Interviewed by Erin Whalen about my love for children’s books and fantasy

This winter ,shortly after Hapenny Magick was released, I was interviewed in Rhode Island by artist Erin Whalen in her studio/store called The Story Emporium. Here is the interview for your watching pleasure!

Children’s Author Show, Radio Interview

Don’t miss a great interview with me  airing on April 9 & 10 talking about the making of Hapenny Magick! Follow this link, and let me know what you think!

An Interview with The Enchanting Jessica Galbreth

It is always fun to see Jess and her work  at Faerie shows. The two of us are close in age and grew up only about an hour

Tempest of Ice

apart, she in Ohio and me just across the border, in Michigan. We are both midwestern girls at heart. I first met her at The Michigan Renaissance Festival, where my husband would take me every year for my birthday– or more like, I would drag him ! I recently had an email chat with Jess about her work, faeries, and of course marketing, since she is a marketing maven! Here’s what she had to say.

What is it about Faeries that grabs your heart?

Oh, EVERYTHING!   I’ve been drawing faeries since I was just little.  I have no idea where the interest came from, but it’s just always been a part of me.

The Gift

It seems that your earlier work is more portrait-like and your newer work has more of a story to tell behind the portrait. What do you attribute this switch to?

Lately I’ve been trying to go deeper with my work, and bring out more emotions with the characters in the paintings.  I’ve also switched to a mixed media techinque, which has helped me get a little more realistic than some of my earlier watercolor works.

You’ve also included a lot of Celtic design in your more recent paintings. What is it that draws you to the Celtic knot work and symbols?

Of all the world mythology, Celtic is my favorite.  Their stories are so intricate with so many details and points of interest.  I love incorporating the symbols into my paintings.

Not only do you paint, but you make jewelry as well,(gypsyrosejewels.etsy.com). With a major business, two young children, husband and home, how do you find the time?

I’m lucky enough to have lots of help.  I have an assistant who helps me fill my orders.  Also, my husband Josh does much of the administrative work and production here at the studio.  And last, but certainly not least, my lovely Mother-in-law watches my children during the work week days so I can actually get something done.

You have a book that showcases your artwork, Fantasy Art by Jessica Galbreth, but you also published a Jessica Galbreth Artist’s Manual last fall. Why did you decide to share all the information you have gathered in the last ten(?) years with budding artists?

I was  receiving so many e-mails from artists asking me how I made it out there with my art. I realized that this knowledge and wisdom had value, and that I had the desire to share that knowledge with others.

Shades of Blue

How did you get into licensing and how did you know it was the way you wanted to go with your art?

Even early on, I had always had the desire to see my art turned into some of the beautiful gift products I’d seen on the market.  I was pretty aggressive about it early on, and knocked on a lot of doors, so to speak.  Once I had a few deals in place, I realized what a wonderful way licensing is to earn income as an artist.  Not only does it amount to some good royalties, but it also is such a thrill to see your products in stores and catalogs all over the world.

What do you do to recharge your creativity?

I just get back to nature.  Whenever I feel my muse going quiet, it only takes a walk in the woods (complete with some tree hugging) to tap back into it

I first met you at the Michigan Renaissance festival when you were just getting started. What made you decide that the faire was a good place to begin your “selling” career?

Before the Michigan faire, I had tried a few smaller shows.  Doing a show is a lot of work and very tiring, but once I tried the Michigan faire and saw the amount of traffic and sales potential, I was hooked.  It’s a great opportunity for me each year to get in front of my customers and talk with them about what they might want to see from me.

What is the top most marketing tip you’d give to other artists?

Sticktoitiveness!   It takes time, hard work, and constant improvement to stay afloat as an artist, but all that work is so worthwhile when it happens for you!

What’s next for Jessica Galbreth?

Twilight Glass

I have a new project I’m really excited about.  I’m making these gorgeous, ornate sun catchers that I’ve named Wishcatchers.  I’m donating 10% of all sales on these to the Make-A-Wish foundation.  You can see them at: www.Wishcatchers.etsy.com

See more of Jessica’s work on her website, enchanted-art.com! See you at Faeriecon, Jess!

Bobbie Hinman and The Fart Fairy…following your dreams with Self-Publishing

I’ve met Bobbie at Faerie Festivals and such and was very intrigued by the fact that she has grown such a successful following for her fairy books. I thought I would pick her brain a little for those writers thinking about self publishing and man did she have some great things to say.

Cover for The Belly Button Fairy

Why did you choose to self-pub and not shop around?

I’ve actually been involved in the world of books since the early 1980’s when I started my writing career with cookbooks. When my first cookbook was published (by Prima Publishing Company), I was so young and naïve. I thought I would just sit back, relax and collect my royalties while happily writing my next volume. It didn’t take long before I discovered that, if the book was going to be successful, I would have to step into the arena of marketing and promotion. And I did. I traveled all over the country as a featured speaker and guest on radio and TV shows (even the Regis Philbin Show). The result was a total of seven very successful cookbooks. It was exciting to have written some of the first lowfat cookbooks to appear on the shelves, however the amount of promotional work was something I really hadn’t expected.

Several years ago, I decided to re-invent my career. My degree in Education and Children’s Literature was calling to me to re-enter the book world. I thought about shopping around for a publisher, however, I was quite a bit older now and was up for a new challenge in my life. I thought long and hard about independent publishing. I knew that I would be solely responsible for the marketing of my book, however, I realized that I had had to do much of this anyway with traditional publishing. So,why not? The kids were grown, my husband and I had plenty of free time, and starting a publishing company would ensure that our “golden years” were filled with new challenges. So, I formed a corporation and launched my own publishing company, Best Fairy Books.

How did you avoid the pitfalls that many self published authors fall into?

The Sock Fairy

Before I began, I did mountains of research and studied hundreds (maybe even thousands) of children’s books that were both traditionally and independently published. I was able to pinpoint a few possible pitfalls that I was determined to avoid. At this point, quality was my major concern. I hired an award-winning illustrator, a talented graphic/cover designer, an editor and (after more research) just the right printer. I was about to invest a lot of time and money, so there was no choice but to do it right. Failure was not an option. As an independent publisher, I felt that my books would be judged more critically and held to a higher standard than traditionally published books. If I was going to represent myself, I needed to be sure my books could compete among the very best.

The Knot Fairy, the first fairy book!

What has been the hardest part of self publishing?

There have actually been three huge challenges to face: First, as I mentioned above, I have HAD TO make sure I was producing high-quality products! This has meant watching over every last detail. Second, I had to be willing to promote, promote, promote… and then, promote some more! And, third, I had to find a top-notch distributor. Oh yes, and fourth, I have to force myself to step back every once in a while and just relax. This isn’t easy because my mind is always racing away to the next project.

The Fart Fairy, Bobbie's latest book.

What has been the most rewarding?

In 2007 The Knot Fairy was released. Four months later, I was thrilled to place an order for my second 5000-book printing. It’s now four years later and I have published four books: The Knot Fairy, The Sock Fairy, The Belly Button Fairy, and The Fart Fairy. The books have received nineteen book awards and I have several other books in the works. All of the books (except the newest book, which was released a few weeks ago) have had multiple printings. My recent book launch party for The Fart Fairy drew a crowd of 350 people! People are “collecting” my series! Life is exciting! A part of me will live on. What more could I hope for?

I don’t think you could have said it better! Every writer and artist creates, at least in part,  to leave a bit of themselves behind. You can visit Bobbie online at BestFairyBooks.com. And visit her wonderful blog too!

The fabulous Kat Black

This Wednesday’s How I Write Blog post series is about research, so I thought, what better way to present more than one opinion on research then to interview someone who has jumped in with both feet? I present to you, author Kat Black. Her books about a 14th century scottish lad are a fabulous read. Tormod, A Templar’s Apprentice is available now in hardcover and will be released in softcover in December. Book #2, A Templar’s Gifts, which I’m eagerly awaiting, releases in February.

Kat Black's first in the series, A Templar's Apprentice

The Book of Tormod is set in 14th century Scotland. How did you research to write this story?

The internet is my first source. I don’t know what anyone did before Google. Not only can I get the titles and authors of every book ever written on the crazed subjects I need to cover, but the random links it throws my way are truly amazing. I never know what I’ll find when I begin jumping. That’s how I think about the internet. Research is a series of leaps. I grab an idea and let myself go to wherever it takes me.

The library, of course, comes next. I use several and find across-the-board that reference librarians are fabulous people who really love to help. Just ask!

And third is the country of origin. I booked a trip to Scotland and spent two weeks on a tour bus travelling through the highlands. I was the youngest person on the bus by at least twenty-five years, but it was the best research I’ve ever done. I listened to the locals at every stop. I saw firsthand the remains of castles and abbeys and just drank in everything Scottish. I highly suggest it of anyone using a real place as the backdrop to his or her story. If you want to get it right. Go there.

Great advice. Scotland is number one on my list of places to visit! In Tormod, you use phrases like “Within the candle mark”, that I can only imagine what they mean. Did you create these phrases or find them during your research?

Some phrases I found and others I made up. I wanted to give the old feel without using words like hours, or days. In the beginning I thought if they didn’t have a clock how could they mark the different times of the day. I came up with the idea that a candle, a maybe quarter inch around maybe six inches high would probably burn in about an hour. It’s probably wrong and if I were just making it up now, by book three, I would have tested it first:] A quarter candle mark was to me about fifteen minutes and a half a candle a half hour. The Scottish words like bairn (child), balach (boy), and bodhran (skin drum), I found in a Scottish Gaelic Dictionary. When I first started I sent a list of the words I was thinking of using to a librarian in the highlands whose great aunt still spoke the language. She made sure the ones I had were in the right context and accurate. I have to say that’s been such a phenomenal thing. People want to help you. They go out of their way and don’t ask for anything in return.

My awesome copy editors checked some of the other phrases I used out. A league is how far you can comfortably walk in an hour. A sennight is a week. A fortnight is two weeks. Then I had all the crazy things to consider. If you were traveling by horseback, how far could you possibly go in an hour? If you were in a wooden ship crossing the ocean from Scotland and landing in Spain how long would it take? You know, the easy stuff:]

What inspired you to write a book about the Templar Knights?

I didn’t intend to at first. I wrote another book that had a bit character that was a Templar. I began to research to flesh him out and was just captivated. The background story about the Knights was so interesting. I could hardly believe I had heard nothing about them until that time. It’s pretty wild that I was doing my thing the same time Dan Brown was doing his. I started the Templar digging at least ten years ago. I’m going to keep myself from spoiling the full story so I won’t tell you what I found. Enough to say that it’s pretty amazing stuff. What bothered me though, then and still today, is that there is not a story out there that presents a Templar Knight in a good light. I’m not really sure why, but I needed to reconcile that. I created not one, but two in the Templar and Tormod his apprentice. The Templar Alexander is the Knight I imagine as the true, devoted, and good man I know was an integral part of that order. Tormod has always wanted to be a Templar and hopes and prays that his wish will come true. Whether or not that happens I’ll not be telling here.

So in all your research you must have run across a ton of lore. What is your favorite bit of Scottish Lore that you did not include in the book?

I love everything in the old Scottish tales. I have to do something with The Hag of the Highlands; a personification of Cailleac Bhuer, Celtic Crone Goddess, an old woman who appears to travelers often during a heavy mist. If she is stirring her cloak in the river beware, she is the harbinger of winter and death. Aside from that I love the druids, and the woad painted Picts, and anything celtic in origin.

Book #2, A Templar's Gifts

What was the hardest part  for you about writing fiction from history?

My most difficult job is the juggling. Getting it right while balancing the many story lines I have running consecutively. History is such a slippery thing. If it’s a time really long ago, like mine, there are few records. I have the names and dates of the key Templar players. I know where they were when major things were happening. I have as well the key French players, and the Popes. My job is to juggle them all together and keep this fabulous back story in the back as I write about Tormod, a fictional boy who has a journey of his own to make.

Just think of the challenge of several stories running at the same time. There’s a boy. There’s a carving. There’s a map. There’s something in the visions plaguing the boy. Each of these threads have their own full history and story. The boy is the main thread and we know him well. But the carving . . . Where is it from? Who is it based on? Who was it carved by? Why? And the map. What is it of? A land below. Flowing waterfall. The stars above at a certain time of year. And whatever it is that needs to be found, why? What will happen if it’s found? What will happen if it falls into the wrong hands? I just love it!

It’s hard not to get carried away with all the other great questions to answer, isn’t it? Do you have a last  research tip you can share for other writers of historical fiction?

The greatest thing I can tell you is to let your research take you where it will. Don’t think for a moment you know what you are doing. When I began it was with the kernel of a premise. By the time I’ve gotten to here, book three, I’ve discovered a phenomenal conspiracy that covers several countries, kings, popes, spirituality, and the greed of men. It’s a wild ride. History is more than dates and names to remember from a book. (That’s what I thought of history as a kid.) It is stories from a time different from our own about people who lived, breathed, learned, and sometimes prayed.

Ooh, I love that. I think that’s what I love about history too. What other projects are on the horizon?

I have several ideas working their way into my world. One is called Winter’s Song, the story of an ancient healer who has been called through time to save a child who has been targeted by a serial killer.

And maybe a series set in the French Revolution. I was given a short list of questions during a workshop. When I answered them I had the kernel of a story about a boy, who is a pickpocket living beneath a bridge in Paris. He has to sell an ancient heirloom in order to buy his brother’s freedom from the workhouse he was sent to when their parents were killed. I am completely uneducated about the French Revolution, but it’s calling me and I believe I will leap.

I am drawn to write about ancient times and places that have an interwoven line of fantasy. But be warned I can’t write simply. There will be layers on layers that will blend history and fiction. I have to do it.

Is there anything else you want to add?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. I love what I do and it is so great to finally have kids out there living the journey along with me. The more I write, the more I learn, and what I have discovered in the process is that I am truly the luckiest person on the face of the earth.

And we are truly lucky to have you! Thanks for sharing your bits of research wisdom. And come back Wednesday to see how I research for fantasy.  Research for Fantasy you ask? Yep! There is still research, even for a made up world.

= )

And this little piggy went to market…

Two of my fabulous writing friends and critique partners are giving away signed copies of To Find A Wonder along with other fabulous reads like The brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. and Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner at Laura Pauling’s blog and Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Rules by Cynthia Lord on Kris Asseslin’s Blog. Check them out!

If you’ve come over from Laura’s blog welcome and here’s the marketing post I promised.

So, marketing has fallen into the hands of us authors. I don’t think anyone could refute that point. Unless your name is….well, you all know who they are. So, how do you put your own talents to work for you?

Thinking out of the box is scary sometimes. People might think you are crazy…or possibly brilliant. For my To Find A Wonder book launch party I could’ve chosen any of the marvelous independent bookstores in our area, but I went with Wingdoodle, a creativity store in Warner, NH instead. Why not a traditional bookstore? Because a big part of my marketing plan was to use my other talents to market my words.

And what are those other talents? I create sewing pattern for fantasy creatures and characters (see my Dragon Charmer page) and I had created sewing patterns for the main characters in my book. I hoped to hook those sewing pattern fans into wanting the story to go along with their creations and readers into wanting to create their own characters with the patterns. I think I’ve been fairly successful in this endeavor and the kids (and their parents!) love to see the characters in 3-D when I visit schools and libraries. I’ve had many moms and grandma’s buy the book and patterns together with the intent of making the characters for their grandchildren.

So, that is one way in which I used my other talents to market my words.

Even more exciting is the fact that I used my writing ability to script my book into a play. It was pretty easy, the worst part was the formatting! But if your story is already written it’s very easy to script it. Here’s what it looks like:

–The beginning of the Book–

Whooping a victory cry, Mortimer dashed around the muddy contest field. He jumped onto the split rail fence and addressed Sir Emberly, his liege knight. “These men are but pups, Sir Emberly!”
Mortimer twirled off the fence to meet Will, his next challenger. A powerful stroke sent a jolt through Mortimer’s arm but he followed through with another thrust, and then threw his elbow into his opponent’s stomach.
Will crumpled to the ground gasping for air. Mortimer turned in a circle, his wooden practice sword raised and ready, heart thumping in his throat, but not a single competitor was left standing.
Sir Emberly nudged his palfrey, steering her from the vantage point on the hill. The knight’s mouth set in a grim line, his knuckles white-gripped the reign.
…tub of lard…always bossin’ me about…if only I could carry a knight who didn’t weigh as much as his armor…
Mortimer grinned despite the sour look on Emberly’s face. If only the other squires could hear what Emberly’s horse thought of his rider the way Mortimer could.
“Shall I be dubbed a knight now, Emberly?” Mortimer asked eagerly, shaking his bobbed red hair. Being a knight was the only thing he ever wanted. The only dream he ever had. “No squire compares to me, with sword or lance, I dare say.”
Sir Emberly’s lip curled as he shifted in the saddle. “You dare too much, Mortimer.”

–And here is the beginning of the play–
Act one, Scene one

Setting:

Castle grounds

Opening Song—To be a Knight (Mortimer and other Squires)

At rise:
The castle squires are practicing sword play during the opening song. During the course of the song squires fall out, nursing injuries. The defeated squires throw dark looks and scowls at the three squires remaining in the fight at the end of the song.

Mortimer: These men are but pups, Sir Emberly! (Twirls to meet Will, the only remaining squire to beat)

Will: I’ll show you who’s a pup! (Sir Emberly approaches the field while the two boys spar. Mortimer beats Will easily.)

Mortimer: (turning to Emberly) Shall I be dubbed a knight now, Emberly? No squire compares to me, with sword or lance I daresay.

Emberly: You dare too much, Mortimer.

Mortimer: I am the best fighter you have. Why do you not present me to the king for knighthood?

Emberly: You may be good with a sword and a horse, but are you a leader of men? Would they follow you into battle? Give their lives to protect yours? Believe in you above all others.

Mortimer looks at the other squires, they all shake their heads

Emberly: There’s your answer. (he turns to go, the other squires snicker and follow)

okay– as you can see everything is pared down to bare bones. Most of the dialogue has stayed the same, but there has been an addition. Because Will doesn’t show up much in the book he doesn’t have any dialogue, but for the play (actually it is a musical), he needed some. There will be small changes like that. It’s kind of like the show don’t tell rule in writing. What an actor can show you through action or movement on stage, he doesn’t need to talk about. But at other times there needs to be dialogue to point the audience to look in the correct direction or to smooth an action sequence back into dialogue.

The third way I’m marketing my book–thanks to the Fabulous Kirsten Cappy at Curious City was to make up an event kit. This event kit uses the knowledge I gained while writing my book. In every story, even fantasy, there are things in which we writers have to learn about in order to make the story ring true. For me, it was learning how boys became knights and the code of chivalry. I used this insight to create A Knight’s Event kit that stores, libraries, Renaissance faires, etc. can use to promote books about knights and chivalry. Any book, not just mine–but in the hopes that they would buy some copies of To Find A Wonder to use at this Event. I already have three libraries and two stores that will be using the kit this summer and I put it up two weeks ago.

Something else I did for teachers was to create some classroom activities they can use. This helps promote the book for classroom use.

So, what are you going to do to market your words? What other talents do you have that you can use to help promote your book? I’d love to hear your ideas!