse riding several times over the years. I remember one time at the beach going for a hide over the sand dunes. It was great fun and definitely an experience I'd happily repeat in the future.

Reach For The Moon by Nata Romeo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 May 2014 09:13:00 -0700

Reach For The Moon is a story I've been working on for a while. I incorporated Moon Seeds (true fact) into my story and would love to share this with children around the World. For those of you whom have never heard of Moon Seeds/ Moon Trees check out this link http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html (it's FASCINATING!). I would like to find a traditional publisher for this story before I go with self publishing route.

Critique from Giuseppe Castellano

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 24 May 2014 07:06:00 -0700

I got an AWESOME critique by Giuseppe Castellano, art director from Penguin. He said all good things, except that I should bring out the pencil crayons and add some details to the ghosts because his eye doesn't really rest on anything. I learned so much from hearing him critique other illustrations from other artists. Thank you Bonnie! and Giuseppe!

SCBWI Illustrator Day watercolor illustration WIP

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 May 2014 03:11:00 -0700

The illustration above is part of a work in progress double spread. Scarlet is one of my characters I created for a Reader that will be critiqued at a SCBWI Ilustrator day In Philadelphia on June 14, 2014. I was told that the letter 'S' on the bed is to bright so I will tone it down a bit before I begin the right side illustration of Igor, the boy ghost.

The First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest for Children's Illustrators!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 27 Apr 2014 05:41:00 -0700

The First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest for Children's Illustrators!!!

Fasten your seat belts and prepare for take off! It's finally here!

The First Ever Pretty-Much-World-Famous Illustration Contest!!!

the fact that this particular illustrator resembles a female
is in no way meant to deter any male illustrators! :)

The Contest: Draw/Paint/Create a children's picture book cover illustration (no text required - art only) for one of the following stories (which you will recognize as the top finishers in the March Madness Fractured Fairy Tale Writing Contest - a little extra surprise for those authors :)):

- The Three Wiggly Worms Bluff by Wendy Greenley

- Goldilockup by Mike Allegra

- Goldibawks And The Three Pairs by Dawn Young

- The Sweetie Witch by Pen Avey

- The Princess And The Stinky Cheese by Lauri Meyers

- Mongoose's Holi Party by Darshana Khiani

- The "Princess" And The Pete by Jennifer Caritas

- The Jackrabbit Who Cried Gila Monster by Elliah Terry

Illustrations should be 8x10, horizontal or vertical, any medium, posted in jpg at least 72 px

All stories can be read on the March Madness Finalist Post HERE so you will know what to illustrate :) Illustrators may enter more than one entry if they're feeling ambitious enough to illustrate more than one book title :)

Post: Your entry should be posted on your blog between right now this very second and Monday April 28 at 9 PM EDT (contest deadline!), and your post-specific link should be added to the link list below. This post with the link list will remain up through Tuesday April 29 so that people can come visit and enjoy your gorgeous artwork! (For regular blog followers, there will be no PPBF on Friday April 25, no new post on Monday April 28, but there will be a brief interruption for WYRI on Wednesday April 30 because I forgot to leave it open for the contest :)). If you don't have a blog but would like to enter, please copy and paste your entry into the comments below. (If anyone has trouble commenting, which unfortunately happens, you may email me and I'll post your entry for you! Also, since this is the first time we've done an illustration contest, I'm not sure if you actually CAN paste your entry into the comments. If this turns out to be a problem, email them to me and I'll add them directly to this post.)

Judging: entries will be judged by multi-talented, award-winning author/illustrators Iza Trapani, author and illustrator of over 20 gorgeous picture books, and Lisa Thiesing, author and illustrator of at least 16 beautiful and fun picture books and early readers! Judging criteria to include:

- is the picture readable to a young audience,

- how well does it show the character(s) and

- is the character(s) appealing (character development),

- does it make you want to read the story,

- originality

- skill.

They will narrow down the entrants to 6 finalists (or possibly a couple more or less depending on the number of entries :)) which will be posted here on Thursday May 1 for you to vote on for a winner. The vote will be closed at 5PM EST on Sunday May 4 and the winner will be announced on Monday May 5. (No PPBF on Friday May 2.)

The Prizes!: There will definitely be a 1st prize. Whether we give prizes for 1st only, 1st-3rd, or 1st-6th will depend on how many entries we get. We need at least 12 entries to place through 3rd, and at least 20 to place through 6th.

First Prize is absolutely amazing! A portfolio critique by celebrated author/illustrator Michael Garland, who has over 20 picture books to his credit!!!

- Second Prize - a $50 gift certificate to Dick Blick Art Materials (which is online)

- Third, Fourth & Fifth Prize will be winner's choice of one of the following books:

- Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz

- A Caldecott Celebration - Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal by Leonard Marcus

- Show & Tell - Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration by Dilys Evans

- 2014 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market by Chuck Sambuchino

- Sixth Prize - a Canson sketch pad and a small set of Derwent or Faber Castell colored pencils

I'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with! As a person whose artistic ability is limited to stick figures, scribbling and relatively easy coloring books, I am in awe of anyone who can draw/paint/cause anything recognizable to appear on paper/canvas/computer screen :) I hope we'll get plenty of entries, and that there will be at least one attempt at every title!

Tweet: Enjoy the art! Enter yourself! Children's Book Cover Illustration Contest @SusannaLHill http://ctt.ec/58ZUb+ #kidart #illustration

Let the artistic fun begin!!! :)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This is my entry for #6 Goldibawks And The Three Pairs (this is my first attempt with watercolors using my non dominant hand--lefty)
I didn't realize until I finished that the characters were ducks and not chickens! so sorry Dawn!
I would have redid it with ducks but ran out of time..........please forgive me!

First pen and ink EVER with non-dominant hand!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 07:29:00 -0700

This is my first EVER pen and ink illustrated with my non-dominant hand!

April 24, 2014

The First Ever Pretty Much World Famous Illustration Contest for Children's Illustrators!!!

Fasten your seat belts and prepare for take off! It's finally here!

The First Ever Pretty-Much-World-Famous Illustration Contest!!!

the fact that this particular illustrator resembles a female
is in no way meant to deter any male illustrators! :)

- The Three Wiggly Worms Bluff by Wendy Greenley

- Goldilockup by Mike Allegra

- Goldibawks And The Three Pairs by Dawn Young

- The Sweetie Witch by Pen Avey

- The Princess And The Stinky Cheese by Lauri Meyers

- Mongoose's Holi Party by Darshana Khiani

- The "Princess" And The Pete by Jennifer Caritas

- The Jackrabbit Who Cried Gila Monster by Elliah Terry

Illustrations should be 8x10, horizontal or vertical, any medium, posted in jpg at least 72 px

- is the picture readable to a young audience,

- how well does it show the character(s) and

- is the character(s) appealing (character development),

- does it make you want to read the story,

- originality

- skill.

- Second Prize - a $50 gift certificate to Dick Blick Art Materials (which is online)

- Third, Fourth & Fifth Prize will be winner's choice of one of the following books:

- Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz

- A Caldecott Celebration - Seven Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal by Leonard Marcus

- Show & Tell - Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration by Dilys Evans

- 2014 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market by Chuck Sambuchino

- Sixth Prize - a Canson sketch pad and a small set of Derwent or Faber Castell colored pencils

Tweet: Enjoy the art! Enter yourself! Children's Book Cover Illustration Contest @SusannaLHill http://ctt.ec/58ZUb+ #kidart #illustration

Just Got Featured On Kathy Teaman's Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 08:24:00 -0700

Children’s book illustrator and writer Nata Romeo sent in this stylize iguana for today’s post. She says, “Art is my passion.” I recently completed illustrations for a book titled ‘Wildlife Animals A to Z’, which she intends to self publish. Her preferred medium is a combination of watercolor and pen and ink. www.artistadonna.blogspot.com/
www.ArtistaDonna.ebsqart.com www.facebook.com/artistadonna.nata

Writing and Illustrating

Sharing Information About Writing and Illustrating for Children

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/ask-kathy/

This coming weekend I will be meeting with Agent Sean McCarthy and Publishing Executive Director and Managing Editor, Steve Meltzer. Some of you have sent in questions for me to ask so I can relay the answers to you. Please email me if you would like to add to the list.
Here are the questions sent to me:
1. What do you think of prologues? Use them or lose them?
2. When formatting a manuscript: Do you know of any rule that says you must NOT indent the first paragraph of a new chapter? What do you think?
3. What’s the best way to label a manuscript/book that falls on the borderline between middle grades and young adult? (Think ages 10 to 14. For example, I’m talking about a horsey book, and that is the age at which the most girls are the most horse-crazy, and the best time to market such a book to them.) Would agents/editors want to see it called upper middle grades? Tween?
4. What is the preferred word length for a book aimed at the upper middle grades/tween reader?
5. Are there any conventions for labeling manuscripts/books that mix genres? (For example, a series that is historical/science fiction/fantasy.)
6. Because agents now often don’t respond if they aren’t interested in a query, that certainly makes it acceptable, almost imperative, to send simultaneous queries (although with each obviously tailored to a particular agent/agency). Is ten to a dozen too many to send out at once?
7. Underlining makes it clearer to copyeditors and typesetters what needs to be italicized, but do agents have a preference whether the manuscript uses the italic or the underline function of the computer to indicate what will ultimately be italicized?
8. I read on your blog to only use one space between each sentence in your manuscript. I had someone tell me they have asked editors and were told it was okay. Would you double check with Sean McCarthy and Steve Meltzer on this?
9. I never heard of using capital letters the first time a character is mentioned in a synopsis. Would you ask about that at your retreat?
10. I have been told not to use any “ing” words in my manuscript. Is there a rule about this that I have missed?
11.  What amount of books do you need to sell to have a publisher think your book was successful?
12. How hard is it to get your rights back on a book you that has gone out of print? Do you have any words of wisdom or steps an author could take to get the rights back?
13. What do you think about using the real name of a media or entertainer in your book? Is that okay or should you make up a similar name?
14. I am an illustrator and writer. Is it okay to send in a picture book dummy?
15. What is speculative fiction?
16. If you want to write a book from two character’s POV, using alternating chapters, is it okay to scatter in a few chapter’s from a third character’s point-of-view?
17. If you are writing a book using two character’s POV with alternating chapters, could the main character be in first person and the second character be in third person?
18. Do you have any thoughts on when to give up on a manuscript your have completed and has gotten rejected?
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy

Shocked and Bewildered Day 2 Sketch

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:53:00 -0800

DAY 2 LEFTY SKETCH

Shocked and bewildered are the words how I felt when I completed the Day 2 sketch!