 marcoujor I'm in awe at the speed with which summer is passing by. Before long the kids will be returning to school. In the world of nursing, classes never stop. Summer semester has been hopping. As such, the best reads these days for me are quick ones. I discovered the sweetest children's book, written by Vinaya Ghimire and illustrated by Sannel Larson called "Amazing Alphabet". I was thrilled when both Vinaya and Sannel took time out of their busy lives to answer a few questions for me - ever curious that I am...! I suspect you will enjoy learning the back-story of this book as much as I did. Available in both hard copy and Kindle editions, I highly recommend this learning adventure for the little ones on your gift list... it really goes beyond a 5-star to me! Collaborators
Maria: Vinaya, what was your motivation for this charming undertaking called "Amazing Alphabet"? Vinaya: One of the subjects I studied in my creative writing program was “Writing for Children.” However, apart from the stories I wrote for my dissertation, I did not write anything for children until a client asked me to write a story for children. It had been more than 7 years since I had attempted to write anything for children. I accepted the job because the payment was good, however, when the client gave me positive feedback, I was encouraged. I did not know where to begin, but then one day I paid attention to a story my sister was telling to her three year old son. I found the way. Maria: Vinaya, what made you ask Sannel for assist with illustrations? Vinaya: Sannel had not only written and illustrated number of children books, but also collaborated with many writers. One day I wrote a short children's story and asked Sannel to give her feedback. Sannel not only gave a nice critique but also explained what it was like publishing children's books on CreateSpace. When I proposed to collaborate, she immediately agreed. I worked on a story and developed a manuscript; however, it was different from what I had sent to Sannel as a sample. After reading the first draft, Sannel sent me a sample image. It was exactly what I had in mind. Maria: Vinaya, what was it like working with Sannel? Vinaya: I have known Sannel since 2012. I have seen her grow from a writer on a residual income site to an author and illustrator of children's books and a digital artist. She has also helped me as a critic and promoter of my works. I wanted to get published but I did not know where to begin. One day I asked Sannel about the publishing process. She sent me YouTube links. Because of other priorities in life, I abandoned the idea of book publishing. That was about two years ago. Last year, Sannel sent me her books as a gift to my nephew and niece. I liked the story as well as the illustrations. When I was ready to publish my first children's book earlier in the year, no one but Sannel knew what was in my mind. I don’t think I my idea would have been materialized in a book without Sannel’s assistance. Sannel is a writer, illustrator and a digital artist. She must be very busy. However, despite her busy schedule she found time for my manuscript. I will love to work with her again. Maria: Sannel, what did you learn about yourself when working with Vinaya? Sannel: Each piece of illustration work brings up new challenges, and I always learn something new. Illustrating is quite a solitary process. I will find myself locked away for hours, days and weeks on end, while new characters are being born through my imagination and my hands. I feel tremendously satisfied when I work on an illustration project, knowing that in the end when the book comes out, my illustrations will have lots of kids smile. With each project I learn more and more, that I truly love this job. Maria: Sannel, what was this experience like? Sannel: To be an illustrator can be an inspiring and joyous experience, or it can be quite difficult. Much of that depends on who your are working with. I have been fortunate so far to work with some wonderful and easy going authors, and Vinaya is one of them. I'm sure when Vinaya wrote the “Amazing Alphabet” story he had a vision of how the illustrations would match the story. He trusted me completely and from the start, he left me free hands with the illustrations. It was so much fun working with Vinaya, and I hope that I will have the privilege to do it again sometime. The Yum Factor!This week I also wanted to share what's up in Justin P. Moore's (of The Lotus and the Artichoke as well as nephew of friend and author Peg Cole of Hubpages) kitchen...  Sri Lankan Super Star: Vegetable Fried Rice!  Banana Lassi with Chia Power! More to come in a future review of this up and coming chef's latest in, The Lotus and the Artichoke - SRI LANKA Vegan Cookbook by Justin P. Moore himself... but if I have piqued your curiosity a little go ahead and check out these links - you will not be sorry... there is a lot of good stuff happening in this guy's kitchen.
Website: lotusartichoke.com Facebook: @lotusartichoke Instagram: @lotusartichoke Twitter: @lotusartichoke Kickstarter: http://kck.st/1dVOGQ2 Meanwhile, here's what's happening in other parts of Weeblyville: Until next week, sending you peace and hugs, mar
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