SC Book Festival day #2

This morning I remembered to take my camera around after I had set up and take some snapshots of others' booths and some friends I know and made this weekend. So, in no particular order, here some of the folks I've known for a few years now:


This is Jackie Cooper, author of memoirs whom I met a few years ago before my series was an actual thing but it was in the pipelines. He's such a sweet man. I think he was about to do a book signing this morning, since this is the book signing area where I happened to catch him. They must have had an early presentation (before the crowds were allowed to enter the exhibit hall) or maybe he was one of the authors at the "Brunch with the Authors" segment early on.

This is Rod Hunter, husband and publicist for Gwen Hunter who also writes as Faith Hunter and I think one other name. She has so many different writing genres, it's hard to keep up with her. I only know her as Gwen though. She had stepped away from the table so I didn't get a picture of her today. Gwen has spoken at our Sisters in Crime meetings before and she is a very awesome lady. I did get a book from her that I have to start reading soon.


This is the author of the "fairy books" - she wears wings and her husband wears what looks like a wizard hat so every time I see her, I just say, "Hey Fairy" - Bobbie Hinman is the author of the "The Knot Fairy," "The Sock Fairy," and "The Belly Button Fairy" with "The Fart Fairy" coming soon. She is a delight to speak with and network with since she is a retired school teacher and has some ins. I met her at the Decatur Book Festival in 2008 when State of Wilderness debuted. It is nice seeing her down in my neck of the woods since I had believed her to be from the Atlanta area in the first place. I found out that she is really from Maryland. Check out her website, because she is one busy lady. Her events are nonstop.


Carole Marsh Mysteries/Gallopade Publishing and Carole Marsh Blog. I found Carole's mysteries accidentally and started following her blog and then met up with them in Savannah. She was almost directly across from me in Savannah. She watched me as I became swamped throughout the day. Carole was unable to be here this weekend but her assistant Paige was available. Paige's mother and her two children showed up Sunday to help out. I didn't really get to talk to her much over the weekend. Where Bellman Bear was located directly across from me, Gallopade was on the other side of that curtain, up one or two booths. And a big thank you to Ms. Paige for writing my tag line on my map.

This is Karen Petit, author of the Ivy League Series, with Louise her poodle and one of the officers who happened to be chatting with Karen this morning. Posing in front of the Ivy sign. I think I mentioned last year that Ivy passed away. It was a sad day for all of the students who had come to love Ivy, but she will live in the books forever and will never be forgotten. Louise made her debut in the fourth Ivy League book - The Mystery of the Circus Curse. I have started reading but haven't had a chance to finish.


For my new friends:
These two young ladies were setting up their booth Friday afternoon when I happened upon the coolest things; they are called "It's all about the books" and you can check out their website for more information. They have shirts and bags and mugs and other items that have sayings on them that are all related to books. The bag I purchased says - librocubicularist and under it (Reads in bed) - they say it's a real word but I had to have it since that's where I do my reading. LOL. On the way out today, I was talking in the parking lot with them and the one lady did say that the homeschool community being such a tight-knit one that once I get in with them, I'm in, simply because they know friends who homeschool in other states and so on, word of mouth. I'm hoping that's what happens this year when more titles become available and I attend homeschool conferences/curriculum fairs.

This is Paula from Palmetto Cat Designs. She was selling the little magnetic bookmarks and joined us for dinner last night. We had a blast. Josh (Shelley's son), Paula, Shelley and myself went to Yesterday's and I think we all had wonderful food and truly just had a blast. Poor Paula, I had a pair of scissors but just couldn't get to them readily and so we were constantly borrowing hers. She also gave us some leads to other types of festivals we could possibly think of doing.

This is the booth that was across from ours, Bellman Bear, he travels the United States and the world. When I first read the description of this exhibitor I started thinking I had a little competition. Then I checked out his website and realized, no competition at all. I did contact the author to let her know that I would be there with my series. When we got booth assignments and all, I checked out the layout and found out Bellman was right across from me. So it was nice meeting the authors of my sort of competition in a series similar yet not really similar to mine. Good luck to Bellman in his travels and each adventure coming up.

SC Book Festival Day 1

I'd like to say we sold out - lol but of course that would be pipe dreams. Realistically, I sold three books (one Trockle, one Lemur Troops and one of State of Quarries with an accompanying study guide to a homeschooler - that because of the make your own chalk eperiment). Shelley, author of Radium Halos, who is splitting a booth with me, had a pretty decent day. If she does this well tomorrow, her costs are almost fully covered - boothwise (she sold seven copies of her book today).

Here are a couple of pictures of the setup of the two tables:





I will try to post more tomorrow of other people I know there - and hopefully will report a better day - until then - see you all in the postings - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

Book festival bound

If any of you have followed my other blog - http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com over the past few years, you will know that I have been a volunteer at the SC Book Festival for several years. I've also had several wacky experiences with hotels over the years. This year I'm going in the capacity of an author representing 4RV as an exhibitor. All of 4RV books published to date will be available for purchase, including the newly released "Guardian" by Katie Hines (who will be making her first appearance for book signings tomorrow afternoon about 1 p.m.) and State of Wilderness and State of Quarries. I'm anxiously awaiting State of Reservations to be added to the list of books available, but am trying to be patient.

I'll try to post some updates over the weekend (pictures will be taken and hopefully posted at some point). Have a great one and see you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

JGDS newsletter January-February 2010

Wow. I just looked at my previous updates for newsletters and have not done any since the first part of August 2009. Updates are definitely needed.

I found a cool site that lists homeschool conferences for Canada, Guam, and every state in the United States. I found four more in the four states closest to me, within a five-hour driving distance of me, in addition to the Love 2 Learn one in Charlotte. I will be an exhibitor at four, maybe a fifth (still awaiting updates as to when it actually will take place, where and an exhibitor application) this summer with a presenting workshop at each one ("Writing Roads" a combination of writing and geography games for the kids). See my Blog Tour page on the sidebar for the listed events.

If anyone is interested in finding homeschool conferences in their area to either attend or exhibit at, here is the link for you to check out. Eventually, I'd like to attend conferences in every state but until I have some funding (either a sponsor or the books are supporting me), then traveling to more than a few states on the east coast is going to have to wait a while. I think these will be a good thing this year. Will definitely keep you posted how things go this summer.

JGDS SERIES NEWS: State of Reservations is slated to be released February or March 2010; since Aidana has had the flu and her son has the piggy flu, I hope by the end of March this will be released. State of Altitude is slated to be released in April or May of this year; again, hopefully by the 1st week of June so I can have four titles to carry with me to the homeschool conferences. And we have a title for #5 - State of Secession which is about halfway completed (struggling to get it done due to work situations that have taken over me but I do promise to have it done soon). It is slated to be released August (if I remember correctly), which would be nice to have that book available for the conference in August. Book #6 is titled State of Nature and my son has picked the items to be on the cover which will be pretty cool looking (I think and if Aidana and Vivian agree). Book #7 is pending approval for a title, so will wait to let you all know what the title will be with that.

In December I wrote to the Jeopardy!(R) folks asking them to sponsor my series. So far I haven't heard anything back yet, so I can only hope that the old adage "No news is good news" is true for this. As soon as I know something on this end, I will update my fans and readers.

4RV PUBLISHING NEWS: Lots of new titles have been published since August. Check out the latest on the website. 4RV will be represented at the SC Book Festival this weekend (February 27-28) with all present titles available. 4RV was invited to participate at a 12-state library conference in Oklahoma in April and we gathered enough funds to participate there; this is very exciting for us as all books published up to this time will be available to the librarians attending. We will also be at the Heartland New Day Bookfest in April and then at the the OWFI conference the last part of April/first of May. Poor Vivian will be worn out by the end of the first week of May.

That is about all I have to cover for now. Looking forward to some new adventures this year.

Remember that the JGDS, 50-state, mystery, trivia series is an adventure that you never know where you will end up. Keep reading. See you all in the postings - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

Vote today!

Only two weeks left to vote. Voting closes on February 28. Click the title of this posting for the list of book trailers on the Books in Sync site and cast your vote for the video you like best. The JGDS book trailer that Mr. Hughes worked on so diligently is #11. Remember tell all your friends and pop over to check out the videos listed this go round. Mrs. E & the JGDS

Want to find out how reading can be fun and educational at the same time?

I'm the guest blogger on Mayra Calvani's blog, so pop on over to Mayra's Secret Bookcase blog and read an article on the subject of how reading can be both. See you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Free book anyone? Your school could really use this book

My friend Carol Baldwin, author of "Teaching the Story," is giving away a copy of a "My Fun Picture Dictionary" in an effort to help out Kathleen Skotcher, owner of Studium Educational Resources. For more on how you or your school can be entered to win a copy of this book, click the title of this post and you will be taken directly to Carol's blog posting or click on Carol's name above to be taken to her blog. It doesn't cost anything to enter and maybe your school really can use this book. The prices are great from Kathleen (read the story, please to find out how much you can save as a school or even a district). Let's have fun and get those kids reading. See you all in the postings - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

Book Trailer video on Books in Sync contest

Come check out the video contest for book trailers. Click the title of this posting to be taken directly to the voting page. The JGDS video is #11. Come on over and vote. Voting will go through the end of February. Check out the videos and vote today - E :)