I am happy to be able to bring to you a very sweet new picture book by one of my favorite authors and a fellow Muse author, Penny Ehrenkranz. She is writing this under her other name, Penny Lockwood. She is visiting today, so let's give her a warm welcome!!!
Hi Penny. It's so good to have you back on this blog. I know you have visited frequently and I am very excited to be showing my readers your latest picture book. I have read it and will give my review after we learn more about you and your book.
Bio:
When it comes to my children’s stories, my children when they were young, and now my grandchildren have been my inspiration. I have read a lot of children’s stories to my children and am revisiting them now with my grandchildren. I love to see how excited they get when they read a story or have a story read to them. I like being able to share my love of books with children.
April Poem A Day Challenge
Hi Penny. It's so good to have you back on this blog. I know you have visited frequently and I am very excited to be showing my readers your latest picture book. I have read it and will give my review after we learn more about you and your book.
Bio:
Penny Lockwood has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications, and nonfiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications. She edits for MuseItUp Publishing. Visit her web site at http:// pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com. Her writing blog is located at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/.
She has recently released Boo’s Bad Day with 4RV Publishing and has three other children’s books under contract with them: Ghost for Rent, Ghost for Lunch, and Many Colored Coats. She has three romances published by MuseItUp Publishing: Love Delivery, Lady in Waiting, and Mirror, Mirror. Her short story collection, A Past and A Future, is available through Sam’s Dot Publishing and Smashwords.
Barbara, thanks for hosting me. At the end of the tour, I will pick out one commenter’s name and send an autographed copy of Boo’s Bad Day to a United States address only. If the name I pick is someone who lives outside the U.S., I will send a PDF copy of the book. So remember, readers, be sure to leave contact information when you comment!
If your readers missed yesterday’s post, they can catch up at http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/. Tomorrow, I’ll be visiting with http://renajones.blogspot.com/.
This is good to know so we can keep up with all the different posts.
Please give us a brief synopsis or excerpt from your current book and when and where it will be available.
BOO’S BAD DAY
By Penny Lockwood
Picture book for children aged 18 months to 6 years
Published by 4RV Publishing
ISBN# 13: 978-0-9852661-5-8, order from your local bookstore
$8.99 includes s/h
Look inside at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Boos-Bad-Day-Penny-Lockwood/dp/0985266155/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
$7.32 prime
Tagline:
Boo sneaks out of the house and discovers that freedom by himself can be scary.
Blurb:
Boo is a very bored kitten. When Timmy and his mom return home, Boo sneaks out of the house. Boo is frightened by the noises of the big world outside of the safety of his warm home. When Timmy coaxes Boo back into the house, Boo realizes some places are safe and some are not.
Are you a full-time writer or a part-time writer, and how do you organize your writing time?
I retired from my day job in 2008, so I could be a full-time writer, but I’m not. I also edit for MuseItUP Publishing, babysit my 21-month-old grandson, and I am the primary caregiver for my 97-year old mom. When I’m not involved in doing these things, I spend my morning catching up on email and marketing on social networking sites. On days I can write, I usually do that in the afternoons as I find I’m more productive later in the day.
What influences your writing?
When it comes to my children’s stories, my children when they were young, and now my grandchildren have been my inspiration. I have read a lot of children’s stories to my children and am revisiting them now with my grandchildren. I love to see how excited they get when they read a story or have a story read to them. I like being able to share my love of books with children.
Is this your first published work? What other types of writing have you done?
I have been writing since 1993. Previously, I concentrated on short stories and non-fiction articles. My non-fiction was written for parenting, teen, and writing magazines. My short stories found homes in genre magazines and online. My adult stories tend toward fantasy, soft science fiction, and romance. My first children’s novel was a MG paranormal mystery, Ghost for Rent. The previous publisher went out of business, and this has since been re-edited and will be packaged with the sequel Ghost for Lunch through 4RV Publishing. I have written two picture books: Boo’s Bad Day was released in March 2013, and I am now doing this blog tour to promote it. My second picture book is Many Colored Coats and is scheduled for release in 2015.
The idea first came to me when our own cat Boo was stuck in a tree during an ice storm. When I decided to write a picture book for my grandchildren, I thought of Boo. While creating the book, I knew Boo needed more than one adventure outside, so I thought of other things that would scare him and make him want to hide. When the book was finished, I had some little people listen to the story to see whether it was a good idea and the feedback was positive. I had met the owner of 4RV Publishing through the MuseItUP Online Writer’s Conference. I liked what I heard about her and her house from other authors and decided to submit. Her acquisition team liked the story, asked for a couple of changes, and the book was accepted. After that, I didn’t hear anything on that book until the illustrator was finished with the pictures and I saw the PDF galley. I was thrilled with how Deborah C. Johnson captured Boo through her artwork.
Why did you choose to write a children's story?
I enjoy telling stories and while I write for entertainment, I also include a little life lesson, tucked discreetly away in the story. With Boo, there is a subtle hint for children that home is a safe place to be. As I said above, I love watching children learn to read and the expressions on their faces when they connect with a story. My grandson now asks his parents to read him “the kitty” book, and my 5-year-old granddaughter is writing her own book about her dog, Teddy.
What was the process of creating this book from the first idea to the final published book?
The idea first came to me when our own cat Boo was stuck in a tree during an ice storm. When I decided to write a picture book for my grandchildren, I thought of Boo. While creating the book, I knew Boo needed more than one adventure outside, so I thought of other things that would scare him and make him want to hide. When the book was finished, I had some little people listen to the story to see whether it was a good idea and the feedback was positive. I had met the owner of 4RV Publishing through the MuseItUP Online Writer’s Conference. I liked what I heard about her and her house from other authors and decided to submit. Her acquisition team liked the story, asked for a couple of changes, and the book was accepted. After that, I didn’t hear anything on that book until the illustrator was finished with the pictures and I saw the PDF galley. I was thrilled with how Deborah C. Johnson captured Boo through her artwork.
What are your thoughts on traditional versus self-publishing?
I have chosen to go the more traditional route for my work, although I am not opposed to small press both for publication of my short stories and for my books. I have not tried self-publishing, but I know many authors who have. It’s a choice the author needs to make for herself, and I strongly urge authors to explore all options. With so many choices available, it’s important to look into different paths to publication. I think there is a place for both.
Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
Twitter: @PennyEhrenkranz
It has been so much fun to catch up with you and learn how your writing life has gone since you were a guest here. I had a chance to read Boo's Bad Day and here is my review:
Boo's Bad Day makes me want to go out and find a child to read this lovely and fun picture book to. It has bright colorful pictures that help young children with the meaning of the story. I enjoyed the adventures of the little kitten, Boo, who only wanted to be like the grown ups and go outside on his own. However, when he got out there he realized that he was not ready to be there. I think any young child will fall in love with Boo. I know I did!!
I give this book 5 kittens.:)
April Poem A Day Challenge
For anyone who is interested in my poems this year, I have posted them in the Poetry section here on my blog. Click on Poetry to see all of them for the month of April. That month is probably my favorite time of the year, because I get to write poetry every day!!
