The Monster in my Basement

I love this time of year - cool nights, leaves turning colors, and monsters being born! Yes, you heard me right! MONSTERS. I say monsters being born because I just finished my 5th picture book.  It's a book about a monster. I have been working on it for a year now, with the last 6 months being the painting of the artwork, so in a way you could call it a creative birth. :)

I turned the artwork over to the publisher on Monday and now I get to tell you about it. We don't have an official title for it yet, (that's the publisher's job) but it's about a 4 year old boy who discovers a hungry monster in his basement. So, I am calling it "The Monster in my Basement".

This monster is really hungry! And really big!

What should the boy do?

Maybe the monster wants some fruit or tuna fish? Chicken or a hotdog? Or ice cream in a dish? How about spaghetti or sweet potato pie?

Or just maybe... the monster wants something else? (GULP!)

If you want to find out what the monster DOES EAT you won't have to wait long! The book will officially launch fall 2020, but I will have several dozen advance copies for my collectors this holiday season! First-come-first-serve basis. Come see me at one of my holiday shows or contact me on e-mail through my website: www.heatherlynnharris.com

Fall 2019 Show Schedule

November 11 WNY Childrens Book Festival Buffalo Convention Center

November 22 - 24 Rochester Holiday Bazaar Rochester Science Museum

December 7 - 8 Roycroft Christmas Show Roycroft Campus, East Aurora, NY

December 13 - 14 WNY Book Arts Center Buffalo, NY

New Picture Book - Five Hungry Mice

Great News!

It's finally ready!  After taking the summer to finish the artwork, (explains my absence from my blog) and working with my publisher this fall, we finally have Five Hungry Mice ready to go to press!  My publisher and her book designer have done a fantastic job making my adorable mice look so beautiful in book format.  It really looks fantastic and I can't wait for you all to see it in person. 

It will be officially published and in stores in early 2018, but I have access to pre-published copies beginning in November for my followers who have been so patiently waiting!  Just in time for National Picture Book Month.  I will be selling the book and my other artwork at the following art shows:

11/11 Western New York Children’s Book Expo  Saturday 10:00am - 3:00pm Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, Buffalo, NY

11/17-19 Rochester Museum & Science Center Holiday Bazaar
Fri 5:00 - 9:00pm, Sat 9:30am - 5:00pm, Sun 11:00am - 4:00pm
657 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 

11/25 Local Author Book Signing
Saturday 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Buffalo History Museum, One Museum Court, Buffalo, NY

12/2-3 Roycroft Campus Art Show
Sat 10:00am - 5:00pm, Sun 10:00am - 5:00pm
31 South Grove St, East Aurora, NY

If you can't make a show you can order your copy at www.fivehungrymice.com

But that's not all!

Five Hungry Mice is also featured with hundred's of other great new titles at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Annual Book Stop promotion that is running till November 27, 2017.  You can find lots of new picture books by the best authors and illustrators. You should definitely check it out. Take a peek at just some of the beautiful books the Five Hungry Mice gets to be featured with...

Well, I better get back to the studio.  I'm already working on another book for you all but you'll have to wait to hear more about that one.  In the mean time come see me to get a copy of Five Hungry Mice or click on the link to the website.

TTFN! 

SCBWI Book Blast!

I belong to this wonderful organization called the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators whose mission is to support the creation and availability of quality children's books around the world.  For the next four weeks they are having a book blast event that I thought you would like to know about.  Hundreds of SCBWI authors and illustrators have published books this year and SCBWI has put together a web page where you can go and browse and buy these new books directly from the authors and illustrators themselves.   

You can check it out by clicking on the link  http://www.scbwi.org/bookblast/

Here is a screen shot of some of the beautiful books that you can find there!  Clover and the Shooting Star is there as well:)  They have books that are published traditionally (Clover is in that bunch) or books published independently.  

So pour yourself your favorite hot beverage, grab a blanket and browse through  to find some great new books to read and give this holiday season!  I know it's where I plan to do my shopping!

Clover and the Shooting Star Pre-Sale

I have great news about Clover!  CrissCross AppleSauce, an imprint of Buffalo Heritage Unlimited, has agreed to publish Clover and the Shooting Star as a beautiful 6" x 6" board book! It's perfect for little hands to hold and love. 

I just reviewed the pre-print proofs and it looks fantastic!  I can't wait for you all to see it.  The book will be going to press in the next few weeks and I am hoping to have books in hand by middle of summer!  To celebrate I am making the book available for Pre-sale.  Simply click on the link below and it will take you to my publisher's website where  you can order your copy of Clover.  When Clover becomes available it will be shipped directly to you!

  

http://www.buffaloheritage.com/shop/clover-and-the-shooting-star/

Clover and the Shooting Star was created out of love for my niece and my family, to help us through a time of terrible sadness and loss.  So many people have told me that it should be shared, so by publishing Clover I am hoping that the book will bring comfort to others who have experienced loss.  

It's so sweet to see little faces smile, and to hear little "awes" when I share the book with friends and family.  I love the stories my family has shared with me about their experience with Clover.  My niece Makayla's little girl requests the book to be read to her every night and afterwards she lines up all her animals to watch the shooting star just like Clover and his friends.  Isn't that precious! 

The official launch of the book will be September 11th, 2016.  We are holding the launch on that date in honor of my niece Nicole.   I will be signing books and we will have an array of kids activities, "star-related" activities, and other surprises:)  I will be updating my Facebook and blog with details on the event so be on the look out for more good news about Clover and the Shooting Star!

Cheers!

Clover and the Shooting Star - Completed

Clover and the Shooting Star is done.  This hand painted, hand assembled book is in honor of my niece Nichole Diane Miller-Harris.  I am sending the original to her parents this week so they can read it to their grandchildren as a way to remember Aunt Nicole.  I know this book is only a minuscule membrane of Nicole but I'm hoping it will bring some measure of comfort.  

My sister-in-law was with her granddaughter shopping for souvenirs.  When Cara couldn't decide which one to get my sister-in law asked her,  "if you could have anything you want, what would you get?" She held my hand, looked up at me and said, "I would get Aunt Nicole back."

You can see I put a dedication to Nicole on the back cover.

I won't show you the last page so when you have your own copy you can have the "big reveal" experience yourself:)  I will let you know that I shared a draft of the book with Nicole's family at her memorial.  They loved it.   And I loved that they all sat in bed together and read it as a family.

I made digital copies of the pages and I am in the process of getting reproductions of the book for other family members and friends who would like one.  This is a board book, so that is how I would like to have it reproduced, as a board book.  Luckily there is a local printer who can do board books!  As soon as I get all the files transferred over to the printer and a test copy made, I'll be able to make additional copies for all who would like to request one!  

I'll keep you posted! 

First Copy of The Swing!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!  THE FIRST COPY OF THE SWING!

I met my publisher in the parking lot the other day to receive from her the very first copy of my picture book.  It was a little funny....like a hand off of something illegal...LOL!  We were trying to find a time in our mutually busy schedules to meet so she could give me the book to look at and approve.  Since we were like two ships passing in the night she finally suggested a strip mall parking lot that was half way for both of us.  There, under the light of the street lamps (cuz it's now dark by 5pm!) she handed me the first soft cover version of the book to come from the printer.  It was like being given gold!  It felt so special to me.  I was incredibly pleased with the quality of the reproduction of my artwork.  The hardcover version of the book is still being printed so I will have to wait till tomorrow or Saturday to see that, but if it's anything like the soft cover, I will be overjoyed:)

So here is a sneak peak for you all!  Hope to see you at the launch on Sunday!

The Swing Cover Art

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.  I'm so excited about getting the kids ready for trick-or-treating tonight!  I also thought it would be a great day to give you more good news about my book launch!  I received the initial proof of the book and it looks great!  I wish I could share it with you because it is so fun!  But because it hasn't launched yet I have to wait.....it's so hard to wait.  I feel like a kid at Christmas.  But my publisher said I can share the cover with you so I attached it below!  Doesn't it look wonderful!  The book designer did such a great job with the font and treatment of the title and the author/illustrator.   She also did a fabulous job with the whole book especially the treatment of the text, which I why I can't wait for you to see it:)

I have also been busy pulling together promotional materials for the launch of the book.   I have created post card invites which went out to my database, plus additional post cards that I can hand out to people I work with and who I know from my art society.  I have also created new business cards and fun little stickers of my art for the kids to play with at the launch.  I used moo.com which I highly recommend!  Their quality is wonderful and the delivery was quick.  Here you can see some of the printed materials I have had made so far.  

So now we are just waiting for the final digital proof of the book and then it will be printed and ready for the launch on November 16th!  I hope you can make it out for the launch, but if you can't I will be putting the book on my website with a link to the publishers e-commerce site so you can order it if you like:)  

Let me know what you were for Halloween, (I'm going to be Jack Skeleton) and what you think of the book launch materials:)

My First Picture Book Launch!

Yes!  It's true!  I will be launching my first published picture book!  Can you believe it!  Isn't that awesome?  I am working with a local boutique publisher that specializes in publishing local authors and illustrators.  It's being published under the name CrissCross AppleSauce an children's book imprint of Buffalo Heritage Unlimited.  They are publishing my illustrated work for Robert Louis Stevenson's poem called The Swing.  I have shared this project with you before on the blog and this past summer, on a whim, I decided to send it to Buffalo Heritage to see what they thought of it.  They loved it!  And wanted to publish it!  Now I am planning the launch party and release of the book and wanted to share it with you all so you can share with your friends.

Here is the invite I sent out for the launch party with the details....

Please do stop by if you are in the area!  I will have all the original art there, plus some of my artistic influences.  I will also have lots of the early work I did on the book so you can see the steps of the process if you are interested.  There will be coloring pages and bookmarks for the little ones to make, so please bring the family too!

And because children are near and dear to me I can't have a wonderful opportunity like this and not share it with others.   So as a way of giving back, with the launch of The Swing I will be donating 50% of the proceeds of the sale of my books to Feed My Starving Children.  

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit.  Their approach is simple:  children and adults volunteer and hand pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children.  FMSC then ships those meals to nearly 70 countries around the world and changes children's lives!  It is a wonderful organization that my family and I have supported for 3 years now.  Every year the college where I work holds a two day event where we volunteer and pack around 100,000 meals.

My family and I are doing the food pack event again this year and you can too!  The event is being held November 7th and 8th at Villa Maria College.  If you are interested drop me a line and I'll sign you up!  The money I will donate from my book will go to purchasing the food items and supplies for sending to the children.  If you have a chance check out the link to their site or watch the video above and see what they are all about.

So either way I guess I'll be seeing you!  Either at the book launch or at Feed My Starving Children food pack!