Christmas Gift Ideas!

by | Home, PatchWords

 

The Journey:

It is funny how manuscripts find their way into publishing. Many years ago, I wrote, Joey Meets the Tooth Fairy. As life enjoys throwing curved balls our way, I was not the exception. In the last stages of the production phase, I had a disagreement with the first publisher, which placed this project on hold for years. However, I am known for my persistence. Instead of sitting on a corner to cry, I took action.

I asked my younger son, who inspired the character of Joey, to translate the book into German. Once he was done, the book went through several rounds of editing before, Joey trifft die Zahnfee, was published in 2011 by Books on Demand (BoD). Nonetheless, no matter how many eyes reviewed the text, there were some small, unnoticed mistakes. I found those sneaky ones while practicing the text for some book readings at several local libraries. Last year, “Joey trifft die Zahnfee” went through a deep editing process. The edited version will soon be released under the new ISBN: 9783695161140

Moving forward with the long journey of the English manuscript. After self-publishing three books through several self-publishing providers, I decided to take a leap of faith with the English book, Joey Meets the Tooth Fairy.  

Independent Publishing:

 Am I nervous? YEESSS. Who wouldn’t?

Why I chose Ingram Sparks? Many years ago, while attending the Frankfurt Book Fair, I met Robin Cutler, Director of Ingram Spark. I saw one of the printed books and was impressed with its quality and the simplicity of the concept. 

I read several blogs and read reviews from authors who published using the three main players: Amazon, BookBaby, and Ingram Spark. Then I compared my needs and goals vs their services and prices. Although setting up the book for Ingram comes with a cost, I like their flexibility, non-exclusive contract, and, of course, their global distribution.

However, to ensure the quality of the final product, the MS was professionally edited by two separate editors, the interior book designer was an author and illustrator with years of experience, who has published with Ingram and Amazon. That gave me the benefits of having an insider helping me through the process.

Currently, the book is being set up by Ingram. Once the process is completed, the book will be released, realistically, by mid-November.

Advice to Self-Publishing Authors: 

My best advice to ALL self-publishing authors: seek professional help to transform your MS into a “want-to-buy” book. Remember that the best stew, cooks slowly.


What makes Joey’s book different from other Tooth Fairy stories in the market? 

  • Joey is a late-toothed boy.
  • The Tooth Fairy is mobile-impaired and has dark skin color, like yours truly. Her castle is the smallest shining star in the dark sky.
  • Joey and the Tooth Fairy encountered a Solar Storm while traveling with the Shooting Star Express to collect the teeth of the children around the world.
  • It’s a fantasy story for the whole family.
  • The German book has received excellent reviews.

What makes these books excellent choices for children between 5 and 8 years old?

It’s a gift that sparks your child’s imagination!

 

 

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Where I have been…

by | Home, PatchWords

Colorful sunrays shining over some pine trees, rocks, and a creek.

Have you missed me? The last two years have been a carousel of high and low events, taking me on an unexpected ride. This new chapter has been a mix of challenges, joy, and opportunities for growth. Let us start with the unpleasantness leading to joy.

“Time with Tannia” had a HUGE security issue that forced me to take it offline. After trying to fix the problem myself and ending up creating a bigger mess, I decided to seek professional help. The result of a lengthy 1 1/2 year process is an improved version of my site.

Funny how lives twist and turn, lead us to interesting situations. My first picture book was originally written in English, “Joey Meets the Tooth Fairy.” We found a publisher in Australia, Old Mate Media, and were extremely happy with them. Nonetheless, after the illustrations were completed, we had a disagreement, which led us to go our separate ways. What to do? I searched for alternatives. I decided to publish the book in German. My younger son, who inspired the character of Joey, translated the book for me. In the process, he even found some flaws in the story, which forced me to rewrite some scenes. After the agony of going through endless review and editing sections, the manuscript was ready for publication. I chose the same publisher of my Spanish book, “El Espejo de mi Alma.” September 2022, its German translation, “Joey trifft die Zahnfee” was released in paperback and digital formats. Besides that bump on the road, the book received many excellent reviews. An edited version of the book will soon be available for sale!

Furthermore, I wanted to provide Joey the opportunity to promote his book and interact with his friends. This wish took us to a search for a user-friendly platform. After reading blogs from experts and visiting other authors’ websites, we decided to use Wix. Taking advantage of their “Hire a Professional” feature, we team up with Quite Often Agency (Luxembourg, Europe). Yes, I know Joey is a fictional character, but like Pinocchio, he thinks of himself as a real boy; hence “we.” Now, I will let Joey tell you more about his site.

“Thanks, mom.  My site: Joey Paco Travels, https://www.joeypacotravels.com/ (2023) is my digital journal. I write blogs in English and German about my visit to the Tooth Fairy’s castle, our family vacations, and other odd adventures. I have a lot of fun writing blogs. What makes my site different? My fans, children (with their parents’ permission), or parents can contact the Tooth Fairy, Mom, or ME and receive an answer! Ahh, I almost forgot, you can also buy Merchandise. Gotta run now. Need to finish my geography homework!  See you soon!,

Joey Paco”

Update on the English manuscript. It was professionally edited, and we are currently looking for a publisher to bring it to life!

More reasons to celebrate! Recently, I obtained my Intermediate German (B2 level) Certification. I owe that achievement to my dedicated tutor, Marzena Markowski from E-German.  A tutor I can highly recommend because of her structured classes, great tips, and ability to explain complex grammar concepts in an easy-to-understand way.

This prepared me to keep writing the manuscript of my Oral History Project based on the period: before, during, and after Nazi Germany evolved from one book to a trilogy: Letmathe, Soldiers, and the famous Jehovah Witness Family Kusserow! Currently researching, collecting documents, and verifying the stories of my 20 witnesses. Sadly, only two are still alive. The rest of them went to eternal rest. Today, I just wanted to tease you and make you curious about “what is to come…”  As time goes by, I will share more information about this project.

I close my first blog for 2025 by highlighting some curveballs that provided me with some opportunities to grow.

At a personal level, some family situations taught us that life is fragile, and we should treasure our time together!

At a professional level, difficulties are challenges waiting to be conquered, and I am ready for them. My Oral History Project keeps my brain cells active while sorting and evaluating data prior to putting the puzzle pieces together. Fun, fun, fun… Research- my favorite phase of this fascinating project!

At a spiritual level, I am thankful for the blessings and trials in my life, as they make me stronger, closer, and more dependent on God.

Thanks for stopping by and spending some time with me!

Tannia

 

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Featured Guest Archived Interviews

by | Featured Guest Archived Interviews, Home

A/B/C

D/E/F

Karina Fabian:

Daniel Friedmann:

G/H/I

K/L

Jo Linsdel:

M

David Murdoch:

N/O/P

Q/R/S

SARS-CoV2: (Creative Writing) 

T/U/V

Denise Turney:

W/X/Y/Z

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