News Blast

photo by Mark Morgan

I interrupt this blog post for an important announcement!

Recently my agent, Sandy Fergusen Fuller, of Alp Arts Company, contacted me.

She has sold my picture book, The Bunny Poets to Tannya Derby, publisher at MacLaren-Cochrane. The book will be released in the fall of 2017!

What, you say? I didn’t know she wrote picture books. I was inspired to write the book on a whim after attending a poetry reading at the St. Helena Library. The audience sat facing a podium and a wall of floor to ceiling windows with a vineyard view. While the poet read, I found myself distracted by a bunny wandering among the vines.

This is the only detail I will reveal about the book. More details will come later when we are closer to the release date. And, if I tell you everything now you won’t buy the book will you?

For those of you who did not know, I had tried (unsuccessfully) to sell another picture book on my own before seeking an agent. I found Sandy through the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Sandy, an agent who writes picture books herself, helps authors develop their ideas if needed. Luckily, she liked the concept of that first book and helped me by offering to agent it.

In the meantime, I had studied a bit myself about picture books, and am also lucky enough to have a critique group for support. When my bunny book concept came along I sent it to her. So, I’m hopping up and down here with the news.

Thank you Tannya Derby! And thank you Sandy Fuller!

Now back to my regular series programming!

For newcomers to my blog, I’d like to explain what it is about. My husband and I have raised two sons. Our eldest son, Chase, was diagnosed with mild autism. This has affected our family in many ways. My stories reflect our struggles, but also celebrate our successes. Chase is now a sensitive, thoughtful, and kind man. He is honest, hardworking, and physically fit.

My intention is to collect all of these stories and combine them into a book. Ultimately, I am hoping to help parents and caregivers see that once they get through the struggles of raising a child like Chase with a disability they will come to realize its gift.

Books!

Books!

"Water Over Time"

Hello, my adoring fans! What's the point of having a blog if you can't do a little boasting now and then. My books are here! It was such a kick to open the box and find them, all shiny and new. I spent two years off and on writing the poems and stories, some of that time I didn’t realize I was writing a book. Below is the description I wrote for Amazon.com.

When Barbara Toboni takes a trip back to Guam in 2010, she finds what remains of the family’s first home abandoned and barely visible, ravaged by many years of storms. The house becomes a symbol for the author inspiring her to write poetry and short prose about her life on the island spanning twelve years. Memories are clear and portray Barbara’s coming of age as she grows from pre-teen to young woman.

I hope some of you will order the book from Amazon, or if you live in Napa, stop by, stop me on the street, or stop me while I shop, and I will sell you a copy out of the back of my car. I plan to take a few copies to a local bookstore and perhaps Jessel Gallery would be interested, as they do have my other little book, Undertow. I’m very proud of both my books. Can you tell? So wow! Here we go! Buy! Thank you!

A few books have been signed and sent off to relatives. For those cousins and friends I didn’t send books to I apologize, but it would be nice to make a little money. If I send to one cousin, the other cousins would be jealous. How do I choose? Do you see what I mean? And the book is cheap, $5.50 plus shipping. It’s not a large book. It’s what they call a chapbook, 32 pages. It won’t take you long to read, and please let me know what you think.   

Pictures are included, all but one taken by my father, Morton Friedman, whom among other things was a terrific amateur photographer. Amber Lea Starfire helped me format my book for CreateSpace. And Amber, along with my other workshop pals, Patsy Ann Taylor and Christina Julian supported me through the whole process. To them I say thanks and cheers!  

For comments, what are you most proud of lately?

Are We Done Yet?

My old Guam neighborhood
Picture sample for upcoming chapbook

When riding in the car with your parents, do you remember asking, "Are we there yet?" The answer was vague, "Just around the bend." Vague, because as a little girl, I couldn't tell how long the bend was, no frame of reference for maps, and miles, and hours.

In memoir, just around the bend can take you back years, and although you have a map, you will need a magnifying glass, and the miles don't tell you about stops along the way, and the hours don't tell you who you're going to meet, or how long you need to stay and talk, so there is no one to ask except for yourself, "Are We Done Yet?"

 I feel exactly like that little girl in the back seat now about to publish Water Over Time, my chapbook about growing up in Guam, "Are we done yet?"

"Close," is the answer. Decisions are being made, and I finished the About the Author page, which jolted me out of my creativity mode, and set me back into a reality mode. Reality being, I'm making a list and getting things done. 

I've decided to self-publish, and to use CreateSpace, and to get some help. A fellow writing group member, Amber Lea Starfire, has been a valuable resource. She writes a brilliant blog at Writing Through Life. She has used CreateSpace services in the past with great success and has offered advice and encouragement.

Some people can zip over to CreateSpace, upload their file, tap the submit button, and everything they enter turns golden, but I'm an anxious sort of person and I worry a lot about styles, and formats, and the end product.

Patsy Ann Taylor, another writing group pal, wrote on the acknowledgements page of her book, Click, "Writing is an activity usually endured alone. But from opening sentence to coda an author, if she is lucky, has support along the way."

Sooo maybe there is someone, other than myself, I can ask, "Are we done yet?"

In the meantime, I am reading one of the stories from my collection at SISTERS Consignment Couture in Sonoma along with two other authors, arranged by Laura McHale Holland. I invite you to come by if you're able.

 

Friday, Oct. 4, 2013

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Authors will share original writing about

sisters born or sisters found.

Open mic will follow for further readings on the theme.