This and That

I've been neglecting the JGDS series and blog postings for a while. So, since it has been over a month since I last posted here, I'm going to do a brief "this and that" posting here.  For more details of what has happened this week, please stop by my other blog and check out today's "This and That" posting as well as a special deal I have going on for this week on books and bookworms for the last minute gift on your list.

This past week, I sold four copies of State of Successess to the Belton Museum along with three copies of Finally Home. 

The weekend of November 16-17 I did an event at Cascades Verdae and sold a total of 17 books - 15 of them state books.  My best event to date.  It doesn't come to enough to really pay Heather and get more books published but that day will hopefully come.  I would love to get more states published but right now they will remain on hold until I start seeing orders of at least 1000 per title or larger.  I need some serious print runs in order to get back on track. 

I also am available to do school visits so if you are a teacher or librarian following this blog in the Tri-State area - NC, SC, GA - and would like to book me for your end-of-year fill-in, I'm available.  See you all in  the postings - Ma America

Afghan drawing reminder

Just reminding everyone who has purchased any of the state books since the end of May through next Tuesday that the drawing will be on December 1. If you met me at any events and were going to check the books out on my website, you still have a few days to place your order. So far, I have 20 entries. Good luck to everyone entered.

SCISA Teachers' Conference

The day started at 5 in the morning. It wasn't raining or anything but felt like a Friday the 13th once getting to Columbia. Thursday evening, Ms. Barbara, a member of the local Sisters in Crime group, had written a check for two copies of Finally Home for her granddaughters and some bookworms she had purchased; she banks at Bank of America. I knew I wouldn't be able to cash the check at my bank since I would already be in Columbia by the time the bank opened. I decided to cash the check in Columbia at a Bank of America because I knew I needed to stop at Walmart and pick up a few items for my workshop. We got to Columbia about 10 minutes before 8 and found the Bank of America (which happened to be almost across the street from Walmart) and was going to sit in the drivethru until they opened (the thinking being that since my bank opens at 8 AM so would this one). The drivethru didn't open until 8:30. So we headed over to Walmart and got the items we needed. I went back to the bank about 8:25 to wait in line. I finally get to the window and then they tell me that I have to come inside because they need to fingerprint me since I don't have an account with them; well, how fun the inside doesn't open until 9 AM (now I'm supposed to be at the conference about 8:30 so I could set up and help my friend Shelley while she did her workshop). So naturally I sat in the parking lot waiting for the inside to open. That said and done, I went back to Walmart and made my purchases and then headed to the school. It was a bit drizzly on the way over to the school, but we made it about 9:30 and got the table set up. Had a few teachers walk by the table and pick up bookmarks and sold 7 bookworm bookmarks.

About 11:15 I headed to the building where my workshop was and had a few teachers waiting for me - lol I wasn't late really but just had to walk a mile to get from the gym to the multipurpose room (okay not that far but it felt like it) and they were early. In all, I had 7 teachers come in for the workshop. I hope they took away enough information to help them with the writing process that they can help their students. They all enjoyed the make-and-take and playing my Road Trip game. Those teachers were as competitive as the students who have participated in my workshops and played the game. After the workshop, we basically had to head home. No time for workshop attendees to do any shopping (that was a bit disappointing as I got back to the gym and I was basically the last one still set up - lol). No one bought any books but I'm hoping that enough people picked up my bookmarks and have information to take back to their schools that their social studies or ELA or other teachers can use the information.

On the way home, we decided we needed lunch as we hadn't eaten anything but a banana which I grabbed off the refreshments table when I walked through the building after parking the car. I called my finance guy to find out about the van I had looked at Thursday (found out on Wednssday that daughter just got a job and with her in classes in the mornings and now starting a second shift job I knew I had to seriously look at vehicles and get something by the middle of the week coming up). I had gone to a car place last Friday (the 28th of October after having my eyes dilated) and they were trying to get me in a PT Cruiser - not really what I wanted and my finance guy couldn't get it approved because they weren't willing to take what he could pay on the vehicle. So anyway, I had looked online at a couple of places in our small town and found a Kia Sedonia EX van at one of the places. After receiving the text from my daughter Wednesday about her getting this job, I went Thursday before the Sisters in Crime meeting to test drive the van. I loved it. I contacted my finance guy and set the wheels in motion. I called Friday on our way out of Columbia and he said everything seemed to be a go - yay! I had a van and I was on my way to get it as soon as I got back in town. I had to call the insurance company and get the insurance put on the van and all but I didn't tell them to fax the proof of insurance to the finance guy so by time I got back in town and got te van and got over to the finance place, the insurance place was closed. Sad thing was that the finance guy called the car place and told them the situation and he said I had to bring the van back until I could proceed with the paperwork Monday - wahhhh :(( - I didn't get to bring my van home yesterday. I totally wanted to cry. But not to fret, Dennis has assured me that the van is mine but it's a matter of getting the proof of insurance and filling out the paperwork first thing Monday morning. So the good news even after the harrowing day I had is that I get a new van and it's all me - no one had to cosign for me, no one had to put their name on the van but me - first vehicle I've ever had that I can actually call my own.

Monday will be here soon enough and I will be driving my new van and not be carless any more. The last couple of months of not being able to run errands during the day and having to wait for my daughter to get home from classes have been weird for me. You'd think that with me working at home that I wouldn't really miss the car during the day but it's the whole idea of not being able to go anywhere and if an emergency happened at the school not being able to get my son or just running to the grocery store when I wanted something to munch on that bothered me the most. I'm very dependent on having transportation for anything and have felt the helplessness the past couple of months. Now I will no longer feel that way - so yay!!!! - new vehicle coming to my house Monday - lol.

See you all in the postings and keep your chin up and happy writing - Mrs. E & the JGDS :)

Book Signing, New games, speaking engagements ... oh my!

For the first community event from B&R Books in Honea Path, I think it was a success. More older people coming out to listen to the music, pretty good group from what I heard. I stayed inside a good bit and saw a few people coming in. I wish I had had a sign out front indicating that I was inside doing a book signing but I didn't and it was still a success.

I got there a bit later than I had planned to be but Hailie was there to help me set up. I had walked in with my table and board and map and there was a customer in the store and she bought the two copies that were on the shelf (Bob is consigning my books along with the other children's and young adult/middle grade books that Vivian has available, save Colors and Angeline Jellybean as I don't have those two yet). So as I was putting up the table and the first sale was made and she wasn't even buying for kids; she was buying for herself. I signed and then Hailie and I got set up. Traffic picked up about 6 and I sold two more copies (grandma had the cutest little 4-year-old with her and she bought a copy for her and one for the baby that isn't even born yet (due in August), and she preordered two copies of State of Quarries. Light traffic but good contacts. One mother with her two children, a third grader and a younger (probably kindergarten) stopped by to chat and play my new game "Road Trip" and come to find out she is a teacher and/or on the PTO at the elementary school. She inquired as to me coming and doing a program either for a class or for the PTO. Woohooo - another speaking engagement at the elementary school for me (Already have one scheduled for the after school program kids on April 13).

I sold a couple more books to individuals and the two ladies who work at Curves came in and they were chatting with me as they have kind of adopted Hailie since she started going back to Curves recently. They were checking out my giveaways and all and were talking about me coming to their church and doing a program with the boys' group (the RAs), an interactive program and took all my information and will be getting back in touch.

I did get packed up and headed home and Bob was so nice to go ahead and pay me up front for the sales and I was informed that State of Quarries was sent to the printers today, so I should have it in about three weeks (fingers crossed).

Book signing - success
New Game - success and fun and I think once it catches on, it will be even more successful
and Speaking engagements - oh my!!

Ya'll come back and see us soon and see where the adventure takes you next!!!

A rainy out of school day but very productive for the JGDS!

Today was a rather stressful day as I had to be out and about running errands. I really didn't want to be out in the rain and cold but I'm glad I was.

First, I had to run to the bank and post office, pay a couple of bills, feed the kids and take Benjamin to his girlfriend's house to spend the day with her. Then Hailie and I went to another town to the grocery store there to find some candy canes and those little rolled candy looking books (that you give to your kids for Christmas) for Vivian to put in one of the OWFI baskets for the conference coming the end of April. I'm a member of OWFI affiliate group Pens & Keyboards, and someone in the group is doing a Christmas themed basket which will contain books that are all Christmas themed and they were wanting to find some Christmas candy to put in the basket. I told her I think I had seen some at this grocery store and would check. Success - I purchased two boxes of candy canes (one blueberry and one regular peppermint flavored) and two of the "candy books". I decided to go check on the aisle behind the candy one and see if they had any left over Christmas ornaments or anything that would be Christmas related and I found this shadowbox that typifies writers from the days of old. I couldn't resist to pick it up for the other basket - the one entitled "Celebration" to celebrate where writers were and where we are now. I think it will make a very nice addition to the basket. So Bargain Foods was a successful trip for OWFI related items that were needed.

We left Pelzer, headed to Anderson and stopped at Dollar Tree first. I had a specific list of items needed from there and wasn't really planning on buying too much there. I needed some little stands to stand my books up on display for the book signing and some more puzzles to supplement my supply. The puzzles I knew I would have no problem picking up (they have cases of 24 each and I just picked up a case). Of course before I got to where the puzzles were, I had looked for the "plate stands" which was the best description I could come up with for what I needed in the picture frame aisle. I really didn't see what I wanted or needed. I moved over to the teachers' supply aisle and I get into some trouble over there; I know not to go over there - lol. I found a wall map that is laminated already, although not quite as big as I would like and Alaska is not shown attached to Canada exactly (it is but it is displaced like most maps are), for my new game - Road Trip. The game goes like this - the kids have to look at the map and figure out the route (there are eight really) they would travel if they were going to drive across the country. The catch is they cannot enter any state twice but they can enter Canada more than once if need be. They will write their answers down and I have an answer key they will get to check and if they are correct, they win a puzzle. I think this will be a very good game because it will get the kids thinking and they should have fun. I also picked up a foam board that is about the same size as the map (the map is a little wider from top to bottom than the board but the same from side to side) that I will mount the map to and have standing on an easel for viewing.

As I was walking around looking for other things (I know I really wasn't planning to do much more shopping there), of course since school was out, there were lots of people with kids in the store, I thought you know I have bookmarks, why not hand them out. So every aisle I walked on, if there were kids there, I asked them if they liked to read and then handed my bookmarks out and told them about my books and my upcoming book signing Thursday. Several of the kids I spoke with are from my school district and showed a lot of interest in coming up to the book signing. There will be free music and hot dogs and a mini farmer's market available as well, so that was success in and of itself. Getting near the end of me not finding the little stands I wanted for my books, one young man and two father figure types were walking down the food aisle and so I asked him if he liked to read, but he said not really and the one that was probably his father said he did like to read but he was being shy. I gave him my bookmark and told them about the books and the father bought a copy of my book (I had a copy in my pocketbook to show). Told the boy he had to write a two page report on a book since they were out of school for two days and it would be perfect for him to do a report on. By the time we got up to the register and he was paying for his purchases, the boy had started reading the book and had already guessed the state, he was only on clue #5 at that time but he said that clue #4 (which talks about the shape) was where he had figured it out. I hope he enjoyed the book. (I finally had to ask about the stands and did find them so that was successful as well, and I did find some story starter packs in the teachers' section that I think I can do something with in the future and a US flag stamp that can be used on the create your own bookmarks section I do).

We left Dollar Tree, I popped the trunk and put two copies of the book in my pocketbook and headed over to Wal-Mart for some groceries and a couple other things I needed from there and again, every family group or parent with children in tow, I spoke to and asked them if they liked to read and put bookmarks in the kids hands and talked about my books, pulling a copy from my pocketbook so that they would understand what I was talking about, and I sold another copy of the book while in Wal-Mart. I also had the opportunity to speak with a fifth grade teacher and speech therapist from another district in our county and several kids who attend school in the same district as my kids and one of the girls was very enthusiastic and her mother was like - I'll make sure to bring her up there Thursday and all her friends and everyone in the school will know about it.

I left there and went to Staples to replace my ink (which really I shouldn't have had to do since it was purchased at Wal-Mart) and finally made my way home. I was whipped but basking in my success as a not intended to make any sales or do any marketing day turned out to be very successful.

So for all you folks out there who have books, check out my bookmarks below and see why they are one of the best investments so far in my career as an author. For inexpensive advertising, check out www.gotprint.com - the order I placed was for 2500 and my cost with shipping was only $83 (this comes out to less than 3 cents a bookmark). Trust me if you have children's books, this will come back to you very quickly from your sales. Since getting my bookmarks in February before the SC Book Festival, I have made at least nine sales (two are waiting for the purchasers to get the books). I have sent several batches out and about and have already had to order another batch of 1000. Anyway, if you have nothing else but bookmarks with your covers on them, you will be noticed and maybe make a sale or two. See you all in the postings - E :)

Sales and other good news!!!!

I'm so excited about how the book is doing. I can't wait to get caught up on my regular work to get the second one finished.

Since the books arrived, 50 in the first order which was supposed to be put aside basically for Decatur Book Festival, 35 have actually been requested or sold. I sent Vivian monies last week for about a dozen books and at the same time, she ordered another 50, because in talking to several friends of mine online or via email, I realized I had maybe 7 books left in the box from the original order. In total that makes 120 books in less than a month having been ordered (she forgot to order some to keep with her so she could send out for anyone who orders from the website, so had to place an order for 20). My second 50 arrived Thursday and I promised not to sell from that box and put it aside for Decatur. So, hopefully this trend will continue through the end of the year and we sell like crazy.

Yesterday, while out running around, we ran into one of Hailie's friends who bought a copy of the book. She's such a sweetheart too. She was my 34th copy sold. And then while talking to one of the band members at the grocery store, Hailie sold another one to a friend's mother out in the parking lot (she was getting a copy of the book to show the friend in the store and ran into her other friend who said to hold a copy a copy out since she did not have the cash at the moment - that was the 35th one). I am down to 5 in the box and 10 on consignment at the Belton Center for the Arts and if those don't sell by the end of the month, I'll pick them up to take with me to Decatur.

Vivian is on a mini vacation visiting her son in Colorado. Her daughter-in-law is an administrator in one of the elementary schools and read the book and absolutely loved it, so my series may make it into the schools, one school district at a time but I have a feeling that they will eventually make it into the right hands in each of the states to get distributed in the schools massively (that would be great to see my books used to supplement the geography teaching and having the kids learn things about the states they normally wouldn't pick up in their normal day-to-day routine schooling).

Now for the guesses - most everyone who has read the book gets to about Clue #25 (out of 27 clues) before they really know the state. I did two presentations last week at the Belton Center for the Arts summer camp (the theme this year is story time) and had a blast. Stephanie wanted me to read clue #25 so the kids could guess the state but I didn't want to, really wanted to entice them to buy the book, or get their parents to buy the book, so that they could read the book for themselves and make their guesses like my characters do.

I will be doing one more presentation next Wednesday to the last of the summer camp sessions at the Belton Center for the Arts. I will probably read the first part and the first two clues and let them get the books to read the rest themselves. Definitely Clue #25 is a dead giveaway clue (26 and 27 are basically the common, known facts of the state so everyone should know by the last clue or the next to the last clue for sure).

One of the band member's mother bought two copies and informed me last night while at the store that she guessed the state from the cover. I don't know how she did but she did. The cover depicts Clue #2 (Sacajawea), Clue #14 (the Appaloosa horse) and Clue #20 (the Birds of Prey Wildlife area in this state being the home to world's most dense population of nesting eagles, hawks and falcons). Way to go Faith from knowing from the cover what state it is. You get a gold star.

Everyone come over to the 4RV website and place your order today. If you know me, you can get an autographed copy from me directly (remembering I only have about 15 left I can actually sell before Decatur Book Festival). If you are in the Atlanta area over the Labor Day weekend, stop by the Decatur Book Festival and come visit the 4RV booth. You can pick up your copy of 10 of the books that 4RV has published this year, some actually signed by the authors who will be available (Viv, Jacque Graham and myself). So see you all in the postings or at the book festivals - E :)