Our illustrator, Robert Lence is attending a super cool conference this weekend. It's called the CTN (Creative Talent Network) Animation Expo. So much talent in on arena! Gosh how I wish I could be there. Unfortunately, financing is an issue. But we wish Robert the best of luck at the convention and hope he has a great time.
The scoop:
The event takes place on Nov 20-22, 2009
and it's being held in Burbank, Ca @ the Marriott Convention Center
3 days
After Hours
Rare Appearances
Industry Discussions
Live Demonstrations
Breakfast with the Pros
Recruiting and Networking
World Class Animation Talent
The plus to the trip is that we usually sell quite a few copies of our book there. We will be at the Border Wars Wrestling Tournament at the Kellogg Arena in the McCamly Place Convention center for the 2009 National Folkstyle Championships. They have been letting us use one of their vacant stores the last few times there which is great. We have tons of window space, display cases, cash register, private office and video machines (shhh.)
So much fun this summer...hence the very few blog posts! Writing and publicity have pretty much taken the back seat to fun and family the past few months, but hey...reading and writing opportunities will always be around. I doubt I can say that of my kids. They will be gone in a blink!
So we have been invited to read and sign at As The Page Turns Bookstore, Gallery and Cafe this fall. We haven't set a date yet, but it will have to be before our busy season with the store (which will start in early November).
Tom has sent out a few educator packets to some curriculum directors that he knows in hopes of getting a few school visits. If not school visits, maybe at least a few schools will simply purchase books. I know a few districts have done that already, which really surprised me. I assumed if they were interested enough in our books to buy a dozen or so copies at a time, that they would want us to come out for a visit. Oh well, a sale is a sale!
Cynthia Furlong Reynolds (author of) sent us a super nice book review earlier this summer. You can read it on our website http://www.wrestlingtheabcs.com
Tom has contacted a couple of wrestling catalogs to see if they'd be interested in selling our books, and a couple of libraries have bought our book and we got a big check in the mail from our publisher last week, but other than that, we've been taking it easy. I did get two out of state orders recently too.
I don't know how I manage to let so much time slip by between posts for this blog. I really don't.
At any rate, a few things going on with the book:
1. Our illustrator Robert Lence, invited us to join him in November as vendors at an animators convention in LA. That is very exciting, and I really can't wait.
2. Several libraries have ordered our book.
3. Cynthia Furlong Reynolds sent me a super wonderful book review. I will post it later (the kids are downstairs waiting for me to watch a spooky movie with them).
4. I have two writers conferences coming up to attend. One is at the end of the month at 826 Michigan, and the second is in Augusta MI (SCBWI)
So Busy.....
But we have had a book store visit since I last wrote. We were the guest authors at the Novi Borders on May 16. It went really well. We were a bit nervous, but we fell right into it as soon as we got started. There were about a dozen or so kids and their parents. One parent even emailed us the next day to let us know how much they enjoyed our visit.
We also have a school visit coming up next week at H. T. Burt Elementary, and then we are hosting a children’s writer’s workshop at the Ann Arbor Barnes and Noble.
Other than that, we are just enjoying the great weather, spending more time outdoors, and looking forward to summer break with our kids and dogs!
We had a good weekend in Battle Creek. Sold some books and tons and tons of wrestling supplies from our store Davids' Gold Medal Sports
Several people who had heard about our book stopped by to purchase and get books signed. One mom even bought the book for her 18 year old son, who had been wrestling since he was a toddler! I thought that was so cute. We also had a 14 year old boy who bought the book for his little sister, hoping he could encourage her to start wrestling.
I think we are actually going to be home this weekend. This will be the first weekend spent home (We've been to KY, OH, and NC) the past few weekends. I am soooo ready to relax.
I have a couple of deadlines to meet early this week (no, blogging here does not help get the job/s done!), but after that, it should be the first relaxing week and weekend I've had in a long time.
We just got back from our book event at the Tournament of Champions at the Columbus Convention Center, OH. Tons and tons of kids! Over 2000 kids! We had fun and were right in the arena so we got to watch wrestling while selling and signing books. We sold about 100 or so, which was probably about what we expected.
After the T of C, we had to head to Grand Rapids for the Steelcase Duathlon that Tom was competing in. We met up the night before with a bunch of the Underdog kids and parents as a few of them were competing also. Tom finished in third place for his age group. He is sooo amazing!
There was a really nice story about our book in the Daily Tribune this past weekend. You can click the link to read it. We’re leaving tomorrow for North Carolina, but will be back by Monday. It’s been a busy past week and I’ve been battling a flu and sinus infection, so I am so ready for a vacation!
below is a link (as well as the attached story), to the article about our book that was in the daily tribune.
http://www.dailytribune.com/articles/2009/04/05/sports/srv0000005050826.txt
Sports
Local authors have written the book on wrestling
Veronica and Tom Davids create a volume guaranteed to inspire young athletes.
Sunday, April 5, 2009 The Berenstain Bears never wore singlets, did they?
I really do not recollect, but Beatrix Potter was more into rabbits than (w)restling referees and rugged guys named Rulon, right?
Curious George was pretty agile, but he never did much grappling. Not unless it was with the man in the yellow hat.
So, it is nigh time that amateur wrestling elbowed its way onto the children's book shelves, and that is just what Veronica and Tom Davids of Hazel Park have addressed.
The Davids, along with renowned illustrator Robert Lence, have created a delightful alphabet book with an amateur wrestling theme. It is titled, appropriately enough, "Wrestling the ABCs."
Every page is dedicated to a different letter. Each letter is accompanied by fun artwork and clever rhymes. Occupying the bottom portion of each page is factual information about the sport.
For instance:
A is for athlete;
It's what amateur wrestlers are.
Practice ankle picks and arm drags
Every time you spar.
And:
H is for the handshake
The match is under way.
With healthy eating and hard work,
You'll wrestle your best today.
Or:
U is for the underdog.
At first you don't stand out.
If most don't think you have a chance,
Prove them wrong and win the bout.
How about:
There's an X in the word excitement.
There's an X in the word excel.
With extra practice and no excuses,
As a wrestler, you'll do well.
The subject matter should be no surprise. Tom Davids comes from a family steeped in wrestling. He is the youngest of four wrestling brothers. He was a state champion at Hazel Park High School and went on to wrestle at the University of Michigan. He is the founder of the Hazel Park Underdog Youth Wrestling Club, and co-owner of Davids' Gold Medal Sports, a major supplier of wrestling goods.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he wrestled with and befriended Lence.
Lence has worked as an animation story artist and writer for Walt Disney Studios, Pixar and Dreamworks. His credits include Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Shrek.
Veronica Davids is a graduate of Eastern Michigan Univesity. She is a full-time mother and a substitute teacher.
"I'd been looking to write a book for six years or so," said Veronica Davids.
After attending countless writing conferences, workshops and book signings, she finally settled on the subject matter.
"Tom told me that while maybe I didn't love wrestling like he did, I certainly knew a lot about it," said Veronica, laughing.
Veronica and Tom met when she was still in high school.
"I never went to any sporting events. I was not involved in any extra curricular activities. I went to school and went home. Tom had already started college at U-M when we met. When Tom and I started dating, all of my friends were so impressed. Here he was a wrestling champion and everything, and I didn't know a thing about it."
L is the love of wrestling,
And for each other, you know.
Tom and Veronica met awhile back,
Now they have three kids and a book to show.
WHAT: Wrestling the ABCs
WHAT IS IT: A children's book on wrestling
WHO: Authors Veronica and Tom Davids
HOW MUCH: $17.95
WHAT ELSE: Visit www.wrestlingtheabcs.com
I really do not recollect, but Beatrix Potter was more into rabbits than (w)restling referees and rugged guys named Rulon, right?
Curious George was pretty agile, but he never did much grappling. Not unless it was with the man in the yellow hat.
So, it is nigh time that amateur wrestling elbowed its way onto the children's book shelves, and that is just what Veronica and Tom Davids of Hazel Park have addressed.
The Davids, along with renowned illustrator Robert Lence, have created a delightful alphabet book with an amateur wrestling theme. It is titled, appropriately enough, "Wrestling the ABCs."
Every page is dedicated to a different letter. Each letter is accompanied by fun artwork and clever rhymes. Occupying the bottom portion of each page is factual information about the sport.
For instance:
A is for athlete;
It's what amateur wrestlers are.
Practice ankle picks and arm drags
Every time you spar.
And:
H is for the handshake
The match is under way.
With healthy eating and hard work,
You'll wrestle your best today.
Or:
U is for the underdog.
At first you don't stand out.
If most don't think you have a chance,
Prove them wrong and win the bout.
How about:
There's an X in the word excitement.
There's an X in the word excel.
With extra practice and no excuses,
As a wrestler, you'll do well.
The subject matter should be no surprise. Tom Davids comes from a family steeped in wrestling. He is the youngest of four wrestling brothers. He was a state champion at Hazel Park High School and went on to wrestle at the University of Michigan. He is the founder of the Hazel Park Underdog Youth Wrestling Club, and co-owner of Davids' Gold Medal Sports, a major supplier of wrestling goods.
Tom is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he wrestled with and befriended Lence.
Lence has worked as an animation story artist and writer for Walt Disney Studios, Pixar and Dreamworks. His credits include Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Shrek.
Veronica Davids is a graduate of Eastern Michigan Univesity. She is a full-time mother and a substitute teacher.
"I'd been looking to write a book for six years or so," said Veronica Davids.
After attending countless writing conferences, workshops and book signings, she finally settled on the subject matter.
"Tom told me that while maybe I didn't love wrestling like he did, I certainly knew a lot about it," said Veronica, laughing.
Veronica and Tom met when she was still in high school.
"I never went to any sporting events. I was not involved in any extra curricular activities. I went to school and went home. Tom had already started college at U-M when we met. When Tom and I started dating, all of my friends were so impressed. Here he was a wrestling champion and everything, and I didn't know a thing about it."
L is the love of wrestling,
And for each other, you know.
Tom and Veronica met awhile back,
Now they have three kids and a book to show.
WHAT: Wrestling the ABCs
WHAT IS IT: A children's book on wrestling
WHO: Authors Veronica and Tom Davids
HOW MUCH: $17.95
WHAT ELSE: Visit www.wrestlingtheabcs.com
We were honored last night to be the "Featured Authors" at Doherty Elementary School in West Bloomfield. They were hosting a Literacy Day celebration, and had a wide variety of reading related activities for the students and their parents. They also had placed our book in their school book fair for purchase throughout the month. Cool.
We just got back from a combination book tour/wrestling vacation in St. Louis We were attending the NCAA wrestling championships and between wrestling sessions, we were selling our book "Wrestling The ABCs" . I don't have the exact number of books sold as of yet, but it was around 300 copies. We really couldn't have sold any more than that as our selling sessions were time limited. All I can say is that we were selling them as fast as we could. We even had to stop signing books as there were too many people in line waiting and time was running out!
We also spent our last day there doing some sight seeing. I hadn't realized how beautiful St. Louis was. We visited Forest Park, we went up the Arch, hung out in Union Station ( a lot), dined in some fantastic restaurants, and just had an overall wonderful weekend. Of course we had wonderful friends with us, who just really made our weekend fantastic!
We just got home from Battle Creek Michigan, where we had a very busy but successful weekend of book sales. The high school team championships were held at the Kellogg Arena where we had a good sized store rented out for selling our sporting goods and our book. We had a huge blank wall where we had a slide show going with pictures and text from our book as well as lots of advertising in the hallways. We were very busy with sales, especially during breaks between wrestling sessions. The plaza is pretty dead there except for our store, so we had tons of foot traffic. Sales were good, and we were able to spend a lot of time promoting the book. We are now all ready and geared up for heading to St. Louis for the NCAA Championships!
Our book came out Friday. We took it to U of M Friday night for their meet against Ohio State. It was Alumni Weekend, so the stadium was packed! We were there Saturday night too for their meet against Penn State. It was such a fun weekend. We ran into lots of old pals, and sold quite a few copies of our book! We also had the book with us for sale at Holly High School on Saturday day and Sunday day at the Roseville AAU Folkstyle State Championships. It was a really, really good weekend!
this is little Daisy. The pups were only 3 weeks old when I got them. So sweeeet!
My how the time flies! I can't believe it's been this long since my last post. But then again, I can't believe I have 5 foster puppies running around my house right now. And I can't believe that our book is finally HERE. It looks so beautiful! Our marketing gal e-mailed me a few weeks ago and said that the director of curriculum for Garden City Schools ordered 32 copies of our book. That is so cool! And our publisher emailed yesterday and said that we have about 300 books pre ordered through them that we need to mail out. AND our big weekend is coming up at the University of Michigan. On a lucky note for us, it is Alumni Weekend, so we anticipate several thousand spectators. Hopefully the book will sell good. We have a really cool slide show presentation, and Tom had Cliff Keen make up a really cool banner for us, so we are ready to Go Blue!
A super cool lady, Tammy Alberts, contacted me from an organization called “On Your Birthday” wanting to know more about our book and the possibility of them using copies of it for some of their gifts. I can’t wait to send her some! Here’s a link to her site. Such a great thing her organization does. And, they’re local!!!
On Your Birthday http://www.onyourbirthday.org
This video is so funny. One of my SCBWI contacts sent it a few days ago. If you have time, check it out. And by the way, the book is really cute too! The illustrations are so comical and really do the text justice. Enjoy!
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1892600
Read more
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1892600
I love our publisher and editor! They are so positive about our book. Our marketing girl is getting information ready for award entries, and she has sent us a copy of some press releases and other promo stuff she's working on. And, our publisher reminded us again how cool it is that they got a call from Nick Jr. wanting a copy of our book. Wonder if that will lead anywhere? I love Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon. Their website has so many fun activities for kids, and interesting things for parents too!
http://www.nickjr.com
http://www.nick.com
http://www.wrestlingtheabcs.com
this is not the actual issue cover-I was too lazy to scan mine!
So I'm a little behind the times, but I was trying to go through some of my old magazines today, and I found my winter issue of SCBWI Bulletin (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) and noticed that our Wrestling The ABCs website was listed in the bulletin. That's always a good sign! They focus only on children's literature. As soon as the book is released, they will list us again under Newly Published Authors!
