Publisher Search

I have been actively searching and researching publishers the last few weeks. I have found one that may be a winner for us. It's called AuthorHouse. Not only do they provide marketing and advertising, they handle all orders and WE MAINTAIN THE RIGHTS. That last one was a big deal for me. I don't like the idea of someone else owning my work. We would still be basically self-publishing but AuthorHouse would help us with the things that I'm not good at!

I haven't talked to Natascha about this yet but they also have a deal going on right now that would allow us to publish TWO books for the price of ONE! I'm really excited guys! Please continue to spread the word. Tell all your friends to follow the blog and give us some feedback. Thanks!

Pages 8-end!

Here are the last pages. Please let us know what you think of the book. Do you think it's marketable? Would you buy it to read to YOUR children? Can we improve the story? Your input is appreciated! Thanks! And again, Merry Christmas to all of you from our families to yours!

Page 8: Aisley knew she had Ala now, “When I grow up, I’m gonna be THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!”

Page 9: Aisley stood back, very proud of herself. With arms crossed, hips cocked and nose high, she expected Ala to be speechless in defeat.

But Ala wasn’t...she never, EVER was....

Page 10: “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a singing, teaching, mermaid, doctor who becomes the first singing, teaching, mermaid, doctor, President of the United States!”

Page 11 (back page): THE END

Pages 4-7

Somehow the pics got mixed up when I uploaded them but you get the idea! Here is Page 4-Page 7 for your enjoyment! I'll be putting up the last pages directly! Tell us what you think of our work in progress! Merry Christmas!


Page 4: Ala shrugged her shoulders, thought for a moment and grabbed a cowboy hat, “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a COWGIRL!”

Page 5: Not missing a beat, Aisley grabbed some glasses and a ruler and shouted with confidence, “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a TEACHER!”

Page 6: Still grinning and very pleased with her sister’s irritation, Ala found her somewhat too small bathing suit and spouted, “Well when I grow up, I’m gonna be a MERMAID!”

Page 7: “Okay,” Aisley thought....and meditated.... she pondered.... deliberated ....and ....”Ah-Hah!”

a short note

this is going to be big fun. i am so happy to be a part of this childrens book project.
when hollie asked me to contribute i was excited.

i´ll post the other sketches later this day and i will draw cleaner pictures during the holidays.

very much to do, but that´s what i´m made to do...it feels good.

♥natascha

Plans for the Next Step

Natascha and I have decided to somewhat finish the book and print out a few copies to see what people think of it. We want to show to anyone who will read it. So if you are part of my family or circle of friends, you might be called upon to read it and tell me what you think!

We are very excited to see what the finished product will look like. Natascha is going to redraw the illustrations in more detail and paint them in watercolors. I am finalizing the text and we are going to design the layout together. This might take a month or so because we do live on different continents! But look out for new posts as we progress to the finish line.

Once we finish the book and have a better idea of how it will thrive in the marketplace, we will probably look to get it published professionally. Again, we are very excited! Tell everyone you know to follow the blog. Help us get the word out! Thanks!

Pages 1-3

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Page 1: One very rainy, very dreary Monday morning, Aisley and Ala were occupying their time playing dress up with their many dresses and accessories.

With a stethoscope in one hand and a little orange stuffed tiger in the other, Aisley said proudly, “When I grow up, I’m gonna be an ANIMAL DOCTOR!”

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Page 2: Ala, who was not at all impressed, looked mischievously at Aisley, put on a tiara and a sparkly pink dress and quickly retorted, “Well, when I grow up, I’m gonna be a PRINCESS!”

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Page 3: Aisley rolled her eyes, started rummaging through their toy bin and grabbed her toy microphone, “Well, when I grow up, I’m gonna be a SINGER!”

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I'm Writing A Book!

I have started out on a new adventure! I have always had a passion for the written word. But it was not until my two wonderful little girls were born that I was more inspired to write. So I am writing a book to hopefully begin a series of books based on my children. The book is titled Aisley and Ala: When I Grow Up and it is about a common argument my daughters have about what they are going to do when they grow up.

I have enlisted the help of a new friend and fantastic artist named Natascha Artworx  to do the illustrations for the book. She has already completed a rough draft that looks amazing. Take a look at her other work at http://natascha-artworx.webs.com/

Be looking out for a sneak peak of the book. Let me know what you think and tell your friends to visit the site as well. We need your feedback and your help to get the word out! Thanks!