Kobee Manatee on PW cover

Kobee Manatee Book 2 has made the cover of Publishers Weekly! So very cool to see it there!

Intellectual Hospitality Editorial Piece

     Another project I worked on a few months ago was an editorial piece for APU Life Magazine, from Azusa Pacific University here in California. I am privileged to have become friends with the graphic designer of this magazine and she found a special article for me to illustrate. I don't know if I have ever made an editorial piece for a paid gig, but it was great to do something other than Children's Book art for awhile. Fun stuff!

School Nutrition Menu Brochure

     A few months ago I worked on a project that was different than what I usually do. And I did it in a medium that I don't usually work in. It was a nice change of pace and a nice challenge to tackle.

     Using Adobe Illustrator I created some small vector illustrations to be used in a School Nutrition Menu Brochure. These ended up being very small images since most of the space was needed to inform parents of meal choices, but I still had fun! I used their school mascot (bulldogs) and created some characters out of them. The first image will be used on a very large banner in front of the school to promote the Nutrition Program and are known as "The Power Pups". And then the school plans to have a different theme for these characters each year. This year was "On The Farm". Below are a few pieces made for the brochure.

New Project Announcement!

I can officially let you all know that I am working on a Board Book (my first board book!) called PIGS CAN'T FLY. The book will be out in time for Christmas and will be accompanied by an Augmented Reality App.

Keep your eye on Social Media for sketches and updates on this project.

Kali's Regress Cover Reveal

     I am pleased to announce that KALI'S REGRESS is now available for FREE on Smashwords.com. Get it now, while you can! This is the second book in the trilogy, the first book being THE MAHOGANY DOOR. I hope you all enjoy, I had a lot of fun making the cover artwork!

The Coal Thief wins IPPY Bronze Award

THE COAL THIEF has won the 2015 Bronze IPPY Award for Children's Books!!

THE COAL THIEF, written by Alane Adams, says:

I wrote The Coal Thief after hearing my father tell stories of his childhood growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1920s. It was a great way to honor his experiences and tell a story that children today can engage in and enjoy. In the story, Georgie wakes up to a freezing cold morning only to discover there’s no coal left to heat the kitchen. When his friend Harley shows up to take him on an adventure, Georgie discovers what it means to give back to others. 

The IPPY Award, now in its 19th year, honors the best in independently published titles from around the world annually. Its goal: to bring greater recognition to outstanding works that have been independently published. To learn more about the IPPY, visit their site.

 Illustrator Lauren Gallegos (left), The Original Coal Thief, a.k.a Alane's Dad (middle), and Author Alane Adams (left). Celebrating the IPPY award with lunch.

Look for THE COAL THIEF to be available for pre-order soon ahead of an official November 2015 launch.

Also look for THE EGG THIEF, set to be released in 2016.

The Runaway

     I have a some new pieces I have been working on recently. Not sure where the idea came from, but I wanted to include a touch of Spring, and some girly-ness...but not TOO much.

     I grew up with the saying that "April showers bring May flowers". Sometimes you need to wait through the tough stuff to get the greatness at the end. Delayed satisfaction, if you will. I don't mean to say this in relation to the little narrative...just a thought that went through my head as I made these.

     In the case of my narrative, sometimes things aren't as bad as they seem. California officially declared a drought recently. I can't remember the last time we had a good rain, let alone a rainy season. Our Winter felt like Summer and Spring is already shaping up to feel like an even hotter Summer. Sometimes life needs some variety, you know? But then I see the news and how the entire rest of the country is buried under snow, and all the terrible things that come with that. And I realize that heat isn't all that bad really...

     So until the next real rain, I will get lost in my own rainy world that I created for Frances (that's what my husband named the little girl) and find joy in that.

     Happy Easter, Happy Spring, and enjoy the May flowers to come.