Way back in 2011 I wrote a post here entitled WHY I WRITE WHAT I WRITE. In that post I mentioned that "When I'm done editing my second novel I plan to move on to a series of kid books".
Time flies at an incredibly rapid rate, unlike the pace in which I write and edit. So even though my debut children's book was already in mind nine years ago, there was much work to be done before I could get to it that eventually ended up as the publication of Matters of Convenience. While my second novel was prominent on the front burner, Ava Appelsawse sat patiently on the back one. By 2017 I was able to move it up to primary area of focus and get the writing done. I alerted the world via this blog post that the first book in the series was written, I had gotten started on the second, and my wife had embarked on creating illustrations for Ava Appelsawse #1.
This is not the first collaborative artistic endeavor between Erin and I (she had created book covers for me in the past, and we even recorded a reading for an audio version of one of my short stories when we were dating), but it was definitely the most time and labor intensive project for her. We decided from the start that not only would Ava Appelsawse feature her illustration work, but we wanted to present it in full color because COLOR is what she does best.
And so here we now are in 2020, a year for the record books that has been tumultuous and challenging to say the least. The Coronavirus pandemic has significantly altered our lifestyles and forced us to discover new ways of being productive in our pursuits of success and happiness. Since writing is pandemic-proof, I have gotten started on my third novel. I also decided to take a shot at being a booktuber. On a sort of regular basis you can find reviews of books I have read at Roy's Book Reviews. And in addition to those videos, you'll also find ones where I read aloud children's books from my daughter's library while thumbing through the pages for your viewing pleasure.
As for Erin, she was able to make time in her busy schedule as an illustrator/fine artist/art teacher/mother to illustrate our very first children's book publication from front cover to back and the pages in between. The moment is now soon approaching for the debut of The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Ava Appelsawse. Our scheduled publication date (exclusively at Amazon, at least for starters) is November, 15 2020. I can't wait for people to finally read it and share what they thought. I hope that grown folk like it, but this story is meant for young readers and those being read to by parents and other caregivers.
For a sneak peek at Ava Appelsawse, I encourage you to follow her Instagram page. Below is a sampling of what you will find there. As always - Happy Reading!