New Contract Signed!

 

I am so excited to announce I've recently signed a contract on a new picture book. Thank you, Vivian Zabel of 4RV Publishing, for believing in me and COUNTING THE WAY TO ABUELA'S. I am excited to see my story come to life in Aidana's art and illustrations.

Coming Soon...

 

Animals from Alphabet Zoo...coming soon to a bookshelf near you!

Coming Soon...

 

The time has FINALLY come! ALPHABET ZOO is coming to life. Thank you to 4RV Publishing and Vivian Zabel for believing my story worthy of publication and to C.E. Dale for so beautifully bringing my words to life. My author copies have been ordered and will arrive soon for any who would like to purchase directly from me and/or have a signed copy. In the meantime, it is also available on the 4RV Publishing website, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

4RV Publishing, Barnes & Noble, Amazon

World Book Day

Today is another day to celebrate reading. What a great week! World Book Day was created on April 23, 1995, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

World Book Day is an event celebrated annually in the UK and Ireland on the first Thursday in March. Every child is given tokens or a voucher to be spent on books. How awesome! This is a terrific way to incite excitement and interest in books and reading for children. Oh, the fun it would be to peruse a bunch of books and decide which to take home.

For us here in America, there are oodles and oodles of wonderful books from which to choose. I encourage you to go peruse many of them on the 4RV Publishing website at https://www.4rvpublishing.com/ (you will notice one of mine there as well!) and support small publishers and the great books offered. 

Happy reading!

Book Review: THE HATCHLING

In the spirit of Easter and the Spring season, I would like to share my most recent book review with you.

TITLE:  THE HATCHLING

PUBLISHER:  4RV Publishing, January 2021

AUTHOR:  Vivian Zabel

ILLUSTRATOR:  Jeanne Conway

PAPERBACK ISBN:  978-1-950074-15-0

HARDCOVER ISBN:  978-1-950074-16-7

 

THE HATCHLING is a heart-warming story of two best friends, Louie Duck and Gus Goose, who go about their days playing, riding waves in the lake and enjoying each other’s company. But soon comes a surprise…Louie is going to be a big brother. How will this new sibling affect Louie and Gus? THE HATCHLING explores the feelings involved in both the sibling relationship and the friendship bond in a heart-warming and relatable way all kids will understand without feeling a lesson is being taught. Ms. Zabel uses active and lively, at times alliterative, language which kids will love. Back matter sections with discussion questions and additional information about ducks compliment the text which kids and adults alike will enjoy. Ms. Conway’s illustrations are bright and fun and bring the characters and story to life. This story is perfect for kids ages 4-9 years of age.

 

To learn more about Vivian Zabel or the other Louie the Duck stories (WAVE EXCITEMENT, LOUIE FINDS A FRIEND), visit https://www.4rvpublishing.com/vivian-zabel.html or www.vivanzabel.com.

 

For more information about Jeanne Conway, visit https://www.jeanniespaintings.com.

 

DISCLAIMER:  I received a hard copy of THE HATCHLING free of charge in return for my honest review. This review consists of my honest opinions, not influenced by anyone in any way.

Made in Oklahoma Event

If you are in or near Oklahoma City on Sunday, March 3, stop by the Made in Oklahoma event from 11 AM-5 PM and visit the 4RV Publishing booth on the 2nd floor of the Public Farmers Market Building. I cannot be there; however, BEDTIME KISSES will be as will some staff members and authors of many terrific books published by 4RV Publishing.

Thank you, Vivian Zabel, President of 4RV Publishing, for your dedication to 4RV and your authors. I wish I could be there in person. Thank you, too, to those authors and staff members able to participate in this great event. Much appreciated!

Book Contract

I am excited to announce I've recently signed a contract for my third children's picture book, ALPHABET ZOO.  I am excited to work with the 4RV family once again and can't wait to see my story come to life as the illustrator brings his/her vision to the creative process.

Check back for updates as we get closer to publication and the release date.

Last Minute Christmas Gifts

Books make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.  If you need to help Santa fill stockings in your house this Christmas season, Bedtime Kisses and Little Bug may be perfect for your little one.

Mommy will be here really soon, but first I'll plant some kisses on my friends around the room...so begins a different type counting book for little ones.

Persistence pays in the end as Little Bug crawls to find a morsel of food, a drink of water and a place to rest.  Teaches about concepts and prepositions.

Autographed copies available.

Guest Interview

I am pleased to share a guest interview on Penelope Anne Cole's blog, Penny's Writing Chad and Book Reviews.  Penny is the award-winning author of the Magical Matthew and Mea series.  You can learn more about her at:

Web:  http://www.penelopeannecole.com/ 
Blog:  http://pennyreviews-chat.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PenelopeAnneColeAuthor

Penelope Anne Cole
Multi-Award Winning Author of Magical Matthew, Magical Mea, 
Magical Mea Goes to School, Magical Max and Magical Mickey, and 

Magical Max and Magical Mickey’s Big Surprise

New:  In and Out, All ‘Round About – Opposite Friends

What’s for Dinner? and ¿Qué vamos a comer?:

For Halloween: Ten Little Tricksters and

 Diez pequeños bromistas

Without further ado...

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

I'm pleased to welcome children's author Karin Larson.

Please tell about your background.

When I was younger, my parents owned jewelry and gift stores, so I grew up working in retail from a young age and did so through high school and college (when home on breaks).   I came home after graduating from college to manage the stores and do the books as my mom had made a change in her career path by that point.  After a couple years, I decided to go back to school and got my Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders.  I have worked as a Speech/Language Pathologist in both the medical and school settings since that time except for a few years I was home with my kids when they were younger.

How did you decide to become a children's writer and what steps did you take to make that happen?  

I’ve always loved to write though had never done so for more than my own eyes.  During the period of a few years when I had young children and was a stay-at-home mom, I saw an ad for a writing test with the Institute of Children’s Literature.  It made me start thinking about it in earnest, so I completed the test and was accepted.  That initial course was followed by a few others, and a writing life was born.  That was probably 12 or 13 years ago, so it certainly wasn’t overnight. Initially, I focused on writing for magazines but have now had two children’s picture books published and am drawn more to PB writing. 

Tell us about your book(s), especially about the one you are promoting now. (I will list your books/covers in the blog.)  

My first children’s picture book, Bedtime Kisses, was released in April 2014 by 4RV Publishing. It is a sweet and simple bedtime counting story for little ones illustrated by the talented Ginger Nielson.   

Little Bug, released in August 2015 by Guardian Angel Publishing and illustrated by Eugene Ruble, is a story about persistence which also teaches children about concepts and prepositions.  Both books are available through me, each publisher’s website, or Amazon.

What is a typical writing day like for you?  

I wish there was something typical about my writing day, but there is anything but!  I still work part time as a speech/language pathologist in a private elementary school and have two kids at home with one in college so I spend time chasing them in various school activities and sports.  I am trying to put writing first before any other writing related activity but often find myself tackling email or reading about writing or marketing on various social media sites if I have just a bit of time rather than physically writing.  I am a work in progress on this front but do try to spend some time working on a manuscript before sitting down at my computer on the mornings I don’t have to go to work.  Carving out time to dedicate just to writing is very important, however, and I am getting better at doing so.

What is the most difficult part of writing for children?  

Making the time to actually sit down, butt in chair, and write.  Often I get caught up in the rest of the day to day grind of life and activities and don’t make or take the time to focus on writing as often as I would like.  

What do you enjoy most about writing for children? 

I love the sense of wonder children have about life and the world around them.  Creating books that foster this sense of enjoyment in reading and losing oneself in the pages of a book is so important to me.  I want to make children want to read.  When a child comes to me and says he/she loved my book, it makes my day.  

Do you make school visits? If so, please describe a typical school presentation.  

I have done a few school visits, and they have been a blast.  While I have prepared notes to discuss with the students based on why the school has asked me to speak (Read Across America week, Dr. Suess Day, etc.), ultimately, we always seem to spend the bulk of the time in a marathon question and answer session which I love as would much rather cover what is most important to the kids.  They are the ones reading my books (as well as the parents reading to the younger kids), so it is always fun to hear their questions and see what matters to them.  It is so exciting to look out into a sea of little upturned faces staring at me with arms raised high in the air waiting to ask a question.  They are always a receptive and grateful audience.

Do you have a website? If so, please give the URL. I have both a website, www.karinlarson.com, and a blog, http://www.karin-larson.blogspot.com.  

Tell us about your marketing process. What do you do to market and sell your books? 

Word of mouth from family and friends have generated a number of book sales as have school visits. I send home a book order form with a spot for parents to indicate to whom they would like the book autographed which has helped get kids excited about my books and upcoming visit.  I have also done book signings at our local bookstore and offered books for sale at our regional SCBWI conference.  I also try to promote on my blog, Facebook, Pinterest and Goodreads and just recently got a Twitter account.  I must admit I am sorely in need of improvements in my marketing/social media life and need to dedicate some major time to it.  It is difficult, however, to justify spending a lot of time on this when I would much rather write and need the written product in order to market it.

What are you working on right now?  

I have three children’s picture books in various stages of editing at the moment and am working on having them all finished and ready to send out by the end of the year.  

What is your best tip for aspiring children's book authors? 

Persistence pays.  Keep working hard and don’t give up.  And read, read and read some more! Submerse yourself in the genre in which you write or want to write.  Creativity breeds creativity—at least, it does for me.

Thank you so much for sharing your writing journey, your process, and tips for aspiring authors!

Summer Reading Fun

I am excited to announce that Bedtime Kisses is part of the SCBWI Summer Reading List in the West division.  There are over 1400 titles from 350 publishers for your summer reading pleasure.  If you are a member of SCBWI, you can find the list at http://www.scbwi.org/list-of-pal-publishers/.

Enjoy!

While you are reading, I will be a bit MIA from this blog, and I apologize.  I will be checking in from time to time over the next couple weeks but am wrapping up our school year (and thus my work year), my daughter is graduating from high school this weekend and we are heading out on a family vacation shortly thereafter; therefore, I am firmly in Mom mode right now.  I will return with my author hat back in place mid-June and will be posting on a much more regular schedule thereafter.

Enjoy the beginning of summer and happy reading and writing.  May creativity and good fortune be yours!

Generating Book Sales

I've been thinking lately about how to re-energize book sales of Bedtime Kisses as sales seem to be in a bit of a slump lately.  Granted, it has been a crazy summer as of late and I haven't been very good at promotion; however, I've been mulling ways to creatively generate new book sales.

Today, I was perusing a new book, The Book: The Essential Guide to Publishing for Children 2015 (www.scbwi.org), and found a chapter entitled, "Keeping Your Book Alive."  That is just what I have been trying to figure out how to do.

This chapter discusses considerations pre-acceptance (hard and softcover, publishers, contract negotiations, etc.), post-acceptance/pre-publication (checking for accuracy, cover copy, inclusion in catalogs, etc.), marketing (reviews and awards) and book life post-publication (availability, rights, print life, etc.). 

There were certainly many great ideas, and I will be following through with those I have not already; however, it really made me start to wonder what all of you find most effective in re-kindling the sales fire when it subsides a bit.

If you are willing to share your ideas and tips for generating sales, I would love to hear them as I am sure would many others.  Perhaps we can all learn new techniques and ideas from each other.

If you are interested in this book, you can find more information at www.scbwi.org.  I haven't had it long and have only browsed through a few chapters thus far, but it seems well worth the investment.

THANK YOU

Thank you to all who voted!  4RV Publishing met the required votes and will be considered for a small business grant from Mission Main Street Grants. WOO HOO!

Final Push...Please Vote

I rarely post requests, but I have a quick favor...Would you consider helping with the following:

4RV Publishing, the small, award-winning Oklahoma-based publisher of my children's picture book, Bedtime Kisses, is working at a chance to receive a $100,000 small business grant, which would give it a huge boost. (Mission Main Street Grants is the donor organization.)

To move on to the next phase, 4RV needs 250 votes by June 5, this Friday. They are in the final push and still need roughly 100 votes on my last update.

Would you be willing to log in and vote for 4RV? Here’s the url:
https://www.missionmainstreetgrants.com/vote/businesses

Just enter “4RV” in the search box. To vote for it, you need to log in to Facebook--they have the FB log-in right there on the same page. You don’t have to navigate to a different url.

It should take you no more than one minute, really!

Thanks much,

Karin

Chase Mission Main Street Grants
Chase's $2M Mission Main Street Grants program for Small Business is in full swing! Apply or vote today! Learn more here: www.missionmainstreetgrants.com

missionmainstreetgrants.com
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Chase Mission Main Street Grants

Chase's $2M Mission Main Street Grants program for Small Business is in full swing! Apply or vote today! Learn more here: www.missionmainstreetgrants.com

missionmainstreetgrants.com

Crystal Kite Awards

The first round of voting for the Crystal Kite Awards is now open and runs through April 14 at 5:00 PM, Pacific time.  Top vote getters will be placed on a short list for a second round of voting which will begin on April 18th.  If you are a member of SCBWI and are so inclined, consider logging in and voting.  South Dakota is in the West Division. 

"The annual Crystal Kite Award is a peer-given award to recognize great books from 15 SCBWI regional divisions around the world." 

You can log in here...https://www.scbwi.org/login/

Exciting News

I am very excited to announce BEDTIME KISSES is featured in the February 2015 edition of Midwest Book Review's online review magazine, "Children's Bookwatch."  Here is the featured review...

The Counting Shelf

Bedtime Kisses
Karin Larson, author
Ginger Nielson, illustrator
4RV Publishing LLC
PO Box 6482, Edmund, OK 73083
www.karinlarson.com
9781940310152 $12.95 www.4rvpublishingllc.com

 

"Bedtime Kisses" is a delightful slumber-themed counting book for bedtime reading ritual and enrichment. Soft, pastel hues weave a sleepy cloud around pictures of beloved stuffed animals (plus a doll) who each receive a special number of goodnight kisses from a sleepy girl. Preparing herself for her mother's last goodnight kiss, the child gives counted kisses to each beloved toy, starting with one kiss for the croaking frog and ending with ten kisses for the night time raccoon. The sleepy, counting rhyme is hypnotic and self comforting, while the variety of toys/stuffed animals rounds a full gamut of differing presentations. One of the best features about "Bedtime Kisses" is the child begins the ritual of preparing herself for sleep upstairs alone in her room with her stuffed friends, sure of her mother's last treasured good night kiss to come. "Bedtime Kisses" will be a treasured bedtime experience shared between sleepy children and happy parents.

 

 

If you would like to read it on The Counting Shelf at Midwest Book Review's site, here is the link:

 

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/feb_15.htm#Counting

 

 

 

Guest Article

I am delighted to share my visit with Chris Graham at The Story Reading Ape.  Please find my article and feature of Bedtime Kisses here:

http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2014/08/15/meet-guest-childrens-author-karin-larson/

You can read more about Chris on his blog at:  http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/

Thanks so much, Chris.  I appreciate your time!

Stitch Says Book Review: Bedtime Kisses #childrensbook

The other day, I posted about my interview with Ashley Howland and Stitch.  Today's post is her book review to go with that interview.  Please read her review at:

http://ahowland.org/wordpress/?p=2109#comment-3542

Thanks so much, Ashley and Stitch! 

Again, you can learn more about Ashley at http://ahowland.org/wordpress/. 

Stitch Says Author Interview: Karin Larson #childrensauthor

I'm excited to share my author interview by Ashley Howland on her Stitch Says blog.  Please head over and visit at: 

http://ahowland.org/wordpress/?p=2106#comment-3415.

You can learn more about Ashley and Stitch at http://ahowland.org/wordpress/.

Thank you, Ashley!  I appreciate your time.

Book Review

Thank you, Emily Lewis, for taking the time to review Bedtime Kisses.  I appreciate your efforts and kind words. 

Please read Emily's review at:
 

http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com/2014/07/childrens-review-round-up.html

You can also learn more about Emily at:

· Email: mrsmommybooknerdsbookreviews@gmail.com

· Blog: http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com

· Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/MrsMommyBooknerd

· Twitter: @mommybooknerd

· Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/mommybooknerd/

Book Review

I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July holiday!

I am excited to share another wonderful review of Bedtime Kisses.  Thank you, Benu, for your time and kind words.  I greatly appreciate it!

Please find Benu's review and learn more about Benu Bali and Zealot Readers at:

http://zealotreaders.blogspot.com/2014/07/bedtime-kisses-by-karin-larson.html?showComment=1404579252126#c3198493288568513265

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!