Egret the Elehant: Volume 2 – Sneak Peek!

April 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

As I have mentioned, Egret the Elephant: Volume 2 will be out in May! I have been looking over the proofs from my very talented new artist, Ami Charnoff. I can’t resist showing a little sneak peek.

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Of course if you haven’t gotten Volume 1 yet, now is the perfect time since I am running a sale! Forget Amazon and B&N. Buy it from me direct and I will throw in an Egret Bookmark (while supplies last.)

Paperback normally $15, now $9.99 http://gum.co/NBIc/egretv1pb1

eBook normally $2.99, now $1.00. http://gum.co/ZWPUJ/Egretv1epub18675

While I am a big fan of eBooks, I recommend the paperback to truly appreciate the imagery and to keep little sticky hands off your iPad.

Filed Under: Books, Ebooks, Egret the Elephant, Sale Tagged With:

Egret the Elephant News

March 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I have a few pieces of news regarding the Egret series that I am happy to share with you today. First the sad news. Rachel Fishman the very talented artist who illustrated Egret the Elephant: Volume 1 is unavailable to work on book number 2.  While this is sad for me, it is based on very good news for her. She has a new job and is preparing for her wedding! So Mazel Tov to the bride to be and I am very happy for her!

But as they say the show must go one. I have been taking bids from artists over the last month. The last submission deadline is set for Thursday the 21st.  So I should have a name and estimated time frame for release by this Thursday! I am in both the enviable and disheartening position have having to choose between a few extremely talented people.  I wish I could use them all! But the good news is Egret 2 will have the look of Book 1, for which I am truly thrilled.

So here is even more good news.  Since I have published Egret V1, I have been saying that I already have (based on what I had posted and removed) another 3-4 more volumes already written that just needed some editing and illustrations.  Well Melissa looked through my Egret files to start doing some copy editing for me. Well it turns out I wrote much more than I thought I had and many of the stories grew in length as well. At the bare minimum, based on my quick look, I say I have at least 7 more volumes ready to go.  That doesn’t even count any of the stories I have drafted since, or that are still half finished, that were never posted to my blog(s).

The only thing that makes me a bit sad about this, is one of my favorite characters won’t appear for at least a couple more volumes. For those who didn’t read my blog back then or don’t remember, I have always wanted to have a daughter.  I have had her name picked out since I was a kid, Samara, Sam for short.  When I say this next part I want to make it clear that my boys are my world and I would not trade them for anything or one, ever.  Melissa and I are not even remotely on the same page when it comes to having more children.  She is done, but I am not, and it takes two… So I in all likelihood I will never have my Samara. This is my biggest disappointment in life.  Of course if you have a child pictured in your head since you yourself were a child, you tend to develop ideas as to what she might be like. So later in the series I created a best friend for Egret named Samara/Sam, who embodies many of those qualities I had pictured.  So while she won’t appear in book 2, or 3 as I had thought, and maybe not even book 4, she will show up eventually.

OK last bit of news which I will likely repost later in the week! On Thursday March 21st, I am going to be interviewed on http://www.trianglevarietyradio.com/ I will be on The Author’s Corner for the first kids show of the year. The show is from 8-11, but I will be on from 9:40 to 10 pm Eastern. They will also be rebroadcasting the show on Saturday night. Feel free to tune in. The Radio show is out of North Carolina, but can be streamed through http://www.trianglevarietyradio.com/. Since this is a show on children’s authors they will be interviewing me about my Egret series, not my adult fiction. I hope you will tune in.

Filed Under: Books, Egret the Elephant, Interviews

Honoring Susan

February 6, 2013 by 2 Comments

I never met Susan Niebur in person. We talked on twitter, Facebook, and through blog comments. She was an amazing woman of both G-d and Science. Through the internet and her amazing blog, I watched her battle cancer until the end. Even though we never met she touched me in a way I can’t describe. I know she touched a lot of people, certainly everyone she knew or who read her blog. In my Egret the Elephant Volume 1 book, I included a story that was inspired and written with Susan in my mind. I’m going to republish it here, sadly with out the illustrations. Below is a list of other bloggers celebrating Susan’s life. I will post my story below that.

In-Honor-of-Susan

 

Please join bloggers throughout the web in honoring Susan Niebur’s life and contributions with a post, and please add your link below.

 

Egret Dances with the Moon Rabbit

On a sleepy, sunny Sunday afternoon,
Egret took a nap under the sun and moon.
Both could be seen high in the sky,
but in this dream, Egret would not fly.

Taking one last look at the full moon
before closing her eyes on this day in June,
Egret saw the rabbit as she squinted one eye.
She look like she was dancing in the sky.

And as her eyes did close, she began to dream
about strawberries and jam and ice cream.
Dancing through the air were her sweet treats,
moving to the sound of far-off beats.

The sound grew louder and the moon so big.
The rabbit jumped off it and danced a jig.
“ I’ve never seen a rabbit dance.”
“Well, my child, I have seen an elephant prance.

“Under my light, I watch you move,
dancing and prancing to the groove.
So today I wanted to dance with you.”
Egret thanked the rabbit and said, “I’d be honored to.”

Now this wasn’t a little rabbit, like you might think.
She was as big as Luna with a nose that was pink.
They had been dancing for hours
when Egret noticed purple flowers!

“What are those flowers doing up there?”
“Normally you can’t see them but now I’m down here.
Not blocking the view of the moon flowers.
They have been in plain sight for all of these hours.”

“Well, you’re pretty to look at too,” Egret said with glee.
“But I would want to see you both, if it were up to me.”
“Well, you can admire their beauty while I’m down here
and take comfort in knowing they are always up there.”

After another dance she said, “I must be going. It’s time for my moon to set.”
“Oh, please stay longer,” said Egret. “I am not done dancing yet.”
“Of course not, my dear, and I hope you will never be,
because watching you dance makes me so happy.”

As the moon came near the rabbit jumped on.
Then she crossed the horizon and she was gone.

When Egret woke up she saw the moon still in the sky.
She looked for the flowers. She thought she would try.
She squinted her eyes but couldn’t see them at all.
High in the sky, the moon looked rather small.

After her nap she began to dance and roam
on this beautiful day until she found her way home.
When she got there, there was a vase at the door
with beautiful purple flowers just sitting on the floor.

She looked at the moon and started to think,
and just for a second she thought she saw the rabbit wink!

Filed Under: Cancer Sucks

Contest for free iBooks version of Egret the Elephant V1

January 17, 2013 by 3 Comments

OK so I have discovered the iTunes promo codes and have decided to do a little contest.  For the first person in the comment section of the blog that can tell me the name of Egret’s best friend, I will give them an iBooks copy of the book. A couple hints, she does not appear in the first book, so you would have had to have read one of the later stories on this blog or coreyjf.com. You can give me the full name or nickname. The nickname can me a boy’s name.  It is also the name I would have chosen for my daughter had we had a girl.

Filed Under: Ebooks, Egret the Elephant

Two reviews in one day!

December 3, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Today I was lucky enough to have two wonderful reviews of Egret the Elephant.  I hope you will take a couple minutes and check out their reviews and websites

http://mammysfamilybooks.wordpress.com/2012/12/03/egret-the-elephant/

http://jannabee2.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-egret-elephant.html

 

Thank you both Jannabee and Mammy Oaklee

Filed Under: Egret the Elephant, reviews

Kindle eBook sale

December 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment

For the rest of the year you can get the kindle ebook of Egret for $2.99. If you only have a black and white kindle, or don’t have an iPad or Android tablet. There is kindle software for both Mac and PC. Not to mention you can even read it through a web browser on Amazon’s cloud reader.  Get it on the cheap before 2013.

Filed Under: Ebooks, Egret the Elephant

Don’t buy my Egret eBook today or Thursday

November 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Yes, I know that sounds like an odd thing for an author to say. But Friday is my last promotional free day for Egret the Elephant and I am not sure I am going to stay in the Kindle Select program which contractually prevents me from selling the eBook anywhere else i.e. Barnes and Noble and iBooks. So this may be your last chance to download it for free.  Decisions decisions. Either way don’t take a chance and download it for free this Friday!

Filed Under: Ebooks, Egret the Elephant

Site redesign

November 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

As you can see, unless you are reading this through an RSS reader, I have completely redesigned the Egret the Elephant website. The biggest change is I took off all of the draft stories.  When I first started the Egret project, it was a way for me to get over the anxiety of putting my work out there for public display. I met that goal head on and created a wonderful book. Actually I have created about 5 wonderful books. Most of the stories have been published in draft form on this site.  I don’t know when I will release the other 4, but I expect it will be on a 6 month schedule. I wish to thank everyone who has bought a copy of the book and/or otherwise supported it’s launch. I hope you liked it enough to continue on with the series as they are published.

Another change I am making is this is less of a blog and more of a product website.  I now have a landing page and it has the first and one of the shortest stories in Egret the Elephant: Volume 1. For those of you who have not bought the book or weren’t reading along as I was drafting my way through the stories, I wanted to leave you with a little teaser to whet you appetite.

In addition to the Amazon links to my book, I have put up a sales store to buy signed copies of the book directly from me. Just a note, I am out of stock until Thursday or Friday of this week, so if you need a copy faster, Amazon is your best bet and if you are local to the DC Metro area, I am happy to sign it for you. Anyone who places an order through me I will contact via email to discuss the contents of the signing i.e. name, any special request in regards to message etc… The price is comparable to Amazon, at least currently, as they have been known to run sales. I also can’t offer free shipping. For one copy is it $5.00 for priority mail. Two or more is $10.00.  If you have a really large order please send me an email and we can work something out in terms of shipping. Also if you are local there is an option for local pickup at no charge. The shopping cart I am using is open source and can be a little buggy, so if you have any trouble, feel free to email me.

Lastly and really as a side note, I did set up a merchandise channel through Zazzle.  There are puzzles and T-shirts and iPhone cases. If your kid really loves Egret, or you want to help me market it by wearing/using cute merchandise, check it out.

Filed Under: Books, Egret the Elephant

Book signing

October 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Egret the Elephant is finally available on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Egret-Elephant-Meet-Volume/dp/1479170798 If your local to DC, come to my book signing https://www.facebook.com/events/114174352072682/ on Sunday November 11, 2012. If you wish to purchase a copy of the paperback at the signing, email Melissa@melissafeldman.com.

Filed Under: Book Signing, Egret the Elephant

Trade Paperback of Egret the Elephant is out!

October 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The trade Paperback of Egret the Elephant is out! Sadly not yet on Amazon’s main site. Createspace says it usually take 5-7 days, but other Indie Authors have said the timeline is usually just a few days. Either way if you want to get a jump start on your holiday shopping you can buy it directly from Amazon’s subsidiary, Createspace. The link is https://www.createspace.com/3930462/. I have been lucky enough to get three 5 star reviews on the Kindle version.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Wondeful Gift!, October 8, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Egret The Elephant (Kindle Edition)

This is a Must Have for anyone looking for a book for children to read with their parents. It is excellent on the Kindle, and I imagine the print copy will be even more fun for boys and girls to enjoy with their parents, grandparents, or anyone who reads with them.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Cute stories, good lessons., October 8, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Egret The Elephant (Kindle Edition)

Each segment of this book is written in a rhyming pattern fun to read with the kids. Each story tells a good moral or value, something that could create a nice conversation between you and your children after reading.

I only have a Kindle touch, so couldn’t really appreciate the colors of the pictures. However, even in black and white, I thought the illustrations were lovely.

All in all, well done from the writing to the illustrations to the message it shares. Fun read.

 

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5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely Book!, October 1, 2012
This review is from: Egret The Elephant (Kindle Edition)

This book has three very important elements for any little girl to love. The cutest little Elephant, dancing, and the perfect placement of rhyme. The Illustrations are beautifully done. A very precious book. I look forward to other stories from this author. Thank you!

 

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When I wrote these stories, I tried very hard to write something that would appeal to all ages and I hope I have done that here. But ultimately you all will be the judge of that.  I will update when the amazon link is up for the paperback, but in the mean time feel free to buy it from https://www.createspace.com/3930462/. If digital is your thing, I recommend a color reader http://www.amazon.com/Egret-The-Elephant-ebook/dp/B009JVYX1I/

Filed Under: Books, Egret the Elephant