The Mailman is a pretty popular guy at our house. Small white and blue trucks, and big brown trucks usually bring my kids screaming to the front door with high hopes they will get something. Usually it's not for them, but this time it was.
And guess what he brought?
A Christmas Goodnight just came in the mail! The first sample copy was wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper by my editor (how she got some in August I have no idea) and looky-looky!
It's always a bit surreal, these moments. Children at Play fabric was such a whirlwind...it was created fast and produced fast to make it in time for Spring Market. This book on the other hand, I started 2 years ago, exactly. I finished it a year ago, so getting my fingers on this is rather sweet. But honestly, seeing my children's reactions for the first time is precious.
This is a OH SO VERY candid moment of me reading it the first time. Precious. Not exactly promo material, but maybe this will give you an idea how little eyes see the book.
It was so magical and hilarious to witness their reactions. This lasted for like 12 minutes, but I love you all, and am only showing you 1 minute:) So sorry about the quality. I need to hire a movie-techie-elf. Someday.
But really you guys...I love this. I love illustrating. I LOVE the world of books, and I really, really hope to keep my hand in it. Working on this book was an amazing experience, one where I knew I was where I belonged!
But to keep illustrating books, I need your help:)
To give you a little scoop on the world of publishing, authors and illustrators get to publish more books based on how well their previous books have sold. Meaning, you could have a really awesome book, but if just your mom and your cousin purchase it, the chances of you getting another contract are really slim. Sad, but true. It's just how the publishing world works.
I'm not asking you to go buy millions of copies (although, that would be really cool, and I'd mail you some of the to-die-for Swiss chocolate my brother just brought home from a trip to Geneva). But, you can help your local libraries, bookstores and communities be aware of it so that they can buy it. I have a little PDF download here that my amazingly wonderful editor put together, and if you print it off and hand it to your librarian or local bookstore, you can make sure that your favorite local book places will be carrying it.
And if you DO want to get your hands on a copy, you can pre-order it here, here and here. Did you know that by pre-ordering it, it tells the Harper Collins Publishing elves that they need to get more out by Christmas? (And shhhhhh...secret: It's a steal of a price to pre-order online!)
So, print off this info sheet and make sure your library will have it, or local bookstore, etc. (I'd especially love to see us all supporting our local bookstores this Christmas!)
I'll be posting more about the making of the book, and other really fun facts as we get closer to the holidays. Although, right now, it's really feeling like Christmas!
To print A Christmas Goodnight info sheet for your local bookstore or library click here
To Pre-order on Amazon click here
To Pre-order on B&N click here
To pre-order at a local bookstore in the USA click here
Merry Christmas!
xo
sarah