Category: Picture Book (Page 6 of 7)

Writing The Story Keeping Me Awake At Night

April 1, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

I wrote something new recently and very different from anything I’ve written before. It came to me in a rush of excitement and creativity in a way I’ve never experienced before.

I’ve had ideas come crashing in, images or characters or some spark that leads to a story. But this was different. In the past, the ideas have been pieces of something bigger that needed a lot more thought to turn into a full idea.

This time, it was like I was possessed by the muse. It was literally keeping me awake at night. The idea, and moreover the emotion of the story, was a wave that kept churning inside me and wouldn’t let me focus on anything else until I let it out. And it came to me in such a fully formed way.

Not to say that it was easy to write. It required a good amount of research, but the research was just as exciting as the writing. Writing it felt like putting two parts of myself together that I hadn’t found a way to fit in the same context, even though the story is nothing about me in any way. It melded two of my passions that I’ve been trying to figure out how to intersect but had never been able to do so before.

I know this all sounds kind of vague, and I’m purposely avoiding specifics here on the blog for certain reasons that I’m being quiet about right now.

But I wanted to share the enthusiasm I’m feeling right now. Much of the writing and submitting process can be a slog. You face plot points you don’t know how to solve, characters that aren’t fleshed out enough, a voice that doesn’t stand out enough. Then there are the rejections…don’t even get me started.

This, right now, how I’m feeling. It makes all those things worth it. So I just wanted to let you all know that. Thanks for listening!

Katie’s 2018 Reading Wrap-Up

December 31, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

My original reading goal for 2018 was fifty books, or rather I should say novels because I don’t keep track of all the hundreds of picture books I read (and reread) with the kiddos. I was way ahead of schedule about halfway through the year, so I amended that to sixty.

Browsing through my Goodreads report on what I’ve read in 2018, it looks like there are a couple of books listed twice on my list and a fantasy box set that is actually three (quite long) books that are listed as one. As of writing this post, Goodreads says I’ve read fifty-eight books with four in progress (one of which I may finish before the end of the year). Close enough for me!

Being in the book business, it doesn’t feel like a lot of books, especially compared to what I’ve done in the past and other voracious readers I know. And there always seems to be so many amazing books coming out every week that I haven’t gotten to that it never feels like I’m reading enough. Still, considering the
average American reads four books a year (see the article “How Many Books Did The Average American Read In The Last Year? This New Study May Surprise You” by Kerri Jarema), I’m pretty happy with what I’ve accomplished.

It was another year where I DNF (did not finish) quite a few titles and another year where I couldn’t get into audiobooks. It seems I’m not a auditory learner and I just can’t figure out how to pay attention when I’m listening to a novel. I’ve been trying to listen to more podcasts to help train my brain in that area. I’ve definitely continued to try and consciously diversify my reading (using the We Need Diverse Books definition of diversity) and I will continue to do that in the new year. I also read what turned out to be a lot of ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies…mostly from NetGalley).

I enjoy reading all those posts where readers list their top-ten lists and do fun things with their reading year in review, but frankly, I just don’t have time for that this year myself. I’m really pushing to finish this draft of ELIXIR SAVED (despite having computer issues for the last few weeks…my hand is sore from all the notebook writing I’ve been doing!). But I’ve peppered in a few covers here to give you a taste of my 2018 list.

Looking forward to 2019, I’m probably going to cut back on reviews, which means reading fewer books from NetGalley. It’s yet another area I just don’t have a lot of time to devote to, though I will try to write a few lines for any small press/indie books I read that I feel like would benefit from it. I’ll also keep mixing in older titles with new releases. And I’ll be reading a lot of ebooks again; every year my reading tips to the digital end a little bit more.

How did you all do on your 2018 reading goals? Any particular books that set your soul on fire? See you next year!

FIRE TRUCK DREAMS by Sharon Chriscoe Pre-order Campaign

April 30, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m super excited to welcome Sharon Chriscoe to the Observation Desk to help spread the word about the pre-order campaign for her picture book FIRE TRUCK DREAMS. My boys love the other books in the series, RACE CAR DREAMS and BULLDOZER DREAMS, and this new one will probably end up their favorite because they love fire trucks. Sharon is offering some really great goodies for the pre-order giveaway. Welcome, Sharon!

DING! DING! DING!

FIRE TRUCK DREAMS is officially available for pre-order and to celebrate him being the third book in the ‘Vehicle Dreams Series’, Fire Truck and I are doing a three alarm giveaway! (A three book alarm giveaway, that is!)

Fire Truck cover

Isn’t he adorable!

First, I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who has purchased and supported the other books in the ‘Vehicle Dreams Series’. Race Car, Bulldozer, and I are forever grateful and hope your little ones are enjoying them as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Now, onto those fiery hot giveaway details:

If you pre-order FIRE TRUCK DREAMS before his release date of October 9, 2018, I will mail you a swag pack this October that includes:

One (per order) signed bookplate.

One (per order) Fire Truck Dreams bookmark. (Photo to come this fall)

And possibly some sweet surprises. (Everyone loves a good surprise, right!)

*** IF YOU’RE A TEACHER OR CHILD CARE TAKER please let me know in your email so I can send a bookmark for every child. A simple quick note that you are a teacher or care giver and how many bookmarks you’ll need and they will be on their way this fall.

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY!

In addition to the swag pack listed above, every pre-order placed by 11:59 PM October 8, 2018 will be eligible to win a grand prize (one grand prize giveaway per every five hundred preorders) basket filled with:

One swag pack mentioned above with FIRE TRUCK DREAMS bookmark and a signed bookplate.

One each of RACE CAR DREAMS and BULLDOZER DREAMS bookmarks.

Race Car Dreams bookmarks Bulldozer bookmarks

An autographed copy of ALL THREE of the vehicle dreams books! Aren’t they cute!

Additional swag gear (a mini race car trophy, a squishy cone stress toy, and a fun fire truck squishy stress toy!) (Squishy fire truck photo to come!)

trophies Cone

One $25 Barnes and Noble gift card

One $25 Starbucks gift card

(And! Additional items to be announced throughout the duration of the preorder campaign.)

To Enter:

Pre-order FIRE TRUCK DREAMS by 11:59 October 8, 2018.

Send a quick email to vehicledreamsbooks@gmail.com with the number of copies you pre-ordered in your the subject line. Please only send one email per person. The number of copies ordered listed in the subject line will suffice for multiple entries. Also, within the email include your mailing address for your swag to be sent to and if you’d like the bookplate inscribed, please include the name. Or if you prefer, you can fill out this simple, short google doc form and I’ll do the rest for you! Google Doc Pre-order Form

BONUS ENTRIES ALERT!

Everyone loves bonus entries, right! If you order both RACE CAR DREAMS and BULLDOZER DREAMS with your pre-order of FIRE TRUCK DREAMS, you will receive TEN entries for the grand prize giveaway!

IF you already own one or both of the vehicle dreams books, attach a photo of your book or books and you will get FIVE bonus entries per book (FIVE for RACE CAR DREAMS and FIVE for BULLDOZER DREAMS!). Bonus entries for books you already own are only eligible IF you preorder FIRE TRUCK DREAMS. Total entries will be TEN for the grand prize giveaway!

International entries are welcome.

Auto receipt for your entries will be sent.

Winners (chosen by random computer draw) will be announced by October 31, 2018. Proof of pre-order will be required for grand prizes.

To make preordering easy for you, here’s some links:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble/ Book Depository/ IndieBound

And lastly, once again a sincere and heartfelt thank you to every single person who has purchased one of my books. It’s your support that brings the love of books into children’s lives. And with your continued support, authors just like me will be able to keep writing those words for your children to enjoy.

FIRE TRUCK DREAMS blurb:

For fans of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site comes an exciting new bedtime story about a brave little fire truck.

A fire truck has had a big day of putting out fires and saving kittens, and now it’s time to sleep. After making sure all is quiet and safe, he rolls back into the station for a shower, swishes and swigs a bedtime refreshment, and settles in with a bedtime story. But a hero’s job is never done, and the fire truck dreams of taming a ferocious campfire and celebrating the end of his exciting day with s’mores!

This delightful book about a heroic fire truck preparing for bed will be a favorite for any fan of fire trucks and everyday heroes. As always, Sharon Chriscoe lulls the reader with her witty and gentle rhyming verse, accompanied by Dave Mottram’s charming illustrations. Fire Truck Dreams is certain to bring joy to any bedtime routine.

Young Kids, Short Attention Span, Short Writing Time

February 20, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

Babies and young children have short attention spans, but the title of this post doesn’t refer to my kids’ attention spans; it refers to mine. I once read a quote about a mother’s attention span is only as long as that of her youngest child (I tried looking it up to cite it but couldn’t find it and, honestly, didn’t look that long 😉 ). My youngest is 7 months old, so that tells you about how long I can concentrate on any one thing. The shiny hot mess that is social media doesn’t help either!

via GIPHY

Hence why I’ve been focusing a lot of my writing time on picture books. Not easier to write than novels, but easier to feel like I’m actually making some progress on it in the shorter work sessions that fit into my current life. I’ve also been reading a ton of picture books with the kids, so I’m naturally inspired by that form.

Yet that old perpetual WIP (work-in-progress) Elixir Saved is weighing on me. I’m at the point where not working on it is always in the back of my mind. It’s different than when I’ve consciously taken a break from it because I needed to. This time I kind of feel like I’m just avoiding it. I’m in the meaty middle of the draft. I know where the story needs to go and I have a solid idea of how to get it there, but it’s gonna take a lot of work. So, yeah, I should probably make it a priority to work on it, instead of finding new things to work on.

Not that I’m going to stop working on my picture books. I just think I need a better balance. Isn’t is that what it always comes down to in pretty much everything in life: finding the right balance.

One last thing. I’m also in the market for a picture book critique partner. I’ve got plenty of writing buddies to exchange novels with, but not so much when it comes to picture books. I’d like someone with a little bit of experience in the area, but you you certainly don’t have to be an expert. Send me a message if you’re interested in seeing if we’re a good match!

Cheating On My Novels With Picture Books

January 23, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve so not been in the mood to blog lately. I have lots of things I could write about (both on the blog and in my own writing) but nothing that’s really sparking for me. So I’d rather spend my limited words on my actual writing than here.

So I’m just popping in to say that the one aspect of writing that I’m excited about is picture books. I think the short form is fitting with my attention span right now. Plus, I’ve been reading so many picture books with the boys, it’s hard not to get inspired in that area.

Writing picture books is a fun break from novel writing, which has felt like so much work lately. I’m slogging trough the long sentences and paragraphs in the novels. But my picture book is coming to me in fun little spurts. The scenes are snapshots that I have to interpret into words. Then I have to piece those snapshots together for a whole…but a short whole!

Not to say that shorter = easier. That is certainly not the case. But picture books are different than novels, and a change must be what I need. It’s almost like I’m cheating on the longer form with the shorter stuff. For me, there is less baggage when it comes to picture books. I feel a lot of pressure to get things right with this novel I’m working on, but there’s none of that with my picture books.

So I’m going with it…riding this burst of picture book creativity for now.