Book Announcements, Picture Book Journey

Unboxing: A IS FOR ANTHONY

I’ve been watching the mail anxiously, knowing that a box from my publisher should arrive soon. And yesterday, there it was! Inside were my author copies of A is For Anthony.

A is for Anthony, written by Teresa Traver and illustrated by Miguel Lopez.

The book is illlustrated by Miguel Lopez, who drew adorable, child-friendly versions of the saints.

Entry for St. Nicholas.

Right now, the only vendor I know of selling the booklet sells it in packs of twelve, suitable for distribution in Religious Education programs. I’ll update later as other vendors pick up the book.

As you can imagine, we were all very excited about this arrival at the Traver house. (My daughter was happy that I had written a book I could actually read to her, unlike my romances.) This is my first traditionally published picture book, and I’m grateful for the many critique partners who helped me get here.

Book Announcements, Picture Book Journey

Coming soon: A IS FOR ANTHONY

I can finally announce that one of my picture book manuscripts found a home with Aquinas Press, and is scheduled for publication this fall.

A is for Anthony: An Alphabet of Saints and Animals will be published as a booklet, similar in format to other books from the Lives of the Saints series. It’s an alpabethical collection of mini-stories about saints and their interactions with animals. Some of the saints are ones everyone has heard of (St. Francis, of course), while others are more obscure.

Book Announcements, Picture Book Journey

Meet Sprinkles!

This charming donut is Sprinkles, the main character of Sprinkles to the Rescue (Hurn Publications 2022). This is the work of artist Jitumoni Goswami (see more of her work here), who will illustrate the book.

Although we have a long time to wait before Sprinkles’ book launches, it’s been really fun seeing the book come together, bit by bit and piece by piece. Truly, this book is a partnership, and I am in awe of the emerging artwork!

Book Announcements, Picture Book Journey

New Book in 2022!

I’m delighted to announce that my next picture book, Sprinkles to the Rescue, will be released in 2022 by Hurn Publications. Please keep an eye open for future updates about artwork, cover reveals, etc. I hope to have more info to share with you in the coming months!

In the meantime, I’ve been working on young adult fiction as well as picture books. I don’t know if any of this work is going to make it to print, but writing these stories has been a LOT of fun. As much as I love picture books, I’ve also really enjoyed the longer scope of a novel. For me, the most fun stage of writing is creating the first draft, and writing a longer book means more time spent on drafting. 😉

I’m in good company: many picture book writers also write in other genres, such as chapter books or middle grade. I’m looking forward to continuing to experiment with writing for different age groups.

Book Announcements, Picture Book Journey

SPOOKY wins an Award!

I’m pleased to announce that my picture book, Spooky and the Gargoyle, is one of the ategories in the 2020 Indie Reader Discovery Awards! This doesn’t mean instant fame and fortune for me (alas), but it is nice to see “Spooky” getting a little recognition. I’m very proud of that book, though I have to admit I didn’t really know what I was doing when I published it!

Take a look at all the winners. It’s exciting to see all the different kinds of books that the judges selected.